19 SEP 25
Somewhere between Yali flipping a bag of almonds through the air which then splashes Patience's glass of chocolate Milo drink across the table and Puck sleepily emerging from his den for a plate of breakfast... “You all want to go to the zoo?” // “YES!”
It's only a partially spontaneous field trip... just because the weather is cooperating again and Puck has already pre-agreed to walk an asphalt circuit filled with critters from all globe-corners... also Mama doesn't feel like re-teaching figuring change in math class... again... the penny's going out anyway...
Zoo is hoppin' but manageable... Puck coasts us through an hour of Asian Elephant and American Alligator and Black Mamba... up to big cat country where the tigers are feeding...
But of course the capstone for probably all of them is lunch... Cafe Kudu for cheeseburgers and fries with honey mustard and ketchup and Cokes (for the big ones of us)... consumed in minutes...
Slip back into the driveway in a lightly baked afternoon... Puck opens the kitchen door... “I smell gas” // “I smell gas too” // “I do too” // Mama... who can smell mostly very little on a good day can get a tinge of something but all the kids keep confirming it... “Okay fine... all you guys stay outside... get the animals...”
The gang hangs out in the yard while Mama makes a phone call... wonder why the emergency number is taking so long to go through... Patience lounging on picnic blankets under the trampoline for shade... all three kids slurping monster pops as Puck speaks cajolingly to his very unhappy fat yellow cat in his carrier on the patio table under the big umbrella...
An hour later Spire slides to a stop in front of our house... “Yeah so that chemical they put in the gas line...” the guy starts to explain... “someone put in way too much of it and now everybody's smellin' it everywhere... I've been to so many houses today... you've been hearin' fire engines a lot?... yup that's people callin' 'em up because we can't get there fast enough”... he checks everything anyway... no leaks... comments on Puck's large unusual terrarium in the kitchen before leaving as he clears everyone to gratefully return indoors to A/C... no one is happier however... than the cat...