My Kids Don't Like Stewie

My dogs don't like Stewie.


Really. They really don't. You know who Stewie is, right? The baby on Family Guy. Every time the commercial comes on for the show, the dogs all stare at the TV. You know the commercial where Lois (the mom) is on the bed, apparently trying to rest, and Stewie is standing beside the bed, in his very irritating little monotone voice saying:

"Lois .... Lois .... Lois .... Mom .... Mom .... Mom .... Mommy .... Mommy .... Mommy .... Mama .... Mama .... Mama .... Ma .... Ma .... Ma .... Mum .... Mum .... Mum .... Mummy .... Mummy .... Mummy ...."

At which time the mom looses it and screams

"What????"

To which Stewie replies,

"Hi."

While Stewie is doing the very irritating stream of names, my Guys stare at the TV, and recently, they sometimes begin woofing at the end. Sammy, especially. He watches the TV screen intently and, as if he just can't stand it any more, he begins tensing and sometimes stands up just before he lets out a little "Woof!" or a quiet "grrrr." All five of them watch it and heads tilt, ears perk, eyes widen and fix in place, bodies respond as if any minute they will bound into action. Or explode! Lola walked to the TV a few days ago, put her front paws on the entertainment center and stretched her neck as close to the screen a she could, but in a way that was cautious, ready to run!!

You see what I mean now? They really don't like Stewie!!

I don't watch Family Guy. I don't think I ever will. My dogs are too paranoid about Stewie.

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Monday Movie

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This is another of those videos that needs to stand alone. If this doesn't (1) knock your socks of with this kid's voice, and (2) sober you with the words of the song, well, sumpthin's jus' wrong wit chu.





Have a thoughtful week ahead.

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Stag Party at Lynilu's Tonight!!!!

Wooo Hooooo!!!

And look who was invited!!






This little guy......
















And his twin brother.........

















And the grand old man.........














Isn't he gorgeous?



















One of the young ones had something stuck to his side. I couldn't tell what is is. See the green ball on his shoulder?












I took this so you could tell how high my stack of cut branches is. The deer is at the opposite end of the stack, snacking on some on the freshly cut branches. They seem to appreciate the handi-snack!










The younger twins are, I believe, the babies I watched grow up since moving in here. The first time I saw them, they had just a trace of their spots left, but I didn't get a picture at that time.




Here one of the twins was walking in front of Ol' Blue. This was their first year, 2007













Then last year, I was excited when I learned the twins were males. The first time I saw it, their horns were just little bitty nubs on their heads. That was in the spring. By fall, they looked like this, little spikes.










And now, this year, they are sporting a 2 by 2 rack!




My babies are growing up!!

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Work, Work, Work

I have worked very hard today. I dragged all the branches I cut from the trees yesterday and the day before out to alongside the driveway. This is so they will be convenient when it comes to cutting them up.

Today I cut down more branches. I guess I've trimmed about 12 to 15 trees so far. I dragged most of what I cut today to the driveway. I'm getting a tremendous stack of tree branches stacked up. In fact, it is good that I have finished that side of the house, because there isn't room over there to stack. I still have about 8 to 12 trees in back of the house to trim, and that many or more on the other side. Fortunately the 18 to 20 in front have been done. I'll be glad to get this finished. Of course, then it will be time to get back to the scrub oak. I had to stop on that, because much of it was under the pines or between them, and it was necessary to remove the tree branches in order to get to the oak.

A friend is supposed to come over, cut them up, and take them home to use in their wood burning stove. I'm getting a little concerned, because he was supposed to come two days ago, and now I've cut so much that it is going to take him a couple days just to cut it up, and several trips with both our trucks to move it. And we still have more to do! Guess I will have to call him again.These pictures will give you an idea of the stacks of branches, but not all the stacks are in the photos.


Boy, I'm tired. It's not a bad tiredness, but the tiredness that comes from a lot of work. My muscles aren't sore, but I can feel fatigue in them. I have worked hard for several days now. I will be SOOOO glad when it is done! Of course, once this is done, the scrub oak is waiting, and after that something else will present itself. But each finished task is good, right?

Oh, yeah, and I suppose I should stay inside and clean house one day soon, too. A clean house .... what a wonderful concept!

Friday Finish Up

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Lola has a new toy that she loves to drag around the house. I've been trying to get a picture of it, but I haven't succeeded yet. She moves way too fast when she gets hold of it. The newly found toy? Sam. Yep, you heard that right, Sam.

Lola has discovered she can get a bite on his collar and drag him everywhere she chooses to. It is hilarious to watch! Sam has to be the biggest pull toy around! He is truly at her disposal, because they are about the same size, and since she has the collar, he can't turn his head to get her back. If I'm able to get some pictures, I'll post them later on. Meanwhile ....


They also have tug-o-war over a toy often. Struggle, struggle, struggle.














Sam won this one!

















I'm da man, er, da dog!

















Then Joey decided to wrestle over the toy.



















But this time, he didn't try really hard, so Sam still have it.
















Joe got up on the couch, and Lola and Sam were chasing each other tough the house, the toy is Sam's mouth! Suddenly, as often happens, Lola and Sam were on the couch .....


They literally rolled over Joe, who is so easy going and didn't even move a muscle. Lola pinned her big brother right away.













The baby is a bully!
















Sam's making his move.....















but Lola doesn't give up!




















OK. Time for a little breather.














Then she grabs the toy and semi-hides!

"Nanner, nanner, nanner, I got it!!"






















I watched a cloud float across the valley a few days ago. One lone cloud was just drifting, low to the ground, nothing particularly spectacular about it. I read a few minutes and when I looked up, it had worked its way back against the mountain and into the Gap.

It was so cool how it seemed to follow the mountain, then make a left hand turn to take itself through the low area and apparently to the other side of the mountain.
A few minutes after I took this, the cloud was completely gone, out of sight. I love watching the many amazing pieces of nature around here. There is something new every day. Some days I forget to look, but when I pay attention, it is heaven.

I haven't said this in a long time....

.... Life is beautiful!!!!

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No Words

Things we all think about...

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A space filler that came in email and made me laugh. Hope it does you, too!

Things we all think about...

* MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

* Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

* I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

* The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

* There is a great need for sarcasm font.

* I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

* I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

* Was learning cursive really necessary?

* Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

* How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

* I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

* Bad decisions make good stories

* Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....(guilty of making people do this! Sorry!!)

* You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

* Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

* I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

* I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

* I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

* As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

* Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

* I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

* I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

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Tuesay Trivia

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It's back to school time. The kids are either back in already or will be very soon. I remember when I was a kid, school didn't start till the day after Labor Day. Period. Now days, it starts anywhere from the first week of August to that old Labor Day standard. So here are some facts related to school to tickle you brains....

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

Tom Bodett, (1955-), American author, voice actor and radio host.

First, SUMMER'S OVER, but not till we know about it....
SUMMER
Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still." As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.

The Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer day in December.

The Celts and Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with dancing and bonfires to help increase the sun's energy. The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light.

Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.

Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.

Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.


And now ....
SCHOOL
$7.6 billion: The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2008. Only in November and December—the holiday shopping season—were sales significantly higher.

71%: Percentage of children 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2007.

23%: Percentage of elementary through high school students who have at least one foreign-born parent in October 2007. Five percent were foreign-born themselves.

9.9 billion: The nation’s total apple production, in pounds, in 2008, up from 9 billion in 2007. The chances are good that the apples your children present to their teachers or enjoy for lunch were grown in Washington state, which accounted for more than half of the nation’s total production.

7.2 million: Number of teachers in the United States in 2008. Some 2.9 million teach at the elementary and middle school level. The remainder includes those teaching at the postsecondary, secondary, and preschool and kindergarten levels.

$14,915: Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation’s four-year public colleges and universities for an entire academic year (2007-08). That is more than double the corresponding figure in 1990.

School grades in Australia are called years. Primary school is from year 1 to year 6; secondary school is from year 7 to year 12. A 6 year old begins in year one, while an 18 year old finishes school by year 12.

The school day in Brazil runs from 7 a.m. to noon, and students typically go home at noon to share lunch with their family. Lunch is the most important meal of the day. The average class size is 30 or more students. Most schools do not have a computer in the classrooms, or have only one or two computers for 30 students to share.

Students in China also have great access to computer technology, with a computer to student ratio of 1:2. Chinese language and math skills are tested at the end of each year. Math is typically taught by drill, which means students are repeatedly taught the basics of math until they are able to demonstrate comprehension.

Costa Rica was one of the first nations in Central and South America to offer free public education. On average, there are about twenty-eight students in a classroom. Students are required to wear uniforms during the nine years of their formal education, from ages 6 to 15, and supply their own lunches and snacks. Students then begin college at age 15.

The school day in France typically runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a half day on Saturday, although students do not attend school on Wednesday or Sunday. The school year for this country in the northern hemisphere stretches from August to June, and is divided into four seven-week terms, with one to two weeks of vacation in between.

Most Japanese schools run on a trimester schedule. The academic year begins in April and ends the following March, with breaks for summer, winter and spring separating the three terms. Uniforms are required and there are extensive rules for hair styles, shoes, socks, skirt length, make-up, accessories, and more.

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Monday Movies

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I'm getting a bit of a late start today. I'm only posting one movie today, not because I'm short of movies, but because this one is a beautiful, rare little film. It is very touching, not my usual light-hearted movie. You might want a hanky.



Remember about those you love ... pay attention, listen, and be free with your self and your attention. We have such a short time here. :')

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Are ya tired of my hummingbird stories yet?

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The hummingbirds are astounding me and making me laugh out loud at times. It started yesterday.

Late yesterday Lola was sitting on the trunk, looking out the front window to the deck. One of the hummingbirds flew over just a few inches from the window and hovered directly in front of her face. Her ears perked up, and they sat watching each other for a few seconds. Then Lola tilted her head to the right, and the hummer moved a couple inches to the right! When Lola leveled her head, the bird flew back in front of her! They repeated this again, then the bird flew off. Lola looked over her shoulder at me as if to way, "MOM! Make it come back!!"

A few minutes after that I went out and watched the birds as they swarmed the feeders. They were so unafraid of me that I could barely believe it. I was able to stand a couple feet from the feeders while they simply flitted around almost as if I weren't there, other than to stop and look at me occasionally. I was delighted to see them so close up. I can't remember if I already said this, but they have landed momentarily on my hands while I have been filling the feeders. Trust me, they don't stay, but I can feel the little feet touch gently and so quickly that if I weren't watching, I might not have even noticed!

This morning I went out to refill the feeders. One was completely empty, so I filled it while being watched by several of them at close range, no more than a foot or 18 inches away. Then I moved to another feeder, and I moved my face up to the feeder to see if any nectar was left. There was still a little bit in the bottom of the feeder, and I was wondering about whether to dump and refill new or leave it and come back in a half hour or so. One little bird came and hovered right next to the feeder, just looking at me! My face and his tiny body must have been just 3-5 inches apart! I froze in place, and we just stared at each other a few seconds, then he lit on the perch around the feeder and proceeded to feed with seemingly no concern about me or my proximity to him!

I stood like that, as still as I could, for 30-60 seconds, just enthralled with the wonder of what was happening. To be that close, so close that I was looking almost cross-eyed at this amazing little creature, was an unforgettable experience. I think I held my breath, for fear of scaring him away. I am so blessed to have the experiences of these teeny critters visiting me for the summer.

Ahhhh. I like cooler weather, but for these little beauties, I'll endure the summer heat any time! (Not that it s exactly hot here, but I love temps in the 40s, 50s and 60s best.)

Actually it is a fairly cool day. It was in the low 70s earlier, and I've just had a small rain shower, dropping the temp to 69°. I'm actually having a cup of hot tea, and I'm so inspired by the comfortable temperature that I am soaking butterbeans and preparing a roast for dinner! It's all about comfort today, I guess.

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I don't get it. The hummingbirds are back in droves. Or flocks. Or gaggles. Or herds. Or whatever hummingbirds come in. After 2/3 of them disappeared for a few days, suddenly they returned a couple or three days ago. Not that I'm complaining!


I filled the feeders a few minutes ago, and there were approximately 25 or 30 out there. I could actually count fifteen at a time when I was alert, and that was approximately half of them.

I have Rufous, either Broad-tailed or Black-chinned, and some that I think are Magnificent Hummingbirds. They move so fast that it is really hard to identify the markings, and I can't get at an angle for photos that will show the details. So I'm going on my best guess and The Sibley Guide to Birds. The Magnificent is only rarely seen in this area, but I'm relatively convinced that I have some.

So I'm guessing that my question of being on their migration path and they have moved on was just wrong. I guess they will be here for a bit longer, hopefully October, as usual. And perhaps they will come and go till then, so I'll keep filling the feeders until I'm sure they are gone or it begins to freeze.









The sky and the clouds yesterday were amazing.

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Nuff said ..........

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Think you know where your views are politically?

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Interesting .....

CENTRISTS espouse a "middle ground" regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice.

Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind,

tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what

they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.

This is new to me. Haven't heard this term before, however, the description sounds pretty accurate. I've always said I'm moderate with liberal leanings. There you have it!

You can see where you are in just a couple minutes, at most: http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html

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~ ~ ~ ~

Here's another, courtesy of Nick.

My Political Views
I am a center-left moderate social libertarian
Left: 1.94, Libertarian: 2.05

Political Spectrum Quiz

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I Have No *

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What a pain!

The letter that comes between the letters C & F in the alphabet has quit working, without warning, on my laptop. I will have to use as many wor*s without that letter as possible. Obviously I can substitute * for it, but ..... arghhh!

I can't even get through to Apple to arrange for a mailer to be sent until Mon*ay, then *eal with several *ays of shipping each way, as well as the repair time. Repair time is usually short, but I'm just so aggravate*. I'm guessing it will be challenge* to rea* these posts, too. I'll use the *esktop, of course, but I just ha* to share this with you.

Makes me crazy!!!

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Rambling Friday Thoughts

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The number of hummingbirds at my house has greatly decreased. A couple days ago, I suddenly noticed I have about half what I did when I was so thrilled, but it is still more than I had before the influx. I wonder if it might have been a migrating group? It seems early for that, but I don't know about what the different kinds can tolerate. And I've noticed the is a bit of a fall-like chill at night. So maybe??

The weather is still summer, but I have noticed that there seems to be a very subtle change. Days seem about the same, but evenings and nights just feel .... different. Yesterday in the late afternoon, I had a breeze, and although the temperature was the same as it has been most evenings, I felt a wee, tiny smidge of chill in the breeze. I wouldn't mind if it begins to cool. Just not too fast, please! Cooler temps would allow me to get out and do the yardwork without falling on my face. And I actually like cool weather, anyway. I'm guessing there will be more hot weather, however. It's just too early to be autumn. We'll probably see "bipolar" weather patterns for a while, as the temps swing back and forth before settling into the fall pattern.

I need to go to the library today. I guess I should get off my lazy tushie and do just that. After spending the last two days mostly on the couch, I am feeling rested for a change. I should take advantage of that. I'm telling you, that heat from the trip Monday and Tuesday about wiped me out! I have not taken so many naps in a two day period since .... well, the last I can remember is when I had a hysterectomy in 1995. So I guess it was what I needed to do! Now I need to get back to normal with my 24-hour days having more awake time than asleep time!

Sooooo ...... I'll be back when something exciting happens to write about. Or when I just have some time on my hands, since not much actual excitement happens around me! LOL! That's OK, I like my life pretty well as is. I won't dissuade excitement, but I don't live for it, either!

Later, gators!!

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64 things you've never been asked

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I picked this up from Beans. Almost all new questions! WooHoo!!

64 things you've never been asked


1. First thing you wash in the shower? shampoo my hair

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? hoodie? what’s a hoodie? Oh, wait! I own a black one, so that must be my fav.

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? I’m not sure who it was, but I'm not likely to kiss someone I don't like. If I kissed ‘em once, I’d do it again.

4. Do you plan outfits? Sometimes I do and other times, I just have phenomenal luck.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Very tired from my mini vacation.

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? either my toenails or the little ramekin; I’m too lazy to move and test which is closer.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? A friend, apparently richer than I thought, built a new house for me on my property!

8. Did you meet anyone new today? No. But I did yesterday! Can’t that count? Please?

9. What are you craving right now? ice cream

10. Do you floss? Yes. Well, most of the time. Occasionally I get lazy or forget it.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? .... Patch Kids

12. Are you emotional? Lawdy, yes.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? I don’t think so. Why do you ask?

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Mostly lick it.

15. Do you like your hair? You bet, most days.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Lawdy, no!!

18. What are you listening to right now? Crickets and snoring dogs.

19. Are your parents strict? They weren’t, but they didn’t have to be.

20. Would you go sky diving? Nope! I’ll do lots of things, but that scares the bejeebers outta me!

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yeppers!

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, several. Charlie Pride was my favorite. He was a sweetheart.

23. Do you rent movies often? You betcha!

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? Besides my personality? Yes, a polished pewter cross with enamel inlay.

25. How many countries have you visited? About 15. If I got out a map and counted I could tell you for sure, but I’m too tired to go get it, so that is a close estimate.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? Not since I was in elementary school.

27. Ever been on a train? Uh-huh! Love trains!

28. Brown or white eggs? Usually brown.

29. Do you have a cell phone? Yes

30. Do you use chap stick? That brand? Not usually, but other brands, yes.

31. Do you own a gun? Yes

32. Can you use chop sticks? Yes, at least when the arthritis isn’t too bad.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? five dogs. it’s a 5 dog night!

34. Are you too forgiving? Most of the time. It might take a while in some situations.

35. Ever been in love? Yes.

36. What are your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Working, I suppose. Poor people.

37. Ever have cream puffs? Yes

38. Last time you cried? About three weeks ago.

39. What was the last question you asked? “Did you miss us???”

40. Favorite time of the year? Fall into winter.

41. Do you have any tattoos? No. Does that make me deficient in some way? I’d like to have one. I think.

42. Are you sarcastic? NEVER! How can you even ask that?

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? nope

44. Ever walked into a wall? Hmm. I don’t think so, but a door jamb .... lawdy yes!

45. Favorite color? Purple

46. Have you ever slapped someone? A very few. We don’t wanna go there.

47. Is your hair curly? Yes, getting less so with age.

48. What was the last CD you bought? I honestly don’t remember. It’s been a while.

49. Do looks matter? Sometimes. Some situations.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Forgive? Probably, but I wouldn’t forget or be around that person again.

51. Is your phone bill sky high? No.

52. Do you like your life right now? Yes, pretty much. I’d like some relief from the financial strain.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? Sometimes. I usually set the timer if I feel tired, just in case.

54. Can you handle the truth? I surely rather have that than the alternative, and most times .... yes. But don’t be brutal about it!

55. Do you have good vision? Well, yes, if I wear my glasses or contacts. That counts, right?

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Hmmm. I don’t think so, but define “dislike.”

57. How often do you talk on the phone? Not a lot. Maybe 1-3 times a day.

58. The last person you held hands with? sheesh, I can’t remember! Obviously too long.

59. What are you wearing? Shorts & t-shirt.

60. What is your favorite animal? My dogs! But I like cats, too.

61. Where was your profile picture taken? At a concert.

62. Can you hula hoop? Not any longer. I tried a few days ago .... 1/2 circle and slam to the floor!

63. Do you have a job? R.E.T.I.R.E.D!!!!!!!!

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? A summer flag and a pair of shorts.

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Such a good break, So good to be home

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OK, taking up from yesterday's short post.

• I met a number of new friends. I liked everyone I met, and I felt as if I had known them forever within a few minutes. I especially liked one woman who is a close friend of our host. I knew her through the friend, and we had emailed about a couple things several months ago, so I sort of knew her. Meeting face to face was really fun. She is much younger than I am by about 14 or 15 years, but we just clicked. She was around all day Monday, and I really enjoyed talking with her. It is really fun to meet new people, and when it is friends of friends, it is especially good, I think.
  
  
• I took Jazi and Sammy; Jazi because she is well behaved and well socialized, Sammy because I felt he was probably ready for a trial of being out of his comfort zone. It went very well. More on that tomorrow. It worked well. I considered taking Joey, too, because he is very good and would be a good house guest, I'm pretty sure. But I thought if there were adjustment problems, two would be enough for me to handle.
  
  The only problem with Jazi was that she barked at the cat for the first couple hours. The cat was pretty laid back about it. She looked like she couldn't believe this tiny little canine was just .... so ridiculous. When I told Jazi to quit, she would, but as soon as I wasn't looking, she would trot back over to bark again. Finally, we ladies were out of the house for a bit, and Joe said that the kitty finally had enough and "told" Jaz about it. Jaz was fine with the kitty after that!!
  
  Jaz was right at home. Joe and Sandy have three dogs, all small (Shih Tzu, Maltese, and Miniature Pincher), so everyone was on the same page there. She discovered that the home has nearly an acre that is completely fenced. How cool is that?? Our fenced area is about 800-900 square feet. I believe the girl covered every square inch of it. Occasionally I got nervous because she was out of sight too long and would look for her. She is such an escape-artist, my personal little Houdini! But no, she was always just in a new area to check it out.
  
  She got along with all all the dogs. Well, she did outside of the car. In the car she was really bitchy with Linda's dog. She planted herself where Murphy couldn't get to her mommy. Then when Murph tried to get Linda's attention, Jaz would do that low-growl, quivery-upper lip thing. Linda and I figured she was being territorial because the car is "hers." But out of the car, they were fine together.
  
  Sam did well, but he was glued to my side at all times. He was very shy, but not "frozen" as he would have been a year ago. You would have thought, however, that there was an invisible string tied from my ankle to his neck, because when I moved, so did he! He allowed people to pet him without freaking. He even allowed others to pick him up, although when he was put down again, he moved right to my side again. He got along fine with all their dogs, as well as Linda's 1.5 year old Cocker Spaniel. He ignored the cat. When he wasn't with me, he was similarly glued to Jazi! But by yesterday morning, we left the house for a while, and Joe said Sam got up in his lap for a while followed by Jazi! Wow! He actually asserted himself onto a human being besides me! MAJOR PROGRESS!!
  
  On Monday evening, Sam and the little Maltese, Isis, began playing! Another cool move! They were soon joined by Jazi and the Min Pin, Rita. He played only a minute or two, but still....! It was a good thing to see. Also, Sam began searching the huge yard with Jazi, including running up and down the fence with the dog next door. Occasionally, he even ventured without her, but not out of sight of me. The fact that he could be in a strange place with strange people and strange animals and able to step away as he did is a huge thing. I'm so proud of him.
  
  All in all, the time was successful. I feel that with a few more exposures to social settings, Sam will be just fine. He will probably never have Jazmyn's easy-going, acceptance of everyone, but he can be in public without looking like a ceramic figure. I can't believe how well this little boy has done!
  
  
• I didn't take very many pictures. First, things were happening fast enough that we would already be into something, often already away from the house, before I would think of the camera, which was back at the house. Even at the house, I'd be so into the fun conversations or whatever that I would not remember to take photos till it was too late. I'll look at the few pix I took and post some later on.
  Well! The few pictures I took are mostly not worth publishing. Here are some of the view from their house.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Isn't that ridge interesting? Rugged and angular. Makes me think of how they were formed. This part of the state/country is revealing in that way. Somewhere beyond that ridge (90 miles or so) is home.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I watched the sunrise over this ridge yesterday morning, and it was completely awesome!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sandy's garden around the house is beautiful, a peaceful sanctuary. I meant to take pictures of it. I didn't. sigh.
  
  I promise (yeah, right!) to be better about taking pictures next time. But please, forget I said it, because we both know I will sometimes, anyway.
  
  This is a stock photo of the Butte. Do you see the Elephant? We went swimming roughly in the area of shore in the middle of this picture. I have to admit that I didn't swim. I only waded about up to my waist. The water was actually a very nice temperature, but (1) I'm not a real swimmer, just a paddler/floater person. Yes, I can swim just fine; I just don't enjoy it, and I prefer to just be in the water puttering around. (2) I really don't like lake water usually. A few small lakes I've been to have had nice water (but they were high in the mountains and very cold!), but most lakes are murky. I don't like murky for swimming, just fishing and boating. For swimming, I want a pool or the ocean. (3) Since this lake is a reservoir, the shore drop off is sharp. Because I am not a strong swimmer, I don't care to push that limit, either. I did enjoy cooling off, admiring some of the stones that make up this creation of the earth's forces many Milena ago. The official information says that this was part of a huge inland sea 100 million years ago and that fossils in the rocks tell of the presence of "Rex" back in his day. It is a beautiful place, but you have to be open-minded to the type of terrain .... stark, dramatic, mysterious. The Butte is an island now with the dam backing water up around it, but it was once the core of a volcano! Sandy's 93 year old mom went with us, and I enjoyed talking with her during this time. She is a fabulous lady, still lives alone, gardens, keeps her house, walks most days. Very sharp mentally, friendly and warm.
  
  The lake covers over 36,000 acres. It was built on the Rio Grande shortly after the turn of the last century, so it is almost 100 year old. It serves to help reclamation of land for farming such things as pecans, pistachios, chilies, etc. down stream in NM and the horribly parched western tip of Texas (where El Paso is and following the Great River toward the Gulf). It has enabled people to use that land for something in ways that it couldn't otherwise.
  
  Some stock pictures of the terrain around the lake show that it is desert.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This aerial shot indicated the lack of much green vegetation around, however, I think there is more than is observable in this photo. Desert, yes, but with lots of low growth suck as shrubs, grasses, cacti, yucca, agave, etc.
  
  
• It ... was ... hot. or perhaps I should say, it ... was ... HOT! But that's going to take a while to explain, so mañana, OK?
  I'm not used to 99°. I'm just not. It was 98° or 99° every time I looked at the thermometer, so I avoided looking! I already knew it was hot, and I didn't really need to know the numbers. And as Sandy's mom observed, it has been more humid this summer than usual, despite the lack of significant monsoon rains as is usual. I do not know the humidity levels, but I can tell you that I had sweat running off various parts of my body most of the time that the sun was up and till a couple hours after it was dark. It ran down my neck, was a solid coating on my face, made my underarms constantly slick, and gave the dogs something to lick off my calves. No, I'm not used to that, and physically I don't do well with it. Most people have air conditioning, of course, but it is usually the evaporative type which puts more moisture in the air. It does cool, so if I went in, sat quietly for a few minutes and just let it work, I would be near normal. I longed, really longed for the temps which I knew were 10-15 degrees less here at home. However, the delight of the company I was in made it bearable. Oh, that, and the breezes. When the breezes stirred the air, I was much better, and fortunately it did so often.
  
  I will definitely go back to visit, but it will be in the fall, after the temps have cooled so I can more fully enjoy the time there. I just don't do heat. Allan and I have talked about this and we both suspect I had heatstroke at some time and didn't realize it. If that happens, it effects you forever after that, making a person very sensitive to any heat exposure. Sad. I've probably picked one of the more comfortable places to live under the circumstances. I'm thinking about a friend in Tucson who has invited me to visit. I knew I needed to wait till winter, and this just confirms that wise decision!
  
  
• I had fun. I really did have fun!
  We very busy .... going, doing, seeing, talking, laughing. We did a bit of shopping, lots of eating, sight-seeing, swimming, simple sitting and talking. That last was probably the best of all. Sandy and Linda are both silk artists, so they spent some time talking about their work. while I find that interesting, I used much of it to sit and talk with Joe, getting to know him, and I enjoyed doing so. It was very nice. Monday evening, a couple other friends came over. We sat on the patio, enjoying pomegranate martinis, followed by my introduction of the joys of coconut ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup. Oh, yeah, they liked it a lot!
  

As we drove home yesterday, 2.5 hours later than we planned (go figure!), Linda and I talked about the fun we'd had. We both felt as if we'd been gone more like three or four days because we had done so much. Now that is a good mini-vacation! As I said, I'm ready to go again, but not till the temperatures have dropped off a little. OK, a lot.

Homecoming was adorable. Joey, Lola and Max, who had stayed with our teenage friend, Garrett, were bouncing up and down on the deck, barking and panting. Jazi and Sammy ran up the steps, and all five were clambering and clamoring on their respective sides of the gate and sticking their tongues through the gaps to greet each other. Once inside, the sniffing, licking, spinning routine was followed by chasing and barking! They were more interested in each other (and probably the "other dog smells" on Sammy and Jazi) than they were with me! Yay! That means they might even become relatively independent of me one day! We enjoyed the evening on the couch, everyone cuddled fairly close, and bedtime brought big, deep, contented sighs from all of them.

I slept this morning till 8:00. That is a rarity for me. I was tired. A good tired, but deep enough to make me really sleep, really long. You can see from this picture that Jazmyn is glad to be home, too. She had fun, but home is best.

Upside down behind the couch cushion is the ultimate pleasure. :)

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I'm Here Again

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Yep, I'm back, and I'm tired. We are so busy, so on the go that Linda and I said on the way home that it felt that we had been gone for three or four days. This will be a short post because I honestly am tired. I'll do more tomorrow.

For now ....

• I met a number of new friends. I liked everyone I met, and I felt as if I had known them forever within a few minutes.
• I took Jazi and Sammy; Jazi because she is well behaved and well socialized, Sammy because I felt he was probably ready for a trial of being out of his comfort zone. It went very well. More on that tomorrow.
• I didn't take very many pictures. First, things were happening fast enough that we would already be into something, often already away from the house, before I would think of the camera, which was back at the house. Even at the house, I'd be so into the fun conversations or whatever that I would not remember to take photos till it was too late. I'll look at the few pix I took and post some later on.
• It ... was ... hot. or perhaps I should say, it ... was ... HOT! But that's going to take a while to explain, so mañana, OK?
• I had fun. I really did have fun!

So I'll be back tomorrow and catch up, alrighty? I need to shower and get some rest.

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Tuesday Trivia

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Everything you need to know about .....
Numbers and Letters, Words, and Sayings
(OK, maybe not everything, but more than you knew before this!)

NUMBERS AND LETTERS

Pi is the most recognized mathematical constant in the world. Scholars often consider Pi the most important and intriguing number in all of mathematics. The symbol for pi (TT) has been used regularly in its mathematical sense only for the past 250 years.

In the Greek alphabet, TT (piwas) is the sixteenth letter. In the English alphabet, p is also the sixteenth letter.

The letter TT is the first letter of the Greek word “periphery” and “perimeter.” The symbol TT in mathematics represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. In other words, TT is the number of times a circle’s diameter will fit around its circumference.

In 1995, Hiroyoki Gotu memorized 42,195 places of pi and is considered the current pi champion. Some scholars speculate that Japanese is better suited than other languages for memorizing sequences of numbers.

One of the earliest known records of pi was written by an Egyptian scribe named Ahmes (c. 1650 B.C.) on what is now known as the Rhind Papyrus. He was off by less than 1% of the modern approximation of pi (3.141592).

Pi has been studied by the human race for almost 4,000 years. By 2000 B.C., Babylonians established the constant circle ratio as 3-1/8 or 3.125. The ancient Egyptians arrived at a slightly different value of 3-1/7 or 3.143.

WORDS

The word 'impeccable' comes from the Latin 'pecar', to sin. So, something that was pure or untouched became impeccable. In Spanish, the word for freckles is 'pecas', or little sins.

The haiku form was established in Japan as a way of protesting the changes an Emperor made to a court poet's work to change its meaning. The edited version had the five-seven-five syllable pattern, which the poet never deviated from in future.

Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra is believed to be the oldest sex manual in existence. The book is thought to have been written around 300 A D. "Kama Sutra" is Sanskrit for "Aphorisms of Love." The Kama Sutra describes the practices, rituals, and lore of the erotic ( kama ) in human relations and believes sexuality is an integral part of human existence.

The name of our galaxy, the Milky Way, comes from the ancient Greeks and their belief that it was made from drops of milk from the breasts of either the goddess Hera or the goddess Rhea. According to one legend, while Heracles was suckling from Hera, she realized that the infant was the illegitimate son of Zeus and another woman, and pushed him away. The spurting milk formed the Milky Way.

Everybody has seen the tall strange chef's hat that balloons at the top. But what is the reason for this unusual shape? Well, its basic purpose is to counteract the intense heat in the kitchen. The hat is shaped like this not just to look cool, but also to allow air to circulate around the chef's scalp and thus to keep his or her head from over-heating.

About one in twenty persons is born under the sign of this mystical constellation, but few of them know it. The constellation is called Ophiuchus, which means "he who holds the serpent". The Sun is in it from November 30 to December 17 and so if you are born between those dates you are not actually a Sagittarius but rather Ophiuchus. However, Ophiuchus is not part of the Western astrological zodiac, because the Sun doesn't spend the same amount of time, as it does in the other 12 constellations.

"We have too many high sounding words and too few actions that correspond with them."
Abigail Adams. (1744-1818), the first Second Lady of the United States and the second First Lady

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WHERE DID THAT SAYING SOME FROM?

The phrase "sleep tight" originated when mattresses were set upon ropes woven through the bed frame. To remedy sagging ropes, one would use a bed key to tighten the rope.

The term "dog days" has nothing to do with dogs. It dates back to Roman times, when it was believed that Sirius, the Dog Star, added its heat to that of the sun from July 3 to August 11, creating exceptionally high temperatures. The Romans called the period dies canicular, or "days of the dog."

The term "honeymoon" is derived from the Babylonians who declared mead, a honey-flavored wine, the official wedding drink, stipulating that the bride's parents be required to keep the groom supplied with the drink for the month following the wedding.

The term, "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye" is from Ancient Rome. The only rule during wrestling matches was, "No eye gouging." Everything else was allowed, but the only way to be disqualified is to poke someone's eye out.

In 1945 a computer at Harvard malfunctioned and Grace Hopper, who was working on the computer, investigated, found a moth in one of the circuits and removed it. Ever since, when something goes wrong with a computer, it is said to have a bug in it.

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

I have nothing more to say today!

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Monday Movies

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A potpourri today.

I don't know if this first one is real, but what a concept!

How do you like your pizza?



This is too cute!



And finally, the best-ever home repair tool ....


Have a great Monday, and I'll be back to (relative) normal on Wednesday!

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A Quick Note

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I've posted Monday Movies and Tuesday Trivia for your entertainment while I'm away from the computer. I'm not even taking my laptop on this little trip, can you believe it? I'll be back sometime late Tuesday, and back on schedule by Wednesday.

We had our Girls' Get-together this morning as planned. Just five of us, but I think we had nearly as much fun as we did Friday Night. We went to the Wortley Hotel in Lincoln. this is the place Linda, Sandy and I went not long ago, and the breakfast was as good as last time. I thought I'd post the link so you could get a glimpse of the place and have a chuckle at the cleaver website.

And with that, I'm off! Well, actually not till tomorrow morning, but I'm off the blog for now. Bye, y'all!

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A Good Dinner and a Bunch of Plans Ahead

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I just got back from the most fun dinner. Take seven middle aged women, add three bottles of wine, baskets of amazing breads, plates of steaks and chicken, desserts to die for, and enough talking, joking and laughing to last a person for a week, and you have created a completely fabulous evening. I can't remember when I've had that much fun! The restaurant is at the casino. I hadn't eaten there before, but I'm very impressed. A really nice dining experience, but far from stuffy.

The married ladies enjoyed a night away and the single ladies enjoyed an evening with. Everyone got what they wanted! Our reservation was at 5:30 and we didn't leave the restaurant until after 9:30, lots of time for fun, but the thing is it wasn't that we were lingering more than we should. The service was excellent, but they didn't rush us, so we had lots of time between courses to enjoy our conversation.

Our ages ranged from 50 to 65, and everyone was an artist of one sort or another. Just two are lifelong artists. In previous lives the rest of us were teachers, nurses, and social workers. We found our conversations overlapping beautifully. I knew three before tonight, and I've now added three more lovely ladies to my list of friends.

I had SO much fun!

Tomorrow morning I'm off to a fashion show at an art gallery, featuring the jewelery of Zoe and the silk wearables of Linda (the two lifelong artists in the group tonight). I think it will be fun to see this combination. I have items from each of them, and I think their things will go together very well.

Sunday morning all but two of us who dined tonight are having breakfast/brunch together on Sunday morning. We are going to the restaurant Linda, Sandy and I went to a couple weeks ago, where the food is excellent. I'm guessing we will be having another fun meal.

Then on Monday Linda and I are driving to Sandy's home in Elephant Butte to spend a couple days. I've arranged for a puppy sitter, but I'm going to take a couple of The Kids with me. I think it will be Jazi and Sam. They both stay will me when we walk, so I will be less concerned about them getting away from me. It will be easy to deal with Jaz; she is well adjusted, loves people and other animals. Sam is doing well on his adjusting. I've taken him on a few errands where I can take him in with me, and while he is still a bit nervous in public and with strangers, he is doing well. This will be his first real trip away from home since I brought him to live with me in June 2008. It will do him good to have a slightly extended time away with me and meeting new people and dogs. It's an experiment, one I think is timely.

My posting may be spotty for a few days. Bear with me, and check back. I'm off on a fun series of adventures, but you know I can't stay away! And yes, Caroline, I will take pictures! :)

Peculiar Hits

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I've noticed on my tracker that lots of people find my blog by googling "send off words." I've looked in my archives for those words, and I don't find them, and I don't remember writing about that. That's interesting, I think. But what is even more thought provoking is this .... are so many people leaving India that almost every day I have at least one hit from people looking for ways to say goodbye? And where are they going?

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

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Health Care Reform

As the debate goes on about the issue of the proposed health care reform, I'm trying to read everything I can to help sort it out in my mind. Please understand, I'm not inviting arguments here. In fact I'm going to turn off comments for this post to avoid that. I'm simply sharing something I found informative. Do with it as you may, but I hope you're into reading, not just this, but everything you can find except opinions expressed without fact seeking (I've had so many emails that seem to be without anything but opinion). Your opinion is valid whether it agrees or not with mine, but please be informed and let your representatives in DC know.

Here is the link: Health Care Reform

Hummingbirds, the Movie

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OK, here's a little video of the hummingbirds. If you turn your sound on, you'll hear the wind chimes, the hummingbirds, a single woof from one of the pups, and my voice, of course. It will give you an idea of what I get to enjoy watching all day long.

When I was filling the feeders moments before this, the little impatient birds were hovering about 4-6 inches from my hands, watching me pour the nectar into their mini bars! I could feel the wind from their wings! Brave little things!

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