4 PAW RATING???

POST # 294

Well I never thought that it would come to this, but I may have to consider sending a complaint to the house sitting service of which I am a member.  The sign on the front door of my current house sit clearly states that this home has a 4 paw rating.  Well it's just not true.  And I have photo evidence to prove my case.  

I only count 3 paws.  Mind you, they are all very furry and soft, so at least that helps to mitigate the problem.  In addition to that, Silken, the new furball in residence does enjoy lounging on the couch the same way that the previous (4 pawed) furball, Piper enjoyed doing.  So she has scored a few brownie points in that regard.  Still, she has plenty of work ahead of her in order to soften the blow of Piper not being around any longer.  Day by day, Silken appears to be trying to please the house sitter. She has some big paws to fill, and she's at an obvious disadvantage.  But if nothing else, I am extremely patient, so I'll give her as much time as is required for her to fill those former paws.

Here she is below, attempting to let the house sitter know that she is a worthy furball.

Plus,  I have to admit that she is rather pretty as well, in spite of the fact that she usually has this "deer in the headlights" look on most occasions.  Perhaps she's just trying to emphasize her beautiful eyes.

In any event, it's early days, and the two of us will continue our journey together, while her owner is over in Hawaii, playing on the beach.

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE JOY OF ICE AND SNOW, BUT FOR HOW MUCH LONGER? and SO LONG TO RINGO, "THE GIRLS" and THE WOODSTOVE

POST # 293

During my current house/pet sit, I have become aware of just how much I appreciate the snow and ice that surrounds me on this property, in this first week of the year, 2018.  I think that the reason for this state of mind, is my continued interest in abrupt climate change, and how that is affecting this planet that we call home. 

2018 could end up being the year that the Arctic becomes ice-free.  We've dodged a bullet for the last few years, but I for one, will be very surprised if by September of this year, and for the first time in the human experience, we don't see an ice-free Arctic. All the indicators seem to suggest a lack of ice.  And that my friends, will be very bad news, because that ice, is the earth's "air conditioner" and once the air conditioner fails, then things really begin to heat up at an even faster rate than what is currently happening.
  

So I can think of no better thing, than to add a few snow and cold related photos to today's post, starting with the first image below, which is a photo of a single snow flake courtesy of a man by the name of Alexey Kljatov.  For more images, the reader can follow the link at the bottom of this post.  I highly recommend it.  So much beauty in a single snowflake.

And speaking of links to other information, I've also provided one to the Climate Reanalyzer website which is a wealth of information.  The map that I have highlighted is one that shows temperature anomalies around the planet.  One look at that map gives the reader a very good idea of just how out of whack things are.  When it's hotter in Alaska than in Texas, something is abnormal.  Another thing to note is how the North American continent seems to be split in two, with relatively warmer temperatures on the Western half, and colder temperatures in the East.  In the past, in a "normal" year, the cold air would have been concentrated around the North Pole, with the warmer air in the South.  These air masses are separated by the jet stream, but nowadays, the jet stream is also behaving in a strange manner, and that's why it can be warmer in Alaska than it is in Texas. This new phenomenon is best described by Dr. Jennifer Francis, and can be viewed in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nzwJg4Ebzo&t=2s

Good luck using the Farmer's Almanac in the future to try and work out what to plant, when to plant it, and where to plant it.  No food is going to be an inconvenience for humans.  Hmmmm!!!

Enjoy the photos, and enjoy 2018.  Things are bound to get much more interesting as the year progresses.

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So another house/pet sit comes to a close.  As is always the case, I will miss the company of the current furball, Ringo for a while, but soon there will be another furball to take his place.  He is rapidly moving up my list of preferred furballs.  Here he is with a look that seems to suggest that he is going to miss me as much as I will miss him.

Seems like he's having trouble accepting the fact that I'm going to be leaving soon.

Don't fret Ringo, if the opportunity presents itself again, you can count on me coming back for a visit.

Plus, here is a short video of "the girls" as they came out of their chicken coup the other day. 

I began this current post talking about ice, so why not finish it off with fire, and a salute to the trusty old wood stove that has kept me company for the past couple of weeks.  It would have been very chilly without it.

***

*** (Please note, the door is open only for the purpose of taking the photos)





http://cci-reanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#t2anom

https://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/macro-photos-snowflakes-show-impossibly-perfect-designs.html

“A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest.”

 Albert Einstein

died April 18th, 1955














living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

RINGO, "THE GIRLS," SOME FISH & THREE MORE DAYS

POST # 292

A quick glance at Ringo's posture may have the reader thinking that he's not happy to have me back  here as the house sitter in charge. If you thought that, you are sadly mistaken. Take a closer look.

How about this?  Or maybe the next photo.

I think you get the picture by now.  Ringo is one happy furball, and so is the house sitter.
And it's not only Ringo that is enjoying his time. So are "the girls" especially since I cleared away some snow, so that they now have an opportunity to munch on some "real food" to supplement their grain supply.

There are fourteen in the group, and so far they have been supplying me with an abundance of fresh eggs.  Here's today's harvest.

In addition to all of these critters, there are also three fish which reside in a small tank in the house.  They are extremely easy to care for, and some days I think that "the girls" and Ringo could learn from them, about the right way to keep the house sitter's stress level down.  My life is just so damn stressful these days. NOT!!!

I love this place.  It's out in the country which is my preferred setting nowadays, and it's a log house to boot, which gives the place a very warm and cozy feel.  And the best part is that it is very, very peaceful.  I  appreciate the peace and quiet more than anything else.

There happens to be plenty of snow at the moment, however with the rain today, I imagine things will be looking much greener in the near future.  "The girls" will be very happy about that.

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THREE MORE DAYS

December 28th is always the final blog for the year, and as each year comes to a close, I continue to be amazed that things are still functioning as well as they have been, all things considered.  With only three days left in the year, it got me to thinking about my idea of the Seven Threes, something that came to me a few months ago.  I happened to mention the concept to my friend Guy during my most recent visit to Belize, and it inspired him to write a short essay at his website.  He's a far superior writer than I'll ever be, and he managed to weave the concept into a short little story.  I think he did a wonderful job.  If you would like to read what Guy wrote, you can find it at this link:

https://guymcpherson.com/2017/12/seven-threes/

After looking at the essay, perhaps the reader will be left with a somewhat better appreciation of just how precious our time on the planet is.  At this point, three more years seems an enormous length of time, at least it does to me.  Others may disagree.

I've managed to get the use of a computer in the local library, but it's only for an hour, and the time limit is rapidly approaching, so I had best do a proof read, or ten, and see if I can clean up any errors, prior to hitting the publish button.  Plus, the wood stove back home will need to be topped up soon, and I have a snow project to deal with as well, which should keep me occupied until dark.  In addition to that, Ringo, "the girls" and of course the fish are probably wondering why I'm not there attending to their every need.  

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

RETURN TO RINGO

POST # 291

In a couple of days*, I'll begin another housesit with my furball buddy, Ringo.  I haven't seen him in over two years.
Until that time, I'll take the opportunity to have a visit with my friends, Talyn and Mike, on their farm which is just down the road, and around the bend from Ringo's pad.

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
*I arrived here at Howard and Sally's place last night, but the house sit officially begins on the 23rd.

BELIZE PHOTOS and THREE SNOWBALLS

POST # 290


With numerous photos from my most recent trip to Belize, I decided today would be a good day to add them to the blog record.  It's a great excuse for not having to write too many words.  So here we go.

 

 APPROACHING THE COAST OF MEXICO EN ROUTE TO BELIZE

VEGETABLE GARDENS AT BLANCANEAUX LODGE

MR. SCORPION DROPPED IN FOR A VISIT ONE MORNING

XELU (pronounced SHAYLOO)

STREET SIGN IN TOWN

GETTING READY TO HEAD BACK TO CANUCKLAND

SINKING INTO THE GLOOM

ARRIVING IN TORONTO EN ROUTE TO VANCOUVER

OK, so that just about takes care of all of the photos on the journey, but I would like to finish off with a few snowballs.  SNOWBALLS? WTF? They come in all different sizes and shapes.

THE STANDARD SNOWBALL

 THE FURBALL SNOWBALL

THE BONEHEAD SNOWBALL

The first of these three can be found in many northern locations depending on the time of year.  The second Snowball, decided to befriend me during my visit to Belize.  And the third Snowball, was my old buddy from the Yukon, seen here in this somewhat ghostly image which I captured while we sat on a rock pile close to Snug, circa 2001.

Finally, one more photo of the furball, Snowball.  This was his morning routine after breakfast.  Nothing like a human leg to fall asleep on.

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

LAUGHING WITH FRIENDS & THE PEOPLE OF BELIZE

POST # 289

PAULINE & GUY

I would be hard pressed to remember if I have ever spent any two-week period in my life when I have enjoyed so much laughter. Why?  Because during this time, I have had the good fortune to be a guest at the Stardust Sanctuary Farm, here in Western Belize. This is the home of my dear friends Guy and Pauline. 

Anyone that has had,  or will have the opportunity to share time with these two fine individuals can't help but be left with a profound sense of gratitude for having made their acquaintance. That has certainly been my experience, and it's confirmed by a former "Workaway" guest named Sara. (See below).

Left by Workawayer (Sara) for host

Pauline and Guy's place is absolutely beautiful and they are wonderfully gracious hosts. I stayed in the apartment in the Villa (the main community house) and it was impeccably clean with lots of natural light. A lot of essentials like towels, bedding, and even shampoo and soap were provided. When I got there Lily gave me a tour of the property, told me how to use various plants for medicinal purposes, and made me a delicious omlette from eggs she gathered that morning. Lily has lived in the area all her life, so if you have any questions about Belize - she's the one you should ask.

The main community house has a shared kitchen and living space, along with a screened sitting area - which is a fantastic place to share a meal in the evening before a dip in the salt-water pool.

Pauline won't let you do any work you don't feel comfortable doing - but any help is deeply appreciated. There are tons of building projects going on and guests come and go all the time - you'll never be bored! Everyone I met who lived full-time on the property was incredibly friendly and helpful.

One thing I will say: Be prepared for a lot of humidity and scorching hot days. Everyone was sure to remind me to drink plenty of water - you will sweat buckets just sitting down, so be careful. If you need to do any physical work, the best time is to do it early in the morning. The bugs weren't too bad for me unless I was walking around in the taller grass. During the the hottest times of the day, I stayed in the shade or in the pool if there was an overcast. Wear sunscreen! If you're sensitive to sound when you're sleeping, bring ear plugs. You'll be in the jungle - which gets really loud at night due to frogs, insects, howler monkeys, and birds - but that is all part of the experience! 

Belize has a terrible telecommunications system, so access to the internet is frustratingly slow, or non-existent. If you need to check your email while you're away, there are a few resorts nearby that have decent internet.

Overall - I had a wonderful experience and highly recommend staying with Pauline and Guy. I left feeling like I had found life-long friends (OK, I didn't even want to leave).

In fact, Sara was so impressed, she has made a return visit. Guy and Pauline seem to have that effect on many individuals. They're fun to be around. But like most good things in life, this current visit will soon come to a close, even though the good memories will be everlasting.

Once again, it's time for The Thoughtful Wanderer to be on his way to the next adventure, but just before I go, here is one final story. Yesterday, as I was bike riding back home from San Antonio, the town that is 1.75 miles from here, I had a thought pop into my mind. That is, I bet that I could travel ten times that distance in Vancouver, or perhaps anywhere else in North America, and in spite of the fact that I would encounter a larger number of people on that hypothetical journey, I sincerely doubt that I would experience even 10% of the smiling, happy faces that I saw on yesterday's bike ride. That tells you everything you need to know about the locals. 

                              BEAN FARMER PAUL                               

living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

MEG RYAN and DESPERATE SITUATIONS REQUIRE DESPERATE MEASURES

POST # 288

Earlier this year, when I was in Bend, Oregon, I was walking back to my house sit location when two young lads on bicycles went riding past me.  I'm guessing that they were probably around 10 years old, give or take a year.  Anyhow, as they slowly rolled by, they happened to be in a conversation that I  overheard.  It went as follows:

Boy #1: "Desperate situations require desperate measures."
Boy # 2: "What?"
Boy #1: "Desperate situations require desperate measures."
Boy # 2: "What does that mean?"
Boy #1:  "I don't know."


Well I can't tell you just how much that made me chuckle, and I've told this story to a few others that also enjoyed a belly laugh.  Boy #1 and Boy #2 have no idea how much laughter has resulted from their little chat.

The reason I mention it in this blog post is that it involves a tooth of mine.  It wasn't really a desperate situation, and the measure which followed wasn't either, but here is the story in any event.
Some time ago, a filling dropped out of one of my teeth, and I managed to put off doing anything about it until yesterday. It didn't hurt, so it was easy to delay the inevitable trip to the dentist.   But as the tooth began to turn grey, I decided that it was time to act, in spite of the non desperate nature of the situation.
Having been to Belize recently, and knowing how reasonably priced dental work is,  I decided to book another visit to see my friends Guy and Pauline, and while there, get my tooth repaired.

So I'm back in Belize for the third time this year, and yesterday I met Meg Ryan, or as she is known around these parts, Dr. Megan Ryan, my new dentist.   She did a brilliant job for a fraction of the charge in Canada, and as I mentioned to her when I was there, it was the first time in my entire life that I was so relaxed, that I could have fallen asleep in the dentist's chair. That's how gentle she was. I'd certainly go back for another visit in the future.

BEFORE

AFTER

So with that little chore out of the way, I can relax, and continue enjoying my Belize visit. 

Living a life of simple acceptance,

Paul, 

The Thoughtful Wanderer