The Daily Mail isn't a source of reliable information, but it can often be good for a few laughs.  Today I came across this:

From chocolate and bacon to staying away from MEN! The secrets of living until you're 100, according to centenarians.

Gotta say, as Daily Mail articles go this isn't too bad, although three of the tips boil down to the same thing (stay tranquil, avoid men, and make time to relax).  I was a bit surprised that the article didn't include an often-repeated recommendation: get a pet.

When I was about ten years old, I started to notice something interesting: in my family, most of the single women outlived the married ones by a good twenty years or more.  After pondering this for a minute, I concluded that it was a no-brainer.  And I must say that my dating history supports this, since a few of those guys could easily have taken twenty years off my life if I'd married them.

Another data point: if you read obituaries, you'll observe that most Catholic nuns live to ripe old ages.  Seems like a good life: companionship without the aggravations of spouses and children, intellectual pursuits, and a spiritual life.  Some even have pets.  Several years ago, a couple of nuns (in traditional habits) walked into my veterinarian's office with their pet parrot.  Cheered me no end, although I did find myself sitting up straighter.

Anyway, it's off to raid the bowl of Halloween treats, and my sweet pet bird and I will enjoy some spooky holiday music in our blessedly tranquil home.

Picture it.  Dawn, with a cold wind..  Black "clouds like inky shrouds" spread over the rising sun.  A long gash in the clouds through which a livid orange light shone.  A bird wailing off in the distance. It was so very Halloween.

Except I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot.

Ever since the pandemic started I've been shopping as soon as the stores open and most of the germy people are still at home in their beds.  This is fun from May through July when it's light outside and the dawn chorus is singing the songs of their people.  It's less fun now, although I give nature full marks for the impromptu Halloween card.

CAUTION!  The dog is learning to drive.