LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Friday, June 8, 2012

Fridays Are Golden

Finally the seat protector arrived and the Golden Girls got their first ride in the new car.

They are not at all sure they are allowed to get in.
But if they are Lucy is going to be first.





My husband had to encourage them to get inside.





Lucy jumped in and then Ellie climbed up.





As they settle in, Lucy notices that the seat protector is the wrong color.
The one we wanted was back-ordered and this one, while not matching the car, does match the dogs fairly well.





Yeah!  We like it!  We like it!





Ellie found her usual spot and we're ready to go.




The girls ran and ran and ran.  It was such a beautiful day.

Exhausted, they head back in tandem to the car for water.
The rest of the afternoon they spent flaked out but happy.


We didn't see Venus passing in front of the sun, but I did follow it on my computer.  (Actually there was an app for it to view real-time but I thought that was a bit much.)  It is fascinating to know that we witnessed an occurrence that will not be present again until 2117.  Even more amazing is the genius of early astronomers who used the passing of Venus to measure the earth-to-sun distance and estimate the size of our solar system.

The quote for the week comes from Marcus Aurelius:

Concentrate on what you have to do.  Fix your eyes on it.  Remind yourself that your task is to be a good human being; remind yourself what nature demands of people.  Then do it, without hesitation, and speak the truth as you see it.  But with kindness.  With humility.  Without hypocrisy.


While the wise words apply to all of us, I wish they could be sent to every politician in the country.  Especially the mid-west governor who deliberately polarized his state and now proclaims he wants to bring people together.  And most especially for our North Carolina Senators who have ignored scientific research and passed a bill allowing fracking in our fragile shale.  And the NC Senate committee that has a measure to ignore the scientific research about the effect of rising sea levels on our coastal area.  They say stricter regulations would hurt the coastal economy.  The full Senate will vote on the measure next week.

Perhaps Grover Norquist might want to make the words of Marcus Aurelius into a new pledge.  One that will have far more meaning that is current one.  And have the Democrats sign it as well.

HAVE A MOST WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!


21 comments:

The Bug said...

The girls sure look happy in the new car :)

I'm sure the future coastal residents will be really pleased by all these new measures. They'll be glad that the economy was the number one consideration instead of the welfare of their homes...

Busy Bee Suz said...

I am so happy the girls finally got to ride in the new car. They DO look happy! I often wonder if when dogs are dreaming, if it involves going for a ride?
Love the quote; sure wish everyone was on board with that too.
Have a great weekend!
xoxo

My Mind's Eye said...

OH MY DOGS THIS IS DEFINITELY A GOLDEN MOMENT. TALK ABOUT TWO PEAS IN A POD. HOW DO YOU TELL THEM APART? They are identical to my eyes. I love the last picture of their tails interlocked. Great shot.
Hugs Madi and Mom

PS your comment on our blog!! MOL
at first Mom was a little disappointed that I wasn't a lap cat like Milky-Way her first cat.
But then she realized she could now crochet w/o a kitty pawing at the yarn from her lap. I'm most accommodating!!

Nellie from Beyond My Garden said...

Okay, that was cute.

Carolina Linthead said...

Oh, that Ellie! I love her so. And for sure, Lucy doesn't miss a trick. Glad they are once again on the road :-)

NanaNor's said...

Hi, I love the seat protector-and you're right that it matches the girls perfectly. No more dog hair on the seats. Your girls are so adorable!
We have oil rigs all over Co. and fracking as well-so I understand your concerns and feelings.
Have a great weekend.
Noreen & Hunter

Arkansas Patti said...

The girls must feel like they have been pardoned from a crime the didn't know they had committed. Glad they are on wheels again.
So sorry about the fracking bill. We had earthquake after earthquake here in Arkansas from the freaking fracking.

George said...

I'm glad the girls approve of the new seat protectors. The Marcus Aurelius quote is something we should all keep in mind.

kks said...

AMEN to the quote! The truth will come out on our Gov....
Until then I shall nourish my soul.....
The dogs look great....so happy.
xoxo

Janie said...

The girls look good on their new seat protector.
Great quote, and good idea to have all the politicians sign a pledge to follow it. Will never happen, but a good idea, nevertheless.

Taradharma said...

Happy girls! So good to see them in the car again.

Yes, the news out of your state lately has been dismal. We could all stand to post that quote on on bathroom mirrors and memorize it, integrate it into our actions.

I'm feeling better and looking forward to a good weekend. Hope yours is fabulous!

Ms. A said...

I'll bet your girls are glad to finally get to go, go, go, in the new ride! They look quite pleased.

Rudee said...

I don't know what fracking in our fragile shale means, but it sounds obscene. Haven't we done enough to harm our precious planet?

Your girls look thrilled to finally go for a joy ride.

JeanMac said...

I love the pic of them looking from the car smiling.

Cheryl said...

Oh so cute, I love the hesitation of getting into the car, checking it all out to make sure it is okay.
Love to see them running in the sunshine (we had gales yesterday)

Oh dear, I have read about fracking......what a crazy world we live in.
Our politicians are much the same, the environment is rarely taken into account. I continue to write to those at the top but it is a tiny dot in the scheme of things, nobody really listens.
Regardless, I will continue to voice my views and I have great respect for those that do.

If only there were more like you, I feel much would be changed at some point.

troutbirder said...

One of the greatest of the Romans indeed. I love it.... :)

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I took one of our dogs along when I drove my husbands car, and got that same kind of look at first--Its been the 'forbidden car' so I think they couldn't believe I was telling them it was okay!

I'm glad you had an enjoyable day, and I love your quote and political views!!

Kelly said...

...loved this post. The girls are so cute in the new car--made me smile!! Loved the quote too...one of my favorite from history.

KB said...

The girls look tickled pink (or orange) to be in the new car. Yipee! They are such a happy pair.

I like your pledge... for me and for the politicians.

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Rudee - Fracking is a process for obtaining natural gas. It involves drilling into shale and forcing water (and toxic chemicals, including benzene) through shale to fracture the shale and release the gas. Our shale is not layered as deep as in other states and the risk of contaminating the ground water is huge. Plus, we have no real idea how much natural gas there is to be obtained.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Love the dogs in the car, ours love going for a ride.
Screwing around with our aquifer scares me. Correcting errors after the fact will take years.