Simple Pleasures

Soda crackers spread with a thin layer of dairy butter.
Warm, dry socks.
Rosy cheeks.
A good morning text from Beth.
Sleeping in.
Sunlight.
Laughter.
Dipping cold feet into warm slippers.
Making snow angels.
Tucker's eyes.
A starry night.
The scent of pine on a chinook breeze.
Clean sheets.
Snowflakes.
The soft rattle of my window when a train rolls through the valley.
A full moon.
Woodsmoke.
The first sip of coffee in the morning.
Spaezle.
A smile.
Singing along with The Sound of Music.
Bed time.
Watching my children grow.

Welcome to my office...

Breaking news...

Jenny got her cast off today!
Her leg has healed so well, that the doctor removed the cast and drew out the pins this morning.
Jenny is now resting comfortably, with only two small holes and a floppy foot to show for it.
Maybe she'll make it back onto her skis before Spring, after all!

New Post

I have been so busy out on the hill teaching skiing!
I get up at 5:30 a.m. and don't get home until 6:00 or later. I am mainly teaching children - from entry level to advanced intermediate skiers.
They are a blast!
But, after 7 hours of skiing, giving pointers, picking up, doing up, potty breaks, cold and fresh air, I'm pretty well knackered when I get home...
Ha! Then I have to make supper, next day's lunches, shower and do all the chores about the house that didn't get done because I'm out on the hill doing what I love best!

Oh, I simply must do a new post...

Jenny

Jenny broke her leg yesterday.
It was one of those times while playing - what kids do best - that it happened. An innocuous spill from her toboggan forced her to land heavily upon her right foot, causing the lower part of her tibia, where it meets the ankle, to chip. Luckily there was little pain, but swelling and discomfort prompted her to have it checked out.
Smart girl! After reading the x-ray, her doctor immediately booked Jenny into surgery for early this morning in Cranbrook. The surgeon was able to push the chipped piece of bone back into position and hold it there with two pins.
The pins will need to be removed after several weeks, but non-surgically. The doctor will simply have to draw them out - no anaesthesia needed and no pain. Surgery now is so much less invasive than in the past - she has no incision nor any sutures.
Jenny was brave, the procedure went well and she is now resting in relative comfort ...the lower part of her right leg encased in a large, white plaster cast with her wee toes sticking out the end.
Get well soon, Jenny Benny!

sometimes...

Never be too happy.

There is bad stuff out there that will raise its ugly head exclusively when things are going well.

At best, I will be cautiously happy.

...and the cat came back

His name is Scat and his is big and ginger.
Eleven years ago he adopted us and our little house down by the lake.
We don't know where he came from - he simply followed Beth home one day.
Starved and lonely, he made himself at home upside down in front of the fire.
We named him Gwendolyn, after a character in a book about a stray cat named Scat, who eventually found a home and was renamed.
Then we discovered he was a he...
When I moved out of the little house by the lake into the big house overlooking the lake, I brought Scat with me.
Scat would have none of it, and returned time after time to the little house.
We realised that was Scat's home, so there he stayed.
Until now.
One afternoon a short while ago, Beth came to visit and asked if I would take Scat to live here once more.
I laughed and said no, we already have two cats and a dog!
And Eugene is not really an animal-lover.
Several days later, Bobby and Jenny began to plead with me to take Scat.
He is over twelve years old and began having accidents in the little house once the weather turned, and that did not go over well at all.
He didn't have a litter box in which to go, and he was loathe to do his business outside once the days drew shorter and the weather colder.
My heart went out to both Scat and the kids.
Well, I had to ask Gene the big favour - and he said yes!
He might not have as large a fondness for animals as I, but he does have a heart of gold.
Scat has been here for two weeks now and he has settled in quite nicely.
He and Tnu have playtime daily.

Usually, just after breakfast, they gallop noisily about the house, leaping, tumbling and bouncing from one piece of furniture to the other.
Smoke, who is at least eighteen years old and still going strong, pointedly ignores Scat, but I know he secretly likes the big orange guy.
Our dog, Tucker, loves all the cats, and I have an idea she thinks she's a feline of the canine variety.
Scat loves dogs.
I have been keeping Scat in the house for obvious reasons, but he escaped the other day, only to be rescued by Beth from his old haunt.
Today, when I experimentally opened the door to let him out, he poked his head outside, then turned tail and dove back into the warmth of the house.
Welcome home Scat!

Oh

Well, lo and behold, it's finally snowing.
There's only about half an inch on the ground - it's a start...
At least I feel more like decorating the house today.
The Christmas songs are playing on the stereo, the sky is overcast, flakes are falling and we are getting ready to begin cooking breakfast - eggs benedict, bacon and mandarine oranges.
The three cats and the dog are fed and I've my morning coffee beside me.
All is good.

Hey Santa !

Check out the fire dogs!

The Paagman Family's team of Freisians. Val and Koos might be familiar with their bookstore in The Hague...

And here's His Jolliness Himself.

For Grace

Last summer, on one of our trips to Sandpoint, Idaho, we were strolling along the boardwalk beside Sand Creek.
We came upon these two lovely puppies and I began to bubble over.

Grace!

I immediately thought of you and, with the permission of their people, I quickly snapped several shots of these beautiful Brittany Spaniels.

This is return payment for making me cry...

Thank You.

Who I Am

Here 'Tis and Welcome!
I was born In The City at a time when My Generation was that of the post-war baby boomer.
For some reason that I Can't Explain, my Daddy Rolling Stone and my Mum, Barbara Anne, decided to name me Dale (and not Call Me Lightning).
Because of my name, everyone assumes I'm A Boy.
But, I have a Girl's Eyes and I can never think back to When I Was A Boy.
Maybe I was supposed to be a Substitute for Little Billy, but I've always had a Faith In Something Bigger, even though sometimes I Don't Even Know Myself.
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, my life has been a Pure and Easy Success Story with a touch of Heaven and Hell thrown in.
It's Hard at times, However Much I Booze, but no matter how many Disguises I've worn, I Can See For Miles because I view The Real Me from Behind Blue Eyes.
I Dig horses and Dogs 2.
I've always wanted a Tattoo.
And a Jaguar.
When I was a child, I longed to attend Tommy's Holiday Camp, but my folks enrolled me at a holiday camp where I got the Summertime Blues and felt So Sad About Us because some of my friends Drowned in the Water.
Everyone said Cry If You Want, but One Life's Enough and, even though I've Known No War, this made me think of How Many Friends I've had.
As a teen, Dreaming From The Waist helped me Imagine A Man wearing Blue, Red and Grey.
My friends, They Were All In Love, but to me, it was just a Trick Of The Light and I kept thinking Don't Let Go The Coat.
When I did leave the Eminence Front, I thought, "I've Had Enough!" and I felt like a Helpless Dancer floundering on the Sea And The Sand.
Did I end up with the Dirty Jobs? You Better You Better You Bet!
I discovered Now I'm A Farmer.
To the Naked Eye my life was a Postcard, but I felt that it was La La La Lies.
But, I wasn't to be left Out In The Street and, even though I thought it was Much Too Much and The Good's Gone, I made a Bargain with myself and decided to Glow Girl!
I met a Whiskey Man.
We had an Instant Party.
My Wife, he said.
I Need You. Please Please Please. Don't Look Away. See My Way.
Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting).
A Quick One While He's Away.
Tell me It's Not True!
It's a Legal Matter now.
The Song Is Over - and I hope The Kids Are Alright.
My life was in Fragments and I felt like the Unholy Trinity, where I'm The Face in the Mirror Door asking, "Who Are You?".
I saw a Fortune Teller who told me to Put The Money Down before she said Too Much Of Anything, then went on to say that I have been on an Amazing Journey where I have been The Seeker In The Ether and that Love Ain't For Keepin'.
Now is the time to Join Together, Pick Up The Peace, Cut My Hair, Smash The Mirror, and light my life on Fire!
I'm Free.
It could be Dangerous, but I'll take the days One At A Time, all the while knowing I'm One, A Man Is A Man, and for The Last Time, I Won't Get Fooled Again.
Occasionally, when I feel the Melancholia return, I Don't Mind - I just think of the beautiful Sunrise and Relax.

The kids are alright.
He wears blue, red and grey.
And I glow, girl!

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt down, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918)

Cougar Alert

Yesterday I was speaking with one of our neighbours.
A few days ago she was out walking with a couple of her friends with their two dogs. One of the dogs was on a leash and the other running free alongside. Unbeknownst to all of them, they were being tracked by a cougar - also known as a mountain lion or puma.
It ran up silently from behind and went straight for the dog on the leash, but when the other smaller dog bolted, the cougar went after it. The cat had it in its powerful jaws in seconds flat! Poor little Otis didn't stand a chance. The three adult women let out blood-curdling screams and the big cat didn't turn a hair.
The conservation officer was notified who, in turn, hired the skill of our local cougar tracker and his dogs. They had the cat treed in no time and the poor thing, who was only trying to survive, was quickly dispatched with a bullet.
Beth was quite distraught about the death of the cougar and I have mixed feelings, as well.
Could it have maybe been relocated?
Probably not. It would have returned to its regular hunting territory and continued to hunt the easy domestic prey.
I have been driving the children to and from school, as well. The location of the attack is right on their school route. Beth had seen the cougar last weekend at the cemetery and was frightened, even though she was inside her own vehicle. The cat was BIG.
Apparently there are still a couple of cougars passing through the area, as they do every Fall. The bears are quite active this time of year, as well. They come down into the valley from the high country to forage and stock up on fruit from the abundant trees and berry bushes to prepare for winter hibernation.
Like any animal, we protect our own and fight back when threatened. Where we lack body mass, strength and agility to fight a large carnivour, we make up with intelligence and use that with which to strike back.
We live in a part of the world where we have to share the land with many other animals - some docile and some downright dangerous.
We have to respect that.

From North to South

Our odyssey began on a warm, sunny Tuesday morning.
After removing the back seat and loading the van from floor to ceiling with duffel bags, coolers, food bins, cooking and eating utensils, camping and sleeping gear and other paraphernalia (eg. bear spray...), we nosed our vehicle south toward the United States.
We approached the border with our fingers crossed, hoping our carefully packed food would not be confiscated, as we were not sure of what we could or could not take into the States. I had made a detailed list with everything carefully documented and, armed with that, we declared our possessions at the gate and politely answered the requisite questions. The customs officer smiled and waved us through, but not without an additional query as to what would possess us to leave our own beautiful valley to visit Idaho.
Well... we have to holiday somewhere!

Upon arrival, we pitched our tent in a quiet campground surrounded by old-growth cedars near the lake, just outside the town of Sandpoint. As I have already mentioned, this is one of our favourite holiday destinations. Quite similar to our own valley, Sandpoint, on vast Lake Pend Oreille, is the perfect get-away spot for us and is an easy, four-hour road trip.
We spent three nights there in our cosy tent in the forest by the water.

On the final evening we decided to give up cooking over an open fire and dined by candlelight on the patio of a tiny Italian restaurant overlooking the river. The pasta was delicious, as were the apetizers, and a fine wine rounded out our meal. The weather was cool and crisp, so I wore my best dress... with sandals, woolly socks and a fluffy hoodie. I felt like the original hippie tree-hugger!

Later, in the dark of the night, we were awakened by a shadowy visitor feasting upon some apples we had inadvertently left in a bowl on the picinic table. We peeked through the screen of our flimsy abode and, speaking in guarded whispers, we hoped that it wasn't a foraging member of the ursine family. It didn't take us long before we surmised that our guest was a harmless, but obviously hungry (and fortunate), racoon.

Leaving food out in predator country is a big No-No!
Tsk-tsk, we know better...

The following morning we broke camp and hit the the trail westward. We decided to take the southern route throught the States instead of starting north back through Canada for two reasons. Firstly, our sense of adventure drew us down the road less travelled, and secondly, gasoline is a much less expensive south of the border.

We were now aiming for the town of Osoyoos in south central British Columbia where Lory, an old and dear friend of mine, now resides.

"Where'd they go?"

On holidays. On purpose.

It Was a Scream

A view of the water park from the steam train.

One hot, sunny weekend in July we found ourselves in the funky town of Sandpoint, Idaho. Gene and I drove there, accompanied by Bobby and Jenny, for three days of fun - the weekend's main attraction being the nearby Silverwood Theme Park.

Upon arrival at the grounds, I was rather intimidated by the size of the rides, but the kids were keen and I, not to be outdone for one moment, ended up riding every attraction with them.

To my immediate relief, we began with a rather mild, yet informative, tour on an old steam train around the perimeter of the park. Our conductor was brimming with interesting facts about the park and its history, as well as the train itself. Apparently there had been a bidding war between Silverwood and Disneyland for the authentic locomotive, with Silverwood having the last word.
Without being too obvious about it, I made sure that we began with the more innocuous rides, such as the bumper cars, spinning strawberries and tilt-a-whirl, but those rides eventually drew us closer and closer to the Corkscrew...gulp. I had conflicting desires about riding a roller coaster - let alone one that loops upside down! The kids got bounced about a bit in the restraints, but it really was quite fun!
The following attraction was a wet one on a tube that bobbed over a series of whitewater rapids through a canal. We then "spun dry" on a dizzying ride that held our bodies tight against its mesh walls using cetrifugal force - thirty feet in the air.
But, my mouth really went dry as we headed toward the inevitable Tremors, a large timber structure upon which galloped several brightly-coloured cars containing screaming occupants careening at unfathomable speeds - uphill and down.
I was committed.

We stood in line for nearly forty-five minutes as the queue twisted and turned, offering different angles from which to view the horror we were volunteering to suffer. But, if Bobby and Jenny were going to do it, I was along for the ride.
And a ride it was!
I hung on for dear life as we rattled and plunged at one hundred kmph into, what I considered, a tiny black hole in the ground (don't try to tell me that was a tunnel...) then fighting to keep my head vertical as we pulled four G's on the way back up the next incline. All I could do was close my eyes and croak, "Oh Shit!" through clenched teeth as we screamed and clattered at breakneck speed through the next series of soaring summits and daunting drops into tiny black holes in the ground.

For the anti-climax, we rode the Corkscrew again. Twice.
As for the rest of the weekend, it was spent dining, swimming and relaxing on the beach, all the while continuing to live on the edge by getting deliciously sunburned...

Bobby, Jenny and me heading for a tiny black hole in the ground.

The Summer of My Contentment (finally) or My Big Fat Greasy Summer

Meanwhile... ten pounds later.

It's Amazing What They'll Do For Attention

This morning, as I rounded the corner behind the house on my way to work, a little four-point muley buck jumped out onto the road in front of me. (The grass is always greener on the other side of the road...)

As we live in wildlife country, keeping an eye out for animals at the roadside is second nature for us, so this was not an unusual occurence. What was unusual was the fact that his antlers were adorned with a lovely set of silver wind chimes. The whole kit was dangling and swinging jauntily from his right antler.

My first reaction was to laugh out loud but, in the next second, the reality of the situation sank in. I felt pity for this poor creature who now has to contend with those noisy, man-made tubes rattling and ringing about his head. Not to mention that every time he lifts his head quickly (which deer do often enough), those tubular bells smack him square in the face.

Later in the day, as I arrived home from work, a familiar sound met my ears - the cheery sound of wind chimes...

And there he was, that unfortunate ungulate, happily feasting upon the apples from the neighbour's tree - chimes swinging and ringing merrily.

I've also noticed that his herd buddies are conspicuously absent...

I'll be back.