Weekend update.

Our Easter weekend and adventures.

 

This is a view of my long weekend away from home that was spent with my granddaughter Rory and her family.

I'm just going to say that it was a wonderful weekend adventure.

I did some travelling, lots of visiting, and enjoying meeting in laws and family as well as being able to see Ariel and Dennis for a bit on Sunday.

Hannah had a play weekend at my friend's house. Hannah made a new best pal named Paisley.

Now I am back home and ready to get to work ...and take a couple of naps.

But dreaming of the amazing food and people I got to meet.

Yum.

How to make friends at...

the dealership when having a car serviced.

Bring a cute dog.

Subaru has a kids play room and a doggy play yard at the dealership. Charlie enjoys going to the dealer when we do oil changes and tire rotations. 

He makes good use of the yard and then we tour the show floor while I pretend that he is picking out his next Subaru. Over the years, he has posed with sales people in front of some of the displays. 

Everyone at the Service Desk had to say hello to him and pet him. He was a bundle of wagging little joy. The Service Manager said that he'd like to keep Charlie as a greeter. Oh, they would take GOOD care of him!

This time other patrons waiting asked about Charlie and the doggy amenities. They thought it was great that I'd brought a pet to bide my time. I told them that the dealership loved having pets visit. 

They all wanted to know what kind of dog Charlie was. Well, he is a mutt. His dad was a miniature dachshund and mom was a Pekinese dog.

The conversations all revolved around pets and soon I was peering at smart phone photos from all sorts of customers who were telling me what kind of dog or cat they had. Eventually we had about 7 people all in a circle talking about their pets.

One little old lady sat next to me and shared her stories of her dog who was gone. Then she showed me photos of her grandson's cats. She was now living with her grandson and he had cats. She had 8 grandchildren grown up and something like 8 or 9 great grandchildren and they all lived close.

I learned where she traveled and that she had a home on the West Coast on a beach. Another couple told me about their dog and their daughters, in that order. I learned all about their families just by listening. 

It was fun, another gent shared his thoughts about his son's Miniture Pinchers aka Minpins. He asked my advice on their crazy dogs. [Apparently he thought I was a dog mystic or something!] 

He then told me about his family -- after showing me photos of his dog. A person can learn a lot by just looking interested and curious. But I think Charlie was the ice breaker.

As their cars were ready, the patrons who visited thanked me for bringing Charlie because it was fun to converse with others rather than sit and stare at the large TV in the waiting area. They said it passed the time quickly.

As for Charlie? He was so tired from being such a good little dog that he slept the whole way home.

Projects

I have had this idea for a while. This week I stood with Miss Aurora and we talked about everything under the sun and she mentioned the Wonderland book of portraits that are extremely exotic and beautiful. It is done with models and special lighting effects.

In my head I had a vision of doing some self portraits in woodland settings. I'd done some of that last year when I was out and about with Charlie and Bear.

One of my favorites from last year was sledding with a Teddy Bear and Charlie running alongside us. I used a timer on my pointy shooty camera and set it to 7 shots hoping that one shot would deliver the following.

These are not the same type of photos that the artist Kristy Mitchel has done. But the discussion did rekindle some old ideas I had about self portraits.

I went up into my Magic Room [really, it is a spare bedroom where my paints, crafts, and toys are stored] and looked down at the outfit I'd picked out over a year ago. My intentions were to 'dress' up and take a self portrait in the woods. You know a dreamy shot where I looked beautiful and exotic.

Pfft. 
I should know better.
Most people who call themselves a photographer absolutely hate getting in front of the lens. I didn't like it as a kid and liked it less as my face aged. 

What I think I look like in front of a camera...or wished I did:

What I generally look like [in the winter]:

How I feel before coffee in the morning:

And here are two versions I did this morning while having coffee on a knoll overlooking the neighbor's meadow with Bear.
I like the B&W version much better.

I'm not very good at this and it took quite a bit of running back and forth with the timer set. I could use an app on the smarty phone to do it, but I always end up with the damn phone in my hand.

However, this is more me. I'm not gorgeous and dreamy looking. I have a face that has been beat up by the weather and sun. It has amazing wrinkles in it. If I were a man I'd have a gnarly weathered face. 

But see, I am going to be okay with that because really. No amount of makeup will make me look young and dreamy.

So what will my project be? Oh it will change constantly. But I am going to put on the gypsy crazy lady outfit and play dress up. Well, why not? I have to entertain myself.

I won't even try to do those incredible artistic shots. Those were someone else's vision. I want one of my own.

I'm going to work on the Bear and I stuff too. I really like doing things with Bear.

So...

off I go

to do my own thing.

You never know what I will come up with.

Afternoon Out!

After bribing Charlie and dressing him up in a sweater and ribbons, I promised to take him for a nice long hike at Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

It only took about 2 dozen shots to get one that worked. 

Charlie was a good sport and is swiftly learning that I always have treats when we do this.

Off we headed! Charlie even trotted to the Subaru and attempted to jump in when I opened the door. That was a big first. He wanted to go for a ride which is unusual for him. Perhaps he felt he'd been cooped up at home for too long?

By the time we parked at the Star Valley access area, Charlie was beside himself. As soon as I unhooked him from his 'carseat' harness, he jumped over me and was ready to rumble.

I was pretty surprised to run into one of the KVR workers who took time to visit for a bit with us. He was removing Honeysuckle bushes from the edge of a cornfield on the KVR property. I said I was fighting Buckthorn on my own place. 

I whistled to Charlie and we were on our way again. We turned down Old 131 trail and headed towards the ponds and the river. The last time I'd hike here with Charlie, it was in the high 80's and hot. Charlie was in his element. The cooler weather agrees with him. 

We came across two muzzleloader deer hunters. Charlie greeted them and I asked how their hunt was going. Not so great. However they commented that even though their hunt was a bust, the day was beautiful. 

By now Charlie was beside himself. Tail up! He trotted along with a purpose. The smells on the sides of the trails needed his attention. He had to mark the area as we walked. That alone keeps a little dog very busy.

There was a couple sitting on the bench out on the floating deck of the east facing pond. Charlie was a-quiver! I asked if I could let Charlie come out to say hello. They were delighted. As was Charlie who immediately sat at their feet and looked back at me as if to say. "Stay there. I'm fine getting petted. Go away."

I whistled and Charlie came back. I swear he was smiling. 

My goal was to check out the closed trail and the old horse crossing that had been closed after the 2018 floods. Campsite G had been a pretty neat place to camp out with river access and I thought it would be a good time to explore it. Soon enough the cliffs above the river would be sporting ice formations.

Below is the view of where I was going taken in December of 2017.

December 4th, 2020

Interesting to see that I'd picked nearly the same exact spot 3 years later. The pile of wood and debris in the first shot is no longer anywhere around. That debris was part of a bridge from further upstream from the flash flood of 2016.
The bank has changed with soil and grasses washed away and the rock remains steadfast and strong.

We found the campsite and poked around. I found some campfire wood up on the bank but it wasn't used and it was quite aged. The Reserve has taken this site off their map, however I think canoers still stop there. 

We moved on and turned back. I'd seen what I wanted to. The ice was forming on the backwater ponds.

The only real spot of bright color was the Highbush Cranberries. Not many were left on the bush.

The couple had left the bench on the floating dock. Charlie and I stopped there for a treat for him, an apple for me.

I didn't want to get caught out too late, so we turned back towards Star Valley and hustled.

The gent that was clearing Honeysuckle was still there. He apologized for asking, but inquired if I was a local. So we struck up a conversation. Of course it was about his passion and mine. Battling invasive species of plants. We talked about cutting and bagging and cutting or cutting and using on a dab of herbicide. He wanted to know how I kept track of which stumps had which methods. I explained my crazy method of marking with spray paint.

Two large brown hounds came trotting up to Charlie and I who were sitting in the middle of the trail. Charlie was ecstatic. Big Friends!

The owner came around with his shotgun. He had been hunting pheasants.

The hunter apologized for his hounds and I waved him off telling him I'd raised plenty of hounds over the years and thought his were beautiful.

Off they went while I finished talking with the invasive species guy. His specialty is going after those nasty plants. I commented on seeing his truck this past summer and he said to stop by for a chat if I saw him next time out.

We headed back to the parking area but gave the hunter plenty of room so if his dogs did flush a pheasant, he'd be able to get one.

Charlie had other ideas. He wanted to catch up to them and play.

I reached the parking area and the hunter was just loading up. He said he didn't get a decent shot all afternoon, but it still was a good day. I agreed. 

The young hound trotted over and had to nose Charlie up and down.

The hunter called his dog.

We all loaded up and headed out.

What a great afternoon! Charlie and I got our hiking fix and got to visit safely with other humans and dogs!

It was a win-win for us.

I Got This Deal!

Many years ago I worked in an office and often I would be working on files when an old fella would walk in with his son who was in High School.

Sev couldn't read or write, he was one of those old timers that grew up on a farm and probably left school to stay and work on the family farm. I was a captive audience when he came in as I was stuck behind a desk and had to stay there and answer the phone for the Chiropractor I worked for.

Sev rarely washed up either. He'd lost all of his teeth at some point in his life. He'd bring in his son Sy and they'd sit and wait for doc to have an opening. They usually smelled of oil, gas, and diesel with a faint under odor of sweat. The lines in the father's hands were always dark from grime or grease I think.
However, he was a rather pleasant fellow and had some of the most unbelievable stories ever.
These stories were not made up.

"I got me a good deal," he told me one day when he and Sy came in.
"Oh yeah? What's that?" I kept typing and would glance up at him as he leaned on the counter.
"Well the landlord was gonna sell our farm we was rentin'. We only rent the house yah see, he got the land. But the well it's bad and it don't pass. Says it has oil in it." Sev paused and smiled his toothless smile.
"So there ain't no workin' septic neither."

I stopped typing and listened, giving him my full attention.
"Oh?" I asked.

"Yep so the landlord he asks if me and The Boy want the place for our own! And I tell him sure! But I can't afford no mortgage and bank payments as...we are on ..." Sev waved a hand in the air ... "You know government help."

I wait.

"So the landlord he says he'll sell me the place with the acre on it if I pay him in payments I can afford."
Sev stood back and put his hands in his pockets. "So I am buyin' the place for a thousand dollars in payments. And that's a good deal!"

"What do you do for water then if the well is bad?" I asked.

"Oh we just use it to flush the toilet. I'm using the cistern when it gets water in it for things like dishes when it rains. The septic just leaks out on the corner down by the junk pile where we have cars for parts."  Sev smiled with his toothless grin. "Once in a while we git enough water in the cistern for Sy's half brother to come up with the kids and they get a bath!"

Sev's wife had passed away a few years ago. So it was just him and his son Sy. His wife's son from a previous marriage The Half Brother, had moved a trailer onto their land with extension cords to the bigger house that had electricity.

Sev was tickled pink that he was now going to become a home owner. I mulled the situation over a bit and didn't want to burst his bubble. He'd own a condemned well and septic. No doubt that the house should be condemned also.

He and his son were so happy to finally 'own' their own place.

I actually drove by the place that year. There it was a dilapidated house with a trailer parked down the hill from it. Dead vehicles of the same make and general model were in parts here and there. Neat piles of stacked wood were near the house. Some windows were covered with plastic, some with boards.
There were kids toys spread out around the yard and a broken 4 wheeler.

Last year I went down the same road. The house is gone as are the vehicles. Looks like a bulldozer came through and rearranged the land so it could become part of a crop field.

So I wonder what ever happened to Sev and his son Sy.
I don't think Sev ever thought he was really poor. He'd grown up dirt poor and his family had their farm taken by the Government in the 1960's. Sev said taken the Government says purchased. This was for the La Farge Dam Project that never happened.  Well, the project was stopped in 1975.

The area is now known as the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. I'm grateful to be able to use this land but never forget the history and heartache behind it.

As I will never forget Sev and his wild and crazy stories.

Another lunch date

I sat down with MIL after greeting the 'gang' as I started to think of them. It is funny how I get concerned if one of them doesn't show up. In a nursing home, life tends to feel a bit tenuous.

MIL started out by saying "Hello! Where have you been?" I replied I had been there yesterday and she said "No." Then she looked around and said, "Oh, you were?"
No matter, that is how things progress for her. One day blends into another seamlessly.
On Sunday's visit she'd told me that she was rather upset with the staff and I'd asked her why.

Her explanation was rather intriguing.
"Well," she said glancing sideways, "you have to be a ..." she paused, "...a woman or a MAN to get anything around here! I mean nobody pays me any attention! If I have to go to the bathroom they tell me to use the bathroom in my room! Imagine that! I have to go to my room!"

I nodded, "So you have to be a man or a woman to get the staff's attention." I couldn't help but ask.
"YES, and if I want to go to a meal, they just tell me to go ahead! Nobody gives me a push or takes me there! I want to go home. You take me now."

I wanted to venture a guess that the staff was following doctor's orders... trying to see if she was capable to do things on her own, not being mean. But I just kept my mouth shut. As soon as it was time for her to go to lunch, I asked if she wanted to go.
She immediately said yes, and that I could push her. As I wheeled her to lunch she commented that I didn't drive as fast as most of the people who pushed her.

Monday lunch.
The usual characters.
Lisa was asleep at her end of the table. She kept waking up and dozing off. Then a staff member came in and took her Glucose Reading [away from the table]. Lisa woke up then and started to glance around. She left her lunch and backed up her wheel chair to move over towards John.
John was watching her and trying to negotiate spaghetti and meatballs with his one hand.
She kept inching closer, murmuring to John.

I watched and wondered again about Nursing Home romances. A staff member came up and asked Lisa to leave John alone and go eat her meal please.
My MIL was busy trying to cut up her meatballs. When another staff member put a glass of water, chocolate milk, and coffee in front of her she protested loudly.

"Take that water away! I don't drink water!"
The staff member smiled and said, "Honey, I have to give it to you, it is required."
MIL snorted and shoved the glass with the back of her hand and spilled water all over the table.

Joan perked up from her near slumber at that. "Oh, honey! Drink your water! It is so good for you!"
MIL pushed the glass again and made a face. She turned to me and said, "See? I don't get any attention!"
My usual method is to divert and change the subject when she gets a bit upset and it works pretty well.

I noted that MIL had her bright green jacket that she was sitting on. I inquired if it had been cold. MIL picked up the chocolate pudding and started to scoop it up.
"Yes, it was cold this morning! I had my housecoat on."

She stopped what she was doing and leaned towards me. I think she meant to whisper what she said next, but she didn't. She was actually quite loud. "I peed on it so they had to take it to the laundry and the nice girl got me this jacket out of the closet."
She smiled as if the peeing incident was something quite special and turned her attention back to the chocolate pudding.

I drank some of my bottled water.

Lisa spoke up from the end of the table.
"You know," she said, "my Brother In Law was afraid that I was going to steal his brother from him."

Most of us turned to Lisa.
"I don't know why he thought that," she continued, "he was my husband."

Joan shrugged, MIL ate her pudding, John opened his mouth in a silent laugh, and Lisa returned to eating, only to fall asleep at her spot.

Note: Visiting a nursing home where a loved one is, can and is rewarding. You have to have a grasp of what how to handle your loved one's illnesses are and learn how to deal with things like such as dementia. 
My visits are always rewarding. My MIL is always happy to see me and asks for hugs which I give freely. The other residents thank me for coming to see them at their noon meal.
Most importantly, I listen and don't judge. 
Interestingly enough, each table group is like a small social group. I am often reminded of my high school cafeteria, where all of the cliques sat together and chatted.
I actually look forward to each time I visit and have found that lunch time is the best time. Everyone is more alert.
If you have someone you love in a home. Go visit.
It will be rewarding to the both of you.

Meanwhile in Charlie Land...

Walkie? What is Walkie? Where did she come up with that?
Then she called me Chucky and Charles.
Oh sigh.

I suppose since she thinks I am cute because I am so little she can get away with things like that.

Well dang it. I am cute. Just look at that face!

Or even my butt view.

I am ever so adorable.
And I am learning to use that to my advantage.

I give her those big ol' eyes when I want something. I don't hop around, I don't whine or cry, or bark. I just look.

And she melts.

If she picks up car keys I go stand by the door. I like the car seat thing, I like to go with her. Most of the time I can't. I'm okay with that.

Other days when she puts her boots on I just look up at her and then go stand by the door. When she gets out that cord, I know I've won!

I can even grunt once in a while to get her attention. I did that the other day when she said she was going to the creek.
By the time we got to the water, she took my cord off so it wouldn't get caught on anything while we hiked.

She can jump those huge areas of water. I spend my time going around or finding rocks to use to get through the creek. The ice cold water on my tummy is bothersome but when it is really hot, I don't mind.

We got to one part of the creek that she always likes to stop at. I like it too. When hiking with her or with a group I know that I can take the deer trail up the bank and into the woods.

So SHE started setting her camera thingy up and told me "YOU better stick around Charlie and don't wander!"
What did I really hear?

"Hey Charlie, I'll be busy so why don't you follow all of those neat smells? I'm sure you'd rather do that than stay with me!"

She bent over to do her thing and I crept up the hill. Oh the smells were delicious and I could hear those pesky chipmunks in the distance. Perhaps I could catch a deer, or squirrel, or something else! Maybe there would be deer poo to roll in or even nibble on.

Pretty quick I heard her calling my name and she was not a happy human. In fact she started even using some words I'd never heard of before. She even screeched out my name and used Charles and some other forms and it sounded like she was having some sort of breakdown fit type of thing.
I got worried and left those delicious deer droppings and turned to run down the trail to her.

Phew. She was okay and not frothing at the mouth. She had that angry look on her face though so I just stopped and gave her my big eyes. She reached down and whisked me up and hugged me even though I was wet and muddy.
She put the little cord on me and said something about NOT letting me loose again on this hike.

So much for smelly things in the woods.

She explained to me how she was doing an experiment with multiple shots exposures and then combining them to do something. I had no idea what she was talking about.
I didn't want her to screech again so I decided to pretend I was interested.

See?
I even walked under her tiny tripod stick thingy while she was doing camera stuff. I just laid down right there and stayed.

She seemed a bit uptight about that, but she said she still got some cool shots.

And after she was done, we picked stuff up and headed home.

The way home was rather boring, she kept the line on me and kept a sharp eye out too. I didn't think I could get away with anything.
That is, not until she had to use both hands to open the gate and I shot through to chase a little bird on the ground.
I almost got it too.

I sat in her lap later in the evening while she told the old fella about our adventures. She said something about Morris never chased anything and he should have and how I wanted to chase everything even though I was so little.

Interesting. What does she mean by so little? I think I am just fine like I am thank you very much.

Yeah.
And if she says Walkies again? I'll go. Why not?
It is good to get her out and about for fresh air, she seems happier after I walk her.

Signed~~
Charlie

Playing with kids...I see....

I had started a long drawn out post explaining what happened to our area and all of the towns devastated by flooding from the 12" of rain falls that we had just north of where I live. Some places had 10", some had 12".

It is too overwhelming to try to even explain.

So I just want to say, that the local people have been helping other local people. It comes from the hearts and souls of those around us.
~~~~

Yesterday was gorgeous and beautiful after sunrise. Charlie decided he needed a morning walk and so we went.

We walked out along the gravel road and just enjoyed the fresh morning air after two days of heavy rains.

He did a road inspection first. It seemed everything was to his liking.

Next was the hay field inspection.

His conclusion is that it could use a cutting and baling so he could walk unencumbered.

Evidence of the hard rains showed up in the morning light. However, we still have a road and we are not under water.

When we got home, Charlie got a bath. So many days of a short legged dog running through sand, dirt, mud, and wet grass makes ... little dog a bit smelly.
He took his bath fine, no whining no fuss.

Later on we had visitors who wanted to go down to Awesome Creek and go rock hunting.
And boy we did.

The kids asked to bring Charlie. Well, why not?

Rock hunting or creek exploring with Allie can be very interesting. Here she is wearing a plastic bag as a hat. She is intending on catching water bugs and any other cool insects she can find.
This way her hands are free to catch the bugs. Well, that is what she told me.

The basket was for cool rocks to be collected in. We had invited another friend who absolutely loves rocks and loves to look for rocks.

The boys got busy with carving their initials into a log. I had told them it was just fine.

Note Allie on the hunt for something. It was about this moment where everyone got distracted and...Charlie disappeared from our watchful eyes.

Suddenly our fun hike turned into a "Let's FIND Charlie!" I didn't start to really feel upset and scared until he'd been missing and not coming to our calls for about 10 minutes. Believe me, it felt like hours.

We found him, he looked smug and happy. I re-attached his cord and decided not to let go of him. This happened once before in the very same spot, so I suspect that he was tracking a deer trail just above the log that the boys were working on!

We ended up near the Red Clay and everyone wanted to 'paint' themselves.
And why not?

It felt good.

And it was perfectly silly!

Never doubt Allie though. When she gets 'into' something, she goes ALL of the way!

And then she asked if she could...paint Charlie red with clay.

And Charlie was very willing.

He seems to love whatever Allie has to do with him.

We hiked on down to the where my fenceline is and most everyone rinsed off...
except for...
Allie....

The Queen of Red Clay and mud.

Most everyone rinsed the red clay off. Allie didn't want to. I dunked Charlie in a pool of water to get some of the clay off.

I didn't bother rinsing my legs, arms, or face, either. It felt fun to be silly.

I suggested a first rinse before Allie went home.

I knew the water in the small stock tank would be warm and just perfect. The Red Headed sisters were quite curious about the small human in their water.
I was going to dump it and rinse it out later anyway....

When I got to the house with a wet red clay dog and full of red clay myself...my husband stared at me as if I was from another planet.

Then he said, "Oh playing with kids again I see."

Modeling~~ again! by Morris

SHE said she had to do some 'black and white' shadows and lights study sort of thing for her Black and White Photography group thingy she is doing.

SHE said the weather outside was pretty crappy, the winds were howling something awful and the sun was shining through the living room window.
While SHE was wandering about trying to figure out all something to shoot with her camera...I decided to do the only honorable thing.

Take advantage of the nice sunlight.
Nap.

Then I started hearing the faint noise of her camera shutter.
After a few minutes it got pretty annoying.  

The sun kept moving so I had to also.
Here you can see I am keeping an EYE on HER.

Really?
Can't you just let an old dog rest?

So I got up and moved to the couch.
Did that stop her?  No.

Here is my charming look.  Don't I look charming?
I was too tired to even demand a dog cookie.

Finally she gave up on me, the sunlight went away.

So SHE picked another victim!

Grumpy!

I'm pretty sure that he is not as handsome as I am.  
Well...

However he was more co-operative.

He didn't get any dog cookies either.