Zen ~ Moment

This moment contains all moments.
                                         
                                           C.S. Lewis

~ garden snail, photo taken by my friend Linda in her garden ~

Woof ~ Lottery Winner

New Mom is finally letting me write a post on Her blog. 'About time. Anyway, I guess I should stop calling Her "New Mom" cuz She really is the only real mom I have ever had. Ever.

So. Anyway. Last year at this time I was far far away, and then I went on a long trip in a cage, and ended up in a foster home, and then I ended up here. From where I started to end up HERE is winning the doggie lottery - and I'm not just saying that. Do you have any idea what kind of lives so many dogs have??? Oh I wouldn't be able to tell you my BEFORE stories because it would make you cry, so instead let me tell you about my NOW life.

Yesterday went like this: wake up on my warm comfy couch bed, have a bowl of kibble, go out with Mom to take care of the goats, sniff the kitty, check on the fishies, play Bumby Ball, help Mom shovel (all while wearing my kinda-gay-but-very-warm coat), then go in and lounge by the fireplace at Mom's feet while she monkeys around on the computer, chew on one of my many bonies that are scattered around, sniff my sister Sophie's bottom, wrestle with my sister Mari (even though she's ancient she loves it), nap with Mom on her bed, another bowl of kibble, outside with Mom to put the shed animals to bed, chew on my bonies, then snuggle between Mom and Dad (yeah, I have an awesome dad and human brother, too) while they are in bed watching something on tv that makes them laugh. The whole time they are kissing me and rubbing my tummy and telling me how much they love me.

Seriously. I couldn't make that up. I'm telling you, I am spoiled. I didn't know life could be this good, that people could be this good. Yeah, I still get really nervous when Mom has certain things in her hands cuz I remember how when humans carried things in their hands they used those things to hurt me, but I really don't think Mom is ever going to hurt me. I'm starting to really believe that. Mom tells me that I helped to save her ... not sure what she means by that but boy oh boy she sure did save me.

Like I said, I won the doggie lottery.

Mom still doesn't let me help her take pictures, but I'm working on that.

Gratitude

I had to post this so I can easily watch it whenever I need to be reminded ... 'brilliant and moving ...

Saturday Morning

Zen music ... coffee ... goats ... shoveling ... playing with Bum ... pond check ... sunshine ... peace ...

~ water still running, keeping the sleepy fish healthy ~

~ sedum with snow - why I don't trim my gardens til spring ~

~ lines ~

~ rose of sharon pods with snow ~

~ tufts ~

~ sedum and brown eyed susans ~

~ lilac buds, ready for spring ~

~ Bummy : ) ~

~ Video experiment: iPhone, iMovie, Moby, effects ~

January Morning, Part II: Video

Here are the video results from my iPhone test. 'Varying light conditions, varying background noises, varying amounts of motion, and it was really difficult to keep the "camera" steady.

The jingling sounds come from the goat bells but also from the wild Bumble's collar as he is tearing around looking for trouble. I love the sound of happily munching animals - can you tell?! Part of what keeps my relatively sane is my shed time and my pond time, and sounds are very much a part of that. Peaceful ... nondigital ... grounding. (Yes, 'ironic that I am sharing this digitally)

For photo results and my thoughts about using the phone for video and stills, see the previous post.

winter pond ... keeping the water running

geese

goaties munching

Apollo munching

January Morning

Winter has arrived in Western New York - at least for the weekend - and I decided to test out the recording capabilities of my iPhone. The results are so-so. 

My iPhone will not replace my nice camera and camcorders, but it does take decent shots for those spontaneous times. When I was shooting video, if I moved away from or closer to my subject the phone struggled with staying in focus. That also happened with taking still shots - it did not adjust its focus to subtle changes in distance, so I had to swing the phone away and then try again until I had the right composition in focus. To be fair, it is an exceedingly gloomy day, my fingers were frozen, and it is tough for most consumer-level cameras to shoot in that combo of poor light and white snow (and frozen fingers). In any case, I had fun on this brisk Saturday morning with my animal friends. For video of this morning, check out the next post ...

staying warm ... Apollo

staying warm ... the shed heater

staying warm ... electric bucket

staying warm ... heated water bottle for Bun

staying warm ... Bun with a Buffalo Bills blanket around his cage
(and I painted that wooden box for my horse when I was 12)

winter greens

remember when this had flowers??

thistles ... macro testing

more snowy thistles

winter window box

winter pond ... keeping the ice open for the fish

winter pond ... drifts

winter pond ... everything is asleep

Crown Roast

Merry Christmas!

We just returned from a trip north to my mom's where we celebrated Christmas in style with a huge hunk of pig, also known as a "crown roast". Photos of food always look a bit disgusting unless they were taken by a professional (which I am not), but this gives you an idea of the magnificent roast beast we dined on. Unfortunately I was too busy sipping my vodka-muddled to remember to take a photo before the roast went into the oven. The roast was fabulous, and Mom made a cranberry and pear chutney that added loads of flavor. The pork reminded me somewhat of prime rib: it was tender, juicy, silky and not at all stringy. Yum! I think we all decided that it will be our new tradition. (PS: overlook the poor quality of the photos -- remember the vodka-muddleds!)

Cranberry Relish Recipe

Today's sermon tied together the preparation of Advent with the preparation of a complicated recipe for a cranberry treat that our priest thought he might like. This got me thinking about theee best cranberry recipe ever - the cranberry relish recipe I started making for Thanksgiving a few years back. It is fresh, simple, and fabulous.

Cranberry Relish
1 lime
1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries (3 cups)
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh serrano chile, including seeds

Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from lime, then squeeze enough juice to measure 2 tablespoons.

Pulse cranberries with zest, juice, onion, sugar, and chile to taste in a food processor until finely chopped. Chill relish, covered, stirring occasionally, at least 2 hours (to allow flavors to develop) and up to 1 week. 

My notes: I substitute 2 jalapenos (minus the seeds) in place of the serrano pepper. Also, I find the flavor to be perfect on day 2, but then the onion becomes too strong for my liking by day 4. This is AWESOME on your turkey sandwich, too. Enjoy!

This photo is from a NY Times article from 2008 about the cranberry industry.

Animals Singing Jingle Bells

Why do I love these singing animals so much?? I can't help myself. Enjoy!

from this channel:

Kodiak Dog Coat

Bumble has been wearing his new dog coat, and he seems to like it. I ordered it from Doctors Foster and Smith, and it appears to be really high quality. The description of the coat from their site:

This quilt-lined coat has full belly coverage! Wind, rain, and cold are no match for this waterproof dog coat. Quality-made coat boasts three-layer warmth and features a special nylon outer fabric that's waterproof, windproof, and breathable. Gives pets superior protection from the elements. Hip tape on all seams ensures moisture won't seep through the seams, either.

Two-tone dog coat features a stand-up collar and poly/cottonlining for warmth. Features include a leash opening, wraparound belt, and decorative, reflective ribbon on belt and collar boost safety. Self-fastening closure on belt and back leg straps hold coat in place. Owner identification label on inside. Machine wash and tumble dry low.

Bum looks a little silly when he's wearing it, but this coat will keep him warm and dry this winter as he plays outside in the snow.

~ Bum is next to me on the couch as I write this, happily snuggled in his couch-bed ~

~  this is the color of his snazzy new coat ~

~ and I just like the composition of this pic :) ~

Hanging Deer

It's that time of year again. Deer hunting season means that the deer have to be "dressed" and hung from trees or rafters to age the meat. This image - a deer dangling from a rope - has always made me uncomfortable, despite having grown up the loyal daughter of an avid hunter. I very much believe that proper conservation of wildlife includes carefully regulated hunting even though I personally could never shoot a deer or rabbit or even bird. If I am uncomfortable with the sight of hanging deer, I can only imagine how much it must enrage those who are against hunting, further fueling their hatred for those who harvest animals for human use.

Why do the deer get hung from trees after being dressed, anyway? Apparently it is to age the meat and let chemistry do it's thing. I found an excellent article from Field & Stream which succinctly explained why. Here is an excerpt:

Proper aging begins as soon as rigor mortis ends-and this process is definitely not controlled rot. Rot is zillions of bacteria eating the muscle cells, their waste products creating the familiar stench of decaying flesh. Bacteria attack only after meat is exposed to the air, and bacterial rot is accelerated by higher temperatures. It doesn't happen at all if the meat is frozen. To properly age your deer, you must keep it at temperatures above freezing and below about 40 degrees. This holds bacteria (and rot) at bay, allowing natural enzymes to do their work.

So hanging a deer before butchering is necessary, but do all of us have to see it? You may be proud of your success, but please show some respect for the animal that has given it's life for you and hang it in privacy -- at least your BACK yard, not right out by the road. It amazes me that people also photograph these hanging deer -- it looks violent and ugly and reminds me of a lynching. I understand photographing your deer, but hold it's head up to show the beauty and dignity of the animal that will be feeding your family this winter. 

In my opinion, human beings are a part of nature and the circle of life, but we must use our power and our position at the top of the food chain thoughtfully and with respect for the rest of nature. 

random internet photo of hanging deer

random internet photo of a deer that looks a bit more dignified

November Morning Goats

A warm early November morning, and the goats are happily munching on their hay in the sunshine. They are so content ...

Apollo's Rough Morning

'Beautiful day. What to do, what to do?

I just had an entire can of wet food, so now I'm craving veggies ...

... mmmm, grass!

Mom? What's this? Wait - does this make my nose look big??

Let's be clear: I do not have fleas. I simply have an itch.

It's been fun, but I have hunting to do. Catch ya later.