tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16225009138702678572024-03-14T11:49:35.249-07:00A Novel WomanIt's never too late to be what you might have been. George EliotA Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.comBlogger801125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-72499285237040800752016-10-04T11:19:00.000-07:002016-10-04T11:19:02.550-07:00Grenada Dive <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-45114820466299121092016-10-04T11:18:00.000-07:002016-10-04T11:18:06.350-07:00Hurtling through the air in a stinky metal tube<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size: 12pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toddler Of The Corn</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We got back from five days in Arizona and 100 degree heat late Sunday
night. We popped in a couple of frozen pizzas and passed out in front of the TV. (All Trump All the Time will do that, jet lag
notwithstanding.) <br />
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The Air Canada flight from Phoenix
to Montreal was via L.A. so a
<i>long</i> flight. </div>
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The entertainment system i.e., ALL THE MOVIES AND MUSIC, was not
working. All I wanted was to settle into my seat, zone out with a
movie, have a few snacks I packed, order a glass of wine, and wake up in Montreal. To add to my frustration, we had two screaming toddlers in front of
us. Now I have a lot of tolerance for people who travel with kids because I've done it too and I know it's never easy. But I'd bring activities, books etc. And I had, you know, rules and expectations on how they'd behave and for the most part, they did. You expect a bit of restlessness and crying, but you keep them busy. These parents brought nothing, and did nothing to distract them.</div>
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The little one was still a baby and kind of sweet, but the older one, he was another matter. That kid had attitude, and his screams were loud and shrill enough to peel paint. Before we even left the tarmac, he shoved
his face and hand between the seats and yelled "Hey HEY HEY HEY
HEY HEY YOU HEY YOU YOU NANANANANANANANA NAAAAAAAA POO POO HA HA HA HAAAAAAAH!!!" </div>
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His parents did nothing.</div>
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Then he crawled <i>under</i> his father's seat to our row and his head popped
up under our feet. The flight attendant came over. She cooed over the baby and then leaned over
to us and said, "The family in front of you has asked you not to consume
any nuts on this flight. The children are allergic." So basically all
my snacks. But okay, no snacks with nuts, that I completely understood and accepted because you don't mess around with allergies<i>.</i><br />
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Then the kid started playing
with his tray, pulling it up out of the arm of his chair, and letting it slam back inside, which not only jiggled my tray where I was resting my book, but there was a loud bang every
time he did it. It was inevitable that he would pinch his fingers in the mechanism. </div>
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The parents did nothing.</div>
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Things settled down, then I smelled something dark and foul. I looked at my husband. He shook his head "nope, not me" and pointed towards the children of the corn. I buried my nose in my scarf and my head in near defeat. There wouldn't be enough wine for this. </div>
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The older one twisted around and reached back to fiddle with <i>my</i> window shade. He opened
it, I closed it, he opened it, I closed it. I wagged my finger, shook my head and mouthed "no." He waited, then tentatively slid his monster fingers back to open it again, like I wouldn't notice because he did it with CAT-LIKE STEALTH or maybe he imagined he'd donned an INVISIBILITY CLOAK. Or maybe he was just used to getting his way. </div>
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<i>Encroyable.* Tabernouche osti merde maudit sacrament.**</i></div>
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I slowly closed it, but without hesitation this time, and with what I hoped was a definitive snap that wouldn't be challenged. I pointed to his shade right beside him, which he had free control over. I couldn't believe I was engaging in a war with a <i>toddler</i> <i>AND
HE WAS WINNING</i>. He jammed his face into the gap between his seat and the wall and he looked at me with one
gimlet eye. I tried to work up a smile, fully aware that<i> I</i> was officially the crazy one in this scenario. But like a sleazy mattress salesman on commission, the kid took the smile as an invitation
and didn't that little gobshite open my shade yet again. This time I reached over and slammed it like a mf'ing guillotine. </div>
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He
decided to stop. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
Not because he received the message but because he turned his attention to the business class seats directly in front of him. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
I watched as the slippery little monster barreled through the
curtain that divides the posh from the plebs and hoisted his upper body upon the divider between the seats like a hungry seal at Marineland. He twisted and tried to grasp the glass of
whisky sitting at the end, but since he couldn't quite reach it, he used the man's suit sleeve to haul himself closer which woke the guy from his reverie. This poor guy paid an extra $3,000+ for the privilege of these seats only to find himself an unwilling extra in the horror film ROSEMARY'S BABY'S FAMILY VACATION.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
The parents did nothing. <br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
I didn't have my iPod with me
(BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WOULD WATCH MOVIES) so I put on my noise cancelling headphones (bless you, Bose, and all you stand for) and
looked for soothing distractions on my iPad. I found a total of...fourteen songs. <i>Fourteen</i> to
get me from LA to Montreal. And some of them were Christmas songs. Two were from Michael Jackson's THRILLER album.
So desperate was I for quiet that I just listened to them over and over, even
Vincent Price laughing his evil laugh, because it bought me some peace, 73 minutes worth per round, over and over on a loop.
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
At one point, things started to calm down. I removed my headphones. The mother breastfed the younger one, who began to nod off. I thought the older one was
napping too, but he looked over at his happy, milk-drunk younger brother
then, in a nonchalant-sibling-rivalry-disguised-as-restlessness move, accidentally-on-purpose kicked the baby in the head.
Baby howled, then the mother swore and gave the older kid three
quick whacks to the head, which set him off, and then the parents started bickering with each other. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
It was enough to make a person want to crack open some nuts. Or a window.</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
Not really.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
(yes really)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
Translation: *Incredible. **Bad word bad word bad word bad word bad word.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
PS Air Canada offered us vouchers/coupons for a discount on our next trip. Unfortunately they didn't work online as they're supposed to, and I got a repeated ERROR message. An apology shouldn't require more phone calls and emails and effort on my part. It just adds to my frustration. Le sigh.</div>
</span>A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-28927762237275255002016-04-21T10:53:00.002-07:002016-04-21T10:53:44.560-07:00Montreal Walkabout on the MountainGlorious day, and worth the extra effort to get out of our flat, and thread my way past all of the massive road construction on my street to go for a wander on our mountain.<br />
<br />
We are lucky enough to have Mont Royal Park smack dab in the middle of the city. There are sections that make you feel as though you're deep in the woods in the country, and other sections that feel like Central Park. This is because the landscape architect for both parks is Frederick Law Olmsted. The highlight for me is the grand lookout with its the stunning view of the city below.<br />
<br />
My only pet peeve today is the number of people yakking on their cell phones oblivious to their surroundings and others. Some of them, unbelievably, were on speaker phone yammering on about groceries they have to pick up or in one guy's case, the wholesale price of silver amulets.<br />
<br />
Seriously, people. Take five. You're in NATURE. Look around you, take it all in, and enjoy it in peace, because that's what the rest of us are trying to do. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBybqVtDk8zA9LmKqo7GyPI7pvU72blm0iv_47drsTuBjGVaLkHSVczmIblX0Si8z1Bz5-QdVi7_74T9_0SLFiUwL9y9h2C3HJxZBD3VGIkAgKstI1gu8T6ZJjfnj_Qo6A1zzUQn-FTKU/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBybqVtDk8zA9LmKqo7GyPI7pvU72blm0iv_47drsTuBjGVaLkHSVczmIblX0Si8z1Bz5-QdVi7_74T9_0SLFiUwL9y9h2C3HJxZBD3VGIkAgKstI1gu8T6ZJjfnj_Qo6A1zzUQn-FTKU/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We live in the far bottom right corner!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring fever</td></tr>
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-55257073014097517032016-04-19T16:33:00.000-07:002016-04-19T16:34:06.343-07:00Montreal Walk #289 The weather is sunny and warm again, so time for another Montreal walkabout, this time in the old part of the city.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Convention centre</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chateau Ramsey and statue of Drapeau</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4azP33GX41fOVDqptIjZ4SAO2ce2kUhMOzR8_2TxHSgsA-1qGa9ewnfnBeaJT_HakHJemcx5kOd5LBsxklr0gbYwoZMI7jGzw4RpPXxxirlFmaCgsOaNrvtJuagiYa7SIu92XXy29Z472/s1600/IMG_4122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4azP33GX41fOVDqptIjZ4SAO2ce2kUhMOzR8_2TxHSgsA-1qGa9ewnfnBeaJT_HakHJemcx5kOd5LBsxklr0gbYwoZMI7jGzw4RpPXxxirlFmaCgsOaNrvtJuagiYa7SIu92XXy29Z472/s320/IMG_4122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinatown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIFKn4yGcXuPEqJ2conSx41JFKDmFQm99rshyphenhyphenXcY1B4DRvSpecfg0tB36ikSU4SXU2LFgb-SwBYf8X17TwwpjbWfEdP1v2BiG9Dd7XCWHlbN9aEuTs0uHlzsy1eqckIrzSVORvOj7pdpJ/s1600/IMG_4224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIFKn4yGcXuPEqJ2conSx41JFKDmFQm99rshyphenhyphenXcY1B4DRvSpecfg0tB36ikSU4SXU2LFgb-SwBYf8X17TwwpjbWfEdP1v2BiG9Dd7XCWHlbN9aEuTs0uHlzsy1eqckIrzSVORvOj7pdpJ/s320/IMG_4224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs2N7sbibILw_WmiTXWu6WVA0GZ0nqPlmr4OOtKcWW4iLf2C_5tMRNqIF7EVEOt-srwm_Bi90k_YTIiIjpQQkLrQy_piDMiuKuQEgAG0efUCWGGpvG5oxikZ7WOfVGlbXnWBqDP-nwqLw/s1600/IMG_4328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs2N7sbibILw_WmiTXWu6WVA0GZ0nqPlmr4OOtKcWW4iLf2C_5tMRNqIF7EVEOt-srwm_Bi90k_YTIiIjpQQkLrQy_piDMiuKuQEgAG0efUCWGGpvG5oxikZ7WOfVGlbXnWBqDP-nwqLw/s320/IMG_4328.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the very bad word</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnZEIiiHqK3K8HpOcZogRaHeyxudamdWVcgo-fvyD4WRTW9ZElSyDz9OyVEUJ4Shd6ptzjraVUc82-MTAfxUpPrk9ONu9a9faLuOfkD7z074mxjoRJpo64e3fJqx8ANOC6xsWga3uIRsM/s1600/IMG_4348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnZEIiiHqK3K8HpOcZogRaHeyxudamdWVcgo-fvyD4WRTW9ZElSyDz9OyVEUJ4Shd6ptzjraVUc82-MTAfxUpPrk9ONu9a9faLuOfkD7z074mxjoRJpo64e3fJqx8ANOC6xsWga3uIRsM/s320/IMG_4348.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQGyuiaLRtxZHHNut39EX26hADzaXAJeaLNDCN_7OwgnWeVsGunATnEAw_4rUJ2nIpHDdEtQzsmieGBTgC-CGU9-Ddl5KGjuGNO-d1dpnDWlpR_8qncLOEKz5z__GNEkH6mvF6CB1NkI4/s1600/IMG_4439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQGyuiaLRtxZHHNut39EX26hADzaXAJeaLNDCN_7OwgnWeVsGunATnEAw_4rUJ2nIpHDdEtQzsmieGBTgC-CGU9-Ddl5KGjuGNO-d1dpnDWlpR_8qncLOEKz5z__GNEkH6mvF6CB1NkI4/s320/IMG_4439.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This refers to the statue below. Not sure I get it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiKAjtEfnbus2h0tY0yfezU-jBmBYUtFXfoPFjmKO18ZWI1XjW3S9aXy7onZCYTgOajQs48j8-exsGP2zOoNZZuXNqTBEAA14R9ZxX3OmfcR23OztEg1yvguKQDM9jPoLw33wx1eG33RM/s1600/IMG_4261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiKAjtEfnbus2h0tY0yfezU-jBmBYUtFXfoPFjmKO18ZWI1XjW3S9aXy7onZCYTgOajQs48j8-exsGP2zOoNZZuXNqTBEAA14R9ZxX3OmfcR23OztEg1yvguKQDM9jPoLw33wx1eG33RM/s320/IMG_4261.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBARXgJwo5ir5Ha9aQAzifcKwV0xlG_kaUzchq_9jockcyqILXTIClr3IxA0s8L06WrpeAf87XOcynl-j92r1SkMuFietP19bkLkxFKiWz_LBDGzE4q475sATKRVi_ukqMNLjaAJGguMAT/s1600/IMG_4453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBARXgJwo5ir5Ha9aQAzifcKwV0xlG_kaUzchq_9jockcyqILXTIClr3IxA0s8L06WrpeAf87XOcynl-j92r1SkMuFietP19bkLkxFKiWz_LBDGzE4q475sATKRVi_ukqMNLjaAJGguMAT/s320/IMG_4453.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next to Notre Dame Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDtBNxvArsEoz8eLWmuSagbk2tKjayl_26FZX1TOnP2uPr6fPsrTzrxqaoTUwAaYfZwhLCXwSOmx5MkEt2Uqgbg_snrAS7jTZj5dPMgCUjbwGoS5CBhJWXx6nYCmqCL0hGBRJ-PZyQHqJ/s1600/IMG_4110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDtBNxvArsEoz8eLWmuSagbk2tKjayl_26FZX1TOnP2uPr6fPsrTzrxqaoTUwAaYfZwhLCXwSOmx5MkEt2Uqgbg_snrAS7jTZj5dPMgCUjbwGoS5CBhJWXx6nYCmqCL0hGBRJ-PZyQHqJ/s320/IMG_4110.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Convention centre</td></tr>
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-27689745579492253052016-04-15T09:47:00.002-07:002016-04-15T09:47:24.710-07:00Dive trip to Grenada February 2016This is how we celebrated my 60th! A lionfish hunt and bbq on the beach, a shark dive in rough water that went awry (but I saw a big shark) then some wreck diving at 125' and lots of relaxing zen type dives just meandering through coral gardens and checking out the wildlife.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vNPrgnYXLiskLEbB4YG86aYJCAm5deSU2EpMKzy_mdyF-XPKzFvNvvp9Cr-umrRc9t2BgBw6AE2oZH1-aXCDJ-gaLXyZKIkZfrlroc6R0d3G7pQ5frw3QnwCLWCJ-OeItYUYWI_LEN30/s1600/GOPR0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vNPrgnYXLiskLEbB4YG86aYJCAm5deSU2EpMKzy_mdyF-XPKzFvNvvp9Cr-umrRc9t2BgBw6AE2oZH1-aXCDJ-gaLXyZKIkZfrlroc6R0d3G7pQ5frw3QnwCLWCJ-OeItYUYWI_LEN30/s320/GOPR0009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture Garden Grenada</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyts8_ms-hACWzhoGvpXONtQtNcY4smlAncaRx0IJdIUBqhLCHklOgNwHSqFRhaRQgsmK7d9l-z81azBGTE3CLkY_l7FatK2WcloJm_I7OEORbf_oJxde2fWNArP5i3OV6HPHjmbD3lyd/s1600/GOPR0082-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyts8_ms-hACWzhoGvpXONtQtNcY4smlAncaRx0IJdIUBqhLCHklOgNwHSqFRhaRQgsmK7d9l-z81azBGTE3CLkY_l7FatK2WcloJm_I7OEORbf_oJxde2fWNArP5i3OV6HPHjmbD3lyd/s320/GOPR0082-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garry</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7dkQpeVGKqtMt_KokAjzOOdWbbnX2fI1OXvnjBl4uqCawMFUCmJfgvq4mI-4rdvHf2rijUVz1c9mr85ceTZL1vzhc4chvbu6t9MP64eNyKIMelY1EwfU8IEQJbpYAxvNWqJ2WoqdPpfB/s1600/GOPR0088-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7dkQpeVGKqtMt_KokAjzOOdWbbnX2fI1OXvnjBl4uqCawMFUCmJfgvq4mI-4rdvHf2rijUVz1c9mr85ceTZL1vzhc4chvbu6t9MP64eNyKIMelY1EwfU8IEQJbpYAxvNWqJ2WoqdPpfB/s320/GOPR0088-016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porcupine fish</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSyWMbYZcEnyKyyRNt346efzd8-oB7iXy28UuMCVrij0juIcmOaKYfDzZ0zvbNa7bj4MBBpJqeAiVda2h0QgtEwRv5Zbe52rq8gttqePPzA29qotO142FmBvmfxH8vGL8I2z5roWuFPRX/s1600/GOPR0101-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSyWMbYZcEnyKyyRNt346efzd8-oB7iXy28UuMCVrij0juIcmOaKYfDzZ0zvbNa7bj4MBBpJqeAiVda2h0QgtEwRv5Zbe52rq8gttqePPzA29qotO142FmBvmfxH8vGL8I2z5roWuFPRX/s320/GOPR0101-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KELmYsKe2l1mGkO5cjlP0VWvg1kkriNYya9Z8O6jG1po1sjjIXRRILOKC59_4MbKtxlsdUottgQOMfQohyphenhyphenkTvz364IzDsP8GW5EkYbqJQMKa6REjjMUHSPfZJExPXlpWuwt6FqpC-8EO/s1600/GOPR0110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KELmYsKe2l1mGkO5cjlP0VWvg1kkriNYya9Z8O6jG1po1sjjIXRRILOKC59_4MbKtxlsdUottgQOMfQohyphenhyphenkTvz364IzDsP8GW5EkYbqJQMKa6REjjMUHSPfZJExPXlpWuwt6FqpC-8EO/s320/GOPR0110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banded butterflyfish?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITvlFoMCHRGD2ikuMKNs5gbDifAsaxQ-NU7UOogh2tWIMz9o9Ls5-VnOSz8W8qz_XVOxNeSEUg7S4u_kwy1u8Ps4OdbJkiGrEXPgbtRl3fXGe7dATpNul1_NSawTvXZxjAxC3GIGKlPIY/s1600/GOPR0153-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITvlFoMCHRGD2ikuMKNs5gbDifAsaxQ-NU7UOogh2tWIMz9o9Ls5-VnOSz8W8qz_XVOxNeSEUg7S4u_kwy1u8Ps4OdbJkiGrEXPgbtRl3fXGe7dATpNul1_NSawTvXZxjAxC3GIGKlPIY/s320/GOPR0153-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">baby sea turtle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCPP6lCy52qr-_9I5QcyCwO2y1Nmpm3xfjx4Ia3_rR2XchXN-GCnEi4J_E1srcvV2GOmJ1b-MdoEj3HqlLErkmyqiIzKLAV2K5hPwJBjhz3tBgemnJHpSuwcMh8jCOGuWyo7dFcg5eQXE/s1600/GOPR0158-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCPP6lCy52qr-_9I5QcyCwO2y1Nmpm3xfjx4Ia3_rR2XchXN-GCnEi4J_E1srcvV2GOmJ1b-MdoEj3HqlLErkmyqiIzKLAV2K5hPwJBjhz3tBgemnJHpSuwcMh8jCOGuWyo7dFcg5eQXE/s320/GOPR0158-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stingray</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcARf9VNCc10RAss-UFGKDbg9wZiPDe4AlVnVQs_FOKQ1tJDh_ma3bhSUS7a_jwtEMfLeparSM9x1DzIHO-JiCltKsWqIAJX9Lu9I_UwJD3VIQX_HAXsahykS-_k4lf6aWKVlfYaCkswNd/s1600/GOPR0171-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcARf9VNCc10RAss-UFGKDbg9wZiPDe4AlVnVQs_FOKQ1tJDh_ma3bhSUS7a_jwtEMfLeparSM9x1DzIHO-JiCltKsWqIAJX9Lu9I_UwJD3VIQX_HAXsahykS-_k4lf6aWKVlfYaCkswNd/s320/GOPR0171-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">black spotted moray eel</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACK8WaSSoZc2lLaYGQE6UFnMOUBIihY1r7mFUoqHyx1GHr04-nsAtsfPM_z9_4oQ2GyUSRw7UJC1DEXo6RcRnVOuZAZndd4qOCS09OfQfT5Lw4BXl-SNEiX42evVxkQFSwr-A-9gq3MHj/s1600/GOPR0171-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACK8WaSSoZc2lLaYGQE6UFnMOUBIihY1r7mFUoqHyx1GHr04-nsAtsfPM_z9_4oQ2GyUSRw7UJC1DEXo6RcRnVOuZAZndd4qOCS09OfQfT5Lw4BXl-SNEiX42evVxkQFSwr-A-9gq3MHj/s320/GOPR0171-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOME4wZX27r0f5sMq3p1dKfqT26Oz9m7yCk_wDORuMypGySU3Tz5KFKY7LpafCc75w1ZNYuMTWTOfIqZZ8G98VJX-Dqo36kvKi_dRZ5zBHbYnxfqRAky5jGs7_yjcErVwOWSvdzCn1o2w/s1600/GOPR0173%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOME4wZX27r0f5sMq3p1dKfqT26Oz9m7yCk_wDORuMypGySU3Tz5KFKY7LpafCc75w1ZNYuMTWTOfIqZZ8G98VJX-Dqo36kvKi_dRZ5zBHbYnxfqRAky5jGs7_yjcErVwOWSvdzCn1o2w/s320/GOPR0173%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue chromis?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGOX68YEvbBKW7meCLat2RzujYU0VtFGgn-2p4AB3AO4pewL_JlfwURuvOQXJgLe3Z8LJDavZ0jepaio9BwltmgndJj77uHC54OK4KAHLcwwrB3IMO8Dih2eC-PQxO7503A_xgZPyh7VH/s1600/GOPR0179%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGOX68YEvbBKW7meCLat2RzujYU0VtFGgn-2p4AB3AO4pewL_JlfwURuvOQXJgLe3Z8LJDavZ0jepaio9BwltmgndJj77uHC54OK4KAHLcwwrB3IMO8Dih2eC-PQxO7503A_xgZPyh7VH/s320/GOPR0179%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">octopus playing hide and seek</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMGK2HinBGq4PVfADqyKnsknk61SduZOCS9kHIvlpWJXdc5LVCyrDbMIFGIclfwiHyYA0EKc9BAMpqXzq28-ytfiv8oOZBnouWFh_Un8V4BUM-9CvszncRl_jl2YHbTXMaJ_OU7g4pg61/s1600/GOPR0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMGK2HinBGq4PVfADqyKnsknk61SduZOCS9kHIvlpWJXdc5LVCyrDbMIFGIclfwiHyYA0EKc9BAMpqXzq28-ytfiv8oOZBnouWFh_Un8V4BUM-9CvszncRl_jl2YHbTXMaJ_OU7g4pg61/s320/GOPR0189.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sleeping nurse shark</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZc9xTB0RNXCp3aeWvn4Yduxsjdc4jIIL5Q6Rlhb5Bpt-MIAeF0MMY2VXBZSZItev0NpOe6KSZ-aofCRbxvnAFPfjybWSqZbc4eASCKsTUXOxcY4ECJuzAK5uG4iyjTui_MG1936UgEz2/s1600/GOPR0194-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZc9xTB0RNXCp3aeWvn4Yduxsjdc4jIIL5Q6Rlhb5Bpt-MIAeF0MMY2VXBZSZItev0NpOe6KSZ-aofCRbxvnAFPfjybWSqZbc4eASCKsTUXOxcY4ECJuzAK5uG4iyjTui_MG1936UgEz2/s320/GOPR0194-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SMAAJNUH3JOdrWPgTPKJzwlG_N_Mflj0iTXwTc93R3lhazmuNTn8V0LRqm9HAvDaNT3_qgE1UUoNB1wxGzp47ZyABgy3aSVTtAktAPSWpPjfn4aqxgpA5D3aww2x97ttwIx1zWOp43mb/s1600/GOPR0200-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SMAAJNUH3JOdrWPgTPKJzwlG_N_Mflj0iTXwTc93R3lhazmuNTn8V0LRqm9HAvDaNT3_qgE1UUoNB1wxGzp47ZyABgy3aSVTtAktAPSWpPjfn4aqxgpA5D3aww2x97ttwIx1zWOp43mb/s320/GOPR0200-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">old turtle below Doug</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaPqoegTad6tZQUbJMHJ3ScXvtVFJ-5xriXtF2xPmrZ_Y70yv4GSXCj5GzQyDQFSGo97gXr2FdNn9padep1Zgp5H34Ux34njCBlgxdXvt_TChuAZHi8QF6WYyYIUwHYd4zXgnErUWrDZ0/s1600/GOPR0200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaPqoegTad6tZQUbJMHJ3ScXvtVFJ-5xriXtF2xPmrZ_Y70yv4GSXCj5GzQyDQFSGo97gXr2FdNn9padep1Zgp5H34Ux34njCBlgxdXvt_TChuAZHi8QF6WYyYIUwHYd4zXgnErUWrDZ0/s320/GOPR0200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garry recovering after herding the turtle </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnhOqwNQeuDVLHiq-sKYmDCuSr_xx9KxjBnL0n5O5E09ucCPJhMd0wsafLahPIT6Nb0MZzbu62-TYiZu53IxIkcMm4cXG7A1WPOFjqdtOU04GvUJ1OvQ4g2dbigkdedHvFPkM0yZDDQuW/s1600/GOPR0202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnhOqwNQeuDVLHiq-sKYmDCuSr_xx9KxjBnL0n5O5E09ucCPJhMd0wsafLahPIT6Nb0MZzbu62-TYiZu53IxIkcMm4cXG7A1WPOFjqdtOU04GvUJ1OvQ4g2dbigkdedHvFPkM0yZDDQuW/s320/GOPR0202.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spotted trunkfish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDup0V7qbnorTd2b_dGjTOEzZkskKcikp_dzngohaibRk7DHLHWBsTFvh4iJRPY-n7FLt75I96XwZLzttVjyn_PG57lVB7OxKvoNtYYrVXG_jQZhKLSteCiB3rHiV14z1A3u_Z-D-xuUk/s1600/GOPR0247-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDup0V7qbnorTd2b_dGjTOEzZkskKcikp_dzngohaibRk7DHLHWBsTFvh4iJRPY-n7FLt75I96XwZLzttVjyn_PG57lVB7OxKvoNtYYrVXG_jQZhKLSteCiB3rHiV14z1A3u_Z-D-xuUk/s320/GOPR0247-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lionfish- the hand signal for these is a firing gun, because it's an invasive species</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaUy6aXWdvyXDSgvqwPa5IoHU89lpLhEeI_KIFM2niwghl3tbsurccEkPN67x5czY3Md7XpoqJ9W-C6LC2EWj175qLcYoQftts4Ne2ZGo4WRPyhFG9eI3cCBUp_ffXIjkNdL3Rv14hoEG/s1600/GOPR0280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaUy6aXWdvyXDSgvqwPa5IoHU89lpLhEeI_KIFM2niwghl3tbsurccEkPN67x5czY3Md7XpoqJ9W-C6LC2EWj175qLcYoQftts4Ne2ZGo4WRPyhFG9eI3cCBUp_ffXIjkNdL3Rv14hoEG/s320/GOPR0280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scrawled filefish?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-RVBVNk7iQiNLJFJtNrpxfYqxCjwq3UK0XFS7tX4VDRUols5b4cDZvbPtr2jGmyja9xRIY-POBJ0Jylhqrce4yedoc0fmc8qM1atWuIoUHhip-pXBMzGo0Vug18vMHzzstaABDiUWxOw/s1600/GOPR0285-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-RVBVNk7iQiNLJFJtNrpxfYqxCjwq3UK0XFS7tX4VDRUols5b4cDZvbPtr2jGmyja9xRIY-POBJ0Jylhqrce4yedoc0fmc8qM1atWuIoUHhip-pXBMzGo0Vug18vMHzzstaABDiUWxOw/s320/GOPR0285-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conch - delicious raw or in fritters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBymvzLwFu8O6uyLY8o82bqVpoVoMX_2y5z1spNwWI1G8l9XnNMb0xDj9CiXodKTrhlLtr3omGY42oB5bhNCalu7tM1P-W92rfBMfxnSZHcL9mcNX6YSkzDUDhAbnNHyArE8qAQaxPXm1/s1600/GOPR0300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBymvzLwFu8O6uyLY8o82bqVpoVoMX_2y5z1spNwWI1G8l9XnNMb0xDj9CiXodKTrhlLtr3omGY42oB5bhNCalu7tM1P-W92rfBMfxnSZHcL9mcNX6YSkzDUDhAbnNHyArE8qAQaxPXm1/s320/GOPR0300.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">blue striped grunts?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIchyphenhyphenSWWHdCwbXPQw_SuKMAWTHF2E2Ecl6Prf1JRNhAUKxepdfPpvvKQAE3U9vsh490UxrK4oPmymmcjtexUk49jIB3gjmhCORPxnkKsFVkp5ZVSGkVIo9BhTxOqJxpbt2Rx0rMRIAnfa-/s1600/GOPR0301-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIchyphenhyphenSWWHdCwbXPQw_SuKMAWTHF2E2Ecl6Prf1JRNhAUKxepdfPpvvKQAE3U9vsh490UxrK4oPmymmcjtexUk49jIB3gjmhCORPxnkKsFVkp5ZVSGkVIo9BhTxOqJxpbt2Rx0rMRIAnfa-/s320/GOPR0301-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted drum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBL3sFNrGU3txJZFOIh4COfgoXoO5gKqOSePHzbjqpt4V2DY0HHJ5xosRkutAOZwBHmzG258oReco66VNzDtKKDhhP9OdNXMWGKZVD8FlB5Vl0bE4P3YWr1OxszXTljPqtS9J8oXBPhVT/s1600/GOPR0308-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBL3sFNrGU3txJZFOIh4COfgoXoO5gKqOSePHzbjqpt4V2DY0HHJ5xosRkutAOZwBHmzG258oReco66VNzDtKKDhhP9OdNXMWGKZVD8FlB5Vl0bE4P3YWr1OxszXTljPqtS9J8oXBPhVT/s320/GOPR0308-019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq0o61tZh6pHSEk2w5cKk76m_6j-F9Kky5m-3QYCn4VEdjSvHH2_KJ7H2fdjnL3M11qBffdexYnz2X8IKwXv75gUV9sJBH-Z1r_C5913DBc6dXxN5y0aUbk6HlKHKf-mf-WSRDcPEeKbl/s1600/GOPR0314-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq0o61tZh6pHSEk2w5cKk76m_6j-F9Kky5m-3QYCn4VEdjSvHH2_KJ7H2fdjnL3M11qBffdexYnz2X8IKwXv75gUV9sJBH-Z1r_C5913DBc6dXxN5y0aUbk6HlKHKf-mf-WSRDcPEeKbl/s320/GOPR0314-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French Angelfish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Oz3K2v7BaWoO_5qJmQKvj7YQdEaGf0FtjtwPYZ_vpo_b-YHilSZsZgPn0fLEl5_iYvYq7T33l3IJfCaBK4SPBYQX1QLy66ANCNcKPF788Zx8OeBIbisa7X6gpwj1oHKLWQxEM2zeprhi/s1600/GOPR0265-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Oz3K2v7BaWoO_5qJmQKvj7YQdEaGf0FtjtwPYZ_vpo_b-YHilSZsZgPn0fLEl5_iYvYq7T33l3IJfCaBK4SPBYQX1QLy66ANCNcKPF788Zx8OeBIbisa7X6gpwj1oHKLWQxEM2zeprhi/s320/GOPR0265-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garry at the Bianca C.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuALeLuRJ39M7dWFFE5-usD4KVZIx3EJg1HgsJRjsTNN-sECIHApTQd9cQiyuJtT4gUId6pG7hLvFwY3cvLORdG-YBdIv79Rr_N-wGG3swbELlIyJQ2ias6kqVgSyND08Bx7dd2yjT0Vt/s1600/GOPR2077%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuALeLuRJ39M7dWFFE5-usD4KVZIx3EJg1HgsJRjsTNN-sECIHApTQd9cQiyuJtT4gUId6pG7hLvFwY3cvLORdG-YBdIv79Rr_N-wGG3swbELlIyJQ2ias6kqVgSyND08Bx7dd2yjT0Vt/s320/GOPR2077%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOboWTT1FjPuV6hf6KmXXFm0URkuM3dd7UyVDENK1LWrFxXmDzJxPe4r7cux8DuwXFvzElXdvM7iOvzYyeJNZp2vNRn4dCUsA1MPV5zJWq7a-SV2tyBGvLA7NmmXruux84xIvqfYvc_Er/s1600/GOPR0065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOboWTT1FjPuV6hf6KmXXFm0URkuM3dd7UyVDENK1LWrFxXmDzJxPe4r7cux8DuwXFvzElXdvM7iOvzYyeJNZp2vNRn4dCUsA1MPV5zJWq7a-SV2tyBGvLA7NmmXruux84xIvqfYvc_Er/s320/GOPR0065.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandals La Source Grenada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-60196915257896106772016-01-05T11:19:00.000-08:002016-04-14T07:38:19.575-07:00Dear Buddy<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FPlAkIjPU81lVwep01yPm_ReHgrplKlIP1Oq1nPTdq4LiWfR7qypXcLvcMMg5ryhDboC5xPhkHTQjMcsmanJy_OKBnbyJJV-QQzqb-UTF1PhgcQ4gsI32kbQT4ijNZMIhoTymUZ2jQ5d/s1600/DSC_0289+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FPlAkIjPU81lVwep01yPm_ReHgrplKlIP1Oq1nPTdq4LiWfR7qypXcLvcMMg5ryhDboC5xPhkHTQjMcsmanJy_OKBnbyJJV-QQzqb-UTF1PhgcQ4gsI32kbQT4ijNZMIhoTymUZ2jQ5d/s400/DSC_0289+-+Version+2.jpg" width="267" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. </span></span> </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Winnie the Pooh</i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With the possible exception of squirrels</span>, Buddy never met a human or
animal he didn’t like. When I brought him home as a puppy, I promised to
love and protect him until the end of his days. As he matured, and I
use the term loosely, the Budster developed quirks that were
exasperating and endearing in equal measure. He snored like a rusty
chainsaw; I kept balled-up socks to bop him when it went sonic.
Separation anxiety was a challenge; he literally lived in my shadow. If
left alone, he’d wiggle into the couch cushions like the filling in a taco,
or shred paper in paroxysms of grief. He wouldn’t walk on wet grass, or
drink water from anything but a glass bowl. He loved to perform tricks,
especially feigning death by gunshot if you pointed a finger, betrayed
only by a twitching tail. All guests were treated like new toys; he’d
jump on their legs, and lick any exposed skin. As my friend put it, “The
first lick is a kiss, but after that, they’re just flavour licks.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At eleven years old, Buddy was<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> deaf and he struggled with stairs, but his appetite for food and play were <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">undiminished</span>. So when I was told <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">last spring he had cancer, I was shocked. In a <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">cruel twist of fate, my husband was also diagnosed with cancer the same week. My husband's cancer was treatable and his future is positive, but Buddy's<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> tumour</span> was aggressive. Treatment was mentioned; it wouldn't cure him<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, only p<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">rolong his life briefly, and at a terrible cost<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. This would only bene<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">fit me, not him. I asked if we'd get one more summer together at the lake, and was told no, he wouldn't make it to the summer, let alone through it.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maybe it was his obstinate nature, or high tolerance for pain, or his love for me and cottage life, but <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">as we anxiously watched <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">for signs of <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">decline, he ambled through June, then July, seemingly the same old Buddy. I gave him the best summer I could, fearing each day would be his last. Someone said, "don't mo<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">urn your dog before he's gone" so I didn't. He ate, he played, and he was even there to comfort me when my husband underwent his cancer surgery<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> on our 30th wedding anniversary<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> last Au<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">gust. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">By mid-September, I brought <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Buddy</span> to the cottage one last time. He ate raw beef, fetched stick<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">s from the lake, rolled in dir<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">t under sun-warmed cedars, and sprawled on the forb<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">idden couch beside me.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had a date for home euthanasia, which literally means "gentle death" but <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">when the day arrived, I panicked. He seemed so happy, still <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">had</span> an appetite and bright eyes, The vet walked into our home and Buddy, the jumper, the licker, just sat <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">before him. The doctor kneeled, and their eyes locked for several minutes, in silence. After a thorough exam, he said quietly, "His heart i<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">s very weak, he's in a lot of pain. <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I believe h</span>e's hanging on for you. It's time."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Buddy</span> enough to let him go, and <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">he</span> died peacefully in my arms a short time later.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">His snores no longer fill our bedroom each night. Who knew I would miss that so much? When I open the front door, he is no longer waiting for me, tail swishing in full circles<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. I found his stuffed mon<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">key the other day, and was undone. There are now crumbs on t<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">he floor becau<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">se my can<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ine Hoover is gone. I have<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>spent more time wi<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">th him in the past few years than any<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">one else, and the pain feels like repeated punches to the head and heart. I bagged his leash, his sweaters and beds, but I've yet to throw them out. He was cre<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">mat</span>ed, but I can't bring myself to colle<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ct his <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ashes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> I for<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">get sometimes and reach <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">un<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">der the table with a morsel of chicken, and I'm surprised when he isn't there to take it from my hand. My family, and those who have read about his antics over the years, miss his gentle spirit and goofy charm<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I mourn his loss, yet choose to remember all those summer nights we sat together on the screen<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ed-in porch watching the sun dip below the hi<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">lls. The loons would call goodnight across the water, and Buddy would yawn and sprawl on my feet, keeping them warm. He was content simply to be with me, and I with him. My grief is raw and relentless, yet I'm so glad to have had these years with him, and I wouldn't trade them <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">for anything.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are missed, little guy<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, and you were loved. Saying goodbye was hard, but oh, my sweet dog, how lucky I was to have known<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> you. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Buddy, Febr<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">uary 1st 2004 - September </span>14th, 2015</span></span> </span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-22897100588685126412015-12-24T11:08:00.005-08:002015-12-24T11:16:04.799-08:00Christmas 2015Just to bring everyone up to speed.<br />
<br />
Doug was diagnosed
with thyroid cancer late May of this year. He had no symptoms, and they actually
found the cancer while having a look at his heart (which is fine, more
than fine, it's SUPER fine, because as Doug keeps reminding me, his
doctor said "wow, you have the heart of an Olympic athlete.") <br />
He had his thyroid surgery on August 24th (yup, our 30th wedding anniversary, pr<span class="text_exposed_show">oving God has a warped sense of humour) and while it slowed him down (first time anything has) he recovered really well. </span><br />
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The next step was the restricted diet - no iodine, i.e., no iodized
salt or sea salt, no dairy, no egg yolks, no fish, seafood etc. He lost
ten pounds in 2 weeks which he claims has improved his hockey game, so
SILVER LINING. Next, the radioactive iodine treatment in hospital, which
he got last Tuesday. Following this, he has to be in total isolation because
he's radioactive, so he drove up to our lakeside cabin with books, art
supplies, cards, laptop, his keyboard and lots of food.<br />
<br />
I'm on
standby in case he runs out of anything or if he forgot anything (but
I'll have to knock, lob it at him and run away into the woods.) He'll be
back home on Sunday, so we
will have our Christmas dinner when he returns.<br />
<br />
He doesn't have Internet
access in the cabin, so let me thank you all on his behalf for the many
kindnesses and shown to us and all your good wishes. We really are very
lucky. That being said, I will be really happy to kick 2015 to the
curb.<br />
<br />
Here's to a happy, healthy new year in 2016!</div>
A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-6261227144651480092015-11-03T08:40:00.000-08:002015-11-03T08:40:28.813-08:00Fall in Montreal, Lake vs City<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite sign continues to deteriorate</td></tr>
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-18084885518608414392015-10-28T11:40:00.000-07:002015-10-28T11:40:39.291-07:00Buddy is HomeI collected Buddy's ashes today. Such a small box to contain a dog with such an oversized personality. I'll be honest, it was difficult being there. A family was leaving as I arrived, grief etched on their faces, so my composure dissolved before I'd even walked through the door. But the women who worked there were lovely, hugs and Kleenex were passed around, and I got through it. They really are angels, doing the work they do. It's so appreciated by those of us who are grieving and not quite in our right minds.<br />
<br />
As I drove away, I looked down at the clock and it read 11:11. (My sisters and I joke that when we see 11:11 on the clock, it's our Nana saying hello from the other side.)<br />
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Hi to you too, Budster. You're home now, little guy.<br />
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-48667808392056500812015-10-06T16:53:00.002-07:002015-10-06T16:53:51.110-07:00Montreal Walkabout Missing Buddy something fierce today, so I decided to walk to Atwater Market.<br />
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Met a pleasant looking older woman who was walking her two little dogs, so I stopped to pat them.<br />
<br />
Our conversation moved from dogs (nod nod) to Barbados (nod nod) to children starving in Haiti because 3/4 of the population believes in voodoo so they take babies into the woods and leave them to die because they're NOT CHRISTIANS (wait, wha-at?!)<br />
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After several minutes of this nonsense, I finally said, "Surely you don't believe that God punishes children because their parents are not Christians?" And she said, "No, no. It's not God. It's the <i>devil</i>."<br />
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The dogs were cute at least.<br />
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-27124003812794878092015-09-15T04:59:00.000-07:002015-09-15T04:59:25.051-07:00R.I.P. Buddy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Buddy died in my arms last night, at home, peacefully and quietly. He
had been diagnosed with cancer last May, and it slowly invaded his body,
ultimately affecting his heart and lungs. The vet said Buddy would not
make it to see the summer, let alone live through it. But live he did,
tail wagging and eyes sparkling, and I made sure he had the best summer
ever. He ate steak and fresh strawberries, swam and retrieved endless
sticks, chased chipmunks off the deck and napped on t<span class="text_exposed_show">he
couch. And then I had to let him go. I woke to my new reality of life
without my beloved Budster. No gentle snoring in the corner of our
bedroom woke me this morning, no nails clicked behind me on the hardwood
floor as I made my way to the kitchen for coffee. My home feels so
empty, and my heart is broken, the price one pays for loving so
fiercely. We sign up for this reality when we bring that puppy home to
share our lives, but damn it's hard to say goodbye.</span></div>
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-22307990661439688102015-07-22T08:27:00.000-07:002015-07-22T08:27:49.889-07:00Summer flowersPlaying around with the Canon.<br />
<br />
Love the sharper images this lens provides.<br />
<br />
All under the watchful gaze of The Budster.<br />
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-18500481887120034962015-06-22T09:20:00.000-07:002016-04-14T08:00:18.909-07:00Carefree Summers<br />
I was born in the fifties. Helicopter parents were non-existent. Most of
our parents were barely out of their teens themselves, so benign
neglect skirting the cliff edge of negligence was par for the course,
which was usually where you'd find the young fathers on weekends. "Go
outside and play!" was our mothers' mantra. "And don't come back until I
call you for supper, the street lights go on, or you're bleeding." The
moms slathered on baby oil, held reflectors under their chins and discussed the merits of Toni® home permanents while we made our own fun.<br />
<br />
Someone always had a soft red, white and blue rubber ball, or an
India rubber ball which bounced a lot higher, but left bigger bruises
after Dodge Ball. We played Red Rover, Red Light Green Light, Tag, and a
game with linked elastics pilfered from the junk drawer. Some called it Chinese Jump Rope, but it was actually a Korean game called Gomujul. We called it Jumpsies.<br />
<br />
Every girl had at least one skipping rope and knew several songs. Taking a turn in Double Dutch took mad skills. You had to choose the exact moment to leap without getting snarled up or neaned in the noggin, as my grandmother put it. Then you'd sing:<br />
<br />
I'm a Girl Guide, dressed in blue.<br />
Here are the actions I must do.<br />
Stand at attention, stand at ease,<br />
Bend my elbows, bend my knees.<br />
Salute to the captain,<br />
Bow to the Queen,<br />
Turn my back on the dirty submarine.<br />
<br />
Ordinary Movings was a game you played alone. You'd bounce a ball against a wall, and call out and perform various actions. There was a tweedle and a twaddle move at the advanced levels. We'd also pilfer our mother's lingerie drawers for a single stocking, load it with a ball, stand against a wall, and whip it back and forth over our bodies while reciting:<br />
<br />
Have a cup of tea, sir.<br />
No, sir. Why, sir?<br />
Because I have a cold, sir.<br />
Where'd you get the cold, sir?<br />
At the North Pole, sir.<br />
What were you doing there, sir?<br />
Catching polar bears, sir.<br />
How many did you catch, sir?<br />
One sir, two sir, three sir...<br />
<br />
And....more bruises. Hula hoops weighted with sand were used in contests difficult for girls like me without curves but easy for the older girls, who could mesmerize the boys as though they'd tossed them opiates.<br />
<br />
Everyone knew "One, two, three O'Leary" and:<br />
<br />
On the mountain, stands a lady,<br />
Who she is I do not know.<br />
All she wants is gold and silver,<br />
All she wants is a nice young man.<br />
<br />
Except we changed the "nice young man" to "ice cream cones" because ice cream always trumps young men when you're seven. We played with intense focus and competitive spirits, and there was strict enforcement of the rules, no exceptions, even for younger siblings.<br />
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There were apple trees to climb in the orchard next to us, forts to build bikes to ride and roller skates to be screwed onto sneakers with metal keys. If we felt really ambitious, we'd organize an impromptu game of baseball on the local school diamond, and grab mitts, balls, bats and players as we ran like a pack of feral dogs to the local park. If fall meant games of conkers, summer was for marbles, and winner-take-all tournaments. I had excellent hand-eye coordination and killer instincts, so I usually came home with my purple velvet Crown Royal bag filled with booty (which had a whole other meaning back then, as did thongs, which were worn on our feet.) It drove my mother crazy when I swaggered home, as she found competition unladylike. All's fair in love and marbles, I'd argue.<br />
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If we were lucky enough to scrounge up a nickel each, we'd head to the local general store where I'd freeze with indecision. I could buy one bottle of Coca-Cola, snap it open on the side of the big red cooler, and it would be gone in a couple of gulps. Or I could get one Popsicle, or a Jet (chocolate covered orange sherbet), or a lemon fountain with a licorice straw, which meant hacking up a lung full of powdered sugar. I always opted for penny candies, because a nickel bought a lot. As I shifted from foot to foot, the clerk would fill a small paper bag with black balls, Pixie sticks, Bazookas, wax lips, candy buttons, licorice pipes, BB bats, and sometimes, a bonus bag of salted sunflower seeds. We'd head home, pile on the hammock, crack the sunflower seeds with our teeth and spit shells into the grass, as we chattered like the birds overhead.<br />
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Eventually street lights would flicker to life, and our mothers would holler for us to come in to bathe, and slather our sunburns in Noxema cold cream before bed. But we'd always sneak in one more game of hide and seek on the way.<br />
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Olly olly oxen free!<br />
<br />
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-77961524131958985002015-06-03T15:02:00.002-07:002015-06-03T15:02:41.886-07:00Rainy days and back alleys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-82609484491971519732015-04-21T16:23:00.000-07:002016-04-14T08:33:38.555-07:00Cycling Through Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michael Palin said one of the most important days of his life was
when he learned to ride a bicycle, and so it was with me. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And every
spring since, there has always been that one day that marks the turning
point, when a whiff of freshly thawed earth and new grass hits me, and it's so intoxicating I am as sun drunk as a gamboling lamb. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a child, warmer weather meant two things; I could replace the scratchy wool tights under my school tunic with knee socks once it hit 50F (mother's rule, strictly enforced) and I could haul my bicycle out of storage and once again pedal to infinity, and beyond. I remember my first proper two-wheeler in the early '60s. My parents led me into the living room and there, leaning against the white brick fireplace, was a new royal blue bicycle, complete with a bell and long pink streamers. I was so overwhelmed I froze, then sobbed, confusing everyone. They couldn't know, but I understood the significance of this moment. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This wasn't just a bike, this was freedom, the means to become an intrepid explorer and go far beyond our dead-end street in the suburbs. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Susan Anthony said, "She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the mastery of life."And I believed it, even at that young age. I would master my life with that beauty.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My friends and I rode our bikes everywhere, a wild posse bent on adventure. You can't be sad when you ride a bike. It's the human equivalent of a dog hanging his head out of a car window. Nothing dampened my enthusiasm; not when the local bullies stepped in front of me on the road and the leader yanked the streamers from their rubber plugs, not when I wiped out and Zambonied the pavement with my face. I knocked out a front tooth and scraped the skin off my forehead the day before my Kindergarten photo was taken but in the shot, I'm still grinning from ear to bloody ear.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later on, a bike brought me to my evening job at the doughnut shop across town, and my summer job at the golf course at 4:45 a.m. to prepare coffee for the early birds. It kept me employed and fit. Rolling down hills at dawn with the wind in my hair was as close to flying as a young girl could get.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I graduated from university and landed a grownup job, I bought myself a 3-speed, black Raleigh with gold lettering, complete with bell, headlight and wicker basket looped on the handlebars. For a while, that bike was my entire social life. Every chance I got, I'd head home from my demanding job at a Toronto ad agency, load a sandwich and Newcastle Brown in the wicker basket, and head down to the island ferry. As we chugged across the water, the bustle of the city was left behind. I'd cycle around the island on those soft summer evenings, eat my picnic dinner on some grassy spot overlooking the harbour, and ponder my future while chilling with the ducks.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Years went by, I moved to Montreal, got married, had kids, and ended up in the suburbs where cars ruled the road, and racing bikes or mountain bikes were piloted by serious sports enthusiasts in matching spandex. The Mighty Raleigh gathered dust.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now the kids are launched, and I am back in the city where bikes are <i>de rigueur</i>. People commute to work, meander through parks, or visit farmers' markets on their bikes. Montreal is made for cyclists. I pulled my Raleigh out of storage for old time's sake, and she's still a sturdy, reliable old gal. I replaced the leather seat with a wide gel cushion to accommodate my wide gel cushion. The wicker basket is frayed but still serviceable, and the bell works. It's now a retro bike, dubbed a "crowd pleaser" and revered by hipsters sporting beards and man buns. Where once I was mocked for channeling Miss Gulch, I have circled back to cool. It's the preferred method of transport for artists and poets. When I fill that basket with flowers, a baguette and a bottle of wine, I'm living in a French novel.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was in the process of booking a full bike rehab when my husband surprised me with a fire engine red electric bike. I'm not exactly sure how it works. It's like a scooter without the mojo. Apparently you can pedal it, or you can let it haul your carcass home if you run out of gas, metaphorically speaking. I'm just looking forward to climbing back in the saddle. My sweet Raleigh will be on standby because old school is on trend right now, and frankly, I need the workout.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Albert Einstein said "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Einstein pondered the <i>Theory of Relativity</i> while he rode his bike. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So maybe it's time to dream big, pedal hard, and enjoy the ride.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-74014243479215272332015-03-14T17:12:00.002-07:002015-03-14T17:12:26.005-07:00Buddy is Busted<span style="font-size: large;">Doug and I had a date night tonight. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A dinner out. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A new place around the corner. (Lucille's. Very nice. Most Excellent plate of oysters on the half shell, calamari, steak and lobster rolls. A lot of extreme facelifts all around us, and I don't mean renovations to the restaurant. But I digress.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We were gone...maybe two hours, if that. We were with Buddy all day, and in fact, when I went to the gym this afternoon, Doug waited until I got back before he did his errands so Buddy wouldn't get lonely. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I took him for a long walk, fed him, and played fetch the monkey with him for twenty minutes. Even though that monkey was soaking wet with dog saliva and smelled like corpse, I picked it up and flung it over and over again because it made my furry little friend happy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To Summarize: The Budster was well fed, amply walked and played with, so he wouldn't have the energy to get into mischief.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And yet he still felt compelled to do<i> this </i>tonight. How did he get in there, I hear you asking? Don't you make sure all doors are closed securely, knowing he has a history of murdering paper when he's alone? Well, someone (hey, no names, no finger-pointing, but there are only two people living here and it wasn't me) left a door ajar. </span><br />
<br /><span style="font-size: large;">You tell me. Guilty face? Or unrepentant miscreant?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8PxcUTU21g0" width="420"></iframe> </span>A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-41862219137375209712015-01-15T14:49:00.002-08:002015-01-15T14:49:19.037-08:00Italian Wedding Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How have I not heard of this before? I've gone to Italian weddings. I've eaten my share of soups over the years. And I've made my share of soups over the years. Soups like Corn Chowder, or Parsnip Carrot Ginger soup, or Tortilla Soup with Avocado, toasted tortilla strips and a sprinkling of cheese.<br />
<br />
But this Italian Wedding Soup? <br />
<br />
Best soup ever. Ever. <br />
<br />
This is an outstanding soup. One of those soups that sits in the tummy like a warm hug. It fills your up without you feeling stuffed, and stays with you a long while. This came via my friend Julie Kentner who lives out in Winterpeg, so she knows from soup.<br />
<br />
The original recipe came from a blog called <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-italian-wedding-soup-136211" target="_blank">thekitchn</a>.<br />
<br />
Try to find escarole if you can. I wasn't sure what it was or whether my local IGA would have it, but you'll likely find it in the lettuce section. It's a tad bitter, but once you cook it as directed, it gets sort of sweet and infuses the soup with a certain earthiness. I'm making it tonight, but I have to substitute escarole for something else (they were sold out! is it really that popular? is it because it's listed as "scarole"? is that really the French translation or was the label guy just lazy?)<br />
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<br />
Here's hoping a mix of rapini and Swiss chard works as well.<br />
<br />
If you have homemade stock, bring it, baby. If not, I like to use Knorr chicken broth or Campbell's in a pinch.<br />
<br />
Here's the recipe. I changed a couple of things from the original. Most notably, I can't eat oregano, so I substituted basil. You can look at the original by following thekitchn link above to see the other cheeses etc. they recommend.<br />
<br />
(Also, it says it serves 6-8. In what universe? We ate most of it in one sitting. Nom, nom, nom.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Italian Wedding Soup</u></div>
<br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
3/4 pound ground meat (I used a mix of beef, veal and pork or use turkey, chicken)</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
1/2 cup Panko</span> crumbs<br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
3 large eggs, divided</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
1 cup Parmesan/Reggiano grated cheese, divided</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
1 TBSP fresh basil or 1 tsp dried (so sue me, I read it wrong, I used 1 TBSP dried)</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
1 teaspoon salt </span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
1/2 teaspoon black pepper</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
1 medium yellow onion, diced</span> (I used a Vidalia, which is sweet)<br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
4 cloves garlic, minced</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
8 cups chicken stock</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">
1 bunch greens (such as escarole) trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces</span><br />
<span itemprop="ingredients"> (about 6 lightly packed cups)</span><br /> Red pepper flakes<br />
Lemon wedges <br />
<br />
Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, <b><i>1 egg</i>, <i>1/2 cup</i></b> of grated
cheese, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl.<br />
<br />
Mix thoroughly with your hands, then form
the mixture into small balls, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. You should have 20 to 30
meatballs, depending on how large you form them.<br />
<br />
In a large Teflon skillet, heat 2 TBSP olive oil over med-high heat. Add meatballs in batches and cook, turning, until browned
all over, which will take only 3 to 5 minutes. (A bit pink in the middle is ok because they will finish cooking in the broth.) Place them on
paper towels to absorb the oil.<br />
<br />
In a large soup pot, heat the remaining 1 TBSP of oil
over med-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, taking care not to let them brown (it will be as bitter as my grade one teacher Miss Campbell who clearly wanted to do anything but teach, and did not appreciate my inquisitive young mind) so, about 3-5
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the stock and bring to a boil.<br />
<br />
Add the greens, reduce the
heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the meatballs and
cook another 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
In a small bowl, combine the last 2 eggs and the remaining 1/2 of grated cheese and whisk with a fork to blend.<br />
<br />
Slowly pour the egg mixture
into the hot soup, stirring constantly.<br />
<br />
Cover and simmer just until the egg is set, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and black
pepper. Serve immediately and add a dash of red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon, if you wish, <i>which I did</i>.<br />
<br />
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Hahahahahaaaa (wiping tears) <i>leftovers</i>, good one.<br />
<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-58157782086122199622014-12-30T19:38:00.001-08:002014-12-30T19:38:29.474-08:00Goodbye to 2014<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">After a couple of days cooped up indoors nursing this wretched cold, I decided I needed some fresh air. We're at the cottage, and once you step outside, the only light you get is from the moonlight. It's disconcertingly dark after the bright lights of the city, and so silent you can hear the blood pounding in your ears. Well, silent except for the ice on the lake blindsiding you with a low moan or thunderous crack when you least expect it. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It is windless tonight, thankfully, but a skin-numbing minus 16C. I armed myself with long underwear, and refused to let this stupid virus, or my fear of the dark, and that damned woo-woo-wooing lake, be the boss of me. (Plus I took Buddy and Doug along.) </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Oddly enough, there is almost no snow on the ground, crazy for this time of year and us being so far north, which meant we were able to walk with ease through the cedars and birch, guided by the moonlight, right down and then on to the lake. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We hugged the shore and shuffled along the ice, marvelling at the sheer number of stars spread out overhead. The surface of the lake was like glass, the ice reliably thick, perfect conditions for skating literally miles without stopping, or hitting a bump or patch of snow but, as Doug pointed out, terrible for hockey because "if you miss the puck, it'll keep going forever!" </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">A beautiful, perfect night and a wonderful way to say goodbye to 2014.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Happy New Year. May you find peace, happiness and joy.</span></div>
A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-76825627299424488242014-12-12T12:27:00.001-08:002014-12-12T12:28:34.360-08:00Winter in MontrealAnd the view from my flat is holiday themed. This is the racquet club next door, a beautiful old Tudor style building. <br />
<br />
This was taken very quickly out of my sunroom window one evening, on my iPad. No enhancements or post processing or filters. This is exactly what it looked like.<br />
<br />
Note the bike leaning on the fence. Someone actually rode a bike to the club.<br />
<br />
Winter is so not the boss of us, here in Montreal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-66509656689472902712014-11-25T12:42:00.001-08:002014-11-25T12:42:07.226-08:00Do you believe in Synchronicity? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, my socks were blown off today.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Recently I wrote a piece on coincidences. It began like this: </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Coincidence kills good fiction, as the saying goes.
In fiction, we expect patterns of cause and effect. If everything happens by
convenient accident, there is no buildup of suspense, no curiosity about what
comes next. At best, there’s an eye roll. At worst, we exit the movie theatre
or throw the book across the room. When everything is contrived, it destroys
our willing suspension of disbelief. </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So why, when it happens in real life, does
it seem like a small miracle? Carl Jung called that synchronicity, Deepak
Chopra calls it synchro-<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">destiny</span>.
Whatever you call it, whether a “conspiracy of improbabilities” or fate poking
its cold wet nose into our hands, real life coincidence is meaningful and fills
us with awe. Twins who found each other as adults. Best friends whose parents
dated...</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I went on to describe events in my life that were too coincidental to ignore.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I didn't know what if anything they meant, but the
pundits say, ask yourself what is the message, the significance? If you do, the answer
will present itself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Okaaay. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">So here's the thing. Throughout the year, at odd times, I'll start to notice the clock saying 11:11 or 2:22. It happens often enough that I pay attention. Sometimes it's not even the real time, like the flashing clock radio in the kitchen I never bother to adjust because there's always another power failure to knock it back again. (Also, I don't know how.) So sometimes it will say 11:11 when it's really 8:02.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">My sister Lisa and I have taken to texting each other when this happens. "Haha, look. It's 11:11 on 11/11!" Once the fire alarm went off at the cottage during the night, and we collided into each other in the hallway. The time? 11:11. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then there will be nothing for months, but it will start up again, and we'll send more "BOO!" texts back and forth. It's a silly game we play.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">What do you think it means, I asked her, because it happens with such frequency I'm starting to find it kind of creepy. I'll wake up in the night an press my alarm light to check on the time and more often than not it will read 3:33 or 4:44 or 5:55. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Maybe it's Nana saying hello, you know, from the other side, said my sister. Our beloved grandmother passed away in 1988, just after my son was born. Okay, I could deal with that. That wasn't creepy, that was comforting. (Numbers repeating for no reason is creepy. A dead relative saying hello beyond the grave is not creepy. That, my friends, is how my brain works.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">So now my sister and I text, "Look, 11:11! Nana is saying hello, haha."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Last year, a cousin I had never met, indeed, never even knew about, contacted me through this blog and sent me a photo of my grandmother and her older sister Edith. I'd never seen it before, and was thrilled to have it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The photo arrived on November 24th, Nana's birthday.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMDthyFESj0zZRoJp6hKU_yrDg3c75ORo8VU2RnIiAXJ5EorQZYj2walrCggc6JqzypwAxQAhbNRZHqN5cxdEZEe0mJ8XOMnOgyIcbtBs9H5CkvGYH8jo6d6MCyOY_3QMuJhntlM1p8Qj/s1600/Edie+and+Nora.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMDthyFESj0zZRoJp6hKU_yrDg3c75ORo8VU2RnIiAXJ5EorQZYj2walrCggc6JqzypwAxQAhbNRZHqN5cxdEZEe0mJ8XOMnOgyIcbtBs9H5CkvGYH8jo6d6MCyOY_3QMuJhntlM1p8Qj/s1600/Edie+and+Nora.jpeg" height="311" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">This year, her birthday was last Monday. I thought about Nana all day. She would have been 125. (If you think that's impossib<span id="goog_1825263695"></span><span id="goog_1825263696"></span>le<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/29/world/a-120-year-lease-on-life-outlasts-apartment-heir.html" target="_blank"> you haven't heard of this lady</a>.)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The day passed uneventfully. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">This afternoon, Buddy stood in front of my china cabinet and barked at it. Repeatedly. He'd woof, back up, stare intently, woof again, look at me, stare at the cabinet. To be fair, he's a bit of an oddball dog. He doesn't bark often, but he will woof at the couch if the blanket is in his way, or at his bed if it's in the wrong position. But there was nothing in, on, beside or under the cabinet that would account for his behaviour I looked for a mouse, a moth, food, anything. The only thing in there was my grandmother's china. And he wouldn't stop. I'd haul him away, and a few minutes later, he was back, staring at the cabinet and softly woofing at it again.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">I ignored him and checked my emails. A casual glance at my junk mail file showed an unfamiliar name with a subject title, "A fun little mystery unfolding....maybe." Another Nigerian scam, I figured.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">It said, "I don't know if you are the right Pamela Patchet, but I thought it might be fun to send you this note and see what comes of it." </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The woman who wrote, W.W., lives in California and said her father was a former senior editor of covers and photos at Newsweek Magazine. He passed away, and she was going through his things when she came across a letter from an E.L. Patchet in Toronto. (Ernest Luther. My grandfather.) In the letter, he said how surprised he and my grandmother were to see a photo of their granddaughter (me) on the cover of Newsweek. In fact, it was the woman who wrote me the email who appeared on the cover back in 1960, and I guess the resemblance was such that my grandparents felt compelled to write and ask. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">She said, if you would like your grandparent's letter, the photo, and the copy of the Newsweek cover, she would be happy to send it. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then I looked at the date of the email.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">November 24th. </span></span></span> </span></div>
A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-73134488736186192752014-11-18T14:04:00.001-08:002014-11-18T14:04:17.591-08:00Scenes from Lake Louisa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2bqgBrb0FQfioK6x2ps_QIKmJEvPUFCFzhPs1gCyPjBnAR-TGzTA3O1RBMng-FsNbXQtV_dKPJSPm_Sx9qchkvQnoufCLM91F_SA7vvL0RMfR24zqtOdEX3Y3ED6ojMsI3RT5gWQHYm3/s1600/IMG_9066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2bqgBrb0FQfioK6x2ps_QIKmJEvPUFCFzhPs1gCyPjBnAR-TGzTA3O1RBMng-FsNbXQtV_dKPJSPm_Sx9qchkvQnoufCLM91F_SA7vvL0RMfR24zqtOdEX3Y3ED6ojMsI3RT5gWQHYm3/s1600/IMG_9066.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-22681098839970653522014-11-11T14:35:00.000-08:002014-11-11T14:35:37.664-08:00Montreal Walkabout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I had lunch with my wonderful friend, Kathy Down The Road. We have known each other for over 25 years, and have so much fun together, it's kind of ridiculous. Stream-of-consciousness conversations, laughing from the moment we sit down together until we part ways to go home, it's the kind of friendship that makes people wonder if we're sisters. And we kind of feel like sisters. Odd, odd sisters from odd, odd parents. We can even share dessert without either of us wanting to chomp off the other's finger. Now that's a friend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ornamental cabbage. Hope they're not edible, because Buddy christened the rest of them whilst I took this photo.</td></tr>
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We wandered up Greene Avenue after lunch, past the uniformed schoolgirls who walked and texted without regard to passersby or traffic, swollen-lipped women with flat-ironed blonde hair in fur coats, men in paisley foulards and polished loafers, and one tall woman behind us having a loud, animated discussion with what I thought must be her grandmother, as it was the kind of one-way conversation you'd have with a hard-of-hearing, cantankerous relative who refuses to turn up her hearing aid. Turns out it was her brown Labrador retriever who loped past us, off-leash, not giving a rat's patootie that this woman was talking at it full stop. This wasn't a "Heel, Espresso, HEEL!" kind of talk. This was a "Hey, do you think it's going to snow, and do you think our current prime minister is doing a good job" kind of conversation.<br />
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She then threw open the door to a ritzy hair salon and let the dog bolt ahead of her. We were left to ponder how the unsuspecting patrons felt about this slobbering dog and the Human Megaphone it belonged to taking their zen by the throat and shaking it to death.<br />
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Anyway, KDTR asked me why I hadn't posted any photos of my walks as of late, and I said it was part laziness, and part wondering if it was just all too much navel gazing. But she asked me to, so I will oblige and post a few I have taken recently around my 'hood.<br />
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If you enjoy them, let me know via the comments. If you don't, feel free to explain why to your dog.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are replacing the pavement down the street. It will soon cover up all evidence of the old cobblestones and track for the streetcars.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-portrait</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Lawn Art. I want to rescue this poor, rusty Underwood, but it seems happy with the pink flamingos and louche ceramic frogs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Catholic nuns and priests got all the good properties.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical door in Shaughnessy Village</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical door in my daughter's neighbourhood</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ44swhbzJlOIJnmrj4_jpqwREju8_XVGRP0ByUhXfiSxy6yN7tCHlYrrMzfjvaNW5NliLDi6TesF8IyKtL-TmR7ZxCzqoHHWEtiGj2YNIEUzwSnFfByQOP1GGtvqwSajiByo5K3vDxNb/s1600/IMG_9014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ44swhbzJlOIJnmrj4_jpqwREju8_XVGRP0ByUhXfiSxy6yN7tCHlYrrMzfjvaNW5NliLDi6TesF8IyKtL-TmR7ZxCzqoHHWEtiGj2YNIEUzwSnFfByQOP1GGtvqwSajiByo5K3vDxNb/s320/IMG_9014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friendly neighbour checking me out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG3UrD3PvjEnp6xRBR7ZmmuMw-Huo30yKG96aDZ5Y4Ho7GKb9a0-8gWY4T4Ts2zTFLiAJjK5Z-eFk6m5VE8Y330ZJGPHt9U58U88-zgbCk0YuYpjIByIVlIJsEtXZmTT2edH2eOGe9o61/s1600/IMG_9156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG3UrD3PvjEnp6xRBR7ZmmuMw-Huo30yKG96aDZ5Y4Ho7GKb9a0-8gWY4T4Ts2zTFLiAJjK5Z-eFk6m5VE8Y330ZJGPHt9U58U88-zgbCk0YuYpjIByIVlIJsEtXZmTT2edH2eOGe9o61/s320/IMG_9156.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Random P. There's a lot of that in the doorways of my neighbourhood.</td></tr>
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-63700176509865857082014-11-04T09:03:00.000-08:002014-11-04T09:03:40.285-08:00Amy Dupire's GOD-THING: AND OTHER WEIRD AND WORRISOME TALESI know Amy Dupire through the Compuserve writers' forum, and also from the annual contest at the Surrey International Writers' Conference, where she inevitably places in the top storyteller category as either a winner or runner-up.<br />
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Amy has now published a collection of stories called GOD-THING: AND OTHER WEIRD AND WORRISOME TALES and her first novel ALL KINDS OF HELL was published last month.<br />
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Her short stories are mysterious and strange and beautifully written, and creepy in a good way. Look what Diana Gabaldon has to say about Amy. She just added Amy's book of short stories to her Methadone List (what Diana calls her book suggestions for those waiting for her Next Book in the Outlander series.)<br />
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"The stories here are written with delicacy, humor, and a healthy dose of uneasiness. And they are… well, you know… <i>short.</i>
<g> Whether you’re in need of a literary appetizer or dessert,
immersion or distraction— you might just find what you’re looking for in
this collection of "Weird and Worrisome Tales." " Diana Gabaldon</g><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW-NfoREB0AIa55mwORy6VC_xRFZ-vbVcmXotdkTUvuJJ4Fj4c1KsmbLFOkCs2y6etfVHBUVwUmuIYjZ0OiGdl23DrRTdSvHeTb2waH_E5pkD6wA0SvmV7ePgZfCqQgzaZ61kDnPlh05G/s1600/Amy-Dupire-Amazon-199x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW-NfoREB0AIa55mwORy6VC_xRFZ-vbVcmXotdkTUvuJJ4Fj4c1KsmbLFOkCs2y6etfVHBUVwUmuIYjZ0OiGdl23DrRTdSvHeTb2waH_E5pkD6wA0SvmV7ePgZfCqQgzaZ61kDnPlh05G/s1600/Amy-Dupire-Amazon-199x300.jpg" /></a></div>
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You can read excerpts on Amy's website
<a href="http://www.amydupire.com/">www.amydupire.com</a>.<br />
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If you want to order her books, either hard copy or on Kindle, go to <a href="http://amazon.com/">amazon.com</a>!<br />
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-65066047350607135732014-09-27T21:37:00.003-07:002014-09-27T21:41:45.654-07:00Mistakes Can Actually Work Out (Or, Pretend You Meant to Do That)After I transferred my photos from camera to laptop a while ago, I noticed something odd about them. Many of them were over-exposed, while just as many were under-exposed.<br />
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Huh.<br />
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After much fiddling and confusion on my part, I finally figured out that I inadvertently pressed the "bracket" (Auto Bracket) button. This means the camera is assuming you will take three shots in a row of the same subject, and each one will go from light to dark, and then you're supposed to go to photoshop and blend them together for an HDR type photo.<br />
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But I didn't do that, I just went on my merry way, snapping anything that took my fancy in the park up on our mountain. So some shots looked bleached out and others looked vivid and other worldly.<br />
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But once I got over my panic of not knowing what I did (and I fixed it) I kind of liked the shots. Note that these were taken within minutes of each other in almost the same spot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAaq9tu56rvI1r-_3u9qGzEf3z5YOjIH_lZ2Y3WvSNbiUQBc53_jNPEqwfF5bVzub6xcHm2Ris9gioMb-AqwWNpo7sLQ4Q1R1IFCd4mM2uYNfc5mLqO2nIYIEq6cP-M4fpp1aBrrH1laX/s1600/Parc+du+Mont+Royal+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAaq9tu56rvI1r-_3u9qGzEf3z5YOjIH_lZ2Y3WvSNbiUQBc53_jNPEqwfF5bVzub6xcHm2Ris9gioMb-AqwWNpo7sLQ4Q1R1IFCd4mM2uYNfc5mLqO2nIYIEq6cP-M4fpp1aBrrH1laX/s1600/Parc+du+Mont+Royal+008.JPG" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
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A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622500913870267857.post-19472252028469749982014-08-20T09:04:00.001-07:002014-08-20T09:04:32.245-07:00A Hummingbird RescueI needed this today, and I suspect many of you do too, after hearing about my tragic raccoon tale, which still has the capacity to make me cry. But this fine morning, I bring you a<i> good</i> news nature story.<br />
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Despite the fact that I deliberately keep our cottage windows dirty to prevent bird collisions (confession: the city windows are dirty from pure laziness) there is still the occasional accident. My husband protests but a) he's not the boss of me and b), see a).<br />
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This morning, as I sat outside on the deck reading, a young hummingbird zoomed right above my head straight into the glass, then dropped with a thud at my feet.<br />
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I hustled Buddy into the house and we left it alone for a few minutes as it writhed on the deck. Experience has shown that the first few moments will determine whether a bird will live or die. Sometimes death comes in seconds if it breaks its neck, but more often than not, they suffer a mild concussion and recover quickly.<br />
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That is, if the squirrels, or Buddy, doesn't get to it first.<br />
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Then it becomes breakfast.<br />
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So this poor little hummingbird struggled on its back, wings sprawled, fluttering in a circle. But suddenly it righted itself, a good sign even though its eyes were still squeezed shut. Definite concussion, but still. <br />
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Buddy and I watched together from inside the cottage so as not to frighten it, but then a red squirrel showed up to spoil the party.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK6GMxSbx3D-YTnzhqXFsNdrDY2H7IS7QrEym64xFQLv2eUIUeYp7M1f4qFJCSS7426HlGuNr50TznbegwL9UhAgk2U_4bYes7TKV8gef4gMGZQ83hJxP-PzmnX6bSuwUzVaMrAbFwGRq/s1600/Cottage+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK6GMxSbx3D-YTnzhqXFsNdrDY2H7IS7QrEym64xFQLv2eUIUeYp7M1f4qFJCSS7426HlGuNr50TznbegwL9UhAgk2U_4bYes7TKV8gef4gMGZQ83hJxP-PzmnX6bSuwUzVaMrAbFwGRq/s1600/Cottage+001.JPG" height="250" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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I ran outside and shooed the squirrel away, then I bent over the hummingbird to check on it. It suddenly flew into the air, hovering like a little helicopter in front of my face, the buzz of its wings so incredibly powerful and strong for such a tiny creature. I instinctively held out my hand, and incredibly, it landed in my open palm!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZNkbRsK_0Nzx67zgcTI4Y1doKg8qd4HB00Cszm-CwH_uqkCYQ0IkZ5C0aPbpgi6nECafR72ruVGJ2ilh5oemoZBMWRdn30u_5F5_AmhzgiR8pUDq2hOPM3V1Tzcv9t1803Ua5G1ZsLZR/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZNkbRsK_0Nzx67zgcTI4Y1doKg8qd4HB00Cszm-CwH_uqkCYQ0IkZ5C0aPbpgi6nECafR72ruVGJ2ilh5oemoZBMWRdn30u_5F5_AmhzgiR8pUDq2hOPM3V1Tzcv9t1803Ua5G1ZsLZR/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
I couldn't believe it. I stood stock still, thinking it was going to take off at any second. My camera was inside, as was my phone, but I'd been reading on my iPad (okay, I was playing Candy Crush) and I thought I might be able to snap a photo if I moved quickly and carefully.<br />
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And by that I mean like a stealth ninja.<br />
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An old, creaky, plump, stealth ninja.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKRSCR4DHdNnxZUyKEt0t25eoWXxODELHoGviJA65GB6WwVAhngfDi3s_Xr9kZ9cA5JRIdkeNeiTHfP3WR0r6pEMNIeFGifwPkbGZPWqvYov-BIoqBbuq_pqE6J2N6C3R3Im-mDMNjA44/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKRSCR4DHdNnxZUyKEt0t25eoWXxODELHoGviJA65GB6WwVAhngfDi3s_Xr9kZ9cA5JRIdkeNeiTHfP3WR0r6pEMNIeFGifwPkbGZPWqvYov-BIoqBbuq_pqE6J2N6C3R3Im-mDMNjA44/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The photo isn't as sharp as I'd like, but it was left-handed. Using an iPad. WHILE HOLDING A HUMMINGBIRD.</td></tr>
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May I say, do you know how hard it is to take a photo whilst juggling an iPad with one hand? With one <i>non-dominant </i>hand? With a hummingbird balanced in the other hand?<br />
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I struggled with the damn electronic demon and cursed its stupid design, which slipped and flipped each time I tried to hit the play button (yes, I know about the other button, but again, <i>one-handed, holding a bird</i>) all the while trying to a) not drop it, b) startle the hummingbird.<br />
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I did get it on film. The little guy was in no hurry to vacate his warm, cushy home. I had to coax him onto a nearby cherry tree branch. Within a minute or two, he flew off, unfazed.<br />
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You can watch the video below, or I recommend you go to YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-xptGGHypw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>HERE</b></span></a> and watch it on HD and on full screen.<br />
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Or you can watch the tiny version here: <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/R-xptGGHypw" width="440"></iframe><br />
<br />A Novel Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525456231177803620noreply@blogger.com7