Now that I can see all the way across my back yard, I can watch the neighborhood cats as they come through on patrol. The ground must look alive to them, because they're always stopping and staring at one spot or another. I know I still have gophers (or moles, I've never been sure), and I've seen field mice from time to time.

The other day I looked out the window and saw the cream-colored cat in the garden. It was obviously eating something, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know what. I don't want them killing my birds, though, so I got out the binoculars for a close-up.

I'm still not completely sure, but it was something small and furry (not feathered). So it's okay. I didn't bother the cat. I didn't want to spook it so that it would drop the rat (or mole or whatever) and run. I don't need rotting carcasses amongst the hollyhocks. That's just disgusting.

This afternoon I saw the same cat leaping and spinning in one corner of the yard, then racing across to the other side and doing the same thing there. Most of the time it just sits and looks around, but as soon as it sees that I'm watching it runs off as if I'd taken a shot at it with a pellet gun. Which I'm not likely to do, but I'm not going to give that cat a name, either. It's somebody else's pet, and just a visitor here.

I was so set on writing about something different today that I was tempted to leave the house. You know, actually do something different. But no, that didn't work out at all. I didn't spend quite as much time at the computer as I did yesterday, but it still added up to most of the day.

Apparently something I did today corrupted at least one of my fonts. I don't even know if that's possible, but I use Georgia a lot, both in writing and as the default font on my browser. Now I find that it has no apostrophe. I can't see apostrophes on web pages, and when I try to type one in Georgia either I get a space (like a tab) or the word I'm typing disappears.

And Microsoft has done away with its free font downloads, so I can't get any help from them. (Big surprise.) I'm writing this in Verdana, which is an attractive enough font, but it doesn't really measure up. I'm hoping I can copy Georgia from the old computer and install it on Fidelina. That makes too much sense, though. Nothing happens quite that easily.

Installing the printer was a bit of a challenge, because I couldn't find the original discs, but I found the Canon site and downloaded the installation program. For Photoshop, I had to start with the Limited Edition of 5.0 I got for a student discount a few years ago (when I was actually taking JC classes in Photoshop, so it was legit). Then I had to install the upgrade from LE to 5.5 that I bought. Next up: 7.0! And tomorrow, if all goes well, I burn my first CD. Whee!