Christmas 2010

I think this is the first Christmas in many years that I was not all humbugish! Is that a word? I started decorating right after Thanksgiving. I think the key to getting in the spirit is to get an early start..it also helps to have a finished renovation of ones home...last year we started an addition to the cabin in October and it was completed this past October..

I have not been blogging since August...so I am a little rusty...lots to share so I guess there will be many posts... we have a faster connection at home now, so I should be able to blog here in stead of at work..the boss is not happy when i am goofing off.

Emma & Friends

As you can see Emma made many friends.

I think she really enjoyed our camping trips

when she met so many nice people, young & old.

The children always asked if they could pet her.

Brent & Emma enjoyed relaxing after a busy day hiking.



Sandy, Where did you get those sunglasses?

I love my Dawn!!!

Emma loved to play

I think the one thing Emma loved more than us, was playing. She was a freak when it came to catching a frisbee. She would turn circles before you threw it...

It didn't matter what time of day...she would even want to play in the dark..

And she loved people! She was not fond of other dogs, except for Oscar and Nessie.

She had this wiggle and goofy sound she would make when company came over. And she always had to "pinch" her Nannie (Ruby). She actually was so hyper for the first 3-4 years that I didn't invite company over except for family. It really was only in this past year that she started to calm down more and we even started camping with her.

Most mornings we would get a few good throws in before work... or maybe we would walk the driveway a few times, then she knew I was ready to go and she would head up to the front porch to sit on the old church pew. There were so many times that I felt guilty leaving her, and just wish I could stay with her all day. And in the evening when I would come home, she would be up the driveway further than she should have been, and she would see me and high tail it back down to the cabin, and then sit there like she had been there all the time.

More of Emma

When Emma was smaller she loved to be held and cuddled. Like I said before she was like a teddy bear. Looks like Garland was cold and Emma was keeping him warm, maybe it was the other way around.

Seems like Emma has grown up

but still likes that sofa spot with her dad!

I would get some cuddling time too!

You can see Ellie has a wrap on her right foreleg.
She developed a lick granuloma.
Something the vet says they can have if stressed...
believe me Emma could stress out Ellie.

Dedicated to "Crazy" Emma

I really do not know how to begin this blog, but to say that our sweet "Crazy" Emma passed away suddenly Wednesday morning, August 11, 2010.

The Perseid meteor shower was active and I wanted to catch a few shooting stars, so Emma & I went out around 1:30 am. I did not stay out long, maybe 1/2 hour before going back into bed. Emma stayed out, as she sometimes will do. She was not at the door when I came down at 6:00 am, but that was not unusual. I fixed a cup of coffee and went out to call her, when she did not come, I started up the driveway and that is when I saw her laying still on the gravel. I called her, she did not respond. I was afraid and knew something was terribly wrong, I went up to her and saw that she was so still. I went to get Garland up..how do you tell someone that their beloved pet is gone.....

We buried her that morning next to Ellie and Winifred. Three beloved pets gone too soon.

Emma came to me as a Christmas present 2005. She was born in Straightstone, VA to a busy cattle farmer on Thanksgiving day. Garland gave me a Christmas card with her picture in it, as she was still to young to come home to us. At that time she was even smaller than the photo below, and she sort of looked like a hamster, certainly not like a puppy dog. I remember the first time we went to see her, she ran out to Ruby, Garland & I as soon as she heard our voices. She was so fun of energy and so darn cute!

She came to live with us mid January.

She would have a big sister,

8 year old Ellie, our border collie,

and our 2 cats Winifred & Wilhelmina.

She was full of herself and immediately took over the house.

I know she drove Ellie's nerves wild.

I felt so sorry for Ellie.

And the cats just plain avoided her.

She loved to sleep

in the strangest positions and places.

Here she is under the chair..

she would sleep under here until she was too big to fit.

She had the softest fur of any puppy I have known.

It was like a teddy bear.

You couldn't help but love her.

Penquins and more Penquins...

One of the really fun things I did while on my recent trip to Long Island, was to go to the aquarium to see the new baby penquins. You could pay extra to spend about 45 minutes behind the scenes with them. So that's what Marsha & Dody did!

The adult penquins were named from characters from Seinfeld and the 3 new arrivals were named from The Office. I do not watch the office, so I do not remember their names except for Pamela.

We even got to have our picture taken with them.
I was amazed at how soft their skin was.

This is one of the adults..

Kramer?

Visit with Marsha

Last month I made a quick trip to Long Island to visit

my best friend, Marsha.

It had been over 4 years since we last were together.

And I missed her terribly.

Marsha & I have been dear friends since the early 1970's.

We have both shared many of life's adventures together...happy and sad.

We have cried together and laughed together to the point of tears too!

Marsha picked me up at the airport on Long Island and we drove out to the Hamptons to have lunch with friends.

We made a visit to Chris & Michael's home

so I could see their beautiful garden.

You know how I LOVE gardens!

They have this really cool cow in the garden...

he has faded some since my last visit.
I have REAL cows in my yard from time to time however...

See the ball made of barbwire....

there are several placed around the gardens.

I really wish I had taken a cutting of this veronica..

I have never seen one grow so large.

Next year I will snip a piece to bring back to Halifax.

Dog & Cat days of Summer

It has been hot, humid and with a

drought in my neck of the woods

that my garden looks pretty sad...

even the critters are trying to stay cool under the river birch...

more with Jess & Sean

Chocolate Mousse Cake...

Ravioli, baked brie and seared tuna....

It was a wonderful visit with the kids...

I will miss them...

but will be making plans for San Diego!

LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

Visit with Sean & Jessica

I made a very quick trip to Columbia, MD to see Sean & Jess before they head west.. Up Saturday and back Sunday, less than 24 hours...

We packed alot into those hours.. after watching the U.S. get beat in soccer we went over to the athletic club pool for a cooling off..see the kids AC is broken, which really was not a problem for me as we have not had AC at home all summer...







Saturday evening we went to historic Ellicott City for dinner at the brewery.

















We couldn't pass up the desserts..chocolate mousse cake, berry cake & Irish Coffee.

after dinner we walked down to the bottom of the street & back. This is the historic section and all the buildings were very interesting.. We even walked past a group on a GHOST TOUR! It was all I could do not to join them....






















Then it was back to the house to watch the movie 2012...
Sunday the three of us had a nice breakfast
at Bob Evans before I headed back to Halifax

Ok, so what is worse,

finding a snake under the house or a snakeskin?

I would say that a snakeskin is worse,

because that snake is still around somewhere and now is

LARGER!

Garland found this one last week

under the house when he was

getting the air conditioning vents hooked up....

This makes the 3rd snake sighting so far this summer...

The Man & his Dog

Have you ever noticed how pet owners begin to take on the characteristics of their pets...or is it the other way around?

I thought something COOL would feel good today!