October 26, 2026

CAKE CRUMBS ... MISSING TEA CUPS ... AND THE RAVEN

Wilson, our wonderful Co-Host ... we insisted he head home early Sunday evening,
he'd done an amazing job, and all our guests enjoyed him.  He'd offered to clean-up the crumbs,
but he had his usual Monday Musings post to prepare, 
go check it out at Tails Around The Ranch, it's always worth visiting.

Missing tea cups?  It seems many guests took them home.
No matter, said the Mad Hatter.
It's quite nice, said some mice, that they chose them as keepsakes of the tea party.

And The Raven.  Well, that story follows way down below ...


The story of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party first appeared in Chapter 7 of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and continued to be featured in many of his subsequent novels.  The story itself became so popular over the next 150 plus years, it has been told now on Broadway and in community theaters.  And ... in Hollywood films, ballet productions, TV, video games, music and lyrics, books, poetry and comic strips, and with toys and dolls, and of course, as a well known ride at Disney theme parks.

For us, BOOLATRY has always been our month of October, mostly devoted to ghosts and monsters, though our pets were sometimes shown in currently popular costumes.  This year we wanted to try something more "fun and lighthearted, classic" and bring friends from the pet community in as part of it.  Somewhere, out of an "we're all mad here imagination" this tea party evolved and we thank all who joined and all who visited and commented.

And now ... about THE RAVEN

In Chapter 7, the Mad Hatter poses a riddle, "why is a raven like a writing desk?"  It has always been suggested that Carroll did not intend there to be an answer to this riddle.  Yet many have struggled to find answers ... offered answers ... and published on the topic over the years ... with speculations and solutions [none that we'll share here, sorry].  But, to revert to BOOLATRY and share from a favorite author of ours:

In his 1977 horror novel, The Shining, Stephen King writes:  " Snowbound and isolated in the Rocky Mountains, Danny Torrance hears the whispers of the malign 'voice of the [Overlook] Hotel' inside his head, including this bit of mockery, 'why is a raven like a writing desk?  The higher the fewer, of course!  Have another cup of tea!' "


 


 

October 23, 2026

THE MAD HATTER TEA PARTY !

It's 3:00.  June is at the gate, it's open and our RSVP guests are arriving.
Soon the party and gate crashers will follow.
June has found a new polka dot hat to wear ... appropriate tea cups for she and mine Mommy.
Dormouse is running through the maze.  The March Hare can't be found.
Cheshire Cat is behaving, as promised!
The tables, arbors, alcoves, hide-aways, all decorated ... a portrait studio near
the front gate for those who want a memory of the event ... where are the strolling musicians?  Late as usual!

And Wilson ... and wonderful and charming Co-Host, oh yes ... there he is, at the ready!  
We volunteered him, you know [well, conscripted is the proper word], but he graciously accepted ...
and you'll read much more about him when scrolling below.

There are many guests attending today, so the party will go on through Sunday ... and if you've not time to meet and 
greet them all today, do come back later, they are all showing off their finest "mad hats" and more.


All pets pictures were submitted by their owners, many already wearing "hats",
some not.  All pictures were recreated by Zoolatry using Adobe Creative Cloud,
or enhancing images submitted.  No artificial intelligence art was used.
Two complete images were submitted and used here, as designed by their owners and so credited.
Guests appear in alphabetical order.



























Thank you for coming to The Mad Hatter Tea Party








October 22, 2026

IT'S 3:00 SOMEWHERE!


3:00 AM EASTERN TIME TOMORROW

JUNE OFFICIALLY OPENS THE GARDEN GATES

~ ~ ~ 

RSVP guests will enter first ~ there are many,
so the garden and the tea party will go on through
Sunday, October 25.

And we hope all who stop by
[even the party & gate crashers are welcome!]
will visit the many special guests
over these three days.

If you enter the maze, watch out for Dormouse,
he's in there, ready to tickle your paws ...

Do not be concerned about Cheshire Cat, he's purromised
to be on best behavior ...

And the March Hare, everywhere!  But warning,
no bunny chasing, please!

Never ever nibble on those mushrooms ...

Have a cup of tea!