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to wait.
    The cat was back soon enough. Darkness fell and we turned on the porch light. We didn’t go to the window too often because it made the cat moan, but we could hear him laying against the front door as he munched his turkey leg and then later gave himself a bath.
    The rain came down, but the overhang sheltered the lion and he seemed in no hurry to move on. I had no idea how Alex would get back into the cabin, or us out of it, but since by then we were all hungry, we went into the kitchen to make turkey and cranberry sandwiches.
    A little after eight, a small parade of vehicles arrived. Lawrence, Agatha, and I crowded around the best window and watched as a woman climbed out of Alex’s car. She said something to the cat which went loping toward her. None of us shouted a warning. Clearly the cat knew her.
    Once Kendall, the retired star of the Adventure Africa children’s television series, was loaded into the horse trailer and returned to the sanctuary, we had a second round of pie and coffee with the owner of the sanctuary.
    “We were so worried when Kendall escaped and there were no reports of sightings from anyone. We feared the worst. I am so grateful he chose to visit you and not someone who would shoot first and ask questions later.”
    “We’re animal lovers here. And vice versa,” I said. Blue was certainly staying very close to Mitchell Bloom. She wasn’t being obvious with her sniffing since I have explained that it’s rude, but whatever collection of animal smells he had on his clothes, they were ambrosia to the dog.
    Mitchell did the right thing and stroked her ears.
    “Well, we are thankful it is so. By the way, this is fabulous pecan pie.”
    “It’s the Kahlua,” I said. “By the way, I have wrapped up some pumpkin pie for Kendall since he seems to like it so much.”
    “ Er —uh, thank you.” Mitchell gave Blue a last pet and then rose to his feet. “I need to be going. They say this rain may turn to snow and most of the staff is home for Thanksgiving.”
    We all got up, said the proper stranger goodbyes, pressed extra pie on the sanctuary owner, and then happily shut the door on our adventure.
    “Well, it wasn’t how I imagined spending Thanksgiving,” Alex said, turning off the porch light.
    “No, but it was still better than listening to Althea’s poetry.”

 
 

To Commemorate a Turkey
    by Althea Gordon (Poet Laureate of Hope Falls)

 
    Beautiful turkey on a silver tray!
    Alas! I’m so sorry to say,
    That your brothers were also taken away,
    In November two thousand twelve
    It’s the subject into which I delve.

 
    It happened in the dark of night
    When the moon shone with all its might
    And the turkey blood came pouring down
    And the poultry god began to frown,
    Because it seemed like he was going to drown
    Before there were enough turkeys for the town.

 
    It must have been a horrid sight
    The death of Innocents in the moonlight,
    But you were fearless as a gorilla
    Perhaps because you knew you had salmonella.

 
 

Ode to the Turkey That Got All Burnt Up in Uncle Fred's Deep Fryer
    (To the tune of “The Star Spangled Banner”)
    By Althea Gordon (Poet Laureate of Hope Falls)

 
    Oh say can you see, by the back porch on fire,
    That my Uncle Fred, has been at his deep fryer,
    With a turkey in hand, he said I’ll take a stand,
    Plunged it into the pot, but the pot was too hot.

 
    The bird started to flare, it burst into the air,
    Gave proof through the night, that Uncle Fred is an ass.

 
    Grease ran over each side of the pot,
    While catching fire as it spread.
    We all loved our Uncle Fred,
    And we’re sad, that he’s, dead!

 
 

A Day at the Dentist

 
    Christmas was in the air, or more accurately it was in my day planner. The days were growing shorter and colder with the weather now composed of a mix of snow and rain. I was running out of days before the big day and still had plenty of shopping left to do. On top of that, I had a special cake I’d