Leaves are gathering atop the squirrel, forming a blanket that will never keep him warm. Elsewhere and slightly later, I saw a gopher being hounded by two very interested cats. The mostly black cat kept rushing up to the little rodent and nearly getting his nose nipped. The tan and white cat hung back a bit, choosing to let his compatriot do all of the dirty work. I contemplated an attempted rescue, but decided that it was not my place to interfere. The cats, after all, have to eat - and from the look of things, the gopher was holding his own. I'm sure it didn't last though. Gophers are slow moving, and this one seemed a bit confused about what to do.
Later still, I was on the freeway and for the second time in my life I hit a raccoon. I saw a split second of brown movement and then came the impact. Just another in a long series of little lives lost to traffic. At least it was fast. I think I'd rather go like that than be played with by a couple of cats. Not that we ever have a choice.

cds I listened to while meditating on mortality: Kukl "Holidays in Europe" and "The Eye", Nurse With Wound "Second Pirate Session", Sui Vesan "Sui", and The Black Lily Sisters (aka Les Soeurs De Lilis Noires) "s/t"(? - again, my inability to read japanese may be hiding the title from me)

now: Howard Shore/Ornette Coleman "Naked Lunch" soundtrack