Sometimes When We Are Blessed With Someone Special...

 

If you were ever a MOD you knew Giz!
(Molly Obsessive Disorder, Molly the 
Owl? Remember? You either a MOD 
or you have to GOOGLE IT!)
Once there was a barn owl, and she
introduced lots of people to each other...

 

Meet Dinger, Giz's hummingbird.
Well, turned out Giz had a secret 
talent hidden even from herself!
She was an extraordinary 
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER!
Who knew?!

 

Giz had a magnificent Garden:
The Raccoons would make off
with her expensive new birdfeeders,
and you can read all about their
adventures on her blog (to the right
under "My Blog List") named
"Gizmomma World."

 

This here is Gizmo, The Giz!
Well, Giz was an itchy little guy
and Giz and I became friends
trying to cure him with herbal
and homeopathic remedies from
the Pacific Northwest...and an
enduring friendship was forged.

 

On my first birthday as a MOD, Giz sent
us all a package of Birthday Goodies that
even (especially!) YumYum loved to cuddle!

 

It was one of the best Birthdays of
my life! My first MOD Birthday!
Today I received a holiday card 
from Giz. We all know she has been
battling brain cancer and has far
outlived the doctors' dire predictions...
Tonight I called her and she answered.
She made it to Upstate New York for
Thanksgiving and home again: yet
another Miraculous Milestone in
beating the odds! She is home.
I must have woken her up...there
were voices in the background but
she was so tired I kept it to
"Thank you so much for the card: 
I love you."
~ Giz, everyone who knows you loves you
and anyone who met you would love you
crazy like your MODS, friends, co-workers,
and family all do.
On behalf of your devoted MODS,
"We Love You."
God Bless You, dear friend,
you are in our hearts and prayers.
Lil'Giz is, too.
Holding your hand from the place
where miles cannot keep friends apart.
Holding you. Loving you.
Feeling your love too...
Happy Holidays, friend,
Happy Holidays.

Shelter From The Storm...

 

It was the best of days (not raining.)
It was the worst of days: predicted
rain, wind gusts exceeding 60 mph,
floods, snow at low elevations, typical
Pacific Northwest "fall weather" when
ANYTHING can happen within 60 seconds.
Still, the stout and hardy amongst us
shall not be THWARTED: OFF WE GO!


 

Shall we go Up or Down to the Sea?

 

To the sea it is, then! And a tide rushing
in as winds pick up...what will happen?

 

Ask the wise remnants of a once-mighty
tree, blown down by the Gusts of Fall...
weathered, yet stories to tell,
of how it fell. And how we might, too,
in the Winds of Autumn on Bellingham Bay.

 

So far, so good, but winds picking up.

 

And tides rushing in over weathered
sandstone boulders whose natural fingerholds
make our coast totally rad for rock-climbing!
Once, though, while bouldering
(ropeless climbing) and traversing 
(climbing ropeless/sideways like spider) along 
a gentle beach cliff miles north of here...
~
 It was so exhilarating!
 ~ sorta didn't notice: (DEATH?) the tide
coming IN while I'still climbing OUT, and UP
came the water towards me: beach and rocks 
rapidly covered in roiling surf below.
Moral of Story: don't boulder stupid!
Know the tide tables...

Still, these smooth, natural holds invite 
human hands to become One with 
-Rock-Earth-Sea-Sky-Islands-Clouds-
This I know for sure.

(KNOW THE TIDE TABLES.)


 

So up and onto the Trail over
Bellingham Bay go the cyclists,
the joggers, the walkers, well, HEY!

 

 

Until gusts of wind and rain reduce
us to shivering timbers ~

 

And dripping wet-cold-FREEZING,
we wander Home Again...

 

Into the welcome, warm "Wheeks!" 
of lil'Squirrel: my Shelter from the Storm.

 YO!-Pig-on-my-tummy...
i find You SO Yummy!

 

"She's full of it!  Don't heed a word!
Once that Gore-Tex dries out
She'll be gone like a bird."
I am Vinny and I approve this 
WHEATGRASS!

Squirrel Takes "Get UNDER THE COVERS" Literally!

 

Squirrel finally gets his shot at the Big Hut, 
Take 1:
Squirrel actually got under the floor of the 
Big Hut but since he's really working his 
"cuteness factor" we give him hugs and kisses.

We all get'n the cuddles now that
B'ham's nothin' but puddles 
cuz it rains and it rains and it rains
then it floods and it floods and it floods
so we just tuck ourselves in 
and listen all night to the wind ~

HORSE DANCING NEVER LOOKED THIS GOOD! WE GONNA START PIGGIE-DRESSAGE!

ANDREAS HELGSTRAND - WEG2006 Freestyle Final - YouTube
^PURE, SPECTACULAR, HORSE-DANCING JOY! AMAZE YOURSELF AND ENJOY^^^WE LOVE DRESSAGE!

Thanks to Fairy's mum who had this on her YouTube list because we've enjoyed it and then lost it, so this is what we'll be learning this winter: piggy-dancing! Gonna shake our Piggie-Booties and WATCH THIS, "IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE...ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS...WHAT A HORSE, WHAT A PERFORMANCE, THAT WAS SENSATIONAL!" And they're not talking about People on "Dancing With The Stars" (we are officially shunning it since Our'Polo got voted off, but, seriously, what did they give him to do on that last dance? He tripped before it even started) BUT - HORSES DANCE, TOO! 
And no one does it better than Blue Hors Matine, RIP, we miss you.

Gifts of the Salish Sea: LET THERE BE LIGHT

A Sky full of Light: And It Was Good.

Collecting "sea eggs"

Painted marbles in palettes Pacific Northwest.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Death By Giant Meteor - YouTube

Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Death By Giant Meteor - YouTube

This is real cool stuff, y'all! We love astrophysicists who tell us about the end of the world in such a cozy way. We are, however, really really really mad
at him for taking Pluto off the "Planets" list. We loved Pluto! Heretic! He got a lot of hate mail, apparently, written with crayons! True. We met a girl the other night, ya GIRL PIGGIE in da HOUSE! Mom didn't photograph it because she didn't want to use flash and hurt our eyes or blind us. But she has THREE SISTERS and they are all invited back! 

Now, if that stupis dumb asteroid interferes, we are gonna be really, really, REALLY mad!

So, Neil, get them girls BACK here before that asteroid comes by because we wants us our girls!

LOVE,

guinea pigs who MISS PLUTO!

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK: DA BOMB-HER THANKSGIVING ROAD TRIP!

 

All this rain is making me restless!


 

Ya, me too, Squirrel...

 

Me three, Squirrel and Bhindi.
I loves me my cabin and whEEkgrass,
but comes a time in a pig's life to get
out there and see the world!
Hey, just heard Edwin's coming for
Thanksgiving: HE SPOILS US!
Let's ask him to take us for a
ROAD TRIP!

 

Gosh, all the farm fields look like
duck-puddles!

 

EEK! Um...er...hmmm...not good.
Definitely not good.
(bald eagle...YIKES!)


 

Hey, look what we found in a window
in the wee town of Bow, Washington:
A Window full of OWLS!


 

Whoever Edward R. Murrow was, 
sounds like he knew mom!
Bhindi: "He is George Clooney, didn't
you see the movie?"
"What movie?"
"Never mind."


 

Hi Robin. There was
a bald eagle back there...
just sayin'-

 

Mom got Road Trip cold and had to 
put on her "bomber hat" and embarrass
us again! Think Edward R. Murrow
was talking about her? She didn't feel well.
Ma: "Get outta the road and GO TO BED!"

Actually, though, it is cold.
Anyone ready for:

 

Traditional Hawaiian
Blueberry Vegan Pie?


 

I am! And it was freezin'...
So glad to be home, cozy,
and having Pie! 
Yeah, that was some Awesome
Thanksgiving Road Trip
(except what that eagle lookin' for?)
We wanted to get up into the 
North Cascades Mountain Wilderness but...
PIE!

Hope you all had a beautiful
day and special shout out to
our friend, Giz! 
Love YOU! :)

WHERE EVERY DAY IS THANKSGIVING!

 

Peter-Peanut here, I don't blog
often so felt it was time for a
proper introduction.
Ya, this is me, it's me all right!

 

Doin' what I love best, y'know,
EATING.  The first picture was
what I call "Above Eating"
and this here's what I call
"Floor Stretch Eating" but
I don't mind, either way
it's eating, isn't it?

 

Now I don't understand all this
talk about falling asleep after
the turkey dinner and what-not,
but I am not asleep at all, just
lounging atop my box, like the 
Pig in the Watchtower, ya might
say...keeping a sharp eye out for
more food INCOMING!
Someone has to do it, mom won't.
She opens the refrigerator and 
well, it takes all FIVE OF US
to scream: "WHEEK! WHEEK!"
like we're being attacked by
Zombies, y'know...(well, mom
IS home, so...) anyway the thing
is Squirrel, I've got a duty to tell
you a thing or two or four about him
but now I'm going to rattle the bars
of my cage since I'm right next to 
mom's bed and she's talking about
taking a nap, which is ridiculous!
Remind me to tell you later, after
she's picked me up and loved me,
fed me, let me Runabout, and given
me my way, remind me to tell you
how Squirrel is resembling a miniature
HYENA day by day, it's got us all
concerned, but mom's not fast enough
with the camera to catch him run -
you'll see what I mean. 
Next time. If I feel like it.
Blogging, that is. What's the point
when I can be eating instead?
Seriously, I really don't get 
this stuff. Well, happy
Thankgiving. We've a 
Tofurkey to pardon.
love ya.
Peter-Peanut!
(OH! AND THIS RUBBISH 
mom has told people about 
how even when I sleep she 
sees my teeth chewing like
I eat in my dreams as much
as I eat in my wake hours...
Seriously: RUBBISH!)

Good luck, Tofurkey, Godspeed.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We are busy "fattening up" for the Holidays
and wish you a Merry, Happy, Joyful Season!

 

WINTER CAME WITHOUT WARNING

 

The sky turned blue, but a different color blue.

 

Sea Lions came (first time I've ever seen any out
in Bellingham Bay) because the salmon are returning
Home to spawn and die.
If they make it past the sea lions.
Which highly vexed one seal (not pictured)
who kept circling "his log" finally leaping
over and over it between the sea lions, giving
a few spectators quite a show.
The Sea Lions merely yawned curiously waiting 
for their meals to arrive from Alaska...back to the 
exact rivers and creeks where they were born...
to spawn before dying, their last and final gift
to the Place from whence they came.

 

Yes, it was Blue & the sea lions
on the seal's favorite log nearly 
vanished into the landscape...

 

A young girl defied gravity,
balancing delicately atop the
railings of the Taylor Dock Shelter.


 

Colors went darker...deep sea-green
emerging from the restless, churning tide.

 

Unless you had that one chance to
take a shot (with a new camera smaller than
my phone) to see the Canadian Rockies 
one last time before the snow caps them
like vanilla ice cream cones...just out of reach.


Yes, Winter arrived without warning,
yet she arrived bearing gifts: 
One merely has to become
more receptive; opening
up all senses and soul
 to discover them here in the 
Great Pacific Northwest.