the bad old days elsewhere (maybe)

I bought a book on ebay about nine years ago when I was in a "women's studies" with a group of artists. Volume One of "Women of all Nations" written in 1908. It is loaded with facts and oppression and behaviours that astonish by today's standards. Most girls were "married" by age ten...males, of course, owned them. Women as slaves , most common. Then if not bad enough, had to die when their "husband" died. This spider web hood suffocated nicely.

often buried alive with their man, often forced to stab themselves to death- DANG! OK, so "it's a man's world" has outlived it's frightfulness, thank you! 

There are photos of Chinese bound feet, and Japanese stylized, owned geisha- Himalayan Buddhist nuns, brown and worn out- used as slaves for the higher male monks...goes on and on through all cultures.

Little wonder, when girls start studying Women's History" they become so angry. So, I ask them, why are you still wearing heels and stupid clothing? Certainly not for utility or comfort. It's still a man's world, after all, just not so blatantly misogynistic. (sometimes)

Good thing I do not have volume two- I have too much fuel for fire with just this one. 

dodgy dog responsibilities and a curly tongue

Cubbie's people will not return until next Wednesday. Cubby fell ill. Since it was Friday the animal clinic was totally booked but I could not wait until Saturday - the only thing open on the week end is emergency animal clinic which is at least 120.00 just to walk in through the door- plus, when a puppy gets ill they get ill HARD!

 I took him in , they saw him about four hours later.

This is his happy face prescription-

Back to normal , chasing my socks around the house and going for many walks!

He has a raccoon hat that he likes to kill over and over-

You may think that Cubby has too many legs- it's a trick! It's a sort of Dexter photo bomb.

 Cubby is successful- the raccoon hat is dead...again.

Brought home a little bit of scotch broom  from one of our many walks today.

Thought I would show you it's curly tongue, I have never noticed that about scotch broom before.

Path is heavy with this sort of arrangement today.

So relieved about the pup! Whew! Nothing worse than a limp ,sad, puppy- who belongs to good friends who are far away.

Cubby learns stuff

Puppy and house sitting - Dexter sometimes comes with me but the age difference, Dexter 14 years old, and Cubby -8 months, is sometimes just too much for an old man to tolerate. Dexter is all like " get offa my lawn" and Cubby is all rough and tumble, in your face. 

After a few days they settle, make compromises and respect one another.

Walking both at the same time has been challenging- One - a stone, the other a butterfly, I look like a fat bird on a taught wire with each dog going opposite ways- as a consequence, I take three walks a day with Cubby and one slow meandering walk with Dexter. They both require  homecooked meals - finally I make something that both  eat without complaint- roasted  organic free range chicken , rice, A few herbs and Middle Earth organic pasta sauce - just a teaspoon on their food , like crack for pups! Be advised!

These lovely little blue bells are abundant at the moment.

Hillsides are covered with them.

Pink petal explosions also everywhere. Bushes projectile vomiting inch deep soft blush. It's always a fairy celebration somewhere. One needn't look far.

We meet a lot of dogs - Cubby, like Dexter,  is very social. He makes loads of  friends , and one most impressive  dog- with a  real JOB and a special vest- he gets privileges, he is important. Cubby thinks  that he might  become a job dog one day. Maybe not a vest wearer-

Maybe an art critic...here, he appreciates outdoor art... gives it approving sniffs, already realizing that "good" art is sniffable.

Or he might become a naturalist, because that involves sitting on the beach at low tide in the sunshine, and Cubby can already do that very well!

Cubbie's family will return for keeps May 23rd. By then he will have learned so much and become tempered

by a wiser more mellow Dexter ....his family may not recognize him, I may have to keep him...

if asked to draw a tulip, green stuff and Dexter's finds

If you were asked to draw a tulip, and you drew this sort of tulip , all  teethy, You would likely get a bad grade...

If you drew a tulip like a swan, you would likely fail tulip drawing class. But there you go- they are the real deal.

the creek is down from it's raging flood a couple of weeks ago- We are headed into sunnier days!

Today Dexter hit the jackpot, finding objects of interest on his very long walk.

the half fortune says, " conscious and passionate, the whole rld will be your friend." 

Dirty Dan, diagnosis polio,MS, cancer or google

Dexter drags me down to the green where Dirty Dan day is happening in spite of the freezing weather.

We will pack up on Thursday to go house/pup sit in the village for a little over a week- a welcome change- a toilet that works, a functioning house and a very cute puppy.

I dropped Dexter the other day, my arm just gave out and there was an unusual pain that went all the way to China! My other arm has numb fingers...I googled the symptoms, Either I had polio, cancer, MS or Parkinson's.  Thank goodness for google,  narrowed down to MS, which is common in this area due to lack of sunshine...

I went in just to verify...

Actually, I have tennis elbow and a pinched nerve. An easy fix really. Will most likely wait until it becomes unbearable- I have a high pain threshold . Curious how , when something causes distress in one's body, the mind goes to the absolute worst conclusion and ,thanks to google, one can go there more quickly with certainty. 

deer bunny nest blossom heart flying potty day

Front yard in the sunshine- doe and  fawns incredibly relaxed as Dexter skirts the perimeter to do his business. He sees them, he does not care...they are too lazy for him. Everyone is calm.

Even the bunny by the bush does not seem to mind- he may have gone tharn, as in Watership Down, never too sure about bunnies.

We find more robin egg shells in the yard, bring them back to put in the nest.

The colour is gorgeous.

Time for a little walk, through many pink trees.

apple blossoms abundant-

newly painted mail box-

Down to the dog park under construction for the expanding poop plant- 

- a porta potty learns to fly.

Too many of the cool places Dexter likes to go are under construction and will be well into autumn.

I think they call it progress, I call it a reason to leave.

The month of May will be spent house sitting  in the village for a couple of weeks and then in Seattle for a few days . By then it might be summer- one never knows, weather -so unpredictable- change- the only thing to be sure of. And so it goes, I may be absent for awhile though I will be keeping up with your blog posts most likely. Staying connected to the most interesting people on earth! That's YOU!