Author: boolie

Don’t I Deserve a Treat Just for Being Sweet Ol’ Ellie?

Our dog Ellie arching her gray eyebrows while sitting on my love seat in August 2014

One of Ellie’s great joys in life is eating. She was a little overweight when we got her and while she has been at a good weight for many years now, we still keep her on her diet food as it lets her eat a larger volume of food. We have a variety of low-calorie treats to give her, they were useful on her walks in the early days as we trained her but now I dispense them liberally when she does the things she’s long since learned to do, just because it makes her so happy.

But I love, love, love how we’ll be sitting on the couch and she’ll start arching her eyebrows towards the closet with the treats, her subtle little way of asking for a treat.

Not Endemic

A male dark-eyed junco perches in a subalpine fir in Olympic National Park

While some species in Olympic National Park are endemic to the peninsula, others like this dark-eyed junco can be found elsewhere – including my backyard. The junco in the top picture is perching in a subalpine fir at Hurricane Ridge, the one on the bottom in a dogwood in our backyard. Earlier this week one was flitting about in a tree just a few feet away as I walked to the cafeteria at work, while others were feeding on the ground near the track across the street from my office where I walk when I need a break from programming.

Junco in the Dogwood

The Wishing Tree

The Wishing Tree in the Irvington neighborhood of Portland, Oregon on July 8, 2015. Original: _MG_6073.CR2

One of my favorite places I pass with Ellie on our walks is the Wishing Tree, where a resident has placed tags for passers-by to write their hopes and dreams.

Some are wistful.

“I wish that I could live here so I could see my daughter every day!”

Some are whimsical.

“For some really fun first dates, followed by no ‘first dates’ ever again!”

Some are practical.

“I wish for smaller class sizes. 30 kindergartners? C’mon people!”

Some are altruistic.

“I wish for life to be happy for everyone.”

Some are heartwarming.

“I wish for the strength and willingness to keep opening my heart.”

Some are heartbreaking.

“I wish that Susan’s daughter will be healthy soon & her tumors will be removed safely.”

There are so many things I am thankful for in my life, and each day I am reminded of two of them: our wonderful dog, and the neighborhood I get to walk her in.

📷: Canon M | Canon 22mm
🗓️: July 8, 2015

A close-up view of some of the wishes attached to The Wishing Tree in the Irvington neighborhood of Portland, Oregon on July 8, 2015. Original: _MG_6077.CR2

Exterminate! Exterminate!

Our orange tabby Sam enjoys the new air conditioner

Doctor Who fans will understand the title, but our “Dalek” is a recently purchased portable air conditioner. Our long term goal is to have central air but in the meantime, with an unusual and extended heat wave gripping Portland, we picked up a portable unit so at least one of the rooms in the house would be tolerable. Especially so for the 4th of July, our least favorite day of the year, as we keep the windows closed even at night to minimize the noise from fireworks that freak out the pets. And especially so for our aging dog Ellie, who when the first hot days hit was panting just sitting still in my office and is tiring quickly on her walks.

My wife and I brought up our MacBooks and iPads into our little bedroom and all the pets have been hanging out with us, although the cats come and go. This is Sam enjoying the cool air, at first the cats weren’t too sure about the noise of the thing but they came to see it as more friend than foe.

Wahkeena in the Fall

Wahkeena Falls in the Fall

Even in the late fall, with a minimum of moss as the rainy season is just getting under way, Wahkeena Falls is a beautiful place to be. The trail winds right in front of the falls so the spray of the water blows right over you, particularly refreshing after a day of hiking. Also a nice mental image at the moment, as even though it is only early July, Portland is in the midst of an unusual, and extended, heat wave.