Category: Animals

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, family, Gardening, Learning, Life, Nature, Photography, Reading, Thinking, Writing

Making Plans

1972italy

My April Fool’s article from last year has finally been published! The paper didn’t do an April Fool’s issue last year due to the pandemic hitting hard. I have to say that this one and the one from the year before about sharks in the lakes are my favorites! The shark one is actually based in fact. A shark could survive in our lakes (not all sharks are salt water).

More and more birds are arriving. There was a big beautiful Raven in the deck yesterday along with a Robin. Several Robins have been hanging out the past few days. My bird book has been busy as I try to figure out who the new visitors are. I am hoping to be good enough with my camera that I can get some photos of the hummingbirds this year.

I have started a new bit of research for the werewolf novel. I truly don’t know how much of all this will end up in the book. A good part of this research is to flesh out my characters and their backgrounds. One of my problems is that I haven’t experienced some of my locations and I want to get things right. I know I won’t get everything right but I want to do as much as I can.

I have to keep clock watching this morning. I usually have Saturdays off but I work today and have tomorrow off. I also need to leave myself enough time to load up the car with bottles. I have to make sure I have enough for the girls’ vet appointment on Tuesday. I will probably ask to pick the medicine up on Thursday (the office is closed on Wednesdays). That will be a big load off my mind. With the early Spring this year I want the girls on both heartworm medication and the flea and tick medicine. I think we will need it this year. Normally we don’t worry about it.

My mind really wants to stay home. I am already thinking on the novel and the gardens outside (the weather might be staying warm enough that I can uncover the plants and ground without worrying about them getting too damaged by freezing at night). The packets of seeds that I have are whispering to me….

But I need to get some pictures downloaded for here (and try not to add more to my Picfair account just yet… not enough time). Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, Dogs, Emotions, Gardening, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking

Sealed In

1972italy

It’s like we’ve been sealed into the gloomy skies this morning. I let the girls out and you could see a bit of blue sky like you were looking through the crack as a lid of clouds closed up on a bowl of dark clouds. Looking out now there is no blue sky to be seen.

I need to call and get the girls in fir their annual physicals. I think this year we will do the flea and tick medicine as well as heartworm. With the mosquitoes coming out as early as they have I don’t trust any of the bugs. I will call today to see when I can get them in. Hopefully soon.

My appointment is tomorrow morning. More tests had better be run because I am miserable. The pain is getting worse. Trying to do just basic stretches brings tears from sharp pains. My mobility is almost nil in the morning.

I keep hoping for an email saying my laptop has shipped. There was supposed to be a delay but no one has said when or how long. According to the site it is supposed to get here the beginning of next week. Is that correct or is the delay longer than that? I’m not sure. I do hope it arrives on my day off so that I can get familiar with it and get a few programs installed.

I did get quite a few photos yesterday so I will be able to pick and choose what to share. The skies were very photogenic all day yesterday. It was wonderfully warm despite the wind. The grass is getting greener and the plants are growing taller. ❤️🌱 Spring is pushing it’s way in. I even heard the peepers the other night!

I’d better wrap this up. I hope you like the photos! Thanks for all the support and for reading! Stay safe!

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, family, History, Learning, Life, Photography, the World, Thinking, Writing

Roaming Rats and Grey Skies

1972italy

I was all set to type that the sun was shining brightly but by the time I sat down to do this things have turned grey. 😢 I do have some good news though. we received our stimulus money so with Chris’s help I have picked out a laptop. It should be here in about a week. It has all I need for my writing and a little more.

We have all been a bit restless the past few days. It has been especially noticeable with the girls. They seem to be in constant motion. What I’d like to do is be able to get some good action shots as they play but I am not quick enough to be able to grab the camera from around my neck, adjust the lens, and get off a few shots after I have thrown a toy for them. By the time I put the camera to my eye to adjust the lens they have caught the toy and are heading back to do it again. This is why I have mostly photos of them lying down. Lol

I am looking at the calendar to try to figure out my meetings for the month. I am not sure if we are doing them in person now or not. At the last meeting I covered the Village Manager said that meetings were going to start being in person as of April 1st due to a state mandate or some such. So I guess we’ll see. I have a meeting Thursday.

I am hoping to get some work done on my novel. I have been watching a class on the Black Plague which has rekindled my interest in medieval history. I think I might be able to find a bit of history that will tie in nicely with the plot. Funnily enough the course is on Amazon (the movie channel) and it is the same people that I got my photography, guitar and writing courses from. One fun thing is that the instructor has a set that she walks around as she talks. I have noticed that every few episodes a new rat appears (this is about the Plague after all) and the rats also move around the set. We are I’m up to eight now.

I had better wrap this up. Thanks for reading! Stay safe!

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Learning, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Writing

Foggy Doggie Groggy Day

1972italy

Yesterday’s sun didn’t last very long. It turned even colder. Then we got the rain/snow/ice mix. It was a good day to hunker down. But of course I didn’t.

Things got done off of my list and things did not. I will try to get the rest done today. The big thing is looking at laptops. I really need to figure out what I am going to do. But I am honestly tired of looking at things online via my phone. Oh geez hang on… Essie thinks she’s dying. 🙄

Sigh…. she needed her tea kettle. This game involves me clicking the tea kettle at her (using the whistling cap on the spout) while she growls and shakes the life out of whatever she has in her mouth. And of course Stella joins in by talking and chewing her ball. Essie has been very busy the past few days. I’m not sure why.

The hills behind us are shrouded in fog. Much how I feel. I can’t seem to get enough sleep. I just tried to look out the bay windows. I think I need to clean them. I can’t make out much past the doggie nose art. The dogs are always funny the first day or so because they suddenly can see so much more after the windows get cleaned and they just don’t know what to look at first. Lol.

Another thing I need to do is work on the novel(s). I pulled them out with the intent to get done work done but the notebooks just got shuffled around on the table. My mind just seems to be filled with sandy air. No real focus but some kind of grit in there.

Well Essie is now asleep on the couch.

I think I might continue with one of my classes today. Maybe that will help me focus. Then I can (hopefully) move on to other things. I close tonight so I don’t have a lot of time. And now Stella wants my attention.

So I will add a few photos from yesterday and get this posted. Thanks for reading and the support! Stay safe!❤️

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Gardening, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking

Springing Spring

1972italy

The sun is out! I see that the buds are bigger on the lilac bushes and the grass it starting to turn green (despite the cold). The winter weather advisory the other day meant nothing for us. Cold but nothing else.

Both girls seem to want to be outside. But I open the door and they come back away from the door. Or they will just stand and sniff the air. I would leave the door open but it is still cold out.

Last night’s dreams seemed to center around my camera and my leather journal. People tried to take them from me. So I spent a good part of the dream keeping them away from others (usually with the help of quite a few people). I keep pausing and reliving little bits and pieces. Mind you if I try to write them down they will turn into wisps and blow away so I chose to just go over things in my head.

Talking to Mom last night we decided to go bowling and shoot some pool. Mom used to be in a bowling league so I was at many league games. Mom hasn’t played pool so I found a place that has both. Sadly I don’t think the have dartboards (real ones anyway…. Chris and I prefer the real bristle boards). So it will just be pool and bowling. Mom is going to ask her friend to go with so it will (hopefully) be a foursome. I know Mom feels like a third wheel sometimes so this will be a fun change!

I just stepped outside to take a few photos and when I came back in I noticed that my big orchid has some little nubbins that are growing from the bottom. I also found a large stem that had tucked itself away from sight. So it seems that I will be the proud caretaker of a second blooming orchid! I was very worried that she wouldn’t bloom again (I have had her a year as of February).

Looking at the clock I had better wrap this up so I can get things going around here. I think I will start with my indoor plants today. Thanks for reading and stay safe! ❤️

Animals, Dogs, Emotions, family, Friends, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking

I Wanna Stay Home

1972italy

Is this day over yet? I feel like I’m starting out behind the eight ball. Not much sleep because I said I would stay and close last night because we were short handed. The dryer can’t seem to get my jeans dry. Ever. I am still emotionally wrung out from yesterday at work (co workers lost pets and human family members yesterday).

Essie is snoozing on the couch. Stella thought about it but went back to bed. And I seem to have a dry tickle in my throat that no amount of liquid (hot or cold or room temperature) can seem to get rid of. I feel like I’m being way too loud coughing every little while.

We were supposed to get a rain snow mix of up to 2 inches (5 cm) but everything looks very dry out there this morning. Either it passed us completely or it’s gonna happen later in the day. I’m hoping for not at all.

I don’t really have any new photos except of the girls because I had no time or light to do anything else. And they were so cute… 😁 So I will add a few of them and start getting ready for work. Sorry this is so grumpy. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Aging, Animals, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Learning, Life, Love, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Writing

Balance

1972italy

It is hard to find a balance between everything. Work (even with two jobs) takes up much less of my life than before so that gives me more free time. Well free time might not be the best choice of words. Lol. There seems to be so much to do. So much I want to do. And with warmer weather coming upon us my list grows.

Ok so the “have to dos” include keeping up the house (dishes, laundry, vacuuming etc), taking care of the zoo (this includes care and cleaning of the mice, turtle and snake), watering and care of my plants… is that it? Let’s say it is for now. So now for the “want to dos”. That list is longer and includes my blog, letter writing, reading, riding, gardening, writing in general and working on my novels specifically, learning (this can be through a class or book or experience ex. working on getting the Pearl back on the road)… outside of either of these are spending time with family and friends as well as dealing with all the medical stuff going on.

I know I am over simplifying things (I could include sleep since I seem to be missing it a lot and food since I really enjoy cooking and eating good food) but you get the idea. I hate the idea of writing out a rigid schedule for it all. I like the spontaneous stuff. You know, hey! Let’s go to the book store or hey! Let’s go for a walk around the nature preserve. That kind of thing.

I do have my daily and weekly schedules for things. But can you plan on when you will cuddle with your loved ones? I suppose so but it just feels unnatural. And if you’re not in the mood or can’t? I’m thinking along the lines of riding and writing (yes it can apply to other things but this is what comes promptly to my mind). And I haven’t put in my photography under any of this. I think that’s because it is spontaneous and just fits in wherever.

As I get older I find myself more conscious of squeezing all that I can in my life. (Mind you I did the same when I was younger but I just wasn’t conscious of it. That’s why my life has been so full just do, do, do.) The flip side of all this is finding down time and me time. I know I squander a lot away watching tv (in my defense I do play a lot with the girls and have been known to exercise during a binge marathon and this has been some us time for Chris and I). Part of me wants to slow down and relax for a bit and the other part gets bored and wants to do things.

Something to think about I guess. Oooo I have rambled on a bit today! But I think that’s ok. It’s a first step. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Aging, Animals, Books, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Friends, Life, Nature, Photography, Reading, Thinking, Writing

Still Nothing

1972italy

Essie didn’t get up with me this morning. Thus is the first time since I lost Moose that I have been alone in the morning. I don’t like it. I know she has been hurting. She seemed a bit lethargic last night. We did a lot of playing yesterday. Maybe too much for her.

I no closer to finding out what is wrong. Nothing was found in the first round of tests so another batch of tests have been ordered. I have another appointment next Thursday.

A bright spot is that I received a letter from my pen pal here in the States so after work today I will drop her a few words. I have a meeting tonight and I have set an alarm. I am pretty sure with everything going on I would forget otherwise.

Another bright spot is that I did some work on one of my novels. As I read through Tim Waggoner’s Writing In The Dark I put a lot of that to immediate use. Right now I am working on my cast of characters. With my surfing novel I have my characters and their back stories done and the basic plot but I’m not happy with that plot. At least as far as it goes.

I guess Essie heard my heart breaking. She came out to be with me. She isn’t interested in going outside or eating. I know Chris was only in bed an hour when I got up.

I got some good photos yesterday. It was warm but really dark out. I expected rain but there was none. I will share my photos and then spend a little time with Essie before I have to leave. Thanks for reading and the support! Stay safe!

Animals, Dogs, Emotions, family, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking

Dipping a Toe In

1972italy

Today is the day. Hopefully my lab results will be in so I can get that news, good or bad. This will be a short one. Essie got me up at 2amish by getting sick in bed. We had just washed all the bedding. 😳

I will share some photos I took yesterday. If I am up to it I may do a follow up post later today. I told Dad I would help him write some letters. We’ll see how I feel.

So thanks for reading! Stay safe!