Posts from the ‘Pets’ category

Boys in the ‘hood

Boys 1Karl and Bob… I often describe their “relationship” as similar to brothers.  They tolerate each other, occasionally play which usually degenerates into someone being a bit too rough with the other so ending up in a skirmish with Bob usually drawing blood… Karl will certainly defend himself but he never seems to get that Bob is getting serious and Bob does not hesitate to use his claws when he’s had enough.  One of the funniest things that happens is Bob will be sitting quietly outside intent on watching something and Karl will decide to start the play and run full steam towards Bob and just roll him over.  Bob comes up fighting – Karl walks away with a pleased look and I swear he’s laughing!  Bob pouts for a bit and no one can do a mad pout like Bob – purses his lips and looks extremly put upon.

The walks – funny also.  Bob decides to come along every once in awhile.  The first we know that he is along is a pitiful meow as we are further ahead of him than he likes – I tell him to hurry up and he does although he tends to always stay back a bit.  He doesn’t follow the entire walk – he’ll come part way not too far off the exact property line – then he’ll be waiting at the point we return to the property.  He’s usually pretty cautious about Karl … Karl loves if other people or dogs walk with us but I think he believes that cats should not be part of the walk… On the rare occasion, though, they are “nice” to each other and even seem to act like family…

Boys 2

Boys3

Boys3

to be good and happy today

“We know nothing of tomorrow; our business is to be good and happy today”. –Sydney Smith

I woke up this morning feeling overwhelmingly thankful…for everything – for the laughter, the joy, the beauty of my days as well as for the challenges, sorrows and disappointments – for everything!  It is all part of my life and I’m grateful for all of it. 

If life were one smooth, flat ride the view would be lousy – and boring!!  It takes a couple of trips to the valley floor to really appreciate the climb up and the beauty of the grand mountain view.  And it is on those tumbles down that we often learn who we are, what we are made of, our strengths and weaknesses – and what we don’t want or who we don’t want to be which helps to clarify what we DO want.

A favorite mystery series I read features Amelia Peabody Emerson, wife of a famous Egyptologist and no slouch herself in that department.  It is a fun romp of the Errol Flynn sort with the good guys always coming out on top.  Amelia’s catch line when things are on the challenging side is biblical:  the last line of Matthew  6:34: “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (King James Version).  The more current translation is “Each day has enough trouble of it’s own”  – but the first lines are “Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself”.  Sometimes, when I find myself distracted by fretting about some future worry I picture Amelia and say the words and laugh – because, it is true and – “our business is to be good and happy today”!

And for today’s “illustration” – this photo is Karl on the right and Sparky, an 11 month old Border Collie belonging to Bob and Inez Love.  Bob logged my property this spring and Sparky was normally along.  Sparky and Karl bonded immediately and played, wrestled, chased and napped together.  I don’t claim to know what really goes on in their little doggie brains but it seems pretty clear that they do not worry about any tomorrows.

Sparky and Karl

Sat-ur-day… in the Park

Back to Whitefish – post eye Dr….beautiful day and SO grateful that my eye is ok.  Karl was with so we stopped at our walking place – now the Soccer fields…

daughter, Dad and ??? in the trailer:

Family always something special about Dad’s and daughters…maybe because I’m a daughter.  This little girl was interested in Karl and she and her dad had a short discussion about his color and white “socks” as they passed.  I couldn’t see “who” was in the trailer…

The photos following show the soccer fields which were being used for their intended purpose today. 

 Also below is a view into Glacier National Park with the pond in the foreground that is home to a variety of birds at least – this entire area is a bit of a wetlands – reclaimed by manmade methods for the soccer fields, a church and housing subdivision.  Privately, Karl and I preferred it as open land… but change – progress are inevitable – even in Montana…

Soccer

GNP

A walk in the park

Along the northeast shore of Flathead Lake, about 7 miles from my house is a state park – Wayfarer’s State Park.  According to a marker in the park, Harry Horn made the funds and/or the land (it’s not clear) available so that this area would be a place for families to stop and enjoy the lake and the woods.  There is a boat launch, picnic areas along the shore, 20 tent/rv sites, 2 bath houses and a small system of walking trails.  In Montana part of the vehicle registration fee goes to the state park system so day use is free if you have Montana plates. 

I take Karl there year round – we walk 2 loops – maybe 3 miles – that start at a parking lot near the entrance, go up a hill which gives a view of a lake…then down to the lake and a loop along the shore.  The trails are maintained with chip shreds and although have the up and down they are good walking.  The park borders a dude ranch called Flathead Lake Lodge – they call it a dude ranch and it has the activities you’d assocate with a dude ranch but it’s location on the lake allows for it to also have lake activities like kayaking, swimming, and fishing.  There are peek-a-boo views into this property from the park.

Dude Ranch 

Dude Ranch II

When we go in the summer we often just do the “top” loop as between the rv/camping, boat launch and picnic areas there are often more people and other dogs than is fun – usually during the week we have the place to ourselves and we ignore the rules and go off leash – it’s a great running around area.  The “beach” area is rocky and treed – not wide open but  walkable.

Lake

Boat

Yesterday, a holiday, things were very quiet.  People had put in boats but the launch area and beach were not crowded like the middle of summer.  A few campers and rvrs were in residence but the 2 camp hosts were getting ready to leave the park for the winter – the bathhouses stay open until the end of September but you are on your own as far as getting into spots.  It was warm midday at 80 and Karl and I were both hot at the 1/2 way point of the first loop so we skipped the lake for probably the last time this summer and walked just the first loop. On the way back we passed a group of 2 families with what appeared to be all of the grandparents.  Karl always gets a lot of attention – he is a handsome dog and many people have never seen a Karelian.  He loves children and will stand waiting with tail wagging to say hello but he is not forward and will not approach them or other people unless they speak to him.  And sometimes they don’t – his size, blackness, still and quiet wolfish appearance frightens some.  This day he was hot, so panting slightly and the kids were not comfortable although their parents and I said they could pet him.  One of the boys remarked that it looked like he had very sharp teeth!  Karl has a gorgeous set of teeth – very straight and white – they ARE sharp but he’s never used them on a person or child – but mouth open, panting – I took a look – it was a bit frightening if you don’t know him.  So no petting and on we went and finished our walk.  A nice walk in the park and in the coming days we will have both loops to ourselves as the summer visitors dwindle.

September Moon and Karl “in the dark”

This post will Groundpossibly add evidence to conjecture about my level of craziness… 5 a.m. this morning I stepped out with Karl.  It did not get extremely cool overnight – a balmy 56.  I looked up – these photos hardly do the sky justice but the moon at about 3/4 was surrounded by light cloud cover that had cracks between the cloud sections making a beautiful mosaic pattern – backlit by the moon… I put Karl’s bed on the ground to take these photos as best I could.

If I was smart, I would put the camera on the tripod the night before during near full moon nights – just in case- so far I have never remembered to do that.

So, the pillow-bed on the ground – me on the dog bed looking up and trying to keep the camera steady enough for a focused shot.

Trees

Moon

Karl in the dark…when I moved to my previous house I bought a lighted collar for Karl.  He has always been easy to train to stay in the yard and off the road, but it only takes one mistake and Fall, Winter, early Spring in Montana it gets light late, and dark early so first and last outings of the day are in the dark.  I found a great collar from Auroralites in Canada – a lot of lighted dog collars blink – that would annoy me and I’m thinking make Karl crazy!   This collar has a neon blue constant light powered by a 9v battery in it’s own little zippered compartment on the collar.  When I first put the collar on Karl I nearly peed my pants from laughing.  The collar sheds light out in a radius, but the dog’s head blocks light directly ahead.  Karl was mystified – he would turn to the left – light disappeared, to the right – again!  This went on for a bit while I got nearly hysterical.  Ok, everyone calmed down and Karl apparently accepted that it was peripheral light and out he goes on his usual nightly rounds.  I’m on the house steps and now there is this blue band bobbing around the pasture – more hysterical laughing as it looked like some cartoon of the invisible dog.  At any rate, Karl and I are now both used to the thing and he wears it at this house so I can watch where he is in the woods and keep myself on the driveway in the dark where I have a fighting chance of not tripping over anything.

Collar 

Karl II