AND THEN THERE WAS ONLY SKIDDER

POST # 268

L-R BREAKER, ROXIE & SKIDDER

I received news the other day from my friends in the Yukon that Roxie has recently died.  Last summer it was Breaker, and this year, Roxie.  Poor old Skidder is now alone, without his siblings to play with.  And the three of them sure liked to play.

I have two lasting memories that come to mind when I think about Roxie.  When the four of us would head out for our daily walks in the snow covered tailings ponds, it was always Roxie who would disappear, apparently more interested in her own adventure, than one shared with the rest of us.  Eventually she would turn up, and we would all head home together.  The other memory is that she always seemed to be trying to pick a "fight" with her two much larger brothers.  Of course she was just playing around, and I'm sure that the other two knew that she was.  I guess it was her way of stirring things up, just for the fun of it all.  Perhaps because she was the runt of the litter, she needed to stand up for herself.  Whatever the reason, I was happy to be a part of the fun, and she certainly had the ability to make me laugh from time to time.  Like Breaker, I will miss her as well.

I imagine old Skidder is wondering what to do, now that he has the whole house to himself.  And no doubt he is feeling somewhat blue about the news.  However, unlike us human animals, the other creatures that we share the planet with have a much greater ability to live in the moment.  Now that Skidder is all alone, this ability will be his greatest asset going forward.

Here is a video I took of of the boneheads which also includes their mother, Becca.  Right at the beginning you can see Roxie stirring things up with Skidder.  She was a little s**t disturber, and she will be missed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKlEziN_xc0


living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

WELCOME TO SUMMER???

POST # 267

THE BEACH ON JUNE 20th

"Technically speaking, the summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer, or 23.5° north latitude. In 2017, this will occur at exactly 12:24 am (Eastern) on the 21st. (But we can celebrate on either day.) "

So, technically speaking, that means that the summer solstice occurred at 9:24pm on June 20th, here in Port Townsend, Washington.  But you certainly wouldn't know it from the temperature, or from the photo I took yesterday down at the beach.  It was very chilly, and rather gloomy to say the least.

Of course, my Aussie friends would be celebrating the winter solstice at this precise moment except for the fact that for some strange reason which I was never able to figure out all the years that I lived there, they use the first of the month to denote the change of season.  Even the meteorologists who should know better, use the first of the month as well.  Weird!!!

The forecast high for here today is only 15C (59F), and yet up in Dawson City the temperature is expected to reach 23C (73F).  Anything but normal.  But what's normal nowadays??  Now that the jet stream is all wonky, due primarily to the melting of the ice in the Arctic, things will only get weirder as time passes.  Here is a video to explain this phenomenon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nzwJg4Ebzo&spfreload=5

When I was at the beach yesterday, I saw a lone Heron, just hanging around on a rock.  Perhaps it was wondering about why the weather was so cool as well?

But that was yesterday.  Today, in spite of the chill in the air, the sun is shining brightly which inspired me to take a few more photos.

And finally, another photo of the beach that I took this morning  from the same location as yesterday.

And so the summer is now officially upon us.  I wonder what it has in store for the Northern hemisphere?  With the Arctic ice on the verge of disappearing, things could get very interesting indeed.  Pass the popcorn.

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

Now, back to the weeding project.

  

THE PROJECT CONTINUES

POST # 266

Even though we are on the verge of the summer solstice, you certainly wouldn't know it by the temperature outside.  I could see my breath this morning when I went out to greet the hummingbirds. They don't seem to be bothered by the cool temperatures, and since I refilled their feeder yesterday, they appear to be happy. This morning, there were three of them hovering around.  What a great way to start the day.

I noted this past week that there was snow near Reno, Nevada, and not far away as the crow flies, in Phoenix Arizona, the forecast for next week is for temperatures up to 120F.  This is what we get with the jet stream all screwed up, now that the ice is almost gone in the Arctic.  Welcome to the new normal.

However, this cool weather has been very beneficial if one happens to be out working in the yard, pulling more weeds, and cutting grass, which is exactly what I have been up to this past week.  My friend won't recognize the place when he gets home.  Here are some before and after photos.

WEST SIDE OF HOUSE

EAST SIDE OF HOUSE

Of course, a good weeding project wouldn't be complete without a nicely trimmed lawn to match, so after I had the sides of the house looking somewhat more respectable, I turned my attention to the lawn.  On five acres, there is an abundance of it.

The above two photos are in the front yard and garden.  I forgot to take a "before" photo of the back yard, but here is the "after" shot.

There is a scene near the end of the movie "Forrest Gump," where Forrest is sitting on a lawnmower. (I didn't have that luxury).  Anyhow, as he is cutting the grass, the voice over says, and I quote, "...and 'cause I was a gozillionaire, and I liked doing it so much, I cut that grass for free."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIe0RyDPYOg

  Well I certainly am not a gozillionaire, but I did cut this grass for free, and just like Forrest, I liked doing it.

So bit by bit, the yard is getting to look better than when I arrived.  Of course the weeds and grass will continue to grow, in spite of this wintery summer weather, so I won't be out of a job anytime soon.  However, this first go around has been the biggest hurdle to jump, and now all I have to do is maintain the place.  That should be a breeze in comparison to what I have already accomplished.

Finally, here is an oldie but goodie from Annie Lennox with the song, "Why."  I could be asking the same question when it comes to the amount of grass that some people have.  Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7I4oniOyA

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

WEED THERAPY

POST # 265

With all the hype these days about the changing laws on the growing,  and use of marijuana, the reader might think that this blogpost is dedicated to the discussion of the benefits of weed.  Alas,  the topic today is rather boring in comparison.

I have recently returned to my friend's place here in Port Townsend, Washington to do another house sit.  He was more than happy to leave the weeds grow in my absence, so I have plenty of "weed therapy" in front of me.  I've included some before and after photos, and this is only just the beginning.

BEFORE

AND AFTER

And here are a couple more.

BEFORE

AND AFTER

(thankfully, the yin & yang rock pattern I made last year was still intact after I got rid of the weeds)

There is plenty more to do so I had best not spend too much time on the computer while the weather is cooperating.  I will take the time to appreciate the flowers growing as well, and if the weeding becomes too much to handle, I may have to consider that other weed therapy in the future.  Both therapies provide different benefits.

BEARDED IRIS

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer