The closing of another month

This picture is Nixie at the beach house watching seagulls. She was somewhat afraid of them at the time, but was only 6 months old.
One more day and august of 2006 will be over. It went fast, as most months seem to as I age. Lance came in from the mornings work telling me of Nixie and a swarm of bees she got into. 1 stung her on the face area. He said she yipped and then shook it off and was fine. One thing about her, for a small shepherd , she is one tough girl. Traz seems to feel summer coming to an end too and wants to be outside all of the time now. I am so lucky to be able to take them to work and be with them most of the day. Today was another stressful work day, as much of this month has been. Lance said this to me a couple of weeks ago " I think we should move into a cabin in the woods, I will do handyman work in the nearest town and you can grow and dry flowers to sell on the weekends" I think that sounds like heaven on earth and loved picturing it in my mind. Tonight we started talking and planning a sculpture of sorts we're going to make for an empty living room wall. We plan on going to the upper river and collecting some wood for it next weekend, us and the dogs of course!

Fall is in the air

It seems like summer goes faster every year and before I know it, the leaves are changing color and the mornings have turned cold. I started reading a new book yesterday, "Chosen by a horse" the writer reminds me a lot of me. I'm enjoying the book and look forward to seeing how things turn out for her. Today was a great dog day. Both were glad to be home and back life as they know it. Nixie rode with Lance in the truck all morning, then he took her for a swim in the river before her nap. Traz and I took a long walk through Avery park, he chased a squirrel or two and lifted
his leg on every tree he got near, both are favorites of his. Now they sleep.

Dogs are home safe and sound

Traz looks like he didn't eat to great and Nixie looks like she ate for the both of them! As always, they were glad to get in the truck and then home to run around the yard. We just got back from walking in the park and now they sleep. They always run to every room looking for Lance and they never act "just right" until they see him and are sure he is ok. Today is a good dog day.

Four Years Ago Today

Four years ago today I quit smoking. It wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was important in so many ways. I watched my Mom die of lung cancer this year. It was a painful, but thankfully,short illness for her. I thought many times, what a fool I would feel like if I was still smoking the very thing that killed her, certainly would have killed me as well. Like most things in my life, my older sister played a big part in my quitting. She had done it many years ago and being with her and being a smoker was becoming increasingly difficult. She never made a fuss about my smoking, nor did she harp on me to quit. I love spending time with my sister and I felt like I was giving up to much of it to a stupid habit. This is a picture of Jan and I on my 45th Birthday.
The Dogs are at the Kennel still as we went to the coast for the weekend, so I'm missing them, like always! I am already looking forward to picking them up tomorrow!

Mom's Poem

Mom, a simple three letter word no longer mine to say. I thought of that as I watched her slip away.
Did she love me from the very start, unanswered questions now remain only in my heart.
I knelt at her bed telling her of the blue sky and perfect spring day, of all the flowers that would soon be coming our way.
Her work here is done, her children all grown,
two sons have already been called home.
Countless dresses, bathrobes and quilts have
all been sewn.
Peace from the pain was all I asked. I wonder, was being with her at the last, to be my life's task
Tears stream down my cheeks, ones I had been holding back for weeks.
Here and gone, no fuss, Is that all there is of us.
When I close my eyes I see her big beautiful smile, the one that seemed to go on for a mile.
Her hand stroking a feline with love
and her soul soaring high on the wings of a dove.

A Quilt Made With Love, By Mom

Im not sure when the Quilt came into my life, I believe she made it for me before I was married, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have it
It adorned our bed. I showed it off with pride year after year. It aged and faded, It moved down to second place . A new, even prettier Quilt she made, took its place.
The years passed, the Quilt is worn thin, almost through in places. It moves to the linen closet, coming out only when needed on those cold nights when one of us can’t sleep and we doze on the sofa.
Then the Quilt finds a new purpose, one of its most important, second only to keeping us warm. It’s laid out in the yard as a soft place for our dear dog to reset her ill body. We hug her there, finding comfort in the familiar soft flannel. The Quilt brings her home from the hospital in style and absorbs my tears as I watch her slip away.
I wash it again, always thinking this will be the last of it. One of these times It will come out in pieces, but it gets folded and put away.
The Quilt has a new purpose, a new puppy to hold in its warmth, she loves the pink ties. She comes running into the room with white batting in her mouth, we laugh and chase her, she runs to the Quilt.
The Quilt Can’t be washed again, but like an old flag, it can’t be thrown away.
It’s neatly folded and placed where hands and paws won’t reach for it again.
The Life Of A Quilt Made With Love ,By Mom

A New Month

I have been under the weather. Im looking forward to vacation soon. I finally got some good pictures of the piliated woodpeckers at Avery park, that was fun. Also, had a good dog week. Both are healthy and happy. Nixie is less itchy all the time, so guess the shots are working. This is the picture of Traz and Nixie that I sent to the paper, they are publishing it on the pet page. Traz puts up with her and she loves him