Signs of fall
Monday was the official first day of the autumnal equinox and sights of the season are as abundant as a Thanksgiving feast. Oh wait … Sorry, I am getting a little ahead of myself. I forgot that the retail world doesn’t acknowledge this time of giving thanks and goes from selling costumes and big bags of candy right into nutcrackers, trees, ornaments, reindeer, jolly fat old men in red suits, etc.
Alameda residents take Halloween very seriously, and I am looking forward to reporting on all the great yard displays as they appear. If you are planning to haunt your house, please send my HC (human companion) an email with your address. He’s at [email protected]. You can also let the folks over at Alameda Haunts know. They are giving out prizes and sponsoring other fun stuff. Check them out.
I was walking around South Shore Shopping Center when I saw the produce guy at Safeway shooting pumpkin free throws to create the pumpkin display, and a stop at Paganos offered a glimpse into their Halloween window decorations.
A quick check of the many street trees along Central, Santa Clara, and Alameda avenues finds the sidewalk dusted with yellow, orange, and brown leaves. I have been avoiding the trees that produce acorns in hopes of reducing as many squirrel encounters as possible.
What was unavoidable was the number of turkeys wandering around the streets with the moms and almost fully grown kids, and the Toms showing off.
Here’s a joke: What did one cannibal say to his friend after they ate a clown? … “Does this taste funny?”
Which segues nicely into the next subject. My HC left a plastic container of snacks a little too close to the edge of the kitchen island, and I was able to obtain possession of said treats. The flimsy plastic cover was no match for my powerful jaws, and it first buckled then popped off, revealing the tasty morsels.
As I went into full Hoover mode sucking up a variety of rice crackers, something was wrong. I can detect hundreds of scents, and I did not smell any “rice” in the Natural Rice Crackers. 💩 What was I eating?
A quick check of the ingredients revealed the shocking discovery that the “Rice” Crackers DID NOT CONTAIN ANY RICE. WTF! (What the fur!) To add insult to injury, these “natural” crackers contained unnatural chemicals. What the heck is Paprika Oleoresin? (OK turns out this is a natural product according to www.isitbadforyou.com. Yes, there really is a website by that name, but I digress.) On a positive note, there was no fat in any of the shapes.
Under the heading of “I told you so.” Did anyone else read about the squirrel in San Rafael that sent two residents to the emergency room? According to a Patch article, one victim said, “It came out of nowhere.” Another told police, “I was full of blood.” So, when you are in one of Alameda’s parks or walking around Alameda Avenue and Chestnut Street, keep an eye out for any rogue squirrels and be sure to keep your ankles covered.
Onward,
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.
