Hello Readers,
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you that Alice the praying mantis has died. Annie stepped on her abdomen on her way into the house yesterday, spilling her innards onto the porch. What a beautiful creature needlessly killed! Annie of course felt terrible, though we can’t help but think she might have been more careful about where she was stepping.
Alice’s partner, Rodney, was nearby and witnessed the whole thing. He was very shaken up, although when I told him that Alice was planning on biting his head off as soon as they mated he did appear somewhat relieved.
Did you know that certain Buddhists stay indoors for a month each year so that they won’t unintentionally kill any insects? Well, it’s true! And Alice’s death is a perfect example of why.
On a lighter note, I went apple picking with the weasels a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been eating a lot of apples. Here is the younger weasel eating an apple in the orchard. 
Or, in other words, not actually picking apples. I can’t recommend the weasels as apple picking companions. Although they are better than the wolf in The Three Little Pigs, who, as you may recall, invites the pig to go apple picking in order to eat him.
But enough about animals eating other animals and stepping on them, Harriet says. It is not what the readers want to read!
And so, with apologies for the sad news and violent subjects here within,
I remain,
your peace-loving friend,
Mickey
