Well after putting it off until the last possible day...mostly, I have my pics picked and ready to go to the fair tomorrow.
It's been two years since I entered any shots into the fair.
I'm excited.
It's always fun...
Not to mention it means vacation is just around the corner for me...one more week!
Here are my 2006 winners :-)
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Listening to: FemBots - Under the Bed
via FoxyTunes
Baby Bramble is pushing eight weeks old now...just barely old enough to wean from mom. In the meantime Chris and I have been playing parents, well the other cats and dogs are helping a lot too.
So the story starts back about three weeks ago, shortly after Bramble came to live with us. I go to the river with Chris' niece and take the dogs and carry Bramble down. The river is shallow and barely flowing everyone is having fun. Bramble is playing along the shore in an open space when all of a sudden a tiny rock is tossed down river....Cali and Rain race after it.
This triggers Bramble's "freak out' mode and she flees in the most open direction she can....straight out into the river! As the river deepens around her, reaches her tummy, then finally under her chin...she freezes in mid-motion, one front foot hovering over the water, the other three firmly planted. She quietly waits in this position to be rescued. So, she has all four feet good and wet, her belly is wet and her chin has some water on it, but she is safe-phew!
Some parents we are...there is a theme here.
So, along comes the afternoon the other day...all of us are in the garden, dogs, cats, and all- doing some sitting around and watering. Bramble is playing, hunting, and otherwise annoying everything, and I mean everything that moves....when along comes a bumble bee
I'm watering at this point, Chris is watching Bramble chase the bee, she does a fantastical back flip jump and lands on her side near the edge of the pond....gets up, shakes off and WOW! there's that bee!!! She leaps straight away at the buzzing thing...right into the pond!
She sinks...Chris takes off running, she surfaces fighting and scrambling, arms flailing around, just as Chris is reaching the pond, she pulls herself out the other side. She is soaked, for reals soaked. She is so heavy with water she can only slowly waddle away from the evil pit of darkness.
I catch up with her under the truck - She comes to me and I dry her off with a towel where she just laid there and was in bliss to be held and dried about the body. She promptly fell asleep under the garden chair- exhausted!
Chris says "well, at least we know she can get out on her own."
Then we all had a huge laugh as this is the stuff cartoons are made of...
She is currently hassling Cali for a sleeping spot very near her tail- you know in case it moves again. Cali is the only one who will put up with her long enough for her to calm to sleep.
And of course the cutest video ever...
Bramble as a turtle
The dry lightning fires that began on June 20th are slowly coming under control in Mendocino County.
Reports from:
June 23, 2008 5:30 pm
Mendicino Unit: Approx. 131 fires have been reported, buring more than 8,900 acres. Incident Command Team #4 has been assigned to this complex. The Orr Fire is 200 acres and has evacuations of the Orr Springs Resort and 50 homes in the area, the Navarro Fire is 1,400 acres and 5% contained, the Cherry fire is 50 acres and 50% contained, the Foster Fire is 50 acres and 50% contained, the Table Mtn. Fire is 1,000 acres and 5% contained, the Mallo Pass Fire is 800 acres, and the Juan Creek fires (2) are at 100 acres each. There are 8 additional fires at 30 acres each. The Mendocino Fire Information Number is (707) 972-3846.
To:
July 3, 2008, 11:00 am
Mendocino Lightning Complex Incident Information:
Last Updated:
Date/Time Started: June 20, 2008, 6:00 pm
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit
County: Mendocino County
Location: Throughout Mendocino County
Acres Burned: 37,970
Containment: 40% contained
Structures Threatened: 680 residence, 1 commerical
Structures Destroyed: 2 residence
Injuries: 15
Evacuations:
Evacuation “Warnings” remain in effect for:
• Community of Rockport
• Montgomery Woods/ Orr Springs Road to Running Springs Road
• Red Mountain Road - From the intersection of Red Mountain Road and Bell Springs Road to 13600 Red Mountain Road.
Bell Springs Road – From Hwy 101 to the intersection of Red Mountain Road.
and Bell Springs Road.
• The Community of Cummings
• Town of Leggett
• De Haven Creek and Howard Creek drainage, North of Westport.
Evacuation Centers:
(Placed on Standby)
Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg High School, 300 Dana Street, Fort Bragg.
Phone number: 707-813-0345.
Willits
Willits High School
299 North Main Street, Willits
Phone number: 707-486-8674.
Animal Evacuations:
Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, Ukiah
Phone number: 707-972-8340
Albion Headlands, Albion
650-322-1070
Mendocino Animal Care Shelter, Ukiah
707-272-4337
Cause: Lightning
Cooperating Agencies: CAL FIRE, Marin County, CDCR, CHP, CCC, Mendocino County Sherif, all local government FPD in Mendocino County, and State OES, BLM, BIA, NWS, private timber companies and consulting foresters/representatives.
Total Fire Personnel: 1,661 (994 CAL FIRE)
Fire crews: 33
Engines: 137
Helicopters 15
Dozers: 50
Water tenders: 60
Costs to date: $13.6 million
Conditions:
The Mendocino Lightning Complex currently consists of 123 fires burning in Mendocino County. There are currently 40 active fires.
GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping operations are being conducted throughout
Mendocino County. Residents may see low flying rotary aircraft for the purposes of
mapping fire perimeters.
Fixed wing and rotary aircraft continue to operate on the fires.
The Governor has declared Mendocino County a State of Emergency due to redwood timber loss and significant threat to life, residential, commercial and resource loss.
Road Closure:
There is the possibility of temporary road restrictions during planned fire operations in the Red Mountain Road, Bell Springs Road, and Blue Rock area,
approximately eight miles north of Laytonville.
CAL FIRE Incident Command Team #4 is assigned to this incident.
Phone Numbers:
707-467-6426 (Mendocino Lightning Series Fire Information)
All fire info found here
Breaking news
By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 06/22/2008 07:51:03 PM PDT
Fires still burn across the county
As it rose over the eastern hills Sunday, the rising sun revealed the day-old haze covering the Ukiah Valley still held a tight grip over the county, as firefighters worked frantically to get a handle on the hundreds of fires raging across Northern California.
As Sunday evening progressed Cal Fire spokeswoman Tracy Boudreaux said they were still fighting some 90 fires in Mendocino County with some 60 of them unstaffed as yet.
The fires had by Sunday evening consumed some 3,800 acres.
Mandatory evacuations were issued in the areas of Running Springs Road, Flynn Creek and the Cherry Creek subdivision along Highway 162 in the north county.
Orr Fire, directly above Orr Hot Springs
"The smoke coming from these fires can be seen as far as Sonoma County," stated Tracy Boudreaux, Cal Fire information officer, in a release issued late Saturday night. "Firefighters continue to battle fires with the greatest threat to homes and property. Cal Fire has recieved well over 100 reports of fires in Mendocino County from lightning that occured over the past 24 hours. These fires are mostly in remote areas of the county with very little threat to communities. Homeowners who feel an immediate threat to their safety should use their best judgement and not wait to be told to evacuate."
For the rest of the article click
www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_9665579
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Rob Burgess can be reached at udjrb@pacific.net.
BEFORE
Yesterday morning my brother calls my cell phone leaving me a message that he had parked for lunch with his crew. They hadn't planned on stopping at the spot they ended up but as luck would have it they did.
Tucked away in the roadside blackberry bushes was one tiny, hungry, scared, flea and tick ridden, screaming black kitten.
He digs around in the bushes and gets the little thing, giving 'it' some fluids and waiting for me to call him back.
I wake up for work to two messages from him. The second says..."you really need to call me. We moved up the road a bit with our work and found the momma cat dead in the roadway-she's been here awhile."
I didn't even finish listening to the message. I called him and we arranged for him to bring what he determined to be a little girl by work while I rushed to the store for kitten milk replacer.
She spent all night being mauled at work by everyone and ate, endured a gentle flea bath and played until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.
Baby Bramble is doing well. Eats 4 times a day and despite a bit of dehydration and what appears to be a slight bow legged deformation of her rear legs, probably due to poor nutrition during pregnancy and since, she seems strong, healthy and full of piss and vinegar as my Grandma used to say.
She goes everywhere with us so far. She likes the car-it bounces her to sleep in her basket. The dogs are suspicious and curious- the kitties are keeping distance which is good until we make sure she is not sick with a cold or the likes.
Four years ago my brother brought home a tiny gray kitten who had a wound on her back and had been living out of a dumpster at a local restaurant near his house.
Five days ago we said goodbye to Douina..
You won't convince me that Douina didn't have something to do with Blackberry Bramble finding her way to my brother and then to us.
We'll take care of her Douina.
Douina - Female/4.5yrs
Born late 2003 - Came to live with us New Years Eve 2003
Left us May 31, 2008 after what was a short (obvious signs started Friday) bout of acute Congestive heart failure.
We believe she has been battling Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy for at least the past few months if not her entire life.
The first signs
Happiness is a warm...
Douina was found (by my brother) scrounging food from dumpsters behind a local eatery.
Douina will let you pet her only if you tell her "Douina, I'm going to pet you" - and then she will only put up with it for a few seconds. With that said you can go nowhere without her being there-
Occasionally she gets *lost* and will cry out until you tell her where you are and she comes running!
Douina & Rain today....
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
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
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)
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 :)
