I've been using my motion-activated scouting camera to see if I can get a shot of those dang coyotes that have been roaming our neighborhood. Haven't seen them yet. I did notice a posting on our newsgroup this weekend about a missing cat.

Got this fox, though. In my experience, mostly from a deer blind, foxes aren't nearly as sneaky as everyone thinks they are. I've had them wander within eight or ten yards of my bowhunting tripod without knowing I was there. We occasionally see them in the woods behind our house at night. Ever heard a fox bark? It's pretty weird. Sounds like a cross between a wild bird and a pig.

Also got this possum. The possum, of course, is the stealthiest and most elusive of all creatures, almost ninja-like in their cunning abilities. Right behind the possum on the craftiness index is the armadillo, followed by the porcupine. I think this possum works for the CIA.

I'm a big UT baseball fan. They don't show many of the games on TV, but with today's technology, there are all kinds of ways to bring the fan closer to the team, right?

Let's start with the old favorite of baseball fans everywhere, the radio. KVET-AM carries every game, so it's not a problem. Except I live too far out, and the night games don't come in. I even bought a radio that is specially designed for long-distance reception, but it doesn't bring in KVET-AM at night.

Okay, well, I'll just log on to their web site and stream the game. Except that they don't stream the games, for unknown reasons, but the site seems to indicate the university made that decision.

The good news is, they now have video cameras at every home game, and you can watch them through the TexasSports.com web site. Is it as good as a regular TV broadcast? I don't know, because it won't work on my Mac. I found a link on the site that basically says click here for all the latest video and audio for Mac users. I click on it, then it says Page Not Found. I've emailed them, asking for assistance, but I haven't heard back and I doubt I ever will.

What does that leave? This seems sort of ridiculous, but my only alternative is to call the station on the phone and have them put me on hold. When you're on hold, you hear what's currently broadcasting. So, last night, that's what I did. It's not an unusual request. Other people on the outskirts of the city do this. But come on, this is the age of technology. I have to listen to a baseball game on my phone? In the fourth inning, my battery died.

Then, we lost.

While working on my new book yesterday, I wrote these three sentences:

"I’m tired of catching noodles. I’m tired of colanders and sieves. I don’t want to be a piglet on a skewer anymore.”

In context, they make perfect sense.

Someone forwarded this photo to me this morning. I just had to share. (Thanks, Nicholas.)

I recently read Robert B. Parker's new Jesse Stone novel, Stranger in Paradise. Enjoyed it, just like I've enjoyed them all. No, I didn't mistake it for "serious" literature, but that's not what it's intended to be. It's only meant to be a quick, entertaining read. My books fall in to the same category, as does most genre fiction.

What makes Parker's books so easy to read? Short, quick chapters. Lots of dialogue. Every scene moves the story forward. Witty banter. Plots that are easy to follow. Interesting (if sometimes unbelievable) characters. As with many books, you have to be willing to suspend disbelief at times. Would Stone be so accommodating of a killer in his midst? Why would he promise to bust the guy if he can, then do so little to actually catch him?

Sure, I took issue with various developments as the story unfolded--but I kept reading anyway. Doesn't that make the book a success?

Any thoughts?