GRUNTLED JACKSON AND HIS TOE JACKPOT

POST # 81

When I awoke this morning, I was all set to write about the cyclone that is currently happening over the Arctic Ocean which I think is worth writing about, however for those of my readers who want more information (very few???) they can go to arctic-news.blogspot.com and get all the information they desire including an article by Paul Beckwith titled, "The Great Arctic Flush" dated July 21st 2013.

However...

A conversation with my sister and brother in law changed my mind, so here we go then.

Rosie and Keith have been visiting me here at my housesit thanks to the generosity of the owners. They departed an hour or so ago, and if I could get inside the brain of Jackson the dog, I imagine that he is feeling somewhat disgruntled at the moment.
Perhaps the title should have read, "The Previously Gruntled Jackson and His Toe Jackpot" but I digress.

As the owners know, and as anyone who has had the opportunity to spend time with Jackson also knows, he has a habit of licking any human's toes that may become available from time to time. During the summer months, the odds are pretty good that any human within sniffing distance may just have bare feet. And this was the case the other morning.

Keith was sitting at the kitchen table, checking some things out on the internet. From his sitting position, his feet were not visible due to the table obstructing his view. From where I was standing however, I could see that Jackson the toe licker, was settled in nicely under the table and out of Keith's view, and was licking the toes on Keith's left foot, like they were either the tastiest toes he'd ever had the pleasure to lick or they were the last toes on the planet. Whatever it was, Jackson looked extremely GRUNTLED. This continued for some time and I was amazed at how Keith put up with it. Finally I made some comment about Keith's tolerance or whatever, and it was at that point that I realized that Keith had been totally unaware that Jackson was even there slurping on breakfast toes.

Due to a stroke many years ago, Keith has no feeling in his left foot which is terribly unfortunate for Keith, but it was like hitting the toe jackpot for little Jackson. We all had a good laugh about it, and Jackson probably wondered what all the commotion was about. It was good that we noticed when we did or Keith might have discovered a few toe nails or toes, missing by the time he left here.

But now the magic foot is gone, and with it so are Jackson's dreams of unlimited toe licking until his tongue falls off or finally gives up from exhaustion. And thankfully for Keith, he left with all his toes intact.

While all this toe licking was taking place, Peach was content to just find a warm spot in the sun to have a snooze and ponder the fact that her brother has this weird toe fetish, which she doesn't share.

Jackson, on the other hand will be left to wonder if it was all just a dream, or did he really finally come across the toe jackpot. It was like licking an ice cream cone in which the ice cream never diminishes over time. Now wouldn't that be something.


Happy trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE PURRING MACHINE

POST #80

I received an email this week from one of my housesit clients, to let me know that one of their pets, Bob, had finally come to the end of his life. Bob is "the purring machine" pictured on this blog.

Now, I have come to know quite a few cats on my housesit adventures, and they are all unique in their own special way. Bob's claim to fame from at least my point of view was the strength of his purring ability. All you had to do was just look at him from across the room and he'd start up his "motor" and slowly walk his way toward you, purring all the way. He walked slowly because he was old, and probably had a bit of arthritis in his legs. If I happened to be lying on the couch at the time (which I was doing a lot of those days) I would have to lean over and pick him up, as his jumping ability was pretty well non existent by then. Once I had him placed on my lap, he would turn on the drooling pump and soon there was a wet patch located somewhere on me.

I had the opportunity to meet Bob and the other cast of critters, Sadie, Blueberry, and Mr. Bumples, during my housesit in March/April 2012 in Grand Forks. As is well known by now to the few readers of this blog, that is when and where I had my tumble down the mountain. During this period, as mentioned above, I spent many, many hours at a time lying on the couch in the living room, and Bob was always there, nestled in on my lap or chest, purring and drooling up a storm. He became quite a comfort to me during that period, and I am thankful for his presence. It was easy to focus on him, and forget about my leg.

Apparently he died back in early June, however since I don't really do the Facebook thing anymore, I only found out this week. I am sure the owners were sad about his death, but they had him as a pet for a very long time, so they would have had plenty of purr/drool sessions with him I'm sure. And, they still have the other three to keep them company for now.

In the final analysis, all we can really take with us in the end is our memories. One of mine will be of the cat named Bob from Grand Forks, aka " the purring machine." My life is a little bit richer because of the time I got to spend with him.

Happy Trails (Bob)

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: Today marks two years of being registered with the Housecarers service, and it's been a fun journey so far.

WAITING FOR A MIRACLE

POST # 79


While riding my bike yesterday on my way to my current housesit, I went past a car with a bumper sticker which read,"Whatever can go right, will go right. EXPECT A MIRACLE."

So that's all it takes then is it? Just expect a miracle and everything will be right with the world. Sounds pretty easy really. I suppose all we need to do now is get the word out to all the scientists who are giving us accurate data regarding the climate and tell them that hey, forget about all the graphs and measurements, forget about all the carbon and methane in the atmosphere, forget about the fact that the Arctic ice sheet may be totally gone by as early as this September and forget about the sixteen self reinforcing feedback loops that are now taking place, and throw all that out and just order up a miracle or two or three. Problem solved. We can all go back to business as usual and let the magic of a miracle save the day.

Well, I don't buy the miracle thing, but I imagine that there are plenty of folks who do because it seems to be an easy answer to a predicament that gets worse with each passing day. Life goes on.

Arriving at my housesit, I was greeted by my two little canine buddies, Jackson and Peach. As far as I know, they aren't subjected to miracles of any shape or form, although my arrival may have seemed like a miracle to them. The time interval between the departure of the owners, and the arrival of the house sitter is their form of limbo. "Who's going to feed us, if no one shows up?" They always appear happy to see me when I arrive.

After settling in and spending time with the baby boneheads, I headed out for a bike ride. One of the things that I notice more frequently now, is the amount of trees that are turning brown, even though autumn is a long way off. In the past month or so, I have been from California to Canada, and this business with the trees is everywhere one cares to look. It's just another indication that things are changing. All one has to do is take the time to observe, and the signs are all around.

I'll be here for the next month, and I look forward to the time spent with Jackson and Peach. Plenty of walks will be good for all of us and by the end of each day I imagine that the three of us will feel very gruntled.

Thinking back on the bumper sticker I saw yesterday, perhaps it would have been better to have used the Bruce Cockburn phrase, "Waiting for a Miracle" as I think we will all be waiting, waiting, waiting, for the miracle that never comes.

Happy Trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful (Gruntled) Wanderer

AUSTRALIAN USA

POST # 78


If someone would have plunked me down in the area I have just recently visited, I could have sworn that I was travelling somewhere in the Australian outback. One thing that made me think this, was the proliferation of *gum trees, and the other was the extreme heat.

However I was nowhere near Australia. I was in California, of all places, on the continuing journey with my friend Mary, after delivering her piano to Bend, Oregon.

Our trip from Bend took us past the spectacular Mount Shasta which towers some fourteen thousand plus feet above sea level. From there we headed south through the town of Weed, and eventually we decided to spend a night at Redding, CA. On the journey south, the temperature in Redding was 113 degrees F ( 45 degrees C) and when we passed through Redding again on our return north, the temperature hit 115 degrees F ( 46 degrees C ) with a hot westerly wind blowing.

Everywhere we travelled in southern Oregon, and northern California, the landscape looked extremely parched. This is the condition for much of the southern USA and the wildfires have been taking their toll as the days of summer roll on.

Mary and I spent a couple of days with a relative of hers in the Portola Valley which is about forty miles or so south of San Francisco. Driving through San Francisco was interesting to say the least. I am glad that I don’t live in such a populated area as that, and it was pleasant to arrive at our destination, which is a very rural area that again reminded me of Australia.

Eventually we made it back here to the Pacific Northwest and the temperature was lower by 45 degrees F. This was a big relief.

Soon, I will be back in Vancouver to take care of my dog friends, Jackson and Peach, and so that is where my next blog entry will take place.

Happy Trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

*http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/who-eucalyptized-southern-california.html