Z is for ZANY

Since both Canada and the United States of America have just celebrated their birthdays, I thought I'd tell you some zany things about my homeland. When most people think of Canada, they think hockey, bacon, hockey, maple syrup, hockey, beer, and oh, did I mention hockey?  Well, once you get past the stereotypes of beer and hockey, you find out just how diverse Canada is....and weird and zany!

1. In Dawson City, Yukon, there's a "Sourtoe Cocktail Club." For just $10 (Cdn) you can join the club and have a shot of whiskey.  Easy peasy, right?  Not so quick!  There has to be a pickled human toe in the drink!  The club's motto?  "You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow - but the lips have gotta touch the toe!"  Zany, huh?

2. Apparently, we eat more macaroni and cheese than any other nation on earth.  At least we don't usually eat human toes!

3. The only walled city left in the USA or Canada is Quebec City.  The signs can tell unwanted visitors to keep out in French and in English!

4.  Remember when Canada won the Olympic Gold Hockey in 2010 and beat the USA in overtime?  It's not really a zany fact, but I thought I'd mention it anyway!

5.  Canada has more donut shops per capita than the USA...except they're simply called Tim Horton's. And we LOVE to eat donut holes!

6.  IMAX was created in Canada.  That means all those high-priced tickets are because of us.  Sorry.

7.  Canada ranks first in the use of the internet.  We all need something to do during the hockey intermissions, so this shouldn't be too surprising.

8.  Canada is made up of 6 different time zones.  And in each time zone, the Vancouver Canucks have never won it, except way back in 1914/1915 when the team was called the Vancouver Millionaires. By the way, no sour toes, oops - I mean grapes, to the Boston Bruins for winning the cup this year!

9.  Coffee Crisp chocolate bars are a Canadian creation and are rare in the USA.  We love to eat our Coffee Crisps near American tourists really really slowly, pretending like it's the most amazing thing in the world!

10. The "Ogopogo" is BC's favourite mythological creature.  Apparently, it got its name from a British song from 1924 called The Ogo-Pogo: The Funny FoxTrot.  According to the lyrics, the Ogopogo loves to play a banjo that can charm other animals.  Also, its mother was an earwig and its father was a whale.  The mating ritual sounds like it'd be pretty zany!

I know we Canadians have a reputation for being conservative and veddy veddy polite, but all in all, we can be a pretty zany bunch!  Happy 146th Birthday, Canada!

Thanks to the zesty Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the zealous Roger, our administrator for their zany efforts at keeping the fun going.  A new round starts next week, so please encourage your friends, families, and even total strangers to try us out. Just remind them to read and follow the rules and guidelines on our home page!  By the way, how do I look modelling casual clothes on the cover of the "StylZ" magazine?  How many Zs can you see?

Y is for YELLOW

When I think of the colour YELLOW, I think of spring and summer and sunshine and all the beautiful flowers that bloom to brighten our days.  It's like waking up, stretching and yawning, to a new year of visual pleasures. 

"Yellow evokes the shine of the sun and is found throughout nature and the man-made world as a color that commands attention. This highly visible hue is found on everything from bumblebees to school buses, traffic signs to highlighters. Misbehaving soccer players are shown yellow as a warning, and Tour de France racers know the man in yellow is the rider to beat."  (from "Life in Color: Yellow" National Geographic)   

Yellow is also a very difficult colour to photograph because you have to have the exposure and saturation right.  I'm still using my auto focus so I have to tweak a lot of my yellow photos in Photoshop and even then, they don't look quite right.  But I'm learning all the time.

Before you take a look at the slideshow of my "yellow" photos, don't forget to give a loud yippee to the youthful Mrs. Nesbitt (creator of ABCW) and the yummy Roger (our administrator). And don't forget, too, that we're always yearning for new contributors to ABC Wednesdays so tell all your friends to check us out!  Now, on with the show and don't forget to turn up your sound to the music of "Walking On Sunshine."

X is for eXcellence in photography

Since the letter X is not used much at the beginning of words in the English language, I've decided to cheat a bit and use the "eX" prefix for this post.  Upon reviewing my photos that I've submitted to "Red Bubble," I realize that the camera Lorne gave me for Christmas this past year (Canon EOS Rebel T4i) has really helped me to fine tune my skills.  So with that in mind (and not to toot my own horn because I still have a loooong way to go before becoming excellent), I thought I'd show you some of the photos that have been either featured or have been winners in some of the challenges that individual groups offer.  All the photos that I've chosen have been featured in one or more groups and if they won a "challenge" in any of the groups I'm in, I have indicated that.

I also had one piece of writing featured and if you'd like to read it, just click here.  Called "A Simple Seed," it's about how I ran into a former student at the local grocery store and how the conversation led me to believe I had had an impact on her life. 

But before viewing the slideshow, we must remember to give expansive thanks to the extremely lovely Mrs. Nesbitt (creator of ABC Wednesday) and to the exciting and exquisite Roger who currently is her executive administrator.  Of course we must not forget the extraordinary team at ABCW who expend and exhaust themselves by visiting each and every participant to give exhuberant comments on their posts.

W is for WALKING in the WOODS

One of my favourite places to walk is in Ladner Harbour Park.  Depending on how long you have, you could spend 20 minutes or several hours here.  For a brisk walk, stay on the main trail and go all the way to the end and back in less than 30 minutes!  If you really want to explore, then take the tiny, narrow off-trails (as long as you don't mind bending under branches or brushing them and bushes aside) and you'll discover boundless beauty!  I live in what is considered a "village," although there is quite a large population here.  However, just a quick 5-minute drive from home is this wonderful paradise with trees that must be hundreds of years old, lots of wild flowers and birds like robins, sparrows, woodpeckers, eagles, and owls.  One morning, I even spotted a Great Horned Owl.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me because I could have captured a great shot - it just calmly looked down at me from its perch and slowly blinked!

This week, I decided to take you all on a walk through the woods.  Some spots can be a bit spooky, but don't worry.  Stick with me and I'll get you safely through.  It will be worth it.  Tegan enjoyed coming with me but was pretty worn out from the walk.

But before the show, we must thank the warmhearted and whimsical Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABCW, and the wacky yet winsome Roger, our current administrator.  We welcome all newcomers at any time, but do let your friends know about ABC Wednesday in case they want to start in on our new round coming up soon! Now, on with the show!  Don't forget to turn up your sound - it's worth it because the music creates ambience.

V is for VIEWS & VILLAGE

Since I did Vancouver for the ABCW home page, I thought I'd just show you a few of my favourite photos of places I've been in the world.  Of course, I've included a few from my own village, too!  I wanted to show you more shots of France and Italy, but I didn't have a very good camera when I was there (not a digital) so you'll have to make do with one shot of Giverny (in the rain) and one of Portovenere along the Cinque Terre in Italy.  The slideshow is set to the music "Epic Journey."

Very great thanks to the vivacious Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the virtuous Roger, our administrator.  Also, thanks to the valiant team of helpers who visit all the posts to give valuable feedback to our contributors.

U is for UNDER

 In English, the word "under" is used as a preposition and has several meanings.  It could mean "in a lower level," "less than," "below the surface of," "as a subject of," or figuratively "in the face of; in response to (some attacking force).

Since it was the first word I thought of when I was considering what to do for our U week, I went through my photos to see what I could find that related to the word under.  I found quite a few and put together my weekly slideshow set to the music "Almost Paradise."  Please enjoy, but before you do, let's remember the unequalled Mrs. Nesbitt for creating ABC Wednesday and the ubiquitous Roger for all he does by administering the site.  Also, remember the united team that does its utmost to visit everyone each week.  Now turn up your sound and enjoy the show.

T is for TEGAN...nope, just TEASING!

I think that's enough of Tegan for a while, don't you?  Let's take another train of thought and go with spring tulips, trees, trains, tractors, tall ships, etc.  I've gone through my photos and have selected a few to make up a terrifically attractive (I hope you agree) slideshow for this week.  The music is from "Beauty and the Beast." Make sure you watch to the end to see my little "Beauty" toasting you with tea.

Let's talk it up for ABC Wednesday, our tireless creator, Mrs. Nesbitt, and our topnotch administrator Roger. Also, great thanks to the tremendous team of helpers who trot over to your posts for a taste of your weekly tidings.  Have a terrific week, everyone!

S is for SIT and STAY

 

Well, actually, S is for lots of words as you'll see in the slideshow! The first thing we had to teach Tegan was SIT and the next was STAY. She is pretty good at those things, but now we have to teach her to heel and come on command.  In the meantime, we enjoy watching her snoop around for stinky smells at the park, trying to stretch out on the chair where she used to be able to share it with a toy or two and now slides off when she falls asleep, snoozing while lying flat on her back, running after her when she swipes our shoes (we now make sure the shoes are in the closet), scratching, enjoying sunbeams either inside or out, chasing and chewing on sticks (the bigger the better), learning how to swim (it actually came quite naturally to her), chuckling when she snores, slobbering on and sleeping with Daddy's socks, and so much more.   
 
She has been a real joy to us in the almost 4 months we've had her, but we realize that she has been getting away with a few things that we must switch up.  The most important is making her walk properly on the leash.  Because she needs a lot of exercise, we've been taking her to the park or another area where she's allowed to run freely.  Now she needs lessons to not pull me when she's on the leash (because of my back).  So, we'll be seeing to that little problem to find a solution soon!

Sincere thanks to the sensational Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday and to the saintly Roger, our administrator.  Thanks also to the sassy staff of assistants who visit all the posts each week.

Q is for QUIET

The following is from a post from Round 9:

When I was in Grade 7, my Mom attended the annual Parent/Teacher Conferences because my report card had indicated that I was "reticent" in class. I had never heard that word before and was, therefore, terrified that I was in some sort of trouble. I later learned it meant "quiet," but my mother could not believe the teacher had written the comment for the correct student. However, it appears I was indeed "reticent" in class - quite the opposite of what I was like at home. We all had a good laugh and I never again worried about what the teachers wrote on my report cards.

I am naturally a very optimistic person, full of good humour, and with an internal strength when confronted with life's indomitable difficulties. However, there have been times (as my regular readers are aware) when life has knocked me down flat on my face. It has been during those times when I have needed the quiet moments to build up the strength to go forward. 

Now this:

My dear Lorne and I have been dealt another blow - the doctors have found 2 spots on his liver and he needs 3 months of pre-op chemotherapy to be followed by surgery in August.  Some of my regular readers will recall that when he had chemo in 2010 for colon cancer, it almost destroyed our relationship.  However, we worked hard and are now happy and content together.  We have talked it out and know what to expect this time - both physically and emotionally - so are prepared for what is to come in the next several months.   He has already had his first treatment and is not feeling well - at all.  But the doctors have assured us that they need him to be as strong and healthy as possible for the surgery that will follow so the treatment shouldn't be as hard on him as the last time.  Plus it's half the time, too.

So whenever I have a quiet moment, I send up prayers for him. And I ask that you might also do the same, even though you only know of him through me (and I'm only a "virtual" friend at that).  I do know one thing - he has lots to live for and hopefully, that will pull him through.  We just filled in a questionnaire for the hospital and one thing that was asked was "What do you enjoy doing to take your mind off your worries and stress?"  He answered: photography, working on his car, and taking the dog for walks.  He also enjoys gardening, but apparently that might be too physically difficult for him because of the PIC line in his arm.  So he's feeling a bit down about that.  But today he took the dog for a swim!  Well, Lorne didn't swim, but the dog did, and he really enjoyed watching her go for the sticks he threw with his good arm.

Anyway, he's having a quiet time of his own right now while the dog has her nap.  I will leave you with some photos of him enjoying his time with Tegan. She's his "brown-eyed girl" you know! 

I'm sending quite enthusiastic thanks to our quaint Mrs. Nesbitt, creator of ABC Wednesday, to our quirky Roger, our current administrator, and to all the team who quietly help out behind the scenes.

P is for PARKS

After preparing the introduction for this week, I thought it might be a bit ponderous.  So for my personal post, I decided to simply take you all for a virtual stroll through three of the parks I regularly visit. 

First, we have Boundary Bay Park where there is a beach, a playground for children, a brand new changing house with cafe, and plentiful trails to wander.  Next is Ladner Harbour Park where I take Tegan to play with other dogs after we do our stroll along the pathways, all the while perusing the plentiful greenery.  Finally, there is the North Trail Dog Park that I just recently discovered. The music for this week's slideshow is the theme from "Black Beauty" and I believe it is  phenomenally enchanting, so do turn it up loud.  And all the photography is mine. 

But before we say "on with the show," we must thank the preeminent and personable Mrs. Nesbitt, the founder of ABC Wednesday, and the passionate and perceptive Roger, our current administrator, for their painstaking labours at keeping ABCW possibly the ultimate in blogs!

O is for OBEY

 

In not quite 3 months, I've gone from being an independent, new senior to a doting and exhausted "Mommy" of a yellow Labrador puppy.  Now I remember why we have our children when we're young and why we get the kids a puppy when they're old enough to look after it.  It has been a grueling few months. Every night I moan as I get out of bed in the dark of night to let the pup out for a quick pee. Thankfully, I'm so exhausted that I quickly fall back to sleep, only to waken with a start as I hear that yip-yip "Yoo-hoo, are you up yet?"  But then in the evening, when she falls asleep while we're watching TV, I can't help but look at her adoringly, especially when she's on her back spread-eagled for all the world to see!

However, we seem to have fallen into a routine, and she's now trust-worthy enough that the hubby brings her upstairs to the bedroom when he leaves for work around 6:30 am.  She settles down on a blankie in the corner of the room and is quiet until around 7:30 or 8:00 when she lets me know in no uncertain terms that it's time to play!  I am not a morning person, so she knows now that while I check my emails and a few other important sites, she is allowed to sit in the chair and watch any goings-on outside.  Then we go downstairs for our breakfast, the morning news, and the newspaper with coffee.  Then it's shower time, and she's become very good about lying on the bath mat to wait and then watches as I go about my dressing  rituals.

Downstairs again and if I'm in the mood, I'll take her for a walk.  Sometimes I take her out both in the morning and the afternoon but I always take her at a time so she's pooped out when my students come between 3:15 and 6:30.  At first, I had to keep her in the family room behind a baby gate, but now I've trained both her and the students so she can now meet and greet each student before settling down under the table until we're finished.  Obviously, I have other chores to attend to during the day, so I take her everywhere with me, whether in the car or on foot.

This week's slideshow is about what she's learned since we brought her home - how she has learned to OBEY all the rules.  We're both absolutely thrilled with her intelligence, except that because she's so smart, she also knows how to be obstinate.  And that's the phase we're in now!  *Sigh!* 

Oh well, when I look back at all the photos I've taken of her, I must share this one.  It shows how much she loves us and we love her!

Opulent thanks go to our official leader, Mrs. Nesbitt for creating ABC Wednesday, and to the omniscient Roger, our current administrator of the site.

N is for NORTH TRAIL

I think some of you are probably getting sick of looking at slideshows of my new puppy, Tegan.  Then again, I'm getting lots of nice comments about how cute she is and how much she's growing.  Also, most of my life right now is caught up in taking care of her - feeding her, cleaning up after her, washing her bedding, taking her for walks, going to the Vet for checkups, disciplining her, and teaching her.  *Sigh* Oh, and don't forget bathing her (and then sanitizing the tub afterwards!) Seems I'm the mother of a new baby again!

Since there are lots of dog lovers out there, I continue this week with an outing we had at the North Trail in Ladner, BC.  While showing off (yes, I admit it!) my puppy, I'm also showing you my neighbourhood, which is a natural spot for great photos!  While wandering along the numerous trails around here, I've discovered that although I feel as if I were in the wilderness, I'm usually only steps away from houses, shops, and other businesses. So on that note, I give you my 4 3/4 month-old yellow Lab puppy Tegan enjoying her outing in nature. And notice that she is careful to use "N" words during her commentary.

Thanks to the nutty Mrs. Nesbitt and to the notorious Mr. Roger Green for their creativity and noble efforts at keeping ABC Wednesday a successful international blog.

M is for MEMORIES of MARCH

"In like a lion; out like a lamb" is one saying about the month of March.  I prefer "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers" because around here we never know for sure if we'll get any decent weather before the end of March.

Did you know that March was named after the Roman god of war - Mars?  Also, the first day of spring, Passover, and St. Patrick's Day all fall in the month of March.  My favourite Irish blessing is "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand."

Oh, and we must not forget what happened in March a long time ago when a soothsayer warned Julius Caesar that something terrible would happen to him.  And as we all know, Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC.

Because March is the beginning of a new season of growth, we all celebrate new life in nature and the promise of warmer weather to come.  Personally, I start to come out of the darkness that sets into me around October and emerge with my camera ready for action!  I put together a little slideshow with some of the photos I took last month. (There are only a few of the dog, by the way!) It's accompanied by the music "Spring Has Sprung." Enjoy!

L is for LIFE-PRESERVER

First of all, I'd like to send thanks to the lovely and likeable Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the loyal and lion-hearted Roger, our current administrator for their leadership on ABCW.  Also, I lament the passing of Mrs. Nesbitt's loving little Ernest, her cockerel and mate to Mabel, one of Mrs. N's hens. I met them all when I visited them last summer and unofficially adopted Ernest as my little buddy. I am so sorry he passed away suddenly, followed unexpectedly by one of Mrs. Nesbitt's hens, May.

Lately, I've been thinking that we need to invest in a life-preserver for Tegan! When I researched life-preservers for dogs, I was amazed at the variety available. Since she's a water-loving dog, and since we've already had our first experience with her running into the river with another Labrador, I think it's appropriate.  I was having fits of panic that she'd get pulled along in the muddy waters, but she stayed near shore with Buster (the instigator of this adventure) and emerged looking exactly like him - BLACK!

It's a good thing Lorne had his camera handy, although I had to holler at him to take photos before she drowned!  Thinking back on it now, it was quite ludicrous, but at the time it was horrifying!  I had images of my lovely little Labrador puppy drifting off down the river and out to the mighty Pacific Ocean, only to become a luscious meal for some sort of sea creature! Of course, Lorne thinks I should lighten up and just go with the flow. (pardon the pun!)

Of course I put all the photos together to make a little slideshow for you all.  I hope it gives you as much of a laugh as it does us - now!  And be sure to turn the music up loud 'cuz it really helps set the mood!

K is for KISSIN' KUZZINS

Two weekends ago, I took Tegan to meet her "cousin" Angus - my sister's West Highland Terrier.  He is now 11 years old and we weren't quite sure how the two dogs would get along.  But, they hit it off and had a great day!  It was like they were kindred spirits right from the start.

As soon as I got to my sister's place, they both hopped in my car and off we went to Cates Park over in North Vancouver.  It's a really beautiful park with lots of woodland trails.  On about half the trails, dogs are allowed to be off leash, but on the other half they must be leashed.  We started at the off leash section so they could run off some energy before having to abide by the rules.  We ran into a friend of my sister's, who had four more West Highland Terriers with her.  So there we were - three ladies with six white dogs (5 Westies and 1 Lab puppy) running tightly-knitted along the trails.

I not only took photos of Tegan and Angus, but also of some of the area in the woods.  There are lots of giant cedars, Douglas fir, and big-leafed maples with bright green moss growing at the foot and other trees with tangled, knotted-looking roots growing above the ground.  There are gorgeous views over Indian Arm that leads to Burrard Inlet, sandy beaches with miles of waterfront trails, a great playground for children, picnic shelters, and a display of native totem poles.

After walking for about an hour, we decided to head back to my sister's place for lunch and let the poochies play in her yard.  Her yard is completely fenced and is so big it's like a private dog park!  We kept checking on them, but they were acting kooky running around playing before finally resting together on her huge patio out front.  I think you'll enjoy the photos I put together in a story format and don't forget to turn up your sound for the ambience. And you'll see why I titled this post "Kissin' Kuzzins."

J is for JOY

Hello, my name is Tegan (aka Rhossili Breeze) and I have recently come to live with my new family.  I am so joyful that they chose me, and every day they tell me how much joy I give them.  Since I'm still just a baby, I need to learn lots of things - like how not to jump up on people or furniture, not to jerk the person on the other end of my leash (especially my Mommy because she has a bad back), and not to use my jaw on people's hands.  I have already learned to sit, stay, shake hands, and come when called.  But sometimes, when there are distractions, I like to joke around and don't obey.  I guess they're justified in being cross with me then. After all, I do know better!  I wake up jolly early in the morning, but I jolt everyone else awake.  They are not too jubilant with me then!  I love to cuddle anyone, but when Mommy and Daddy start cuddling each other, I get really jealous!  Oh well, they both take me out in the car and we go to the dog park where I have fun with Buddy, Ruby, Tuna, Zadie, Finn, Turner, and Daisy.  We jump on each other and joust with each other and jog the trails around the park.  

Here I am first day in my new home.

and here I am just the other day on the trail in Boundary Bay Park.

Mommy  asked me to be sure to give joint kudos to Mrs Denise, the creator of ABC Wednesday and to Mr. Roger, the administrator for their jazzy efforts at keeping ABCW going!  She also put together a slideshow so you can see how much JOY we give each other.  By the way, she calls me her "Brown-Eyed Girl."

Another slideshow by Smilebox

I is for INTRODUCING...

Round 12 and we're already at the letter I...implausible, wouldn't you say? I know I've already introduced you to my new puppy Tegan, but let me tell you about her introduction to the stairs, shoes, movies, going for walks, training, puddles and especially to the local dog park.

The first time at the dog park was very exciting for all of us.  There are trails around this particular dog park that run along one of the river's tributaries and it's also right at one of the local marinas.  With the feel of an island, we've strolled this area often, taking photos and commenting on how incredible it'd be to bring our own puppy to play here.  Upon arrival, I noticed a group of people with dogs gathered in the interior of the park.  As I approached with Tegan on her leash, I asked if there was a class in session.  "Oh, no!" someone said.  "We're just chatting!"  So off the leash she went and very politely, (i.e. sniffing a few butts) she introduced herself. It's funny how some dogs act like idiots or imbeciles while others are very intelligent with interesting personalities.  I guess they're a lot like humans!  Tegan says she'd like to give a shout-out to Tuna and Buddy, two of her new best friends!  So far, she's only met one small breed dog who has not been at all friendly, and Tegan found it inconceivable that this dog didn't like her.

Tegan is growing like a weed and it seems every morning when I let her out of her bed, she's bigger.  When we brought her home, she weighed 13 lbs and now she's just shy of 26 lbs!  The vet tells us she's very healthy and increasing in size at the proper rate.  Up to now, she's also been very good on the leash; however, lately she's started to pull me a bit.  So it's time for formal puppy classes to teach her to heel.  I can't have her pulling me with my bad back.  Hopefully, she will obey since she's very smart and will already "sit," "stay," "shake hands," and "bring it back" on command.  There are times, though, when she acts quite impish.

I've illustrated for you how much fun Tegan's been having with the inevitable slideshow. Hope you enjoy it.  Also, incalculable thanks to the indomitable Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the indescribable Roger, our administrator.

H is for HORSES

Last week was all about the new puppy, but since I figure I'll have lots to tell you about her in the future, I'd bring you another handsome animal - the HORSE!  I'm not that familiar with horses because when I was about 10 years old, I had a non-too happy adventure on one of these hoofed creatures. I was staying with my aunt and uncle in the Okanagan Valley and their neighbours owned an old nag that the kids would ride.  So of course the "city girls" had to have a few rides, but one day we ventured into the sagebrush hills where the horse heard a rattling sound!  Now, as a person who has a horrendous phobia of those legless creatures, I'm sure between sensing my own fear and its own, that horse took off at speeds never before recorded. I did manage to hang on, though.

I never got on a horse again after that, but one summer my daughters insisted they wanted to go horseback riding.  I did not want to go and even watch, such was my fear!  So husband took them.  Later that afternoon, I got a call from him telling me they were at the local hospital and the younger daughter was being taken to Vancouver Children's Hospital!  My God, it's a wonder I didn't get stopped doing 80 in a 50 zone!  Long story short, she had been thrown from the horse as it galloped back to the stables and then suddenly halted.  Her arm was broken right at the top of the humorus bone where it attaches to the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder.  Surgeons attached it with pins and then she had to spend the entire summer lying on her back in traction.  The poor thing was centimeters away from being either killed or ending up a quadraplegic!

Suffice it to say I don't have much to do with the horse now.  Except that when I was in Wales visiting one of my best friends (Jane) she informed me that she was getting a new filly and when Lorne and I came back later in the summer, she'd be there.  Hmmmm....how was I going to cope with this?  As it turned out, very well.  Of course, I was extremely cautious around her because, at only 3 years of age, she was still being trained.  But after visiting her for several days and, heeding how Jane handled her, I was brave enough to pat her nose, lead her along the path in a forest where King Henry VIII used to hunt for deer, and down the lane back to home.  Jane is training her to be a Grand Champion race horse!

I also took many photos of the horses along Mrs. Nesbitt's lane when we visited her one day.  I must admit they are handsome creatures, but I still don't think I will ever ride one again. I also enjoy taking photos of the horses I find near my home - there are quite a few horse farms that offer riding lessons around here and a bit farther out, the township of Langley is considered to be the "Horse Capital of B.C." because there are over 5,000 horses in the area.  Jane actually went riding out there when she visited in 2008.

Enjoy the slideshow and remember to turn up the music for a bit of country ambiance.  Also huge thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and Roger for their heroic efforts to keep ABC Wednesday at popularity heights!  You know, we're getting over a hundred posts each week now!  It keeps those of us on the team hopping! By the way, have a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Roger, on Thursday!

First Bath

Okay, so it's 5:40 AM and I start hearing yipping coming from downstairs.  AAAGGGHHH! Not so early, puleez!  I ignore it for a bit waiting to see if "you-know-who" would wake up, but NOOOOO. So up I get up to put herself outside.  At least she had the good grace to take a loooooong whiz before I emphatically put her back to bed in her crate.  Yip-Yap....NOOOO! I yell at her!  So I creep back upstairs and get nice and comfy back in bed for about 20 minutes when she starts yapping again.  Himself has been exhausted from work lately, so I get up and put her out again for another quick whiz. I get her her brekkie, but no she doesn't want to eat - yet. So I do my usual...make a cup of coffee for myself and settle down with the morning paper.  She seems to have learned that that means no playing, just settle down.  She wanders idly over and nibbles at her brekkie and then wants out again.  So I watch to make sure she does her "thing" and, both of us relieved, let her back in knowing that I can relax with the daily crossword.

Herself settles for a while, but then wants out again, so I let her out to run around and chase the birds.  Then I notice she's digging!  GASP!  It's wet out there and she's going to get filthy.  Ah well, himself said he'd be doing the bathing - outside with the hose!  Finally, "she" decides she's had enough and wants inside so jumps at the patio door with her filthy wet feet yapping loudly.  By now it's 9:30 am - I haven't been able to get dressed or even brush my teeth, let alone have any breakfast of my own.  I tried grabbing her as she came in and tried to wipe down her feet, but herself is so hyper she starts biting at me (in fun, of course). So I throw her back out and upstairs I go, leaving a yapping animal at the door and tell "you-know-who" it's time to get up because "you said you'd bath her outside with the hose."

So himself comes downstairs, takes a look at herself and says "I'm going to have a shower."

WHAT????

The neighbours are going to complain and I say, "Take your shower AFTER you bath the dog!"

So, grumble grumble grumble....he takes her upstairs (me offering to help, but getting an emphatic "Don't bother!")  He gets her all clean and then she runs around all excited again before I lock her in the office with me and get her calmed down.  Letting her up on the one nice soft lazy-boy chair with her stuffed dog Scotty, she settles down and goes to sleep.

By now, I'm half dressed and have managed to brush my teeth while himself bathed her.  Then "he" comes in and gets mad that I'm letting her up on the furniture.

I can hear him downstairs with her now and he sounds more like himself...lol...aha he's taking her for a walk!  Ah, peace at last!  Now look at this photo...how can I stay mad at her for long? I wish himself hadn't been so cranky when he was bathing her so I could have caught a photo!  Ah well, I'm sure there will other baths...soon.  *sigh*