Fridays Are Golden

Rarely do we take only one dog anywhere.  So Lucy was quite surprised when my husband took Ellie and left her behind.

She looked at her leash hanging there, confused because she didn't go with Ellie.

She ran to the dining room window as my husband backed out of the garage.  He stopped briefly.

Hooray!  He's coming back to get me!

Her smile faded just as quickly.  My husband had stopped only long enough to adjust the rear camera as he backed out.

Oh dear!  He is really leaving me behind.

Her eyes followed as they drove down the street, looking sadder and sadder as they left.

I cannot believe it!

Ellie was headed to the veterinarian.  That morning we had discovered a very small "hot spot" on her right hip.  Goldens are particularly vulnerable to these reactions to irritation or insect bites.  Once begun, the areas can increase at an unbelievable rate and become more difficult to treat.  And given their double coats and long hair, the spots can be overlooked in Goldens until they become quite large.  We were very lucky on two fronts:  1) my husband spotted the area when it was the size of a quarter; and 2) our vet managed to squeeze us in that afternoon.  The area had already increased in size by the time she saw the vet.

The usual treatment...shave the area and apply ointment.  Because she had a mild temperature elevation, She was given antibiotics to take at home.  Fortunately Ellie is not one of those dogs who would continually lick the area so she did not have to wear a cone.

It's amazing how quickly these areas can spread.

Ellie was very happy to be home.  And Lucy was glad we were all together again.

We are still having much cooler than average temperatures.  Fortunately, the Golden Girls thrive in cooler weather.  The leaves are beautiful with promise of better color to come.

Another political debate is over and next week our state will allow for early voting.  There was a time when I bypassed early voting...I love the excitement of being at the polls on election day.  But this year, my vote is too important to risk anything that might keep me from casting my ballot.  So I will vote early.  (And I wish I could vote often.)

I am finding it difficult to understand how there could be undecided citizens among us so if you are one, please enlighten me.  The platforms are so different, the approach to the welfare of others so different, the methods of improving our economy are so different, the energy policies are so different, and concern for the ecology is so different that there should be compelling reasons to vote for one candidate or the other.  I urge all of you to exercise that precious right and vote for the candidate of your choosing.  The stakes are high.  The vote you cast this year may effect the decisions of the Supreme Court for decades to come.

Our political quote this week comes from Voltaire, a man before his time.  During the 1700s, he advocated free speech, civil liberties, and separation of church and state.

...so long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so;
for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious or otherwise,
to put shackles upon sleeping men.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!!!

Guarding the Nectar

A green hummingbird finial tops the nectar feeder in the front yard.  Much larger than a real hummingbird, it serves as a lookout perch for the various birds who want full possession of the nectar.  We have so enjoyed the hummingbirds this summer but most of them have left now with only a few stragglers remaining.  It seems so non-productive for them to spend so much of their time fighting off other birds.  Hardly anyone gets to eat much.  It would seem to be in their best interest to share so everyone can leave on the long journey in the best of shape.

This seems to be a preferred spot.

Although they often use the bill for a perch.

Crouched and ready for a fight.

Proudly assuming authority over the feeder.

As we enjoy watching our migration bringing us other birds, we also are saddened to see the hummingbirds leave.  We will keep the feeders up for two weeks past the last sighting.  Then we will eagerly await the spring migration and these lovely little visitors nesting in our woods.

Parsley Surprise

Every year I plant a little box of fresh herbs.  The deck gets plenty of sunshine and is not accessible to the animals who love to eat the plants.  I love clipping the fresh herbs for seasoning and garnishing the fresh summer vegetables.

A few weeks ago, something shot up from the box and grew like crazy.  At first I thought I must have a weed but decided to let the plant keep growing.

It topped the deck rail by more than a foot.

It bloomed!

Several blossoms on the stalk.

When I followed the stem to its origin, I was surprised to find that it was an offshoot of the flat-leaf parsley! I've grown herbs for years and have never seen parsley bloom.

Here is the parsley plant from which the blossoms began.

Three things about autumn trouble me:  1) the summer tomatoes and corn are gone; 2) the fresh herbs cannot tolerate the cooler nights and give up; and 3) the hours of daylight are dwindling.  I can purchase greenhouse tomatoes but they don't taste the same.  I can purchase high quality frozen summer veggies but it is not the same as selecting them from the market and cooking them fresh.  I can buy fresh herbs but it's not the same as clipping my own.  Alas, I am totally powerless with regards to the dwindling daylight.  I will burn lots of candles and start the fire often.  I will wait until the winter solstice and count the increasing milliseconds of daylight.  I can be happy that we now live in sunny North Carolina instead of gray Wisconsin for the winter.  And I will enjoy the wonder of the changing season and be thankful that we are safe.

Fridays Are Golden

Our dogs give us pleasure and we have fun with them.  We even enjoy them when they are quiet.  Often their positions and expressions make us smile.

Lots of floor space, but Lucy needs a pillow so she uses Ellie.

Two dogs strung out in tandem.

Ellie is pretending she did not bring a tennis ball upstairs.

Don't even think of making me get up.

October is upon us and we are having perfect autumn weather with chilly nights and sunny days.  There's a bit of color here and there.  Needless to say the Golden Girls are loving the crisp morning air.

I am an advocate for democracy, but the rhetoric I have heard from "the man in the streets" this week has led me to believe that Sir Winston Churchill had it right:

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

Here's hoping that you and your loved ones are safe from harm.  Think a while about those who are not and if you can help them, then do so.

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND SAFE WEEKEND!

Not-So-Welcome Visitors

Our birdfeeders hang over the upper deck railing so seeds often drop to the ground below.  We bring the feeders into the garage at night so as not to tempt the bears and raccoons to climb up for a snack.  The other evening my husband called me out to see some visitors.

They were not really visitors since they reside nearby, but there were three unwelcome striped skunks gleaning the fallen seeds below the deck.  "Polecat," is the southern way of naming these little critters.  (I did not know until I started school that other people called them skunks.)  We occasionally catch a whiff of their scent when we are hiking in the forests and our neighbor's dog was sprayed not too long ago, the wind carrying the scent over toward us.  (We keep a skunk-cleaning emergency kit equipped and at the ready but fortunately we have not had to use it.)

The three skunks were obviously a family but all three had very distinct patterns of black and white.  I was quite surprised at the variation.  I took the photographs from the deck so the camera is aimed directly at the tops of the skunks.  And no, I did not once think of sneaking outside and around the house to get you better photographs!

The stinky trio

Gobbling up the fallen seeds

I'd rather have three little birds on my doorstep than three little skunks below my deck

At least twice a week my husband takes a leaf blower and blows the leftover seeds deeper into the woods.  This keeps down the number of little critters coming near.  I really don't want them to decide our house might be a good place to hunker down for the winter.  There are much better places for them in the woods.

And so we try to leave with peace among these animals.  After all, it is we who invaded their territory.

Welcome Visitors

One of our favorite things about Autumn (and there are MANY favorite things), is the fall migration.  While we love all of our transients, our favorite by far is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  Each year brings a challenge between my husband and me to spy the first traveler.  This year my husband won.  And for a brief while we will be thrilled to see these lovely birds.

The males arrive here first.  In Autumn they are not quite as brilliantly colored as they are in the Spring but they are beautiful nonetheless.

My husband saw the first one this fall.

The males will be here about a week before the females arrive.  The females are brown and lack the white and rose coloring but they are still lovely birds.

Another lovely male.

Shortly after the females arrive, the males will leave for parts to the south and the females will remain here another week or so.  Then they too will depart and we will not see either sex again until spring when they are robed in their more brilliant summer plumage.

Some migrating seasons pass without our spotting the males in our yard, but we have received quite a treat this year.  We envy those of you fortunate enough to live in their breeding range.  We would love to see them all summer long but if it's to be only twice a year we will appreciate them as they travel through.

Don't you just love the bird visitors?

Fridays are Still Golden

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?  Actually, I had planned to take another week of blogging break since we were going on vacation next week.  Note that I used the past tense.

The problem started with a routine visit to the veterinarian.  Ellie and Lucy get physicals, including blood work and immunizations in September every year.  So we took them in and they were pronounced to be in excellent health.

A few days later Lucy started coughing and she didn't seem to feel well.  We didn't think too much of it since she is often a bit tired after her yearly immunizations.  The cough wasn't all THAT bad, but it was definitely very different.  We did a bit of research and found that every reference popped up "kennel cough."  We immediately dismissed that.  She gets an immunization yearly, and she has just gotten a new one.  Besides, kennel cough is so highly contagious Ellie would certainly get infected.  And Ellie was perfectly fine.  So we went with the notion that she had picked up a virus or something.

The cough decreased dramatically but she still coughed when she got excited.  So we decided to take her to the doctor just to make certain she was fine.  After all, we didn't want to leave her if she was getting sick.  She coughed only once at the doctor's office.  And that was enough.  Lucy was recovering from kennel cough.  The doctor said they had a patient who had infected several dogs, including his own.  (To his credit, he did not charge us for the visit.)  So a few lessons learned: 1) vaccinations are not 100%; 2) the efficacy of this vaccine wanes over nine months or so even if it is called a "yearly" vaccination; and 3) dogs and kids will get sick at the most inconvenient times.

Lucy was not in much danger of transmitting the cough but that could not be guaranteed until at least two weeks.  So to be 100% sure, she should not be around other dogs.

Great timing, Lucy.

But I don't feel too good.

I'll just lie here in the sun.

Or rest on the chair rung.

So we called our doggie camp to tell them and canceled our hotel reservations.  We could have delayed our trip for two weeks, but who wants to leave the mountains in the middle of October?  Certainly not us.  So we will take the vacation next spring.

We are among the five "battleground" states in this Presidential election.  We have a race for governor and a heated congressional race.  The television stations in our area have no air time available to sell.  None.  It's all been sold.  So one would think I would have had enough politics.  Nope.  Not me.  I get invigorated by it all because it is more important this year than ever for every single one of us to vote.  So my quotes for Friday will wax political though I will try not to insult anyone.

Today's quote is from the late Edward R. Murrow:

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.

I hope all of you are well on this last weekend in September.  And I hope that you are looking at all the candidates for all elected offices.  If you are voting for judges, PLEASE take the time to find out more about each of them.  It amazes me that so few people actually research the candidates for courts of appeals and justices for the State Supreme Court.  These people make a huge difference in our lives.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!