POST # 62
This post will be short and sweet, well short in any event. The reason? I am currently sitting at a public computer terminal in the Grand Forks library and the time limit is only one hour. So right up front I am going to apologize for any spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors, because I don't know if I'll have time to do my standard three or four edits. I may be able to extend my time, but it all depends on how many people show up.
It's the morning of February 28th, the last day of the month and here I am for the second time in a year visiting Grand Forks. I arrived a few days ago after a long journey from Washington, and the worst part of it was not being able to stay at the Vancouver bus terminal from 2am to 6am while in transit. Thankfully there was a 24hour place to hang out in during that time, so at least I was out of the weather.
When I arrived in Grand Forks, I was greeted by Dorothy who is the mother of my friend Tim, who lives in Calgary. I am currently staying at Dorothy's place, which is the above named "Paul's Petless Panorama Palace" as it is located on Panorama Drive and has a commanding view overlooking the valley below. Although I am petless ( a petsitter's holiday) there are a variety of song birds, pheasants and a multitude of deer roaming around in the yard, so they more than make up for the pet free zone.
Dorothy has recently sold her house and has moved into a senior care facility in town, and I am here to help her with anything that she needs done for the next couple of weeks. Yesterday I drove her to Trail to visit another son named David, and afterwards I popped into the Trail hospital, which is the place that I was at last year having my two leg operations. I have to say that I had mixed emotions walking through the front doors, but all in all, I am glad that I went. I was hoping to run into some of the staff who helped me last year, in order to thank them again, however there were no familiar faces to be seen. Still it was a worthwhile visit, and I think Dorothy enjoyed the drive and of course the time to spend with David.
I have also had the opportunity, thanks to Dorothy, to be able to dine with her and others at the Silver Kettle which is where she now lives. It's a wonderful chance to spend time with seniors, and hear some of their tales of the past. I even listened to one of our dinner mates tell a story from back in 1941 in which someone she knew had an accident in which his leg was broken in three places. Back then things were different, and the poor soul had to have a large portion of his leg amputated due to the onset of gangrene. He ended up with a wooden stump to finish out life on. I count myself fortunate by comparison. I'll be looking forward to sharing a few more dinners with my new found friends, during my time here in the Forks, and I imagine that there will be more interesting tales told in the future.
The anniversary date of my big tumble down the hill is rapidly approaching and I have been invited up to visit my hill this coming Sunday, which is a day short of the anniversary date, but it's close enough. It will be good to have a visit with the owners Bev and Brian, and of course all of their pets, including Sadie, Bob, Blueberry and Mr. Bumples. No doubt I will have more to say about that visit in a future blog.
I'm looking at the clock on the computer and it's ticking away rapidly, so I had better do at least a quick proof read to try and discover any glaring errors, prior to posting this entry.
OK, it looks pretty good for now, so I will post away. If I happen to get more time later today to add a few more thoughts I will, and if not, I'll be back here on March 7th to continue with the next news.
Happy trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
THOUGHTFUL: showing consideration for others; occupied with or given to thought; contemplative; meditative. WANDERER: moving from place to place without a fixed plan; or having no permanent residence; nomadic.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
CONEHEAD BONEHEAD AND OTHER STUFF
POST # 61
TIKA IS BUMMED OUT. For some time now, prior to my arrival, she has had a sore on her right front paw which hasn't been able to heal because she keeps licking it. Of course most animals do this so there is nothing out of the ordinary there. The problem though, is that as a result, the sore remains. So yesterday after a trip to the vet, she is now sporting the infamous cone on her head, and THAT'S why she's bummed out. I guess it makes a fashion statement of some sort, but she doesn't think she needs it. Tika is such a good looking dog, how could a cone on her head ever improve her looks? She knows this, I know this, but obviously someone forgot to relate this to the vet. POOR TIKA. That is what I have been saying to her since she arrived home yesterday afternoon. Normally she spends the bulk of her time outdoors, and this makes sense, as she has such a thick coat of hair, she appreciates the cooler temperature outside.
However yesterday, she wanted to come in during the day, so I obliged. Because of the cone, she had trouble navigating from a to b and so I gently helped her along until she found a place in the hallway that she was happy with. And that's where she remained for a few hours, laying down on her side, with a look on her face that seemed to say, "What have I done to deserve this?"
Eventually, it was dinner time for her and I prepared her dish as I always do twice a day. I was curious to see how well she would be able to eat in her new condition, and things started out ok at first. I placed the bowl on the floor and her cone head enveloped it a moment later. I heard the munching of food, and it all seemed to be going well, but then Tika decided to crouch down, which is her preferred way to eat. The problem with that position though, was that the cone was now blocking her from getting her mouth in the bowl. There was only one solution, and a moment later I was down on my knees, holding up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could continue her meal. It's the closest I've ever come to sharing a meal with a dog, and it reminded me of the scene from a movie from a long time ago called "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" where the main character played by Nick Nolte is showing the upscale dog how to eat. Thankfully I didn't have to go to that extreme, as Tika has a very good appetite and she had the bowl licked clean in no time at all.
Later I was back in the house reading, and I could hear a different sound out on the back porch, a sound I hadn't heard before. When I checked, it was Tika trying to drink out of her water bowl, and she was trying to accomplish this from the same prone position as she was in when eating, and of course it wasn't working. So it was the dog sitter to the rescue again, to hold up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could have a good long drink before settling down for the night. One final duty before the evening was over was to apply a cream to the sore spot on her paw to help it heal. She seemed to be resigned to her fate, and didn't pull her paw away as I gently rubbed the cream into the sore.
Tomorrow, Tika will be moving to a new location so this will be the last time I get to take care of her. That fact makes me sad, but I am thankful that I have had the chance to be her care giver twice now. After I finish writing today's blog, I will be spending as much time as possible with Tika, because by lunch time tomorrow she will be gone. Life in some respects is just a series of hellos and goodbyes and even though it's difficult to say goodbye, I made up my mind years ago, due to the adventurous life that I have led which has resulted in me meeting more people (and animals) than I could have ever imagined if I had stayed in one place, that I would rather say hello and goodbye, than to have never said hello in the first place. This simple philosophy has helped ease some of the pain of all the goodbyes that have occurred along life's journey so far. The memory of Tika will be with me forever, and that makes me smile.
Moving right along. Late this coming Sunday I will be boarding another Greyhound bus for a trip to my next destination along the housesitting path. My destination? Grand Forks B.C. for the second time in a year. In fact I will be arriving there almost a year to the day of my prior trip. This time I will be at a new house, and I will be without internet or phone, so I am not sure how often I will be able to check my email and I may not get the opportunity to write a blog on February 28th or March 7th but if I can, I will. Last year on March 7th I was unable to write, because at the time I was flat on my back in a hospital in Trail BC waiting for my first leg operation. I'll do my best this year, to try and not get myself into the same predicament. Also, while I am in Grand Forks, I may be doing a short housesit at the same place I was last year, but that isn't confirmed yet. This would be an opportunity to go have a look at the hill I tumbled down, and that should bring back a few memories. I am looking forward to going back to Grand Forks for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it will be a chance to say thank you again to all the people there who helped me out last year while I was recovering from my broken leg.
And finally, here is a painting from the past which I came across the other day on the internet. I think it sums up the reaction I get from most people when they hear about some of the things that I speak about these days. That's me on the far right of the painting, speaking about the future.
A quote from my friend Guy McPherson seems appropriate here. "Knowing culture will lead us astray, we nonetheless invite scorn when we seek the truth beneath the cultural current of the main stream." (From "Walking Away From Empire")
For now though, I will remain as much as possible in the present moment, and enjoy the day with my cone-headed four-legged friend Tika.
The clouds are lifting somewhat, and it might be a good time to go for a walk with my cone-head bone-head and breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the day for what it holds in store. After all, every day is a precious gift.
Until next time then,
Happy Trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
TIKA IS BUMMED OUT. For some time now, prior to my arrival, she has had a sore on her right front paw which hasn't been able to heal because she keeps licking it. Of course most animals do this so there is nothing out of the ordinary there. The problem though, is that as a result, the sore remains. So yesterday after a trip to the vet, she is now sporting the infamous cone on her head, and THAT'S why she's bummed out. I guess it makes a fashion statement of some sort, but she doesn't think she needs it. Tika is such a good looking dog, how could a cone on her head ever improve her looks? She knows this, I know this, but obviously someone forgot to relate this to the vet. POOR TIKA. That is what I have been saying to her since she arrived home yesterday afternoon. Normally she spends the bulk of her time outdoors, and this makes sense, as she has such a thick coat of hair, she appreciates the cooler temperature outside.
However yesterday, she wanted to come in during the day, so I obliged. Because of the cone, she had trouble navigating from a to b and so I gently helped her along until she found a place in the hallway that she was happy with. And that's where she remained for a few hours, laying down on her side, with a look on her face that seemed to say, "What have I done to deserve this?"
Eventually, it was dinner time for her and I prepared her dish as I always do twice a day. I was curious to see how well she would be able to eat in her new condition, and things started out ok at first. I placed the bowl on the floor and her cone head enveloped it a moment later. I heard the munching of food, and it all seemed to be going well, but then Tika decided to crouch down, which is her preferred way to eat. The problem with that position though, was that the cone was now blocking her from getting her mouth in the bowl. There was only one solution, and a moment later I was down on my knees, holding up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could continue her meal. It's the closest I've ever come to sharing a meal with a dog, and it reminded me of the scene from a movie from a long time ago called "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" where the main character played by Nick Nolte is showing the upscale dog how to eat. Thankfully I didn't have to go to that extreme, as Tika has a very good appetite and she had the bowl licked clean in no time at all.
Later I was back in the house reading, and I could hear a different sound out on the back porch, a sound I hadn't heard before. When I checked, it was Tika trying to drink out of her water bowl, and she was trying to accomplish this from the same prone position as she was in when eating, and of course it wasn't working. So it was the dog sitter to the rescue again, to hold up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could have a good long drink before settling down for the night. One final duty before the evening was over was to apply a cream to the sore spot on her paw to help it heal. She seemed to be resigned to her fate, and didn't pull her paw away as I gently rubbed the cream into the sore.
Tomorrow, Tika will be moving to a new location so this will be the last time I get to take care of her. That fact makes me sad, but I am thankful that I have had the chance to be her care giver twice now. After I finish writing today's blog, I will be spending as much time as possible with Tika, because by lunch time tomorrow she will be gone. Life in some respects is just a series of hellos and goodbyes and even though it's difficult to say goodbye, I made up my mind years ago, due to the adventurous life that I have led which has resulted in me meeting more people (and animals) than I could have ever imagined if I had stayed in one place, that I would rather say hello and goodbye, than to have never said hello in the first place. This simple philosophy has helped ease some of the pain of all the goodbyes that have occurred along life's journey so far. The memory of Tika will be with me forever, and that makes me smile.
Moving right along. Late this coming Sunday I will be boarding another Greyhound bus for a trip to my next destination along the housesitting path. My destination? Grand Forks B.C. for the second time in a year. In fact I will be arriving there almost a year to the day of my prior trip. This time I will be at a new house, and I will be without internet or phone, so I am not sure how often I will be able to check my email and I may not get the opportunity to write a blog on February 28th or March 7th but if I can, I will. Last year on March 7th I was unable to write, because at the time I was flat on my back in a hospital in Trail BC waiting for my first leg operation. I'll do my best this year, to try and not get myself into the same predicament. Also, while I am in Grand Forks, I may be doing a short housesit at the same place I was last year, but that isn't confirmed yet. This would be an opportunity to go have a look at the hill I tumbled down, and that should bring back a few memories. I am looking forward to going back to Grand Forks for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it will be a chance to say thank you again to all the people there who helped me out last year while I was recovering from my broken leg.
And finally, here is a painting from the past which I came across the other day on the internet. I think it sums up the reaction I get from most people when they hear about some of the things that I speak about these days. That's me on the far right of the painting, speaking about the future.
A quote from my friend Guy McPherson seems appropriate here. "Knowing culture will lead us astray, we nonetheless invite scorn when we seek the truth beneath the cultural current of the main stream." (From "Walking Away From Empire")
For now though, I will remain as much as possible in the present moment, and enjoy the day with my cone-headed four-legged friend Tika.
The clouds are lifting somewhat, and it might be a good time to go for a walk with my cone-head bone-head and breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the day for what it holds in store. After all, every day is a precious gift.
Until next time then,
Happy Trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Thursday, February 14, 2013
GOATS AND HEADING NORTH AGAIN
POST # 60
Last week, Bella the goat had her babies taken away. It was a sad day for both Bella and her kids, and Bella spent the entire day bleating away to any of the humans present, in the hope that maybe someone could help her solve the mystery of her kids' disappearance. But no amount of bleating was going to change the situation.
She had only just had the kids, two days prior, and had barely settled in to her mothering role. However, a decision had been made to hand over the kids to another human to raise and that is why Bella found herself in this new situation. Plenty of people raise goats in order to collect the milk to drink and/or to make cheese. And the property I was on was no different. One thing I didn't know until then, and I imagine many people don't know, is that in order for the goat to keep producing milk, she has to have a new batch of kids each year. Of course there is only so much feed to go around and so we are either overrun by goats, or some other measures have to be used to keep the goat population in check. In some respects goats are no different than humans, however we as a species haven't been very good at keeping our own population in check and now the earth is trying to support over seven billion of us, and the natural world just can't keep up.
Last week I had the opportunity to go visit some friends out at their rural property in southwestern New Mexico, an off-grid property where Bella, her "sister" Lily, and a collection of ducks, chickens, a goose, three dogs and five humans live. It's a beautiful setting along the river, and they are fully self-contained. I had met Guy as a result of contacting him via email late last year, and I have mentioned his blog from time to time. I had just finished up my housesit responsibilities in Yuma, and seeing that I was relatively close to New Mexico, it was an ideal time to go for a visit and I'm very glad that I did. Perhaps later this year I will have another opportunity to go visit, however we'll have to see how the year pans out. It was an eye-opening education for me and it was a chance to make new friends. I am glad that I made the effort.
After my journey to New Mexico, I drove back to Yuma for one more night where I had been housesitting, for one final opportunity to visit friends there, including my new dog friend, Watson, who has been my companion since mid December. He was quite the character, my own personal snoring machine, and I miss him now that I have moved on to my new location, however I don't think that I have seen the last of Mr. Watson.
Saturday, February 9th dawned a typically sunny day again in Yuma and before long I was out at the airport awaiting my short flight to Phoenix, and from there on to Seattle. This was the first chance to go through airport security in the USA and I was curious to see whether or not my metal leg would set the alarms ringing, but I breezed through without incident. The flight to Phoenix was only thirty minutes and as we descended into Phoenix airport, I was again struck by this sprawl of suburbia in the desert. The southwestern part of the US is only going to get hotter as time passes, and I imagine that a place such as Phoenix, or even Yuma for that matter will struggle with issues surrounding the delivery of water etc.. I had a short stop there, and then connected to my flight to Seattle. My original ticket had me returning to Vancouver, however as I didn't have a housesit lined up there, and because I had the chance to return to a housesit that I had done last year in Everett, Washington, I made the decision to stay in the USA for a couple weeks longer than previously planned. On our final approach to SeaTac airport, the cloud base below the aircraft was as solid as can be, however we passed by Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker, with their peaks sticking up above the clouds. Since that flight though, I now had to get accustomed to grey cloud-filled days, after having a weather "holiday" down south where one could expect a sunny day, day in and day out.
So I am back with Tika the dog, a huge Malamute and she seems particularly huge after getting used to little Watson, who is about as big as Tika's head. I keep calling Tika, Watson by mistake and she gives me the look wondering who the hell am I talking about. Perhaps by the time I leave here, I'll be saying her name correctly.
I'll have one more chance to write a blog for this month in Everett before heading back across the border for my next location. It's wonderful to be settled back here in a familiar location, with a happy dog to keep me company and I am looking forward to spending another week or so with Tika, as we will have another chance to bond together. In the meantime, I wonder if Bella has stopped her bleating and accepted her lot?
The adventure continues.
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Last week, Bella the goat had her babies taken away. It was a sad day for both Bella and her kids, and Bella spent the entire day bleating away to any of the humans present, in the hope that maybe someone could help her solve the mystery of her kids' disappearance. But no amount of bleating was going to change the situation.
She had only just had the kids, two days prior, and had barely settled in to her mothering role. However, a decision had been made to hand over the kids to another human to raise and that is why Bella found herself in this new situation. Plenty of people raise goats in order to collect the milk to drink and/or to make cheese. And the property I was on was no different. One thing I didn't know until then, and I imagine many people don't know, is that in order for the goat to keep producing milk, she has to have a new batch of kids each year. Of course there is only so much feed to go around and so we are either overrun by goats, or some other measures have to be used to keep the goat population in check. In some respects goats are no different than humans, however we as a species haven't been very good at keeping our own population in check and now the earth is trying to support over seven billion of us, and the natural world just can't keep up.
Last week I had the opportunity to go visit some friends out at their rural property in southwestern New Mexico, an off-grid property where Bella, her "sister" Lily, and a collection of ducks, chickens, a goose, three dogs and five humans live. It's a beautiful setting along the river, and they are fully self-contained. I had met Guy as a result of contacting him via email late last year, and I have mentioned his blog from time to time. I had just finished up my housesit responsibilities in Yuma, and seeing that I was relatively close to New Mexico, it was an ideal time to go for a visit and I'm very glad that I did. Perhaps later this year I will have another opportunity to go visit, however we'll have to see how the year pans out. It was an eye-opening education for me and it was a chance to make new friends. I am glad that I made the effort.
After my journey to New Mexico, I drove back to Yuma for one more night where I had been housesitting, for one final opportunity to visit friends there, including my new dog friend, Watson, who has been my companion since mid December. He was quite the character, my own personal snoring machine, and I miss him now that I have moved on to my new location, however I don't think that I have seen the last of Mr. Watson.
Saturday, February 9th dawned a typically sunny day again in Yuma and before long I was out at the airport awaiting my short flight to Phoenix, and from there on to Seattle. This was the first chance to go through airport security in the USA and I was curious to see whether or not my metal leg would set the alarms ringing, but I breezed through without incident. The flight to Phoenix was only thirty minutes and as we descended into Phoenix airport, I was again struck by this sprawl of suburbia in the desert. The southwestern part of the US is only going to get hotter as time passes, and I imagine that a place such as Phoenix, or even Yuma for that matter will struggle with issues surrounding the delivery of water etc.. I had a short stop there, and then connected to my flight to Seattle. My original ticket had me returning to Vancouver, however as I didn't have a housesit lined up there, and because I had the chance to return to a housesit that I had done last year in Everett, Washington, I made the decision to stay in the USA for a couple weeks longer than previously planned. On our final approach to SeaTac airport, the cloud base below the aircraft was as solid as can be, however we passed by Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker, with their peaks sticking up above the clouds. Since that flight though, I now had to get accustomed to grey cloud-filled days, after having a weather "holiday" down south where one could expect a sunny day, day in and day out.
So I am back with Tika the dog, a huge Malamute and she seems particularly huge after getting used to little Watson, who is about as big as Tika's head. I keep calling Tika, Watson by mistake and she gives me the look wondering who the hell am I talking about. Perhaps by the time I leave here, I'll be saying her name correctly.
I'll have one more chance to write a blog for this month in Everett before heading back across the border for my next location. It's wonderful to be settled back here in a familiar location, with a happy dog to keep me company and I am looking forward to spending another week or so with Tika, as we will have another chance to bond together. In the meantime, I wonder if Bella has stopped her bleating and accepted her lot?
The adventure continues.
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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