We Lost That Loving Feeling

Gus is not a city dog.   We went for a walk from my friend Judy's house in Bellevue all around downtown and had coffee off of Main Street.  He was curious and very polite to a bunch of people who ooohed and ahhhed over him.  He appropriately found grass for his business and refrained from peeing on lightpoles.  The fountain in Bellevue Park, was too much, though.  He jumped in and swam about and had a nice time.  The little Maltese in the sailor outfit looked mortified, as did the twin Pugs.  I'm afraid that the likes of his big splattering shake-off has not been seen before in this place.

I furthered his fun day by a trip out to Flower World to dump the final load of Bombay's poop.  He likes to watch the hydraulic lift of the trailer. It was rather sad, seeing the last of the boy's excrement which I had so lovingly collected.  I decided to wash the poop trailer at the local car wash and promptly lost the loving feelings as I sprayed manure all over myself.

Gus recommended a bath in the fountain.

Warning....Not For the Faint of Heart

I know, two in one day, but the last one was such a bummer, let's end on a high note, shall we?

This is Jay's recent surgery scar.  Do you like it?  I do.  He blew out his achilles whilst playing tennis, so it is a very cool sports injury.  Yay, Jay!!

And this is just an ugly dog for fun.

You're most welcome.

It Comes Around, Again

I just finished reading my friend's blog.  Her cancer is back, they found three spots in her lungs.  She has been battling this for four years and thought it was licked about two years ago and nope, it came back. So more chemo and I can't even count how many surgeries she's had and fortunately, no colostomy bag (it's the sexy cancer, rectal, if you remember).  Now what?  Why is this happening to her?  She has two small boys and a loving husband and great parents and tons of friends.  She was the one that convinced me to blog and now I feel really dumb because, really, who cares that I have a scar? 

Perspective, one more time, but enough already....

The Italian Stallion

This picture makes me laugh.  I love it.  We were in Florence in 2008 and of course, I have to meet the police horse.  Really, I had no interest in the cop.  I asked Denny to take a picture of me and the horse and the big lug sidles up to me and Denny just cracked up.  He's not only touching my boob, where the hell is his underwear??  OMG, I see the Last Supper, the David, the Coliseum, but this is pretty much the highlight of the trip.




Okay, even the HORSE is touching my boob.



He Does Know How to Tie a Tourniquet

Watching the movie, "127 Hours".  Makes me a bit worried about the Mister, off in the Pasayten wilderness, fishing with his buddies.  I'm not sure why, he is Mr. Prepardness,  and has been ready for weeks.  We even slept on the deck one night to test the tent, pad and sleeping bag.  His friends came for one night in Mazama before departure and I laughed to see a bottle of Dewars Scotch and a can of Off in the guest room.  I teased him about having special gifts for his boyfriends and of course, he was most offended and assured me that was extra provisions for his camp out.  Well, lets see....two bottles of nasty Scotch, five bottles of wine,  20 some cigars,  a big gun and a big knife...that should do it.

Actually, the pack team will bring in the coffee makers, sun showers and other civilized crap, but I just worry about the recent Grizzly sightings in the area.  He does have his satellite tracker in case of emergency and four other experienced guys, but still.  It has snowed at this time of year and although he has survived a night in the desert with just a knife and a year in Vietnam, he is my man and used to creature comforts.

Let's hope he doesn't need that special knife to cut off his arm.

Call Me Crazy

This is Mariah.  She is a good horse.  She is half draft/half Quarter Horse and looks like a mini Budweiser horse, don't you think?


Mariah in Mazama


Another horse, Torie, is in the background.  She belongs to my friend and owner of the greatest stable in the known world (well, my world anyway).  She is a really good Reiner and if you know what that is, you know what that means.  I rode Torie once on a long trail ride and she is a great horse, too.  I'm afraid Reining would start my vertigo again.

Mariah likes carrots, lots of them.  She is a bit slanted to the front, but that's okay.  She and I talked a bit a few weeks ago and she is quite calm and nice.  I figure if Leo who never rides can ride her, then she might be a good starter horse for me.  I am going to ride her this weekend and think about leasing her.  What does the Colonel think?  He doesn't say a word because he is a very good and very smart man.

Happy Anniversary, Sort Of

Today is the 20th anniversary of the first date that I had with the Mister.  I don't really think it was a date, but the Mister insists, so be it.  Another day to get jewelry, I'm all about that. 

We had lunch at the Tower Club that day because he was trying to impress me.  Also, very coincidentally, he was being featured on Evening Magazine (again) that night, so all the waiters were, "Oh Mr. Weston, I can't wait to see you tonight.  Mr. Weston, are you riding your motorcycle?"  He was on the Tom Brokaw show as one of the business guys who rode way back in the day.  Yeah, whatever.  It killed him that I didn't ask, so finally he said, "I have a Harley".  I said, "I know, you wore the tee shirts." (Business Week '91, where we met)  "Well, that doesn't mean I own a Harley, you know."  "Well, if you didn't, it'd be kinda pathetic."  That was our first date, but lunch really isn't a date, don't you think?

Today, I rode my bike (not a Harley) to the Mazama store and along the way, saw very fresh bear poop and scared myself when I came around the corner face to face with a turkey vulture.  It was eating the dead salmon along the river, just like the bear does.  I thought it was a bear, so I yelled and it just hopped.

We had lunch at the store, I had to show some locals closeups of my face, and when we got home, the Mister came up with some newfangled way to hang his boat in the barn so the packrats wouldn't nest in it.  Long story.  Gus tried to get something under the deck and I finished another book and took a nap.  Now, we're off to the Freestone Inn for dinner and then going to see Jay, who tore his achilles tendon in half and had surgery.  The only thing I can think of to bring him is tequila, because it helps with the pain pills.  This much I know.

I know it's the anniversary of 9/11, but we aren't celebrating that.  We remember, but will not dwell.

Good Smellin' Times

The Mister decided to go fishing today.  Why, in 95 degrees, would that be much fun, I'm sure I don't know.  Gus and I decided on a walkabout in the shade before it hit 95.  We strolled down past the new Riperian Easement Protected by the Methow Conservancy (this deserves caps because it is very exciting for us.  Legally, all the 314 acres we view past our property is now protected lands and the stream has been restored to it's original glory, not the cow stomped mud hole it used to be.  Also, we won't have to call our neighbor who is slow to gather up his frickin' cows every time they break down the fence.  THE COWS ARE GONE.)  I digress.

What is it about dead stuff that is so very exciting to a dog?  There was a large dead snake on the trail and Dorkus has to roll and roll and bury his face, look at me, look at me, oh bliss, I shall smell like this nasty half chewed snake.  His eyes were all gleaming with excitement and he was smiling from pointy ear to pointy ear in joy, snake guts dripping off his head.  At least it wasn't the dead salmon that the bear left on the river bank last year.  Four scrubbings and tomato juice and finally, some very expensive, "Get the Stink Out" stuff did it.  It was horrible.

We did pass the stream where it connects to the Methow River, so he fortunately went in and got the snake stench off.  Then we came to the cattle guard to continue the trail.  I was ready to open the barb wired fence gate, but he tip toed across, which surprised me.  We chased numerous squirrels and ran from a deer, which means he remembered his lesson.

Now he is exhausted and snoring on the bed.  Gus is, too.

Horse Hugs

Bombay showed up at the back fence the other day. Holly, his new owner and some of her friends rode by and called me. I ran out to see them and he walked right up to me and nuzzled me, then tried to get into the gate because he was home. Holly said he knew exactly where he was going on the trail. His name is now Tango, which fits him well, based on the fantastic gaiting he showed me up and down the trail. He was used as a lesson horse at a kids' camp in Cle Elum for six weeks and he really enjoyed himself. Holly demonstrated his gaits by tying different colored ribbons on each fetlock. I can see that he is happy, calm and a much loved horse. I hugged his head and told him he was such a good boy and to live a long, healthy life. He hugged me back, which is very cool, if you've ever experienced it. He arched his neck over my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. Very touching with no doubt how he feels.

I always smile now when I think of that sorrel butt sashaying down the trail.