Glorious Day
Images
Achilles at rest
Chili did not use this bolster bed for quite some time, only recently curling up in it. It’s interesting how dogs’ habits and preferences change. For the longest time, Stella only came in the man cave when I was eating at the desk. She still comes in only infrequently, yet on occasion she will hop up on the love seat when I’m in here.
Another harbinger
We live on (under) the Tundra Swans’ flyway between their wintering grounds on the US East Coast and their summer home in Canadian North. We eagerly anticipate seeing them every year, and our first sighting was almost two weeks ago. Beautiful, majestic birds, bringing inspiration and hope after a long and hard winter.
Waiting
Our potted ornamental plants wait to be moved outside. They have been under artificial light inside, for months. One African Violet may not make it. Today is cloudy, near freezing, snowflakes falling, with a chill northeast breeze.
We wait, less than patiently now, for spring to arrive with its promise of pleasant evenings, sunny skies, mild times. However impatient we are though, spring will come in its own time and no sooner, when it is time, when it is ready. Much as I might prefer otherwise, patience . . .
Dawn, moon and Venus
Ephemeral
Less than a minute after landing on the deck, this snowflake had vanished. A favourite line from Kansas’ song Dust In the Wind captures the essence of this: Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.
Soaring
This Red-tailed Hawk rode the wind yesterday, graceful, silent, a pleasure to admire. It was lunchtime at work yet it was right to dash outside and photograph it, then lower the camera and watch with a smile on my face and in my heart as it continued to soar.
Make time to reflect on and give thanks for being alive, being in the world.
Harbinger of spring
The first Turkey Vulture of 2014 I photographed over Dresden. Not easy for you to see I know. They may be ugly up close but aloft they are graceful, a real pleasure to watch wheeling overhead.
A true sign of the turn of the seasons. The only snow that remains is the big snowbanks and what’s in protected shady areas.
Bread
We made this Portuguese Broa recipe from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. It’s a great bread, excellent crumb, very good loaf, good with almost any main course and outstanding by itself, toasted with some butter.
Escape artist no more
I had real trouble with Achilles being a roaming dog for the first year-plus I owned him. That’s how I came to own him in 2006, he was picked up as a stray and his people never claimed him from the shelter.
Achilles escaped several times from the house, the backyard. Once I put he and Stella in a neighbour’s backyard because I had to leave while people worked on my house. Over an hour later I got a call from the worker that Achilles was sitting on my front porch. Once he broke through the screen on the storm door without my knowing; I walked into the living room and saw his one-of-a-kind tail disappearing behind a neighbour’s hedge.
Some people would have understandably given up on such a roamer and given him back to the shelter, or done what his previous owners had done – never claimed him. I could not, would not, do that because he was an exceptional dog in so many other ways.
Yesterday morning I scraped frost off the car’s windows and unbeknownst to me the gate had not latched. I turned and there was Achilles watching me. Even while I grabbed the camera and photographed him standing there Achilles didn’t approach the gate let alone dash through.
Achilles is an even more exceptional dog now. Not only is he marvellous on leash, loves meeting people, is great in the car, he no longer is compelled to roam. We are so very blessed for, with, his presence, and that it was seemingly meant to be.
previouslytexan 