sunny day..

 these are still from this week.  I'll take a break from summer pics for a few fall ones.  I'll get back to catching up on those next week.  fun to put some pics from now in here.

 started adding pictures into my shutterfly page so i can get ready to make this years calendar and Christmas card.  almost afraid to make my card as the last 2 years i had one less dog before the cards were sent out. 

 loaded pictures from last November in there this evening.  last pictures of Blossom, last hike with Blossom.  miss that girl.  love these two but there was just something about Blossom that will always tug a wee bit more at my heart. 

 these two are awesome though and bring me a great deal of joy.  i would have been in a great deal of despair if i hadn't had them to keep me busy. 

 we had a busy day today. stuff around the house got done a bit.  i put the post in for the Little Free Library so hopefully i can get that up tomorrow, weather permitting.  want to paint the post as well.  it was easier than i expected.  so amazed anytime i do anything handy or creative.  i just don't see myself as handy or creative and i tend to put those things off as long as possible just for fear of failure...then i am all happy and proud. i shouldn't be too impressed with myself yet though. i still have to get the library nailed on. 

 i figure when this guy does finally show up with the base that i has asked him to make i can leave it inside for the winter and paint it.  i can later either remove the current library from where it is and put a flower box on the post or i can put the second library section next to the post and put a flower box on top of that.  i just want the library to up and getting used and not sitting in my house and those boxes of books also need to be out and getting read.

 will be interesting to see how that is received.  I'll try to put the library up and then paint it so maybe i can answer questions as people walk by.  may need to have a little open house on a weekend...some treats and just explain to those walking past maybe.  meet the neighbors i guess. 

 the guy across the street stopped by to chat.  anytime there is anyone in their front yard or if you have workers over...this neighbor stops by and chats.  good to have a neighbor that is watching our neighborhood. he was asking me about what movies i like and then the new PBS series on the Vietnam War came up.  he was there.  i remember as a teenager reading a lot about what happened there...it wasn't good. i read a lot about the POW's.  i read about torture and battles.  i have watched a few of these programs. they just came out.  he's got them all.  so interesting conversation.  he gave me much positive reinforcement for a job well done getting my post in.  dug the hole, post/cement. don't think i really did that right...but it seemed to be holding fine. 

 nice to get positive response without judgment.  I'm sure he'll be very interested when i put the library out there. it's not a neighborhood of wealth.  we are all pretty simple.  living simple lives. i like the closeness though in some ways.  if there is that big quake or NK drops the big bomb and we survive...i figure its the sort of neighborhood where i can get help. 

 despite my irritation over the bricks...i like the neighborhood.  i told him about the bricks...he just said he always just thinks, oh well, those just belong to someone else now.  haha.  sounds a bit like a tribal response to something like this.  suck it up...right.  maybe they needed those 4 bricks.  that is how it does work in other parts of the world.  nobody bothers about those things because far worse things are happening every day. 

 the planes are at Lake Hood the other day. 

 pups did pretty good at Home Depot....Ivy had a few jumpy times when we stopped for greetings.  as long as we kept moving she was fine.  greetings are still an issue.  we also went to get the oil changed in the car so they chilled in the waiting area with me.  learning to be around people is always a challenge with excited pups.  overall, these pups are doing pretty great.  it takes time, training and patience. 

 we are supposed to drop in temps down into the 20's next week i hear. wanted to get that post in before the ground freezes for winter.  this will also require me to shovel around the library. someone said i should get one of those tall flags to let the snow plow know it's there...will that make them aim for it though.  haha. thanks to Kat for lending me the post hole digger...worked pretty well.  i just buried a small bucket and put the post and concrete in that.  figured if i wanted to move the thing i could dig around and pull it out.  at least i think i could.  we could all be flattened by a nuclear bomb in the not too distant future too so best to not plan too far in advance.

 need to get my heater looked at for the season and i will need to buy new snow tires....so a trek to costco i guess for those.

 the snow is pretty quickly making it's way down the mountain.  maybe we will go visit some snow tomorrow on our walk. 

 things are settling in.  winter will be here soon.  i like the peace of winter.

 chatted with my friend Gnat, then later we chatted again with a conference call with another good friend in CA.  lots of laughter.  always good.

 second week of Monday walks today.  it's back on!!  nice.  great to be back with friends for these walks again.  4 on walk today.  3 dogs and then we headed to Kaladi's and were joined by yet another friend.  it does us all good i think, getting out all winter, socializing. 

 people i know on the more left leaning seem open to a variety of compromise regarding gun control issues, those on the hard right seem to not be open at all.  it's sad to see people who you have always admired seem to be so adamant and entrenched on some of these issues. 

 they seem to be creating a no win situation.  i have no idea what will happen going forward.  the right is clearly on a mission to destroy anything that was touched by Obama or they see as a liberal thing, no matter whether it makes sense to destroy it or not.  it's crazy...hate driven and once the machine of hate is on the move there really does seem to be little you can do to stop it.  they will have to come to their senses on their own i fear and the rest of us will have to turn to survival mode.  hope that when the dust settles we are alive and that our nation will be able to be rebuilt. 

 our standing in the world has taken a nosedive since the iitoo came in to office.  it's embarrassing and scary and chaotic.  he has no idea what he is doing and he just reacts wildly to things.  the right seems to think it's cute or maybe they are just so very happy to see the left squirm.  they hate the left so much they have lost much of their common sense i fear.   they seem to accept things i can't imagine them ever accepting.  it's cultish...this iitoo can do or say anything and they make excuses. 

 one guy said he won't run again, Corker.  he feels more free to say what he thinks.  he had previously supported this prez.  now it's clear he regrets that.  the only comfort was that he indicated that the GOP leaders do see the issues with this iitoo and yet they all seem to be paralyzed to do anything about it because his base is so loyal to him.  so freaking strange that this lunatic has the support of those who claim to be the religious right.  this man who has sold them some tale of being religious,when it is pretty clear that religion is the last thing on his mind.  he is his own God. 

 Bann was out there claiming he would run someone against every GOP member in office, except Ted Cruz...not sure why he gets a pass.  i said ages ago i wondered if the plan was to destroy the GOP...it's looking like perhaps whether that was the original plan or not, this is for sure headed that way.  i said the GOP was imploding with this candidate...now prez...indeed it is. 

 what will replace it?  theocracy?  oligarchy? 

 we are all ants in the big scheme of life. going along doing our jobs, powerless in many ways.  history tells us this happens all the time.  no nation is safe.  many fail or just go through major upheavals.  i can only hope that the implosion will lead to good changes.  that the GOP if it fails will fail at a level where we can return to a more progressive state.  that they will be humbled and willing to finally compromise somewhere. 

 i know it's a dream..perhaps a fable. 

 looking at some puffins in a photo. i had printed up some pics...thinking of putting puffins on the post. see how my painting skills are this week.  i have tomorrow off, then back to work for three. 

 the rest are from the dog park yesterday

 above is a larch.  it's an evergreen that is deciduous.  God is pretty amazing in that this earth is filled with such diversity.  i am fascinated by these trees every fall. 

 there were some huge leaves that had dropped so i just had to attempt to put them on the pups and get photos

 they were less than happy to model the leaves, but they did it for me. 

 they are pretty adorable.  i do fall in love with them more and more each day. i think the older i get the more paranoid i get about them. with each dog lost i think it gets harder instead of easier.  i would have thought it would have gotten easier...but

 Tusker just came into the office.  they tend to take turns being near me.  i am well watched over.

 such a beautiful scene. 

 there were a few swans there yesterday. hadn't noticed them and i didn't take my big camera so i just watched them yesterday

 leaves are piling up.  soon I'll have to avoid all lakes for fear the dogs will fall through the lakes as the ice hardens up.  not yet though . I'll enjoy these last weeks before the changes come

 Ivy with her leaf.

 I've noticed the beavers have also been busy preparing for winter.  lots of new trees down.

 always like the one red leaf.

 Ivy took a few tries to get a picture. i think she was more accommodating than Tusker.

 hopefully i can transition them to the frisbee. so far they are tennis ball obsessed. 

 will be fun to see what they do with their second year of snow.

 more beaver action

 also took time to decorate the front deck. these are actually not complete.  I'll still tweek it some.

 Skelly is a cowboy for Halloween this year.  he and his crew. 

 oh dear, Ivy is barking and it's midnight. just called her...in she comes

 will watch another episode of "Call the Midwife".  then i shall crash.  lots to do tomorrow. will   pop outside to check for northern lights though first.

grateful for: A.  getting that post in the ground  B. people being nice  C.  that Monday walks are back..!