Larimar

Deb R sent me my belated Christmas gifts and my early birthday gift!

This is a 3D stained glass dragonfly and lily - absolutely stunning. Not so much in the picture, MUCH better in person!!

It just had to go with my bamboo, kinda fits there. There is normally more "stuff" on this table, but it got packed away at Christmas, and has not been found since! LOL

And this is my birthday present from her! The stone is called LARIMAR, which is the national stone of the Dominican Republic. Again, the pics don't do it justice, but it is such an amazing colour!

And then, of course, I had to go check out the energy associated with this stone!

Larimar: Known as Pectolite, this is a stone for business if customers are in need. It releases chains in a material world. It enhances healing, peace and clarity, bringing inner wisdom and physical manifestation.

She bought it for me when she was on vacation there - she just got back a couple of weeks ago. Lucky girl! :-)

Speaking of vacations, tonight, we go to the River of Dreams party thru our radio station. Out of the 107 qualifiers in attendance, one will when a trip to Hawaii. EVERYONE will go home with a prize, which is very nice. 'Cause I've gone to these things, and most of the time, the only one to win anything is the trip winner. :-(

I'm kinda hoping for a guitar from Scott's Music - Paddy's Grad is coming up in May, and I want to get him something he'll keep forever. I got Chris a REALLY nice expensive engraved dress watch for his Grad 3 yrs ago, but Paddy has already told me "no way", not for him. MEN!! But a REALLY nice guitar might be good. :-) Maybe get an engraved brass plate and put it on it. That would be kinda sweet.

So I'll let you know tomorrow what I've won!

The owl has been just a "chirping", even last night, just after 9 p.m., he must have gone on for close to an hour. When I took Gracie for a walk thru the green strip around 6, there wasn't a sign of him. But 3 hrs later, he's baaaaack. If we can hear him that well (it almost sounds like he's on our roof!), I hate to think how loud it would be for the people whose house antenae he perches on! LOL I still think there is a pair of them, too much "chatter" for just one.

It started snowing again yesterday. First is snows, then almost totally melts. Then snows again, then totally melts. Last night when I took Gracie thru the green strip, man, was it slippery in places. Fresh snow on top of ice. Ya, this is fun! NOT!!

Oh, and you HAVE to read this email from a friend:

You just about got a weird call from me Friday evening.

Friday night got home just before 6p, and by the time I changed and grabbed the dogs, it was too late to take them to Peenaquim - too dark (plus the whole porcupine issue). So, I stayed up top and drove past the entrance to Peenaquim and stayed on the gravel road and parked on the road just before it heads down into that Alexander Wilderness Park. We walked back toward the city, and then turned off at the power station onto the Coalbanks Trail which heads east toward that new housing development (Legacy Ridge). Got to the end of the path and turned around to head back to the car. Was almost back to the road when I saw a coyote come up out of the coulee and cross the road only a hundred metres or so away. Luckily I saw it before the dogs did, so I was able to grab them. I had one leash w/ me so put that onto Clara and grabbed Bud's collar. By this time, they'd seen the coyote and were at full alert. I was about to start again when I see two more coyotes come up this same route. They stopped for a minute because a truck came along, but then saw me and just stood there looking. Soon a third coyote joined them. Well, it was either stand there or start heading for the car, which was still about 10 minutes away. I got to the road and walked very briskly back to the car, hanging onto the kids the whole time for dear life while all they wanted to do was be free to investigate these other "dogs". THESE THREE COYOTES PACED ME ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE CAR. They stayed a couple hundred feet to my left and just kept walking the same pace we were all the way back to the car. To say I was a little freaked is an understatement.

If I had no dogs with me, I wouldn't have been bothered at all as coyotes rarely bother humans, but I knew if the kids got away from me, I'd have big trouble on my hands.

Got back to the car and to further add to my being freaked out, the truck that had passed by earlier had parked near my car (it was very dark by this time). Hopefully they were just there to enjoy a joint. Got into the car and locked the doors quickly. Drew a few deep breaths and drove to the grocery store to pick up a few things. While I was in the store, the adrenaline rush that had sustained my since the coyotes appeared drained out, and my legs went wobbly. Good thing I had the grocery cart to hang onto.

Yikes!

I thought later (after I got home and very quickly downed a beer) that I should have stayed put as soon as I saw the coyotes and called you to see if you could come and "deliver" us back to my car. I know - I'm a wuss. :-)

K.

Poor Girl! The reference to the porcupines....

Kids are fine. They had their first (and hopefully last) run-in w/ a porcupine Saturday evening down at Peenaquim. I was parked in the parking lot, but because the footing on the trail was still icy, I was walking south down the road toward Softball Valley. I was just past the entrance to the shooting range and the two were off in the grass snooping around when Bud started to bark. I couldn't see them and I called and called and yelled and called. Pretty soon they came back into sight, both shaking their heads so I figured it was either porcupine or skunk. My vet is on the west-side, but the Uplands Clinic was the on-call clinic that night, so they went there for quill removal. Got those out (14 for Clara, 28 for Bud) and on the way home, the anaesthesia had a further effect on Clara because she had a huge bowel movement on the backseat. Luckily, I had sheets on the seat. Ah, the joys of dog ownership...

She cracks me up. I want you to understand - I am laughing WITH her, NOT at her!! :-)

WOW. I did rather go on and on (and on and on), didn't I?

Okay, really need to go now!
TT

Last Friday - 3rd Friday in a row

Friday, February 23rd.... no word of a lie! Bloody owl was doing his thing again when I got home from work. This time he WAS sitting in the trees to the west, and I could finally see him clearly! Great horned owl it was! I run in the house to get Colin so that he could see the owl - 2 seconds was all it took - when we got back outside, the owl was gone. Poof*, just like that!

Walked Gracie that evening down at the off leash area, LOTS of doggies and their owners down there. So she got a good work out! It was GORGEOUS!!

Did a wee bit of 2nd hand "looking" on Saturday, didn't really find anything noteworthy. DAMN! LOL

It was bath time at the zoo yesterday! Gracie was beginning to smell, so she needed to be bathed. God God Almighty - the hair in the tub from that dog!! Amazing how she LOVES to swim in the river, but be damned if she'll get in the tub on her own. ~big sigh~ So there I am, trying to pull her to the tub edge. Not gonna happen. Finally get her to the edge of the tub, now I have to lift the front end of her (the heaviest end, by the way!) over the lip of the tub. I swear the front end alone weighs 90 lbs! She isn't fighting, but she certainly isn't helping!! Then pick up and plop the rear end of her into the tub. Whew, that's the hardest part of the whole tub experience - getting the dog INTO the tub!

Not content to leave well enough alone - Lynx was next. (In a semi cleaned tub) With Brewster checking out every step of the way, as poor ole Lynx was yowling thru the whole ordeal. Then it was Brewster's turn! NOW the war was on!! He got away from me, and out of the tub about 4 times. Water EVERYWHERE!! I was absolutely, positively SOAKED!!

And then I cleaned and sanitized the bathroom - washed walls, the whole bit. There was dog hair stuck to the walls from Gracie shaking. Sheesh. Doesn't THAT sound like a fun way to spend your Sunday?

AHA!!!

Less than 6 weeks, definately within the 6 week period......

Yesterday, on his way home after work, Dave stopped at the gas station to get smokes. What does he hear? sssssssssssssssss.... his tire is deflating that much!! So he fills it up as much as possible to make it home. Guess there's a hole in the side of it. Great, eh?

He started his convertible to make sure it would run for today. Yep, good ole car started up like a charm! Whew.

But... I've been having problems with my car, which I mentioned to him last night. Which I was going to get him to drive my car to work today, and I'd take the truck. But with the truck being out of commission....

This morning he offered to take my car, and he'd leave me the convertible. Damn, that thing is soooooo big, nah, my car will wait another time, until his truck gets fixed.

On my way back to work at lunchtime, before I had even gotten out of our Close, my car dies. And for the life of me, I couldn't get it to restart!! Kinda a groan thing happening, wouldn't turn over. Called Dave, he's going to come & see if it can be boosted (is that a word???). Called my work, told them "ooops, gonna be late!". Dave comes, and figures it's the alternator!!! GREAT!! Just flipping GREAT!!! GGGRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!! It wouldn't charge AT ALL. Put it in neutral, and pushed it backwards, and parked it in front of the neighbor's house and Dave gave me a ride to work. ~big sigh~

CRAP!! Jeez, just thought of something!!! After I had put it into Neutral to push it backwards, when I went into the car to get my stuff, DID I PUT IT BACK INTO PARK??? LOL Well, guess it's a good thing it isn't on a hill or a slope.

So we are down to one vehicle, can you believe that?? Dave's is easier to fix, but mine... if it were the '68, much easier to fix. Being a '92, Dave says he damned near has to take everything out to get at the alternator. Poor guy!

And I can just see Colin coming home after work. There's my car, parked at the corner. And Dave's truck parked in front of the house. But we aren't anywhere in sight. LOL

Quaich (said quake)

Last weekend, Colin & I hit the 2nd hand stores in town. He for some cheap clothes, me to check out "things". I LIKE "things". LOL Well, damned if I didn't find a Quaich!! I'm sure nobody else really knew what it was, but I did!! Grabbed the darn thing, and wouldn't let go!! LOL It's a bit dinged in places, but it just adds to the character of it! There wasn't ANY marking ANYWHERE on it, no stamps at all. Go figure!


This is a close up of the handle!


And look at what I paid for it!!! Sweet!! :-) Like I said, I'm sure nobody knew what the darn thing was for!! Their loss, my gain!! LOL

I brought it home, and was soooooo excited. Showed Dave. He said, try a magnet in it. ??? So I did, and it just slid around in it. So he figures it's stainless steel. I wouldn't say it was pewter (well, the handles are probably pewter), and it isn't silver. I don't care. It's mine! :-)

Chris is TWENTY-ONE today!!

Egads, it's hard to believe that my first born is 21 today!! Well, as of 10:10 tonight!! A friend of mine called last night, and we were talking about her 2 1/2 hr old, and it seems just like yesterday that Chris was that age!! Where on earth does the time go???

I FINALLY got my poop in a group, and sent his birthday stuff off to him on the bus yesterday on my lunch hour. Nothing much, when is it ever? Some nice new towels, some boxer shorts, and some nice smellies (cologne) to make him smell pretty. :-) It's too early to call him, but I must make a note to self to try to call him tonight, hopefully around 10:10, to wish him a Happy Birthday!!

Post Script:
Well, I waited and waited. At 10:10 p.m., I called Chris. He's partying at a friend's house. Whose birthday was on the 13th. He had been waiting ALL day for me to call him, I guess I had mentioned that I'd call him around noon. Oops. Sorry kiddo! I forgot about that! (I do that alot, forget things!) But he was very happy that I had finally called him, and he got WHY I was calling him at that time! Thank goodness! Whew, dodged the bullet on that one!! LOL It wasn't a long call, 'cause man, was it noisy behind him!! That's good, glad he's having fun!!

Owl AGAIN!! :-) February 16

Okay, so one week ago today, both Dave & I heard / saw the owl(s).

This morning, I get up early, as usual. As my neck warmer thingy is heating up in the microwave (have a bad neck/shoulders), I sit on the couch beside Gracie and say "good morning" to her. It's 5:45 a.m. I think I'm hearing an owl hoot. Wasn't sure, the microwave was doing its hum. It shuts off. Now it's REALLY quiet in the house. Yep. I'm hearing the owl once again. Get my glasses on. Look out the side window to the antenae thingy across the street, and there is the "lump" at the very top. Then it turns its head, and I can see the round discs of its eyes reflected in light from somewhere. Just like little round mirrors. Pretty freakin' cool. And VERY loud!!

I know, I know. What the "big change" is!! A CHINOOK!! LOL

A week ago today (well, last Monday)

Some serious snow hills from plows!

Our spruce tree!

Beautiful tree lined street

3rd Avenue, sorta plowed

Burger King!

The convertible!

This reminded me of snow cones!

Last Monday.... after work, I took Gracie for a wonderful walk thru our green strip. OMG!!! It was +13 that afternoon. I think it was about +11 that evening, but still, VERY spring like.

What I'm getting at is....
Take a look at these pictures, taken last night on my way home!! Ya, we got seriously DUMPED on!! Well, for us, we did! LOL

We went from melting and brown, to cold and snow - they are saying about 24 cm (or darn near 10 inches) It is really pretty tho. All white and clean.

Except, man, have I shovelled, or what? And Deb & Darryl didn't come down last weekend, because of the snow. :-(

Hoar Frost pics

Had to take this pics, it was sooooo pretty outside this morning. Altho a bit chilly!!

Owl Day

Yesterday. Friday. February 9th.

Dave leaves for work, I go get ready for work. Next thing you know, he comes back in the house from cleaning off the vehicles from the SNOW we've gotten, all excited and wants me to come to him. Can't, in the middle of my morning constitutional. He had heard a bird call. Over and over again. (he's not a birder, so he didn't recognise the call immediately LOL) Finally sees the bird, and it's an OWL, sitting on the neighbor's antena thingy, and he wanted me to come see. Like I said, can't. By time I get outside to leave for work, I look at the neighbor's thingy, and there isn't an owl to be found. Oh well, guess it was Dave's day to see and hear an owl. Kinda a "whew" for me... you know how seeing an owl for works for me - within 6 weeks there will be a "big change". Sometimes good, sometimes not. LOL

After work, I do some shopping at Wally mart, so it's late, late dusk when I get home. About 6:30. Get out of the car, walk around to the other side to unload my purchases... and what do I hear? Yep. Clear as a bell. An owl hooting. And it's cold and clear and his call almost bounces off the houses. I look to the neighbor's antena thingy to the east, and there isn't an owl there. But I'm hearing it. Almost sounds like there is two, calling to each other. Or is it just the echo bouncing? Then I look to the huge trees in the park to the west, 'cause I've seen them there sometimes. Then back up my vision to the antena on the neighbor's house to the west, which I had totally forgotten they had. Wait! There is something at the top of the pole. I never look at the pole, is it something that is just there all the time? Ooops, not. It moves its head, and viola, there's an owl!!

Okay, so now, I too, have seen and heard the owl. Could prove interesting. Or maybe there isn't anything to it. Only time will tell. :-)

Paddy's video

Paddy & I spoke for 41 minutes on the phone this morning, we ended up on MSN when his phone died, then he send me this video:

He's shows up about 1/2 way thru it, this is his story on "getting dressed". Which I thought was hilarious!

dk says:
my part was pictures put together
dk says:
uhmm 372 of them i belive

owlfeather says:
I still like it how you got dressed tho! LOL
dk says:
yeh
dk says:
clothes come to me eh?
dk says:
lol
dk says:
thought that would look neat
dk says:
it turned out well
owlfeather says:
I'm gonna have to show the boys here, and yep, turned out great! How long did it take?
dk says:
uhmm it took for that many pics we did it over two days but about 3h of setup and for him to run to me and move my clothes everyframe
dk says:
easy for me cuz i didnt move

Too funny!
That's MY kid for ya!

It's been awhile!! FEBRUARY 4th

OMG!

Okay, it's been awhile. NOT my fault! LOL A few weeks ago, my hard drive decided to crap out on me. Poor old thing! BUT, damn it, lost alot of pics that were on it. Thank goodness I've sent pics (considered albums), which I didn't lose. Thank you Kodak!!

So I take my old pc to work. From my guys at work, they "sold" me an old office one - which was "newer" than my OLD one. Get most everything installed. God, that's time consuming!! And what does it do a week later???????????? It ALSO crashes!! No, it's not anything that I'm doing, or even poor Colin (which when the 2nd one went, he thought for sure they were "dying" - that it was his fault! LOL)

So back to work again, returning the 2nd one. I am now on my 3rd one. Most everything is installed once again. One thing about it, I'm getting good at this! LOL And I learned DO NOT save pics on hard drive!! At the moment, I seem to be good to go.

My work will have MUCH newer ones available in the next few months, they will be decidedly more expensive than these ones (but waaaay cheaper than store bought ones!), and waaaay newer, and should hold me for ALOT longer. 'Cause even this one that I have now could still crap out tomorrow on me! Great when pcs work, but man, when they go down.... what a pain in the @#$!!!

Okay, enough of me complaining.....

Big news is:
We've decided on a date! Not this summer, we are going to go to Brandon to visit family. With the motor home! Dave only gets two weeks off from work, set by his boss. Usually the last week in July / first week in August. We need time before the wedding to set things up, and then get married on a long weekend, and then a few days for a "honeymoon". Well, this summer is definately out - the long weekend happens, and then he's off to work right after it. And besides which, we had promised (and have been promising!) to go out and visit in MB for many years (kinda like the Island - sorry folks!)

But NEXT year, the way the dates fall - he should still have the week AFTER the long weekend off. So the week before to prepare, the long weekend, then off for a few days. So probably the Saturday, Aug 2nd, of 2008. Eighth month, eighth year. I like that.

And get this!! It's too bad it happens on a Friday, but there is a total solar eclipse on August 1st. "a day without a night and a night without a day". Great way to explain a solar eclipse, and from my favorite movie of all time - Ladyhawke!! Unfortunately, from what I've read, we won't see it where we are located. Don't think we'll go waaaay north or to China. The next one we should be able to see won't be until -
"The next two total solar eclipses visible from the United States occur on Aug. 21, 2017 and Apr. 8, 2024. "
Ya, don't think we'll wait THAT long! LOL

Just thought it was cool, that is WAS happening, somewhere on the planet, on that date (ok, the day before THE day). Wonky, I know!

It will be VERY small! I think we have figured out about 18 in total. Wish it could be larger, but we just don't have the space!! We have a very small backyard! Set some tables up, do a potluck medieval themed small feast. More emphasis on the "party" than the ceremony. Thought about doing a handfasting. Too much "ceremony". So we'll probably just get a Marriage Commissioner. Guess that's what they are called. Not a Justice of the Peace, like I thought. Who knew?!!! There seems to be quite a few listed on the web page, guess it depends on how current it is.... I like this one: Alastair MacLean. Well, I mean, I like the name of this one. Sounds like a good Scottish lad, which leads me to the next part...

http://www.medieval-weddings.net/


Dave's on board, and even Colin is. Dress in Medieval style clothes. Colin was worried about "lace". No lace, I promised him! LOL I can see it, it's all in my head. This is a pretty good site for clothing styles (yes, I've been "researching" forEVER!). Altho, I don't think we'll worry about being too accurate, it will be "loosely" based on early medieval times. There is ALOT of difference between the 1200's and the 1700's. But hey, get the guys to wear a pirate shirt with grommets, and the girls to wear chemises with some kind of overdress. Or bodices and skirts. It's gonna be hot, so don't want to wear heavy layered clothing!! And Dave & Colin were convinced they could wear swords! NOT!! LOL Think more "Shrek" than "Pirates of the Caribbean". Or even "A Knight's Tale".

But lots of medieval theme "things". Like these cards, for example. They actually sent me a sample of one - great colour and sharpness!!

And flags and/or banners from Wales, Scotland, Ireland (Erin Go Bragh) - they have pretty cool flags. With Rampant Lions, and dragons. Hey, alot of it will be "ambiance", rather than "historical". How's that for a theme??? LOL

So now all I have to do is get sewing. And phone Mr. Alastair MacLean. And find my divorce papers! LOL But there should be enough time.......... have a year & a half until THE day! Can you believe it? Me? Getting married again? ~gulp~

TTFN