Girry's Adventures begin...

I stopped tumbling around and suddenly it was terribly quiet. I could just barely see out the little air hole in the box. All movement had stopped and I was in a plastic bag of some sort, swinging from a mailbox door.

I wondered what would happen next. I had been told that I was being sent to somewhere where I would be loved. I was a bit curious. The night sounds came to me as dusk settled in. Something  walked past me and I heard a snuffling sound. Off in the distance coyotes called.

I wasn’t afraid. I would be loved and I felt safe inside the box even if it was scary outside the box.

Slowly the night turned into the morning. Just after the sun rose I heard footsteps and the jingle of a little bell. I heard a human exclaim something and then the plastic bag was pulled off.

The box was quickly opened as the voice outside the box read the following:

If you can read this,

then you are under the box

or the box is upside down

and the bear inside is

getting a headache.

I heard laughter that sounded very pleasant as the box was opened. “Oh hello there!” the voice said as I was pulled from the box and set on the ground.

The human person scooped me up and we headed towards the forest.

She set me down and stepped back to look at me.

“Well, well,” she said, “Aren’t you a surprise! And you are not a Bear!”

Behind me a huge black dog approached. I froze in place. I mean what could I do? Was the dog going to rip me apart?

The dog spoke. “Hey, I’m Charlie, who are you?”

“I am Girry. Are you the one that is going to love me?”

Charlie winked and said, “Oh heck no! I chew up toys like you!” He looked towards the human and nodded.
“I think She is the one that will love you.”

I looked up at the human with interest. 

“But She is a grown woman!”

Charlie wagged his tail and replied, “Oh that. Well, you will get used to her. At least you will have a lot of friends. And, she will keep me from chewing you to bits and pieces.”

Should I be afraid or happy? I didn’t know. As She picked me up and stuffed me back inside the box I was curious. What had I gotten into?

A dog that would chew me to bits, a human that wasn't a child, and a huge foresty type place that looked amazing and very wild.

Note: I had a very long dry spell after the Morris Stories. When I opened this box and saw this Giraffe from Vermont Teddy Bear Company, I was sideswiped by a story idea in my head. We will see if it pans out or not.

Anyone who knows me well also knows that I love the act of imaginative playing along with combining a story line.

Who knows where this will lead?

Here is Charlie supervising my play time:

Don't keep me IN!

There is not going to be a big ol' Thanksgiving deal going on here today. No turkey since I am cooking and dis--like Turkey. Mashed tators, gravy, chicken breasts with crispy ranch coating, veggies, and red velvet cake.

So I have no big prep to do. Thanksgivings here have generally been a chili meal while the Great Big Hunters go out and sit in the woods to return and tell of the big one that got away. [Reminds me of fishing stories] 

Other years I made lasagna. Super easy. One dish no fuss.

The past couple of days were crappy ...rain with fog. Absolutely perfect for going out to the woods.

I mean, I had to get out of the house. I felt closed in.

Besides, wanted to see how the M1 Mark III did in the rain. I know, ...take a digital camera out in poor weather? Well, it is made for that. For skiing and rock climbing, I will use the Tough TG6 pocket camera.

Olympus makes more than one camera that is weather sealed and they also make weather sealed lenses. Those lenses are generally a bit heavier than the light weight kit lenses that I use the most. 

Nah, you aren't interested in that!

So how did this camera work? 

A dull rainy November crappy day.

And the messy but wonderful creek.

This camera has internal ND filters that you can use. This photo is shot at 2 seconds. The water smooths out with that exposure.

Fog, rain, and snow. 

It gives the creek such a different look doesn't it?

Without the 2 second exposure, the creek wouldn't have been as noticeable.

I had to walk to the ridge to pick up mail and drop off some cards to be sent out.

Charlie felt it was a good day to be out and find deer poop to nibble on.

We took a trail that led us down through the woods next to the driveway.

Multiflora and Berry Brier tangles...

Barberry in the wild and very invasive...but pretty.

Duck this thorny stem!

And the Meadow in all of its Gnarly Foggy Rainy Glory.

Ewww, just not pretty at all right now.

Today? I'll be putting up a hay feeder for the elder mules. Taking Charlie for a walk, and probably talking to family.

One of my Fractal friends told me to download another free fractal program called Mandelbulber. I'm going to watch a couple of tutorials later and see what fun things I can discover.

A couple of photos from this same day, 14 years ago.

Grand daughter and Grandpa together.

Have a wonderful day however you are spending this day.