BLOOMS AND THE BALL

 POST # 693

Maybe it was a bird flying by, or perhaps a squirrel running around the backyard, but somehow a sunflower seed managed to find a place to settle.  And now we have the beginning of what will be a magnificent sunflower, one day in the future.  It is amazing just how fast it has grown to this point, and I'm looking forward to following its progress while I am here.  There are other  sunflower seeds as well, so with any luck the backyard will have plenty of sunflowers by the time fall has arrived.

Yes, it's that time of year when everything is blooming, and we have a good selection of plants here to admire as the days go by.

Of course, one of my favourite plants growing right now is the resident rhubarb plant.  The stalks are fairly thin at the moment, but not so thin that I haven't had an early season taste.  And when it is prepared like my dad prepared rhubarb, with just a sprinkle of salt upon it, it is very yummy indeed.  I'll be keeping a close eye on its progress, for sure.

Rounding out today's short post, is the familiar face of Dora-dog, relaxing for a moment, after playing a game of chase the ball around the yard, which is one of her favourite things to do each and every morning.  We both get some exercise, and that is a good way to start the day.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

DORA-DOG'S DAILY DOG BISCUIT TREAT

 POST # 692

I've lost track of the countless number of times that I have taken Dora-dog for her daily walk into town and back.  It has become part of our routine, and an enjoyable part for sure.

About a week or so ago, we had finished our outbound journey which ends at the marina at the north end of town, and turned around to begin our homeward trip.  On this part of the walk, we always pass by an ice cream shop along the way, and up until this recent time, we just walked right on past, as if the place never existed.

But one day, Dora-dog decided to stop, and look up at the counter.  I guess she must have sniffed out the dog biscuits that were situated there, and she sat down in anticipation of a treat coming her way.

Sure enough, she got what she came for, and after thanking the person, we headed back home.  I figured that would be the end of it, and come the next day our walk would be back to its normal routine, without the ice cream shop stop.  WRONG!!!  Stupid me.  Every day since that first dog biscuit, Dora-dog makes a little left turn from the sidewalk, and parks herself smack dab in front of the counter to await her next treat.  It has now come to the point that when I am ready to leave, she just continues to stand there, and look up at the person, hoping to get yet another treat.  A couple of days ago, I started to walk away, and she looked at me, then she looked up at the counter, pondering her options. What to do?  Hmmm!!!  She continued to wait for a treat.  I guess I know where I stand in her order of priorities.

Here she is in action, just the other day.  All the people working there have come to know Dora-dog by now, and they all are happy to see her arrive for her daily treat.

Once she returns home, she is happy to hang out on the back deck and enjoy some sunshine, and while she's doing that, she is probably already thinking about tomorrow's walk to town, that will once again provide her with her daily dog biscuit treat.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

FENCED IN AGAIN

 POST # 691

Some time ago, I can't quite remember when, there was a very windy day here in Shelter Bay.  It was so windy in fact, that the fence separating Mary's yard from her neighbour's yard buckled under the pressure, as the posts holding the fence, broke.  Even though the fence was still standing at that time, it was going to have to be repaired.

Mary found someone who could do the work, so he came out here last week to tackle the job.  In the photo below, you can see some of the old posts that were rotted at their base.  It was time to get some new ones in the ground.

It took a few days to complete this project, and while the section remained open for Dora-dog to go into the neighbour's yard and chase the cats that are there, she managed to stay on Mary's side, so that was a good thing.

Old post

New post.

Finally, the job was completed, and Mary (and the neighbour) now have a solid fence between the two properties.  The contractor, Scott, did an excellent job, and so I imagine that this fence will be able to hold up to any strong winds in the foreseeable future.

And Dora-dog now has her yard back to run around in, without having to be tempted by any cats in the neighbour's yard.

                                                    

                                                                   Fenced in again

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BORDER BLUES

 POST # 690

Border Crossing

When I travel to the USA via Amtrak, I don't have to wait until I get to the border crossing in order to clear US customs.  That procedure is done at the train station in Vancouver.

In recent times, I have commented to various people that lately, going through customs has been very simple, and in fact, prior to this recent trip, the border agent didn't even ask any questions.  He just stamped my declaration card, and I was on my way.

So imagine my surprise last week, when once again I was standing in line at the train station, waiting my turn to go through customs.  I had a bad feeling about the agent even before I stepped up to his booth.  Perhaps it was the look on his face.

In any event, it took a very long time to go through the process.  He just kept asking more and more and more questions.  Questions that I have never been asked before, like how much is my income, how much do I have in my bank account, when did I retire, etc. etc. etc.  At one point I was beginning to wonder if he was going to let me through or not.

Finally, for whatever reason, he decided to allow me to continue, and I made my way onto the train in preparation for my southbound journey.  It was without a doubt, one of the longest times that I have ever spent going through customs, and I wonder if that is going to be the way it is from now on?  Only time will tell.

As always, Mary and Dora-dog were there at the station to meet me, and drive back to her home in Shelter Bay.

It had been a long day, as you can tell by the look on Dora-dog's face.

It was time to call it a day, and be thankful that I was successful in making the journey.  My border blues for today had come to an end.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE IMPOSTER

 POST # 689

What the heck?  I went to bed last night with the Ollie that I knew, and I woke up this morning with this updated version of him.  Black and white, long hair, and larger as well.  Who is this imposter?  

Don't get me wrong, the new Ollie is a wonderful furball, but where did the old Ollie go?

Ah, here he is after all. He never really left, but when I told him about the other furball, he had this rather shocked look upon his face.  I had to then explain to him who this imposter was.

His name is Bandit, and he has found a home at my friend's place here in Vancouver.  I was over to visit them a little while ago, and that's when I had the good fortune to meet Bandit.  As I told Ollie the story, he settled back down, and then went right back to sleep, happy with the knowledge that in this house, he is still number one.

I have to say goodbye to him tomorrow, but we still have a little more time to spend together, so we'll make the best of it.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

NEW FOOTWEAR FOR MY DAILY WALK

 POST # 688

Shortly after my arrival in Vancouver, I decided to take a walk over to the Wildlife Thrift Store on Granville street.  The purpose of my trip was to find some new footwear.  As you can see from the photo below, it was well past time to do this.

The old shoes were almost worn through on the bottom, so I walked into the store, hoping to find something to fit the bill.  And as you can also tell by the photo, I was successful.

I have been wearing the new footwear for a week now, and I have to admit that they are proving to be a good choice.  Each day I head out for my walk, so I have had a good opportunity to break them in.  This particular pair have vibram soles, so it will be a long time before they wear out.

I am very lucky indeed to be able to go for a walk every day.  It's always a reminder of how fortunate I am to still have the ability to perform this simple task.  I was reminded of that fact just the other day, when I saw a man on the street, who had no feet.  Sometimes, we take the most simple things, like going for a walk, for granted.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BACK TO CANADA FOR A LITTLE WHILE

 POST # 687

Yesterday began as just another normal day for Dora-dog, and she was happy to be awake, have some breakfast and play with her toys.  Everything was looking good at this point in time.  

I try to get my luggage out to the car in the garage without her knowing, so that she doesn't suspect that something is up.  We all hop into the car, and head to the train station in Mount Vernon.  The route is a familiar one for her, and I make sure to point out all the horses and cows along the way, to keep her amused.  All is well until we arrive at the train station.  She has by now figured out that if Mary and I are both in the car when we get to the station, that I won't be returning home with them afterwards.  At this point, she shows her feelings, as only Dora-dog can do.

When the train arrived, it was time to say goodbye for now, and just as I boarded the train I took this one last photo.  What is that look?  Is it sadness, or is it a look that suggests that she can't understand why I am leaving?  I'll never know.  Mary told me afterwards that Dora-dog barked at the station attendant who let me outside the station to walk to the train.  It's as if she was blaming him for taking me away.

And then moments later, the train departed, which is sad for all three of us.  But life goes on, and later that day I arrived in Vancouver, in preparation for spending a few weeks with Ollie.

He doesn't look so happy to see me arrive, but as is normally the case, it takes him a little while to adjust, and then all is well.

So it's now time to settle in with Ollie, and enjoy our time together for the next few weeks.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer