Author: andrew puntch

married, dog owner, current events, politics, history, baseball, weather/climate

Dogs at Play

I am sorting through photos and came across these from the time shortly after we moved back to this house.

Achilles kicks off a merry chase game and Kendal joins in, which he rarely did.Image

Achilles leads on with Kendal in hot pursuit of him. Achilles is so fluid and graceful, Kendal is pure power. Chilidog can outmaneuver Kendal but if Kendal caught him, Chili would be bowled over. Stella is in hot pursuit of Kendal. Stella and Achilles have been buds for seven years now. Sometimes she singles Kendal out for special attention more than I like.Image

Chase games happen less frequently now, the dogs are older. While it would be easy to be sad about that, I prefer not to be. I look at these photos and smile. I look at Stella and Kendal now, several years on. They are crashed on separate dog beds on the deck. (I would look at Achilles but he is inside, crashed on the love seat. They are our dogs. They are good dogs.

The Keystone XL pipeline and the PM

Paul Wells, over at Macleans.com, wrote an interesting post about the Prime Minister’s seeming lack of opinion and comment about the US President’s recent comments on the pipeline.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/07/30/keystone-its-going-well/

If one took Mr. Obama’s comments literally, it seems the Keystone proposal will be disapproved, or at best needing a rewrite.

Mr. Wells suggested three reasons Mr. Harper might be so quiet on the file. He may be right (though I find it hard to believe that Mr. Harper can be wildly misreading the evidence). I thought of other reasons.

If the US does not want our product, other nations – especially those on the Pacific Rim – do. A pipeline to the BC coast (or thinking outside the box, to the Arctic) can get it to a port.

A reversed pipeline from Sarnia ON east to Quebec is another possibility.

I’m unsure that the PM would run in 2015 on #3, the Wounded Pride hypothesis. I think it’s more that a pipeline and a port in Canada means jobs for Canadians. And with an election on the horizon, jobs for Canadians (especially potentially in hurting ON and QC) would be a good selling point.

Busy Time

I am leaving work early one day and so that I do not use limited vacation time, I am going to work an hour early this week. Other obligations keep me from blogging.

 

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Jumping Spider

Jumping Spider

Though she’s not a big fan of spiders, Faye allowed this little creature to explore her arm the other evening. I think jumping spiders are intriguing and attractive little animals

Avis

Today, I told some people at work stories about my dog Avis.

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She was literally a flea market dog – adopted at a flea market for some acquaintances who backed out at the last minute, leaving me holding the bag (or should I say holding the puppy).

Avis was a spaniel(?) mix who weighed about 30 lbs and was quite a character. She escaped three times that I remember, once being bailed out of the pound. She was almost fearless, once launching herself at a GSD/wolf hybrid, only escaping unscathed because I and the other human alertly brought our leashes up short and backed away. She liked being in the water but never learned to kick with her hind legs which resulted in some comical/unsettling moments as she sank by the back end, being resolved by fitting her with a flotation jacket.

As she aged she mellowed (thank goodness!), enjoying more lap and couch time. Ambles around the block became quite enough. She tolerated the addition of younger dogs – Moonpie, Stella, Corndog, foster dogs – to the household.

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In early 2005 and at fifteen years of age she had had enough, which is a story in itself. It was time to let go of her. I do not grieve for my loss. While I do sometimes shed a tear or two, the bargain we make with having and loving dogs is that we will almost certainly outlive them. I don’t mourn, I look back and am grateful that I owned her and learned something about the love of and for dogs.

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Sweet Alyssum

Sweet Alyssum

This plant is aptly named. When I got home I was greeted by the pleasant, full yet delicate aroma of the planter full of these tiny flowers. the honeybees surely like them. Tonight’s gentle rain shower is providing a nourishing drink.

Along Came A Spider

Along Came A Spider

This fellow (or lady, I am unsure which) has taken up residence inside an empty rain barrel. After about a dozen photos, some with flash, it tired of the attention and climbed its web and hid under the rain barrel lid.

Moving day

Moving day

The Goderich CPR railroad station is a very neat structure. The last train pulled out around 50 years ago and the building has been little used since. An entrepreneur has bought it with the idea of transforming it into a restaurant. As a paft of the plan it is being moved about 100 meters closer to the beach. As you see it is ready to go and I understand the move is planned for this week.

I think it’s a good plan and hope it transforms this wonderful building into something more than something to drive by, and to visit during the occasional art show.

Click the photo to learn a little more about the building.

11:30 and It’s Nap Time

11:30 and It's Nap Time

Being a dog is a tough, exhausting job.