day 24 - an animal

L - iphone / T - iphone

Well we weren't very clever with this prompt for sure but it was a weekend of the animals - the dogs. Daisy had so much fun being outdoors all weekend long. With her new wireless collar she is free to roam around our big yard - roll in the cool green grass, romp through the ivy and forage around the firepit for the best charcoaled sticks. (does anyone know why dogs enjoy this? both daisy and evee loved picking charcoal bits out of the firepit and eating them)

peaceful / restful

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

I still haven't gotten my tree decorated. I've had orders to fill - making rings and things late into the evening. Guess I should have decorated the tree instead of taking that little nap. But oh how nice it was - the only sound was the fire crackling and the dog snoring.

In the middle of all the busy preparations for the holidays, I hope you are able to find a moment of calm and rest.

outdoors/ in

solo post - L, Nikon

One of my favorite things about summer is being able to have flowers to cut and bring indoors. I love going out in the morning, when the dew is still on the ground, and cutting flowers to put in a vase. My favorites are hydrangeas. This is the first bunch I've brought in this season.

warm light / sun light

T- Nikon / L - Nikon

Today her's in on the left and mine is on the right (it just looked better that way)

i love the contrast between the wintry exterior and warm, homey interior. i get to see this lovely light every day now since my classes get out early [: / I guess we were both thinking about the warmth of sunlight and the beauty of it, especially during these cold, cold days. Evee seemed to enjoy that beam of sunlight too. Tomorrow is supposed to be much warmer - into the 40s I think.

A long day

solo post - L, iphone, Nikon

listening to: quiet

moon light / Christmas lights

solo post - L

I got home late from work tonight. I guess when you take 2 days off you have to work 2 days worth in one. Anyway, after a very cloudy, rainy, foggy day the night sky was clear, clear enough to see the bright full moon hanging just above my dormer window when I drove up the driveway. (Did you know that there will be 2 full moons in this month of December, making the full moon on Dec 31 a blue moon a rare occurrence.)
I guess the tree will remain without ornaments until the weekend. I'm going to bed.

dog / cat

solo post - L, Nikon

When you're too tired to post and have nothing much to say, a photo of a dog and/or a cat are always a safe bet aren't they? Looks like maybe Evee and Kodi are discussing – in a totally puzzled 'what is up with that' kind of way – just why I didn't come up with something better for this, one-shy-of 300th post – on my birthday of all things! I was just too tired from all the partying? No. I have no excuse.

I do want to take this 299th post to thank all of you who read and follow my/our blog. It means so much to me that you have stayed with us even though many days we stray away from our original intent. T seems too busy most days to send her words and photos but I appreciate, so much, your support and encouragement in your comments and the mere fact that you take time out of your day to visit. Thank YOU!

happy / blissful

solo post - L

I woke up today and the first thing upon stepping outside I sang to myself, "this is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it". I know that's not just a praise for glorious days weather-wise but a praise we should sing every day. But this day was so exceptional in the weather department I couldn't help but rejoice and I wanted to be outdoors every minute possible. Hm, I think I said this yesterday. Oh well, it held true today too. So... I decided to take Evee, and myself, for a walk at a local park called Big Trees Forest. We walked, and talked (I hope no heard me talking out loud to my dog), she was patient when I wanted to stop and take a photo, we sat on the creek bridge and watched the water flow, we took 'bench monday' shots (well she couldn't take one of me and I didn't bring my remote), we watched the birds and the butterflies, she cooled herself off in the water, she was even nice to the other dogs along the way. I say this because many times she feels the need to bark and carry on. But she was such a good dog today I think I'll take her more often. She truly seemed happy to be enjoying the day right along side me. Hope your weekend was glorious as well.

Here Evee sits beside me on the bridge as I dangle my feet. To me it looks as though she is smiling, seeming to say, "thank you for bringing me along"

gentle / fierce

L - Nikon / T- Nikon 

No not really fierce, but she has been known to be unkind to Evee. 

Both Evee and Kodi love this chair but they would never sleep here together. I wish that they would – wish they would get along. Evee is so sweet and tries to be friends with Kodi but Kodi doesn't know how to behave – she just looks at Evee and then swats her without even being threatened. In fact, just recently Kodi got her right in the eye and made it bleed (it was really bad). I don't think Evee knows what to think about it all. Evee keeps trying to be friends – why is Kodi so mean to me, I was here first?

spring preview

solo post - L

I did a little freshening up around the yard this weekend so that it will look nice for Easter. I wanted to dress it up for Easter. We always want to be dressed in our very finest going to church on Easter Sunday don't we? At least it used to be that way, remember... ladies would wear hats and some would even wear gloves; little girls wore bonnets and frilly dresses; little boys would wear little shorts suits and ties and men... I don't think they dressed much different Easter Sunday than any other Sunday, but it was always a time to dress especially nice. At this time of year, when the sun shines a little warmer, many of us will get anxious to "pretty up" our yards as well. In the south it seems God does his own beautifying of the trees and bushes - dressing them in their finest around Easter time. See these azaleas? I think they're holding back until next weekend when they'll be in full bloom - bursting with color. I bet even the hardwood trees will all have tender little leaves on their branches by then. I did my part by putting a fresh layer of pine straw on the ground and I got anxious like everyone else at the nursery and brought home a few flowers to plant, although I know it's best to wait a few weeks (even in the south we've had snow in April). In fact, tonight I'm hearing predictions of freezing temperatures tomorrow. So this is just a preview. I'll show you my yard in it's spring glory next weekend - that is, if the dropping temperatures don't damage the blossoms this week. / i thought my phone was fixed but it won't send photos now. tell evee happy birthday! i can't believe she's 10yrs old.

focus

solo post by L - NikonD40x 200mm SOC

“We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what's wrong in your life, or you can focus on what's right.” - Marianne Williamson

That quote is great and so true, but this weekend, for me, the issue of focus was less philosophical and more about keeping my attention in one place - focusing on the task at hand - in the present. I keep getting distracted by little things.
I'm working on a painting that I want to submit to Paws for Charity and it's due next weekend, so I really needed to be painting but I got distracted by this, and while posting, of course I got distracted by other peoples blogs. I finally did get around to painting and I'm so close to finishing - all I really lack is getting Evee painted in the background - but instead of focusing on painting Evee, I kept seeing things that I wanted to change about Kodi (by the way the painting is of Kodi sitting on a chair inside and Evee is just outside the window looking in - maybe I'll show it to you when I'm pleased with it). So I focused on Kodi, which in turn may have resulted in overworking her, instead of focusing on Evee. For some reason I hesitate, afraid I'll mess up the entire painting when I paint Evee. But like my mom always told me, "you can't make a mistake in painting, just do it, you can always paint over it if you mess up". I've got to stay focused in order to complete this painting in time.
Another issue of focus for me this weekend was physical - the way my eyes work these days. I have always had good vision - never wore glasses. But as I have aged things are less in focus than they used to be. Tonight in my metalsmithing class I thought I had forgotten my glasses. As I looked at the tiny 2mm bit of solder on my metal I found it difficult, no impossible, to see. I thought I would had to run to CVS to get a pair of glasses in order to do much of anything in class - how sad is that? But luckily I found a pair in my car. This fuzzy vision of old age really bothers me.
Did you have a focus issue this weekend?

shaggy / sleek

solo post by L

Because I have nothing else to post tonight and I mentioned that I would share a photo of Evee's haircut - here is Evee all shaggy and sort of chunky looking and then with a non-professional haircut by me looking much sleeker.
We used to pay a lot of money to have her professional trimmed, but one day I got the idea that I would like to try it myself. I actually enjoy doing it but I have a hard time with her legs. Yesterday the blade dulled before I finished and I didn't get her ears trimmed all velvety short like I prefer. When she was young she had the most beautiful Springer cut - long, gorgeous rich brown, curly hair on her ears and long, silky white hair on her underside. She looked like a show dog. But that was a lot of upkeep, so one summer I decided to give her a full shave. I guess it will never be as pretty but I think she has to be more comfortable with it short and it keeps her looking young.

autumn hair

Taylor had some play time with her dog, Evee and my brother's dog, Emerson. Evee loves it when he comes to visit. When they were younger they used to really play hard together but now they just sort of chill out - unless someone will throw sticks for them (they sometimes bring it back). Today was a gorgeous day so Taylor got out there and played with them for a while. I tried to take photos but had a hard time getting both dogs to cooperate and I had in mind that I would convert some of them to black and white, but when I looked at the color how could I take that away. With hair like that who wants to change it to black and white. A photo of me, and my curly brown hair, it wouldn't make a difference, but hers...
It was nice to have her visit and participate in the festival with me and it won't be long til she's back again. Next week in fact. I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is almost here and then Christmas is close behind. How time flies.