Category Archives: Whatever

In the neighborhood, Whatever

Help me understand this

22 Comments

I’m not a cyclist, so I must be missing something, but can someone help me to understand why the *serious* cyclists won’t use the multi-million dollar bike path at Sandy Hook? It’s plenty long and wide and has wonderful views of the bay and the holly forest and the ocean dunes. They even routed it through some of our favorite birding spots at the Hook – yet those darn people won’t use it and instead insist on putting themselves out in the middle of traffic like they own the road! Do they have some sort of a death wish? Is playing in busy shore traffic part of the allure of cycling?

Please help me understand.

Dog days, From the field, Whatever

Play date?

9 Comments

I’ve overheard parents setting up *play dates* for their kids for the last few years and have to hide the smirk on my face, but when a stranger tried to arrange a playdate for their pup with Luka I didn’t know what to think! I feel like it’s bad enough that we need to schedule playtime into our kids already overscheduled lives, but are we to do the same for our pets? Whatever happened to turning the kids (or dogs) loose in the neighborhood to amuse themselves?

😉

Truthfully, I don’t believe it’s wise to do either. Mostly I think we go too far to pamper and shelter our kids as much as we do. Granted, I don’t have kids, so what do I know, but we all survived our childhoods, didn’t we? Do we need to do the same to our pets? Can you believe that I had a stranger chastise me for having Luka at a street fair a few weeks ago because it was warm and “his feet must be burning up on that hot pavement!” Well gosh – get the animal cruelty people after me!

These same people would likely turn a blind eye to the homeless person they see each morning at the train station or the elderly relative struggling to maintain their independence. Do you realize that Americans spend 40 billion a year on our pets – to pamper them and send them to doggy day care and to feed them premium holistic food? Yet we have no sympathy for the underemployed, the children who live in poverty, or the elderly. Is it just me, or are our priorities fouled up?

I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to spoiling my pets, but at least I think I recognize it for what it is. The NY Times article points out the hypocrisy in the choices we make – spending money to buy Halloween costumes for our pampered pets while countless other abandoned or unlovable pets are euthanised in shelters each year. Shouldn’t we extend our concern to members of our own species just as willingly? Or perhaps more so?

Maybe it’s only the (newly minted) social worker in me coming out. What do you think?

Wanderings, Whatever

Name that fish

11 Comments

Larry at Brownstone Birder always has the most challenging ID tests – whether it be song lyrics or bird/insect/wildflower ID, he usually manages to stump me (most often with his song lyrics – which Lynne is really good at, BTW). So, knowing one of his hobbies is fishing, I thought he might be able to ID the two fish decoys we bought this weekend. I, of course, know what they are (thanks to the little tags that came attached) but, do you?
These are miniatures and are reasonably priced for collecting. Technically, I think this is a lure, rather than a decoy, because of the dangly hooks and shiny bits. Is that right, Larry? Last year we bought a decoy, used for spearing, and there’s a pic and some interesting info in the comments on this post, if you’re interested. We bought these from the same carver as last year; he seems to win lots of ribbons for his work.
There was an article in our local paper today about the decoy show and reading it, I had to stop to wonder if the author was at the same show as my husband and I. It was made to sound like little more than a gathering of gun-toting rednecks! Sure, the taxidermists were there, but it seems to me the reporter totally missed the point. Maybe I turn my head too easily away from the hunting aspect of the show, but that is part of the heritage of the bay region. For all that I might find distasteful about it, I can think of plenty of less wholesome activities people can get wrapped up with.

Anyway, back to the fish – aren’t they nice?

😉

Remembering, Snapshots, Whatever

Golden anniversary

9 Comments

Today we went to a 50th Anniversary party for my aunt and uncle. Don’t they look too young to have been married for 50 years?

I can remember going to the 50th Anniversary party for my grandparents when I was a little kid – they were really old-looking at that point, but I guess my aunt and uncle were married young or have just aged really well. We had a nice time today – mostly I just watched their slew of grandkids dancing the afternoon away. Speaking of dancing – my aunt and uncle are real dancers – fun to watch. No one dances that way anymore.

We spent the afternoon catching up with the cousins and feeding our faces. It was an excuse to get dressed up, which I hardly ever do, and my feet are very unhappy tonight as a result. This weekend passed in a flash and I’m not looking forward to work in the morning. There’s laundry to do and a very rambuctious puppy that needs some exercise – please send vibes for a good night’s sleep!

Birds, Seasons, Whatever

Passage

13 Comments

Gliding like a tiny shadow before the tide, little more than a bit of wind-shifted sand, I search the place where sand and water become sky. The waves quickly erase my tracks and leave the beach empty of any memory of my passage. Days pass this way, the ebb and flow of life and memory, of abundance and heartache. With a note from high overhead I depart toward the southern stars in search of some other land and leave this piece of shoreline in the solitude of a late summer evening.

Whatever

Well, that can’t be good!

14 Comments

My desktop PC died on me tonight. At least, I think it’s dead.

I’ve been getting the *blue screen of death* every so often for the last few months, but tonight it made some odd beeping sounds and the CPU fan came on as loud as a jet engine. And then it stopped and the monitor is just black.

Hmmmm…. maybe I just need a new fan? I have my fingers crossed that that’s all it is. Every single one of my photos is stored on that PC and only on that PC.

;-(

I don’t even have a clue as to where to begin, aside from trying again in the morning and hoping that it’ll start up like normal.

Not likely, right?

Whatever

Dreaming

11 Comments

Let’s see… I’m dreaming of crisp fall days and an excuse to wear my nice Irish fisherman’s sweater. We’ve had rainy days and nightime temps in the 50’s this past week, but today the heat and humidity returned in full force.

I’m dreaming of a peaceful night’s sleep, free of crying puppies and the anxiety of taking multiple tests to prove my mettle at this new job. The tests are done now; I had three in as many days, but we won’t be told how we did until late next week. I was giddy to be done with it yesterday and hate this in-between time, not knowing.

I’m dreaming of a weekend full of sunshine and fun. I’ve no specific plans, but there’s a horse show and a pup who might like a visit to Sandy Hook Bay. Or a walk in the woods close to home; maybe a dip in the creek. The vegetable garden needs attention, as does the pond. Funny how these chores so easily get away from us late in the summer.

The summer itself seems to have gotten away from me this year. Next weekend is Labor Day and then the start of school and before we know it, it’ll be Christmas again. Where does the time go?

Has anyone else dreamed up something good for this weekend?

Dog days, Snapshots, Whatever

Dog days

16 Comments

Everything seems to be taking twice as long to accomplish these days. Mostly because I’ve forgotten just how much work a puppy is and how much general chaos they can bring about in a normal day.

I haven’t properly responded to your comments here in months, it seems, and I feel badly about that. I barely find time to surf by your blogs before it’s time for another walkie or play session.

The pressure is on at work with just a few weeks left in my training period. I’ve three tests ahead of me in the next two weeks and then a final week of waiting to hear if they’ve decided to keep me on in this new job. The world won’t end if I have to go back to the old one – I’ve come to that conclusion here lately. There’s something to be said for the comfort of the familiar, be it the *old* job or the old dog content to sleep at your feet.

So, in an effort to get caught up with all of you and maintain my sanity (and friendships) I’ll be taking something of a summer vacation from blogging everyday. Please don’t think me disinterested for not having been in touch lately. When I’ve found a minute to appreciate the wonder of something, I’ll be sure to share it. Please be here with me when I do.

Dog days, Whatever

A good nap

12 Comments

I love a good nap. It’s a guilty pleasure I normally indulge only at the weekend. During the work week, I can’t let myself get too comfortable on the couch in the evening otherwise I’ll be out for a few hours, nothing gets done, and then I’m up half the night.

With a puppy in the house, there’s lots of opportunity, but we use Luka’s nap time to get essential things done. Much the way people do with a little baby in the house. He’s so adorable when he sleeps that I can’t resist cuddling him for a while – I admit it! His habit has been to nap from about 9pm until bedtime – a problem – because when we’re ready for bed he’s raring to go!

Today while we were at work, little darling Luka got into one of the soda cans that my DH keeps on the kitchen floor. Predictably, he managed to pierce the can with his baby shark teeth and had the kitchen floor and his bed covered in Diet Pepsi. What a little angel!

😉

Well, he’s an angel when he’s napping anyway.

Puppies sleep a lot (thank heavens!) but it’s productive time for them. They play hard and nap hard, but while they sleep they’re growing and maturing. There’s health benefits in napping for people, too. For me, it’s a great mood enhancer. I was very happy when I was in Spain with their society-sanctioned siesta time and wonder why this habit hasn’t ever caught on in our part of the world.