BORDER BREEZE THROUGH

 POST # 702

Proof that I made it back across the border into the USA, is the fact that I am standing next to this 9 foot tall sunflower seed plant, which is located in Mary's back yard, here in Shelter Bay.

So yes, the border crossing this time was a breeze. Compared to my border crossing back on April 8th, it was very easy indeed.  On the recent crossing last week, we were driving across, as opposed to my previous trip by train.  There are two border crossings within about a mile from one another, and we happened to cross at the Peace Arch crossing.  We had planned on crossing at the other border crossing, but I accidentally gave Mary the wrong directions, so we ended up where we were, and had to deal with the agent that we had to deal with.  Thankfully it was a breeze, but who knows what would have happened if we had crossed at the other location?  Many years ago, I happened to be on the phone with a border patrol agent, and I was calling him because I wanted to get some clarification on being allowed to visit the USA.  I think that he actually told me the truth all those years ago, by telling me that whether or not an individual was allowed to cross the border, was totally up to the border crossing agent that you happened to be dealing with at the time.  All that is to say, that if we would have ended up at the other border crossing (the one that we had wanted to cross at) we would have ended up with another border agent, and perhaps that one wouldn't have been as easy to deal with as the one that we ended up with. Anyhow, it was one of the easiest crossings that I have ever made duri ng all of these years.

So it's good to be here again, and the weather has been wonderful, as can be seen from the looks of the garden.

The one item in the garden that I am always very interested in, is the rhubarb plant, which had grown by quite a bit, since my last visit.  I do love my daily morning stalk of rhubarb to get my day started.

There were plenty of weeds to deal with since we got back, and so I have spent quite a bit of time doing some weeding, which I'm happy to help out with, and in fact, as soon as I finish this blog post, I'll be heading outside to do some more weeding.  I have my four-legged friend to give me moral support while I'm out there amongst the weeds.

So it's time to get out there and finish off the weeding for today. I'm thankful that I have had the opportunity to once again be here to spend some precious time with Mary and Dora-dog.

Who knows what the next border crossing attempt will be like, but I'll "cross that border" when I get to it.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

DORA-DOG'S FIREWORKS EVACUATION PLAN

 POST # 701

She may not have been sure about which side of the yellow line that she should be standing on, but she was very sure of one thing, and that was to get away to Canada for a few days in order to be away from the fireworks where she lives.

So last week she boarded a ferry and headed to Vancouver Island for some peace and quiet.  And that is exactly what she found once she arrived here.

As you can see from the next photo, she's looking very relaxed indeed,  while the humans enjoyed some baked goods, and great conversation.  Dora-dog was happy to just be there, and relax.

She also had the opportunity to catch up with her long lost friend, Caper and they had a ball running around together for a few hours, while the humans enjoyed each other's company.

Of course, while all of this was going on, there was still Mr. Leon to take care of, and somehow everything has worked out just fine.

Mary, Dora-dog and myself will be leaving the island tomorrow and returning to Washington.  It would be nice to think that by the time we return, most of the fireworks will have died down, but I do have my doubts.  I guess we'll know tomorrow.

But at least her evacuation plan has worked for a week, and that's better than nothing. 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

TWO FIRSTS

 POST # 700

"and recently I decided to expand my horizons by joining an organisation which matches houses with housesitters."

I wrote those words on my very first blog post way back on October 21st, 2011.  I joined housecarers at the beginning of that month, which is 5,384 days ago.  On most days since that time, I have logged into the housecarers.com website. Each time you open up the home page, there is always a housesitter featured at the top of the page.  Well the FIRST of today's firsts, is that in all of that time, my photo and profile never came up.  Until today.  It kind of caught me by surprise, and before I logged in, I decided to take a photo.  It was the perfect way to celebrate the fact that today is my 700th post on my blog.  A link to that first blog post can be found here.https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2011/10/thoughtful-wanderer-begins.html#comment-form

So now let's move on to the SECOND of those two firsts shall we?  At my last milestone of #600 I was right where I am now, taking care of Mr. Leon, aka "the brushaholic".  That was back on May 28th, 2024.

I decided to mention this fact to Mr. Leon today while he was sprawled out on the kitchen floor, and this was his reaction. He decided to take a nap right then and there.  I guess he isn't as impressed as I am with the SECOND of those firsts.  

Anyhow, on that blog post from way back then, I happened to mention all of the other milestones along the way starting with post #100 and so on, so if the reader wants to review any/all of those posts, they can be found here. https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2024/05/six-hundred.html .  At that time, Mr. Leon looked about as impressed with that milestone as he is with this current one.  What would impress him, is if I stopped writing this blog, and go get his brush and once again start to brush him.  Don't worry Mr. Leon, I'll be finished soon, and then I'm all yours for the rest of the day.

I'll end today's post by including the final paragraph of post # 600, which I think sums up today's writing.

"So the next milestone is #700.  That is scheduled to come about on June 28th 2026.  It seems like an awfully long way into the future, but I was sceptical about reaching other previous milestones, so who knows for sure?  In the meantime, I'll continue to post for as long as I am able to do so, as it has been a great way for me to recall all of the wonderful places and more importantly, the wonderful four legged friends that I have had the utmost pleasure in spending time with along the way."

grateful for every breath,

Paul 

The Thoughtful Wanderer

ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH SILKEN

 POST # 699

Here we go again.  Another "conversation" with Silken.  What have you got to say today, furball?

S:Silken

TTW:The Thoughtful Wanderer

S: Aren't you ever going to get out of bed Paul?

TTW: Hey, I've been awake for a half hour already, and I'm doing some reading.  Do you mind?

S: I do mind, because today is the first day of summer. Wouldn't you like to see the sunrise? I just had a look, and the sun is just about to rise over the horizon, so you must come now or you'll miss it.

TTW:  Okay, okay.  You win.  Let's both get up and go see the sunrise.

TTW:  WOW!!! Thanks for coming to get me, Silken.  That was great timing on your part, and I am very grateful that you came into my room to let me know.

S:  No problem Paul.  It's my job to keep you informed on anything around here that may be of interest to you.  So, you're welcome.

TTW:  Now it's my turn to show you something, Silken.  Last month, when I was still in Washington, there was a blue moon, which is the second full moon, in the same calendar month.  I managed to get a photo of it early the following morning.  Have a look.

S:  That's magnificent Paul.  I don't think that I have ever seen a blue moon before, or if I did, I wouldn't have known that fact, because I don't use a calendar.  All I really need to know on a daily basis, is when my food is going to arrive.  

TTW: I'm glad you mentioned food, Silken, because the other day, I cooked up my very first tofu dish, and if I don't mind saying so, it was delicious.  Here are a couple of more photos for you to look at.  The first one is from the recipe page online, and the second photo is the actual dish that I cooked up.  Not a bad comparison eh?

S:  It looks even better than the recipe photo.  I was wondering what you were doing the other day, with all those pots and pans, and spices and other things.  I guess all of your work was worth it.

TTW:  It certainly was Silken.  In fact, that dish was so tasty, I have decided to try another one this evening.  I can't wait.

S:  Good luck with that Paul.  But make sure that you don't get so distracted making it, that you forget to feed me.

TTW:  We had this conversation just last week, so just relax.  You're my number one priority when I'm here, and I'll make sure that my tofu dish won't conflict with me feeding you your dinner tonight.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

A "CONVERSATION" WITH SILKEN

 POST # 698

A recent "conversation" with Silken.

Silken: S

The Thoughtful Wanderer: TTW

The look upon Silken's face says it all, so here is our "conversation".

S: You did what?

TTW: I know, I know, I can barely believe it myself, Silken.

S:  After all these years of being a faithful Luddite, and now this?  I'm struggling to accept this new fact.

TTW:  Well, you had better get used to it my friend.  It is now officially a part of my life.

S:  But you had to do it here, under my watch?  Why now?

TTW:  Life moves on Silken.  I weighed up all of the pros and cons before making my decision, so now I am sticking with it.  This is the new me.

S:  This decision must have cost you a lot?

TTW:  Actually, it was a gift, which certainly helped me to decide to have it.

S:  Okay, so what do you call this new thing that you received as a gift?

TTW:  It's called an iPhone.

S:  It looks pretty fancy to me. It must be very modern indeed.

TTW:  Actually it's not at all, Silken.  This is version #6 of this gadget, and I think they are already up to #17, so modern, certainly does not describe what I have.

S:  And what on earth do you need it for anyway?

TTW:  Well I still like to think that I don't really need it, but it will come in handy if anyone needs to call me from time to time.  And I can also receive and send text messages with it, so that might be an extra help as well.

S:  What the hell is a text message?

TTW:  Don't worry about it Silken.  It's nothing that you will ever have to deal with for the rest of your life.  Besides, even if you understood what a text message was, you don't have an iPhone to use, and even if you had one, you probably wouldn't use it, as you spend the vast majority of your time sleeping.

S:  I guess you're right.  But back to my original comment about being a Luddite.  Don't you think that this is going to tarnish your reputation now that you've become so "modern"?

TTW:  It is what it is, and I doubt that many people will even take notice of the "new" me.

S:  Okay then.  As long as you are happy with your decision, then so am I.  Now, would you mind if I now went back to sleep?  This conversation has worn me out, and I need to rest up, so that I have enough energy to eat my dinner tonight.  You do remember that you have to feed me in a couple of hours, right?

TTW:  Relax.  Yes, don't worry, I'll have your dinner ready and waiting at the appropriate time.

S:  Thanks Paul.  Wake me when dinner is ready.

TTW: You can count on it Silken.

And here is one more photo of Silken, just prior to nap time, and still wondering why I now have an iPhone 6.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BEND AND BACK

 POST # 697

On June 4th, we headed off on a road trip to Bend, Oregon. Mary's granddaughter was graduating from high school, and Mary wanted to be there to participate in the event.

With the car loaded up, and with Dora-dog happily settled in the back seat, we headed off on our adventure.  It was just before 11 am when we were finally on our way.  Thankfully the weather cooperated with a mostly overcast day, which makes it comfortable to drive, without the sun glaring through the windows.

Getting through the Seattle area wasn't too bad, and the traffic flowed smoothly, as we continued on our journey southward to Oregon.

Once we had crossed the border, it wasn't long before we arrived in the town of Sandy.  And for us, Sandy is famous for the fabulous bakery located there.  It was a perfect spot to take a break, and have a snack, before getting back on the road.

From Sandy, it's about another hour or so to Mount Hood, which is a magnificent mountain to look at as we drove on by.

As we continued on our journey, the desert landscape begins to take over, and the air is much dryer than it is on the coast.  We arrived at our air b&b location around 8 pm, settled in, and called it a day. The location is a quiet one near the river, and quiet is always a bonus as far as I am concerned.

  

Since arriving, we've had time to get out for some nice walks along the river in a few different locations. The first of the two photos below, is only about a five minute walk from where we are staying, which gives the reader an idea of what the landscape is like that surrounds us.  

Dora-dog has been happy to get the opportunity to splash around in the river from time to time, which she is very grateful for having had the opportunity to do so.

We depart this morning, June 7th, to head back to Shelter Bay, and then I am heading back to Canada the following day.  I'll wait to post this entry until we get back, just in case there is anything else that I want to add with regards to the return journey.

And here are two more photos before this post comes to an end.  Dora-dog by the river on our evening walk last night, and relaxing back at the air b&b after the walk.

And finally, the return journey was uneventful, and we arrived back in Shelter Bay around 6:30 pm.

Here is a photo taken near a place called Warm Springs.  Very interesting landscape in this part of Oregon.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

CONCRETE AND DECK WORK

 POST # 696

Before we come to the story regarding Canadian donuts, let me spend a little bit of time talking about the deck work that has now been completed. (Well, almost completed, as I have a few touch ups that I will finish later today.)

This happened to be round number two regarding the deck. The first time that I completed this task was way back in April, 2021.  Here is a link to that blog post. https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/search?q=deck+work+done

I am amazed that just over five years have gone by since that first staining of the deck.  The older I get, the faster the years fly by, which is all the more reason to try and get as much out of each day as possible.

The photos show the before and after look, and if I don't mind saying so myself, I think it looks pretty darn good once again.  It had a double coat this time, so perhaps it will last longer than five more years.  Even Dora-dog has approved of the new look, as she inspects my finished work.

Okay, that's enough talk about the deck.  Now let's talk about Concrete with a capital C.

Approximately an hour's drive east of here is the small town of Concrete, WA.  I have been there on a few occasions over the years, and I just have to say that there is a pizza place there, that sells the very best pizza that I have ever tasted.  But this story isn't about pizza.

When I take my daily walk with Dora-dog, we always pass by the post office in town, and in front of it, there is a newspaper stand, that holds issues of the Concrete Herald.  Recently, the cover attracted my attention, so I grabbed a copy and brought it home to read.

There were numerous interesting articles to read, and near the end of the paper I came across the only obituary printed in that particular edition.  I decided to read about Carmal Ann Arnold.  Imagine my surprise, when I read about all of the places that she had lived throughout her life.  The place that caught my attention was the town of Canadian,Texas.  What?  There is actually a town in the USA called Canadian?  Turns out to be the case.  Here is a link to Canadian's website for anyone who is interested. https://www.canadiantx.com/live-in-canadian  The photo at the beginning of today's blog post is of the donut shop in Canadian.

After being a Canadian for over 71 years now, I had never heard of the place.  And I bet that I could do a survey of 100 Canadians, and not even one would know that there is such a place.  It was worth picking up the copy of the Concrete Herald, just to learn that fact.

I guess that is enough rambling for today.  It's going to be a beautiful day by the looks of it, and Dora-dog will be sporting a new look on our walk, because later this morning, she will be getting her Spring haircut, just in time for the warmer weather.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer