Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, originally uploaded by Hotash.

05.25.1916

BELOVED
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
song of songs 8:6

Pastels in the Park

Ukiah Natural Foods, originally uploaded by Hotash.

After agility class ( Well Mannered Mutts
707-463-3647 (DOGS)) with Cali we stopped by Pastels in the Park - it was too hot to do anything else!

The art is amazing - what a great crowd of people too.
I look forward to next years event, I only hope it won't be so hot.


Pastels in the Park sponsored by: Waldorf School of Mendocino County

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Listening to: Modest Mouse - People As Places As People
via FoxyTunes

Lake Mendocino - Dam dog walk

Lake Mendocino Island, originally uploaded by Hotash.

Well Cali and I went on the Dam dog walk on Sunday.
Cali and I had to catch up because we arrived late. We took the time to snap some photos.


It was HOT! and worked muscles I didn't know I had.
On the up hill Cali and I took our time ~smile~


It was fun, with proceeds going to the new LowGap Park

Sallie Palmer of Well Mannered Mutts puts on the Dam dog walk on Sunday mornings.

To join the fun please contact
Sallie Palmer of Well Mannered Mutts
707-463-3647 (DOGS)

Part of the pack

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Listening to: Rebekah del Rio & The Section Quartet - The Star Spangled Banner
via FoxyTunes

Happy Mother's Day

Forget-MA-nots, originally uploaded by Hotash.

Today was a busy day.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day.

Watchdog Marlee

Watchdog, originally uploaded by Hotash.

Her latest watchdog event is this...(which wasn't funny the 1st time it happened and I was home alone)

Every night when I head upstairs to bed I flip the stair lights on...well, the other night Marlee freaked out and started barking and ran to the back door and jumped up on the door looking out the window panes at god knows what...I stall a moment and listen...the other dogs are not reacting at all. I figure it must be a deaf moment for her and I have to lead her by the collar (rather quickly I might add - as one can never be too sure- she is after all a great watchdog) upstairs to bed.

The next night...the same exact thing, only she doesn't hit the back door and isn't quite as animated. I stop and really look this time. When I start to turn, I see movement in the back door window glass...and I realize that every single night, Marlee is the only one who sees the person in the back window!!! Me!!!

She has came to understand that nobody else is concerned with the person in the window, but she still looks and makes sure they don't come inside each night.

This is one of my fave shots of Marlee -for one she has all of her hair!! that means the thyroid medicine is working well, but mostly it's because the look is how I see Marlee happy - she enjoys many little things that others forget, like the scent of the wind.

Hope you enjoy the story :)

Happiness is a warm. . .

Happiness is a warm. . ., originally uploaded by Hotash.

best friend.

Poor Douina is sick again...or maybe still? In January she had a strange bout of pain and lameness. The vet can't figure out what...probably her heart.

Things go along ok until about a week and a half ago...then one day Douina is sitting in her basket and her tongue is sticking out, she's hot and a bit of drooling. Of course it's late, no vets...so I get a cool wash cloth and wipe her face and she is really hot. I giver her some rescue remedy and hope for the best. The next day she seems fine, eating, drinking, all is well.

Until yesterday evening. I notice her tongue is sticking out again. I pick her up and she has drool and her chin is obviously swollen, not to mention the awful smell from her mouth. I realize she has an abscessed tooth. Once again, it's too late to call the vet.

By later on in the night she is no where to be found-very unlike her. Even when she was sick in January she was right in the living room with us. Well, we search and search and she finally appears in the house. I catch her and look inside her mouth. It's obviously infected and very nasty puss and blood drool is on her mouth and neck.


"What is she going to do to me?"

I clean her up a bit and have Chris mix up a warm water and sea salt mixture. I wrap her poor painful self up in a towel and take her into the bathroom, into the dry tub we sit. I take a baster of sorts and rinse out gobs of infection and pure nastiness from her mouth. I used a cool cloth to wipe her mouth up and then moved her basket into the bathroom with a big fresh bowl of clean cold water.

She wouldn't settle down and I don't want her running outside or hiding (before I can get her to vet in the am) so I talked Jester into hanging out with her in the bathroom. We all hung out for awhile, then I left and they are still quietly happy.

Douina has never cared for people much...she doesn't like to be touched by human hands and will spend great amounts of time 'cleaning you' off of her. I always feel so bad for her because she doesn't want to be loved on, but I respect that and leave her be...

I hope the vet can get us in tomorrow and at least get the tooth? that is abscessed out and maybe give us an idea what may be going wrong with Douina. She is still a young kitty...


The ever cautious Douina keeps an eye on me

The Famous Douina

Rock love

Rock love, originally uploaded by Hotash.

The newest addition to the family...

Ok,
I have to introduce you all to Grandma Earlane

For the past many months, I mean many months, I have been receiving emails from this nice lady named Earlane. She sent me an awesome chocolate cake recipe, a sweet Holiday greeting and more. I just figured somewhere in the world we had an email contact in common and I ended up on her mailing list...

Then one day recently I opened my email and there was an email that said, "Hi Ann, happy birthday, we love you Grandma Earlane..." as blond as I am it took this email for me to realize that I had no idea who Grandma Earlane was and she did not know me!!!

So her granddaughter would not continue to think her grandma didn't write her or love her, I sent off a quick email to Grandma Earlane and explained I wasn't Ann, but I appreciated all the past emails, and of course wouldn't mind another Grandma...

She wrote me back!! Said "Oh no, I'm not taking you off my friends list, welcome to the family! Love Grandma Earlane" "ps- I live in MI and have a myspace page"

So I tell her I only use myspace for family and I have one other friend on myspace, but she is invited. The next day she tells me..."So, how do you know Josh? (the one friend) We know him and his sister" and "we used to live in in the same town years ago!"

Can you all believe this? A total accident how she ended up confusing her granddaughter's email address with mine (they both have the same word in them) and to find out we have a friend in common?

Meant to be I tell you, meant to be.

This rock...is also a new addition to the family...washed up in the Russian River below our house ;)

The fine art ot textures

Wall Art, originally uploaded by Hotash.

I haven't taken any new photos in many, many days...
Here are some old re-works with special thanks to NinianLif for the beautiful texture.

I'm addicted for sure :)

"who me? mean?"

"who me? mean?", originally uploaded by Hotash.

This is an September shot of Marlee.

She has been having a mean time of things the past two weeks-maybe it's because I haven't been spending enough time with her? I don't know.

She attacked Rain last week and Cali this morning.

The worst part is that Marlee, for the first time ever, (she's never even offered before) attacked Big Kitty!!!

She didn't injure any of them, but man, it sounded and looked awful and I worry- I do not trust Marlee.

We remain frustrated together...

Day Too Soon

Day Too Soon, originally uploaded by Hotash.

A rework of an earlier shot and a Day too soon for Valentines Day :)

Good loving you all

Special thanks to NinianLif for the beautiful texture