A few misses.

These are just a mish-mash of the past month. I didn't have much time to post new photos.

And finally, me in my glory of course:

For reals.

We are fostering our first dog, from BDRA. I named him Kanoa, which means "free one" because he spent the better part of his life on a tow chain, but is now a free agent. He comes all the way from the US. I'm assuming his blindness is congenital, but might have been prevented if he had had some treatment early on. Hard to say. Either way he's a total sweetheart and for some reason still trusts humans even though he had a really rotten life before he came into rescue.

LeeAnne and I drove to Antigonish to meet his transport. What a relief to finally get him, after his first transport was cancelled due to rotten weather all along the Eastern Seaboard. He was really skittish and afraid at first, but now is really coming around. We're just on day three with him. He's marking a bit in the house, but I think this should change after his neuter and a bit of training. He's going in for his neuter tomorrow, which I'm a little nervous about because it's a cryptorchid (one of his testes is undescended, so they have to go "find" it in his abdomen). He should be fine though.

He's getting along pretty well with Sola and Luna, even though they want to dominate him a bit... He can hold his own.

He's a sweetie, eh? Who wouldn't want him?

I may live to regret this...

Before I get into the melodramatic and existential crisis I had this morning, how about some pictures of my dogs on a hike yesterday?

We went up Coxheath mountain, it was a beautiful day and a great time.

The girls enjoying themselves

Geoff in the cabin

Me on a rock

Me in the cabin with Luna

Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.

- Jawaharlal Nehru

Groomer goodness!

Luna and Sola went to the groomer today! They really needed a good bath and brush and their nails done. They looked (and smelled) so much better afterwards....

I wasn't sure what to expect because I had never used a real groomer before, but going somewhere where they have all the right gear really makes a difference. The whole thing took all morning. Luna took about two hours, most of which was drying time and Sola took about one.

All clean and pretty!

Still playing like a puppy

Sola is all smiles, no problem

She didn't really like the driers though...

Luna getting a doggie pedi

Being a really good girl for her groomer!

Murder mystery!

Geoff and I, and Darren and Ruth went to the Keltic Lodge this weekend for a murder mystery extravaganza! The whole thing was put on by Catchword productions, which is a Halifax based theatre company that does this sort of thing. We played silly games, and had a lot of trouble figuring out who the mysterious killer was. We were soooo close, but no cigar. I thought for sure G and I were going to get a prize for best interpretive dancing, but we seemed to fail in that department as well despite the thunderous applause that took place after our stellar performance. The costume party was definitely the highlight for me. Dress-up is fun. Some zombies won for best costume- they deserved it for staying in zombie-character all night.

We live on a pretty cool island.

I am a butterfly!

Ate and drank too much...

Morning in Ingonish

The Lodge.

We almost hit a moose on the way up. That was not cool. I was especially excited with the veggie food that was available. I think I still managed to gain 10 lbs in 2 days....

My ma's a tough cookie

I think this post will be pretty picture-heavy.

So we drove to Truro to get inked by Becky - 2nd time for me, 1st ever tattoo for ma! So we arrived in town, ate dinner at a cute bistro, checked out Margolian's and then it was tattoo time.

Mam watching while Becky cuts out her HUGE stencil

Waiting patiently... Can cut the tension with a knife!

Getting it done! No problem.

All done! Bob Dylan seeing eye... Took about 1.5 hours. What a trooper!!

All proud

Ok. There are photos missing because I didn't feel the need to expose the fact that the ankle tattoo (yes that's right she got TWO in her fist visit...) was actually pretty painful! Big difference when it's a bony spot. Ah well... Got 'er done anyway:

Pretty stylized lotus

Wuh-oh, it's my turn!! Getting my pansy. Symbol of freethought, and coincidentally was also my grandfather's favorite flower.

Next day back home... Sore but good! PS- wrist tattoos are PAINFUL, and getting tattoos touched up also stinks. Scar tissue toughening up, my a$$.

Now let's move on to the fact that we stayed in the Bates' motel for the night. There was a perfectly fine Best Western, a Holiday Inn and numerous other well-known chains of family-rate hotels and such, but noooooo... I was told to book a room at a place which shall remain nameless....

Don't get me wrong. The place was clean, the service was fine, and there is ultimately nothing wrong with this motel other than the fact that it is nearly Halloween, the place was virtually deserted because it was their last night open for the season, and it was full of wood panelling and tweed chairs and other 1950s type stuff. Actually come to think of it, maybe it was cool.

Whoa. This was the morning. A picture in the dark-and-storminess of last night would have illustrated my point more effectively.

Case in point- tweed-covered chair (that my computer refuses to rotate- possessed?)

Gideon was here

My mother is a stellar driver... Really.

Right. The oddest part of the stay wasn't really the digs. When I got to the motel, you have to go in an old-timey front office affair. Doing so, I encountered the receptionist, we'll call her Mrs. X.

Mrs. X. told me in a singsong voice that brunch was at 7:30am, the tidal bore could be viewed at 11:30pm, and handed me my room key- but not without explaining that, at 74, it was her last shift, ever. She was retiring. I was then informed about various and sundry aspects of her health and wellbeing, and then... a pause (and please excuse my paraphrasing at this point, it was after all getting late and I was tired from the trip and events of the day).

"You," Mrs. X. exclaims, "are a bright and beautiful person. You have a sunny disposition. You must teach school."

I explained that no, I did not, I am in fact a librarian, but good guess!

"Well.", she went on, "You are too beautiful to be shoved behind those awful dusty books all day. Anyone would be lucky to have HALF your looks. You should be a TRAVEL AGENT! You could be on TELEVISION!".

Surprised, I think I stammered "Oh...!" and started to back away slowly. Is this a gag? Am I on camera? Is someone going to jump out with a weapon??? No. This is for REAL. But it doesn't stop there.

Mrs. X. then asks me my age. Hesitant, I tell her I'm 28. Now she gets a knowing look on her face, and I fear for the worst. "Ha! Well... I shouldn't be telling you this, but...", Mrs. X. stops, glances around, and leans in to tell me her secret. "People change careers at 29, 39, and 49. You're no different. Someone is going to offer you something much better, and you promise me that you're going to take it!"

I'm not sure at this point whether I'm accepting career advice or having a tarot reading, at 11:00pm in the office of a 1950s motel by a severely arthritic receptionist on such a cold, windy, rainy night, but she did give me a CAA discount, some tickets for brunch and my receipt, and I was on my somewhat merry but mostly trepidacious way. I don't think I've fully come to terms with this little rendez-vous yet, but I'll be sure to give Mrs. X. a hollar when I take my shiny new job as a televised travel agent.

Roadtrip with my ma!

Waiting for ma to pick me up, figured I'd start my story.

Mam has wanted a tattoo forever. Since college? Since whenever? I don't know. So today is her big day. We are driving to Truro and Becky's going to work her magic on her. I like what she's picked. Time is a factor.

In other news, I realized this morning that I pretty much dress myself as my 13 year old equivalent. That is to say, I dress the same as I did when I was in junior high school. Levi's? Check. Chucks? Check. T-shirt with weird logo? Check. Oh dear. Should I start buying hubba bubba again???

Sew... it's T-giving weekend

Today I had some time to myself so I made a shirt! I think it turned out ok. I'm not sure about the off-shoulder style on me, but I think I would wear it. I think the moto fabric is meant for a little boy, but I thought it was rad!!

Full view. I think I like this one!

Close-up view

A wrap top I made a while back but never posted; me à la Sears catalogue.

Friday night was Tim and Kim's wedding. It was at St. Patrick's museum which I think is the oldest (if not ONE of the oldest) chuches in the area. Very cool on the inside, post-and-beam structure and lots of character for a wedding. The reception was at the Delta and we stayed for a while and watched some pretty hilarious kids on the dancefloor and ate some munchies. I met some of Geoff's Mt.A. friends for the first time- cool.

Tim, G. and baby Cael

Darling!

Yesterday was non-Turkey day. I neglected to take my Tofurky roast out of the freezer in enough time so ended up eating veggies and soybeans. Oh well, no biggie. Mam's tiramisu made up for all that.

I am trying not to be a crankypants. Today I didn't really feel like myself!

Dog park!

Today was a big day of helping put up a fence for the new dog park. I'm pumped for the girls to have somewhere safe to run off-leash.

Hung out with LeeAnne and met her hubby, talked dogs and bought some pink work gloves at the Country Co-op. A pretty good Saturday if you ask me!!

Parties and dogsitting are fun

We babysat little Broadway on Sunday so Erin and Josh could go motorbike around the Cabot Trail. I keep telling her she needs a little dog trailer or sidecar but the idea isn't flying so much.

Not allowed on the couch

Not having a nap on the couch with Sola

Me not allowing Sola on the couch/my lap

The boys partaking in a bevvy in the kitchen

The girls doing the same

I should have taken more pictures last weekend, I kept forgetting. This weekend we have the dog park build and I have a chorale concert- Voices for Hospice which is a fundraiser for hospices/palliative care. Mostly traditional folkloric this time.

It was a long week. Hard to believe Thanksgiving is in a week. It's officially Fall.

I joined a rescue organization, Blind Dog Rescue Alliance, that Colleen started up. I'm curious to see what it will entail. I'm not opposed to fostering at all, but I don't have much experience with blind dogs. Deaf dogs sure, but not blind. It will be interesting to see if I can do anything locally. Colleen and I are the only two Canadians in the group, everyone else is from across the US. So if all goes well, it's an item off my list too- as Jessica pointed out. I hadn't thought of that but I guess she's right. I'm not 'involved' yet though, only joined.

Mam and I have an adventure planned in two weeks. Stay tuned....