Huntress-Gatherer

Well, I finally got them. Normally, I tend to not be so 'brand' enamoured, but hey, what can I say? I like them and now I can stop looking at pictures of them and they were on sale, in town....yah! Okay, I went with the black which is always classic and goes with everything (since everything else I own is black too, I suppose this was no-brainer). Now when I go mucking around the property visiting the compost pile I can feel quite stylish while finally finding the perfect footwear that combines fashion and function. Usually, one has to make the choice between the two and sometimes it ain't so pretty. Thank you K-grrl for the fleece inserts that arrived a full year before the boots!

marching through the wilderness

For lots of us, what is sometimes referred to as a ' winter wonderland' translates as...it is uber cold outside.

My girl tends towards the winter/wonder view of her world.

She is still a skinny, short-haired, typical mexi-mutt who by some quirk of nature (street genetics perhaps?) never, I tell you, never gets cold.

These days the most I do for outdoor exercise is put 4 or 5 layers of clothes on and grab the recycling stuff,

the compost stuff,

and the trash and march through the wilderness to the various and sundry containers for all of the above.

It is an aerobic work-out and I kid you not.

It is also playtime for PonyG. She has a neat trick of racing around and attacking me from behind because apparently, me falling on my arse in the snow is a great game.

By the time I get back inside those layers come off quick and I say a silent thank you for not breaking my neck and also feel a little crazy-but-good for continuing to do

winter composting, which could be called rural cross-fit.

Chain Mail From Canadian Tire

Can you guess what this is? I know it's not everyone's style so no need to state the obvious.

But, it is functional.

And, most likely, long-lasting.

I made it.

It almost made the guy at Canadian Tire go postal on me.

Actually, he was a real good sport even

after I explained to him what his assignment was.

I had him cut 55 linear feet of chain into 33" lengths which came out to 20 pieces.

Each length required 2 cuts on his machine.

We worked together... like... on a... chain gang.

(Sorry)

A real life situation that required 'higher math'.

Yay, math!

(PonyG enjoying the noise it makes.)

'hugh heifer'

I have had this cow skull for a lot of years. Actually, found it while on a trip in Baja Sur. It was just laying out there in the desert. I was with a couple of friends and we had all decided we were going to get us some skulls and so we were all scanning the sides of the hi-way as we cruised along. Each time someone saw a glint of white bones, we stopped the car and checked them out. Back then, there was hardly anyone on that Baja hi-way so just stopping anywhere was no problem, as you could see for-ever in either direction. We ended up finding several cow, goat and horse skulls, but my 'hugh heifer' was perfection in every detail. Although, it was a little stinky, and really, really dirty. So, when we got back to the cheap hotel we were staying in, I decided I needed to clean up this thing before taking it on the plane with me . Yes, I fully intended to 'carry-on' as there was no way I was going to check Hugh as 'baggage' and risk losing him. So, we showered together and that was even stinkier, if you can imagine. But, there was improvement. He still smelled, a little, even after a few more days....but what the hey? I wrapped him in a beach towel and a few days later-- off to the the airport we went. Seriously, we only got amused snickers from the Mexican airport staff when he went through the x-ray machine. There were no restrictions on size or dimensions of carry-on stuff at that time (way before all that nonsense) so, if you could carry it, you could bring it. I settled into my seat with Hugh on my lap still wrapped in his beach towel. We took off and no one was the wiser until Hugh started smelling. You see, he was still a bit damp. Rumblings from the other passengers like, 'what is that smell?' were ignored by me, for the next few hours. Well, we made it safely home and Hugh has been part of my home decor (!) for all these many years. Not the end of the story though. Here you see his latest incarnation. He is now a light fixture! Yup. I made him into my kitchen light! I am so excited and pleased and every time I turn him on I remember that whole, long story of how Hugh Heifer came to be. I know, I know....long. story.

MISSING DOG...

...last seen 30 December 2008

*

My Christmas Surprise !

I received this lovely Christmas gift and it was total surprise. Me loves surprises and me loves the man that can still pull one over on me after all these many, long years. If you know me, you know that this is no easy feat as I try to know ALL that is going on around me (as well as around most of my friends & family) and pride myself on my precise attention to details...or so I thought. Just shows to go ya. This one slipped through the cracks and I am so delighted. It is a beautiful lamp from another era and fits in so nicely with the new design scheme of the MO-bile. Seriously, ladies & gentlemen...this 'van down by river' is becoming a real fun ride. That's all she wrote.

morning

Oh, we are living in the lap of MO-bile luxury, we are. Flannel sheets, down comforters (count'em...two) and a view out the window of the very place we want to be...here

...home...

and not just for the holidays. You would think it would be hard to get up in the a.m. and for some of us (aka 'Baddog') it is indeed. She apparently does not respond to the lure of perking java which works its magic on me no problem.

...joy

Silent Night

I know that I have posted a full moon night picture before but it is just too beautiful to not post again. You can ignore and talk amongst yourselves but here it is anyway.

happpy day

In case you were wondering, we made it down south & back with only one minor incident. We managed to get rear-ended (the Xterra that is) while stopped at a red light in Bend, Oregon. Great guy who does classic car restoration for a living, so who better to run into us? It was an easy fix on the way back north. Always great to see close friends and relatives, but honestly, do not miss So-Cali in any way, shape or form. It seems so intense with the sport of 'shopping' remaining the sport of the masses....me included. I get just as caught up as anyone but my shopping muscles are so non-existent. I am totally out of shape for 'power- shopping'. I try, but without the daily shopping workouts of the past I quickly lose stamina. I can only get through two maybe three stores with their e n d l e s s choices and fab-ulously low prices, before I zone out. Its depressing. But then I find my rational mind again and with a little self-talk I get myself back to the 'real' world as in....what do I really need as opposed to...what do I want???? Crisis averted. Oh, oh, oh...must talk about the 'foot massage' that my dear K-grrl treated me to. This is the one indulgence that cannot be denied when down Sacramento way. An option that simply does not exist in my neck of the woods. The spa is aptly named 'Happy Day' and after the treatment which starts at your head and eventually gets to your feet, with all in-between body parts attended to first, leaves you feeling (no words to describe)...HAPPY, maybe? So, anyway, back home again with a few choice items picked up during my frenzy...I mean, come on, I am not a total lightweight and a good deal sometimes is just that, a good deal. I didn't even sprain an ankle or bust a hip or even pull a muscle. So, I guess I'm not that out of shopping shape.

So-Cali

Heading south of the border....well the Canadian border that is...and down into SoCal for a little bit. Sitting here this a.m. watching the flurries loating down and the SUN shining and just hoping this mild weather hangs on until we drive out of here. Looking forward to checking back in with friends and family and sharing some good times...kicking back, shopping, getting a foot massage (at the Happy Day Spa...oh, John!) and some good eats.

Okay, the picture is me in Mexico, last February, but you get the idea...a little sun, a little sea, a little bit evocative of how 'cali' is so often portrayed in the movies. Yes, everyone has beachfront property.