Fridays are Golden

What a strange world we are living in. Markets are crashing around the world and no one seems to know just what to do. Things are going very badly in Afghanistan. North Carolina has become a "swing" state and we are seeing some of the most horrible, nasty, mean-spirited political advertisements since Willie Horton. Western NC has the honor of having the highest gasoline prices in the country. Things are so bad, I have a glass of wine and watch old movies to try to turn off my mind before I go to bed.

All right...that's enough of that thread. On the positive side, we actually have an almost adequate supply of gasoline; certainly enough that we can drive up to see the colors at the higher elevations. Yesterday we got an inch and a half of much needed rain, the wonderful soaking kind rather than downpours.

Most positive of all? We have two absolutely wonderful dogs who love us unconditionally. What is better than having a tennis ball dropped in your lap so you will know it's time to get down on the floor and play?

Today's pictures show the girls in their most natural state. Ellie lies down somewhere and Lucy lies next to or on top of her.

Remember the photograph booths at the beach? You would sit there with a friend and have silly pictures made. They came out with four small pictures for you to share. Are those things still around? The other day, the girls were lying so close, it really looked as if they were posing in one of those booths. Of course it lacks the two fingers over each head.

I have some wishes for everyone on this Friday. I hope you don't need your investments for a while. I hope your children have not exceeded their buying power. I hope all of us can stay calm and realize that we will be able to get through these troubling times. I hope all of your jobs are safe. And I hope you have a dog or cat to take your mind off these worries. There is no greater comfort.

Have a safe and happy weekend. Try not to dwell on all the things that are problems in your life and look for the positives.

Not a Hummingbird

Every now and then a bird sits on one of the hummingbird feeders. More often than not, the bird quickly investigates and moves on. Occasionally the fledglings will spend more time, just making sure there is nothing there for them.

The other day, an American Goldfinch took quite an interest in the feeder and spent quite a bit of non-productive time there.

Hey, that's for the hummingbirds. I know hummingbirds and you, my friend, are no hummingbird.

Your point being???

As if to prove me wrong, the goldfinch tried to drink. I knew that beak wasn't going to fit.

I've always wondered what it feels like to be a hummingbird.

The bird moved to the opposite side of the feeder.

The luck was no better there.

Well, it was worth a try anyhow.

One of the great things about living in the mountains is watching the evening sun. As the sun slips behind the mountains, certain areas become shaded and others continue to be bathed in the golden sun.

This is a shot from my driveway yesterday afternoon. We're getting some autumn color, and today we are actually getting some rain. Now, if would could get a normal gasoline supply...

Can you believe it's the middle of the week again? Hope the rest of yours goes well.

And the Bird Is...

Kudos to everyone who took a guess, and a few bananas to the chimp on the unicycle. Here is the same bird as he moved further up the pole. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Had you seen this picture first, the identification would have been easy.

When I was a child, I used to get frustrated because the birds I saw didn't always look like the birds in my bird guide. I expected the birds to get in line and pose exactly they way they were in my book. Only larger reference guides can show a lot of different poses, and hardly anyone shows the birds from the back. I learned quickly that I would have to really study some birds from different angles in order to identify them.

--------Typically, when the grosbeaks migrate through our area, all the hummingbirds are gone. This year however, we have three of them lingering. It was 38 degrees when I snapped this little hummer, all puffed up and looking rather cold. While I'm always glad to see them, I wonder if I am encouraging them to stay. Should I simply remove the feeders so they will move on? I would welcome any advice.

We are delighted to have so many beautiful grosbeaks here for a while. Soon the females will join them and all too quickly they will be gone. We will miss them. But they will return in the spring, more colorful and brighter than ever.

Name That Bird

Not being an expert birder, I have never done a bird identification post. I photographed a bird that is immediately identifiable when viewed from the front. From the back, however, it is a bit more difficult.

This may be too easy and there is no prize. I did not deliberately obscure the features of the head. The sun was shining directly on the bird. The head and beak are not white. The head color is somewhat distorted by the sun.

HINT: (Added 11:40 EDT) The bird is about the same size as a Wood Thrush.





I will post a more revealing photograph of this bird tomorrow.

The Great Divide

Recently our community garden club held its annual "Great Divide." This event provides an opportunity for neighbors to share perennials they have divided. Anyone is invited to bring plants, but bringing a plant is not required. Each person is allowed to take at least one plant, regardless of whether or not they brought anything.

The event is held at one of our parks and is always well attended.





There were displays of specialty plants and demonstrations of maintaining bonsai and other plants.

I particulary enjoyed the various birdhouses, handmade and donated by local residents. They were available for sale, with the profits going to the garden club.

There were demonstrations and displays by various organizations. The Department of Natural Resources provided information and displays of forest animals.

A pigeon breeder brought his pigeons and was very happy to talk about them.

I was amazed at the beauty of these birds. I asked the breeder why these pigeons are so lovely and the ones I usually see seem like nuisance birds. He had an immediate and simple answer, "Good nutrition and lots of love."

My husband and I each selected a plant. Here are the plants we chose last year. They are thriving and we have really enjoyed the fall blossoms.

I hope this year's selections do as well as these. In the spring we will divide the begonia, which has really taken over its space.

We enjoyed the day at the Great Divide. It's a wonderful opportunity to gather with neighbors and friends. We learned a great deal about plants that do well here in the mountains.

Oh, and did I mention they had wonderful refreshments?

Fridays are Golden

Ellie and Lucy are the first dogs we have had who do not perform any parlor tricks. They are plenty smart enough to learn them. We just never saw the need for them. Perhaps it is because our other dogs grew up with our children. Perhaps it's because our other dogs were smaller. Somehow parlor tricks are much cuter with smaller dogs and may make larger dogs look goofy.

We do have a lot of house rules for our dogs. Some of the rules are designed for making us more comfortable, and some of them are for their safety. The rules are so consistently applied that the dogs no longer need instruction to follow them.

When the door bell rings, the dogs run to the door and automatically sit and stay while we open the door and greet visitors, sign for packages, etc. They know to stay even if the visitor goes into a high-pitched voice with something like, "Oh, how cute you are!"

When we first started training Ellie (who is older), we quickly learned that we needed a specific word, otherwise not often used, to allow her to leave the stay. "All right," "Okay," or even "good girl" are too often used and she would break the stay. So we use the word, "release." The dogs know that this is the key word that allows them to move.


"Wait" is another very useful command. Basically, "wait" means, "stop what you are doing and wait for me to direct you." One of the most frequent uses of "wait" is at the door. Again, the dogs know this so well we rarely have to say it. The dogs NEVER go out a door ahead of us. It's that simple. So, whenever we go outside, on leash or off, they wait at the door until we allow them to follow us.

The "wait" command is used when getting out of the car as well. The dogs know that they cannot leap from the car when we open the door. They must wait until we grab the leash, or otherwise invite them to jump down. Each dog knows that she has to wait. Just because the first dog has gotten out doesn't mean the other one can jump out.

Here Ellie waits to get out of the car.

Lucy waits her turn.

Another often used and helpful command is, "Go to your mat." We have two large dog beds in the great room. This command means that each dog must go to one or the other of the beds and stay there until released. The dog can lie down, or sit, but must not leave the mat until allowed to do so.

-----We use this command often when we have guests who simply can't behave themselves. Some guests will slap their knees, inviting the dogs to jump on them. Others will actually give a dog food from the snack table. So we simply send to dogs to their mat(s) to stop this action. Occasionally they will "accidentally" break this command. If they snooze, or lie for a long time, they forget that they are there because they were told to be there. A simple "Go to the mat" puts them back in place.

Going to the mat.

One thing never needs a command. That is, "Veg out in the sun."

We are certainly not dog trainers, and we appreciate that many people do not feel the need to control their dogs to the extent we do. Our dogs do not feel oppressed, and they love us to death. We do play with them and have fun with them. We often sit on the floor with them and let them put their heads in our laps. But there is a time and place for good manners and we are glad to say our dogs have pretty good ones.

Another Friday is here all too quickly. Despite all previous promises, we still have no gasoline. My husband got to a station yesterday. He put in his credit card and started pumping. He pumped eight tenths of a gallon and the pump went dry. Fortunately, he was later able to get more gasoline. Amazing how giddy a full tank of gasoline makes you feel.

I need to be driving in the mountains!

But we are blessed and ever so much better off than most other people. After all, we have two lovely Golden Girls to amuse us while we are stuck.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend. Indulge yourself at least once each day.

Seeking Comfort

Stocks in the United States took a deep plunge on Monday. Every single stock on the Dow, and every stock (except one) on the S&P 500 lost value. So what was the singular stock that encouraged investors? Campbell's Soup Company. Yes, one of the only stocks to actually rise on Monday was Campbell's Soup Company. One of my favorite programs, "All Things Considered," interviewed a spokesman from Campbells about its small rise in the face of such massive market decline. [Listen to the segment at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95222945]

Picture from Campbell's Soup Website:


When you think of it, it's not all that surprising, is it? Don't we all want to return to the comforts of childhood in times of stress? Remember when you were sick and home from school? And your mother or father gave you Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup? Or when you walked home from school in the cold rain and there was Campbell's Tomato Soup in a mug waiting for you? No matter how sophisticated our taste buds become when we are older, there is something about the simplicity and warm comfort of those soups that still make us smile.

I was glad to hear that as Americans struggle through these financial complexities, we retain that simple belief that we all need small comforts now and then. And soup can give us a little comfort. I like the idea that even the most sage investors return to the comforts of childhood every now and then.

Do you have a fond memory of soup or other things that gave you comfort as a child? Share them with us. We all need some help.