Animal behavior

I took Roux with me today into Home Depot. I've taken many dogs into the Depot and never get any complaints. My feeling is many of the people (kids and adults) that I've seen in there should have been on a leash as well, so why can't my well behaved mutt be allowed.

Anyhow, at this particular time it's important because I'm trying to socialize Roux as much as possible. Dash has gotten pretty used to humans. He's like me.... he can accept them or ignore them..... as long as they stay out of his face. Roux took to the shopping cart right away and immediately started posing for all the other shoppers. I couldn't make it down an aisle without being stopped and questioned about what she was. The funniest was this one lady who asked me "What is it" and before I could say I wasn't sure of her breed, her husband asked "are you that dumb..... it's a dog" which was immediately followed by an elbow into his ribcage. Most of the employees love pups in the store. The ones who don't are probably puppy killers... I'm kidding of course..... ok!!!

We finished up and headed for Briggs Animal Shelter to get a Spay Today certificate for Roux. She's scheduled for surgery next week and I wanted it to all be in order.

Well when I walked through the front door there was Bruiser the little chihuahua we rescued and surrendered to Briggs, a couple weeks ago. Apparently today was his first day out of quarantine. He was behind the counter but could easily be seen and petted by any visitor. I immediately went over and said hey little boy. The Lady, and I'm being VERY generous with that description of her, said he was a bit shy.... to give him space. I reached down and he pretty much climbed my arm to get to my shoulder. he was SO happy to see me he kept whining and licking my face and was so wiggly I almost dropped him. The "lady" said WOW, he's never been this receptive to anyone.... to which I replied... "I can't believe he remembers, and missed me this much, I only had him a week.

The look on her face went from happily surprised to absolutely disgusted in a mili-second. Exclaiming, "Oh Great.... you're the one who surrendered him, now we'll have to put him back through therapy". I asked if she learned her customer service manners in some sort of boot camp and she continued to harass me, still assuming I was the one who had abandoned such a sweet little pup. Finally, after I'd had enough of her tragic mouth, I had a trailer park moment and told the bitch to shut the hell up...... "Bitch, Shut UP.

I rescued the damn dog and brought him here, now get the hell out of my face with your self righteous attitude. By now, more staff had arrived, they removed the COW from my sight and escorted me into a room where I could arrange the Spay Certificate.

Bruiser had been removed from the front desk by the time I returned and satans receptionist was also gone. I can't imagine the dogs there are getting the best training when I see what kind of venomous creatures run the joint. Her like or dislike of any human will only influence the animals she has around her. Hopefully she can't own an animal..... well maybe a badger.

I also am completely aware of the trauma a dog must deal with to see its old owners come visit, but I only had Bruiser a week. There shouldn't have been that much of a bond between us. He looked and acted as if he were about to suffer a breakdown. He tried to climb the desk to get over the partition to me. I was really surprised to see him, and am still shocked at his response to seeing me. A week... that's how long we had him.... a week, and he remembered me as if I had given birth to him. The hard part was leaving him again and in such a bad mood.... damn her.... DAMN HER!!

I wasn't going to elaborate on my other choice assumptions of her, but lets just say, she looked like a bottle blond cross between Liza Minnelli and Annie Lenox..... and she was about 6 ft tall. Obviously the surgery was a success.... that is until she opened her mouth and the gravely chain smoking baritone fell out.

So my day continued. Roux has her surgery ticket and will be going under the blade on the 8th.

Bruiser was lamely renamed Rufio by some Briggs employee..... I guess he's a Freakin French Chihuahua now.... either that or he couldn't have the same name as the receptionist.

Roux sat in the truck with cat food, bird seed and groceries for half an hour. She touched nothing. She laid there and waited for me to return..... not even getting in my seat when she saw me.... just bouncy happy little puppy in the back seat. She's 3 months old and is perfectly behaved. Grumpzilla the shelter receptionist was the perfect example of unacceptable animal behavior. I guess I was too, but damn-it, I've got scars from too many unprovoked attacks from the opposite sex. I guess I just reacted without realizing she too was probably the result of some life drama. The difference being, I was the customer, the guest, the innocent in this situation. The way she acted was unacceptable, and woman or not, had she continued... I'd have knocked her out. I must appeal to the gods for forgiveness. Mother Hera may you forgive my wicked thoughts today the same as you forgave Zeus, and bestow grace and elegance upon the gravel chewing Grumpzilla at Briggs.

Fall and its memories

Some legends can be brought to life by story tellers while others need to be witnessed. We witnessed an old one this past weekend. The early morning fog sat fat over the gap long enough to light the Fiery colors of Fall. Stories tell, the coming season change will first be seen as a fire on the river. This fire should happen on the Vernal Equinox. The brighter and more intense the fire, the deeper and richer the fall colors will be. This morning the river was ablaze.... almost making it too bright to look at. At times appearing almost like a lava flow from under the mountains that majestically rise alongside those two famous rivers, the Potomac and Shenandoah. We truly are blessed by the gods to live in such a glorious place and to have witnessed not only an old legend, but a beautiful natural phenomenon. Steve and I are often overwhelmed by the fantastic mornings here in the Ferry. Spiritually moving, is usually how I describe the emotional state I'm usually left in, after a morning of absorbing such exquisite delights. I know that sounds corny, but I'll quote Nietzsche and be free of having to describe it any better.....

Poets are shameless with their experiences: they exploit them

I always felt that a true sign of fall were the geese formations. On the farm for 19 years I witnessed many flocks of geese..... coming and going, but rarely in the pot. My father new the necessity for hunting for food, but he also understood the ignorance of relying on the hunt for survival, that's why we raised most of what we ate. Although I'm sure we ate goose from time to time I don't remember it and I'm glad. Chicken and beef and pork were always in good supply. Trapping was always a job my brother and I had. From rabbits and squirrels to muskrats and minks..... we trapped them, we skinned them.... ate the meat and sold the furs. It was part of growing up. Emphasis on growing up.... taught us responsibility. No forgetting the traps, or leaving them because we were tired or it was too cold. 5am everyday..... check the traps.... skin the catch.... stretch the furs.... dress the meat..... feed the farm animals.... go to school. So you see why I'd rather cut coupons than cut up tenderloin. There's a certain caveman mentality in us all that makes the hunt and the kill exciting. However, evolution supposedly, has gifted most of us with an ability to rise above the hunter gatherer of a time long since gone and work to provide sustenance. Now don't get me wrong... there's a certain pride in growing and harvesting your own food. From apples to orangutans, if you raise it... you should be able to eat it. I learned a lot on that farm, and I guess, I'd rather eat a carrot than think I had to always have meat on the table, which is far from how we grew up. Protein was important when we worked from sun up to WAY PAST sundown. These days it's just ignorant to think we need to eat as much meat. Most of you either sit behind a desk at work and if you don't, I still doubt you get enough exercise to warrant a hunter gatherer motto. I remember too many times sitting at the kitchen table at 11pm and midnight doing my homework for the next school day. Why so late?? Usually it was because we didn't get in from the barn until 10pm. Those days we could eat all we wanted and never gained an ounce it seemed. That's because we burned it off in 100 degree heat out in a tobacco field, or hoeing that tobacco, or stripping that tobacco, or covered in Barley dust, or working that cornfield shucking corn till our hands bled. Again.... don't get me wrong.... I did it all because it was my job.... it was my part in being a Dean, and that family of mine made it fun to do the things we did. We did what we were told to when we were told to do it, and we learned about life. We learned to respect just not the animals that fed us, but all living things. More importantly we learned..... some of us the hard way, to respect others. We learned not to judge, but to walk away. (See me Walking?) I took all of this and so much more with me when I left home. However, most of what I learned from my folks and family I'm just now realizing. I recently heard my Dads voice..... LOL.... yes, it came right out of my own mouth.......

"That Son of a Bitch is just Common"

I swear it was his voice.... it was. More and more these days his wise way of teaching reveals itself. Now of course at the time he taught it to us, it didn't at all seem wise. We just thought he was being unfair. Now I know different.... now I get to use the same tactic on my grandson... hehehe!!! Roux update!!! She weighed in at a whopping 15 lbs last week and is estimated at being 11 wks old. That would give her a birthday of July 4th, which is pretty awesome, since she is Little Miss Independence!! We figured out a possible heritage for her, but we'll never know for sure.... maybe when she gets older and bigger. Redbone Coonhound is a really good possibility, just not sure what the other three parts are... LOL!!! Well there is the whole Fat n Flour part and of course it's Gluten free flour!!! Gotta go get some work done around here, and hopefully without too many interruptions. I'm hoping you all had/have a wonderful first day of fall!!! I know I am!!!

Maggio i colori della caduta illuminano il vostro giorno!

May the colors of the fall illuminate your day!

Insanity and Nightmares

For the past week, we've been suffering Server meltdown. Yes, our server keeps crashing and when that happens it sets off an alarm.... BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP You get my drift. This really has to be some sort of torture used by the Taliban.... well probably by our own country, but then you'll never get them to admit they actually USE torture. I've been trying to find things to do outside or AWAY FROM THE HOUSE..... THE BEEPING HOUSE, but I can't always do that, so I've had to play music or humm or just sit and imagine all the blood....... so much blood!!! LOL Well Steve took off Thursday to be here for the "comedy show" that took place out front. ( that of course would be Harpers Ferry trying to look important for the cameras), AND while he was here, he figured out how to turn the alarm off. An internal feature he said it was... I almost found it, but with a bullet instead of a menu. I got ahead of myself..... Wed, I took little Bruiser to Briggs Animal Shelter. They're a really nice facility and he'll get the best care from them and he'll be adopted out to someone trusted, but I still can't help missing him. So much so, that last night.... after days of ........ BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP I dreamed I went to visit him and they were keeping him in a jar wrapped in plastic. OMG!!!!! I ripped him out of his confines and just held his little trembling body as tight as I could. When I was about to run from the building with him.... the TV alarm came on and I was jolted out of my dream and back to reality with a weather report and shortly afterward another little puppy reminded me it was time to go out..... like now.... like 10 minutes ago. I got up.... dressed... never acknowledging the dancing puppy at my feet for fear that as soon as I say good morning to her she'd let go with an unstoppable flow of puppy pee. I was right.... she made it outside, but only across the street to the grass. No stopping to sniff things this morning, She was all about business today. We took a short walk with Dash somewhere way up ahead in the morning darkness. With his newly trimmed nails I couldn't even hear the familiar click click click of his nails on the asphalt, but I knew he was there.... never letting me out of his sight at least. A cool..... very cool overcast morning caused our walk to be a little short........ we'll go again later, and upon entering the house..... BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was like coming home to find you've been burglarized. Thinking the damn computer was fixed yesterday.......... it was a heart sinking sound that greeted me when I opened the door. I just started about my normal morning routine, but imagining I was doing so in an intensive care ward and visiting someone on life support..... Beep Beep Beep........... Steve got up a little later and promptly went up and disabled it. I'm still thinking of spending the day somewhere else. Should it start again anytime in the next few hours..... I'm absolutely positive my head would spin on my shoulders. Plus there's still the whole sour feeling I get when I hear stupid crap from people passing by outside. The stench of the babbling zombies with their foul cigarettes clenched between cracked lips engulfs my home each time they stop. They offer their unwanted comments about whatever shiny thing that caught their attention, meanwhile unaware of the evil dark cloud thats churning directly above them.........GO AWAY!!!! What is it? What do you want? Why are you bothering me..... BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like OMG it's Paula!!

Early morning, thursday, Sept 18th.... The sleepy little town of Mayberry.... oops Harpers Ferry was a flurry with local residents like Barney and Goober and Otis and Opie, looking to get themselves a look at anyone or anything that might appear important. See, Good Morning America had arrived late in the night on a special GMA train and had parked themselves in a secret location.... (further down the tracks) Now they were due to arrive back in town at any moment, and even the aunt Bee wannabe's were primping. The sun was just busting over the mountain ridge and already local residents could be heard chirping like little spring birds in heat.... some even more intent on being noticed would loudly guffaw at any stupid thing said. Hoping, just hoping that camera would be pointed their way. Now don't get me completely wrong, it was nice that GMA picked Harpers Ferry, but let’s face facts... We've had the cameras here before and the outcome is never pleasant. The rumors about who might make a surprise appearance started two days ago from Michele Obama and Joe Biden to the man himself, Barack. Let’s hope none of them show up, because Barney and his crew won't be able to handle it. Besides they're too busy watching the "chosen" ones. Too busy looking for that cloud of "morning smoke" to be able to pay any attention to what matters. I watched the train last night after it pulled in..... too many lights and like expected, a surly bunch of un-showered crew wishing they were somewhere else and loudly claiming so. There were other locals down at the train and as I stood and watched......... them, more so than the train, I couldn't help but wonder what it was that made them all act so damn stupid. What is it about an opportunity to get a glimpse of someone famous that makes the average under achiever act like a smitten school girl? I took my dogs and went home passing even more partiers along the way. I just didn't get it. I guess living in DC for so many years I've become jaded to the polish they always put on events like this. I won't whore myself for the benefit of someone’s ratings or some small towns need to be noticed. It causes me a sort of nausea watching my town grasp at any possible chance of "being" a celebrity. Are they all suffering such bruised egos that they constantly require praise? Damn, they're like puppies who finally learn to pee outside, but you still have to say "good Puppy" when they do it for fear they'll just piss in the house if you don't. Sitting here at my computer window, I can hear the humm of generators and the occasional shrieking roar of gaggles of women happy to see ......... something. I guess it's a personality flaw that I can't bounce around in public and be what others claim as "being themselves". I guess in my attempt to be a little more reserved with my emotions, I'm the one who loses out. LOLOLOLOL yeah right! We walked down to the Harper House Porch to watch the train arrive. Thankfully we had it to ourselves. There's nothing like being able to observe an event undisturbed. The first people to get off the train were the camera crew..... the retarded crowd cheered. They could have sprayed them with urine and they would have cheered. Anyhow, we took a couple pictures just like we always do to remember things and walked around to watch Paula Deen. That right folks.... Deen, no relation. They make the crowd look huge on TV, but the only thing huge here were a few of the onlookers. Thank the gods Harpers Ferry is such a large zip code, because that’s the only way most of these people could claim they were from here. Again we picked a Prime location to watch from.... well that was until people saw us, and shortly afterwards joined us along the fence. It was all good though, because they were a bunch of high schoolers and we totally used them to our advantage. I had them yell "Paula", when she turned to look, I snapped the shot! I could only watch the camera guys set up a "fake wave shot" so many times before I had to leave. Everything was so staged... I guess that's necessary to make a good show, but truthfully.... even Paula’s hair is fake.... she has extensions. She pulled one out and the makeup/hair girl had to rush in and fluff. We really should have joined the group who hiked across the river to MD Heights. At least that way we could have claimed we actually DID something today. The train is gone; the glory seekers have climbed back into wherever it is they hide away, until their next strained and most likely failed attempt, at becoming something other than average. The sad fact is, that so many people rely on this type of artificial praise and public recognition in order to justify their existence. It just saddens me to see it happen so close and so frequently, thus explaining my funky mood. I can only hope that the day will come when as individuals and as a community we can rise above vanity and self pride. Maybe come November we'll have a real reason to be proud again and it not be selfish pride, but pride in others. Perhaps it's the lack of leadership that’s put this country and the small towns that make this country into such a negative space. I'm sure there are those of you who might disagree with me and label me a malcontent..... go ahead. I still have my new attitude and things are looking up, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna sugar coat crap and feed it to you. I don't want to be like the others, always laughing at anything, hoping something worthwhile will come along. How can we learn to appreciate what’s real when we live a daily fantasy? Get real people. Get educated. Get over yourselves. This country is circling in a clockwise motion…….. and when it’s all said and done, we’re not gonna remember the Paula Deens and the cameras. We’re just going to be reminded how we let the lights and a chance to be a micro celebrity, distract us from what really matters. While GMA paraded around Harpers Ferry pretending to know how to make and enjoy apple dumplings, soldiers were still dying fighting a useless war. Our economy continued to crash around us……….. silently…… and why?..... because we were too busy smiling at the pretty lights.

“OK folks…. On the count of three, I need you to all wave your flags and look happy”

Agli amici ed alle tradizioni

"To Friends and Traditions"

Today started for me at O-dark 30. Yes, that ungodly hour when it's still dark and way earlier than you planned on EVER getting up. I had heard a little puppy whimper, knew she was trying her best to be a good soldier and just wouldn't be able to "hold it in" any longer, so up I got and out we went. Roux and Bru and Dash into the foggy morning. We finished our walk, I fed the pups and went directly into the kitchen to start lunch of all things. I even did this before coffee... don't ask me why or better yet HOW, because I'm usually pouring 1/2 n 1/2 in the sugar bowl before I'm completely awake. I was fixing turkey drumsticks and grilled corn on the cob for lunch. The drumsticks would take hours and that's why I started so early. First I had to skin them... very carefully to remove all the membrane that holds the skin to the meat. When that was done it was a simple run through my magical concoction of herbs and spices and whatever else I had thrown in the bowl until each fat turkey leg was completely coated... laid them out on a flat pan... drizzled them with Olive Oil and into a 225 degree oven..... for 5 hours. Yes, 5 Hours. occasionally turning them and basting. When lunch time did arrive, I lit the grill and cooked the aluminum foil covered corn first, then I brushed a glaze of raspberry jelly, raw sugar and apple cider vinegar, over the legs and on the grill they went. 5 or so minutes on each side and lunch was served. This was our attempt at Ren Fair food. We were suppose to go to Ren Fair to see the Highland games with Jon N Steph, but decided to make it an air-conditioned, puppy filled weekend instead. Oh and Steve supplied us with his version of a kilt clad Scot. It was a little confusing, because he added a "wife beater" tank, and Jikatabi's , but it still worked!! Our newest additions are doing great! Dash has finally gotten Roux and Bru to play together with him. All thanks to the Magic Sock!!

I guess it was around 11, maybe earlier, Jon N Steph arrived with Turk and Beau. I had put Dash outside to limit the amount of excitement that I know would be tremendous once two more dogs showed up. I was right and Dash got it out of his system before he came inside and infected the two little ones with his exuberance. Roux is fine with any dog... she'll jump right in and start playing. Bru on the other hand, being a Chihuahua and a year old, is a little more reserved and I'm guessing he doesn't like getting stepped on. he also thinks he can just bark and boss the other dogs around. When he wouldn't stop barking or growling (while sitting in my lap) I just sat him on the floor in the middle of the Big Boys. He soon shut up and made nice. In a matter of minutes they were all calm and looking for treats. :) Especially Beau, who probably got a little spoiled on them his last visit!!

I even managed to get picture proof that they were all well behaved puppies. Of course I had to snap it quick, because this was like getting 5 ADHD 4 yr olds to sit still. Later, Miriam came by with Cane, and once the whole "Who's New on the Playground" was over with, they all went back to normal.

I'm guessing it's because I learned at such an early age, that I have such a hard time believing Jon can't ride a bike, but because I'm 44 and don't know how to swim, I won't give him a hard time.

He actually knows the dynamics of bike riding, but he has trouble with the whole balance thing.

I learned fast, that running alongside and holding upright, a bicycle ridden by a 25 lb kid is a Hell of a lot more easy than doing it for an adult..... an adult who had just had lunch!!!! Was that polite enough???? LOL!!

Steph did a much better job which also allowed me to stand back and laugh!!!!

We tried a different kind of bike, but it turned out to be even more disastrous!! Poor Jon, looks like Steph is going to have to resort to getting him a side car. Maybe they make one that's connected to the bike's gear mechanism and Jon can still help pedal.

Fortunately there were no injuries in our attempt to teach Jon how to ride and when he climbed off the bike suddenly aware that boxer briefs aren't good for bike riding, we all got another good laugh. I lowered the bike seat, handed it to Steph and her and Steve went off down the hill. They rode all the way out to the 340 bridge and back. Steve managed to ride back up High St all the way. I'm not sure if he's trying to pop a lung or explode his heart, but he did it and I congratulate him.

Steph had fun and said she forgot how much of a workout bike riding was. I'm glad SOMEONE sees it now, from my point of view.

Before I forget to mention this.... I called Miriam this morning and apparently too early, but since I thought she was going all country housewife on me, according to her canning and food processing blogs, I thought she would be awake. NOT... :)

Anyhow, I had to find out what she used to pulp her fruit.... LOL. When she told me a food processor, I told her, "I have something for you". A brand new... back in the box, but never used Food Mill. I'm telling you this, because this is not only an important piece of equipment for a home-maker, but an important tradition to me and most of my family. For many of them it's just a kitchen utensil, but that's after many years of use. They simply take it for granted. So today I passed on a time honored family tradition to a friend, and gave her her first food mill. Miriam is now, more a part of Down County than she knows or may even want to be. Of course I waited for the first day of the Harvest Moon to present my gift, which makes it even more special to freaks like me who celebrate moon phases!! Miriam promptly returned home and reprocessed some huge amount of tomato sauce and came back hours later bearing some of the best Bloody Mary Mix I've had in years. I've really got to get to the liquor store. Bloody Mary Mix and Moonshine..... nope.

We also got some other good news. Virginia and Mike and Chris have located a new home. Their recent move to Hampton VA has finally ended in a new place to nest and I just have to say this..... On A Harvest Moon!!! I know, stressing my Lunar Faith is a little tedious, but necessary. One day you'll agree!!!

Celebrate the Harvest Moon!

Cheers to another great weekend!! Friends and family and puppies and kitties and bike riding and well, it just goes on and on and on!!! An entire weekend spent weaving an invisible thread. Making our family a little bit larger and a little bit stronger, meal by meal..... tradition by tradition. Sharing our home our past our trust our respect our desire to become a warm shining reflection of kindness to those who surround us.

La pace di maggio abbonda, (May Peace Abound)

Sore Butts n Puppies!!

This morning I took Roux to the vet and got her puppy shots. She's a whole 15 lbs and appears to be in good health. Dr Hough reckons she's about 10 - 12 weeks old.... closer to the 10 side. Says she'll probably max out at about 40lbs tops, which is fine by me..... the perfect size for a second dog. I thought the rest of the day was going to be a nice relaxing saturday with the normal chasing puppies and cleaning house, but Steve decided late afternoon that we should go bike riding. I knew he was right, but my butt is still feeling bruised from the last time we went. I really need to put a gel seat on that bike. Off we went.... down the hill and across the train bridge to the CnO Canal..... that's the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and it's almost 185 miles in length. Well today we only traveled 8 miles of it and that was a round trip. Still, 8 miles on a bike is more than my butt wanted to ride, so the fact that we did it, AND I'm SITTING to write this must mean something. During my little bitchy fit about 4 miles into the ride I realized that maybe I actually did do some damage to my tail bone when I fell several weeks ago and that by riding the bike I've just aggravated it. Guess I'll never know, because I bitched myself right out of using it as an excuse. Basically, If I just get over the pain.... I'll tone up... lose weight and once I'm lighter I won't crush my ass as hard when I sit on the bike seat. So all said and done.... exercise is good... the old saying, "no pain no gain" once again applies. OK, now that you're aware that I'm not ONLY a pain in the ass, but I actually HAVE a pain in the ass, I'd like to share with you the reason that no matter what discomfort I might experience along the ride..... the beauty of our surroundings makes up for it. At Lock 36 there still stands the old lock house. In ruins of course, but beautiful all the same. This is also the same place along the trail that the Potomac river becomes rapids and a large sign warns boaters of this fact.

DANGER Hazardous Waters Ahead PFD's Life Jackets Must Be Worn Next 5 Miles Maximum Fine $500

Turning away from the churning water and back to the trail we suddenly found ourselves cradled by mother natures softer side. Some of the trees that line the canal are easily 50 yrs old..... most of them Sycamore. The grass at lock 36 was particularly fine this warm summer day and Steve took full advantage of it... until he saw all the mosquitoes. We explored this lock for awhile and glad we did, because within minutes a clamoring shouting bunch of possible boyscouts and their leaders came storming by. I'm guessing they needed to be somewhere by a certain time, because they definitely weren't taking any time to enjoy the views. At the back of the lock, tucked in the trees and up a pretty steep hill was this joy.... Can you say Blair Witch???? We actually walked up to the house to investigate but left immediately after something HUGE crashed in the woods directly behind it. I'm sure I didn't word that well enough to describe the speed in which we departed this old house. Lets just say... there are a few large rocks that got dislodged from the hill on the way down. Continuing down the canal we passed very few other riders which made the ride even nicer, because it's like not having to share the last piece of Apple Pie. You sort of feel selfish, but at the same time you just don't care... all the while smiling like your bike helmet is worn for more than bike rides. We came across many cool and interesting sites, but this mushroom I just had to share. I'm pretty positive this is a Maitake or Hen of the Woods Mushroom. If I had been more positive of it's identity, we'd be eating it for dinner. Well, that's our bike ride. Saturday turned out pretty good!! We managed to get a few things done and did it all with sore butts and puppies. That has to count for something!! Tomorrow we're playing Renaissance with Jon and Steph. We were suppose to go see the Highland Games at Ren Fair, but canceled because it's such a long drive and besides we have those darn puppies that need tending to. :) Instead we're having our own turkey legs and Steve's gonna wear his kilt for the occasion. Wish us luck and wish us a little sunshine. There'll be four adults and 5 dogs in the house if it rains and although we'll be fine, it would still be nice to go out and not come back in wet!!!

The Name Game!!

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!

OK, It's official.... If we keep him, He's "Bru", short for his original name "Bruiser".

Siena, although it's a beautiful name and an equally beautiful city, has been renamed....

Roux. Yes, she stole it from him, but lets face facts....

She's cuter, she's definitely staying, and she looks like she's made of Fat and Flour!

It's just by far a cooler name and considering our ties to New Orleans, it's appropriate.

She's also a fine color for a roux to be.

So for now, we have Bru and Roux and always A Dash!!

The Magic Sock

Are you busy.?....., I am!! What a week it's been!! Siena, (who's name I'm rethinking), has been such a joy. Well that is if you like cleaning up puppy pee and puppy poop and then cleaning up more puppy pee and more puppy poop and then well you get the picture. I can't complain too much though, because she's so sweet. You'll get to see this picture courtesy of Miriam, because she took it. I don't often post pics of me... just not a poser. Not that I'm a photographer, I'm just more comfortable behind the camera. Right now Little Miss Sunshine is chewing on the magic sock we gave her this morning. It's magic, because it came from Docs foot..... the same place Blazes and Dash's and Turks magic socks came from. Magically it will pull all those pesky, painful and oh so sharp little puppy teeth right out. Poor little girlies gums are hurtin and Magic Sock is just what she needed. Yesterday she discovered the joys of being pulled about the house by Dash. Attaching herself to the opposite end of a toy that he was playing with guaranteed her a trip through the air. Well, Magic Sock is great for puppy fly time. Dash particularly remembers how much fun the sock was and now that He's the pilot it's even more exciting. He just needs to remember to wait till she's awake. I heard her little grumpf when she got disturbed by the puparazzi. Poor baby needs her beauty sleep I reckon. Now for the newest news. In my search for a playmate for Dash, I had looked at sites like Petfinder, Craigslist and Freecycle. I even called the Humane Society to see if they had a somewhat small sized youngish dog. Freecycle of course is pathetic and although it's a terrific place to dump anything you don't want, you can rarely find anything of real value. We did rescue Takaani/Buddy from there but he was the exception. Petfinder, at least locally, is littered (sorry for the pun) with so called rescues that want anywhere from $200 - $450 a pop for a pup. That's insane although I have an idea what it costs to maintain a decent rescue. Problem is... they're NOT decent rescues. So that left me with craigslist. There was this one ad about a 1yr old male Chihuahua, un-neutered, who needed to be rehomed for a modest fee of $100, just to ensure he went to a good home..... of course. I answered the ad thinking I would never hear back from her (the owner) and not really interested in paying someone a $100, just so I could then own their problem dog. The e-mail had been sent, the Humane Society had no good news and I figured the wait for a new pup would be a little longer. WRONG...... the very next day, even though I had been told all the dogs were large I went to the Humane Society and viola' we have Siena. Now I return home and oh no, there's a reply back from the owner of the Chihuahua. I ignored her first response and then she e-mailed again a day or so later. Long story short.... after eight e-mails (I counted), I had learned her sad life story, told her I would not pay her for a dog that she didn't want. Informed her that if she relinquished him to me, that I would most likely find him a new home. Two hours later he was in my lap as I pulled out of her sisters driveway. Not an abused dog, but fearful/timid. He had been living in a house with 2 adults, 4 kids, 3 dogs, 11 cats, 3 hamsters, several rats and a ferret..... and it wasn't a Zoo.... well not the wild kingdom kind.

Meet Bruiser who had been nicknamed Ru who we now have renamed Roux.

He's a really sweet little guy and there's a slim chance that we might keep him. I say slim because come on.... I have an 18 month old Shepherd I'm still training, and now a 10 week old Mut I'm cleaning up behind.... literally. I only took the poor little fella well,......... mostly because I can't say no..... damn-it. I stopped at our local NO KILL shelter on the way home with him and had an interview. He's a very adoptable puppy... just over a year old, so I have an appt next wed at noon.... middle of the week... middle of the day, to have him evaluated by their version of match.com!!

Interviewer: So what do you like in a companion?

Roux: Most importantly she must not be too tall.

Interviewer: So you want her short like yourself.

Roux: SHORT!!! Who are you calling SHORT?

See just how wrong this whole thing could be? That's when they'll take him in and he'll cease to be ours... I'll also have his vet records by that time so he'll even be more adoptable. So now you see why there's a slim chance we might adopt him..... we have a week to have his quirky little behavior injected into our bloodstream. A whole seven days to get so used to having him around that we just can't let go.

There's a part of me that says maybe, but there's a bigger more experienced part of me that says I've done my part with this little fella. I talked him out of a crummy situation and now he has a real chance at a terrific life. Letting go of Blaze, holding him when he took his last breath, hasn't hardened me and it hasn't really injured me either.... it's left me with an open vein. From burying two of our kitties in the back yard to leaving a dog at the shelter, it still hurts, but it's part of life and when it happens the blood just flows a little faster. This is symbolism, (for you republicans... the whole pig/lipstick thing... idiots). I'm just more at ease with the tragic possibilities of life now. It's that whole new attitude thing. Go with the flow sorta guy or go away before you die.... the two sided me. I'm happy to say the latter personality is waning.

Back to Roux.... LOL!! That sounds like Astro the News Anchor!! LOL!

Today Roux's more receptive to Siena and Dash. He's still a little timid, but that's ok for now. I don't want him bossing his way through the house. From what I witnessed yesterday when I picked him up..... a little humble pie might be good for him.

Dash has been such an incredible dog. I knew it before, but his patience with Siena and his gentle behavior with Roux has magnified his outstanding qualities.

Without even knowing it and of course because they're both so short, Siena and Roux look up to Dash and I know he won't let any of us down.

There you have it. A week ago we had a quiet home with a well behaved dog and 4 not so well behaved cats. I'm not quite sure why I couldn't settle for calm and orderly.... it's just not me. Truth be told... it's Steve's fault. He's the one who convinced me to get rid of so much stuff the week he was off. But by doing so, we made so much more room in the nest.... I just had to fill it.... LOL!!! Nesting and babies and puppies and kitties.... if he hasn't figured it out by now..... oh well!! I'm positive that when I die, the animals still living with me will need to be euthanized and then cremated alongside me. They'll all have had such issues and at one time or another been labeled an outcast of society, that nobody will want them. That's fine with ME. To die knowing unconditional love my entire life..... bring it on!! I'm going to play with The Magic Sock now!!!

"So Sambo Beat the Bitch"

"Sambo Beat the Bitch", was reportedly Sarah Palins overheard comment when Our Next President, Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in the primary. Such a trashy mouth and on such an arrogant peice of........ republican. How could she be so ... well.... ignorant? Sarah Palin a Racist? Read the full article.

Even the Polar Bears are distressed.

The Grizzlies are also thinking of moving to Canada.

If it's inappropriate for the presidential candidates to sling mud then we must do it for them, right? I believe you can give anyone enough rope and they'll eventually hang themselves. Palin and McCain scare me, because however evil the Dickmeister and the Village Idiot might be, we haven't seen evil until we allow Madame Palin to be hoisted to the throne. If she's allowed to step foot in OUR White House as VP.... this country will forever be cursed. John McCain's had his 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people. Huh? Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background: She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage.

She has no foreign policy experience.1

Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.2

She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. 3

Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.4

She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.5

She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.6

How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position.7

She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience. I shudder to think that she could be the person taking that 3AM call on the White House hotline, and the one who could potentially be charged with leading the US in the volatile international scene that exists today. She is VERY, VERY conservative. She's a hunter and fisher woman, but votes against the environment again and again. She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials. She has NO experience beyond Alaska. Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be. I think she's far too inexperienced to be in this position. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not one who hasn't done anything to deserve it. There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part- and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get the female vote by putting "A Woman" in that position. So Governor Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative. She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil. And she's dramatically inexperienced. In picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has made the religious right very happy. And he's made a very dangerous decision for our country. Sources:

1. "Sarah Palin," Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008

2. "McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate," NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008

3. "Sarah Palin, Buchananite," The Nation, August 29, 2008

4. "'Creation science' enters the race," Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006

5. "Palin buys climate denial PR spin—ignores science," Huffington Post, August 29, 2008

6. "McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy," Sierra Club, August 29, 2008

"Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past," League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008.

"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor," The Times of London, May 23, 2008

7 "McCain met Palin once before yesterday," MSNBC, August 29, 2008

Please think before you vote! Your country and your family needs your help! However many Americans, are still being fooled by the Bush administration, we must impress upon them the need for a change. We need equal balance in government. For those of us overwhelmed by the current flow of ignorance out of Washington DC, Fresh air is long overdue. The Change is near, lets make it reality and no longer a dream.

Sarah Palin.... looks good in brown!

Day two.... Siena slept fine last night, but again.... I've forgotten what it was like to have a puppy. I totally spaced on the whole... "don't touch them until you're ready to take them out" practice. I half asleep reached down from the bed and rubbed her excited little head this morning and she promptly turned around and pooped. My fault completely. She'll stay leashed to me for a few days and she should be house trained by the end of the week. Just this morning she went and found the paper I put down..... On Her Own!!! What a smart little girlie!!! No, although it looks like it.... she missed the leash. Our only real problem is Dash... he forgets how big and heavy he is sometimes. He'll come crashing into the room as usual and if Siena's in the way she's pavement. Fortunately for her she has an alarm feature that scares Dash off.... LOL! I hope she doesn't grow into that noise. It's OK if she needs to use it in self defense, but on a regular basis I might have to get ear plugs. I guess she's just being a little girl! So, Day two and she's using the paper. Progress like this is awesome!! Finally I have a use for any printed Fox News.... Sarah Palin looks good in brown. Anyone have a picture of Chaney or Bush, that they want artfully smeared? LOL!! I'll photograph it!!! Clearing up some analesque confusion..... Her name is Siena... one N. Named first and foremost after the Tuscan Hill Town of Siena. I realize the color Sienna has two N's, but I don't care about some english translation of the word. There are even older versions of the name like Saena, Saenii, but since we personally know the town Siena, that's what we'll go with. Sienna is a form of clay that's only found in Italy and here in our beautiful Appalachian Mountains. Now we've brought our two favorite places together in the form of this sweet little girl..... Siena! I'm off to finish some projects today..... puppy in tow. Wish me luck.... again.

Meet Siena!!

Meet Siena!! She's the latest addition to our family. Yesterday I called Berkeley County Humane Society just to see if they had any small sized dogs and was told they had nothing but big bigger and freakin huge. Well today I stopped in on a whim just to see all the poor little doggies abandoned by humans not responsible enough to own a sponge. The lady I had spoken to was correct. There were some GINORMOUS Dogs in there, but there was also this little girl. She and her brother who was a lot lighter in color, had been dropped off right before closing yesterday. They estimated her to be around 8 - 10 wks old, and although she looks older and I totally thought she was older, she's still gettin her puppy teeth and still has all the puppy clumsiness. There really is no way to tell exactly what she is without DNA testing and we're just not going to worry about it. I put "cute" in the breed box when I dropped her off to be bathed. She's more than likely a cross between two of four possibilities...... Jack Russell, Beagle, Chihuahua, and Miniature Pinscher. We're going more with Jack Russell and it's possible she's all Jack Russell. We'll find out eventually or we won't. I don't care. Her breed for now is "Cute" and I'm sure one day we'll add "Smart" to that!!! Whatever the cross is it really doesn't matter because she's ours now and she's a cool little girl. Dash was a little concerned when we first brought her in and I'd have to say so was she, but it's been several hours now and she simply blows by the cats, thinks Dash is a giant furry pillow and has attached herself to my leg. She so much tinier than any dog we've ever had.... kinda hard to get used to. Steve says Dash was this tiny when he came home, but I've looked at the pictures.... NOT!! So, Siena has arrived. We named her Siena because today is Sept 8th. Today was the birthday of St Bernardino of Siena. Not that I care about St Bernardino, but Siena was one of our favorite cities that we visited while in Italy and Siena is the color of her fur. St Bernardino just happened to be a Franciscan Missionary around the early 1400's, that preached the evils of sodomy. He preached it everywhere.... he was famous for his hatred of sodomy.... Me thinks he protested too much. Anyhow, we're so happy to have our new little girl with us. Siena hopefully will grow to be as cool and relaxed as Dash. I swear if she starts doing the Jack Russell bounce I'm gonna make her a velcro suit and velcro strip a door frame!!

I need to sharpen my Axe

It's amazing the amount of space that can be recovered with just a few trips to the dump!!! There's so much room in our basement now, we can park our bikes down there... WOOHOO!!! I spent the better part of two days with a few trips up and down the ladder and I finally managed to finish my new counter. I used all scrap lumber and some other pieces/parts and didn't buy a single new thing. I even used some screws from my Dads collection. Now I have the perfect place to set up my sewing machine and boy do I need to set it up. The downstairs is going to be so nice this winter. We've got two work stations, we're moving the tv down there and the fireplace will be a new feature this year!!! It's just gonna be darn cozy!! On one of our bike trips we rode to the end of Potomac Street. Now for those of you who don't know the area.... Potomac street is only paved just pass the train station, then it's all gravel dirt or mud depending on the recent weather. We cruised it all the way to Bakerton road and back, stopping at the old inlet to the canal along the way. Add to it our trip out to the 340 bridge and we did a whole 4+ miles. Hey that ain't so bad concidering we just started riding again. Oh and If I hear one more person say how they rode the stationary bike at the gym more than 4 miles..... LOL... try it with rocks and bumps and mud and briar's, then get back to me!! We stopped several times during our ride and at one particularly awesome place... (I have to keep it a secret for fear that it be claimed as someone elses secret place), we saw like a 100 or so earthworms mating or doing something in a pooled area of a stream. It was pretty gross at first because I thought they were all dead, but then I got a closer look and they were squirming around one another. Sex in the woods..... what a "novel" idea... LOL!! This really was a beautiful spot and we plan on going there again... with bug spray! We must have passed through some sort of portal to get there because it even made Steve appear innocent and trust me when I say that would take a time portal!!!

Thursday, Steve gets home from work and tells me, "Venus has a big knot on her back" Long story short, she'd been bitten either by a non venomous snake or another cat. Seeing how we've "re homed" every other stray that happened into our live trap, we went with snake. The bite had gotten infected and abscessed. When I got to it, it just oozed this big glob of puss and blood almost causing me to vomit. We cleaned her up (shaved her) disinfected the wound and put some antibiotics on it.... Watched her for a few hours, determined she would be fine until morning and went to bed.

Friday morning Venus and Dash (our most handsome puppy :) ) both had vet appts. We're having all our little critters chipped. When we almost lost Bette to animal control we quickly realized we didn't want to live always wondering what might have happened to a kitty that never returned home. We know that chipping isn't 100% positive that we'll always know if something happened to one of them, but it's better than nothing. There's always the chance they might get picked up by dragons or consumed by flesh eating slugs.

Dash got his chip and his booster shots and was clearly upset that all that wasn't followed by a puppy treat. Then it was Venus's turn..... poor kitty got chipped, vaccinated for leukemia, boosters and a shot of penicillin. Her wound, which is difficult to determine how or what she got it from, looked pretty good, but would still take a few days to heal. I returned them both home and went back out to grocery shop. I got back here just an hour or so later to find Venus suffering a major allergic reaction to one of her shots. She was having difficulty breathing, her ears were bleeding from scratching, there was vomit everywhere and she continued to vomit. I rushed her back to the vet where they gave her another needle... this time benadryl and re hydrated her with some kind of injected saline solution. Poor poor girly..... She slept all the way home and for several hours afterwards. Today she's healing well, over the allergy issue and annoying us to let her back outside!!

All of this animal drama took place on the 9 month anniversary of Blazes departure from this world. I guess the odds are pretty great that there'll always be SOMETHING happening on the 5th of each month, but damn. .... I need a break from animal stress for awhile. Believing we were going to lose Venus just a few weeks after burying two of our other kitties, I was quickly approaching mess status. I'm glad she survived... I'm more than glad.....and after what it cost... she better live a long and happy life. Hopefully she learned a lesson somewhere in all this. Now to find the cat that bit her and move him or her to another planet. Blaze must have enough company wherever he is because he watched over Venus and got her to us in time to heal her injury. Thanks Boy!! It's really turning into a great "end of summer" for us. So many projects completed and so many more on the table.

We've got a few relatively local outings coming up..... a trip to Philly.... a trip to Germany.... gotta go see my Mom...... working on the windows still.... and the usual gettin ready for winter type stuff. That reminds me... I need to sharpen my axe.

A New Attitude

What a great week it's been and tomorrow when the alarm goes off it might mean back to work for Steve, but it'll never be the same here again. Not after the what we've accomplished around here. Living in Harpers Ferry has always been sort of a sweet defeat for me. The majestic mountains, the meandering river, the change in seasons, I could go on and on, but only to sadly realize how enjoying these things that nature has given us is so often hindered or just made bitter by the local resident attitude. It's a shame really.... HF has so much potential. One day, even if it's in my own head, I will live in a town where individual egos aren't the basis of friendships, and encounters with neighbors or strangers on the street won't result in some sort of vitriolic dialogue. Now I'm sure you're wondering where I'm going with this.... well Steve and I had a revelation this past week. First of all we managed to work side by side and not once ... well not for long, did we ever get on each others nerves!!! LOL!!! It dawned on us, well at least it dawned on me.... maybe Steve saw it all along, That we don't have to live like the rest of the world THINKS we should live. Our home is OUR HOME and it's unique placement and design is unlike any other in town. How we choose to enjoy and share our home is also up to us. We're not the normal HF couple. We're unique in our own right and we're going to take full advantage of that. All that being said and of course realized, we've reached a turn in the road so to say and although it's been a fun and exciting adventure so far... it's going to get better!! We've been "cleaning out" and I mean CLEANING OUT this past week. At least 3/4 of a ton of stuff has left our home... not to mention the soul cleansing that's taken place as well. We're going to start living inside our home. Before we were living outside it... meaning, our furniture was too big... there was too much of it. We were living like most Americans have been fooled into thinking is the norm. Bigger... Grander... better than the Jone's. No longer.... we want our space back. We no longer care to be "like" anyone else we know. Room to move and room to "maybe" entertain. Less is more if you get my drift, in all aspects!! Part of the cleansing started weeks ago actually. In our maiden attempt to become more social creatures I believe we allowed a standard we hadn't realized existed, to be compromised. We thought it was a given that most adults socialize with mutual respect and free of egotistical immaturity. We were wrong in that assumption and have since altered our willingness to open our home to just anyone. Lulled into a sense of false satisfaction, we abandoned a necessary standard for maintaining sanity........ Tolerance!!! Not any more.... Of course there's no such thing as zero tolerance, but I'm as close to it as I can be. We've sifted through so many memories this past week. We've let go of things we aren't even sure why we saved in the first place. We've sharpened the skill to be more selective in decorating as well as sharing our home. One of the weeks finds was an appearance Poster for Don Knotts. Steve designed this poster when he was at USA (University of South Alabama). So when Mr Knotts arrived... Steve got his signature!! That's right.... Don Knotts signature... How Cool. We're not sure if we'll have it framed or just auction it somewhere. For now it's fun to look at and it's definitely a conversation piece. Saturday we went to see our friends Jon and Vic and there other friends who had gathered for an early Oktoberfest!! I've known Vic since 1990 and he never seems to get any older.... it must be his youthful attitude. I love their place.... it's so serene and beautiful. I could just walk for hours through the yard... there's always something new and interesting around each corner or behind a bush. Sunday we went back with some goodies to drop off and stayed for a delicious dinner of corn pone, red cabbage and deer bbq. while sitting on the front porch, we were treated to an aerial display by swarms of hummingbirds. Sometimes coming so close to us we could almost touch them. Their little wings moving so rapidly they created this deep resonating humm. Duh... I guess that's where they got the name.!! Anyhow, I seriously doubt many of you have ever seen as many hummingbirds in one place for as long as we watched. I tried to capture one or two on camera, but all I had with me was my phone, so all I got was video. Their gardens are definitely gardens to covet. I'm always admiring them while at the same time wondering how I could airlift them across the river to our own backyard. :) Well we finished our wonderful dinner, said our goodbyes and returned home. This was the evening we were to take our bikes out for their first public appearance. Steve had been working on and off all week on his latest Geek inspired project. We now have light sensors on our bike spokes. Powered by rechargeable batteries and water proof, these continuous motion lights create an image when the wheel spins. Almost any image can be directly uploaded to the bike and currently both our bikes have the Obama 08 logo. We took our test run out Shenandoah Street just in case there were any last minute issues to correct. All worked well, so we headed over to Potomac Street to the bike shop where we had our bikes restored last week. The sidewalks and outside restaurants were full of tourists. We didn't realize our audience would be so big and after riding to the end of the street we now had quite a few adoring fans. Shouts of OBAMA could be heard from every terraced level of the lower town. People were stopping us to find out WHERE we got the cool lights and where could they get theirs!! I was pretty amazed at the great reception we got. Not one McCain fan in the group... if there was they stayed quiet like they should have. My guess is McCain supporters don't hang out in quaint little historic neighborhoods like HF. It's too American for all that foreign money. Our original intention was to show the lights to Ron the bike shop owner. He of course fell in love with not only the lights but the logo as well. Apparently we're his number one neighbors now... LOL. The light/logo display on the bikes morphed into a small frenzy of activity for awhile. It wasn't pride that we felt but Steve and I definitely experienced some sort of community bonding. It's sort of like seeing a hot air balloon as a kid. You're super excited to see it and then it drifts away out of sight, but the feeling it created still swells inside you and remains for sometime. That's what America was once upon a time and that's what Harpers Ferry could have. I believe we tapped into something last night. We touched a vein or a nerve or maybe even a soul or two.

We witnessed an exhilaration... people got excited..... they hollered out their support for Obama. On a dark night on a side street somewhere in small town America, a community had a moment that brought them all together. I'm glad I was part of it. There are many reasons why this past week has been such an eye-opener, but I guess all I really need to say is, "I have a new attitude"

GO OBAMA!!!