gone to the dogs

S is for Squeaky

2010-11-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday

S is for Squeaky

Tucker's favorite toys are squeaky tennis balls. He grabs them any time he is excited. In this video we were getting ready to go for a walk. As you can see, the blankets on the chesterfield, or in keeping with the S theme, the sofa, do nothing to protect it from Tucker's claws or fur.

ABC Wenesday

2010-11-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hi there. I'm Tucker. My Mom (I like to call her Bud) usually writes this blog. Her friends and family have been after her to add a new entry but she just keeps getting distracted by other things so I decided to take things into my own paws.

I've been told I am a very handsome dog and after seeing this picture, I have to agree.

We had our first snowfall of the season this week and Bud dressed up warm and took me for a walk to Three Mile Dam and the Pipeline. Its my favorite place because I can be leash free. When we came to a fork in the road I decided we should go left....There's a pond up this way you know. Being the good human that she is, Bud followed along without complaint.

There were a lot of interesting smells in the grass. Had to watch out for those burrs though. They are nasty when they get caught in my tail. Once I had 15 of them caught in the fur between my hind legs...Ouch. I had to sit very still while Bud combed them out.

We walked over the first little hill.

I wanted to keep going down the road but Bud said it was too slippery. I suggested she take off her boots and socks and used her toenails for traction like I do. She said thanks for the suggestions but she would prefer to use her Yak Traks and would remember them next time. Humans have to make everything so complicated!

When the River Meets the Sea

2010-06-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

When the River Meets the Sea

(Words by Paul Williams)

For my sister

When the mountain touches the valley

All the clouds are taught to fly

As our souls will leave this land most peacefully

Though our minds be filled with questions

In our hearts we'll understand

When the river meets the sea

Like a flower that has blossomed

In the dry and barren sand

We are born and born again

most gracefully

Plus the winds of time will take us
With a sure and steady hand

When the river meets the sea

Sonia Jean

July 28, 1945 - April 9, 2010

Toy Tales

2009-10-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here are two of Tuckers toys, safely perched on the piano. On the left is Orange Bert so named because of his orange sherbet colour. He replaced Pink Bunny who is no longer with us because my brother's Labrador, Jesse, eviscerated him. Orange Bert hasn't got much stuffing, nor has he a sqeaker, so he should be safe from Jesse. On Orange Bert's right is Squirrel.....Squirrel's fur has become rather stiff and matted from being chewed on so much. But so far, at least, he is intact.

Can't say the same for Earless Bunny. Earless Bunny was One-Eared Bunny until yesterday when he lost his second ear to a Tucker attack. Sorry Bunny but better your ear than my pillows or oven mitts.

And this is Headless Puddy. Puddy, as she was once known, has been around for a long time. It was a gift, for me, from cousin Elaine many years ago. Then along came Cali! Puddy was chewed and shaken and much enjoyed. Puddy kept her head until Jesse got at her one day. Poor Puddy. Now nobody knows if she is coming or going!

My Energetic Dog

2009-10-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

I often comment and sometimes complain that Tucker has an over abundance of energy. He also knows how to relax.

I rest my case!

Trout River Pond

2009-09-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Now that we are officially into autumn I thought it would be a good time to reflect back on the summer. I had such a nice time this summer. I stayed on the rock but had so much company that the time just flew by. One of the highlights was spending time with Paula. While she was home visiting her mom, we visited and did some hiking. One of our favorite hikes is Trout River Pond.

The first part of the trail takes you through a boreal forest. Most of the time you can also see the pond.

Its a twisty, sometimes hilly trail that crosses several small brooks. Here my knapsack is taking a short break by the brook.

Paula taking a break by a brook........

And me......by a brook. Why must I always pull my hat down over my eyes!!!

The second part of the trail comes out behind the Tablelands. Its so beautiful with the rolling hills.

And always the amazing view of Trout River Pond.

The Tableland Mountains can look quite barren at first glance. But there are actually some very beautiful flowers. If you look carefully amont the rocks you can find Round Leaved Sundew, an insectiverous plant with sticky, hairy leaves that attract insects.

There are lots of Pitcher Plants.....another insect loving plant.

I think this is Mountain Saxifrage.

And there are clusters of deceptively frail looking Harebells.

This is a 14 km hike, 7 in and 7 out and worth every step.

ABc Wenesday ~ G

2009-09-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday ~ G

G is for Gulls. These Herring Gulls are diving for treats in Lomond Campground in Gros Morne National Park. A fisherman was sitting in his small boat, cutting up fish and throwing it to the gulls.

This little Gull was taking a stroll down Shallow Bay Beach on the Great Northern Penninsula of Newfoundland.

And this little gull was enjoying the photo op!

Please join the fun by visiting ABC Wenesday.

ABC Wednesday ~ F

2009-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

F is for Flower.
The latin name for this flower is Fragaria Virginiana Duchesne.
The common name is Wild Strawberry which blooms around here in early June.

Please visit ABC Wenesday for more fun with the letter F.

ABC Wednesday ~ E

2009-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday ~ E

Evening

This picture was taken in Trinity, Newfoundland. My friend Pat and I had just finished a lovely meal at a restaurant called the Twine Loft, just as the sun was getting low in the horizon. I was lucky enough to capture the reflection on a shed near the water.

For more ideas brought to you by the letter E, please visit ABC Wednesday.

ABC Wednesday ~ C

2009-08-03T14:03:00.001-07:00

C is for Cow and Calf

In this case its a Cow Moose and calf.......

....which on closer looked turned out to be a Cow Moose and her twin calves. I was lucky enough to see this sight in Gros Morne National Park, just south of Rocky Harbour. These were the 3rd, 4th and 5th moose I saw on a recent road trip.

For more fun brought to you by the letter C, please visit ABC Wednesday.

ABC Wednesday ~ B

2009-07-26T14:13:00.001-07:00

B is for......

Beautiful Blue Sky

Boats

in Bottle Cove

These pictures were taken on a glorious day in May in Bottle Cove on the South Shore of the Bay of Islands on the West Coast of Newfoundland.

Please visit ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday ~ A

2009-07-22T04:01:00.000-07:00

A is for Alpaca

These are recently shorn Alpacas on an Alpaca farm on the Port au Port Penninsula, Newfoundland. The farm overlooks beautiful Bay St. George and is on the French Ancestors Route. They have beautiful, gentle looking eyes, but are rather comical looking with their long wooly coats clipped so short. The black one was particulary funny looking as his neck looked too skinny to support his big head.

Their wool is extremely soft, very similar to angora.

For more fun with the Letter A, please visit ABC Wednesday.

Canada Day

2009-07-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

Canada Day~ 2009

This picture of Tucker wasn't actually taken on Canada Day. It was taken on the weekend at my brother's cabin. I've included this picture in my post because of the very Canadian red background and because I think its a rather fetching picture of my handsome dog......I could have said a handsome picture of my fetching dog....but I didn't, because he doesn't.

On Canada Day, July 1, I took a morning walk on the upper Corner Brook Stream Trail to see what was blooming this week.

I found some Showy Ladyslippers.....

Labrador Tea

Partidgeberry blossoms

A single Pink Ladyslipper

....and a cluster of Yellow Ladyslippers....which are near the end of their blooming.

In the afternnoon I took another walk, minus Tucker as by now it was nearly 30 degrees. There were celebrations in Margaret Bowater Park. I saw a gentleman with his Newfoundland Dog......

A family on a ride.....they look like they're in a tin can.

A very small ferris wheel...

A Tuba player.....

....and a band!
Alas! It was much too hot for me. So I went back home and relaxed for the remainder of Canada day.

ABC Wednesday ~ W

2009-06-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday ~ W

W is for Waterbottle. This is my favorite waterbottle that I take with me on my daily hikes. Its in this particular picture to show the relative size of these lovely Wild flowers. These are wild orchids that we call Yellow Ladyslippers and are in bloom right now. They can be twice this size. They grow out in the open in rocky soil.

Here's a closer view, You can see that the rim of the "slipper" is tinged with red. I am a big fan of Wildflowers and these are one of my favorites.

For more alphabet fun, please visit ABC Wednesday.

What's Blooming?

2009-06-12T14:09:00.001-07:00

On a nice sunny day this week, I decided to go for a walk on the Gorge and Pipeline trails to see what's blooming these days. I saw lots of these Mountain Sandwort growing in the gravel by the pipeline. They are very tiny. Each Petal is somewhat heartshaped and they have 2 or 3 flowers on each stalk.

Crackerberries ( You may Know them as Bunch Berries ma'am.) are in flower in the woods.

A few late blooming May Flowers. Most of them are gone now. A couple of weeks ago you could smell their sweet perfume in the air.

There are lots of Pin Cherry trees in bloom.

..and wild strawberries a plenty.

Pretty much all the wild flowers that are in season right now are white. I am looking forward to seeing some Pink and Yellow Lady Slippers next month.

ABC Wednesday ~ T

2009-06-02T12:05:00.001-07:00

T is for Tribute

This is a tribute to Cali, my sweet little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, whom I had to say good-bye to 3 weeks ago. Cali, whose full name was Maracaibo Calico, was a beautiful, gentle little dog. Though she weighed only 10 pounds, she took up tons of space in my life and my heart.

Cali had a sister, her litter-mate Mikki. Though Mikki lived with my brother and his family, Cali and Mikki spent lots of time together and always had a special bond. In this picture they had just come from the groomer. We said good-bye to Mikki in December.

Cali was an only dog until Tucker came to live with us 3 years ago. Though they were never affectionate with each other, they got along just fine. Here they are sharing a nap in the den.

Cali and Mikki napping together on the arm of the couch.

Cali got along well with other dogs, but Mikki was the only one she would play with. Their favorite game was wrestling.

Cali met a new friend last summer. Her name was Pippa. This is Cali and Pippa with Pippa's mom Linda.

This is what she looked like when she was 4 months old. She was 3.5 pounds. She eventually weighed a whopping 10 pounds.

Cali was not a talented dog. She never advanced beyond a "sit " command and failed miserably the "how long does it take your dog to find the treat" IQ test. But she was a lovable, pretty little dog who filled a pretty big spot in my heart. I miss her and Mikki a lot.

Please visit ABC Wednesday.

ABC Wednesday ~ P

2009-05-05T16:45:00.001-07:00

ABC Wednesday ~ P

P is for Pearly Everlasting. We also sometimes call them Everlasting Daisy as they are very straw-like, last well into the fall and make an excellent dried flower.

P is also for poop! In this case its moose poop. Why I was moved to take a picture of it is anybody's guess.

For more fun compliments of the letter P, please visit ABC Wednesday.

ABC Wednesday ~ O

2009-04-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday

O is for........

Orange Hawkweed

Ox-Eye Daisy

We still have snow in the woods so these pictures were taken last summer. Its nice to look at them and dream about taking pictures of wildflowers, instead of snowscapes, again.

For more fun with the letter O

Visit ABC Wednesday

2009-04-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday ~ N

N is for Naughty

When Tucker is licking his lips and looking intently at a little critter (in this case Zeus the mouse who is visiting us for a couple of weeks) you can be sure there are naughty thoughts going through his head. Zeus is living in our bathroom most of the time so I can close the door to make sure he doesn't get eaten.

Please visit ABC Wenedsday for more ideas brought to you by the letter N

ABC Wednesday ~ M

2009-04-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday ~ M

M is for Moldow

Moldow (a.k.a. moldown or maldow) is a local term for beard-moss which is actually a lichen that hangs from the branches of spruce trees. When I was a child we also called it moose moss because, of course, moose enjoy munching on it. You can check out this word and many others in The Dictionary of Newfoundland English.

The way it hangs from the branches always reminds me of how my mom would hang tinsel on our Christmas tree. Though she appreciated a beautifully decorated tree, she had little patience for fussing with details. My dad would usually take over and hang each strand individually.

I just love the way nature decorates the somewhat plain spruce tree.

For more words brought to you by the letter M, check out ABC Wednesday.

ABC Wednesday ~ L

2009-04-05T10:35:00.001-07:00

ABC Wednesday
L is for Ladyslippers

L is for Ladyslippers. Ladyslippers are wild orchids. We have 3 varieties growing in our area. They bloom in late June and Early July. As we still have a significant amount of snow cover, I had to use pictures that I took last summer. Our snow is melting and I am looking forward to seeing these beauties again

This is the Showy Ladyslipper. It grows in open areas in large masses. They are spectacular and are sometimes as tall as 3 feet.

Pink Ladyslippers on the other hand are much smaller. They are a deeper pink and are more likely to be found in forested areas with little undergrowth. You have to look for them as they often stand alone. The word Orchid comes from the Greek word for testicles......

And we also have Yellow Ladyslippers. They are much smaller than the Showy Ladyslippers but also grow in open areas and in clusters. Some of them have red markings on their leaves.

I am so looking forward to seeing these orchids in bloom again.

For more pictures brought to you by the letter L please visit ABC Wednesday.

Ducks on the Pond

2009-04-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

Just Ducky!

We have a few new ducks on our pond. It took me a while to figure out what they were as they tend to keep to themselves so it was hard to get a close look. After several attempts I did manage to get close enough to get a decent zoom shot. These are Common Goldeneye ducks. I've managed to confirm this with a couple of people and my Peterson Field Guide book. They are great fun to watch as they are super divers and dissappear for quite some time.

This is a female Mallard. there are lots of them around the pond this year and they stayed all winter. This picture was actually taken on the marsh below the pond. Its behind the Glynmill Inn and below Park Street. Its a small area on the Corner Brook Stream trail and is protected by Ducks Unlimited. I liked this picture because of the Cat Tails in the ice.

ABC Wednesday ~ K

2009-03-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday ~K

KEEN

K is for keen. The word 'keen' can have many meanings. If referring to a knife or axe, it means having a sharp edge or point. It can mean quick in seeing, hearing or thinking. It can mean to wail or moan in lament.

For this post, I am using the word keen in the sense of being eager. I am getting tired of winter and am keen to get some nice, warm spring weather. This is what my world still looks like, though we are officially into our second week of spring.

The word keen also appears in the Dictionary of Newfoundland English. In Newfoundland keen can mean "wonderful". In reference to the weather it means 'perfect of its kind and season'. Even though we are still surrounded by snow and ice, this picture was taken on a keen day. It was above zero degrees celcius there were no clouds in the sky and the ice on the pond is melting, making life a little easier for the ducks.

ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday ~ J

2009-03-24T07:03:00.001-07:00

J is for Jay!

Last week on a particularly nice, almost warm, sunny day I went for a ski all by myself. I stopped for a rest at the Gazebo and while I was enjoying a drink of water and a banana, a curious Gray Jay ( Canada Jay) sat on the eave of the Gazebo eyeing my snack.

So I shared my banana with my new little friend. Jays of course, with eat almost anything and will sit quite close to you and even eat out of your hand. At first I just let him pick at the banana peel. In this picture he seems to be thinking, "Is this all I get?"

Then I gave him a more substantial piece, which he really enjoyed. I have also heard Jays refered to as "Whiskey Jacks". I'm not sure where that nickname came from but I am sure there is a story behind it.

Please visit ABC Wednesday for more ideas brought to you by the letter J

Sky Watch Friday

2009-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Skywatch Friday

This picture was taken last May ( I am getting tired of taking cold, snowy pictures). In addition to a blue sky with colouring book clouds, you can see a little bit of my home town Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Corner Brook is located in the mouth of the Bay of Islands and is surrounded by mountains. You can see a bit of the snow capped Blow Me Down Mountains in the distance. These are part of the Long Range Mountains which are a continuation of the Appalachian Mountain Belt.

For more please visit Skywatch Friday

ABC Wednesday - I

2009-03-17T11:40:00.001-07:00

ABC Wednesday

I is for Icicle

These particular icicles ( sometimes we call them ice candles) are hanging from the Gazebo roof. Those of you who have read my blog before will know that the Gazebo is really an A-Frame cabin in my favorite ski park. I wanted to find an "I" that was less wintery but the cold, snowy winter must have frozen my creative juices...so icicles it is.

For more ideas brough to you by the letter "I" please visit

ABC Wednesday

Sky Watch Friday

2009-03-12T08:01:00.001-07:00

Skywatch Friday

This is one of my favorite times of the year. We are getting less snow falling and longer, brighter days. It makes for wonderful days of snowshoeing and cross country skiing. These pictures were taken on Wednesday at Blow-me-Down Cross Country Ski Trails. The sky was intensely blue and practially cloudless.

This is the "Gazebo". Its actually an a-frame cabin in the woods. You have a 5 kilometer ski to get there. There is a wood stove inside and visitors are allowed to make a fire to boil the kettle, or just to warm up. I was the only one there on this visit so I opted to sit outside on a bench and enjoy the view.

Here is part of the view as seen through the railing on the deck.

Please Visit Skywatch Friday.

H is for Handsome

2009-03-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday

H is for .......Handsome

Here is my very Handsome dog Tucker. Tucker is a Border Collie-Schipperke mix. Both of these breeds are herding dogs which makes for a very energetic pet. We don't live on a farm so Tucker uses his skills to chase squirrels, children, snowmobiles, and tennis balls.

He absolutely loves tennis balls. He will bounce them and catch them, chase them around the house and sometimes just lie there squishing them in his mouth.

H is also for Helpful.

Here he is helping Cali wait for the mailman.

H is for Handfull

He can be quite a handfull. He has destroyed my window sheers, most of my throw cushions and loves to chew anything with a wooden or plastic handle and he will steal food if it isn't out of reach. But he is also the sweetest, most loving, full of personality dog I have ever known. He is my constant companion when I am snowshoeing, hiking, going for a leisurely walk or just chilling out in front of the T.V.

If you would like to see how talented he is, check out his singing video H is also for Howling. However if you watch the video clip I think you will agree that he is singing, not howling.

Please visit ABC Wednesday

Ice Bells

2009-03-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

Skywatch Friday

Ice Bells

It was a gloriously sunny day today. It was -4 celcius but not a breath of wind and you can actually feel some warmth to the sun. I took Jesse (my brother's dog) and Tucker for a walk around Margaret Bowater Park, and took a couple of Skywatch pictures. The sky was mostly blue with a few fluffy clouds.

I stopped on the bridge over Corner Brook Stream. If that name seems a little redundant its because the community's name is Corner Brook, and the Stream runs through it. I noticed some interesting ice formations on a tree seen here on the left.

So I zoomed in to take a closer look and discovered the prettiest ice bells hanging from the tree. There were a number of stringy branches hanging down, creating a wicking effect and the water and spray had frozen to create these lovely ornaments. Some of them are in the water, but some are hanging above it.

Check out Skywatch Friday

ABC Wednesday ~ G

2009-03-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday ~ G

G is for Guitar

Nephew Dave and his wife Robyn were visiting me during the East Coast Music Awards. On their last night here we had a party and David entertained us with his wonderful voice and amazing guitar skills.

Click on David Bradshaw if you would like to hear some of his music.

Please visit ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday ~ February 25

2009-02-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday ~ F

F is for fiddle and fiddler and family. Nephew David is playing the fiddle for a family wedding. His wife Robyn and son Aiden are looking on fondly.

For more pictures brought to you by the letter F, please visit ABC Wednesday.

Sky Watch Friday

2009-02-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

Skywatch Friday

Earlier this week we had a beautiful sunset. This was taken from my front steps. You can see the reflection of the sunset in my bay window, and an ice candle hanging from the eave of the porch. It also gives you a good sense of how much snow we have this year. And there is more in the forecast....yikes!

Please visit Skywatch Friday for more pictures.

ABC Wednesday ~ E

2009-02-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday ~ E

February 18

E is for Epilobium augustifolium.

I confess I love wildflowers but I would not know any of the Latin names unless I looked in my reference books. However, I was getting a bit tired of taking pictures of snow, snow and more snow, so I decided to look in my wildflower file and could not find anything with a common name beginning with E. The flower above is commonly called Fireweed because it is one of the first plants to appear in burnt over areas. It generally appears in my neck of the woods around late August.

E is for Epigaea Repens

Locally this is known as Mayflower. It is a woodland groundcover that appears in our woods in May if we are lucky enough to be rid of our snow by then. This is not a great picture as it doesn't capture its pinkish hue. It has waxy leaves and is very fragrant.

For more pictures brought to you by the letter E, please visit ABC Wednesday.

Skywatch Friday

2009-02-12T17:32:00.001-08:00

Skywatch Friday

We have had a couple of really nice days so I am beginning to enjoy winter again. My sis-in law and I have been snowshoeing up around Three Mile Dam. These pictures were taken yesterday on a groomed snowmobile trail. During the weekdays there are seldom any noisy, smelly

snowmobiles to bother us. Tucker, on the other hand, enjoys chasing them!

You can see the sky was very blue and the trees were making lovely shadows. You can also see where Tucker took a little side trip into the deep snow looking for squirrels.

Please visit Skywatch Friday.

ABC Wednesday

2009-02-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday ~ D is for ducks

These are somewhat daring ducks. A small flock of Mallard ducks have decided to overwinter on the Glynmill Inn Pond. Mallards are suppose to fly somewhere warmer, Mexico I believe. This group decided to stay because they are being fed by people walking on the trail around the pond. Some thoughtful people actually give them proper bird food but they have also become accustomed to eating cereal, bread and donuts.

Here they are sharing the last remaining patch of open water with some gulls.

For more pictures brought to you by the Letter D

visit ABC Wednesday

2009-02-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

Skywatch Friday

This picture was taken this week on a rare sunny day. Its on the Glynmill Inn Pond trail. You can see the roof of the Inn on the far side of the pond. I am in the picture too as you can see my shadow on the sign.

Here is a closer view of the roof of the Tudor style Inn.

Please visit Skywatch Friday

2009-02-03T12:29:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday ~ C

C is for Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This is Calico, my 12 year old Cavalier. Cali is perhaps the sweetest, prettiest dog in the whole world. But of course that's just my opinion. 12 is quite senior for this breed. She is deaf, missing a lot of teeth and was never very bright, but she will always be my baby. This picture was taken in our front yard in October, just after the maple shed most of its leaves.

Here's a recent winter pose. Note the snow she has gathered on her ears!

And here she is cuddling with her "cousin' Jesse, my brother's 10 year old Labrador Retriever.
For more posts brought to you by the letter C please visit ABC Wednesday.

2009-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

Skywatch Friday

Here are 3 more views of one of my favorite snowshoeing places, the golf course just across the road from my house. This time my dog Tucker came with me.

Tucker was amazed at all the wide open space.
As we were heading up the hill, the sky was clear and blue.

As we were heading back down the hill, the wind picked up and sky began to cloud over.

Please visit Skywatch Friday

2009-01-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday ~ B

Bridge

B is also for brrrrr. We have been having very cold temperatures lately and lots of snow. This is one of my favorite all season walking places - the road that follows the pipeline coming from Three Mile Dam. For more pictures inspired by the letter B visit ABC Wednesday .

2009-01-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

Skywatch Friday

Taken on a golf course where I enjoy snowshoeing.

Its around an hour before sunset and it was lightly snowing.

Skywatch Friday

Talented Tucker

2009-01-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

A belated Merry Christmas from Tucker, my very talented dog. I think he should be in the church choir.

Tucker and Tennis balls

2008-11-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

One of Tucker's favorite things is tennis balls. He loves to chase them and catch them but mainly he just likes to hold them and squish them in his mouth. I gave him a new one this evening and when I walked into the den he was just lying there with the ball in his mouth. He stayed there like that long enough for me to get my camera and capture a few seconds of video.

I'm baa-ack

2008-11-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Its been several weeks since I have updated my blog. I'd like to say its because I have been on an exotic trip or I've been busy creating world peace....but not so. I've just been uninspired and unable to come up with a theme that I felt was blog worthy. But after a gentle hint from cousin Elaine, I decided I would just share some of my recent pictures taken whilst walking Tucker.

We've been having a wide range of weather this fall. Last weekend the temperatures went up to 21 degrees and this week we had some flurries. This is a view of the Bay of Islands from the pipeline. You can see a puff of steam from the paper mill but snow is obscuring the bay.

Tucker is looking at my praying bench. This is a bench on a hill overlooking Corner Brook. I call it my praying bench because I often sit there and meditate or give thanks. I chose not to sit this day as I wasn't wearing snowpants.

The pipeline which runs from 3 Mile Dam and supplies power to the paper mill, is often spouting water. This makes for some interesting ice formations in the winter.

When I look out my back door I am facing my neighbours back steps and this nice birch tree which hadn't lost all of its leaves when we had our first snowfall.

Nor had my leaves been collected for composting.

Tucker and I love winter and can't wait to get some proper snow. This fluff is just a tease.

Princess Cali, on the other hand, is starting to develop some stiffness in her joints and would just as soon relax on a cozy blanket.

More interesting sights on the trail.

2008-10-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

Well there is always something interesting to see if you just get out there and look. Tucker and I were taking one of our favorite walks today up to 3 mile dam via the gorge trail and then back to the park following the pipeline

As we were walking along the pipeline, Tucker and I looked back to see a line of young girls......walking ON the pipeline. so we waited and watched.

There were 2 older girls with their hair tied back in black snoods.

They were all wearing pretty coloured, ankle-length dresses. The younger girls had long hair in plaits. They were very pleasant and told me they do this all the time. I am guessing by the way they were dressed and their hair style, they probably belong to a particular religious group. Interesting....

The "fall" in Autumn

2008-10-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

We had a significant frost last night. This morning it was sunny and as I was looking out my front window, I could watch my maple gently let go of its leaves. It was very pretty and serene, much like looking at a campfire or listening to water flowing. This video clip captures it a little.

Wha'???????

2008-10-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

When Tucker and I go for walks, I always take my digital camera in hope that we will see something beautiful, interesting or maybe even something exciting like a moose or a bear. Well, while walking into the Gorge trail today my eye caught the sight of an unusual shape. Is it a critter? Or perhaps a strange person lurking on the side of the trail?

Can it be?? No way! How would it get here? Why would it be here?

Yes I was right. It's an office chair. A perfectly good office chair in the middle of nowhere. A chair that was tired of being cooped up in an office, day and night and night and day...day after day. And, at the first opportunity escaped.....into the wilds to be free......forever.

Tucker, perhaps sensing that this once tame beast was cautious, lest it be captured and returned to captivity, approaches with care. The chair, remains perfectly still, possibly playing possum until we are safely passed.

Autumn Colour

2008-10-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Corner Brook is beautiful, particularly at this time of the year. Here are some pictures to remind you guys what you are missing.

Tucker, enjoying some freedom in the Participark...

More of the Participark trail.......

A view of Margaret Bowater Park from the participark trail....

Another section of the same trail.....

And yet more Participark......

A small trail following the stream in Margaret Bowater Park....

A section of road following the pipeline from 3 Mile Dam...

Not to be upstaged by the autumn splendor, Tucker comes out of the woods adorned with leaves and pine needles . Very dashing, don't you think?

Herdman Revisited

2008-10-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know that Herdman Collegiate is no more. Its been undergoing major renovations over the past few years and will reopen as the High School for the entire Corner Brook area and I think its new name will be Corner Brook High. Anyway I think during the renovations the spirits of the class of '72 must have been disturbed because over the past few weeks I have heard from and about several of my old friends that I haven't seen for years. Then, right out of the blue this week I had a phone call from an old friend (Doreen) saying that another old friend (Joan) was in town and perhaps we could round up a bunch of other old friends ( I'm overusing the word "old" aren't I)....so thanks to Dorreen we had a real blast from our past. A lot can happen in 36 years.

For the sake of easy recall I am using maiden names. In the back: Sharon Penny and Doreen Belbin. The others from left to right: Nancy Oxford, Sigrid Lundrigan, Moi, Joan White, Sue Kennedy, Barb Hicks.

Wild Mushroom Hunting

2008-09-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

When I was in Algonquin park this summer I took this very cool picture of a very pretty mushroom. I think it looks like something from outerspace. I have no idea how to identify mushrooms. I assume you have to look at size and colour.

So I decided to take a walk through the woods in Corner Brook to see if I could find some more pretty 'shrooms and was very surprised at the variety. There was this one which was growing out of a mossy bank and has a crinkely top like a meringue cookie.

I found lots of these little wee orange mushrooms. This one was roundish but some were more flat topped.

I found some that were a delicate brown.

And others that were a deep rich brown.

And more that were larger, and very white.

From the October issue of Harrowsmith: "of the world's 12,000 species [of mushrooms] only about 20 are edible. Some can do you real harm, if not kill you." Needless to say I shall stick to taking pictures of them. I wouldn't eat one unless it was picked by a certified expert and prepared by an experienced chef...and then I would be asking the chef to take the first bite.

Tucker says that searching for mushrooms is very tiring work!

A dog's Life

2008-09-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

I spent Labour Day weekend at my brother's cabin at Bonne Bay Pond. In all we were 3 adults, 2 children, 4 dogs. We all worked and played and had lots of fun. The dogs in particular took relaxing to a new level.

Cali and Jesse cuddled up together on the sofa.

Tucker prefers to nap alone.

And last but certainly not least...Mikki...You may recall from an earlier post that she is little, but can snore like a lumberjack!

Picture of the Day

2008-08-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken a few days ago up along the pipeline. I'd never noticed yellow snails before. Like flowers, they hold still nicely to have their picture taken.

Week two - Ontario

2008-08-03T16:35:00.001-07:00

Finally I am getting to week two of my great Ontario Adventure.

After I left Paula and her family in New Market, I set off for Toronto. There I met up with Cousin Elaine and we spent the day chatting and poking around downtown Toronto. We visited 3 churches. My favorite was The Church of the Holy Trinity. As you can see from this picture...the pews are not very comfortable. But the church itself has a very strong feeling of community.

Later in the day Elaine and I set off for Sara and Kelly's. We had a delicious meal with them and then spent the evening looking at family pictures and sharing stories. Thanks Kelly for putting up with us.

Sara and Elaine in front of Sara and Kelly's house. I didn't get any picutres of Kelly...sheesh!

Sara is making coffee for our breakfast. I just love, love their wonderful house. There is just so much to look at.

Including their two beautiful cats. This is Harry (a.k.a. little orange guy).

And this is Daisy. Daisy and I had an immediate bond.

After breakfast we took a leisurely walk to the Beaches. Part of our walk was through a ravine, where I took this picture of Sara taking a picture of Elaine taking a picture of some flowers.....

We had a great walk along the beach, where we saw some interesting sights, including this ghostly ship....

......and a very cool, goggle-wearing dog. City folks! What will they think of next???

After our stay in Toronto, Elaine and I headed to Woodstock. We had a great week that included attending a folk festival in Ingersol.

These children were making and wearing flower wreaths.

We went to Stratford to see The Music Man, which we really enjoyed. It was an extremely hot day so we spent as little time outside as possible, and we consoled ourselves with icecream at Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory. My new friend here was dressed in honor of the musical.

Gray decided he might like to go home with me. Elaine and Geoff said no! I'll bring a bigger suitcase next time Gray.

Week One- Ontario

2008-07-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Even though I am retired, and could technically go on a vacation any time of the year, its still nice to take a week or two during the summer and go on an adventure and visit friends and family. This summer I spent two weeks in Ontario.

The first week was spent with my friend Paula who lives with her husband and three daughters in New Market.

We took a day trip to Centre Island. I had never been there before. We spent a few hours walking around the island looking at the formal gardens, watching people riding bikes and enjoying the garden's of the residents. I like this picture of Paula, Andrea and Paula's sister-in-law Ann looking across at the Toronto skyline.

Paula and Angela (Paula's youngest) spent four days (three nights) exploring Algonquin park. I enjoy hiking and having picnics but I don't enjoy camping any more so we stayed in a lovely hotel in Huntsville.

On our way to Huntsville we stopped at Webers for amazing hamburgers and fries. This is a vey popular hamburger stand that has an amazing system for serving large numbers of people in a short time. I like this picture because I accidentally caught my reflection in the side mirror!

The weather was warm and humid so we opted for taking many small hikes rather than some of the longer hikes. This picture was taken by a lookout on a trail called Hardwood Hills. Angela looks so nice with her long hair, stylish jeans and lovely figure. As for me, this is a good illustration why people with short, stubby legs probably shouldn't wear capri length pants with hiking boots!!!!! What Not to Wear!

While admiring the beautiful landscape, we would often compare the views to areas of Newfoundland. One big difference however, is the abundance of very large pine trees. This one was on a trail called Big Pines. Look Up! Waaaaaay up!

I did mention that the weather was a little humid!

Here I am striking my "Superwoman" pose on Lookout trail.

It wouldn't be an outdoor adventure without some wildlife sightings. We saw two moose including this young bull.

At our picnic site we were lucky enough to spot this mother duck and her youngens. It was somewhat windy and the ducklings had a challenge to keep up with mom.

This toad very kindly stayed still for me to take this up close and personal picture. Every thing is beautiful...in its own way.

These were just highlights of my first week in Ontario. Stay tuned for week two.

My Sweet Wee Dog

2008-06-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have a Scottish friend with a daughter named Jenny. When Jenny was little she would look at Cali and said, "Oh mummy. Look at her sweet wee face." Tucker is away at Bonne Bay Pond for a few days so Calico and I decided to go for a wee walk, just the two of us, to see what we could see.

Here is my sweet wee dog setting out on our walk along the pipeline.

We saw a lovely wee Hare Bell nesteled among some wild strawberry flowers.

Dasies? Asters? Fleabane? Help!! The flower is daisy-like.

But it is wee, compact, bushy with skinny leaves which makes it aster or fleabane-like.

I've posted picutres of these beautiful flowers before. But we saw lots of these wonderful Yellow Lady's Slippers today and just had to share. The Yellow Lady's Slippers are very wee compared to the Showy and Pink variety.

This one is in full glory.

My sweet wee dog taking a wee....sweet!

Deb and Tucker's adventure

2008-06-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

It stopped raining for a bit today so Tucker and I went for a little walk up Marble Mountain again. We went on our own so only went up past the small lift. After the rain we've been having everything looked so lush and fresh. As we were going around a bend, I saw what I believed to be a rabbit, sitting in the road. When I zoomed in on it with my camera...I realized it was another stunned grouse.

Mr. Grouse even allowed me to take a video clip. I appologize for the lame commentary and the wobbles in the middle of the clip.

Tucker didn't bother with the grouse. I'm guessing it wasn't challenging enough as it let us get really close. Bored with grouse watching, Tucker went off into the woods and came out with a moose hoof!!!! ewwwwww. Luckily it wasn't attached to anything. I couldn't get it from him so Tucker walked back down hill with this toe in his mouth, stopping occasionaly to have a chew. I managed to get it from him once he was in the car......ewwwwwww!

More Wildflowers

2008-06-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have become totally obsessed with taking pictures of wild flowers. I've been having some problems using the macro feature on my new camera but through trial and error I seem to be getting better results.

I found these pretty flowers while walking along the pipeline with Tucker yesterday. I haven't been able to find them in my flower books. They have beautiful heart shaped petals with a yellow centre.

.......a long stem with 2 or 3 flowers on each stem.

The leaves are grasslike and are at the bottom of the stem and they seem to like rocky soil in open areas. I would love to know what they are called. ???

Crackerberries (a.k.a Bunchberries) are starting to flower.

Lily-of-the -valley ......Lilies of the Valley......Lily of the Valleys.......argh!!!! You get my point.

I know I showed a wild strawberry on a previous post, but I thought this was a much nicer picture. Now if I could only figure out why this one came out so nice........

Hiking

2008-06-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

One of of the many advantages to being retired is that you can start doing some of those things that you wished you had time or energy for when you are working. I love walking and spend quite a bit of time walking the dogs. Tucker and I have explored pretty much all of the Corner Brook Stream Trail system. When Paula comes home in the summer we usually do some of the hiking trails in Gros Morne Park. I was feeling the need to do more hiking so I gathered my courage and joined a Hiking group. They hike most Saturdays or Sundays from spring til fall.

Tucker enjoying one of our many pipeline walks.

Cali enjoys a leisurely stroll in the park but as for more strenuous hiking...well she'd rather be napping in a sunbeam!

So far I've gone for 2 hikes with the group. the first hike was the Corner Brook Stream trail from City Hall to 3 mile dam and back. It took around 4 hours with a couple of stops and a lunch break. Only a small number of people showed up for this hike, all ladies who enjoy the outdoors. Here we were taking a little water break at a place I refer to as my "praying bench" overlooking the city.

This is a view of the stream from the spot where we stopped for lunch.

The ladies enjoying their lunch.

Today I went on my second hike with the group. Actually, except for the leader, it was an entirely different group of people. It was also a more strenuous hike. We walked up Marble Mountain, right up past the farthest lift up to the Doppler, which I assume has something to do with weather. It was a great walk up but the farther we went the windier and colder it got. Too cold to take many pictures, but man what a view!

Three dogs joined their owners on the hike. This is a shaggy dog which definitely has some Sheep Dog in him. I can't recall his name but he was ignoring the view in favour of some wonderful scent no doubt. There was also a golden retriever named Malta and my Tucker.

A view of the Humber River. I think we were a little more than half way to our destination.

The hiking group heading up the last section of the road leading to the Doppler. I eventually caught up with them again.

It was a long climb but definitely worth it. What a view! Unfortunately it was too windy and it was starting to rain by the time we got there and this picture does not do it justice.

I did mange to find a new plant for my collection. Well new to me anyway. Cousin Sara takes pictures of birds but I find plants are much better at staying still. This is an alpine plant called Diapensia...I know this because it says so in my Audubon book!

The next hike is The Old Man in the Mountain scheduled for next Saturday. I'll let you know how that turns out.

What's Bloomin'

2008-06-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to posting to my blog again. Elaine had been asking me what was growing in my neck of the woods, and Paula has been missing Corner Brook as this is the first year for a long time that she hasn't come home for a few weeks in the summer. So I took my camera and Tucker for a walk up the Lower Pipeline Loop. It was warm and sunny and we saw lots of blogworthy sights. Tucker even managed to scare off a rabbit....which was moving way too fast to be captured either digitally or by a dog, so you will have to take my word on that.

I found it rather ironic that I spent most of the morning pulling dandelions from my garden only to be amazed at how beautiful they were in the park....Not in my backyard. These are the real Pissdabeds.

Not to be confused with Coltsfoot...which only resemble Pissdabeds.

There are lots of wild strawberry plants.

Common Butterwort are just starting to bloom. These small plants are carniverous . They have a soapy leaf that attracts and traps insects that provide nutrients for the plant.

I saw lots of flowering trees. Some may be wild cherries or whitewood berries. This one may be one that produces a small, edible, purplish berry that some call wild plums or wild pears.

This was the best find of the day. Its a Yellow lady's Slipper or Yellow Moccasin, that was just barely opened. I think its a bit early because I know there are more in the area but this is the only one I saw.

Mosr of the ferns were fully opened but a few were still at the fiddlehead stage.

Mayflowers are pretty much past their "Best Before" date. However, there are still a few to be seen. They actually have another name which I can't recall at the moment, but we call them Mayflowers. Irv used to pick a small bunch for Mom every year. They have a wonderful, sweet smell.

Hopefully we will get some more nice sunny weather so I can continue collecting wild flower pictures. I lost all those I had collected last year....had to have the computer reformatted and neglected to back up the file........arghh.

Critters

2008-05-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy looking for signs of spring that I completely forgot about some pictures that I took the last time I skied into the gazebo at Blow-Me-Down Cross Country Ski Park. Kelly's post of the not so ordinary sparrows reminded me of these pictures. It was the 5th of April, the sun was shining and it was warm enough to ski with my jacket tied around my waist. It took forever to get these shots. The squirrels were fairly cooperative, but the chickadees, though very friendly were very quick on wing!

Which do you think is my better side? This one?

Or this one?

Signs of spring -part 3

2008-04-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Once again I went, armed with my digital camera, in search of more signs of spring. I must admit, its getting easier, though winter hasn't completely checked out yet. There is still snow in my back yard and in the woods.

You again....don't you ever stay home?

Pissdabeds! You may know them as coltsfoot ma'am..... a dandelion-like flower.

Some crocuses from my garden.

More crocuses!

What would spring be without some Pussy Willows.........

Now this defintely reminds me of spring. I love hanging out clothes, and I do so as soon as the weather permits. This, however, is my neighbours clothesline and the picture was taken a week ago. There is a little less snow in the backyard this week.

This is Jesse, Mikki and Cali flaked out on my sofa in the den. It has nothing to do with spring but was too cute not to share. Tucker was napping elsewhere in the house. Time for me to get a new dog blanket I think.

Signs of Spring ~ Part 2

2008-04-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well the second week of spring is here and gone. It brought with it a mixed bag of weather, mild for a few days and then a bit of a spring blizzard and around 10 cm of new snow. So once again it was a challenge finding some signs of spring. But find them I did. Tucker helped.

This is the crosswalk at the bottom of my street. Cars seldom actually stop at this particular intesection which makes crossing it a challenge at the best of times. In the spring it's a pool...no a small pond of water which makes crossing it even more challenging.

They must have heard me complaining, because on our way back to the house Tucker and I saw some city workers filling in the pot holes with bags of asphalt. This is the temporary-pot-hole-fixer kind of asphalt that flies out of the pothole as soon as someone drives over it. Oh well. Its the thought that counts.

We saw three signs of spring while walking around the Glynmill Inn Pond.

There was one patch of bare ground up on a bank!

The swans are back out in the pond. Yes Sara, I know they are mean, but you would be mean too if you had your feet and ass in this cold water all day long....hssssssssss!

And a late blooming mitten tree. They usually bloom in late fall but this one seemsto be confused this year, perhaps because of the long, snowy winter. I'm still searching for a leather glove tree.

This is the most unusual sign of spring that I saw this week. This picture was taken today while I was snowshoeing along the pipeline. the pipeline is actually underneath all of this snow. In the non-snow seasons there are many places along the pipleine where it has sprung a leak. I am guessing that the heat of the spring sun has allowed this one to "Spring" forth, creating a lovely ice-fountain. Cool!

Signs of Spring.....sort of

2008-03-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

So we have had one full week of Spring and I suppose, because Easter was so early, we are all under the impression that it should be more springy outside. But lets face it, Its Newfoundland. And even when we do get an early spring, its probably not our best season. Don't get me wrong, I love spring. I love all the seasons and the change in seasons. But I had a real struggle this week trying to find some "signs' that I could share on my blog. So I had to stop thinking about crocuses and robins and green grass and find some things that really represent early spring in my neck of the woods.

Spring is......

Mucky snow....lots and lots of mucky snow.

Which creates...mucky dogs.....very mucky dogs.

And lots of dog muck! Yes, this is a picture of dog poop. Once there is even a skim of snow on the back deck, my dogs feel it is permissable to pee and poop on the deck. Even though I try to clean up regularly, it gets covered with snow.....lots and lots of snow. Then, when it starts to melt, am left with icy yellow snow and lots and lots of poop. If I don't get it chipped out of the snow when its at the "poopsickle' stage, I am left with poop soup....nice.....

But its not just muck. There's also "rrrrrrroll up the rrrrrrrim to win"........Please play again!

And daffodils. Not from the garden of course but I think I am safe in saying that there are no daffodils growing in gardens in Ontario yet either. And lets not forget the Easter Bunny!

And to be optomistic, the ice is melting on Glynmill Inn Pond.

The trail benches are starting to peek through the snow.

And if you look very closely, you can see that buds are starting to swell on the trees. Hope "Springs" eternal.

zzzzzzzzzzz

2008-03-24T04:58:00.001-07:00

Cali's sister Mikki spends some time with us when Irv, Marg and Jesse go to Bonne Bay Pond in the winter. Now that she is a senior citizen she prefers to nap on my sofa rather than riding on ski-doo to the cabin. Cali, Tucker and I lover her dearly, but man! What a noisy sleeper!

Its all downhill

2008-03-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

Denise was such a good sport. She hadn't skied since she was a little girl and her mother and I dragged her on some of the hilliest trails in the ski park. On day one she had a couple of spectacular wipe-outs accompanied by some spectacular language. By day 2 she had mastered the snowplow and was ready to take on any hill.

March Break

2008-03-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Technically I don't get a March break. In Newfoundland schools are closed for a week at Easter, plus I am retired so every day is a holiday!!!! But My friend Paula teaches in Ontario and she usually comes to the Rock for her March break to see her mother and of course to have adventures with me.

This is Paula snowshoeing on the Lower Pipeline trail.

This is me, on the same trail.

Paula has 3 daughters. This year her middle daughter Denise came with Paula on her March Break adventure. This is Denise and her mom posing for a photo op while snowshoeing on the Gorge trail.

We also did a bit of skiing at the Blow Me Down Cross Country Ski Trails. I go there regularly. There are kilometers and kilometers of groomed trails with lovely names like Sly Fox, Fox Valley, the Lynx, Moose Run and Bog Slog. My favorite thing to do is to ski into the Gazebo. the Gazebo is a rustic cabin 5 km into the woods. On Saturdays the Gazebo ladies ( 4 women in their late 60's and early 70's) cook up toutons, beans and other treats. A dollar will buy you a hot chocolate and for another $1.50 they will add a shot of Old Sam. Paula,Denise and I went in on a week day so we had the place to ourselves.

Paula and Denise are enjoying their lunch.

Denis and I inside the Gazebo. Yes Denise, I know you are waaaaaaaay taller than me!

I miss my skiing and snowshoeing buddies. They are gone back to Ontario now. Did I mention that Denise's name is Denise Deborah? I have a video of her skiing down moose run. That will appear in my next post.

Winter

2008-02-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

This is my first post for quite some time. My digital camera broke just before Christmas and I have just gotten around to buying a new one. Since my cousins and my best friend who all live in Ontario have been bragging/complaining about all the snow they have been having this winter, I thought I would remind them of what a typical winter is like back here in Newfoundland. I woke up this morning humming "In the Bleak Midwinter" and was reminded of the beautiful post that Sara created to that beautiful Christmas hymn and I had to go revisit it.

A view from Glynmill Inn Pond, with Sir Richard Squires Building in the background.

My house and driveway as seen from the road.

Looking up Corner Brook Stream from the bridge on Glynmill Inn pond.

Looking out my front door on a blustery day. Note that my finch feeder is now only about a half a meter above the snow.

Another view of the tree and bird feeder in a less blustery moment.

A winter fashionista!!!! Could I have pulled my hat down any lower?! What a Geek!

Tucker slogging through some deep snow in the Participark. I didn't fare much better and was wishing I had my snowshoes.

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

I have to keep up with the cousins and show some more snow pictures of Corner Brook. I don't think we have as much as Ontario seems to have at the moment, but I think that is going to change overnight!

Tucker enjoys the freedom of the trail.

What's taking you so long? Stay with the program!

Some little birdies enjoying a rest in my maple. Marion Hann's house is in the background.

A lonely park bench on the Glynmill Inn Trail, probably thinking its going to be quite a while before anyone will want to be sitting on it....brrrrrr......

Crazy Cali strikes again!

2007-11-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

I think Cali has the potential to be a psycho-dog. She's never been caught with a knife but on occasion can become a bit of a whirling-dirvish. There was a time when Mikki would join in with the antics and they would entertain themselves for quite a while. But Mikki is not so interested in playing anymore. She just looks at Cali with bewilderment and a little fear. Eventually she sought refuge in my arms.

Psycho-dog Strikes Again

2007-11-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes its so hard to get comfortable!

No sofa's were harmed in the making of this video.

weather

2007-11-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

November has been an interesting month when it comes to weather. Early this month we had wind storm. I think it was the tail end of Hurricane or Tropical storm Noel. Noel blew down lots of trees on the nice trails that I like to walk on every day. I went for a walk during the wind storm ( the day before these pictures were taken) and you could hear trees creaking in the woods and I realized it wasn't Fallen trees I needed to watch out for, It was Falling trees.

Had to detour around this one that fell across the path on the Glynmill Inn Pond trail.

And another one across the trail around the pond.

This one is hanging across the path on the upper trail ( Pipleine Trail)

Then, about a week later we had snow. Lots and lots of snow. This is up along the Pipeline near 3 Mile Dam. I was wishing I had my snowshoes.

Tucker didn't mind that he didn't have snowshoes. He was able to move much faster than me, but was nice enough to wait and let me catch up.

Then we had some mild weather ( up to 18 degrees) , some rain and some sun. the snow is all gone, the trails are mucky, but we soldier on.

Here's a nice rainbow I managed to capture digitally a couple of days ago.

And another view of the rainbow

Its a dog's life don't you think? We should all have it so good.

Wild Flowers

2007-11-04T13:15:00.001-08:00

I have a new hobby. its taking pictures of wild flowers. It started as just something to do while on one of my many walks with Tucker. Then it became a bit of an obsession. Its a great way to get to know the names of the flowers as its so much easier to look them up in a book when you have a digital picture on your computer. Now my goal is to identify as many different flowers as I can.

I have found four orchids.

Showy Lady Slipper

Yellow Lady Slipper ( variety makasin)

Yellow Lady Slipper ( variety pubescens)

Pink Lady Slipper

I was very proud of the 4 species of orchids until I read in my orchid book that there are 19,500 species of which 43 species and 4 varieties can be found in Newfoundland. So I have a ways to go.

Of course I'm not sticking to just orchids. here are a few more favorites.

I think this is a Hare Bell. If you look closely there is a bee or bug inside the flower,

The Twin Flower is one of my favorite woodland flowers. Its so delicate looking.

I have no idea what these are. I assume they are some kind of mushroom. All I know is that they look pretty growing in nature's green shag carpet.

More sights from the trail

2007-10-19T13:34:00.001-07:00

I thought this picture was "Blog Worthy". I was walking along the pipeline yesterday with Tucker when I saw what I thought was a paper bag on the water pipe. On closer investigation i realized it was a Grouse. Grouse are apparently related to chickens, which explains why it was so stunned. It sat there, on its bum with legs dangling watching me taking its picture before it flew off into the woods. tucker had run ahead of me and missed it entirely, lucky for the Grouse.

More colour

2007-10-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken a week or so ago while I was taking a hike with Tucker on the Gorge/ Pipleine trail which runs from Margaret Bowater Park., parallel to the pipeline then crosses the stream to connect with the Gorge Trail. Its my favorite "In town" hike. Its beautiful and takes us around 2 hours to complete. This is just before the colours hit their peak.

Some colour along the trail

Looking toward the pipleine from the top of the trail on Crocker's road

I think this may be proof that God approves of green shag carpet. Who would have thought?

Corner Brook Stream as seen from the bridge on the Gorge/Pipeline trail

Crazy cali

2007-10-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Cali's problem solving skills aren't the greatest. I had given Tucker an almost empty, plastic peanut butter jar to lick out. When he was finished with it, Princess Cali decided she'd like to have a go. Not knowing how to get the peanut butter out of the jar, she decided to run around it instead. this went on for quite some time. Poor Mikki just looked on with confusion, thinking perhaps it was an invitation to play.

Jesse and Mikki

2007-10-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

I was looking back at some old posts and I realized I hadn't included pictures of the other 2 dogs in my extended critter family. These are Irv and Marg's dogs. Mikki is Cali's sister and look alike. Jesse is a very affectionate black Lab. As you can see they get along well together. But make no mistake, Mikki is the boss. She will tell Jesse off in style if she gets too close to someone else's food.
Mikki and Cali love having a snooze together. They have a special bond. Mikki is the only other dog that Cali will play with. Awwwww! Aren't they sweet! Mikki and Cali will be 11 years old in January. In Cavalier King Charles years that's very senior......but they are still babies to us.

Gotta love those colours

2007-10-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

As most of you who read this blog know, Corner Brook is quite beautiful this time of the year. These pictures were taken over the past few days while I have been walking the many fantastic walking trails we have.

Margaret Bowater Park and a light pole. A great photographer I am not.

A view from the pipeline.

One of the many brilliant colours of the maple trees

Had to add a dog picture of course. I am taking care of Irv's dogs while he is away for a few days. This is Jesse and Tucker taking me for a walk.

Dogs

2007-09-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Meet Digby. Digby is an almost 6 month old West Highland White ( Westie) owned by my friend Della. Digby was born in Nova Scotia and, being a terrier, loves to dig. Hence his name...Digby.

Like Garfield the cat, Cali just can't resist a sunbeam.

Tucker all tuckered out on our pipeline walk.

He huffed and he puffed!

2007-09-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

It was quite windy last night!!! Nothing blew away or got knocked down on my property but my neighbours were not so lucky. 4 doors up a huge maple blew over, just brushing against the house next to it. Luckily nobody and nothing was damaged except for the tree of course, and a concrete light pole.

How I Spent My Summer Holidays- part 2

2007-09-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well it was a very busy summer indeed. After my trip to Ireland ( and yes Sara and Kelly you should go to Ireland if you go to England next year) I was busy playing with my friend Paula, who was home for a month visiting her mother. We did a bit of hiking in Gros Morne Park.

Paula enjoying a break during our hike of Trout River Pond

But we also took time to relax a bit.

Me...relaxing with Harry Potter and a cold one on the deck of the Jesseau's cottage in Woody Point

We were lucky enough to see an American Bald Eagle, just before we got to Rocky Harbour. It was on the top of a tree that was on an embakement by the road. It was an awsome sight.

Elaine came to visit the middle of August. She and I went to the Writer's at Woody Point festival. These pictures are compliments of Elaine and are published with her permission.

Shelagh Rogers was the emcee for the writers festival. She laughs a lot!!

Elaine and I raising a toast on the 17th of August. The 17th of every month is our official "Red Hat" day. August 17 was the 2nd anniversary of our Red Hat club. Our Friends Inge and Marilyn are the other members.

Me, assuming my superwoman pose on the Coastal Trail ( near Baker's Brook)

A view of the Table Lands from the Table Lands Trail

The north end of a grouse heading south

It wasn't all fun this summer. Tucker learned to drive.

Cali wanted out......

And I did some babysitting which was definitely fun.

How I spent My Summer Holidays

2007-09-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy, fun summer.....which is my excuse for failing to keep up on the blog. But I'm back now and I am going to share some of the highlights.

In June I took a trip to Ireland with my sister Sonia a.ka.a Tone. We had a great trip but my digital pictures do not do it justice. Nonetheless here are a few highlights.

We spent the first 5 days in Dublin. Dublin is crazy with people and activity and has an old and new feeling to it..

This is me braving the rain outside a pub in the Temple Bar area.....a pedestrian area of cobblestone streets lined with shops and pubs...South of the River Liffey.

......of course we didn't just stand outside the bar. We went in for a drink and a taste of Irish music. The old geezer with the beard is actually from the USA but from the accent I'm guessing he's been in Ireland a while.
We took a commuter train to a seaside community just outside of Dublin. It was called Howth...rhyming with "both" when pronounced properly. It reminded me a little of St. Pierre.

We also took a bus tour through the Wicklow mountains. Very beautiful. We couldn't resist the photo op.
Of course afternoon tea (okay its latte!) ...we are daughters of Daisy and nieces of Sophie after all.

A picture of a peat bog, taken from the bus window. You could actully see where the farmer had cut a set of stairs in the bog.

We also visited many of the famous Landmarks of Dublin including Trinity College, Christchuch Cathedral, St. Patrick's Cathedral. Of all the beautiful things there were to take a picture of, what do I have to share? a picture of a mummified Cat and Mouse supposedly found in the bellows of the pipeorgan in Christchurch......ewwwwww

How touristy is this....Molly Malone ( also known as the "Tart with the Cart". Molly is the one with the ample bust......

From Dublin we went by train to Waterford.

Of course we had to visit the Waterford Crystal factory.

and we took a bus to a seaside community called Dunmore East ...a fishing and recreational village with lots of thatched roof cottages.

The next leg of our adventure was Cork. This is a view of the River Lee which runs through the city. The buildings were interesting, the river was yucky.

This building was right behind our hotel. Its part of a butter factory. A "Firkin" is a butter barrel and this building stored the butter barrels. I roared when I saw the name because it reminded me of the word "ferkin" which my mother used all the time. Ferkin menas rooting aound, like a hen ferks around the ground for seed. I looked ticked off but I wasn't. this building is now converted to a dancwe studio and theatre.

While in Cork we did a bus tour of the city which also took us out to Blarney Castle, very pretty despite being so touristy. this picture was taken from inside the castle, just before I had a panic attact and had to find the next exit out without going to the top! Castle stairways are very narrow!!!!!! and claustophobic. so I didn't get to kiss the Blarney stone. some would say it wasn't necessary anyway.

Me enjoying a Smithwick's ( smiddicks) at a very modern restaurant called Luigi Mallones!!!

Our trip finished in Limerick. By the time we got there the weather had turned rainy again. We were getting a bit tired and we had read so much about street gang violence in Limerick that we were getting a little skitty. However, we spent a full day doing a beautiful bus tour that took us across the Burrens ( reminded me of Bonnavist Bay!!!)

This is an ancient burrial site. This was called a portal tomb.

We also visited the Cliffs of Moher. Lots of tourists there. It poured rain but it was quite breathtaking.

Ireland is very beautiful. I would love to go back and do a walking tour.

Critters and more critters

2007-07-30T17:32:00.001-07:00

The Princess In Her Tiara

Psycho-Dog Dreams of the Tennis Ball that Got Away

Meet the cats in our extended critter family. This is Max, Jennifers cat. Max a.k.a. Mr. Magoo has an eye condition that makes him light sensitive, hence the squinting. He is very friendly and likes to smell your mouth and chew your hair.

Max likes to dress up in his spare time.

This is Salem, also Jennifer's cat. Salem is much too dignified for a nickname and when asked to play dress-up hides under a blanket. Max and Salem together can open cupboards, bi-fold doors and can get water from a water cooler. They once shared 1/2 a pack of birth control pills but suffered no ill effects, though Jennifer felt it brought out their feminine side.

Here it goes

2007-07-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have succumbed to cousin pressure and am venturing into the world of blogging. Be patient and don't expect anything witty or wildly interesting until I get the hang of this.

Since I've named my blog "Gone to the dogs" I should start with the dogs.

Here is my current critter family:

They enjoy looking out the window and protecting the house from intruders....they are really good at getting rid of mailcarriers. Cali has no idea that she is 1/3 Tucker's size.

This is Cali a.k.a "The Princess". She loves to cuddle in my good duvet, sleeps on my bed and insits upon being carried up stairs that have no carpet. She's a picky eater and weighs around 10.5 lbs.

This is Tucker a.k.a. "Psycho Dog". He likes to chew anything with a plastic or wooden handle, he sleeps wherever he feels like and loves to hunt for squirrels and tennis balls (in the woods behind the tennis courts). He loves Timbits. His nickname at the Tim's driverthrough is 'drooler'. He's been known to eat plastic, wood, and moose fur. Tucker weighs around 38 lbs. Though he's not on the Wanted list, his picture has appeared on other blogs.