The Peppermint Squid

The old Vespa that forever needs repair is officially the Peppermint Squad's mascot. It is the club bike that everyone owns communally, putting in hours filing the gears and greasing the intricately interlocking parts. The time spent pounding dents out of the leg shield and sanding Bond-o would be worth a lot of overtime if squad members ever unionized. It is a labor of love though.

The Peppermint Squad picked up a new mascot this weekend: The Peppermint Squid. Widowmaker and Little Buddy were fishing for crappie and monkfish as the tide was coming in under the Red Line bridge between Boston and Quincy. The shore around the bridge is officially off limits to anything but trains. They didn't bring their scooters onto the tracks, but as well connected Dorchester denizens, they knew where to gain access to this coveted, MBTA-owned and operated fishing hole. The Peppermint Squad works closely with Carmen's Union 586, having helped on more than one occasion towing stuck trains over snowbound tracks. In thanks, they have been granted special passports that allow them to navigate into territory otherwise forbidden.

Widowmaker and Little Buddy were using 3/4 McPherson jigs, casting them out and reeling them in without much luck until Little Buddy shouted out, "I've got a big one!"

He did. He reeled in a three-inch long squid the color of weak coffee milk with a red stripe down each side of its body. "What am I going to do with this?" Little Buddy asked. Widowmaker said, "I think he's kind of cute. Let's take him back to headquarters."

They filled up their bucket with brackish Neponset River water and took the Peppermint Squid to Codman Square where they've fitted out an aquarium for their new friend. No one knew what squids eat but Flora went to the McDonald's on Washington Street and brought back a filet-o'-fish sandwich. This seemed to suit the squid just fine and he is adopting to his new environment rather well. Cherrypicker says she thinks she has seen the Peppermint Squid smiling at her.