A purrrrfect Wednesday, 7 11 12, to all of you,

7 11 is a number combination I enjoy seeing and hearing. Yes, it is a corner store, with its home base of operations in Dallas, Texas. In 1927, 711 was a single ice house. Now, there are stores carrying those numbers around the world. 7 & 11 are also the ages of my two granddaughters. And, it is just a very nice sounding number association. Numbers are neat.

Mountain lions do not roar. They can growl and purr. That’s why in “Uncle Joe and the Eyes Out of the Dark,” Uncle Joe hears “Purr, Purrr, Purrrr.” I think you can roll the “r’s” in the back of your throat and make a bit of growl at the end, depending on the mood of the cat. That would probably be a good addition to the storytelling – I’m trying it.

How many names are there for a mountain lion?

Quite a few, it appears. One web site lists 40 different names. On that site, a zookeeper notes that the scientific name for the big cat is “Puma concolor.” This studier of animals goes on to state that the three most used names are puma, cougar and mountain lion. Those are the names used in the Uncle Joe story for the “Eyes Out of the Dark”, which could be another name. Ms. Christine refers to “the cat” or “that cat,” which I think reflects nicely the unique personable nature of the particular mountain lion in Uncle Joe’s story. Ms. Christine is also perhaps more correct in her terminology and taxology in that the cougar is closer genetically to the domestic cat than to true lions. Perhaps it is smarter too, which could explain the fondness for Girl Scout Samoa Cookies.

All of which leads to the question: “What will Mary think of next?”  In just two days, when the second Mary story publishes, you can find out. Stay close and keep your eyes open. You never know what you might see.

Have an inquiring and thoughtful day,

Grandpa Jim