Friday, July 27, 2018

Rust ~ Post No. 18


Hilary, this post is for you! 


This picture is from Ceres, South Africa, taken by my peripatetic friend Jane, who has such a good eye for rust spotting. Jane was there in 2014 and forwarded this to me recently. So Hilary, of course I thought of you. 

And did I just come up with an inspirational phrase for myself: Rust spotting! 






Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Samson Says:


I feel pretty, oh so pretty.......







Samson went to the groomers Thursday; he was there for 3 hours and 45 minutes. It usually takes Jennifer, the groomer, 2 1/2 hours. I think she was training people and it seemed like it took a long time to dry him off. 

He had a white rinse applied and he now smells better than a dog really should smell. He had a facial done, whatever that is, his fur trimmed way back on his legs, his feet (it's amazing how furry his feet, I mean his paws, are), his undercoat trimmed way back and his tummy completely shaved. He already had a pedicure at the vet the week before.

Before he leaves they tie a bandanna around his neck and give me a packet with some dog biscuits. It's a really lovely place and not expensive at all. 

I wanted to capture and share his prettiness, as it will not last long. What is lasting, however, is what an absolutely good and patient dog he is. He suffered through the bath, the blowdry, and all the rest with equanimity and a smile.


Me: Love you my sweet boy.

Samson: I know, I just wish you'd stop kissing me so much. 





Sunday, July 22, 2018

A Few Donkeys



Last year Carol sent me this adorable picture, which made me think of my friends from the donkey rescue.


I went back through my archives to look at them again. This guy was my favorite, his name was Apache and he always greeted me with this big grin. 


And here's someone else, not shy about seeking attention. 



Just clowning around. 

The rescue moved to Texas several years ago and I hope they are all doing well. They should have more room to roam there, providing all went as planned for them. 

I never met a donkey before the rescue moved in next door to us here and I got a job managing their gift shop and doing office work. 

Contrary to what is said about donkeys, they are very smart and lots of fun to be around. 

I will post more donkey pictures in the future, for sure. After all, I have lots.








Thursday, July 19, 2018

Riddarholmen, Stockholm, Sweden



Someone, fishducky perhaps (?), sent this pictures to me last year. I posted it to my blog as a draft and never revisited it.  I thought it was so beautiful and I'm glad I found it again. 

That paragraph pretty much describes my lack of blogging initiative during the past year. Life provides us with one thing after another, some good, some not so good. A lot was accomplished here during the year. The home renovations went, for the most part, very well. As home renovations always are, they were noisy and took time. Somehow, all of that, combined with two falls, one where I hit my head, one kidney infection, one cold from hell, and one bad case of bronchitis, may explain my lack of motivation. 

And, as always, going on in the background of my life, my Type 1 diabetes, which makes even the slightest little cold just so much worse. 

But something very good has happened with my diabetes: I now have a continuous glucose monitoring system. It's helping me feel better and I will devote a future post to what it is and what it's doing for me. Feeling better is the main thing though. 

So now I'm ready to post to my blog again. I'm not sure where this will take me. I have my new camera and I want to learn it and use it. I would love to drive around again, like I used to do, and just take pictures, write a few things and post here. That was so much fun.

Oh, about the picture: Riddarholmen translates to Knights' Islet. It's part of Gamla Stan (Old Town, Stockholm) and houses many private palaces dating back to the 17th century, the old Parliament Building, the old National Archive, as well as a statue of Birger Jarl, who is considered to be the founder of Stockholm.

Some of the old palaces are now used by Swedish Government Agencies and courts, including the Supreme Court.

The church, Riddarholms kyrkan, dates back to the Middle Ages, and is one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm. Until 1950, it was used as a burial place for Swedish monarchs and nobility.  

Earlier history, according to Wikipedia, and according to the Erik Chronicles from around 1325, the islet's was known as Kid Skerry or Kidaskaer in Swedish, indicating it may have been a place where goats were raised. King Magnus Ladulas (yes, I do remember him from school) 1240-1290, built a Greyfriers monastery there and the islet's name was changed to Grey Monks Islet. The monastery was closed after the Protestant Reformation and the islet became Riddarholmen, Knights' Islet. 







Saturday, July 14, 2018

Rust ~ Post No. 17




I took this picture back in 2010 or somewhere close to it. I was inspired by the pictures our blogger friend Graham took of things left by the roadsides in Namibia. One of them a truck that had all kinds of things growing out of what once had been the engine compartment.  As you perhaps can see, this old truck has grass growing where the engine once was.

It sits by the side of Hwy 58, on the way to our town. Close to where a part of the mountainside came down in that huge mudslide back in 2015. I was worried about the truck, but it was safe, a bit worse for wear but still so very cool. 






Saturday, July 7, 2018

Samson Sings:


HAPPY



Wait a minute


I have to compose myself 


This is important


OK, here it goes:


Happy Birthday to


ME!

I'm 9 years old today! 




Thursday, July 5, 2018

Back From A Long Break



I think my brain got a bit scrambled when I fell and hit that rock. For a long time afterwards, I found myself unable to write or do anything creative. I didn't even learn my new camera. Still haven't. I also got a terrible cold that turned into bronchitis, which left me exhausted from all that coughing.  I don't get sick very often, so I found out that coughing a lot makes you very, very tired. 

Enough of that, feeling much better now. I hope I can be back to blogging as I have missed you all, have missed taking pictures, and writing my little blurbs. 


Sorry I didn't get back to most of you who wondered where I was and if I was OK. It was so good of you to ask. I don't know if  you've ever had a brain freeze, but it makes you lose your politeness as well, I guess. 


But enough of that, all is well here. Samson is doing remarkably well as far as his eyes are concerned. I give him one drop in each eye in the mornings and that's it. The groomer told me she uses a flea comb, you know those things for cats, to comb through the brown stuff that leaks from his eyes. (At the same time as he gets his facial!!!) I haven't had a facial in my life, and my dog apparently gets them every time he sees his groomer. Anyhow, I use them now and there is very little left after I comb it out. He's still on kidney meds, but was better last time he was checked. 


And Faith is fine, so happy and excited about life. It really makes me happy to just be around the two of them. I'm thinking about having her DNA done. I really want to know what else is in there. That fierce bark of hers, I wonder. Still, she's no hunter, just an excellent retriever. There was a mouse in the bathroom and I, of course, yelped. She came running to see what the fuss was about, looked the mouse in the eye and turned around and left! I think that eliminates the Jack Russell terrier I had wondered about. Maybe all terriers, so I am very curious, but not sure I should spend the $200 for the best place, which is Cornell University. We will see. After all, I never really go anywhere or do anything much that costs money, so.......

And I turned 78 at the summer solstice! How great to celebrate that! Maybe Faith's DNA results could be a delayed present just for me. 





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