Goodbye, Murphy

I sent Murphy back to his people today. Five days without him and they decided they could do all the things my boss had been urging them to do for six months. They've got an appointment with a really good trainer who works in the home. I'm relieved--it really was too soon for a second dog.

I didn't mean to do this

I drove to work Saturday thinking that in a month or two it would be time to start looking for a poodle. I came home from work with part of a poodle--and part of something else. Murphy's people were trying to find him a home because he's bitten the toddler grandchild (who suddenly lives with them) twice and they can't figure out how to keep them apart. He's a sweet dog. He's never been around small children before, and the child has never been around dogs before. Having failed in their efforts to find a home for him,their next step was to put him to sleep, so I said he could come home with me, whether he ended up staying forever or not. It's been less than twenty-four hours, but so far it's going well.

Murphy gets very excited when he sees a camera, and stands on his back legs and waves, so I couldn't get a side picture that shows his lovely long flowing tail.

deer vs. turkey

This evening a deer and a fawn came out of the woods to have supper in the field. The fawn was young enough to be very strongly spotted, and it bounced around while mama ate. From the other direction came a pair of turkeys and some young ones (hidden in the grass; I could see movement but not count heads.) After a while the adults confronted each other. The turkeys got very tall. The doe stared back at them. Then the turkeys turned ninety degrees and moved off at an angle, and the deer finished their slow path across the field.

Of course I didn't have a camera at hand. The binoculars were useful, though.

1913-2009

My father died last week. His last few years had been more and more vague, and I was grateful for his release, but his life was worthy of celebration. I don't want to say more here, where I intend to remain at least somewhat anonymous, but so many people in the last few weeks said to me "He's so sweet!" and they were right.

July? really?

I never expected to be sleeping in a flannel nightgown under a comfort in the middle of July. No, never.

camera fail

I stepped out the door with my cell phone in hand, in search of a signal (which I didn't find) to see a family of turkeys crossing the front yard. Two adults, a large number of young ones: at least nine, maybe eleven or twelve. They flew out of the undergrowth in staggered groups, so I couldn't count well.

The phone camera was totally inadequate for this. Through the viewfinder I couldn't even see the turkeys across the parking space. Naturally, they started flying away as soon as they spotted me, so going back for the real camera was not an option. Bright side: if I hadn't wanted to check for messages I'd never have seen them at all.

enough Queen Anne's lace?

After years of having to stop by the road and cut it if I wanted any, I think I might have enough now. (Philosophical question: is "plenty" the same as "enough"?)

North of the house:

South:

To the west, an intruder:

lovely hitchhiker

This rode home from town with me. (Taken with phone camera.) How it managed not to be squished by the wind I don't understand.

"Drive Your Horse to Town" Day?

Yesterday I drove 25 miles to the grocery. As I got into town I saw a horse hitched to a wagon waiting to turn out of the White Castle parking lot onto the highway. The driver and passenger were certainly not Amish, since they were wearing shorts.

Later that day I drove ten miles to visit my father in rehab, and passed a wagon and pair driving along the shoulder. This pair were draft horses. 

Since these two wagons were spotted nearly 35 miles apart, I'm wondering what was going on yesterday. I did not pull my phone out of my pocket while driving and attempt to snap a picture either time. 

(men!) (giggle)

(Before.)

The installers for my exciting new satellite internet connection were here for three hours yesterday (not quite finished yet) and they both asked to use the bathroom.

(After.)

They were both wearing wedding rings (which they shouldn't have been, considering the power tools they were using). : ) Apparently their wives have failed to civilize them.

this year's hay

The last dry spell my down-the-road neighbor (or his sons) managed to cut my little bit of hay, and bale it, along with my horsy neighbor's hay. It's not very good this year, but it looks so much better baled than it did standing there full of flowers. Pretty, but not nutritious. I am so thrilled by my two bales of hay!

(The pictures are all of one bale. The other one is too close to my horsy neighbor's house. But I was really really sorry I didn't have the camera with me when I got home yesterday to see her dog lying on top of that one.)

Queen Anne's lace: captured!

After looking at all the Queen Anne's lace in the distance, I was delighted to find some that carelessly came up within reach of the sidewalk. I went out yesterday and cut some that hadn't really opened enough, but I was too eager to wait.