A bird in the hand...

... is worth dozens in the bush!

Last Sunday I finally found a few spare minutes and met my dear friend Jane at Lynde Shores Conservation Area for a couple of hours or so of photography. I bought a Canon Rebel XTi almost a month ago now and haven't really had a chance to try it out until then.

The camera is phenominal, as you can see from the photos.

I was shocked to see that there were several robins in the woods - very unusal this late in the year although since talking with some other people "in the know" this past week, it seems it has been too mild for them to get the urge to migrate, so they may stay right through now.

This is a downey woodpecker, I believe.

Here's Jane and a wee friend. There were so many Chickadee's in the woods that if you so much as stood still, they were on you looking for food - and I don't think it had anything to do with being hungry. These little suckers were plenty plump already!

Check out the top of his hat :o)

I'm hoping we get some snow soon. I'd like to go back and get some winter photos early one morning.

Off now to try to finish my Christmas shopping!!

This was sooooo me last week!

In an attempt to get out of the blue funk I've been in lately, I thought I'd try one of these inane surveys that people email around from time to time. This one's a little different than most I've seen previously.

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Good God it's way too early to be awake.
2. How much cash do you have on you?
About $100 US that I still haven't put back in the safe from my trip to the US in early Nov.
3. What's a word that rhymes with "DOOR?"
Four
4. Favorite planet?
Have to go with Earth since I've nothing else to compare it to and Pluto isn't a planet anymore.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your mobile telephone?
Probably Dianna. She's the only one who calls me all the time and claims I never answer my phone.
6. What is your favourite ring tone on your mobile telephone?
It's playing a funky version of "Jingle Bells" right now that I'm kinda liking... but I think it will get annoying really soon. Otherwise, the "Mission:Impossible" theme kind of suites my life.
7. What shirt are you wearing?
Deep purple snuggle sweater with a big collar.
8. Do you "label" yourself?
Yes, but I'm not wearing it today. ;oP
9. Name the brand of the shoes you're currently wearing?
Dr. Scholes.
10. Bright or dark room?
Medium. Lots of wood paneling (way too much, in fact)
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
I don't know the person who took it before me.
12. What does your watch look like?
Like a gold and silver Andrew Fezza watch.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Trying to get my mind to shut down so I could go to sleep.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
Would have been from 411 Directory assistance since I don't use text messaging.
15. Where is your nearest 7-11?
No idea, but there's a Mac's within spitting distance. Ask me where the nearest Tim Horton's is though. That'll get you an interesting answer.
16. What's a word that you say a lot?
Crap.
17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
My husband.
18. Last furry thing you touched?
My dh. ;oP
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
One kind but a lot of it. Advil for a headache that was off the charts.
20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
Zero. Gone digital and never lookin' back.
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
17
22. Your worst enemy?
Time
23. What is your current desktop picture?
Blue carpet. Not kidding. I goofed processing house photos the other day and instead of deleting a photo meant to separate pictures of two houses, I clicked "Set as Desktop Background", so now I have a photo of dark blue carpet and my camera strap as my desktop background and it's been like that for 3 days now...
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
Good bye.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
No question...the cash.
26. Do you like someone?
Yes.
27. The last song you listened to?
It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas
28. What time of day were you born?
Not sure.
29. What's your favorite number?
2
30. Where did you live in 1987?
Pontypool, Ontario.
31. Are you jealous of anyone?
Yes, several people, actually.
32. Is anyone jealous of you?
Doubtful.
33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
At work. I watched everything on CityTV online with my boss.
34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
I don't use vending machines as a general rule.
35. Do you consider yourself kind?
Most of the time, but I can be quite a b*tch at times, too.
36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
Ankle or shoulder blade.
37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Spanish
38. Would you move for the person you loved?
Did that already.
39. Are you touchy feely?
Not really.
40. What's your life motto?

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
Out in public: watch, wedding ring, glasses
42. What's your favorite town/city?
Cobourg, but I also really, REALLY enjoyed San Diego, CA.
43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
Oil change
44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
Last Christmas
45. Can you change the oil on a car?
Actually, I can! And then some...
46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
In jail!
47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
Not very.
48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
To go to an opera in Buffalo. Black carwash pants and a really (really) sparkley green/gold top/jacket (I'm still finding sparkles EVERYWHERE).
49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
Actually no. And that's unusual. Oh...wait...I just got a twinge in my knee. Par for the course.
50. Have you been burned by love?
Yep, but I got even.

Once upon a time...

... I was young and carefree.

Once upon a time...

I was intelligent, pretty & thin... I was confident. The world was mine for the taking.

Once upon a time...

... I knew without a doubt what I would be when I grew up.

The reality...

...I am approaching middle-age and lost.

Birthday Blessings to my dearest friend, Lori
(and her sister Christie, too)!!

Birthday Wishes For My Friend

On your birthday,

I wish for you the fulfillment

of all your fondest dreams.

I hope that for every candle

on your cake

you get a wonderful surprise.

I wish for you that

whatever you want most in life,

it comes to you,

just the way you imagined it,

or better.

I hope you get as much pleasure

from our friendship as I do.

I wish we were sisters,

so I could have known you

from the beginning.

I look forward to

enjoying our friendship

for many more of your birthdays.

I'm so glad you were born,

because you brighten my life

and fill it with joy.

Happy Birthday!

Where were you?

25 years ago...

- 25 years ago I was 7 years old. I lived in a little village called Pontypool and I went to Grandview School. I would have been in grade 1 or 2 that year. I certainly was in Brownies. Likely was already taking piano lessons, skating lessons, swimming lessons, etc... My parents had a pool - summers were great. I had lots of friends. I had My Little Ponies and Cabbage Patch dolls (3 of them!) and I lived for Saturday morning cartoons (remember when it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday morning??). Life was simple, good & carefree.

20 years ago...

- 20 years ago I was 12 years old. I vividly remember proclaiming to my parents on a drive to Peterborough in my dad's grey truck with the maroon seats that I was going to be a teenager soon and how excited the prospect of that made me feel (I also remember that I wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time - but I don't think it was such a huge deal then like it is now). I played baseball in the summer at the park on a team and I was pretty good at it (having a much older brother was a big influence on that). I was a bean pole with long dark brown hair - not as dark as when I got older, but much darker than the sandy blonde it was when I was young. I was in grade 6. I was in Girl Guides by then. I was on every sports team and club I could possibly fit in. I had even managed to be the only girl in a group of 4 who was on the Gause Math team (I've still never figured that one out since I despise math and really wasn't all that good at it, or so I thought). I somehow managed to be smart AND cool at the same time. No small feat. I had already had several boyfriends and crushes. My brother had already threatened one of them with bodily harm (ah, brotherly love, ain't it grand?). I was a packrat and a slob. I was hard on my parents, especially my mom. A lot of what I said to her usually started or ended with "Make me".

15 years ago...

- 15 years ago I was 17. My brother had married (and divorced) the previous year. I had dumped my highschool sweetheart (to my parents delight) and I was already dating the man who would eventually become my husband. I was in grade 12 at Weldon. No longer into sports as much as I was in public school. I was fast tracking through highschool and would finish 5 years of course material in 4. I was the only girl in my shop classes (wood/metal/drafting) which I took all through highschool. I was Victoria County Female Technical Student of the Year 2 years in a row. I had entered several juried art competitions (Buckhorn and Fenlon to name a couple) and was winning awards with my work. I was chosen one of 5 students to paint a mural in the school. All were on the second floor. Mine was at the top of the main stairs and the first you saw when you came up stairs. I was also student liaison with the town's local art gallery. I was working as a waitress at a restaurant on Hwy 35 called Kimberly's. My larger group of friends from public school had become a smaller tighter group that lasted through highschool and for a few very special ones to this day.

10 years ago...

- 10 years ago I was 22 and a new bride as well as a new home owner. I had been to college and decided it didn't agree with me. Although I had had many jobs, I had just started my first full time 40 hr week minimum job (a job I still hold today). I still had my first, and to this day still favourite, car, the 1986 Cougar that my grandfather had bought for me to drive back and forth to college. I got 3 cats of my very own and lost the cat that had grown up with me at the age of 18. I had become friends with Lori who over the years has come to be like a sister to me.

5 years ago...

- 5 years ago I was 27 years old. The Twin Towers fell that year and had a profound effect on the world. Life and responsibility had beaten some of the fun out of me. I no longer cared to dance, hadn't been to a bar in years. I had lost touch with people who were once important to me. I had my first PT Cruiser and the insanity that is Cruzin' was just starting to afflict me.

1 year ago...

- 1 year ago I was 31 and feeling a little more at peace with myself. I had a bit of a personal crisis about turning 30 because I wasn't happy with where I was in my life (interestingly enough, as I look back on this, things are pretty much the same today as they were then). In the last 5 years I had lost both of my grandparents. Losing my grandfather was especially difficult for me. It was sudden and as I was very close to him, I took it very hard. I had found my birth mother and half sister and was surprised to learn that they live very close to me (within BLOCKS). I was in a minor car accident and was charged with careless driving. It was a snowy night in December and the car I slid into was backing up and I got the lion's share of the damage (minor though it is). My parents were down for dinner the weekend of the accident and I couldn't tell them what had happened. I KNEW without a doubt I wasn't at fault but I was embarrassed that it had happened at all. As I type this, I am still waiting to go to trial to fight the charge. 14 months later and still counting... There's so much more to that story, but it's already been covered before - I see no point in rehashing it again.

1 week ago...

- 1 week ago today I was wrapping up a long week of work and looking forward to a "Crop til you Drop" event in Kendal on Saturday from 9am-midnight. The week preceding had been so busy that I hadn't packed anything so Friday was a late night sorting, figuring out what I was going to work on and packing it all up.

Yesterday

- Yesterday I worked from 8am to 7pm. Went home to feed my animals. Darryl and I had our routine Thursday night feed of pasta and watched our TV shows and I fell into bed at 11:30pm. I am so tired.

And where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I'll have to think about that one. For now, it's late and I'm tired. It's been a long week. Fodder for another post perhaps.

You be the judge -

Here's the San Francisco one I mentioned.

These guys rock!

There have been a lot of people who have tried to copy this, some more successfully than others (there's one in San Francisco that's almost equally impressive). I'm not a huge fan of the wreaths in the windows (looks too much like eyes to me) but as for the rest of it - WOW.

You say it's your birthday....it's my birthday too!

Well, actually it's not my birthday yet, but yesterday was my friend Chris' 31st!

Chris and I go waaaay back... I think I have photos of us together at 5 or 6 years old. Our mom's are best friends so we grew up together. Although we grew apart in our teens, we've recently reconnected and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Chris, I am so proud of who you have become and continue to evolve into. I never realized how much I missed you until you came back into my life. Even though our moms are pretty good at keeping us both up to date on each other's important news, it's not the same as getting the info first hand. :o)

I hope you had a fantastic birthday and I wish you continued success in the year to come!

xxoo

Nighty night. Sleep tight...

Boy am I ever behind this year. Thanks in part to a more hectic than usual fall market at work, plans every weekend and a winter beater that was in and out of the shop for more than 3 weeks, I am almost a month late putting the PT away for the winter.

On the bonus side, even though I'm behind, we still haven't had any snow to speak of, so all is good.

Aside from a little waxing and still having to put the car cover on, this is the last I will see it until April.

C'mon spring!!

No, this isn't one of my dogs...but it could be! I could see either one of them (or a blend of both) pulling off this stunt!

Just the "Wright" thing for a Surprise Birthday Weekend Getaway...

This past weekend, I whisked Darryl away on a surprise weekend in Buffalo. It was an early birthday gift for him as he celebrates a milestone birthday in December. Yes, we could have gone in December, but I was concerned about travel that time of year, so we went earlier, and I'm glad we did. What little that we did outdoors was cold enough now. I can't imagine doing the same tour in the chill of December.

Our 3 day weekend, a package tour assembled by Sandy Starkes & Marge Sgroi of Ashton Drye Associates, was packed full of cultural and architectural treats to delight all the senses (with the exception of touch - don't touch ANYTHING!!)

For months I have been emailing back and forth with Sandy & Marge to bring this weekend to fruition. Darryl had no idea what was in store for him until we got to the hotel on Friday and our welcome package with the weekends' itinerary was waiting there in addition to a "Happy Birthday" basket brimming with Frank Lloyd Wright goodies. To say he was excited just might be the understatement of the year.

We arrived in Buffalo and checked into the hotel at about 3:30 Friday afternoon and at 5 we assembled with Sandy, Marge and the other 4 people in our small intimate group for our first outing.

We were taken to the Buffalo Market Arcade for a background talk about Buffalo architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright. After which, we had an amazing dinner at the Bijou Grill in the heart of the theater district and were able to get to know each other a bit better. In our group were Marsha & Charlie (writer & architect, respectively), Toni & Marty (two delightful woman who get together for these little excursions frequently, I understand), Darryl and myself, Sandy & her husband Michael and Marge & her friend George.

After dinner, drinks and delightful conversation, we were taken back to the hotel where we settled in for the night.

Both Darryl and I were up before the alarm on Saturday morning at 5:45am - we were both very excited about the day's coming events!

We had breakfast at the hotel and met up with the rest of the group in the lounge at 9am.

One of the very first things we noticed was the amount of devastation still from the surprise early snow storm three weeks earlier that had dumped up to 2' of heavy wet snow on the area. Because the storm was so early in the season, most trees hadn't yet lost their leaves, so the snow stuck to them even more and as a result, there were trees of every size toppled, bent and broken everywhere you looked.

Our first stop of the day was "Graycliff". Mrs. Martin's home on the shore of Lake Erie. Graycliff is in the midst of major restoration, however, we were able to view most of the main house. We were not able to see the garage.

I'm going to provide a lot of external links here...if I wrote the background on each of the sites we visited this entry would be massive! Trying to tell Frank Lloyd Wright's tale or that of any of his creations can not be abbreviated and still do any of them true justice!

After Graycliff, we had lunch at a quaint seafood restaurant overlooking Lake Erie.

After lunch, we drove through Buffalo on a driving tour of some of the more significant architecture sights.

One of the sights we were scheduled to visit was the Forest Lawn Cemetery and the Blue Sky Mausoleum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, however, due to the storm and the amount of trees down in the cemetery, it was closed to the public while clean up crews tended to the mess, so we were only able to drive by and catch a glimpse of the structure through the fence.

Another site we were scheduled to see, but had been closed to the public for renovations, was the Louis Sullivan Guaranty Building. Thanks to Sandy, we were able to get in and have a brief look around. This was a building Darryl had visited on a previous trip 15 years earlier and had been anxious to show me. I was very happy that we were able to get in as it had been something I'd been looking forward to seeing personally having heard him mention it several times over the years. After seeing it for myself, I can see why it has stuck with him all these years.


At 3:45, we were dropped off at the hotel to get ready for the Gala and Opera. At 4:50, Marge & Sandy picked us up again and it was off to Kleinhan's Music Hall for a gala reception, dinner and opera "Shining Brow" based on the life of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The meal, prepared by Oliver's, was designed around four distinct periods of time in Frank Lloyd Wright's life; the American Heartland (1900-1910), Japan's Sublime Allure (1914-1922), Modern in Form & Function (1950's), and, On The Desert (1938).

Although the premise of the entire weekend was planned around the Opera, the Opera itself was not the highlight of the weekend for most of us, I'm sure.

Saturday was a late night and after such a full day, we were glad to get back to the hotel and fall into bed at 12:30am.

Sunday, again, we were up before the alarm at 5:45am. We dressed for the day, packed up & loaded everything into the truck, had breakfast and met the rest of the group in the lobby at 8:50am. We all drove in our private vehicles for Sunday's events since we would be parting ways after lunch and it would be out of the way to come back to the hotel from our last stop.

Fortunately, also in attendance at the gala Saturday night was one of the head people from Forest Lawn Cemetery. She graciously invited us to come early the next morning and they would let us in to the cemetery. We were able to see, and to WALK ON, the Blue Sky Mausoleum (pictured at right), which Wright designed for the Martin family (it was ultimately not built by them, however).

Our next scheduled stop was at the Darwin Martin Complex. We spent several hours touring this amazing site. This was the primary reason I wanted to bring Darryl on this weekend get away. When he was attending Humber College for architecture in the late 80's, they took a class day trip to Buffalo and toured what was then only the Darwin Martin House in the very early stages of restoration. The rest of the original complex had been torn down (with the exception of the Barton house and the Gardener's Cottage, which had been sold off as private homes) and were replaced with 3 apartment buildings, so the site looked a lot different on this visit.

The apartment buildings are gone, replaced by the original structures rebuilt to the original specifications. The Barton House and the Gardeners Cottage have been acquired and are rejoined with the original complex. Construction of the pergola and carriage house was nearing completion but we were not able to view them as final occupancy permits had not been obtained. We were able to view nearly all of the Martin House itself and the Barton House, including sections that will not be open to the public once the restoration is complete.

Sunday concluded with lunch at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in their restaurant "Muse", after which we bid our new friends goodbye, promised to come back again, and started on our way home.

There was literally no idle time the entire weekend. Sandy & Marge packed the weekend so there was not a moment spent wasted. Kudos & grateful thanks to them for excellent planning!

For more info on Frank Lloyd Wright in Buffalo, please visit the following links:

Frank Lloyd Wright Biography

Wright Now In Buffalo

Barton House

Buffalo Architecture

Buffalo Architecture (different site)

Buffalo Architecture (yet another different site)

The Arts and Crafts movement in Buffalo

Buffalo Nigara Convention & Visitors Bureau

For more photos, please visit my photo gallery on my website (photos will be posted over the next couple of days).

Skidboot the Dog

A heart-warming segment from Texas Country Reporter, with Bob Phillips. For more information visit www.TexasCountryReporter.com or www.skidboot.com

The votes are in...

Another successful Howloween fundraiser is finished for another year! More than $2000US was raised for Elkhound Rescue.

We want to thank everyone for their help - we placed a very respectible 2nd place out of 40 entries.

Here is the winner with 17% of the total votes:

Our second place entry, with 11% of the votes, featured Monty as the mount for the super scary "Headless Norseman"

To see the rest of the entries, please visit www.elkhoundrescue.org and follow the links to the contest pages.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween, and just a friendly reminder that chocoloate is toxic to your dogs so please be mindful of where you stash your hard-earned treats!

Madison is my Hero!!!

Last night, Lori's daughter, Madison, had a very special outting. For the last several months, she's been raising money for Cancer research and had decided she was going to get her lovely, loooong blonde hair cut off and donate it to be made into wigs for children suffering from cancer.

She managed to raise over $1200 and donated 13" of silky blonde hair.

If you would like to know more about donating hair to make wigs for people suffering from the effects of cancer treatments, please click here.

Maddy, you ROCK!

“However rare true love is, true friendship is rarer.” – La Rochefoucauld

Life continues to get busier and busier, it seems. Another year has nearly passed us by. Soon, the snow will begin to fly and we'll tuck into our cosy homes for the winter.

In the hectic day to day chaos, it's difficult for Lori and I to find time for just the two of us, so it was an exceptionally special treat when we spent the day together Saturday getting pampered and preened.

As an early birthday present, I booked a surprise mini spa day at Aquilibrium for both of us. We had our hair cut and styled, a scalp massage, eyebrows waxed (ouch!), makeup and a manicure (ahhhh.....). After which, we came by my office and took photos of ourselves (I'm bound and determined to have at least one photo of the two of us together at least once each year!).

The photos turned out quite well (see above) until for some odd reason Lori decided to clobber me! Kidding...she swears she was just adjusting her necklace... too bad I don't have a followup shot!

Later in the evening, we joined up with our hubbies and had a nice dinner followed by games.

We've shared so much laughter,

And more than a few tears,

We have a special bond

that grows stronger with each year.

We're not sisters by birth,

But we knew right from the start,

God put us together

to be Sisters of the Heart!

Remembering...

I miss Taffy. I found these photos (along with many others) last night while doing some organizing.

Taffy was my cat as a child. Here we are in the innocence of our shared youth...I was 6 years old, she was likely about 6 weeks old.

She wasn't an overly affectionate cat. She appreciated her space, but on occassion, she could be caught sharing a tender moment with me or with someone else in the family (usually my dad - who "hated" cats...um...yeah...sure)

Fast forward 16 years and here is Taffy still with me on my wedding day. Frail at the time, yet we made sure she was part of the day. She sadly left us for the Bridge the following March at 17+ years old.

I have 4 cats now, not to mention the 2 dogs, and they are different, unique and equally as lovable as Taffy was in their own ways, but none of them are her.

I miss you, old friend.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

TIME FOR THE ANNUAL JNMRF HOWL O WEEN CONTEST!

As you may or may not be aware, I am active in Norwegian Elkhound rescue in Ontario and Quebec. A non-profit organization out of the US assists me financially with the rescues I'm involved in. Without their assistance, there is no way that I would be able to do what I do when it comes to rescuing, fostering and rehoming homeless elkhounds.

Once each year, this organization (JNMRF) holds a costume contest to raise funds for rescue. This is their one main source of funds for the coming year, so it's a pretty big deal.

Each year, for the last 4 years, I have entered my dog(s) into the contest. 2 years ago, we were thrilled to win!

Above is this year's entry - the Headless Norseman (pun intended - Norwegian Elkhounds are obviously from Norway and were the dogs of the Vikings). This is 8 1/2 year old Monty and a lot of CGI magic!

Check out the contest. Please don't vote unless you intend to pay (cost is $1 US per vote), but in any event, check it out - it's well worth a look!

http://www.elkhoundrescue.org/contest1.htm

I've been a negligent blogger lately, but it's for good reason. I've been working on Elby's catching up on back orders. By the time I put a few hours in on them in the evenings, my poor hands are so cramped and stiff, even thinking about typing makes me wimper.

This is "Stormy" Williamson. Very shortly, he will be winging off on his way to his permanent home in sunny southern California with my dear friend Maragret.


Quinn demonstrates the typical pose that inspired "Elby".

"PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER...

...itty bitty living space"

The Genie - Disney's "Aladdin"

I don't have anything new to report today but that quote flashed through my mind this morning and it made me smile. It always does. I love Robin Williams - especially what he brought to the Genie in Aladdin.

Ok - I lied. I do have some news. Our friends, Brian & Heather, we married in a lovely ceremony yesterday in Havelock followed by one of the most enjoyable, casual, relaxed receptions I've ever attended. Probably the first one I wasn't in a hurry to leave. :)

Congrats, Brian & Heather!!!

10 Things you might be surprised to know about me:

1) I often have a mug of warm milk before I go to bed because I have difficulty sleeping.
2) I don’t know how to say no and as a result I often find myself spread very thin because I try to do too much to please too many people.
3) I know people in my office think I’m a snob because I don’t socialize with them, but it’s really because I’m very shy.
4) I have never in my life tried recreational drugs of any kind (despite MANY opportunities to do so) and I am very proud of that. I am, however, sadly addicted to beanie babies!
5) Public displays of affection make me uncomfortable.
6) I have a hard time telling people that I care about how I feel about them.
7) I miss my Grandparents terribly, especially my Grandfather, who I never got a chance to say goodbye to.
8) I STILL don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
9) I had turned in feet as a child & wore “special shoes” to correct it. I still find my feet turn in when I’m walking and either not paying attention or very tired.
10) My favourite filmmaker is Jan Svankmayer. Not because his films are entertaining (they're actually very convoluted and sometimes difficult to follow), but because I admire the process with which they are created.

"The Silence was the loudest thing I ever heard."
- Great Big Sea "Clearest Indication"

Earlier this week, my DH and I were at odds and not speaking for a couple of days. It happens from time to time and we're past it now and all is good and right in our world.

But that, combined with another strange event, produced one of the most surreal moments I have experienced in recent memory.

On Wednesday evening, at about 11:30pm, I was debating whether or not I was still pissed enough to sleep on the couch, so I was sitting in the den in the dark in a completely silent house and the "noise" was almost unbearable. Whether it was just the sound of blood rushing through my veins, or perhaps just the underlying hum of electricity around me and throughout the house, I don't know, but I remember thinking "For the house to be so quiet, I can't believe how loud it is!"

And then, if you can believe it, I heard a cricket chirping. All the windows were closed, no traffic was going by the house and there's this "reet" "reet" "reet" "reet" noise splitting the darkness. That sucker was in the house...it was on the second floor and it was BIG.

The entire "moment" was just that, no more than a moment, but it seemed to last for much longer while all kinds of thoughts tumbled around in my mind.

Then, the light at the intersection in front of the house must have changed because then the sound of traffic drowned everything else out. And like that, the moment was over, and I went off in search of the interloping cricket, who I discovered had taken up residence under the floor boards in our still-under-renovation main bathroom. I could see him, through a crack in the boards, larger than life and twice as ugly, but couldn't come up with a way to dispatch him without the potential of burning the house to the ground, so I grudgingly went to bed while he chirped on and on throughout the night.

Apparently, it was also annoying others in the house, since it was discovered yesterday morning deceased in the kitchen minus one leg. No one has confessed to the crime yet, but I suspect Quinn since she has a history of insecticide (she spends hours outside in the summer, laying on the patio, squishing ants with her nose).

Cool little game. Try it out! Gone to the Dogs ---- Click on "Game"

I'm a Norwegian Buhund...not quite an elkhound, but pretty close!

Wolfsheim's Kissing Buddy CD is coming out of retirement for another kick at the cat, so to speak

"Monty" is 8 1/2 years old now and has always been a challenge to train. He acts more like he's 8 months old sometimes (which I'll gladly tollerate!!). He does sleep a lot more these days and he's slow to get moving when he does wake up, but man does he get excited when it's time to work!

All summer, I have been taking Quinn out a couple of times a week to agility classes and poor Monty would get soooo excited thinking he was going and I would feel like such a first-class heel for leaving him at home dancing at the door with a big "Do I get to go this time, mom? Do I?! PLEASE!!" look on his face.

Well, this time, he gets to come and Quinn stays home! Monty has done obedience and has his CD title, but will never be able to get his CDX nor do agility since jumping is required and his arthritic hips no longer allow him to jump, however, he can do Rally-O.

So this evening, we're starting a new adventure for both of us into Rally-O... more info to come!

(Photo on the right was taken 3 years ago when he was training for his CDX title)

What is a picture worth?

In my daily 9-5 life, I work as a real estate assistant (unlicensed), and one of my many jobs is to take (attractive!!) photos of all of the houses that we list for sale. I've been doing this for many years and I quite enjoy it.

Over the last couple of years, I have turned this interest in photography into one of my hobbies away from the office - I don't specialize in any one specific genre. I dabble in many fields - even recently taking on the daunting task of shooting a wedding!

I was just doing some organizing on my computer and came across a couple of photos that show the spectrum of my interest from one end to the other; macro to landscape...

Above is a photo I took in Watkins Glen, NY in July early in the morning on a cool day. My subject was having a bath in the early morning sun on the hood of a car.

Below, again taken in the early morning hours, is a field of hay bales. This was taken in mid-August at about 6:30am in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Right now, my camera is the Canon Rebel EOS but I have my eye on the Rebel XTi...I'm hoping Santa gives me a gift card for Henry's again this Christmas!!

PT's ONLY CANADA/US CHALLENGE
September 10, 2006 in beautiful Gananoque, Ontario

The show is just a memory now. After all of the anticipation and the rush to get the new bumper painted and installed in time, it was all worth it.

We came away with first place in the mild custom division!

I have to say, what an awesome event. Well organized, great location, great people - who else would close down the main street of a bustling tourist town for a PT Cruiser show? Thanks Nick!! You're awesome! And a special thanks for the "purple" star! ;o)

We got to spend a fantastic day with a great group of people who we look forward to seeing again in the spring, as this was most likely our last show for the year. What a note to go out on!

I also have to give a big shout out to my DH - those tires didn't get that shiny all by themselves! I promise, we'll find a mustang club for you for next year...

This year's challenge went to the US folks. Congratulations!! Next year, the plaque will be Canada's!!

...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...

I have news. It's neither good, nor bad, just news.

Late last evening, I got a call from the new team representing me in court and I have a new trial date - March 19, 2007.

That will be 15 months and 10 days from the date of the original accident.

How's that for expedited court service??

Well, at least I don't have to think about it now for another 3 months, then I get to get all stressed out again.

*sigh*

Eureka!

I remembered at least one thing I had been meaning to put in the blog.

Lately, I've been moaning a lot about how a small-minded paralegal prick took off with my retainer and left me hanging high and dry less than 3 weeks before my court date.

Well, I'm absolutely tickled to report that things are looking up. Not perfect, but definitely looking up.

Goes to prove that old adage, it's not what you know, it's who you know (had I known that little gem when I was in school, I would have spent far more time schmoozing and less time with my nose in a text book). But I digress...

I got a call Tuesday afternoon from a friend who had originally referred a lawyer friend of his to me, who in turn had referred the aforementioned paralegal to me (try to keep up with me here, I'm going to do this without mentioning any names, so it's going to get rather convoluted from time to time). He (the friend), suggested I call the lawyer who had recommended the paralegal.

Not having anything more to lose, I called the lawyer. He apologized profusely for the lousy referral and promised me he was going to get my retainer back. He would take the paralegal to small claims on my behalf and would waive his fee for doing so.

It's only $500 bucks, and I'd pretty much given up any hope of ever getting it back, so this was a really pleasant surprise. If this all works out, that $500 should cover the cost of the remaining repairs that my car needs!!

As far as the progress with court, there was supposed to be a hearing on the 5th to request a new trial date but it was delayed until today at 1. If they don't permit the new trial date, the trial is still scheduled for tomorrow at 2:30.

Fingers and toes crossed and hoping this will all be over soon....

I'm going to have to start carrying a notepad & pen with me...

There was something this morning. A fleeting thought that crossed my mind more than once. I distinctly remember saying to myself "Wow, that would make a really interesting blog entry!", but amid all the other crud I've mentally processed over the course of the last 12 hours, it's gone. *POOF*

Haven't a clue what it was.

But it was good.

That I do know.

Ah, you hadda be there.

Yesterday we journeyed to Brantford Ontario to visit relatives and while there, we also took a short side-trip to see their horses. Of course, as usual, I had the camera with me, so took the opportunity to fire off several hundred (no kidding!) photos of this gorgeous creature. Here are the 3 (again, no kidding!) worth sharing. Oh, and one of "Jake" the dog who watched everything with interest.

Does the phrase "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" come to mind here?