Who Let the Dogs Out
June 29, 2009
This weekend the rains came… and they came hard. Saturday was one wet, grey day with close to gale force winds. I couldn’t help but worry a bit about what Sunday would bring.
Sunday was the Winnipeg Humane Society’s “Paws In Motion” walkathon, an event that Sadie and I look forward to every year. But with the wind and the rain on Saturday, even though the walk is a go.. either rain or shine… I admit to having my doubts as to whether we would be attending if the wet weather continued.
Sunday morning, even before I opened my eyes, I did a quick weather assessment. No… I could no longer hear the rain beating against the window… good.
Sitting up and actually taking a look this time, I noticed the skies were still grey, and the wind was still wiping the trees about… but the patio looked dry.
“Good enough for us,” I thought as I tossed the covers and headed on down for a strong shot of caffeine.
An hour later Sadie and I were in the car and on our way to Assiniboine Park. Were those actual patches of blue in the sky, here and there? Things were looking better all the time. :-)
By the time we arrived at the park, the canine thing was already happening. Dogs were everywhere… walking, hanging out of car windows, most of them wearing the blue WHS bandanas. I couldn’t help but get caught up in the happy excitement. I LOVE these kind of events.
Sadie and I quickly made our way to the meet-and-greet area and mingled with the others waiting to begin the walk. The others consisted of every size and description of dog that you could imagine. A band played and several kiosks offered everything from pet insurance to pizza. And best of all… free Star Bucks Coffee. :-)
All critters are welcome at this event and there is a short scheduled jaunt around the duck pond for the smaller ones, such as rabbits, cats, and ferrets… but the big story is always the 3K dog walk. Mind you… I did see that some horses joined us this year so I guess.. paws or hooves… all are welcomed.
The beginning of the walk is always the best part. So many dogs (surprisingly well behaved). So many people… young, old, some in strollers, some in wheelchairs, most walking and all being pulled by a happy and excited dog at the end of a leash, all waiting for the drums to sound, signaling the walk to begin. I can’t help it… it chokes me up every year. Such wonderful camaraderie between people and critters, out enjoying a Sunday walk for a very good cause.
Pit stops with large water bowls and wading pools dotted the route. I think Sadie hit everyone of them. She loves to play submarine. :-)
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Walkers came in all shapes and colours. Sadie wasn’t too sure of those tall yellow critters.
The day turned out to be perfect… not to hot, just right for a stroll through a beautiful park. As you can imagine, Sadie slept the entire ride home… no doubt visions of puppy dog tails (tales) wagging in her dreams.
Two Dads
June 28, 2009
These two dads are my two sons… pushing my two grandchildren down our street on their way to visit Grandma (that would be me). :-)
Unexpected visits such as this fill me with such joy that I practically feel it ooze out of my pores. My entire being smiles.
Thanks guys. :-)
Love you.
The Good with the Bad
June 25, 2009
The H1N1 virus continues to be a big newsmaker here in Manitoba. Yesterday, Manitoba’s First Nations chiefs declared a state of emergency. Our Winnipeg hospitals, and especially the Intensive Care units are filled to capacity. Being that I am an ICU nurse, I am feeling the effects of this first hand.
With my blog I try to keep things at a personal level and rarely speak of my professional life… except for those times when my working life encompasses most of who I am.
This is such a time. To say we are busy at work is an understatement. The ICU beds are full.. many patients on ventilators. Last week I was mandated to work for an extra 8 hrs (16 hour shift) .. and I have a suspicion that it may happen this week as well. Nurses, doctors, and health care staff are working hard and diligently… not only in my particular ICU.. but throughout the city.
I am tired … and sometimes admit to being concerned for my own health as well of that of my family, but at the same time, I have an appreciation for the circumstances of the current situation.
I am also impressed… mostly with my fellow front line workers. Most are like me, tired… but few openly complain.
Often we laugh. Always we support.
Everyday we get a H1N1 update from our local hospital authority. So far the numbers effected are still increasing… but we remain hopeful and do what we can.
Yesterday, Manitoba Health reported 163 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu, bringing the total number in the province to 458. As of Monday, 37 patients were in intensive-care units on ventilators (link)
My one bit of advice: remember.. above all else… wash your hands.
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And on a more pleasant note… a couple of photos of the dogs and I out for our morning walk.
These days we are out and at’um early, before the heat of the day. Walking out back behind our house, I noticed the field was adorned with the most beautiful wild flowers and daisies. Now there’s a nice way to start the day.
That Summertime Feel
June 21, 2009
Nothing but sunshine has graced our skies for the past five days. All of a sudden it is summer.. as simple and yet as marvelous as that.
After our long extended winter and cold wet spring I still find myself marveling that I am finally living the summertime dream.
Don’t get me wrong, I love our varying seasons.. fall being my favourite. I even enjoy much of what is our winter, but summer… ah, summer is that special time when everyday life just seems to take on that softer, easier feel.
After an initial slow start, my garden is taking off.. at warp speed. The power of the sun astonishes and humbles me. It’s like watching high speed photography. I look away and when I look back I swear there is new growth, a new shoot or a new bloom. Mother Nature playing catch-up… ya gotta love it. :-)
Today, June 21st, we celebrate the summer solstice.
Yes, it is now official. Summer is here…. the time of warmth and light.
fun solstice facts:
- The official time for the 2009 summer solstice is June 21 @ 05:45 (universal time)
- The solstice happens at the same instant for all of us, everywhere on Earth. But our clocks say different times.
- Solstice (sol + stice) is derived from Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still."
- Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it marks the longest day and the shortest night of the year.
- With the summer solstice, the sun is at its maximum elevation.
- South of the equator, winter begins.
- This time of year, between planting and harvesting, was (and is) the traditional month for weddings.
- This date has had spiritual significance for all cultures for thousands of years.
- Stonehenge was built to follow the sun’s yearly progress.
- If you stood at the Sphinx on June 21 and gazed toward the two pyramids, you’d see the sun set exactly between them.
- At the June solstice, Earth is positioned in its orbit so that the North Pole is leaning 23-and-a-half degrees toward the sun.
Happy Summer Everyone
Finally Sun
June 14, 2009
Our spring has NOT been one that poets write about. Rain clouds and the North Wind have dominated our days.
With the flooding in April and the continued cool and wet spring our weather remains the topic of most conversations, often being the leading story on our local Newscasts.
“Where is Spring”, the common lament.
One of the reasons Dia waited until late May for her visit was that we hoped for better and warmer weather…. but not so this year. As it turned out we had a great time regardless of the cool, almost cold days… but it was a little ironic when she phoned home to Victoria and heard that they were enjoying unseasonal warm weather on the west coast… sheesh!
The trees… they know. The cold weather had them holding tight to their new budding leaves. Perennials peeked out but were hesitant to let loose. Sheets still covered annuals and vegetables at night to protect from the danger of frost.
But as of yesterday… all that is history. Suddenly…and I do mean that word, the sun is out and there is a warmth to the day. Spring / Summer is here.
Halleluiah!
For the past week I have been walking down our street every morning to check on and feed my son’s cat while he and his family are on holidays.
Yesterday as I strolled down towards their home, it seemed like a completely different street from the day before. What a difference a little light and warmth makes.
With the blue skies and the heat of the sun, suddenly the leaves have popped and a canopy of green welcomed me. Blossoms miraculously now hang from the fruit trees and yards are now bordered with green plants sporting buds and even some flowers. I suppose inklings of all this were previously there… but I hadn’t noticed with my face bowed against the wind and my head covered with my hoodie.
I noticed today!
Walking back home, my cat-sitting duties done, I marveled at the change. Funny how the weather effects our outlook and attitude (at least it does mine). Suddenly my entire world just seemed that much better a place.
And I knew it wasn’t just me. Others too were out and about. Everyone with smiles.
“How come your out walking without your dogs?” was exclaimed more than once as I walked on by.
A chuckle broke out from my already smile.
Ah .. sunshine… finally!
"A laugh is a smile that bursts." ~Mary H Waldrip
The Blog is now a Book
June 13, 2009
I still have trouble truly explaining (even to myself) the why of why I blog. I think the motivation has shifted back and forth over various explanations over the four or more years that I have been doing this. But one reason that is always prominent is the journaling aspect. And for whatever reason, sometimes I just feel a release to put down into words what is happening in my life and my head. Why I choose to do this in such a public format… I can not honestly say… yet, it is what it is … and I have few qualms about it all.
On a more personal note… I really like the idea that one day, maybe one of my grandkids may stumble upon something I have written and give it a read. Hopefully I will still be around to hear their comments.. but if I am not, I really do wish that through reading my words, they come to better know and understand a part of me that perhaps they may not have realized otherwise. If nothing else… hopefully, they will come to understand how their lives and the lives of their parents are my everything.
The idea of somehow transforming my blog into a more permanent medium has always flitted about in the back of my ‘thought closet’.
And then I came across blurb.com.
Turn your blog into a book their web site exclaims.
“What a marvelous idea”, I thought.
I read more and decide to give it a go.
I downloaded their BookSmart software and, following their instructions, I slurped my blog on to my hard drive.
Truthfully, this didn’t happen with out a few annoyances, the fact that my blog is redirected to my own domain name being the biggest one. But a visit to my wordpress.com dashboard and a quick change in the url status fixed that.. and just as the software promised.. my entire blog made its way to my hard drive.. all four years worth.
As you may imagine, four years worth of words and photos and comments adds up to a lot of material… approximately 350 pages. Being that more pages equals more cost, I decided to forgo the comments and many of the pictures simply to decrease the page count.
Then I went through each individual page using the provided page templates, added photos where I wished too, and slowly formatted the book.
Admittedly the software that they provide is slow and clunky… but in the end it got the job done.
With much anticipation and quite a bit of trepidation, I uploaded the book to the printers at blurb.com and now I wait.
I uploaded the completed project on June 9. According to the provided tracking page I should expect the actual book to arrive sometime around the 16th of June.
My finished book (years 2006 to 2008) consists of 212 pages. The book size that I chose is 8×10. With shipping, the cost out of my pocket will be approximately $95. A fair chuck of change, I suppose, but I am ordering only one book, choosing the image wrap cover and I am really hoping my family sees it as a kind of keep sake.
My plan now is to, if possible, do this on a yearly basis. By doing one year at a time, the page count will be much less and hopefully so will the price. I am thinking that I will probably add more photo layouts to my next endeavor.
Any how… I am quite excited about all of this and thought I would pass it along as I thought some of you might be interested in doing this yourselves.
Here is how my book will look.
Here is where you may check out a preview.
Sister Time
June 6, 2009
With the nicer weather, the time I spend at my computer has dwindled.. but I figure my sister’s visit most definitely deserves a post.
Dia lives in Victoria, B.C., probably one of the the loveliest places in Canada. Last year I had the opportunity to visit her. This year it was her turn to come here.
Her visit was so anticipated that when the day finally came, it almost seemed surreal. Looking back, I can’t help but wish that we could have some how slowed down the pace a little, dragged it out just a little longer. From the moment that she walked down the escalator at the airport we were caught up in a whirl wind of activity, trying our best to catch up on a years accumulation of happenings in a five day stay.
Actually, looking back … we did quite well but it simply went by way to fast. Thank goodness for memories… I will do my savoring with them. :-)
‘Mom time’ was high on the priority list. Although Mom just recently turned 87 she still manages fairly independently using a walker to help her get out and about. The three of us, Mom, Dia, and I, spent part of each day together. We had a lot of catching up to do and that we did … sometimes over food, sometimes over pictures, always with hugs and laughter.
‘Baby time’ was another high priority. I couldn’t wait for her to finally meet my newest granddaughter and grandson. Dia has a one year old granddaughter in Victoria, so babies and kids were definitely the focus of much of our conversations and ‘shopping time.’
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Alyssa tucked in on the couch |
Zach, Paul, and Alyssa |
‘Sister time’ was the true blessing that umbrellaed each and every day. The comfort of being with someone who knows me so well, who unconditionally accepts what I say and how I feel and knows that the feelings are reciprocated is such a gift. Oh how I miss this now that she is once more so many miles away.
Thank goodness for email and telephones and photos.
And thank God for sisters.
Spring has finally arrived here in Southern Manitoba.. well, kind of.. it is snowing outside as I type.. but not the kind that stays. :-) The leaves are not out as yet.. but there are promising buds and the song birds are flitting about in the trees.
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It feels so good to once more be able to get out and about without the need of a scarf or mitts… more often than not, with camera in hand.
The end result is that my garden will soon be flourishing (hopefully) but my “Simply Col” blog is floundering. I have come to the conclusion that blogging, at least for me, is more of a winter sport, so I have decided to go with what feels right for the moment, or the season,or both.
I still plan on posting during the summer months but, with the warm weather and summer vacation days, the posts may be sporadic. I think much of my summer computer time will most likely be spent on my photography related sites… my Flickr page, my photoblog.
So until the fall … Happy Spring and Happy Summer everyone. :-)
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” ~Margaret Atwood
of cats and geese and the Mighty Red
April 11, 2009
Bear, my Manx cat, turned eight years old this spring. He has always been an indoor cat but last fall he decided that he really wanted to check out the back yard. He doesn’t wander far… just out to the back under the trees. For the first time ever he is now wearing a collar with a small bell and a tag. He doesn’t seem to mind. :-)
Bear and I would like to send a big “thank you” out to Carla for giving us the low down on cat collars. That was so helpful. Thanks Carla. :-)
and in other local news:
Our mighty Red River is threatening to over flow its banks. This is not a new experience… it happens every spring. It’s just that some years are worse than others… this year being a bad one. Here in Winnipeg we are usually protected from flood waters thanks to Duff’s Ditch, the Winnipeg floodway .
The problem this year is the ice. Because of the lingering cold, the ice has not melted and ice jams and dams are forming and causing the water to flow … filling fields, threatening homes and potentially blocking the floodway gates. The talk of ice and what it may lead to has been the #1 topic of conversation on most Winnipeg street corners for days now. Sandbaggers are out in full force, reinforcing and building higher.
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The latest flood news (as of yesterday) can be found here .
a bird watching photo shoot gone wrong
April 9, 2009
It’s finally spring and the birds are back.
Early this morning I set myself up with camera, tripod and hot coffee.
Not one bird showed. I wonder why???
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I gotta get new help.
