Stinky Boy

Don't let that innocent face fool you. He may be blind but he sure knows his nose!

Ah.... Friday night and thinking I'd go to bed early but Colby blind guy has to be let out for pee time. Normally, this is a pretty routine event but not this night. A skunk had meandered through the yard and right away blind guy picks up on the scent, taking off like a lightening bolt. He's now having to wear a red, strobe-flashing ball on his collar due to a couple recent events of running off into the darkness and then coming home via the route we live along (80 km posted speeds!).

So, I'm out there with ugly old crocks on my feet, not planning on running through the wet grass with flashlight in hand, yelling and hoping I don't step in dog crap as I chase a barking strobe light. Suddenly the blind guy does an abrupt about-face and the strobe is... what is it doing... it has new batteries. Why is Colby rolling on the ground and what is that smell? NOOOOOOO!!!! He's been skunked. Again.

Sigh. This time, he's taken into the garage and left for a bit while I try to figure out what to do. His last outdoor, late-night bath resulted in disaster when he ran off. Poor guy. A quick internet search led me to a solution of peroxide, baking soda and dish soap but I didn't have enough of the first two ingredients. No matter. He just got sprayed around one ear and I'm desparate. So I cleaned that area with the strange solution, wiped it all off with wet rags and brought him in the house. It worked! Not 100% but good enough for all of us to get some peaceful zzzzz's. Except for my little meow-meow, CeCe. She was traumatized by all the commotion and hid on a shelf of the computer desk behind my keyboard. I had to pry her out and take her upstairs to comfort her (for about a half hour). So much for an early night.

As for Colby's late night pee time these days, he's getting leashed. Not that that means anything to him since he knows how to get free from it in seconds flat... if he must. So far, so good but it's only been three days!

Daughter of Eve

I came across this poem some months back in an online 'book of poems' and it touched me. I related to it at some level and thought of others I know that would either relate likewise or know someone who might connect to the message it conveys. I don't live in the past and I don't live with regrets but I do long to embrace those days of innocence when my world was right and I was safe and protected. I still believe (by faith) that I am safely kept and protected but I lost something along the way.... something I can't get back and learned some things I would rather not know about. And so I share this (and to think it was written in the 1800's!) I do hope it's legible... if not, I will type it out. (oh yes! I clicked on the image and it's nice and legible.)

Fall has arrived!

I'm not ready for fall. Summer had a late arrival so I was really hoping for an extended warm spell that would take us part way into October. However, fall here is breathtakingly beautiful and if my hubs is able to rest his severely sprained ankle long enough for it to mend quicker (I'm not holding my breath on that one, as he's not one to sit still unless it's raining), then we'll be taking some nice walks with the boys on one of many quiet country roads we can choose amongst.

Since that may not happen, I'd like to share some fall beauty from a couple years ago when I was awestruck by the many colours of an Eastern Autumn. Out on the West Coast, the common colours of fall are green and yellow with the occasional splash of red... just enough to tease and remind me of what I knew of fall beauty from my childhood.

Enjoy!

I apologize for the poor quality images... I could go and edit them all in photoshop but other things take priority. Please click on the images to see them up close. At least you'll see more detail, however flat or fuzzy the images may be. I really want a better digital camera but I'm holding out for a 'too good to be true' deal.

This is the view from the back field behind our home. The photo doesn't really do it justice.

Tomato harvest. Tomatoes ripening everywhere I can find room.

Now, if I could pick up our house and relocate it (like, with the snap of my fingers) I would put it smack-dab in the middle of this opening.

Reality Stress..

Oh... my eyes hurt from strain. Strain from what? I can only conclude it's stress related. My bad news from blood work reveals a 'hypothyroid' but I have no symptoms. Or do I? Now, I question everything in relation to some stress issues regarding work, aging and other more personal things. Were these things contributing factors? Will I ever know? At the end of it... I'm having to take a pill everyday for the rest of my life. Perhaps I'll find out that I feel better and didn't even realize I was having symptoms till after the fact. That would be a bonus. I could use that.. a bonus.

I'm still very thankful for every good thing in my life. My blessings far outweigh my trials. Trials are like bad odours that take over the perfumed scents of life's beauty. Ever notice how that works?

Milk & Wine.... and Tomatoes

Milk & Wine Lillies, that is. Hubs came home the other day with some gorgeous flowers in hand. One of our neighbours used to own a florist shop and grew them to sell at his shop (for a tidy price of about $8 per stem, I'm told). A google search tells me they're called Milk & Wine Lillies (maybe). He's recently retired and has a nice bounty of these fragrant gems so when hubs was stopping by to say hello, our kind neighbour hand him these beauties.

See all those wonderful tomatoes in the background of the second shot? I'm a tomato junky and they are a MUST in our garden. This year, hubs planted several yellow pear tomatoes from seed. We normally buy plants but hubs is keen to learn as much about successful gardening from seed and only one way to do that... just do it. If it fails, try again. We had such a poor start to summer, too much rain and certain our tomato crop would flop. Not quite. Initiallly, the plants grew like they were on steroids (we're strictly organic) but no flowers on the plants. Then came rains and hurricanes along with some flowers but the leaves started to wilt and turn to brown shriveled clumps. Amazingly, we got tomatoes, lots of them. One patch in the garden didn't get staked so the tomatoes grew along the ground and didn't seem to mind one bit. Our beefsteak tomatoes didn't thrive but our pear tomatoes, paste tomatoes and lemon boys did pretty good. My freezer will house our bounty and we'll enjoy some spicy spaghetti sauce during the upcoming cold months.

When hubs makes an awesome meal that looks great on the plate, I run for my camera. This was SO delicious, I just had to take a picture of it so I can run across it and remind hubs to make it again. The beef ribs are from the local butcher and their meat is growth hormone and antibiotic free.

Summer's Perfect Ending

Normally I get a bit overwhelmed when my hubs family members come to visit from the 'city'. I'm never organized; I can't function in that state, nor do I want to. I just want to play and chat and laugh, but yesterday they came (even gave a day's notice!) and I was prepared, organized and determined to relax and enjoy the day.

We were six adults in all. I pondered over the eating arrangements which were to be in our screened 'house' that I'm not supposed to call a 'room'. I moved the 'lounging' chairs to the lawn, added a couple more, and dragged the bench swing over to create a nice little gathering spot. The location allowed for full sun, dappled shade or full shade and with the winds being on the warm side, this made for a perfect spot to hang out.

Inside, I put two tables together and dragged out of storage some additional patio chairs. Twas perfect! Everyone was relaxed, with no place to rush off to. The menu was simple enough that we didn't have to labour in the kitchen - a big mess of pork back ribs were pre-cooked and ready to be finished off on the BBQ, steaks which take little prep time, cooked lobster (tons of it) purchased locally, tomatoes in garlic, mint, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and hubs whipped up an awesome caesar salad. What an awesome feast we had!

Afterwards, we moved our chairs to the 'fire pit' and continued to enjoy what was left of the day. There was absolutely no stress on me as I watched my sink fill with mountain of dishes. I had everything rinsed and ready for doing in the morning, all food put away and that was enough. It was such a perfect day.

Every so often throughout the day, I took stock of my surroundings and was satisfied with where we've landed. It's the very thing many city folk long to have but the good paying jobs aren't in the country so necessity/debt keeps them bound. Of course, some folk love city life... been there, done that. But after years of planning, we own what we have and I rather like it.

Sometimes, I put too much focus on the many things that need doing and fixing, the challenge of living on much less than we were so accustomed to and, this is pure silliness... thoughts ending up old, alone and surviving on a diet of cat/dog food. (yes... this has been a secret fear that I'm exposing and uprooting, lol) When the rubber meets the road, I'd much rather have good company, comfortable surroundings, a messy kitchen and a rather daunting to-do list and to heck with worry or stress. Do these things enrich one's life? I think not.

I'm a dufus, goof ball and my Mama loves me...

I got skunked! At first, I was so excited and drawn to this 'scent'. It didn't help that my Papa let me loose to investigate whatever it was that Mikey was 'niffin.... his nickname being Niffer (short for Sniffer) and what with MY nose being somewhat superior to his. I didn't know what would happen, how could I be to blame? All I know is my senses were sent reeling with an incredible blow dealt by a little stinky animal. Who knew?

The commotion to follow was too much for me. They thought it was Mikey that got skunked and I just had to wipe my face on my couch. That didn't help much so, in my agitated state, I ran upstairs...my owners were too 'yellie' trying to figure out what was going on, so I sought relief on my Mommy's bed. She got me out of there though, outside where Papa washed my face. I was so upset I ran away and I could hear my Mommy calling my name and whistling really loud. My Papa was on his scooter, I could hear him but I was scared and the smell bothered me so much. My Mommy was crying and so I came home to comfort her. Her and Papa were so happy to see me and they kissed me, especially Mommy, even though I smelled really bad.

After a couple days, Mommy seemed really happy about something and then some men in a big truck brought new doggie beds to our house that smell new. They call those beds a couch and chair... but they're much nicer than that old stinky stuff and fluffier too. I'm a happy camper cause they let me go on the new 'doggie beds' sometimes and the stinky stuff on my nose ain't so bad now except if I get wet from swimming in river or running in the wet grass smellin' the good things in there. I like things my Mama finds disgusting.