After all the book talk it is probaby time I offered an update on real world events here at what Mary likes to refer to as casa maywrite. Since fiction is much more interesting than reality I will keep it brief. Although not as brief as it would have been had I not mentioned keeping it brief.

About two weeks ago the glaciers receded enough for me to get the car out to the grocery store for the first time since late December. Not that we were in any danger of starving. The shelves were far from bare. I'm sure there are lots of creative ways to cook up tomato soup and kidney beans.

I was amazed the car started after sitting outside half-buried in snow all winter for 72 days (a record! Yay!!) but it did. The first time, that is. The next time I tried to get out the battery had given up the ghost or whatever it is in there. AAA sent someone over to give the car a jump start after which I drove straight to the garage and had the battery replaced, about two years too late I was told.

It seems that modern batteries can only be trusted for three or four years and once they loose their charge, unlike old fashioned batteries, they are pretty much done for. Well, I have no complaints seeing how many times the battery worked after ridiculously long stretches of winter.

What else? Let's see. We've spotted some new cats wandering around. One is a tortoise shell at least I think that's what the markings are called), uncannily like Sabrina who doesn't go outside. And more than a month ago there was a woodchuck who had got up too early waddling around in the snow covered backyard. You can see why I've been writing about my reading.