Friends & Family

The guest room is ready and waiting for Laurie & Nikon who will be coming for a visit, just in time for my birthday.  They're driving from Virginia to visit relatives north of the Twin Cities, then staying here for a few days.  Laurie is originally from the Twin Cities, but we were introduced years ago by an mutual friend when she was already living on the east coast.  Nikon is one of Coral's daughters, one of Argus's "ex-wives" and mother of Penny.  Both are great houseguests and we always have such a good time.  Because Ron is a typical close-mouthed Finlander, it's also nice to have someone around to talk to, other than the dogs of course.  (Yes, I talk to my dogs as if they were people.  Don't you?)

Duderino & friend

An email from my brother to see which weekends I'll be home this summer.  All of them, I told him.  No money, no plans.  Al is planning to come up from Costa Rica for a week or ten days, stay with mom, get together with family and visit old friends.  He also stocks up on things I can not buy in Costa Rica, although they have an increasingly large number of "American items" available - which probably means they were made in China.  We all wish that his wife Alison would come along too, but she's content to stay in Costa Rica and tend to her projects and their pets.  Their newest family member, who I refer to as Al's foster son, is pictured above - a Capuchin Monkey, aka Organ Grinder Monkey.  Duderino is a "rescue" who was illegally owned, and because Alison is involved in dog rescue she was asked to take in the monkey who can not be returned to the wild.  My mother says that Al has many humorous stories about their adventures with Duderino, so I'm sure I'll have a few to relate.  The monkey spends his days outdoors swinging from the trees and harassing the dogs, but he comes when called, eats anything except bananas (!) and takes twenty foot leaps from lamp to lamp.  Very glad that Duderino will not be traveling with Al!