Family Ties

We are back safe and sound with precious memories of time well spent . The smell of autumn was in the air and the colors beginning their metamorphosis . My aunts were gracious hosts and I love them dearly . Listening to my father reminisce of days gone by with his sisters was a delight for me . I learned that just like the movie my Dad and his sisters had neighbors called the Faulkners . Loreena and Thelma Faulkner to be exact . This was a fun conversation by the way and you had to be there . Big Daddy had a night at Rama where he won a 60 dollar jackpot and Martha's blue eyes sparkled with dollar signs . We shopped , we ate , we laughed , we cried, we hugged , we slept in and the best part of all was the joy of spending time with my family . I am so proud to be a small branch on this family tree. May it stay forever rooted in my heart and the hearts of my children.
Go hug your tree today .






Three Guys and a Stove ...not us ...( the name of the great eatery in Huntsville .)
The Orillia aunt and crew .
My aunt realizes that when you have over 1000 unopened emails that you cannot receive any more .
Cousin Jeff becomes *Always Fresh * .
A family meal at Tall Trees in Huntsville . The pickerel was deeelish .
The Huntsville aunt and crew .....have no idea why our butts are in the air.
..and yes there is a jacuzzi story behind the photo ..let's just call it Big Daddy and the vino .
Cheers to a great trip!

"On The Road Again..."

"...makin' music with my friends ". Tomorrow morning I am on the road again ( not with Willy ) but with my daughter , my Dad , and his lady friend . We are taking a little road trip to Huntsville and then Orillia where my father's two sisters ( my aunts live ) . It has been a few years since we have connected and I feel a happy get together to talk about the old days and catch up on life is in order . Everyone is getting on in years and as we all know only too well that time stops for no man . My Aunt Ruth in Huntsville is a beautiful and kind woman who took care of her niece ( c'est moi ) many times in my youth . I have always been proud that I share her name . I admired her flare for fashion and emulated her as much as I could . My Aunt Viv in Orillia is a very funny person and reminds me of the female version of my father . She is also hearing impaired and recently has lost sight in one of her eyes . Despite those setbacks , she laughs the loudest and makes each day count . My aunts will meet my father's friend Martha for the first time . I know she will fit right in like an old shoe ..or better yet a sexy stiletto . When the Spears family tree gets going , the jokes and memories fill your heart up with love and laughter . We dance way better than Britney and sing off key like fools . Time to pack . Time to laugh . Time to make time .
.." and I can't wait to get on the road again ."

To Spay or Not to Spay

..... that is the question . Well of course I knew the right answer to that was to spay, so why was I having second thoughts on this . Let me clarify . Karma was entering her second heat and she was 13 months old . I knew it had to be done . The thought of giving her pain and cutting into her hairy little tummy was making me feel sick . I was not planning on breeding her . Finding responsible homes for puppies is a serious undertaking . That is best left to the experts . I knew all this and still I hesitated . Why ? How fast a year goes by . It seems like yesterday we were potty training and learning how to sit and stay . She has grown into a beautiful dog with a loving personality . She rarely barks at the door , just sits looking at you with that goofy grin of hers . When you come home she rubs around your legs more like a cat then a german shepherd . She even smiles . She never really grew too big . In fact , she is a little runty. Her best friend is Cocoa , the shih tzu next door. She loves her big brother True . One ear is still weak at times but now I find it more endearing than worrying over it . She is who she is . I am watching her sleep at this moment , whimpering once in a while . She hurts . She was spayed yesterday .
I think I know the answer to that why ... when you love something , you hurt along with them.

Life

Sometimes you need to take two of these and just go back to bed .

The Elusive Birdie

One guess where the elusive red headed wood pecker went ......

Still Looking

Woody

Last week while on my porch swing at my cabin in the woods I happened to spot a huge red headed wood pecker . ( ..and I can hear JB & NGB in my mind now ). I have only seen one of them in all the years I have been there so , needless to say I was quite excited . ( I can still hear our boys .. ) .The bird was strutting ( as most peckers do ... hehehehe)... across the grass towards the tree line . This one was huge ( here we go again .. ) and by the time I ran for my camera the red headed wood pecker was gone . I am going to the lake again today to hopefully capture this elusive birdie for you . My kids were skeptical of the size but unless my vision is seeing double double lately or my sight has gone telescopic , it was a BIG one . My photographic mission is to prove that fact this weekend .

Like The Corners of My Mind

It was the Dawn of a new day for me . Happy Birthday to my first born . Simply said , I love you so very much .

A Pizzle is Not A Piccolo

Our dogs Karma and True love to chew . We started out with raw bones on the advice of the breeder . As gross as this sounds you must remember that dogs are descended from wolves and are carnivores to some extent . The only problem with that was sometimes guests would find a disgusting and mutilated fossil buried within the couch . We began to search for a better solution that was not rawhide or pig ears . I mean who wants to know that you contributed to the deaf pig population . Our canine friends can chew through most anything in seconds flat . We have had Busy Bone that is not so busy and Chewalotta that is not so lotta . Searching frantically in the pet department of Wallyworld , what to my wondering eyes should appear but something we had not tried before on our chewaholics . I happily purchased six of the stick like things and I have to tell you that Karma loved her new chews . The best part was the new item lasted longer than any other chew products we had tried . It was only when N@ came home that she pointed out what our amazing discovery was made of ...
Morale of the story : Always read the fine print .

Over The Rainbow

This song has special meaning to my family and I . It was my mother's favorite song and every single time it makes me remember her . This small child amazed me and I had to share it with all of you today.

There Are Angels All Around Us

The Hands of Time

It has been said that one cannot stop the hands of time . We all age , grow older and hopefully wiser . At the wake on Sunday beside a portrait and verse of N@'s friend's father lay two silver and gold watches . The family related the story of how on Wednesday of last week his wife noted that her watch had stopped at 3:09 pm and made a mental note to herself to see a jeweler for repair . Later on Friday , after the shock and disbelief of the tragic , accidental death of her husband
and best friend two days before , the funeral home released his personal effects into her care . Her husband's watch had stopped at exactly 3:09 pm Wednesday . A coincidence ? A miracle?
Each day there are signs all around us if only we care to truly see .
You decide .

"Only The Good Die Young "

I thought of those Billy Joel lyrics this week when I learned of the tragic accident claiming the life of a very good and kind man . He was the father of one of N@'s childhood friends . His untimely death was a shock to all who knew him and his family . It was not an easy task to inform my daughter upon the return of her vacation to tell her this sad news and not be able to console her in person . Today she flies home to be with her friend , share her pain , and simply be there for her . Her father was a well respected teacher , a loyal friend , a finally fulfilled husband in a second marriage , a fun loving father and would have been a wonderful grandfather to his new grandson . We all ask questions of why him . It is only human nature to ask it . We all at one time or another have questioned our faith when we have lost someone so dear and we are left with pain and sorrow so deep we think it will never leave our hearts . I ask you today to pray for this family today on this sad Sunday and maybe , just maybe the power of your prayer will give strength to this family today .

The Dog Master and the Donut Dogs

Who says Donuts aren't for birthdays ..
Happy Birthday James , Karma and True !

"Love Will Keep Us Together "

True and Karma went for the first walk they have had together since last March . As you can see Karma made sure she got in lots of kisses for her big brother . All these months during True's operation and long recuperation they never once forgot where the other littermate lived ..in fact , they instinctively knew each other's homes at 10 weeks of age. True still cannot run off lead but that day will come when they will run and play like wolves in the wind .
Love does keep them together ...and the lesson learned is that it works for all humankind as well .

This Was The Pits

Monday night was an interesting dog walking night . Karma and I headed out in the coolness of the early evening to a near by little league park we had never been to before . Karma was excited and loves to meet new people and their dogs and so we did . Our first interaction was a very nice fellow in a wheelchair with a little blonde Pomerian pup . He was a little leery at first because of Karma's breed but when I explained that she was sociable and lovable like me , we had a nice chat about the park and our dogs . He said his pup was 5 months old and he was happy to have his companionship and that Max got him out everyday . Pets are such good therapy . After that came along another blonde male ..husky /retriever mix called Hunter S. Thompson..( named after the famous author and American journalist ) . Karma and Hunter took off bounding after each other like only happy dogs can do . The sounds of laughing children leaving baseball practice filled the air . We continued walking until we reached the end of the park and a trail began into the trees along the river . Now alone , I would never have ventured in towards dusk but with a group of us it seemed safe enough . Besides , I had my trusty bear horn around my neck which gave me a sense of false security . The dogs lead the way sniffing the ground while we talked and battled mosquitos . Mid way I saw Karma stop in her tracks startled by the sight of not a bear , but a big bear of a man coming out between the bushes with a large stick . Beside him was a barrel chested brown and white grinning beast of an animal . Not expecting the "gentleman " , I asked him if his dog was friendly and he said he was , so Karma hesitated but went up for a friendly meet and greet . Now at this point in time , I did not recognize the fact that this muscular beast was indeed a huge , unmuzzled and very frightening looking pit bull . The sequence of events next happened within seconds . The two -faced beast one minute smelling a leery Karma and the next , scraping my arm in a frenzy , lunging and drooling slime to attack Hunter behind me whose owner fell to the ground to protect his dog . The pit owner wrestled his dog and held him down all the while telling us he was not aggressive at all . Hunter and his owner thankfully were not injured and we made the smart decision to turn around and head back to the open area in the park . I thought about how many pit bull attacks had been published in the news . The owner hidden within the confines of the wooded area , why did he have the long stick , and how some people cruelly profit from dog fighting . I thought about the laughing children I had seen earlier and the kind man in the wheelchair with his tiny dog . Last night , I dreamt of the wide faced , grinning beast who so resembled his irresponsible owner in size and intelligence . It is provincial law that all pit bulls be neutered ( he wasn't ) , leashed (not ) and muzzled ( nope ) . I use to wonder about that law . I don't anymore .

Survivor

.....or how to live like a stinky pig for 2 days without running water and make the most of it . Okay , so I fully realize to most of you that 48 hours without running water is no big deal but to my father it is a crisis of major proportion . We went to his cottage near Moonbeam ( google the place for all you city slickers ) two weeks ago to pick up the remaining boxes left from the sale of his house last year . My Dad was shocked to discover that he had no running (or walking ) water due to a blocked water line coming from the lake . You have to know my Dad to understand his dismay . He is a 3 times a day hot shower guy not to mention the bathroom breaks , etc . We had a mini conference and decided we could still do this with the bucket that Liza left us ..there is no Liza but we sang the song as we each took our turn bringing up the water from the lake . Besides that we only had food for one day and stayed for two . Like true settlers we only ate fruit and vegetables ....so it was bought at A&P before I left but the end result was the same ...increased fibre which meant increased bathroom breaks which meant increased bucket carrying . We even managed to wash our dusty steeds ( the trucks ) . Yep , one learns to survive without the amenities of life and we were proud of that fact as we microwaved the popcorn for our movie . By the 49th hour we had to get back to civilization because Dad was going a little crazy for something hot and  this time it wasn't Martha .
.."there's a hole in the bucket ,dear Liza , dear Liza...."

Inebriated Chicken

A few weeks back , I made an innocent chicken drunk ... ( thank gawd , it wasn't driving ) . My sister in law was kind enough to drink half of the brew before I inserted it up the you know where . I have to tell you after 2 hours of slow cooking on the barbeque , we had the drunkard ( the chicken not my sister-in-law ) for dinner and it was deeee-lish . If you haven't tried this yet , go buy a fowl and a case of beer today . One thing about drunk chickens , they drink any kind of beer ..Molsons , Coors , Blue . They are such lushes . Whatever you drink , they will smoosh up inside their innards without a second thought . As for my cottage guests , they cheered the chick on 'till it reached their plates . In the evening , we all did the chicken dance to the light of the silvery moon . Cottage life does that to a person .
Ma is clucking out because she is just winging it with her bad puns .

Back In The Saddle Again

Before you go rolling in the hay with uncontrollable laughter at the sight of me straddled on top of a horse , let me tell you how it all began . My eldest went canoeing a few weeks back and made a new friend . Both of us were invited over to her home last Friday night for dinner, wine, and conversation . Izzy ( new friend ) is living my dream .... waterfront log home , 5 cats , 1 dog , and 2 horses. Her doors are open wide for both friends and felines alike. The horses are close enough to come up to the porch neighing for a treat of carrots or bread . The mother horse is Tuesday and her colt is Tigga . Tuesday was saddled up and my daughter trotted around the field like a seasoned equestrian . I , on the other hand , grabbed the saddle horn for dear life , surprised how wide a horse's back was than I had remembered , and secretly happy that I had taken yoga over 3 years for flexibility . I had not been on a horse since the age of 18 when my ride ended with my horse bucking and me falling off onto my tush . Tuesday is one of those smart horses that knows voice commands , so I was properly warned not to use the G -word ( Gallop or Giddyup ) . So I quietly muttered "Walk please , for the love of Trigger and Black Beauty , please just walk ."
We did walk until Tigga came galloping after Mommy Mare and we had a bit of a rump a dump time but I managed to stay aboard with thanks to Izzy . Tumbling tumbleweed but we had an awesome time . I even updated my vocabulary to understand what the word "gelding" meant .
Thank you Izzy for a very different and fun time . Dawn has even decided that she may venture into horseback riding lessons again . As for me ..." the old gray mare ain't what she use to be .. "





Having a horse laugh at the new gringos .
The view.
The dream.
Inside the dream.
Chow time.
On the front porch looking in .
Tuesday and Izzy
Do you have a pooper scooper ?
Dawn's herd.
Help
Horse saliva hair conditioner .
Hazards of the trail.

The end .

Tataboomboom Thursday

I have this thumping tension headache this morning that just will not go away . It could be my sinuses acting up or just the fact the sun is out for a change . Maybe it was the caramel chocolate chip ice cream over the weekend . Nothing worse than a cold ice cream headache . I feel like a living voo doo doll . I haven't touched a drop of alcohol . Swear on N@'s hybrid .
Tataboom tataboom tataboom. Remedies please .

Who's sixty ?

Live Earth

Just a reminder that the Live Earth concerts are on today ( as if you never knew that ) . Watching concerts around the world to save our planet is mind boggling undertaking . I think it is important on an individual level to do your part and contribute to saving our world . Listen to the music today . Educate yourself on why this is happening . It is a wonderful world . Let's not destroy it .
"Green , green it's green they say on the far side of the hill .."

Nutz Over Tims

On a cuter woodland creature note , these photos were sent to me by a friend of mine . Chipmunks always make me smile ...and so does the friend that sent them to me . Enjoy ... and smile your weekend away.

What Happened To Ma Tonight ?

This is what happened to me tonight around 8 pm while Karma and I took our nightly walk on my quiet street . The bear came up between two houses up from the bush line . He must have known it was garbage day tomorrow . We stood frozen across the street the dog and I ... then my dog's curiosity turned into a barking challenge . The bear began to lope across the street . I pointed to a truck nearby to warn them . A truck ? We were the ones smelling like a bear appetizer not a piece of metal .Then I did what any God fearing woman would do . I ran like hell up the block dragging my guard dog behind me . That's what happened to me tonight . How was your night ?

Karma Wear

During my time in the nation's capitol , I came upon this fashionable dress shop . When I got back home , I casually asked Karma if she had started a clothing business without me . She looked at me with those big brown soulful eyes and never said so much as a woof about it.....and as for being "frustrated" ....aren't we all ?

July 1 & Diana's Day

Happy 140th Birthday to Canada , my home and native land . We complain about the weather , we complain about the taxes , we complain about the cost of gas , housing and food . We live in the best country in the world because we have the FREEDOM to complain . Bonne fete mons pays .

( I am a little hoarse today ... I have a summer flu so all I will be doing today is watching the Diana concert 11 am this morning . )
Enjoy the day .
...and yes I took the picture of the Canada geese .