WINTER SOLSTICE HAS ARRIVED

 POST # 675

Winter Solstice has once again arrived on the scene, here in the Northern hemisphere, and this is the very first time in my memory of the event, that I have had the chance, brief though it was, to experience a rainbow on this day.  If I had blinked, I would have missed it.  It's the shortest day of the year, and the good news is that from now on, the days begin to get longer, and hopefully less wet. I'm confident of the first item happening, but not so sure about the latter.

Ollie certainly wasn't blinking about it, and in fact, he appears to have a somewhat evil look in his eyes.  Could this be because of the fact that the housesitter has once again arrived on the scene, and that he isn't too happy about his owners leaving?  Perhaps.  Or maybe he's just trying to let me know who really is the boss around here. Or is he attempting to put a spell on me, that will convince me to give him more treats?  It's anyone's guess at this point.

  

I arrived here yesterday, and when I got here, the rain was pouring down.  Something tells me that it's going to be a wet week ahead, but at least I don't have to take Ollie out for a daily walk around the neighbourhood.  He is more than happy to spend the vast majority of his time under some sort of blanket or another, and sleep most of the day away.  Occasionally, he comes up for air, and I then have the opportunity for another photo, like the one below, in which he looks much less sinister that the first photo.

I told him the good news about the days getting longer, and that seems to have had a positive effect on his mood.

So Ollie, let's keep an eye on the sky, and try and notice the lengthening of the days going forward, and who knows, with any luck, we may even get to see another rainbow, before I leave.

At least the weather isn't very cold, with an expected high today of 7 degrees, and a low tonight of 4 degrees.  Compared to my old home of Dawson City, it feels like summer.  Today in Dawson, the expected high is going to be minus 44 degrees, with a low tonight of minus 50.  Thank your lucky stars Ollie, that you aren't roaming around the streets of Dawson City.

  

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

MINI SIT

 POST # 674

The opportunity for a mini sit presented itself this week, and of course, with Dora-dog as my companion, I was more than happy to accept.

Mary was off to Oregon for five days, so it has been just me and Dora-dog here to spend time together.  There has been plenty of rain, but somehow, we have managed to get out and about in between showers, and get some exercise.  As well as our regular walks, we have been down to the beach to check out the extremely high tide.  The high tide, along with the rain, has made for some dicey conditions for various places around the area, but thankfully, here in Shelter Bay, we have been lucky to have escaped any flooding, at least for now.

We did another walk along the channel yesterday, which is one of Dora-dog's favourite places to stroll along, and I took this photo of Mount Baker, and the soggy fields in the foreground. It was the first time that I had seen blue sky in quite a few days, so we certainly wanted to take advantage of that fact.

Of course, all of this running around tires out Dora-dog, and before long we return back home, where she can stretch out and relax, and have a snooze, while dreaming about squirrels and kitty cats.

Mary returns home this evening, and that's when my mini sit will come to a close.  But before that happens, it's time to take another trip to the beach with my faithful four legged companion,

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

FROM THANKSGIVING TO CHRISTMAS

 POST # 673

It sure doesn't take long.  In the USA, once their Thanksgiving is finished, it's already time for Christmas, or so it seems anyway.

Dora-dog is even participating by wearing her festive coat. The photo above is taken from this year's calendar, and the photo below is the one that will be on the 2026 edition.  I guess that she is happy to participate, but you might not know it from the look upon her face.  In any event, soon her festive coat will once again be removed for another year, and she can go about her business in an unrestricted manner.  Now, that's something that will put a smile back upon her face.

And something else that will put a smile upon her face is the new homemade dog biscuits that Mary found a recipe for the other day.  As of this writing, they have been taste tested by Dora-dog, and she gives them a definite paws up.

There has been plenty of rain, and some strong winds this past week, but somehow, I manage to get in a couple of walks each day with Dora-dog, and that's something else that puts a smile upon her face.  Then, the other day, we had a lovely sunset to watch, and one can always be thankful for that little treat, courtesy of Mother Nature.

We still have a couple more weeks of the days getting shorter, and with any luck, we will have a few more sunsets like this one to enjoy.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer