After Easter Extravaganza

Hot chocolate made from rice milk, topped with fake cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I just love to play with that white stuff out of a can. Instantly I am transported in to a childish set of mind. Even though in my growing up years whipped cream required about 20 minutes of beating the cream to the desired consistency. There were no cans for instant gratification. And I do know the difference between what is real and fake, most certainly in cream. Do you?

Heaven



A buddy to romp with.

Just Say No!

Tales of fairies are for kids. Royalty ought to be a thing of the past. Weddings are made up of hopes, dreams and wishes - and a lot of money. Just say no! Simply say no to getting up at 4 AM to watch the royal extravaganza. Just say no to royal entertainment when here in the US we have now 3 wars to follow. Just say no to living in a fantasy in favor of reality. Realities can be harsh, but only being in it gives us a chance to change it. Just say NO!

P.S.: Truth be told I watched more then I like to admit. Loved the cocked little hats and loved the ringing of the bells and the singing of hymns. An attractive couple, but living in a glass bowl would not be my cup of tea. I sure do not envy them and their very structured, ritualized lives. I still see no point in holding on to outdated traditions, such as Kings and Queens, but hey, I am not English.

Homeward Bound







It took this guy 6 months of travel on horse 
an average of 25 -30 miles a day
5 days a week, followed by 2 days of rest
to make it to Santa Fe from Michigan
accompanied by his two dogs.

When I had seen him for the first time on the plaza
with his horse and two dogs,
he had created a traffic stopping sensation downtown.
His boots were held together with duct tape.
His horse looked to some too skinny.
The man, very sociable indeed, was in need of a job.

Two years later
this man has no complaints.
He found work on a ranch in Cerrillos.
His horse now wears a fine new bridle.
His pups look plump and very happy.
His boots now are no longer in need of duct tape.
Proof that here in Santa Fe
the Wild West is well and alive!

Taxes

Why aren't we objecting? 
Why aren't the streets filled with protesters?
Why aren't heads rolling, metaphorically?
Why aren't our legislators bombarded by us?
What can we do in face of such inequities?
Are we simply resigned to life being unfair?

Feel free to steal and share this chart.

Girl With Cat

A witch in the making?
How come the cat stays up on her shoulder?
Close encounters of different kinds.
The girl with her pimply face and sweet expression
reminds me of my younger self.

Historic Santa Fe Entries





 Holy Cow!
In search of signs of Spring, on bike with Sumo on lead,
I captured these historic Santa Fe entries in morning light.

Icicles, Surprise!




The automatic sprinklers were left on because nobody wants to have to deal with anything manually anymore or anything that requires adjustments to changing circumstances such as weather and watering needs. Supposedly all this ice does not harm the plants, but I am not convinced. What it does make is fascinating images from a wondrous frozen world captured in early morning sunlight.

Finally, a plea!


My Isabella-girl, here delighted with her new friend, Nail, a Turkish guy we had just met for the first time on the patio of Downtown Subscription, a coffee shop that offers the very best coffee in town. This happened January 27th 2007 when dogs were still illegal, not just in, but around establishments that serve food. But this is about to change this summer when the bill our Governor finally signed yesterday will come in to effect July 1. 2011.

What a relief to be able to bring our furry friends along on walks and errands and be able to stop at a pet friendly establishment for necessities like food and treats for the pets, coffee for me, and socializing for all. Isabella found a life long friend in Nail who loves dogs and brought his dog from the streets of Turkey to the US. Nail has volunteered at our local pet sanctuary and is involved in animal activism internationally on the net. Spotting Nail from a distance, Isabella will strain towards him excitedly. Socializing is good for us all. I love to see my furry friends interact with the world around them. Isabella-girl is big time in to guys, will stop in the middle of the street to gaze at a guy approaching, while my little Sumo-boy likes boys  especially and will swagger up to a group of them to compete for their ball, very cute. Of course he had practice having grown up in a household with a boy he obviously loved and had played with often. Sumo will also not be above climbing in to a stroller with a toddler in order to find a soft spot of his own.

Out in public we all have to keep our wits, act responsibly and employ some common sense. Please do not bring your dogs to a patio before they have attended to their business. Nobody wants to smell pee from any furry friend's attention to the flowers and bushes nearby. Please keep your pets close so that we can pass them without worry. When you approach a patio with your friendly dog, do not assume that this gives license to approach a tethered dog or two with no care. Always give respect and proper attention to any animal nearby, never assume. Toddlers have no business approaching a dog with arms outstretched squeeling, this is an invitation for trouble. With the consent of the custodian demonstrate to your kid how to make contact with a dog properly, by allowing the dog to get curious and approach and sniff first. Toddlers will follow examples offered to them. One Japanese father believed his kid to be too young to learn, I say we can not start early enough to demonstrate appropriate behavior.

Only last week, 2 dogs were tethered, illegally, outside the farmers market when a couple with a very cute little white toy poodle on a retractable leash attempted to pass those tethered dogs seemingly in total unawareness of the potential for calamity, way too close, certainly for my comfort and the tethered dogs comfort as well. All hell broke lose, barking got more aggressive and I had to intervene and tell those dogs to calm down because the couple was taken by surprise and did nothing. The tethered dogs, also surprised, listened and all was well and could have been avoided if the passing party would have given only a little bit more space and attention.

I believe we are responsible, not just for those in our charge, but for the world we live in. I believe we practice not enough response-ability. A few years back I heard loud aggressive barking. As I investigated I found my neighbor, a mature woman with two serious, powerful dogs of her own, on her knees in the street, barked at aggressively by a little dog new to our 'hood. I told the dog off, told him to go home, did not think twice, and he did. Thank you  Dog Whisperer, this episode made all those shows I had watched on TV worth its time in gold. Mind you, I am not a natural when it comes to dogs, pets of any kind. I got my first dog, my Isabella-girl only in October of 2006. At the dog park at first I was afraid of other dogs and rather content with Isabella-girl charging ahead. Soon though I realized that dogs at the park were interested in other dogs a lot more then in me and that most, if not all, were well socialized.

We need to practice common sense out in public with our pets. As a pet owner, or rather custodian, I do not like to see dogs up on chairs licking things off public tables. Customers should not have to dodge around dogs, not knowing if they are friendly or if they might jump, goddess forbid, cause anyone to spill their hot coffee or worse. Don't feed a dog either. Food fights are no fun, neither is diarrhea caused by uncommon food given without consent to a dog with a sensitive digestive system. Barking is not o.k.. While dogs will announce the comings and goings of other dogs, let yours know that enough is enough, especially when out in public. Pets can add so much to our lives with a little bit of consideration and a lot of on-going training. Of course, this is a far cry from leaving dogs in the yard day in and out, maybe nights too, and sadly with some still tethered on chains. We have come a long way as a society and we still have a long way to go, considering all the cruelty, inhumanity and blatant animal abuse still in full force.


My Isabella-girl, my first dog, in 2007 supposedly fully grown at about 24 lbs. She wears a pack that holds her treats, bags, and my phone and camera, mainly to slow down her interminable energy and excitement.

Rain!

 
Hooray, rain arrived only one day after my rain barrel hit bottom and I had run out of my supply of harvested rain from roof run off. We have had very little rain this Spring so far and also considerably less snow fall, even in the mountains this winter. We likely are already in a drought again here in the high desert, even with the downpour we experienced last night. Watering plants already has been limited to once a week, so the plants are feasting on the available moisture and we are celebrating a for us not so ordinary rain fall. I ran out first thing this morning with camera in hand and captured some of the splendor on green leaves mostly, as there are not yet too many blossoms out in bloom.

Spring Blossoms

A beautiful, bright Spring morning gave way to a long awaited down pouring of rain, hooray! Most blossoms are barely out yet, so the damage should be minimal, the benefit likely optimal.

Breakfast Today


Out by eight, I walked my pups, then shopped, then treated myself to breakfast out in the yard on a beautiful, bright Spring morning. Black, spicy, hot coffee with warm croissant, the weekly paper just out. My Orchid, in bloom since last July, enjoyed a bit of extra light out in the yard and swayed  happily in the wind until the sun would reach the table. The Catnip plant almost got demolished by the Pretty Kitty, who had stayed out all night, again, I came to the rescue just in time. The Strawberry plant, usually near it, was gifted to me by one of the Farmers Market vendors, so sweet.

Om's Sweet Home