Sunday, 15th
Monkey meets Tabatha the Titan

When Opice saw her on TV news, it was love at first sight. A flower bigger than he is? That stinks like a rotten dumpster? This he had to experience first hand!

He organized an excursion to U.C. Davis where Tabatha lives and (as always) got very lucky. The crowds had thinned and Director Tim Metcalf had time to give Monkey the royal tour, explaining everything about corpse flowers [Amorphophallus titanum, titan arum].

"These plants come from Sumatra. It takes 6-10 years to bloom. The stench attracks flies & carrion beetles to pollinate it. They smell worst the first night. Last year her older cousin 'Ted the Corpse Flower' bloomed here."

Monkey put all this in his memory. When he got home he would add it to his online journal, i.e. "Stinky plants are older than me and come from this place where they grow. The lucky ones have flies."

Monday, 16th
How badly does she stink?

Someone cut a window into Tabatha (with her permission, Monkey checked) so people could see her true flowers and smell her up close and personal.

Monkey holds his nose to look inside. Interesting, but no flies. He takes a good wiff.

"Not bad!" he proclaims. "I've been in lots of dumpsters worse than that. What else they got 'round here?"

Tuesday, 17th

"Does Monkey like sweet things?" Mr. Metcalf asks.

It would be complicated to answer that. Fortunately the Botanical Conservatory director doesn't wait for me to try. He takes Opice by the hand to see the cocoa tree.

"This is where chocolate comes from," he points to the new flowers coming out of the tree's trunk and to the old cocoa pod sitting on the ground.

Opice picks it up, turns it over, smells it to see if there's any chocolate smell still in it. Not really--maybe it's too old. "Too bad," Monkey sighs. "If I had some chocolate, jalapeños, spices, and ingredients I coulda made mole sauce.

Wednesday, 18th
Carniverous Plants

"No wonder Tabatha has no flies," Monkey frets. "These hungry pitcher plants have eaten them all."

Click the pic to see
if that's true. (100k)

Thursday, 19th

Monkey got Christine's call, "They're taking away the shelves and the big Paper Processor today and we need your help."

His friends at Black & White Photo Lab are holding a Going Out of Business Yard Sale Saturday. Meanwhile they have to move out the things previously sold. This definitely called for a Monkey intervention.

He rolled up his imaginary sleeves and found a comfortable place to watch.

Friday, 20th
Opice adds his weight to the effort.

They've got the genuine Hope 2016 processor out on the sidewalk and in a moment Monkey will direct everyone in forcing the heavy thing that's too big and the wrong shape thru the hatchback door with Claude inside. If Monkey doesn't get it absolutely perfect, there's going to be cream-of-Doug messing up his car.

If you'd like to help Monkey supervise forcing the big machine into the small van, click here. (212k)

If you'd prefer not to see Doug's untimely demise, click here. (same 212k)

Saturday, 21st
Sidewalk Sale Day

This is Monkey's last chance to help Black & White before it closes for the last time, the very last time, absolutely positively closed--no more closing sales and they promise they mean it this time. They are not going to have any more last last closing sale sales, honest.

"Tee-hee-hee," Opice giggles winking.