How many different ways can you say...

...I hear, or see, a train?

Sandpoint Idaho has to be the iron horse capital of the world!
Apparently, no less than forty to sixty locomotives pass through that town on a daily basis.

Last weekend, every time one passed by, I couldn't help but jest about their ubiquitous presence - without using the word train...

I hear something.
Can you feel that?
What's that noise?
There must be an earthquake.
Is that a helicopter?
Another tractor-trailer unit must be passing through town...(an entirely different post).
Can you hear that?
What's that banging?
I hear a whistle.
What are those lights?
What's that screeching?
The ground is shaking.
WHAT DID YOU SAY?


I have always found trains facinating:
Their power.
Their noise.
Where are they going?
Where are they coming from?
What are they hauling?
I can't help pausing to listen and watch every time one rolls by, shrieking and pounding, along the rails.

A helicopter flew directly over our heads yesterday morning...
"Oh, look, a train!"

Manx A Lot

Beau and Jenny.

After a certain amount of head-scratching, followed up by some concrete research, I discovered we've inherited no ordinary kitty.
It turns out that Beau is a Manx cat.
Manx are typically known for being "tailless", yet their tails do come in all lengths. In order to avoid a certain genetic defect, where the spine is too short causing severe problems, breeders will always incorporate a tailed cat in their breeding program.
Other characteristics of this type of feline include shorter front legs, a broad chest, a plush, "double" coat of fur, a longer-shaped head with ears set far apart, prominent cheekbones and large, slanted eyes - all of which Beau possesses.
Beau does have a long tail, but the odd thing is that he cannot hold it straight in the air. Rather, it will flop over, quite comically, from side to side, wagging awkwardly when he walks.
Another distinguishing attribute is Beau's penchant for playing in water. He loves helping when I water my flowers and he will actually roll in any spills and puddles. I've also had to put his water in a sturdy dog bowl, so he won't knock it over and play in it - or vice versa. I've often discovered Beau soaking wet, and he appears quite content being so. Apparently, he'd rather jump in than drink it! This, too, is another profound characteristic of the Manx breed.
So, there it is - the long and the short of it...
Beau's odd looks and remarkable behaviours have been explained.
Thus far...

This little piggy went to market ...

The weekly Farmers' Market was a feast for the eyes, nose, tastebuds - and sore feet.

We wandered through stands loaded with fresh fruit, vegetables and bakery items, arts and crafts, hand-made jewelry, trinkets and carvings. Buskers were on every corner, sending their soft melodies out to wind through the marketplace and the aromas of brewing coffee, baking breads and hamburgers twisted tantalisingly about our heads.

I came home with ten pounds of baby potatoes, a bunch of carrots, two huge green onions, half a dozen cobs of corn, three pounds of tomatoes, one large English cucumber, two cloves of locally-grown garlic, a baby yellow watermelon, a pint of juicy blackberries and four loaves of different Artisan breads...

August ...

Mama deer and babies.

Colleen and daughter, Trina.

Lake Windermere.

Hidden Bay beach.

C'est Beau...

R.I.P.

Two days ago Ian, Eugene's older son, discovered Smoke in his favourite shady spot.
It appears Smoke lay down and crossed the Rainbow Bridge in peace.
He is now at rest on a sunny hillside next to Henrietta.
I also believe that Scat crossed the same Bridge several weeks ago, but we will never know for sure.

Rest in Peace Scat and Smoke - we love you.

Enjoy yourselves as you bask in the sunlight, pounce on field mice and chase butterflies...

Beth and Tucker up Pedley Pass - elevation approximately 4,000 feet.

Smoke

Eugene has a cat - a very old and beautiful cat.

His name is Smoke and he has been in Gene's family going on twenty years now.

Alas, old Smoke is looking toward the Rainbow Bridge, I am afraid.

Gene came over today and asked if I would take a look at his lovely grey tom. It was heartbreaking to see his rheumy eyes, matted coat, distended belly and to feel his bones, sharp and protruding, beneath his skin. Smoke was calm and he looked up with trusting eyes as I held him in my lap on the drive to the vet clinic.

Of course, at his age, the prognosis is not good - cancer or congestive heart failure is the apparent diagnosis. We could do the heroics and spend a fortune in vet bills, but Gene and I both want to see him live out his days the way nature intended. So, the vet gave him an injection for dehydration, a steroid to make him feel perkier and some ointment for his eyes.

When we got Smoke home, he lept from my arms and headed for a the shade where I fed him a bowl of canned salmon. He has had such a difficult time eating lately, that it was good to see him enjoy a meal. No more cat food for Smoke - canned tuna and salmon from now on.

We hope that, when his time comes, Smoke will wander off and find a sheltered spot with a view where he can lay himself down.

It seems that our furry friends are leaving us as quickly as they are finding us.

Take care, Smoke.

Fur flying everywhere...

Jack

Tippy

Beau

I simply could not resist!

Jack, so named, because my kids were watching a Jack Black movie when we got him, is a multi-coloured Abyssinian guinea pig. Tippy, named for the white tip on her right ear, is a rabbit of unknown breeding and the kitten, Beau, is the result of a brother and sister pairing. Beau has bowed front legs, either a result of inbreeding or possibly an inherited dwarf gene. The only pet we actually purchased was Jack and the other two are rescue animals. We decided to buy Jack, because we could not find any guinea pigs that were up for surrender in town.

Murphy's Law promptly kicked in and there are now four guinea pigs up for adoption...

We are also looking at adopting a Brittany Spaniel through the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network in the United States. I am waiting to hear a reply to my inquiry as to any Brittanys that are available, suitable and whether adopting internationally is feasible. It would be so nice to be able to offer a good home for some of those orphaned (young and old) dogs.

We have our hands full now and are looking for a sizeable hutch for the Jack and Tippy. At the moment, they are in a cage divided with cooling racks held together with twist ties!

Necessity is indeed the mother of invention.

I love these furry creatures and I often wish I lived in a place where I could take them all in! Alas, that is not to be, but I will rejoice with the ones who have found a home with us.

Sunset

August 1, 2009

A Wedding and Things

Tnu

We are off to Stephanie and Tonys' wedding tomorrow!
I've searched out the perfect gift, assembled two summer salads and banged out a long list to assist my feeble, menopausal mind...
I also managed to secure affordable lodging in a little settlement with the dubious name of Dead Man's Flats. There is a story as to how that place got its name, but it escapes me right now.
Note to Self: must get hold of Walter Morris...
This is a the busiest long weekend of the year and we will be traveling from one tourist destination to another. The highway will be crazy, with a capital C, but we hope to miss most of the traffic by leaving early. We will, no doubt, still be held up by the ubiquitous bear, elk, deer and coyote jams, as visitors stop along the shoulder of the road, jostling for the best photo opportunity.
Thus, our traveling motto is; "No Hurry".
The weather is still hot and unusually muggy, causing evening thunderstorms of threatening proportions. Last night lightning struck several hundred yards away around the shoulder of the hill. It sent Tnu and me scurrying - and Eugene laughing...
A couple of minutes later, we heard sirens (police or ambulance) followed by the blasting horn of the local fire truck as it left the station. We still don't know what the outcome was, but we are certain it was in response to the fact that lightning struck in a relatively populated area.

Um, like next door...
Clouds are gathering along the edge of the valley as I speak (er, so to speak) and it looks like it might be another eventful nightfall.
Who needs TV when I have mother nature at the doorstep?
I've also been kept occupied with continued unpacking and setting up house. I have most of the big stuff done, but the smaller touches take a mite longer.
And the aquarium and my desk are still countering for position...
I've been tending my planter garden on the deck, registering Bobby for summer camp, hosting a myriad of sleep-overs, shopping at the Farmer's Market, doing as little cooking as possible in the heat and doing as much as possible to stay cool.
Speaking of which, we are off to the beach before lightning strikes again...

Last Evening

... and did I mention the graveyard?

Now that I am firmly ensconced in my new home, I can dig deeper and find time to download more photos.
I did mention that my new house has a lovely wrap-around deck with expansive lake and mountain views. What I neglected to indicate is that the local cemetary is directly below me on a bluff along the lake shore. It is one of the most picturesque burial grounds I have ever encountered. It's also quite interesting the number of people I see, on a daily basis, wandering among the modest headstones and markers.
Our swimming beach is just below the dirt track that climbs a side hill from the shore to the cemetery gate, and I can float on my back while looking up at some of the taller gravestones.
I assure you it's anything but morbid.
Rather, it's a lovely resting place encompassed by a quiet sense of peace.

Birthdays and Baked Potatoes

This morning I'm busy making salads and such, because we're celebrating an important birthday.
Beth is turning nineteen tomorrow!
It's an important milestone for her, as she'll become the age of majority. Now Beth will be recognised as an adult under the law, be able to vote provicially and, more importantly, she'll be able to grace the local pub with her presence.
Another birthday we are heralding in is that of Rachel Fuller. I don't know exactly how old she turned today, but I do know I still have a few years on her!
The weather has been so hot this week that cooking has become something of a distant memory. Hence, the salads being made at such an early hour in the day. I did buy some (Jenny's tooth just fell out...) steaks and will be grilling them on the barbeque, but everything else will be cold!
Other than the fact that, like Grace, I feel similar to one - absolutely no baked potatoes!

Passion

My name is Midnight Raven.
My passion is Freedom.
I fly with the eagles and the ospreys.
I sail upon unfurled wings.
I feel the wind in my face
and laugh
and cry.
And in the presence of fear
I soar
higher and higher
farther and farther.
And exalt in the face of that fear.
I live
and I thrive
as I ride the mistral.
I am Midnight Raven.
And my essence is Freedom.

And I Moved

... but I moved toward Me!

1

3 minus 1 equals 2

Syncronicity is dogging my footsteps...

... 4

It looks like another sunny day ahead.

I will be inheriting a fish and we are going to learn how to clean its aquarium today.
The kids think that's quite neat.
It might be just more work for me, but I am known for accepting strays into the fold!

Five

Everyone loves a parade!