Sunday Morning Reflections

 

During Errol's illness, we frequently had to drive the 100 miles to UCLA's Emergency Room. 

Errol would tell the attendants that I was his Rock. I had always thought he would be mine, since he was younger than I. 

Now I have to be my own Rock, which is fine for now. 

Sometimes I wonder what will happen when my time comes to be ill. But then life is full of surprises and maybe a Rock will be there, a pebble, a grain of sand, someone will be there.

 

Winter Comes To The Canyon

 

Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning. 

Confirmed when our town shows up on Al Roker's map. A winter storm is coming. Finally!

The first part arrived with cold enough temps to keep the snow from melting for a day or two. And more rain, snow and wind will arrive today. I love it and it's much needed, it's been dry here for so long now.

Come on, Samson, let's play.

Instead he decides to run down the road, all the way to the gate.

Not wanting to come back until I rattle the plastic container with a few of his treats. I always bring it when he's on the loose outside. His breed likes to wander. 

You can see he's getting tired at the end. But what a joy for me to see him in his own snowy environment.

In lieu of wild critters coming by, Franklin, the Devon bull showed up. This was a surprise since they rarely get out and walk around in the snow. 

Joyce said he'd been gone a long time and she had no idea why or where he went. She's very calm about her critters and they always come back home. The only one she's had to chase after is her African tortoise, who is not slow at all.

I said the same thing I say to her dogs when they come by: Go home, Franklin. This he did, so I yelled after him: Good bull!! Just like I praise her dogs.

Samson and Faith are getting a nice rest after playing in the snow.  We all enjoyed our day and the snow is still here, two days later, which is unusual. Right now, on Wednesday, as I write this, very strong winds are howling outside my window and a few snow flurries are dancing through the air. 

Conversations With Faith

Me: Guess what I just read?

Faith: What?

Me: Ben & Jerry are coming out with some ice cream for dogs.

Faith: Now that's the kind of news that could make a dog smile. When can I have some? 

Me: If Walmart will have it you can have it soon. If not, you'll have to wait until I can go shopping again. And we have a big problem.

Faith: What's that?

Me: Samson can only have the tiniest amount because of his sensitive stomach. 

Faith: So I can't brag that I got the mostest?

Me: The most. And yes, I mean no, you can't brag. 

Faith: If Walmart doesn't have it, you can ask Auntie Jeanne to buy some at her store.

Me: No, I only want to ask her to get what we absolutely need.

Faith: Like Blue Cheese?

Me: OK, you are right, so maybe we can.

Faith: She only likes her cats, can they have some?

Me: She likes you too. And no, cats don't like sweets, only humans and dogs do.

Faith: Figures!

Sunday Morning Reflections

Peace Bell, Mountain Spirit Center

   For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.

~Ephesians 2:14

Notes From The Canyon

I haven't written much about what I'm doing with my days lately. Probably because I'm not doing much, or the same and more of the same. Went to the post office this morning. Took this picture when I got home because there was a covey of California quail scurrying away as I got out of the car. No luck catching a photo of them, but I'm posting this anyway because the sky was so beautiful today.

This afternoon, I sat on my patio and read a "real" book, Perestroika in Paris, by Jane Smiley, a Christmas gift from Judy. For the past several years now, I read most of my books on my Kindle Fire. It was lovely to sit outside on a January afternoon, in warm sunshine, reading a book. I believe we will get rain and snow, starting tomorrow and continuing on and off for a week or more. We need it badly, so no complaints. 

As always, Faith was very interested in what I was doing, so I explained to her that in the book, Perestroika is a horse that has a big adventure in this place called Paris, where she meets up with a dog, a raven, some ducks, a young boy and an old lady. 

I haven't done a puzzle since I was a child, but now my friends here in California and several of my blogger friends are doing them, so since it's good at my age to do new things, I ordered one. Feeling insecure about my puzzling abilities, I got one for ages 9+ with 300 pieces. Well, I'm of course more 9x than 9+, but I dove right in and enjoyed it so much that I ordered another one. 

As far as my cooking goes, I heated up a frozen pizza yesterday. A pretty good veggie pizza from Walmart, I wasn't sure how it would taste, but it was OK with plenty of those hot pepper flakes on top. I don't eat pizza often, but had two in my freezer. With a nice salad and a glass of cold water, it turned out fine. 

Then to bed early, with my beloved little dog, so spoiled, but then she really spoils me too with her perfect behavior, so considerate. I've never had a dog that was as thoughtful as she. 

Read for a while and then to sleep. 

Exhale

 

As the sun set yesterday on four very difficult years for me, I found myself exhaling, tension leaving my neck and shoulders, a few tears of gratitude for a kind and caring man being sworn in as our new President. 

I avoid politics here, but yesterday was not about politics. Yesterday was about truth first and foremost. And it was about decency, empathy, caring and trust. 

So I exhaled, dried my tears, took a deep breath and smiled.

An Ancient Prayer For Today - January 20, 2021

 

The Lord bless you and keep you

The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you

And give you peace

Numbers 6:24-26 

Meet My New Neighbor

 

I've been hoping for a long time that Joyce would get a donkey. And now she has. It's a miniature donkey, as you can see, and his name is PB, for Plain Brown (wrapper) if I got it correctly. Joyce got him from a woman at the other end of our canyon. 

The pictures are not that good because I can no longer get down low, which is really required for a good picture of a short animal. I have the same problem with dog photos. Ah, the things we take for granted and never even think about when we are young. 

Never mind that.

Isn't he adorable? Doesn't he warm your heart and make you smile? When I worked at the Donkey Rescue, I fell so completely in love with donkeys. I admire them for their loving temperaments, their intelligence, and just the plain fun of interacting with them.

I love donkeys so much and now I have one just a few steps away.

I hope he will bring some joy to you as well. We all need some donkey love right now. 

 

Sunday Morning Reflections

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

~Aristotle

 

Favorite Photos ~ Post No. 2

 

Watching our garden grow.

(and how I loved that hat -- long gone now)

Conversations With Faith

Me: Guess what! Two dogs will soon be moving into the White House.

Faith: What's the White House?

Me: It's where the President lives and a new President will soon be moving in there. And his two dogs will move in with him.

Faith: What's the President?

Me: Never mind, the important thing for you to know is that the current President doesn't have a dog or a cat living with him in the White House. But the new one will.

Faith: Why would a cat even be allowed to live in the White House if it's such an important place?

Me: Because cats are important too, people love their cats very much.

Faith: They don't guard.

Me: They kill the mice you totally ignore.

Faith: I'm a retriever, not a killer.

Me: Anyhow, I thought you would be glad to know that dogs will once again live in the White House.

Faith: A treat would make me gladder. 

A Day In America

 

This picture evokes in me both sadness and anger. Five lives lost, for what? Our flag so poignant, even the statue seems to be mourning a terrible day in America. 

 

Sunday Morning Reflections

 

Baby Samson and Angel, from winter 2009

Sleep is...sore labor's bath,

balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course.

                                                                     ~ William Shakespeare

I would like to add this: How sweet it is to see Samson's love and trust in my old female dog. She certainly helped to raise him to be the good dog he is today and always.

Favorite Photos ~ Post No. 1

A subway station in Stockholm, Sweden

(I didn't notice all the red highlights when I took the picture. 

Now they are the reason this is one of my favorite photos.)

A Walk Around My Place

Walking north on the road I maintain by simply driving on it. 

Errol's cement mixer, to the right, has now become a yard ornament.

Fabulous clouds inspire me to take pictures. Winter is such a good time for taking cloud pictures here. During our summers, the sky is usually blue, every day -- blue.

Facing east, I have a view of the Sierra Nevada mountains not far from their southern boundary at the Tehachapi Pass. Within these mountains lies the only item on my Bucket List: To catch a view of Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. The tallest mountain in the U.S., Denali in Alaska, I can only dream of.

I love mountains, I've spent time in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I've hiked and camped in California's Sierra Nevada mountains and I've lived at the foot of the Grand Tetons.  And now Mount Whitney is just up the road a ways. I googled the distance: 142.1 miles from our town. A little bit less from here. 

And back at my house, check out that dramatic sky!

I hope you enjoyed this walk around my place.

Sunday Morning Reflections

 

Devotion

Faith, so patient and loving. It can't be easy for a dog, full of energy and fun, to live with an 80-year old woman, I sometimes think. 

Then I take the tool that makes me able to throw her ball some distance, raise it in the air and off she goes at a great speed, fetches the ball and comes back for more. And all is well in her world. And in mine...

Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year!

Our Best Wishes For A Happy 

And Healthy 2021

Inger, Samson, Faith