cuddling in the cold

We hit a bit of a milestone last night: Spike cuddled up with Adia on the dog bed in the livingroom. 

He’s been much perkier since his haircut, his appetite has been huge, and he seems more interested in being near Adia. (hold that thought - he just went bezerk because she was trying to play…)

She’s sometimes too much for him.

Speaking of too much, we’ve been taking her into the field and playing ‘deek the lion’ which entails Carm standing in the middle, roaring and making grabs for her while she runs around like a maniac, deeking in and out trying not to get swatted. She loves the game and it shows how a pack of ridgebacks could easily keep a lion in place. I get dizzy watching her run circles around us. The game always ends with a catch and a cuddle.

I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned before that Adia is a big apple lover. She picks the ground fall and eats a few a day. Today I saw her picking one from the tree! Maybe I’m starving her!

We are 6 days away from leaving on our trip and I’m starting to freak out. Oh, everything is well in hand… I have a manageable list of tasks and a packing list for clothes… it’s just leaving for 25 days has me stressed, plus it seems that anxiety is lurking this time of year, no matter what is going on. I know Pat will have everything in hand, but then again Adia is a handful at times. If she doesn’t get her zoomie time she ricochets around the house, sending furniture flying and Spike into a tizzy. After she’s tired out she’s a good pup.

Packing… I need a special app that lets me put together clothes to create outfits which I can then add to the packing list. This for a woman who’s main wardrobe is leggings, jeans and t-shirts! Carm? I unpack the suitcase from our last trip (we keep a lot of our cruise clothes stored in the suitcase), lay his stuff on the table, then put it all back again. Well, it’s not as easy as putting it back. We cross-pack and put as much as we can into our carry-ons. That way if there is any lost luggage we won’t have to go crazy to get clothed. Paranoid perhaps?

We’ve had a few nice days and a few crappy ones… the weather forecast for the week coming up is crappy with extreme rain warnings. I haven’t checked the forecast for Rome lately, but I will have a good raincoat with me, but gosh! I want to sit at sidewalk cafes and watch the world go by. We have ‘before it opens’ tickets for the Vatican. We’ve been before so will skip the museum and instead will see the Sistine Chapel ceiling again, and this time hopefully get into St. Peter’s Basilica to see the Pieta statue. On another day we have mid-day tickets for Villa Borgese, which is an amazing museum with a plethora of statues and other marvels.

It’s been almost a week since I last posted, and for the life of me I can’t remember what we’ve done. I remember one trip to the city to drop off a pile of dog stuff at my mom’s for Kirsten when she arrives (in less than a month!). I think we went to Costco too. Carm played his last game of golf yesterday and then helped Trudie & Leo with splitting some wood. We changed the tires on the car. Jo Ellen and Don were here with little Romy. We picked up a giant pumpkin and I make 2 giant pots of soup - one creamy curry, the other with brussels sprouts, onions, and gosh, I wish I had written it all down cause it was a do-over. We have 5 more bags of chopped pumpkin in the freeze. I think we had supper at Trudie & Leos again. We finalized the trailer and got the slides in. Oh, we got our hair cut and flu shots. My hair looks like it was chopped with a machete...

October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter. 

~Nova Schubert Bair

curl up around the dancing flames

It’s been a grey, dreary day with drizzle threatening. It wasn’t super cold (12C) but it certainly wasn’t shirtsleeves weather, especially with the biting wind. But later this afternoon, as I was walking down the laneway to open the gate for Carm (who was going out for a few more containers), I lifted my eyes from the reverie to see that the sun had broken through the murk and rays of energy were streaming to the earth. Is there any more beautiful sight?

We were out for a while today, a trip to the city to get heaps of food for the dogs and a visit to PetSmart for Adia.

Our first stop was to pick up 5kg of chicken hearts (unfrozen). When we were paying the lady asked us if we’d be interested in a case of chicken backs $1/lb - YES! And it was unfrozen so perfect for packaging up in meal sized servings. Once home we packaged up 18 containers of chicken hearts and 33 bags of backs - 3 per package - a perfect kibble topper.

After we picked up the giant boxes of meat, Carm dropped me off at PetSmart. It took a few minutes outside the doors to focus her attention for even a brief moment, but we were able to move forward in a fairly controlled way. Up and down the aisles, lots of leave its and a few stops for petting got her mostly paying attention to me. Feeling emboldened, I spied a big crate of kittens playing…

So, we walked slowly over. Anytime Adia’s attention focused on the kittens, I’d ask her to leave it and give me eye contact. Soon we were within 6 feet with Adia lying on the floor on one hip and laser focus on me. I felt she had done really well. As we were walking away we passed a window with a bigger cat which batted the glass. Adia nearly jumped out of her skin and wanted to skidaddle out of there. 

A bit more walking around to calm her down then we picked up a muzzle for introductions to Kirstens cats, cashed out, and there was Carm, ready to pick us up. All in all, I would call it a success, however, once we are back from Europe I want to do some regular visits.

Yesterday I got the clippers out and in record time had Spike fully shaved. My blades are way overdue for a sharpening and weren’t working that great so he ended up looking a bit like a Mexican Hairless… so we’ll have to keep him warm. It took about 50 minutes from setup to cleanup - is this the first full haircut since Bella passed away - it used to take 2 ½ to 3 hours to wrestle the hair off both of them.

Tuesday night Pat came for supper. We hadn’t seen her since camping and I think the dogs were missing her. I attacked her with a barrage of information - less than two weeks until we leave!

Monday Carm planted 20 more garlic for a total of 130 little cloves ready to magically morph into huge bulbs. Then we dashed into the city to look at backpacks for our trip - I’ve been using one as my personal item but it is seriously insecure. Since we will be in pickpocket territory I wanted something with a few security features. Loaded with some of the stuff that I’ll need to carry, the sales person got out a plethora of packs from which to pick. He laid them out on a big table so I was able to play with the zippers and load my stuff into them. One was the clear winner - I can’t wait to try it out and toyed with the thought of wearing it around the house (then sanity returned, at least for a moment).

Then, to make this post circular, we visited Dollarama to get containers for the hearts that we got today.

“October is crisp days and cool nights, a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book. “

~John Sinor

sidled down through the windless air

I was just outside in a t-shirt! I took Adia out with me to open the gate for the mighty golfer’s return and took the opportunity to practice a bit of ‘leave it’ while she was on leash. I need to ramp up the practice so that she is steady for Kirsten’s cats… but I think it’s going well. At the end of the practice I could throw her treasured squeaky toy several feet away and she stayed rock solid by my side. The toy is a high prey drive object with a squeaky so required some restraint on her part and I even eventually got eye contact - she did good :-)

I mentioned her guts the other day… Adia was reacting to liver treats so I’ve been slowly upping the number she gets in a day and we’ve had no tummy upset. We’ll see how it goes today - she scored big on them. Plus there have been two nights that she’s gotten a raw chicken bone-in breast with her supper. Still good guts. There is hope for her!

Saturday was also a lovely day so Carm got his plowman’s clothes on and set to work digging a new garlic bed. Just as he finished removing the sod, Leo called to say he’d be over with his industrial sized, tractor powered rototiller. Hurray! The bed was puffed up in no time. Carm then put several bags of sheep manure on top of our heavy clay. We had to get ready to go to Mom & Dad’s for supper so he didn’t dig it all in - that was for Sunday.

Sunday, after digging in and turning over the earth, we got dirty with 110 garlic cloves. They are carefully tucked into the dirt where, with the help of the Sun and the Earth itself, will turn into 110 garlic bulbs next summer. 

The power of a handful of dirt combined with rays from the sun never ceases to amaze me. A little seed will turn into a flavourful plant. Or look at a tree - it is nothing short of wondrous that a giant tree can grow from a tiny seed. Magic.

Saturday night we had our belated Thanksgiving dinner. The family (minus Kirsten, but not for long) gathered around Mom’s giant table. She’s going to need another leaf when Kirsten gets here! Or perhaps another whole table to tack onto the end.

We took a little drive this afternoon to pick up some canned tripe for the dogs (on sale!), canned pumpkin, also for the dogs and on sale, and to check out a few other odds and ends. It was a beautiful time for a drive, with the trees garish along the roads. They are spectacular this year. The colour is later and more vivid - so many reds and vibrant oranges. 

Since we were out, and since I didn’t really feel like cooking, we searched for somewhere to have an early supper. We settled on a new location of Dunn’s smoked meat deli. The place was deserted (we were there during the shoulder time between lunch and supper), and the meal was tasty, although not on par with Swartz in Montreal. 

Dunn’s is at an unlikely location - next door to a nefarious looking motel and a skanky strip club! While we were paying a tiny woman with huge grey hair entered. When she turned around I was curious to see her face masked with pink lipstick way outside the lines and thick black eyeliner rimming her eyes. She was outside the norm and I wanted to know her story. I was intrigued. Who was she? Was she a retired stripper? How did she get to be standing there with makeup like a mask? Will I do the same thing in a desperate attempt to keep my youthcbb? We finished paying and left, questions left unasked.

Adia during a rare moment of rest - she is like a perpetual motion machine…

“October sunshine bathed the park with such a melting light that it had the dimmed impressive look of a landscape by an old master. Leaves, one, two at a time, sidled down through the windless air.”

~Elizabeth Enright

its feet beat music to the harvest song

I lay in bed, sleep alluding me. It was 4am and as the minutes ticked away I wondered how long it would take for the smell of dog poop to clear. Adia had an accident, perhaps because of the tiny dried liver treat that I’d given her earlier in the day. She normally rings the bell, but perhaps she didn’t have a chance last night.

For the record, I fell asleep to the aroma and it seems to have cleared by 6am when she needed out again. 

She’s a great dog, but gosh, her guts are sensitive, and man o man I wish she didn’t have to go out so early in the morning… 

In my quest to expand her food repertoire, I gave her some liver treats this morning too… I figure it will be through her system by bedtime.

The weather is still yucky - rain on Wednesday (lots of it), cloudy and drizzly yesterday, grey with a chilling wind today. Weather that you’d expect at the end of October.

Wednesday we got in the car and drove all the way to Ikea. A quick lunch first (Swedish Meatballs of course), then wandering through the giant store. At times I felt disoriented and overwhelmed, but I kept my head down and we eventually found what we were looking for. The main item on the list was a carpet for the spare bedroom. We found something that does the trick but maybe wasn’t exactly my first choice. 

Thursday we picked up some anti-anxiety pills from the vet for Spike to take when we are away, and then had breakfast at the nearby greasy spoon (will I ever tire of bacon and eggs?). Since Liquidation was across the street… we actually scored big time with canned dog food. We were home for a while, then we had a meeting with some guy in a nearby town. Another few hours at home before supper at Trudie and Leo’s. A busy day. Adia spent much time in her crate but survived the ordeal.

We are home all day today so she’s been driving us crazy by being underfoot.  Anytime I stand up she jumps up to follow me. No matter which drawer or door I open, Adia’s head is inside. No sock is safe from her curiosity. She’s a busy dog. Spike doesn’t budge from the futon unless I mention going outside.

“October, ruddy-cheeked, comes o'er the plains,

And as with rustling step it speeds along,

Its feet beat music to the harvest song…”

~Albert Laighton

the party wouldn't have been complete without you

I’ve been staring out the window waiting for the light drizzle to cease… we are home and it’s time to unload the camper and put it to bed. A herculean task awaits on the other side of those raindrops and to be honest, I’m lacking a bit of motivation. It’s weird to be home where the water can run in the sink and the toilet is flushed with abandon. After a month of water conservation it all seems a little strange and slightly uncomfortable. I know from past experience that I quickly adapt back to the space.

Saturday the sun skirted in and out of the clouds and there was some rain on the radar. I puttered around anxious for company to arrive. I arranged the chairs outside, I checked the radar and stowed the chairs under the overhang. The sun came out so I put the chairs out. It clouded over so I stowed them. One more check of the radar and we decided we’d sit at the picnic table. Another check and we decided that we’d have to eat inside so needed the auxiliary table - we’d be close to our max.

I walked Adia - hoping that she’d be tired enough to behave… Finally I saw E & L arrive and I dashed over to say hello. We were soon all plonked on the picnic table telling our tall tales of golf and other exploits that had happened over the week.

Raindrops fell so we scooted into the camper and got comfortable. It’s a cosy place to visit. The rain passed for a few minutes so L and I took the dogs for a walk and then suddenly there was Olaf, always larger than life. He barrels in bringing with him a feeling that fun has arrived. I always smile when I look at my no longer little, but still baby brother. The party started. Unfortunately inside as the raindrops were close together - so much for a fun bonfire. Oh well, we had the little electric fireplace to give us fake ambiance! Not to mention the remote control candles that we all got a good laugh over.

I stuck with a simple supper as I figured there wouldn’t be much room to turn around in and soon we were squashed around the table, elbow to elbow, laughing and having a good time. Carm took care of most of the clean up and then we continued our discussions till late into the night. Looking around at our guests I felt a feeling of contentment - this is what it’s all about.

Sunday morning we all got together for breakfast and then said our goodbyes. We were breaking camp and coming home - bittersweet. We had a great month in our villetta and can’t wait for next year. 

We had to do some jigg a jiggs to get into the laneway with the beast though. The road is closed just past our laneway and too close to bring the camper in that way. So Carm turned right instead of left onto our road and then backed up all the way down our road. It took us a few tries to get the trailer lined up into the laneway but there was no yelling so it was all good!

And now it is 2:30 in the afternoon on Monday. I did get myself going eventually and  now the trailer is put to bed. We winterized the water lines and everything that will freeze or that we might need in the winter has been brought inside and piled at the bottom of the basement stairs in a giant heap (but well out of sight). The dining room table is towering with laundry that has to go back into the camper - tomorrow. I think I have a few clothes that I want out too. But I consider it done :-)

“The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you.”

~Frederick Buechner

her pleasure in the walk

A pillowy tower of pancakes swirled with maple syrup with a salty egg perched on the top. Oh my… sweet, salty, pancakey. Tunes on the stereo. What more could I wish for on this beautiful day?

The next song had me leaping to my feet and dancing around in a frenzy of joy. Adia looked on, perplexed (but not freaked out like the first time she saw me dance). Spike didn’t even bother looking up - he’s seen this insanity before.

The sky is cloudless and the breeze light (at least where I am sheltered up against the villetta.) Carm is inside some smoky card hall missing out on all this sun, but his annual bridge game cannot be missed.

The campground is filling up with campers and it seems many of them have loose dogs… so I’ve been walking one at a time. Adia is good so far and I want to keep it that way - Spike loses his mind when he sees another dog, especially a loose one running around so I need all my attention for him. Bella and Kabira (oh how I miss them), used to ignore other dogs, so they’d kind of buffer Spike and help keep us all moving along. Adia thinks she might want to play and starts leaping around (72lb wild dog), getting leashes tangled and infuriating Spike by jumping on him. It isn’t pretty. 

I feel lazy and slightly languid (could a sugary brunch have anything to do with that?). I plan on doing some cleaning in case we have company this weekend. Windows are first on the list - the nose prints are like creative finger painting on what might have been sparkling glass. I need a really good song to play on the Shaw Flashback 70s station - one that will get me up swirling vinegar on the glass and dancing with the vacuum cleaner.

Our campsite is situated on a giant sandy anthill so every time we step out and back inside we bring a sandbox worth of sand. We could build castles if I didn’t keep up. The doormat gets shaken out many times a day.

Since my lament last Friday we’ve been trying to have some company. We had E & L on the weekend. Tuesday night Trudie & Leo came for supper. Wednesday Jo Ellen, Don, and little Romy came for the afternoon and a woose out supper of McDonalds. I was just too lazy to get it together after an afternoon outside. We aren’t sure who’s coming this weekend - if anyone.

… after supper… an hour of housework preceded an afternoon of lounging in the hot sun watching the comings and goings of the camps around me. I’ve been out with the dogs for their afternoon constitutional. I cleared the fridge of leftovers.

Now, I’m sitting at the table watching a giant class A try to park on a lot ½ its size. Good luck with that! Of course it’s almost dark so they are having trouble seeing what’s what. 

I guess I’m a bit bored after being on my own all day. Hope Carm is here soon.

“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn--that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness--that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.”

~Jane Austen

hath such grace

I’m inside for just a few minutes - it is too gosh darn beautiful to be in for any longer. The day started in the usual way: 6:30 am walk with the dogs - it was nice out (although still mostly dark) so they drew out the walk as long as the could. Then back to bed for a few hours.

When I finally dragged myself out of bed we decided to take the dogs for a quick out… well, 40 minutes later (and me still in my pajamas), we were back to the camper. Just in time it turns out to rush out the door for breakfast - street clothes on of course. I had no Kong to give Adia, plus she hadn’t had a trazadone but we figured with just one trailer nearby it wouldn’t be too bad. When we got back I tracked down the owner of the trailer across the way and asked the obvious question. He hadn’t heard anything and said the dogs were no bother at all. Whew! I hadn’t had a chance to turn on my app so don’t know the actual situation, but at least if no one was bothered that’s okay.

As soon as we got back we took Grace outside and then got ready for the RV repair guy. Our hot water tank hasn’t been working on electric and we are loathe to run on propane for any length of time as we’ll need every last breath of it for heating. Anyway, Nick arrived and like a magician got the misbehaving appliance working again.

Back to sitting outside. It is one of those precious October days that are a gift. They sky doesn’t have a cloud in it (where did they all go - there were enough for several skies the last few days), and the sun is shining warmly. It’s almost too hot in the sun :-)

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face."

~John Donne

mindless TV

Aside from a quick trip outside at 7am, the rain kept the dogs asleep until almost 9:30. Carm was golfing north of here where the skies were clear so the camper was quiet. After a fitful sleep the extra hours were welcome, but even with the additional hours I was groggy and light headed.

I curled up on the sofa to watch ancient reruns of Bewitched and other shows of that ilk but still my head was wonky. It was only when my lips went numb and my face tingled did I realize that I had forgotten to take my pills last night. Oh bother. I quickly swallowed the offenders and prepared myself for the after-effects: nausea and extreme exhaustion.

More mindless TV distracted me until Carm was back. With his help we took the dogs for a short walk and then I collapsed on the sofa again, but not for long, I was soon sawing logs in the bedroom.

That did the trick! I’m back on my feet and managed to down a giant plate of shawarma :-)

It hasn’t been raining since this morning but is still grey. The weather forecast promises sun for tomorrow… my fingers are crossed. 

Spike hogged the fluffy crate all day but has given Adia a turn tonight:

“If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from 

seeing the stars.” 

~Rabindranath Tagore

a ray of sun

As I sat down with my cup of tea on Friday afternoon, a ray of sun broke through the cloud cover. Slowly the sky cleared to a beautiful blue. My mood lifted a bit and I got cracking with the rest of the cleaning and supper prep. I could feel the excitement of having company start push away the grey sludge.

At 5:30 there was a quiet knock on the door and L. walked in with a beautiful smile. Grey… gone. Soon E. was there and we gathered around the little dining table, elbow to elbow, smiling and laughing and having a good time. Earlier in the day I had thought that cancelling would have not been in my best interest and I was right.

Saturday was a gorgeous day - not a cloud in the sky. I did the usual routine with the dogs and then we locked them away and went to Morrisburg for breakfast. Smiles and laughter. The rest of the day was spent walking the dogs and lounging around outside, soaking up the autumn sun. Peaceful Easy Feeling. I tried to memorize the feeling and knock into my head that it is achievable if I do the right things. 

And about the dogs. I ran the recording app on my phone when we left for breakfast but we were gone too long for it to render the sound wave so I couldn’t easily tell how much noise they made without listening to the whole thing. Luckily (?) they guy from the camper across the way was outside so I asked him if he heard anything. No! 

Friday Carm picked up a big, fluffy comforter to stuff into Adia’s crate in the living room. We wondered if she’d like it. Well, Spike has taken it over and Adia scoots in if Spike’s not there. 

Friday night was ccccold so we and our guests stayed inside for the evening. The dogs were good, even Adia. Same with yesterday. It’s a small space so I was expecting trouble, and maybe even that I’d have to lock her in her crate, but no.

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t so good for a few minutes!

Right now (noon), I’m sitting in the house home freezing. It’s 13c/55f. We are home to get ready to go to a Celebration of Life for Carm’s friend’s father. 

It’s 7:30 now and we are back at camp watching Brian Cox. We had a nice time at the event, touching base with people we haven’t seen for decades. Once home I drew myself a hot bath. Steamy hot water with bubbles up to my chin - bliss! I could stay on the camper forever but would sorely miss my bathtub. Finally laundry was done and we were at the door ready to leave the house. The dogs were jumping around in excitement so I guess they aren’t sick of camping yet either!

My anthem:

“Cause I got a peaceful easy feelin'

And I know you won't let me down

Cause I'm already standin'

On the ground”

~the Eagles

Do Ice Cubes in the RV Black Tank Really Work?

the old bray of my heart

I’m struggling… it started yesterday or maybe the day before. Little tendrils of grey snaked through my brain, choking out the sunshine. Not the literal sunshine as there hasn’t been any for a few days, but the rays of peaceful easy feeling that I thought had settled in for the long run. I could feel my limbs become leaden and a weariness furrowed my brow. Oh sure, I fought it… you know, all those platitudes about positive thinking and replacing black thoughts with rosy ones. 

But I still struggle.

I’m trying to get the camper cleaned for company but I can only do one small task at a time before I collapse on the sofa, head in hands and on the verge of weeping, an almost physical illness threatening to overwhelm me. I indulge for a few minutes then get up again. One small task at a time. 

The grey demon in my head says to cancel and just go to bed with the covers over my head. But my logical self is still stronger. I KNOW that having company is what I NEED. I just need to take one step at a time and push myself through this. It's worked before and will work again. I tell myself that over and over.

It’s freezing here and there hasn’t been more than a peep of sun for days. One day of cocooning is good, two okay, three really bad. I’ve dug out a winter hat and warm mittens for walks with the dogs. I can wear the mitts until the dogs poop, and then my hands are bare and turn purple. Please remind me again how much I love fall camping. Next week (and maybe even tomorrow) will be better.

It probably doesn’t help that Carm has been away playing golf for day after day. I don’t talk to anyone all day and am alone walking the dogs. Alone with my grim thoughts. It’s so much better when we do these things together.

Well! Believe it or not just blurbing all this out has helped and now I’m going to get cracking. Thanks for listening. I can even detect a small tinkle of enthusiasm - I think I’ll make a cup of tea to nurture it.

“I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart. I am. I am. I am.” 

~Sylvia Plath

every carbon atom

Yesterday, like an intrepid hunter of little white (inedible) balls, Carm braved the cold, blustery day. It didn’t rain where he was, but here at camp the rain came down on and off all morning. I bundled up under a blanket and watched mindless TV - not at all in character as I don’t normally have the TV on during the day.  ‘Pick a Puppy’ and ‘Bridget Jones's Baby’ were the perfect antidote for a drizzly day.

Later in the day, after the roads had somewhat dried out, I took the beasts for a short walk and run. We’ve been taking them to ‘the pines’, a camp road not far from here that is a loop with one way in and out. We can see if cars or people are coming so it’s a good place for the zoomies. And wow - Adia goes beserk.

A bit after that I took both dogs for a longer walk - Spike was keen and straining at the leash. It was his best walk yet. In the last 5 or so days he has really perked up. He isn’t sleeping on the bed all day but stays in the main living space with us. He’s been keen to go for walks, enjoying the time pulling me along to the next awesome smell.

By the time it was dark we had the blinds closed against the frigid air. The little fireplace had been running all day and soon the furnace was blowing warm air around in a vain attempt to keep the place warm. At bedtime we knock the temp down to 64F - luckily Grace’s down coat is ‘Canada Goose’ quality so she doesn’t seem to mind. Adia cuddles in the fabric crate in the bedroom, snuggling into the comforter stuffed inside. Spike wedges himself between Carm and I on the bed - the three of us are toasty warm no matter how cold it gets.

This is the fun of fall camping!

Today the sun poked out for a few minutes here and there in the morning, but by noon the sky was socked in with low grey clouds. 

After lunch we stuck Adia into her crate (the metal one which we carried into the bedroom) and left with the recording software running. We stopped for a milkshake at McD’s, and a few other stops, getting us back in just over 1 hour. The recording showed about 4 minutes of intermittent howling - both dogs getting into the vocals. Is this better? I’m not sure. (I should go through the recording again and actually count the howling seconds instead of estimating.)

After we were back it was time for a long walk with another run. Bringing us to now. Fireplace burning, furnace bellowing, sweater, wool socks. Oh yeah, this is the life! (or it would be if we turned off CNN).

Photos from the other night:

“Every carbon atom in every living thing on the planet was produced in the heart of a dying star.”

~Brian Cox

I'm so glad we had this time together

I stood naked and shivering in the small cement shower room, waiting for the water to warm up. I started to feel a bit hard done by with the wait, when suddenly an image seared itself into my mind… a vision of a crowded shower, the occupants starving and scared. They didn’t know that it wasn’t a shower at all, but a death trap. A few tears pricked my eyes and I thought of Anne Frank and the legions of others like her. 

It has been raining on and off again today leaving slick, muddy roads. But the day was brightened by a visit from Christina. We sipped tea while the rain pelted the roof and as soon as it let up we went on a long walk. She was able to help me with some of the timing with Adia - it was good to have eyes on me!

The campground is totally deserted so I took Adia to a quiet spot and let her off the leash for a wild run. She was starting to go squirrely (literally) and there’s nothing quite like a 71lb dog trying to zoom at the end of the leash :-0

Speaking of squirrels… the prong collar came out. She is great on the leash UNTIL a squirrel, and there are hundreds of them, and then she loses her mind. She is so strong that I can barely hang onto her when she wants to make a charge. I call it her ‘power steering’.

Sunday afternoon Carm went home for the night, leaving Mom and myself free for the annual Mother/Daughter night. Will Kirsten join us next year? We had a great time with conversations covering every aspect of life. A tug on the ear will be a reminder, not just about how much fun we had. She left Monday morning and Carm returned from golf not that long after. 

“Light is the only connection we have with the Universe beyond our solar system, and the only connection our ancestors had with anything beyond Earth. Follow the light and we can journey from the confines of our planet to other worlds that orbit the Sun without ever dreaming of spacecraft. To look up is to look back in time, because the ancient beams of light are messengers from the Universe's distant past.”

~Brian Cox