Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Cheesy title?  Maybe, but it fits the day and recalls a song from the all-time-BEST Christmas album ever.  

I joke about our school system's wimpy response to inclement weather, but this truly was not a morning to have buses on the roads.  Here's what "no school" looked like today:

 In anticipation of the light snow, wintry mix, and freezing rain, I filled the bird feeder yesterday.

 The crape myrtle

 My coolest (ha ha) sighting today:  a strand of spider webbing coated with ice!

The bare trees stood straighter than bushes and anything with needles.  This small tree is bent nearly double.

Just after taking these pictures, I heard a branch fall from on high and decided it was not the best of ideas to traipse through the woods after all.

By the time Dusty and I went out, the ice on the pavement was melting from below, creating this version of a puddle.

By afternoon, ice was dropping from trees, roofs, and power lines, and the roads were mostly clear.  School is already cancelled tomorrow though, as we are expecting snow, sleet, and more snow just a few hours from now.  I'm looking forward to more family time...

Captions

Some recent happenings

 Princess Brooke serving Prince Daniel at their Engagement Tea.

Len removed a sickly tadpole from the group and commenced viewing under the stereoscope (20X and 40X).

We were able to see its eye, the passing of gas and waste, and blood circulating around its tail.  Cool!

What began as the after-dessert discovery of dinner's sliced watermelon quickly morphed into an eating contest, complete with laughter and dripping chins.

The entire family is fascinated by the tadpoles.

Yeah, I think we'll keep the lid on their habitat . . .

Joseph's scout troop held a Court of Honor this week, and we all managed to attend the ceremony and potluck dinner.  Joe earned several merit badges and his Star rank.  He's really enjoying this group of young men and is looking forward to a high-adventure trip to Alaska this summer.

Hoarding

By guess who?

Last night Len tossed bits of popcorn to Dusty and Lucca.  Lucca doesn't actually eat the stuff, but she eagerly grabbed her prizes and ran off with them.  I laughingly remarked that she was probably taking them down to the basement, as I've noticed bits of plastic wrap and shredded napkin down there lately.

Ha ha.

Tonight I needed to clean up a mess of mine, and this is what I found in the basement bathroom as I plugged in the vacuum!  Quite the stash, huh?  Plastic wrap and napkins, of course, but also the bag from 5# of carrots and chicken packaging.  What a cat!

And, no, Mom, this is not the Lucca story I promised you this morning.  Yes, there's more . . .

It's Time for a Step Can

Persistence paid off for Lucca.

Trash Can Transformation

Once upon a time, we had an ordinary trash can.  Then came the, um, improvements:

1. Set can on stool so the dog won't grab items (napkins, food wrappers, yogurt containers . . . ) from the top.

2. Fill bottom of can with heavy weights so the dog will not tip it over in search of "treats."

3. Bungee the lid so the cat will no longer climb in and retrieve goodies (butter wrappers, bloody plastic wrap, napkins . . . ).

4. I don't know what's next.  A step can?

BTW, Lucca can still tease a few bits out past the barely opening lid.  I found a little stash in the basement this afternoon.  Good grief!

Progress

• Wednesday:  Final permits signed.
• Thursday:  Appointments seen at Market Street until 1:00 p.m., then moving, moving, moving.  (Len home after midnight.)
• Friday:  Open for business at Plaza Street first thing in the morning.  A busy day with clients, patients, unpacking, and organizing.
• Today:  More unpacking.  More organizing.  More appointments.  Hurrah!

Congratulations, Towne!

Cat TV

Lucca is an indoor cat, but she's got plenty of wild instincts (Don't get me started!).  A favorite pastime is what we call "watching kitty tv."  She'll survey the birds at the feeder or the squirrels on the deck with riveted attention.

And she chirps!  And squawks!  I have never seen or heard a cat vocalize like this before--it is nothing like a meow or a hiss or a growl.

I've tried several times to record this crazy phenomenon.  These little bits are the best so far.  The first clip shows what Lucca is doing, while the second has more audio.  Sorry for the poor quality; I'm no great technician . . .

Bold and Voracious

Paros is overrun with stray cats!  Lauren adopted and brought home a kitten (actually, Len and I performed the actual transport, but whatever . . .) named Lucca (for both an Italian town and a sculptor). 

This cat is the crazy-hungriest I have EVER seen.  She attacks her bowl as if it's the first food she's seen in a week.  She loves eating more than a dog, and let me tell you, that's saying something.

Little Lucca still needs some training in the decorum department:

No, it's not good manners to have your kitty-self with your kitty-paws in the parents' fridge!

If she can get there first, Lucca will eat Dusty's food right out of his dish.

The crazy thing is that Dusty won't chase her away!  Poor puppy . . .

Once we rescue the bowl and present it to the dog, he will keep Lucca out of it.  In the picture below she is busy trying to consume a piece of stolen dog food.  It's too big, but she will keep at it until it's been pulverised and eaten.

Here's a bit of her passionate attempt.  Unfortunately, you can't hear Lucca's growling.  Yes, she sounds like a little lion when she thinks her food possession is being threatened.  Beware!

The latest trick of Lauren's little darling is retrieving choice bits from the trash can (she must get on the island first--yuck!) and dragging them back to her lair (the mudroom).  Last night she got blood all over the kitchen when she found the plastic that had wrapped a beef roast.  We're starting to lock Lucca up at night (mudroom or girls' room), but she's up to her antics even during the day.  Tonight I caught her pawing through the garbage while I was working in the kitchen!

The other night she knocked the lid off the cake keeper and nibbled on pound cake.

Last week she dragged a package of Afghan bread around, opened numerous holes in the bag, and chewed up various edges.

Before that she chewed her way into two foil-lined bags of doggy treats (now kept in plastic containers, thank you very much), consuming nearly everything inside.

I've wielded the water spritzer several times today, so I'm definitely not on Lucca's favorite person list (if growling and hissing are any indicator).  On the other hand, she can be affectionate and entertaining.  Maybe I'll be able to capture some video of her squawking while she watches the birds at the feeder--uniquely silly!

Now that our home is relatively calm, with our youngest child a mature six years old (!), I suppose it's time to have a new creature to train.  This bold, amusing, incorrigible, voracious, and affectionate kitten is presenting an interesting challenge.  Wish us luck!

Goodbye

Tuesday morning, a neighbor called to tell us that she'd seen a cat in the road and thought it was Emma.  Len checked, and yes, our cat is dead.  He says her death was quick (she hadn't crawled away), and for that we're grateful.

Emma wasn't much of a cuddler, but she made many friends in our neighborhood.  She liked to wander and hunt and relax in quiet spots.  She didn't like Dusty or cat toys. 

We'll miss her.  (Marianna especially--Emma was her birthday gift once upon a time.)

Foolproof Recipe for Grit

No, I am NOT talking about breakfast food... Ingredients
1 dog with long fur and short legs

tall grass, sprinkled with dew (puddles are optional)1 unpaved trailProcedure

1. Walk with dog along dew-lined trail.
2. Return home.

Yield: One belly coated with grit.Hosing off is highly recommended before serving (allowing back in the house).

This dirt cannot be removed with just a towel! It's entwined in Dusty's fur and fastened by dampness. Left alone, it falls/rubs off as he dries, sometimes in a pile where he's resting. He doesn't like being rinsed, but resigns himself once I step on the leash.

The other day, as Len watered the garden, he wondered why Dusty ran away as soon as he picked up the hose. That was one question I knew how to answer. :-)

Question

After all this time, is it still necessary to keep the trash can up on a stool and the bottom filled with many pounds of dead weight?

Answer:Here is the scene on the FIRST day after removing the ballast. Even after a year (plus) with no success, Dusty must have been checking that trash can every single time he was alone in the house!

Thank You, Dusty

Okay, I'm not in my 50s (YET!), but this story from NPR is encouraging:

A new study of 13,535 women finds that women who regularly walked for exercise in their 50s were much healthier in their 70s and beyond.

"This is the big picture," says epidemiologist Francine Grodstein of the Brigham and Women's Hospital. "This wasn't just looking at who had a heart attack." The researchers looked to see whether women had developed chronic conditions, including diabetes, kidney disease, Parkinson's disease and pulmonary disease. They also looked at cognitive function.

What they found might be surprising, given the level of exercise involved. The brisk walkers — who moved at a clip of about 3 mph — were 90 percent more likely to be free of all these conditions when compared with women who weren't in the habit of walking beyond a leisurely pace.

90%--I like those odds!

Simple Pleasures

If I go far enough, one of my dog walking routes takes me past a public trash can. So before the halfway point, I can dispose of Dusty's business instead of carrying it all the way home.

That trash can is a welcome perk of the park-walk. What can I say--I'm easily amused!

Small World

On weekend mornings, I meet other dogs and their owners on the trails through the woods. Some like to "meet and greet", others need to keep moving. One nice man always stops so his dog and Dusty can play for a few minutes, running, circling, bouncing, and sniffing.

I saw this pair on Saturday and Sunday, and we chatted a bit, mostly about the dogs. On the way home on Sunday we met for the third time this week and I actually introduced myself. Guess what? He's the husband of Joe's violin teacher! Len (the musical one) goes to the lessons, so I'd only seen the dog a few times, and in a very different context.

Now Dusty has been invited to go along for those Thursday morning lessons, to play in the yard with Max. A moment of serendipity for me, and many play dates to come for Dusty. Lucky dog!

Morning Musing: The Near Occasion of Sin

Dusty is a good dog--cheerful, friendly, (mostly) obedient. A very good dog.But when the trash can holds the carcass of last night's roast chicken, I don't leave it in the kitchen. To the mudroom it goes, behind the gate. Dusty's a good dog, but hey, there's only so much that can be expected of him in the face of such a temptation.

This morning, when I saw what I done almost automatically, "near occasion of sin" jumped into my head.

There are many versions, but my favorite act of contrition is an old one:

"Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of Thy just punishments, but most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin."

When something or someone or someplace makes it easier for us to sin, maybe even likely that we will sin, we need to stay away from it/him. We've all got our weaknesses--certain books or movies, bad friends, lack of sleep (Moms, you know what I mean!)--things that make it hard to be good.

We need to put those things in the mudroom behind the gate. We can't stay in the kitchen with them, smelling that chicken, seeing that so-easy-to-tip-over trash can, and then expect ourselves to not take off the lid and make a big mess of things. The Church in her wisdom reminds us to stay away from temptation.


Another thought I had is that we need to also make sure we're not someone else's near occasion of sin. Things that we say or do, even if they're not objectively wrong (but especially if they are), can make it hard for others to be good. Sometimes we may need to put ourselves or our behaviors behind a gate to protect others, especially those we love.

I'm thinking of siblings pestering each other, friends sharing bad language or bad images or gossip, parents nagging until anger or resentment builds, or (this is the one that jumped out at me today) women dressing provocatively. That could be a zillion posts or books by itself (and is, all over the web), but the idea of women dressing modestly to protect the virtue of men is an interesting one.

Have a great day! Share with me YOUR morning musings! :-)

Run, Don't Walk (An October Tale...Tail?)

Darkness.

Dusty, lunging: "Grrrrr... Ruffruffruff..."

Me, actually looking because although this dog chases deer and squirrels and rabbits and birds, he is usually silent: "Dusty, that's a skunk! What are you thinking? Run!"

I pulled that leash with vigor, turned both our tails, and RAN. Luckily said skunk had not yet lifted its tail.

We had a very short walk that day.

Election 2008

Maybe my guardian angel woke me up this morning.

I needed to vote, but today's schedule is tricky. Turnout is supposed to be lighter mid-day, but I'm teaching the art co-op at 1:00. And we're carving a plaster/sawdust mix, which needs to mixed ahead, but not too far ahead. And then there's school--how much do I give up or how much can we do while standing in line? I considered going early, but I've been in line then during off years, and today would be slow.

Well, I woke up plenty early, even for this self-professed morning person: I was out of bed by 5:20! Dusty and I set out for a walk, and I was at the school by 5:47 a.m. (polls open at 6:00 here). There were already about 70 people in line!

I tied Dusty to a tree once the line started moving. All went smoothly; he waited about 15 minutes for me. We took the path home through the woods to let off some steam (I was jumpy, too), and made it back before I usually do from our morning walk.

I feel like I just got two hours of my life back. :-) Now it's time for shower and school and art and carpool and...

This Magic Moment

We've had Dusty for eight months now, and although Emma still growls, hisses, and runs away, we've continued to hope that someday she would tolerate and maybe even like him. Last week Len said he had seen them both lounging on the rug, but until Dan snapped this photo it was hard to believe. Emma's still not really happy--check out that "sourpuss" look! Anyway, this short lived truce was a welcome respite for Dusty, who...just...wants...to...play (wag, wag, jump, wiggle, wag).

The Mother of Invention?

Now that jacket and sweatpants season is over (WAY over--in the humind 90s for days!), I have no pockets for my morning walks. I wanted a small fanny pack to carry tissues, doggy bags, and the cell phone--I really do get early calls from home. I was willing to wear a kid-sized one, but none were to be found. It was time to go to the store.

Well, I have a hard time getting out to shop, especially for myself. For example, I really want some summer "play dresses", but so far have managed just one unsuccessful 45 minute trip. After more than a week in need, I finally had a brainstorm and made my own pack by using a key ring loop to attach a small case to an old belt.
Although my diminutive model looks tres chic (Yes, she picks out her own outfits!), I'm glad this homemade pocket hides under my baggy walking shirt. ;-)

Virginia Voting

I don't check my calendar before walking Dusty, so I forgot that yesterday was an election day until I approached my polling place, the local elementary school. It was just a primary for our local Congressional district, so turnout was expected to be very low, giving every vote even more weight than usual.

After just a little internal debate I decided to vote right then rather than postponing until a less convenient moment. So for the second time in a row I tied Dusty outside and went to the polls pre-shower, in grungy clothes, and without my picture id. In Virginia we're supposed to present identification, but there is a provision for those who don't. I was able to sign a form certifying, essentially, that I am who I say I am. Last time the poll workers were a bit flustered by this, but yesterday all went smoothly.

Yesterday there was no one in line (did I mention low turnout?), so only 4 people got to see the unadorned morning me. Last time I ended up in line right behind one of my court neighbors (!), chatting about our daughters and colleges. He was dressed for work, as was the rest of the early morning crowd. Special...

I checked online a few minutes ago, and found out that my guy won the nomination. Hurrah!