DORA -DOG'S NEW BED AND A MEMORY FROM LONG AGO

 POST # 630

Since arriving a week ago today, here in Shelter Bay, I've managed to get Dora-dog out for a few walks.  One walk in particular was a rather long one indeed, and by the time we returned home, she was ready for a well deserved rest.

Mind you, walking isn't all of the exercise that she enjoys, and she has plenty of toys to play with when we are inside the house.  This is usually how she begins each day.

And there has been a new addition to the house this past week.  Mary decided to buy Dora-dog a new bed.  She has quite a few, but since this one arrived, it has become number one indeed.  As you can see, she looks pretty relaxed in her new soft bed.  Mary made a very good choice with this purchase, and it has the Dora-dog stamp of approval.

And if walking and chasing toys isn't enough to keep her busy, she can always go to the dog's little library, and leave a stick, and take a new one.  

And now for a completely different topic. Sometime this past week, and for whatever reason, a thought came into my mind from a very long time ago, and I have no idea why.  It was in 1988, and yours truly was working at Expo '88 in Brisbane, Australia.  The photo below shows me dressed in white overalls in front of a concession stand on the site.  The gentleman to my right, was a character known as Uncle Arthur.  There was a TV show in Australia called The Comedy Company, which was a very popular show at that time.  They had plenty of characters on the show, and Uncle Arthur was one of the most popular ones.  Anyhow, I happened to be working, cleaning up an ice cream stain on the ground, and when I looked up, I saw Uncle Arthur.  Being a fan of the show, I recognised him right away, and accompanying him was a film crew.  Uncle Arthur ( Actor Glenn Robbins) asked me if I wanted to be a part of one of his skits, and of course I said yes.  Long story short, it made it onto the show, and when my friends in Melbourne saw it, they got to see their Canadian friend on national TV.  

So when I had this thought the other day, I decided to do a search on the internet to see if I could find  the video of this event.  As luck would have it I did, so if the reader wants to watch it, just go to this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTfDTjx2g-E

It's a long video, but the part that includes this scene begins at the 5:55 mark and goes to the 10:34 mark.  That covers Uncle Arthur's entire trip to Expo, but the part featured below, begins at the 7:13 mark.  Hopefully that all makes sense.  There are plenty of other Uncle Arthur skits on the video, so if you enjoy his humour, sit back, relax and have a few laughs.

 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

WANDERING THOUGHTFULLY INTO 2025

 POST # 629

As of today, the stoking of the fireplace will once again be in the hands of Howard and Sally, because the Thoughtful Wanderer will be wandering thoughtfully back to the USA for a little while.

There will be a multitude of different types of transport to get me there, starting with a car, then a ferry, a bus, a skytrain, and another train.  Eventually I will be back in Washington to spend some time with Mary and Dora-dog, which I am very much looking forward to.

I had to break the news to Logan first, and I can't quite read the expression on his face.  Mind you, the fact that he is sitting upon my computer makes me think that he doesn't want me to leave so soon.

On the other hand, one look into Caper's eyes tells me that she definitely doesn't want me to go.  My guess is that she has become accustomed to getting more treats than usual, and she doesn't want the gravy train to come to an end.  Sorry Caper, but all good things must come to an end as the old saying goes.

As is almost always the case, when I look back at the time that I have spent here, or for that matter any location, it seems to have gone by faster than expected.  But it has been an enjoyable and relaxing time indeed.  

Perhaps sometime down the road, I'll have yet another opportunity to take care of these two four-legged friends, and if that happens it would be wonderful.

In the meantime, I will continue to wander, thoughtfully of course, onwards to my next destination.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: I was meant to pick up Howard and Sally in Victoria last night, but their flight was cancelled.  We came up with a plan B, which involved me taking Caper to the doggie daycare nearby, and then dropping off their car at the ferry terminal this morning.  They will pick it up later today, and get Caper on their way home.

MY FINAL POST OF 2024

 POST # 628

What is that strange bright object in the sky?  The other morning it appeared for the first time, and because it has been such a rare visitor since I arrived here, I felt compelled to take a photo of it, as well as a photo of my current home, with the sun shining upon it.

And it was a good thing that I took those two photos when I did, because with very few exceptions, it's been rain, rain, and more rain.  And when it isn't raining, the sky is overcast most of the time.  On one of my former visits, we had plenty of snow, and at this time of year, I'd much prefer the snow over the rain.  I guess it must be my prairie roots showing through.  In December, back in Alberta, it would always be snow.  Ah well, at least I get to be here to experience whatever the weather is producing.  

Since my last visit, Howard and Sally purchased a brand new fireplace, and it works like a charm.  It has been getting plenty of use since I arrived, and I am thankful to have it, as the days have been on the cooler side for sure. Having to start and maintain a fire everyday is something that I have had plenty of experience doing, so it's a rather simple chore for me to accomplish.  Mind you, it does make one aware of just how spoiled we are, when we can just turn a dial on the wall and provide heat via electricity or gas.  A fireplace is certainly more work, but on the other hand, it seems to provide a calming effect, when one stares at the fire.

One of the neighbours has a new edition of pigs since I was last here, or at least I don't remember them from before.  Caper always wants to go up to the fence line to say hello, and the pigs are just as curious on their side.  But everyone involved seems to have a respect for the electric fence that separates us all.  The pigs are happy to be on their side, and Caper and his house sitter are content to remain at a distance on this side.

Of course, Caper isn't the only four-legged critter that I have the pleasure of spending time with.  Logan the furball is here as well.  Logan spends plenty of his time outdoors, but every now and again we get to have the pleasure of his company for a while.  

From the house sitter's point of view, they are both great company to have around. Even though Logan is MIA for the majority of each day, when he is here, he is a very happy furball indeed.  And Caper should be re-named Shadow, because he follows me wherever I go in the house.  He seems to have settled down as well since my last two visits, and I'm thankful for that.

I have some new neighbours since my last visit here, and they have been kind enough to take Caper for a long walk on most days which I am grateful for.  These days, the old right ankle is beginning to seize up, so long walks are more of a challenge than they used to be.  Mind you, the surgeon who put my leg back together in 2012 told me at that time, that eventually this would be the case.  But hey, considering that the first surgeon that I met with mentioned that I may have to get my foot amputated, a little bit of arthritis is a very small price to pay indeed.

Well, I guess that just about sums things up for 2024 as far as my blog goes.  The next post will be in the new year of 2025.  It has been an interesting year in more ways than one, and no doubt 2025 holds some more surprises in store.  I imagine that there will be both good and bad surprises on the horizon, and I guess we'll have to wait and see how 2025 unfolds.  I for one, am just happy to still be here, and participating in life.  What more could one ask for?

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

MY RECENT WANDERINGS

 POST # 627

After one final walk with Dora-dog, it was time to get ready to once again be on the road to my next house sit gig.  Mary drove me to the train station this past Thursday so that I could catch the evening train back to Vancouver.  Once she and Dora-dog had left, it was time to wait for the train.  And wait, and wait, and wait some more.  About a half hour after the scheduled departure time of 7:34 pm, a member of the staff at the station informed us that the train would not be arriving, due to a landslide on the tracks, south of our location.  So now what?  Fortunately a bus had been organised, and it eventually arrived around 9 pm.  Now that it was a bus journey, we would have to clear customs at the border, which is something that I haven't done for a few years.  Thankfully, there were only six passengers on the bus, and we were in and out of customs in under ten minutes, and then on our way to Vancouver.

I arrived very late, and I was ready for bed.  The next morning I had a quick visit with Nicole and Dan prior to them heading off to work, and me getting ready to head to the ferry terminal.  Of course, there is always time to take a photo of Ollie prior to my departure, and after that was completed, I was on my way.

Howard met me at the ferry terminal in Nanaimo, and we headed back to their place just west of Duncan.  Caper, the bonehead seemed to be happy to see me, so happy in fact that she jumped up on the bed for a while.  Something tells me that this is where she will be sleeping during my stay.  But that's okay, as I am used to having bonehead friends next to me on the bed. I also have Logan, the furball to care for, so the bed might get a bit crowded from time to time.

But just prior to arriving here, Howard stopped in Ladysmith at the supermarket so that I could pick up a few items.  While I was in the store,  I needed to use the washroom, and when I got to it, there was this access code on the door.  Now what are the odds, that I would be in a random grocery store in Ladysmith B.C. and find an access code that is the exact numbers to match my day, month, and year of birth?  How crazy is that?

Howard and Sally left earlier today, and I went with them to the Brentwood Bay ferry, and dropped them off there, prior to heading back home.  When I arrived, Caper was happy to see me, but not so happy that Howard and Sally didn't walk in with me.  I'm sure she'll get used to the new arrangement soon.  But while we were away, Caper took it upon herself to add a few shoes to my bed.  This must be dog code for something, but I am not sure what.

I expect that all will go well, during my stay, and with any luck, the snow will not arrive until after I leave.

And finally, today is winter solstice, so the days will now begin to get longer, which is always a good thing in my opinion.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

A SWIFT EDUCATION

 POST # 626

After leaving my recent house sit with Sal and Gracie, I boarded the Skytrain to head back to Vancouver.  For a Sunday, it seemed unusually busy.  The other thing that I noticed was that the vast majority of the passengers, at least the ones in my carriage, were female.  And it also appeared that many of the females were a mother/daughter combination.

Sitting across from me, and a couple of rows back, was one of these mother/daughter combos.  They were all dressed up in sparkly outfits, with plenty of things dangling from their wrists, and both had the number 13 printed on some part of their bodies.  What on earth could all of this mean?

The journey continued on, and at one point, another mother/daughter couple boarded the train, and because it was by now, standing room only, they had to stand right beside the mother/daughter with the number 13 printed on their bodies.  The recently arrived mother/daughter, also had the number 13 on them, and they were also all dressed up in sparkly outfits.  What's going on here, I asked myself?

I had absolutely no clue whatsoever.  At some point these four females started up a conversation, and it wasn't long before one of them mentioned the name Taylor Swift.  I've heard of the name, but that's about it.  And now I was getting a Swift education for sure, as they continued their conversation.  It didn't take too long before I worked out that they, and probably most of the rest of the people on the Skytrain were heading to a Taylor Swift concert.  

The station that I left the train, was the closest one to the stadium that the concert was being played at, and the neighbourhood was inundated with carbon copies of these women that I had seen on board the train.

The following day, I boarded the Amtrak train, to head across the border once again to visit Mary and Dora-dog.  The train was sold out, and now I know why.  It was packed with concert goers, now returning home from the concert, the night before.

So that was my Swift education.  I sat down with Dora-dog, and patiently explained to her who Taylor Swift is, and what she does for a living, and this was her reaction.

She appears to be as impressed with the news as I was, in other words, not impressed at all.  But I guess that if you're an old fart like me, or a bonehead like Dora-dog, Taylor Swift doesn't have much of an impact.  And that is probably as it should be.  I for one, won't be going out anytime soon, to get the number 13 painted onto my skin.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THANKS SAL AND GRACIE

 POST # 625

Two very relaxed looking boneheads.  It's the end of another day, and they are both getting ready to settle in for the night.

Sal has boundless energy, but when it's time for bed, even she settles down.  Gracie is always settled down, and that is mostly because of her advanced age, as mentioned in last week's blog post.

Their owners arrive back home tomorrow, and then I will once again be on my way.

In my very long list of house sits, Gracie wins the prize for being the oldest bonehead that I have had the pleasure to get to know.  It certainly has taken some extra effort on my part to take care of her, but it has been worth every minute of it.  So thanks Gracie, for teaching me some new lessons.

Sal on the other hand, has been a very faithful companion during my stay here.   She's always by my side, no matter what part of the house that I am in at any given moment.  A true buddy.  So thanks Sal, for spending time with me.

The journey continues.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BORDER COLLIE DOUBLE HEADER

 POST # 624

Sal and Gracie

In all of my years of house/pet sitting, I have had the pleasure to get to know a number of Border Collies, but this is the very first time, that I have had the opportunity to take care of *two of them at the same time.  A Border Collie double header as it were.

I arrived here in Delta, a couple of days ago, and only had a couple of hours or so to spend with the owners in order to go through any information that I needed to know about the house, but more importantly about Sal and Gracie.  The time went by very rapidly, and then they were off on their vacation to Hawaii.

Now it was just the three of us. Time to get to know one another.  Sal is the younger of the two, and right from the start, she was doing her Border Collie best to "round me up" as it were.  She follows me from one room to the next, and it didn't take long for her to decide that this new human can be trusted.  Of course, a few dog treats along the way has helped to cement the relationship.

Sal

Gracie on the other hand, is content to remain on the ground floor.  In actual fact she is 16 years old now, so she is pretty unsteady on her feet, and she doesn't have the ability any longer to climb stairs.  So part of my job is to make sure that I spend time on both levels of the house, so that both of them can have the opportunity to interact with the new human.

Gracie

Gracie spends much of her day, lying down and sleeping.  She doesn't have the energy to do much of anything else.  She lets me know when she needs to go out, and when that happens, I guide her around the yard, to make sure that she's okay, and eventually we make it back inside.  At that point, she settles in once again for a nap.  Gracie is certainly the oldest Border Collie that I have had the opportunity to spend time with.  No doubt, she will teach me a few lessons, during my stay here.

Sal on the other hand, has plenty of energy to spare, so we make sure to get out for our daily walks around the neighbourhood.  

So it's early days for now, and the three of us are still getting used to the routine.  But if the time spent so far is any indicator, it looks like things should go pretty smoothly for the rest of the house sit.  I'm looking forward to hanging out with these two.

* It is true that this is the first time that I have cared for two Border Collies, however I did care for four of them all at the same time, way back when during a sit at my friend's place in Bear Creek, in the Yukon.  Here is a link to that post from January 14th, 2016.  It includes a few videos, including one with all the dogs barking as was their habit, when the daily plane to Whitehorse took off for its journey south.

https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2016/01/back-in-bear-creek-yukon.html

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer