National Dog Day

So.

Today is National Dog Day.

I know this because I read it on Facebook.  Which is just one more reason I love Facebook.  I learn new things every day!  

And a friend of mine, David Magayna (Marcie's dad), posted this poem -


Special Word

There's a special word
We dogs have
To express our great pleasure
Upon seeing our favorite person
It's "bark"
But be careful
For "bark"
Also means 742,000 other things
So it's all really about the context

From "I Could Chew on This, and Other Poems by Dogs
By Francesco Marciuliano


Hats off to all the great dogs that grace our lives, and to the great dogs who graced them in the past.  We never forget them, and love them till forever.

Annabelle Barley

Harley Barley

Pax Wilkinson

This was a dog who graced my life for almost 15 years. His name was Pax. He went through some of the tough times with me, and was always by my side. Pax and I took a lot of long car trips together and ate a lot of MacDonald's burgers together. Here's a little story about him. I went through a divorce when Pax was a couple years old, and "the guy," while we were separated, decided some of therecord albums I had belonged to him (see the things we fight over?!) So he came over one evening and while sitting in the floor deciding which albums were his, Pax walked over to him, cocked his little leg and peed on him. I have never loved anyone or anything any more than I did Pax at that moment. Here's to Pax. One of the greats.

Reading to Annabelle

Annabelle enjoys being read to, and always enjoys a good book.  But, her brother's book remains her favorite.

p.s. - we're raising her to be a Democrat. 

and an activist.

and a lover of classic rock . . . 

#resist

#persist

Harley Doodle Barley - R.I.P.

July 4, 2005 - November 19, 2016

"My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet."  

~Edith Wharton

"There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings and walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible. Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given." 

 - Suzanne Clothier

"I love a dog. 

He does nothing for political reasons."  

~Will Rogers

"Corgis are Welsh in origin . . . They're such characters - a mixture of a dog and a cat, I think. They especially don't like to be scolded in public. They talk back; they growl and show their teeth and pretend they're frightfully savage. However, they never criticize. You're always beautiful to them."

-excerpt from The Private World of Tasha Tudor 

"If you bury him in this spot, he will come to you when you call—come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path, and to your side again. And though you call a dozen living dogs to heel they should not growl at him, nor resent his coming, for he is yours and he belongs there.

People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall, who hear no whimper pitched too fine for mere audition, people who may never really have had a dog. Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth the knowing: The one best place to bury a dog is in the heart of his master."

-Ben Hur Lampman, Oregonian, 1925

I Loved You Best

by Jim Willis So this is where we part, My Friend, and you'll run on, around the bend, gone from sight, but not from mind, new pleasures there you'll surely find. I will go on, I'll find the strength, life measures quality, not its length. One long embrace before you leave, share one last look, before I grieve. There are others, that much is true, but they be they, and they aren't you. And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought, will remember well all you've taught. Your place I'll hold, you will be missed, the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed. And as you journey to your final rest, take with you this...I loved you best.

A Bittersweet Week at the Beach

We spent last week at Topsail Island

I've posted a bunch of pictures for you to enjoy, and I'll let most of them speak for themselves.

It was a bittersweet week.


Good things included beautiful weather, being back at Whale Song, which is probably my favorite house we've ever rented at Topsail, getting to visit with Topsail friends and a fun, successful book signing.


Not such good things included missing our usual visit with the Marons on our way to Topsail.  Thinking this might be Harley's last visit to Topsail.


Hillary losing the election.


Emotions were all over the place, and there were tears aplenty.


Since I'm one to cry when I'm angry, or when I'm sad, or when I'm happy or when I'm in the presence of beauty - then, yes, you can imagine that just about anytime anyone looked at me, there were tears.


I usually try to put the photos in a daily narrative, but today I just really don't feel like doing that, so they're here kinda hodge-podge.  I hope you enjoy them anyway.


Topsail is a beautiful, beautiful spot - it can speak for itself.

Always fun to step into Quarter Moon Books to shop, have coffee (OR a glass of wine) and collect a hug from Lori, the owner.

These next few pictures were taken on Tuesday.  Election Day.

They were taken when we were feeling upbeat, happy and hopeful.

An election day tradition  -  Pizza

And apple pie, to be topped with ice cream, for  celebrating

and that's all I'm going to say about that.


for now.



A good many of these pictures were taken while we were just sitting on the deck.


Some by Donald, some by me.


If I wasn't on the deck or the screen porch, I was inside the house with one of the living room chairs turned to face the sliding glass doors so I could watch the waves from there.


Watching the waves. 

Watching the sky change.


 Listening.  


That's all I really wanted to do.



During the middle of the day, the weather was perfect, but it is, after all, November, so we had some chilly mornings and evenings.  

Chilly, but still perfect.

And we went to visit "my tree."

This is Whale Song.  

I wish it was ours.

I wrote a little while we were here, but not as much as I had anticipated.

But, I did have a spark or two of creative energy and, inspired by my friend, artist Shirley McElhaney, worked on this collage.

We took Harley for some walks on the beach.

Usually, he cannot get enough of the rolling in the sand, and getting his paws wet.

Not this year.

Short walks and he'd be tired and ready to go back inside.

The morning we left Topsail, we stopped by Sugar Island Bakery for their holiday event.

I signed books and had a good day of selling.

But, truth be told, if I hadn't sold a thing, it would have been fine fine fine.

Just spending time here is one of my favorite things to do while we're there.

This is Tana.  Hi, Tana!!!  💟

And, of course, I bought a few things - including this adorable tea towel embroidered by Lumina

This adorable woman is Samantha, who owns Sugar Island and bakes all those wonderful goodies you've been drooling over in these photos.

It was a great day.


Harley was invited too.

AND, he had a good day selling his book, also!