OMG, look who's here, Casey

Casey just can't help it when Marcia comes to town - and today's reunion is typical. She is simply the closest anyone could ever be to a substitute mom for our guy. Case must sense a special connection, that Marsh was a Border Collie "mother" to two of her own - Megs and Katie. And she's never lost her love of this amazing breed.

    

Faux faceoff

Check out this faceoff, on the backside of an evening walk. Two of the most docile creatures on the block have seemed to have forgotten just exactly who was predator, and who the potential prey.

Back in the day, Casey would have bolted for this guy, but today he actually responded to “Leave…it, Leave it, Kid.”

Then the impromptu truce was over, lasting just long enough for us to start to wonder if the bunny was hurt, before darting away to nearby bushes, no worse for this chance encounter.

Door stop nap

Good bye, Izzy

A sad day for readers of Bedlam Farm and followers of Jon Katz's endearing Border Collies, as Izzy, in many ways the sweetest of the bunch and known for his work as a hospice dog, was allowed to be euthenized and die peacefully in Jon's arms.

From Jon Katz's morning post:

"Izzy was a profoundly loving, gracious and easy dog, a perfect dog in so many ways. Even this week, which must have been so difficult for him, he never gave us a moment’s trouble, and always tried to do the right thing. To the end, he tried to love Maria and me, and last night, sitting on that floor brought back a flood of memories about the remarkable way we found one another, and my privilege to witness the work that he did, for me and in hospice...and I feel for a creature that is as loving and intuitive as Izzy was. Izzy was what I call a spirit dog.

They enter our lives at critical times, and mark the passages of our life."

The video clip below is a simple retrospective on the life of Izzy and the joy that he brought to Jon and his readers. Dog-people will easily relate. Good bye, Izzy.

All this and Frisbee too

Just had to share this clip. A piece of advise...mute your audio. Quick.

The downside - blown ACLs.

Pink cotillion



May 4, 2011

A week or so early this year, our cherry blossoms debuted with very little fanfare, but a lot more April clouds and showers to accompany this annual front yard coming-out party.

April 24, 2012

  

Look who's back

Well, look who's back, and having his way with one of several dozen sidewalk buffets in our neighborhood. According to the Audubon Guide, this busy guy is the only variety of woodpecker that feeds much of the time on the ground.

And it just so happens that our aging sidewalk seams around the cul du sac are just chock full of ants, which comprise a big chunk of Red-shafted Northern Flicker's eat and run diet.

And this is all I need

We couldn't help but think of the classic scene out of Steve Martin's The Jerk (1979) when we spotted Casey spread out in front of the fire place this morning with all of his prized possessions - including his kitty. 

"And that's the only thing I need is *this*. I don't need this or this. Just this kitty... And this Frisbee. The kitty and the Frisbee and that's all I need... And this tennis ball...etc"

In case anyone needs a refresher, here's the movie scene - it's a smile:

On patrol

After catching sight of a bald eagle foraging overhead on the southside, it seemed to us that he was following our car home while boring figure eights in the sky. So I just had to pull over and grab the camera, knowing full well that he'd disappear when I did - I think it's a natural law.

Never got THE perfect shot, these will have to do, but it's always impressive watching these big guys anyway. And it's nice to just be able to gawk at them with or without a camera.

Eagle hunting area just uphill from Fairhaven.

  

Going rogue

Uh oh. The big guy leaves his seat on the couch for a couple of minutes and looks who moves in. It almost looks like Casey’s going rogue with a post of his own on Casey’s Worlds…and with opposable thumbs he just might be able to pull it off.



(Just think what I could do with a wireless mouse.)

  

I'll give you just 15 minutes to stop that

Casey’s always been a vocal guy – never in an annoying way, usually comically and unreservedly expressing an emotion. For a rescue project that took months before he even tried barking, our boy is now known for vocalizing. A bark or two to greet a visitor and whimpering while sleeping are the norm now, but his uninhibited moaning and groaning during rubdowns or ear rubs, just crack us up. Watch this snippet of video and you might just laugh out loud, while we push the ratings limit on this “family show.”

    

In tandem

You know what...I'm gonna hang around here. I got your back though.

Most of the time when I go out at night - to take compost items to the recyle bin, move a garbage container to the curb for pickup, drive the car into the garage - my velcro bodyguard has to accompany me. Tonight, as he might do on rare occasion, Casey wanted to stay close to the front door. (This time I just happened to be moving the car, and was bringing the camera inside.)

Sometimes I'll wonder if Case has picked up a scent while "mapping" that I should be concerned about - coyote, bear, racoon. 

Tonight though he just had that look that said, "How much longer...do you know it's late?"

(I wonder what's taking him so long?) 

Underwhelmed

Hyacinths popping up everywhere in the cul de sac and someone we know really couldn't care less. It seems like this week, after the hit and miss weather we've had the last few days, there is just no stopping the spring color scheme - and many of the changes to the flora are a month early.

  

Another spring debut, or two

The drizzle and gloom nearing twilight at least set the stage for the first tulips of our season, and the camera loved how they were showing off a sheen usually missed by this amateur.

The essence of this photo was obviously the water droplets, and there was probably more that could have been done with a manual focus, but quitting while you're ahead - while there was any light at all - is not a bad option. 

Nailed it

Neighborhood gloom with low clouds and drizzle made the National Weather Service look good,or at least accurate.

OK while it lasted

The rain's back, until the weekend. At least we had time today to soak up some sun.

You've got to be kidding!



After two long walks, a romp in a nearby park, a Frisbee toss, and hanging around all day with the grandkids? No "hall ball" tonight, kid. 

Big crowd on opening day

One of the biggest spring events of the year in Bellingham, the opening Saturday of another seven months of the Bellingham Farmers Market, benefitted from clear skies and almost shoulder to shoulder attendence. Local food and produce, arts and crafts, street musicians, non-profit and commercial booths, you name it, and this 20th annual weekend tradition rivals most like it in the Pacific Northwest.



Understandably - I guess - the canine crowd was relegated to the fringe areas - but with this much stimulation and controlled chaos in one place, Casey was OK with hanging back. In fact he was more than ready to go home after an hour or two.  

Easter Bunny connection

The Noow Estr Bonne ("The New Easter Bunny") by Granddaughter Kaya, a perfect work of kindergarten art just in time for the holiday weekend.

Happy Easter!

Picture perfect

Bellinghamsters have been living large weather-wise the last couple of days, as evidenced from this post card shot from Taylor Dock taken this afternoon by our son Joe. The county was ringed by cumulus clouds in various stages of development - and it looks like more of the same tomorrow, perfect for opening day of Bellingham's Farmers Market. 

Pose of the week

Here's a keeper Casey pose that was totally unexpected, and kind of makes you wonder what he was pondering. He's a deep guy.

Who woke up spring?

A sure sign of early spring on Samish Ridge, near water collection runoffs like the one above, is a cacophony of mating calls provided by a chorale of Green Frogs or tree frogs who probably just woke up and realized that they're players. And all that singing pays off.

Blue dream of sky*

Did we ever need this gorgeous day! We're probably in for it now though - "60 degrees and the bluest skies you've ever seen" could mean payback, but for now, we have always known enough to get outside and wallow in it.





That dark elongated area on the ground behind Casey (below) by the way, is called a shadow. They come out every now and then in early April, and sometimes they follow us around all day.

*Thank you, e.e. cummings.

Napping with abandon

After another full schedule of the "late-night-crazies" Stella just shuts down for hours. If her favorite restorative agent is blazing, with added relaxation ambience created by early morning wind and rain on the living room windows, it's lights out, with total abandon.

A real feel-good reason to have a box of Kleenex handy

If you have even an ounce of humanity this tender story is going to stay with you a long, long time. So just be moved for starters.

Uh, what are you doing with that remote?

"Sibs" basking in late night radiant heat. 

What's uncanny is how Casey and Stella can both sense when we're lifting the remote to shut off the furnace. Stella would likely be simmering at the hearth most of the evening if we didn't power it down - Casey would miss his kennel though for sure. It almost looks like he's headed that way now.