Dr. Scuttles

I’m glad Wicket is in the room though, I know what he is watching as long as he is set up on his perch, rooting AGAINST Martin and Louisa, WHO DOES THAT?? Truly that OWL IS A MONSTER?!And a dear friend. Lifelong friendships are complicated.

Victoria, however, is a wonderful tv companion. I will miss her when they find her a suitable home. 🫤

Very much.

Suffice to say, Wicket is NOT my favorite tv marathon partner.

Wicket has been snoozing on his perch, waking up from dozing now and then to ask when ‘Midsomer Murders’ will be on. I love the show too, especially Tom-episodes (nothing against John, I delight in his as well. Just love Tom is all) but Wicket roots for the killers and it’s really disdainful.

Victoria has joined us in our Doc Martin binge-watch. She is a big fan of Pauline. I think Pauline is ok. Martin is my favorite. Everyone acts like he is grumpy and rigid, but he makes perfect sense to me.

Long story short, we just need to watch a few more episodes…

However!! As long as the tv is on ‘Doc Martin’, it can’t be on a BCN broadcast. And so, in a roundabout way, this ALSO keeps the mice safe from Wicket.

It took me all afternoon, waiting out That Man to leave the living room, and still… I have not bitten through the cord yet. A ‘Doc Martin’ marathon has been on. First it kept That Man planted on the couch, and then I myself got VERY invested in whether or not Martin and Louisa get together…

Now that I know the Baseball War is over, my plan to bite through the television cord can proceed. Wish me luck! I will not need it. Snapping turtles can bite through bone, a Samsung cord is nothing.

Thank you very much to everyone who informed me that the Baseball War is over. I hear that birds participated this year, with the corvids sending in blue jays as their representatives. Did not expect that. Sounds like the humans defeated them, but bravo to the birds for trying!

Is the “Big Baseball Thing” over? That Man seems to really enjoy it, I’d hate to take out the television before it’s wrapped up. However, might be necessary to do my part in keeping 28 mice safe. 32. Bah. I’ve never liked word problems. Anyway, the baseball war, let me know.

No idea where Victoria lands. We all live on the raw meat from the grocer that That Man gifts us. She seems content with it, like myself. But one never knows. Seems a bit awkward to ask her when we’ve only just met, really.

Hmm… I may just bite through the tv cord altogether.

I’m a “bits of raw chicken out of a package from the grocery store” carnivore myself. I’m not proud of that fact, as it neither makes me a good hunter nor a thoughtful animal-ally. However, being a snapping turtle, I do believe I could commit worse sins.

For obvious reasons, I’m putting all efforts into keeping Wicket away from BCN news reports this week. Luckily, owls famously usually do not watch the news. However, one cannot be too careful.

He offered it to Wicket, who was thoroughly miserable about his feathers getting wet. But did not leave or refuse additional spritzes, I noticed.

Victoria enjoys being misted by a water bottle in the summer heat. That Man spritzed me a few times too. That’s what he called it, “would you like a spritz too, Dr. Scuttles?” Would I. “Spritz.” An onomatopoeia coined from the sound the water bottle makes.

Anyway, it’s wonderful. What a treat.

Victoria thinks something is going on between Moulder and Scully. I’m undecided. They’re colleagues!

I had no luck motivating That Man to put Star Trek on. However, sure enough he settled in with X-Files, and he let me stay in the room (and gave me a small bowl of my beloved potato chips). A cozy evening was had!

That Man has set himself up in the guest room for the moment to help Victoria acclimate. He is good like that. An exceptional kind of human. There is a tv in there. I have been shuffling in and out. No idea how to encourage him to put on Star Trek, but I shall try. Ideas?

He made polite conversation though. The usual. “How old are you?” “Where are you from?” “Do you enjoy eating raw hamburger?” (Who doesn’t)

Wicket had a chance to meet Victoria this afternoon. That Man brought him into the guest room on the falconer’s glove. He seemed ALARMED at her size, in a way that guarantees her safety. Good. He is my only friend—other than That Man—but he can be such a pest when he feels superior to anyone.

She did not, alas. But not for lack of trying.

Anyway, Victoria seems kind and well mannered. I told her sometimes That Man watches Star Trek. Lately it’s been more X-Files than anything else, but maybe I can step on the remote.

She said Next Generation is her favorite. I let her know I’m more of a Deep Space Nine kind of fellow. She said she likes that one too. She adores Odo and Quark (truly, who doesn’t?) Wicket called into the room that he likes Darth Vader. Wicket. Really?

I didn’t know snakes could be so fond of television, but she told me her former owner enjoyed quiet nights sitting on a couch beside her tank, watching Star Trek and MST3K, before he passed away a couple of years ago.

She said those two shows feel like home.

That Man allowed me to shuffle down the hallway and into the guest room with him. I took the chance to introduce myself to our gigantic snake guest. She is a ball python. She is about four and a half feet long and twenty years old. She really enjoys Star Trek and MST3k. Her name is Victoria.

We all have—and enjoy—our own spaces. I go in the catio-thing as well, but not as often as Wicket. Partly because Wicket has an infuriating habit of standing on my shell when I am in there. That owl has zero boundaries. 😑

Wicket has a large Critter Nation cage in That Man’s home office, along with a perch he enjoys grumbling on. He gets a lot of outdoors time too, in the big “catio-style” enclosure That Man build in the backyard last summer. Not a true catio though, as none of us our cats obviously. Still, you know.

For those of you wondering, I tend to stick to my kiddie pool and pen in the kitchen. I’m happiest there. The clicking of my claws on the linoleum is a very satisfying sound.

That Man is setting her tank up in the guest bedroom. This tank is massive. That Man could live in it. I predict no guests this summer. Well, aside from the huge snake.

To the annoyance of Wicket and my relief. I’d love a low key summer.