Like most modern subdivisions we have a drainage pond. There are usually Canada Geese there spoiling the sidewalk with there stool. Sometimes on the water we get Wood Ducks. They are so lovely. Last year they hatched their eggs at our pond but I think the local coyotes got most of the goslings. The wood ducks seem particularly fond of one yard where they keep the feeders filled year ’round.
While walking Lucky the other day, I wondered if the Wood Ducks thought they were camouflaged? You decide!
Mr Baker, why do you have decoys in your yard? Oh, those are real!!
“Living gratefully offers a merciful path for walking through life with our eyes and hearts wide open.”
Kristi Nelson
“A merciful path,” think about that. Hearts and eyes wide open.
Let’s do that!
Walking about the yard I play Pick-up-Sticks with nature. The wind has brought down many twigs and branches that were loose or just waiting for a gust of wind to propel them to earth. Later I see my neighbor participating in the same game.
I see where the dogs have left their “pee-mail” as my friend Pat calls it. Tufts of grass higher than the others. Soon the neighbors will ask the Home Owners Association Board when the hired help is going to begin mowing!
Hearts wide open – I realize just how many folks my sometimes introverted husband has gotten to know by walking our beagle. Lucky will not ‘do her business’ unless we walk her. So 4 times a day we are out the door.
Bob told me recently about the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus. Walking Lucky for her last walk of the evening I have been enjoying the moonlight, clouds, stars and seeking out those two planets in our sky.
online photo
Last night when I walked Lucky the almost full moon was behind huge clouds. The interplay of light and shadow, the warmth of the evening, made me wish for a lounge chair outdoors! I could hear voices and knew others neighbors were outdoors, too. Could not see what deck though.
Gratitude, merciful path, today is gray and cloudy but the grateful memory of last evening still makes my heart light. What have you seen or heard lately that keeps your eyes wide open? Watch for those treasures in plain sight. They surround us for the discovering!
Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise?
The older I get the more lessons I learn about growing old. Case in point, I recently had to fill my evening pillbox in the bathroom at bedtime. I use 4 pillboxes daily, (breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime). Somehow I had run out of evening medication before it was time to fill all the pillboxes at once. I hauled out the medication and prepared to fill the box for a one week supply.
When I got to the Losartan, described as ‘elliptical green tablet’, the open bottle slipped from my hand and spilled all over the bathroom floor. I closed the door to keep Lucky out while I scooped up tablets. I amused myself thinking, “If the Losartan seems hairy in your mouth it is likely due to dog shedding and Molly shedding!” I wanted to be careful to get all of them lest the dog get one and eat it. Her blood pressure has not been an issue so she does not need the medication! I am grateful that the medication regulates my blood pressure so it is not an issue for me either!
As I continued to get ready for bed I realized the lump in the new shag rug was yet another tablet, and another tablet. Pharmaceuticals can camouflage! Who knew? The color of the rug is actually more lovely than this image of the pill. I finally shook the rug in the shower stall in an attempt to retrieve all of them. In case you are too young to know, the insurance company keeps track of how many pills are dispensed by the pharmacy and will not cover the cost of extras if you lose a few to the bathroom floor.
A few days later I had cause to mop the bathroom floor. I took up the rug and began to sweep up any loose hair or dirt. Voila! There were 3 more tablets against the edge of the cabinet that I had missed. Yikes. Glad the dog did not find them or find them tasty. “Hairy blood pressure regulator.” Never saw that from a Doc!
Senior citizen with hands that sometimes do not grasp, spilled pills, likely missed more than a few on the first pass, and second pass! The lessons go on and on for me!
I first read this quote by Rainer Marie Rilke in the book by Ben Palpant entitled “Letters from the Mountain.”
“Most experiences are unsayable.” There are mysterious existences whose life endures beside our own small, transitory life.
Rilke and Ben Palpant
There is a sound of leaves falling upon leaves that is so indescribable. I cannot imagine being able to mimic that sound. More than just a rustling, shifting, crunching. Nary a squirrel can approach our deck undetected right now! Our once green grass is now a carpet of yellow, orange, brown and red.
I used the blower to clear off the deck. 24 hours later it looked like this!
Can you see the carpet of leaves on the lawn?
How could I possibly capture the sound of dry leaves upon dry leaves with only words? How would you say it?
Below is a mighty sweet gum tree growing in the woods of Eastfork State Park.
And then there was this artsy photo of sun through a sweet gum leaf which the mighty beagle messed up by walking in front of the camera.
Silly Lucky, no artistic sense!
You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, And the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered with grain; They shout for joy, they also sing.
To be astonished is one of the surest ways of not growing old too quickly.
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette
During an evening walk with Lucky, when I was way beyond tired, delightfully astonished to find this praying mantis on a neighbor’s car.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 4-7 NIV
Present even your fatigue! Keep watching for those treasures in plain sight! Reminders of His care and the glory of His creation.
Yes, she was terrified. When she went for her check up in July they emptied her anal glands and she cried. One was really bad. So she is not brave at the Vet.
She was given oral medication for the flea infestation. Vet said some fleas develop a resistance to the drops. Today, Tuesday, she is scratching less and more peaceful. When I brushed her this morning I found a few live ones still on her. We are washing all her blankets and pillows. Sweeping the house like crazy. Bob will set off a bug bomb soon and we will vacuum again and again to try to eradicate those evil pests.
Her eyes look better this morning. The vet said this med were best absorbed with food. Lucky was fed before her 5 PM appointment. While I opened her new pill vet went to get a little “snack” for her. Before vet returned the pill was gone. She fed Lucky about 1/3 can of wet dog food. Luck-Luck was delighted with that!
So we will be purchasing flea tablets from now on. Keeping watch over her to make certain she is flea free!
Lucky has been overrun with fleas. I noticed after her last application of flea drops on the back of her neck that she was still scratching. A week later I inspected her and no doubt there were fleas around her tail area.
Resting for a moment before shake and bite again
I brushed her and applied coconut oil which the web said would smother the fleas. I guess some of them just ran for other areas. I bought “Natural flea wipes” and brushed, applied oil, wiped her. Still no relief. Gave her another treatment to back of the neck. No relief.
Finally decided she needs the flea medication that is digestible for dogs. Walmart said they had it. We stopped. No tablets. Ordered for pick up at a different Walmart location. They texted next day that it was not available, but could be shipped. By now, this dog needs relief. I cancelled the order. Well, let’s say I tried to cancel it. Eventually I had to call their customer service phone line as the internet site had me going in circles trying to cancel the order. Grrr.
So there is a vet appointment at 5PM Monday, 9/12/22. The vet only sells Rx treatments, so yes, she must be seen by vet.
We have had Lucky for over 2 years. She has NEVER had fleas like this before. The web said one reason might be if our grass is long. We live in a subdivision where the mowing is taken care of. Well, not so much this year! The company we hired for mowing 2022 is awful. The grass is long and actually shaggy today. They consistently miss mowing days.
Contemplating sending them the bill for vet visit and medication. Poor doggy. She can get no rest with these pests.
He who binds to himself a joy Does the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity’s sunrise.”
William Blake
I likely had not read or heard this since high school. So true! And leads me to another bit of humor.
We have a niece who lives in England. She and her husband are expecting their first child in January. Since we are going to visit her mom in California next month, I needed to purchase some flannel and yarn for baby blankets. So I hit the sale at Joann’s fabrics.
A man entered the store after me. I overheard him ask an employee, “Where can I find the snaps?” Under my breath I laughed, “In Norwood!” You see, my mother’s maiden name was Snapp. Most of her family lived in the small town of Norwood, now completely surrounded by Cincinnati.
I was cracking myself up!
A few minutes later I came across him in the wrong isle. I told him my joke and he obviously knew where Norwood is. He cracked up, too. Then I showed him the correct isle.
“Kiss the joy as it flies, live in Eternity’s sunrise.” Wise man that Mr. Blake!
Physical therapy is a self-discipline that I am trying to rejoice over. Yes, I still have pain in my foot, but I am trying to walk more and stretch more in regular shoes. No easy feat after months in the boot. It reminds me of a prayer request I made to God many years ago. You are no doubt familiar with these retractable dog leashes? The owner starts on a walk and can push a button to let the dog run further and further ahead if desired. Pushing the button on the handle the leash begins to retract into the case.
When I first saw those I was , “Nope. Not for me.”
More my style, in fact, this is what Lucky uses. (Colored circles indicate colors to choose from)
My prayer became, “Lord, keep me on a short leash. I want to stay by Your side. Do not let me run too far ahead of You or lag behind. Please, keep me on a short leash.”
I pray you are doing your spiritual and physical disciplines. I hope you can rejoice in staying at the Master’s side on a short leash. I find I stay out of trouble that way!
The dog took an interest in whatever was under the deck this spring. First time she went exploring in the mud I had to get a bucket of water to soak the mud out of her toes and nails. The second time she did the belly crawl underneath and into the mud and came out with her nails packed (and I mean packed) with mud, her entire white belly brown with it, legs, you name it, I had an absolute fit. I bathed her in cold hose water and I did not even care if she got chilled. Besides it was warm enough out side in my demented mind.
Bob agreed that, yes, she was making a terrible mess. He bought new boards that match the Trek deck and attached them to two sides of the deck that she can reach from her lead. That ended the exploring and mud bathing.
Then she took an interest in watching the far left corner of the deck. Staring for hours at either the yard or woods. She often lies down and puts her head between the bars to keep watch. We never have determined what she is looking for, but she is determined there is something out there to see. Has she seen the Doe with her twin Fawns out there, silent in the woods? The doe often leaves the fawns in the shrubbery while she goes to eat at the buffet one neighbor puts out for her. She is so silent I could easily miss her visits if I did not see her movement. Or has Lucky seen something come out from under the deck? Maybe something like this!
Notice the nice job Bob did blocking Lucky! Also, notice the Palm Rock on the windowsill 🙂
I think this was mama bunny before she delivered her kittens!
We are frequently convinced that Lucky is smarter than we are. She hears thunder and lightning before we do. She knows the movements of the animal world beyond our comprehension. Sometimes that is maddening, like when she is underfoot and fearful of an approaching storm while we are getting dinner ready. Or last night when she refused to urinate during her last walk of the evening because she sensed something we did not. Was there a coyote nearby? Will never know.
From the size of the rabbits who frequent the neighbors lots and now ours, these are no “Little Rabbit Foo-foos .” I do not think Lucky would kill a rabbit, but we are not planning on turning her loose to find out!
Whether an afternoon rest or in bed for the night, I rest best if I read first. I often read books in bed on my iPad mini. Sometimes as I am falling asleep I will accidentally drop the iPad over the side of the bed. The thud rarely wakes me.
Last week I awoke one morning and retrieved from the floor a new paperback book I had been reading. I also saw the dark form of the iPad cover and reached down for it. I could not grasp it, so I reached further down and grasping again, pulled to get it out from under the edge of the bed, but it weighed more than usual. In a split second I realized it was wet on the edge.
Oops. That was not an iPad mini. That was the dog’s snout. Poor Lucky! What a way to be awakened at 6:45! As she scooted out from under the bed she looked at me with so many expressions. “What the heck?” “Are you certain you are awake, Molly?” “Really? Is that the thanks you give to your constant companion?”
I started laughing and have not stopped since. Every time I think of it I get the giggles. Such a good thing that she is a gentle dog! What has tickled your funny bone lately?
This beagle sheds like a maniac. I can brush her out in the yard and gather wads and wads of fur. I have noticed this especially around her hind quarters. I am considering having her shaved there. But then I knew a Sheltie who was shaved and never looked quite the same again. Guess I will just order a new brush and see if I can keep up better with the Hairball/Shed maniac. But she is so cute! Don’t you agree?
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 