I captured Achilles during a recent evening. He is as sweet as this photo suggests. A good boy and we are so very blessed to have him.
Tag: blessed
Corndog
I have what I think are some good photos on the camera Unfortunately the camera is in the car, which Faye has tonight. Rather than lament my forgetfulness, here’s a wonderful blast from my past.
One day in 2005 as I power-walked Stella, this loose on the street Labx began following us. He was a friendly boy, didn’t seem too street- or car-savvy. I didn’t want him to get hit so I encouraged him to follow us. Very long story shortened, I named him Corndog (he was yellow, and round, and a dog, ergo Corndog). After a couple false starts he came to live with me. Our time together was cut unexpectedly short by his lymphoma diagnosis, and I had to let go of him in January 2007.
I’m grateful to have had him in my life. Sometimes I think, believe, we get the dog we need. Corndog came into my life when I was focussed, intense. He may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed but he was sweet, friendly, happy. He never met a human, dog, or cat he disliked. I needed some lightening up, some comic relief. Through owning him I became more relaxed and open, a better human and a better dog owner.
This is my most favourite photo of him, dozing on the couch. I think he was snoring.
Laundry time
Taken with the PlayBook
Despite the busy and hectic few days mentioned, when I saw this photo I was compelled to make time to comment.
This photo is from from last January. Yes that’s right, Faye is hanging laundry and yes, the ground is snow covered. Though a cloudy day the humidity level was probably low and as you see from the sheet slightly billowing, there was a slight breeze.
Laundry does dry in subfreezing weather. Not 100%, but enough that a short session inside on drying racks removes all residual moisture. I did not believe it until I witnessed it.
We hang laundry because we do not have a dryer, which must seem amazingly primitive to some people. Even when our small town had a laundromat we used the ‘solar and wind powered dryer’. Even if we did have one (and it would be nice), we’d still hang laundry. Hanging laundry smells fresher. It endures less wear and tear. It costs far, far less money. There are also two somewhat overlooked attributes to hanging laundry.
One is that is that you pay a little more attention to the weather. ‘Do I have an opportunity to get laundry done tomorrow, before that chance of rain?’ Related to that, you have to get outside. To get off the couch, to be active, to live in our real world of warmth, cold, sun, clouds, wind, no wind.
I must confess. Faye takes responsibility for doing laundry, which means that she’s the one much more often than not who is hanging, un-hanging. I’m very, very grateful and appreciative that she does it. And am reminded when these chores fall on me how very blessed I am to have a partner to take on this responsibility.
All ears
I zoomed in and unintentionally close and cropped Stella’s ear. I love her intent look, her liquid brown eves, the ‘freckle’ on her nose. I love this dog.
Gratitude
I made my fund-raising goal for the OSPCA Friends for Life! Walk in just over a week, six days before the walk. It was an ambitious goal and I was a little skeptical, expecting to achieve my objective in the last day or so.
Events like this reinforce my belief that (most) people are essentially good, and reinforce my gratitude for people, their generosity, for being alive and blessed.
Achilles, do you want to go on a walk?
Pay it back, and forward
I adopted Achilles from a Central Texas animal shelter in May of 2006. He was picked up as a stray and his people, for whatever reason, had not come for him.
He was an adult dog and adults often are overlooked by potential adopters. Chilidog had been looked at but not adopted. The shelter workers held on to him, believed in him, kept him well past the time they probably should have ‘made a decision.’ And then I came along. He had been there two days short of a year on the day I brought him home.
Here we are, eight years later. Achilles has been such a treasure. He’s a great ambassador for his species. He’s a good ladies’ man I’m told.
A small way to return the favour those shelter workers did him, me, us, is to fund-raise for the OSPCA. So we’re walking in the OSPCA Friends for Life! Walk.
Pay it back, pay it forward.
Beloved Achilles. Friends for life indeed.
At ease
At ease in our very pleasant back yard. At ease wearing pink. At ease wearing an ear stud. At ease with my friend, companion. At ease in, with, life.
Achilles
taken and posted with the PlayBook
He is, always has been, easy to have, easy to be around, easy on the eyes and spirit. How blessed we are to have such a treasure in our lives.
Helleborus
I had never heard of this little amethyst gem before coming to Canada. I’m blessed that Faye planted this one in our backyard before we met, it’s a beautiful flower.
Blessed
I’m going to be quite busy for a few weeks. Faye has begun working for a farmer, plantiing Brussels sprouts and peppers. This isn’t the first year she has planted. Long hours, long days, made longer by our late-arriving spring and wet May. The farmer planned to begin three weeks ago and because of our very wet weather only started the day before yesterday. There’s a lot of catching up to do.
Yesterday Faye went to work before 0700 and returned about 2100. Today will be the same as will the next two or three weeks. I am awed by her toughness, her endurance, her willingness to do this very hard work. It would be perfectly understandable if after such a long day Faye unintentionally became short, snippy, snappy, mean – she does not.
At these times I’m very forcefully reminded of all that she does to keep our home going. Feed and walk the dogs, cook, bake, shop, put out the trash and recycling, laundry, dishes. Most especially our garden. We have an amazing vegetable garden and Faye’s done the overshelming majorty of the planning, prepping, digging, seed starting, planting, maintaining.
For the next few weeks I will attempt to fill in and do all of these things. This time reminds me how incredibly lucky, blessed, I am that my partner is kind, generous, thoughtful, and the most amazing dynamo.
Thank you.
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