Bill W

I actually despised Dolores Umbridge more than any other villian because of herphony sweetness, insideous cruelty, and sense of superiority.

I think Barry is just being a nice, friendly guy, but it doesn't mean the boys should let down their guard. That is true with Ralph as well, so let's hope these don't become potential problems.

Yes, the boys appear to be off to a great start. Running into Barry and Anna was nice, and allowed them to touch base and get reacquainted again, so let's hope things continue going well. As far as Ralph is concerned, I guess you'll just have to wait and see while keeping your fingers crossed. 🤞

Thanks for pointing that out to weinerdog. Since he walks so low to the ground and might be able to get from the garage to the house without being noticed himself, he might not be able to appreciate the perspective from Bear's vantage point.

Barry is observant, but I think he's just being a nice guy. The boys helped him out when solving the case of the rapes on campus and I think he just enjoys their company, so maybe its best not to read too much into his friendliness, although it doesn't hurt to remain alert. As far as your second question, check my response to Paladin, and don't confused him with drp.

Yes, in some cases avoiding neighbors, especially those like Louella, can make for fewer problems. And do you really think she would go that far to monitor the boys? Yeah, you're right and I'm shocked! hehehe

You guys are pretty sharp this morning. I might have to start hiding clues less obviously, if that's the case.

See my response to your son - Paladin, drp. lol

Yes, it's always good for the academic year starts on such a positive note. Do you think Devin is being sneaky and has an ulterior motive for doing this? I guess you'll have to wait and see. As far as the swapping drivers on the way back from the dog park, I believe it's because Mac is trying to avoid any problems with pulling the SUV into the garage. Since it was probably built years ago, when pre-WWII cars were as large, I think Mac is trying to avoid a problem. If someone has a slight accident pulling the SUV into the garage, I believe he prefers it would be Devin, not him, to avoid a potentially tense and heated aftermath.

Yes, it usually a good sign with the academic year gets off to a decent start, although some troubling situations might still arise, such as with the guy at the dog park and Louella. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Absolutely. Louella is not only a busybody, but she's also a self-perceived semi-important bureaucrat who imagines she has more power than she actually has, but she also may have a few helpful connections, so it's best to give her a wide berth. Yes, the guy at the dog park was taking a chance, but since he's pretty sure that Mac is older than 18, he obviously feels that it's safe to get Mac to consent to something. It could effect his business, though, so I'm sure he will consider those options, if he attempts to pursue this. Barry is proving to be a really nice guy, and who knows how close they may all become as friends. And it looks like a smooth start to their third year in college.

Yes, each year seems to be easier for the boys, at least while they're moving into the house and checking in at the college. And seeing they're more comfortable with handling the toy drive, they're getting that started earlier as well, since they probably won't have as much time during the semester to work on it, now that their course load is getting more difficult. As far as the guy that hit on Mac at the dog park, there's no telling what he may try to do, but Mac and Devin may have some options. Mac could always transition into another body, one that won't be as appealing to the guy, and Devin could transition into a different breed of dog. However, that might prove to be a problem if Preston and Bailey are there, but that's a situation for the future, if the guy adjusts his schedule so he can go to the dog park earlier. Yes, Louella is someone to be avoided as much as possible, but is she the type who will avoid making trouble for the boys?

Chapter 29 – Checking in With Old Friends After Devin and I woke up, we made a quick trip to get something to eat before going to the upperclassman sign in area. We had to do this every year so the college administrators would know we were there for the fall semester. It was also when we got our class schedules and had our photos taken for this year’s student IDs. After those things had been taken care of, Devin suggested we go over to where a guy was set up to take orders for class rin

Thank you, Bev. I appreciate your feedback and your support. I'm working on another series right now, a paranormal/shifter story, and that's taking up most of my time, so I'm not sure if I'll be getting back to the Castaway series.

If at first you don't succeed...

Yes, Louella would become the Wicked Witch of the Mid-West or the Fat Wicked Witch of the West.

It was the calm before TWO storms.

A dual love story, as well as one that comes to an end, but you'll understand that better as you read this captivating tale. It all takes place during a week on a cruise ship, more or less, and you'll find the characters both well developed and interesting, and you'll enjoy the humor that is interlaced throughout. It's an easy and enjoyable read, and you won't regret taking the time to peruse the 10,000+ words. Well done, Secret Author!

What a sweet story. Devon turned out to be a psychoanalyst and relationship counselor for others. He was good at giving advice, but not using it in his own relationship with Roger, at least not until he watched Keller and Jason's relationship and Roger surprised him by returning to the ship. He finially discovered what he really wanted and had the courage to admit it. At the beginning of the story, I had to laugh when Devon described the Yacht Club area as pretentious, considering the description he gave of what he and Roger were wearing, as well as what the expensive crap they were carrying with them, as well as the fact that they’d just arrived in a limo. After hearing the disagreement Keller and Jason had on the balcony, and after Roger left the ship, I wondered if Devon was going to offer to let Jason share his accommodations, but I'm glad that didn't happen. Great job, Secret Author. A touching, sensitive, and often humorous tale.

I watched a TV program once that was talking about unexplainable things and it included a experience with a tornado. I family saw a tornado coming and hunkered down in their basement, expecting the house to be destroyed. The could hear the roar of the tornado as it approached, but nothing happened. When they felt it was safe, the went outside to check things out. To their surprise, everything was destroyed both in front of their house and behind it, but their house was totally undamaged. It appeared that the tornado went by the house first on one side, went a bit farther and then reversed course, going by the house on the other side. The aerial view of the damage was horrendous, but the house was standing on 'an island' of undamaged property.

It would have had to do a lot more damage to earn the name Louella!

Time to go grab a can of Raid before you start removing the web with a sturdy twig.

Robbie Burns also gloaming is not ruddy or wonderful. It can simply be cloudy. Oh, and the origin of the word is not Gaelic, although many often think it is.

"When ance life's day draws near the gloamin, Then fareweel vacant, careless roamin; An' fareweel cheerfu' tankards foamin, An' social noise: An' fareweel dear, deluding woman, The joy of joys!" From 'Epistle to James Smith' written by Robert Burns in around1785. It first appeared in Burns's Kilmarnock edition of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786).

I'd never use the word pretty in conjunction with Louella, even tangentially.