bittersweet...

 

had another fun trek down to Homer.  would love to be in a position to just buy a place down there. don't see that happening though. will be happy just making frequent treks down there when the weather permits. it is a happy place. a great escape. 

this little guy just keeps getting taller.  he had a great time down there at the beach.  poor Ivy really has to put up with his antics.  stealing her toy, not letting her just chase the tennis ball.  corn cobbing her as she tries to run.  barking at her. she is way more patient than she needs to be. i try to intervene on her behalf and find myself getting frustrated, but then i realize that she is capable of giving him redirection and chooses not to most of the time.  she does on occasion.  i have to just allow them to create their own limits.  she does seem happy to have him as a companion though. 

i say bittersweet because the last trip down to Homer was now Tuskers last trip.  i was reading texts i had written to my friend who lives down there and in those texts i noted that Tusker was vomiting on that trip.  figured it was just too much salt water intake/excitement.  they do occasionally puke after a lot of beach time. looking back it makes me wonder if those were the early signs of his obstruction.  

he behaved like himself upon return so i didn't really think much of it...looking back though....who knows, right? this little photo of Sunny between my legs.  so tiny.  he's 6 months and already a bit taller than Ivy.  much lighter of course. 

all the walking and the driving do make the day after a Homer trip a bit of a recovery day. my muscles in my lower back felt a bit tweaked yesterday.  so laundry and taking it easy today a bit. 

i put in around 8 miles of walking/day so the dogs did much more.  Sunny wasn't keen on swimming but he did get more confident just running through the puddles. he also showed interest in chasing birds. at one point i got worried because it was just Ivy and I...then i saw him off chasing gulls.  

he's pretty good at coming back when called. didn't bother too many folks. 

the low tides were close to -4 this trek down there which is awesome.  it was also a low tide that wasn't too early so i could sleep in, take a shower, eat and then head out to where the tidal area is.  it's a bit of a trek to get to the rocks at Bishops Beach. so worth it though. 

loads of sea stars out there.  many just out in the open but most were just tucked in in cracks and then i was able to lift some rocks and get some views as well. always the usual characters out there. no octopus noted but i did run across some sort of sun burst star that was brightly colored orange and purple.  never seen one that looked like that.  super pretty. 

like the moose and the eagles and the scenery, i never bore of seeing these things over and over. i'm as excited as i was when i first saw them all. 

we always hit the tide pools in Laguna on our trips there so i have always loved beach combing and tide pooling. so relaxing. so many happy memories there. we were just free to wander the beach and the rocks out there as kids in the summers.  we just didn't bother much with church on the weeks we were down at the beach house. it was heavenly. 

took my time driving to and from Homer . on the way down there were some drizzlings but we stopped at Clam Gultch and Kenai Lake. the side road down to Clam Gultch is sketch in the summer and we just walked down as there were super deep ruts and sloppy snow conditions. no way was i gonna make it in the car.  as we got up the stairs to my car another car did drive past below on that trail...not a big truck or anything. more like a subaru. i wonder if it got stuck part way down or if they backed up that skinny road before they got too stuck in.  i was back on the road. 

stopped at Ninilchik on the way back.  Monday and Tuesday were sunny. 

i collected a bunch of rocks for painting.  need to sit down and do some painting. i only left a few rocks down there. dropped some ashes at sunset so i left a rock there and then i left another rock at the hotel...where we always stay. 

yesterday we went from beach to beach with breaks in the hotel for dogs to get some regular water and me to eat. so we hit the beach 4 x.  Bishops/spit/Bishops/spit.  

things are still mostly closed, will be until Memorial Day weekend.  i brought salad fixings and other snacky stuff and never ate out. 

covid stuff still seems fairly low here. i hit the grocery before Homer trip.  some folks passed behind me in the middle aisle...i overheard the one talking on the phone. she was saying they were canceling their Easter dinner because they had both just tested positive for covid. perhaps not go inside grocery shopping! at least those fools were wearing masks. 

Ukraine.  it's hard to watch the suffering. not a fan of such a high percentage of our tax dollars going to military but if we have it we may as well use it to try and help a nation that is being to cruelly and brutally attacked.  to just decide one day to take over a sovereign nation without provocation is heinous on it's own, but to then brutalize the civilians by out and out killing entire families.  killing parents in front of kids.  raping mothers, women and children...yes children...and grandmothers.  forcing people into russia, taking away all their documents and phones and taking them off for what fate we do not know yet. they steal everything they can get their hands on.  ripping earrings out of ears. their wives and girlfriends encourage the behavior and look forward to getting these trinkets. 

i hear their postal workers hinder this transport of goods and services as they steal their share of the bounty as well. it's disgusting.  rather than take their hatred out on the innocents of Ukraine perhaps they should get rid of their dictator, who has put them in the desperate state they exist in.  

Mariupol is still standing but barely.  the remainder of the military are basically holed up in an industrial complex. their families it seems and many other civilians are with them . who would want to turn them over to these inhumane killers. it's a horrific situation and my heart breaks for all of them. 

putin keeps making threats of nuclear attacks. with how poorly the rest of his military was cared for one wonders how much the nuclear stuff has taken a hit as well.  i mean i could see his generals thinking that stuff would never be used anyway so it would be a good place to steal funds from. 

he postures all over about taking this country out and that country out...he's had a rough go of Ukraine, that he was saying he take over in a matter of days. old, crappy equipment.  he's lost 8 generals and untold numbers of troops along with ships, planes, helicoptors and tons of tanks and such. expensive war to be fought.  a win in Mariupol would buoy putin up...not good. 

i really wish he would just go away.  

the rest again are from July. 

with control the russians will be able to cover their war crimes there. bbc was reporting today that over 500,000 have been "deported" to russia against their will. children taken from parents to be adopted out to russians.....what does adoption mean for these kids. indentured servants, sex trade??

some in Europe have still refused to completely ban russian oil which they are dependent on. that is all blood money that goes right back into russias war machine. we give a billion the oil brings in multiple billion...

same place, another day.  everything here changes so rapidly it's always like going to a very different spot  

the sanctions are making adding more to their military arsenal difficult as parts are becoming more difficult to come across. you do hear different news from different sources.  you just have to peruse several and work your way into some truths. 

the right continues it's assault on civility and kindness.  they believe they fight with Jesus  but in truth the Jesus of the New Testament would now be labeled a libtard and mocked. the Jesus of the New Testament would embrace all and exclude none. they scream about cancel culture while attempting to cancel anything that isn't Christian and high demand Christian at that. they cancel Seasame Street, they cancel Disney, they cancel sex education and any discussion on race or gender.  they would have us become a Christian nation based solely on Christian rules as they view them.  is their Jesus the one of the New Testament or the one of the lunatic conspiracy crack addicts. 

there were a few flowers popping out already in Homer . none of that here of course. just a few hours drive south does make a lot of difference. 

when i stopped at Portage, there were a lot of folks headed out for a ski across the lake.  seems too warm and too late but i didn't hear of any disasters out there. mostly, we all get away with the questionable things we do. 

not much traffic on the roads and the roads were safe and clear.  a few snow flakes up at Summit lake area.  otherwise just some sprinkles. the drive back was clear and beautiful.  some construction starting up. 

spotted a few swans and the gulls are back. 

back when she could chase her toy without a puppy jumping on her. 

although Tusker was not always perfect.  he stole her toy, lost her toys. she always sneakily handed the tennis ball to him anytime another dog came near. now she just drops it. we are losing balls as other dogs pick it up and are gone. 

so many pretty flowers.

not many jelly fish noted this trek...which in October they were everywhere. 

i did hit the sea star area by the ferry dock but it wasn't that low of tide by the time i got there. didn't see much there. 

probably should have headed there when it was still pretty low yesterday but wanted to head out to one of the other beaches on the way home. 

both dogs are sleeping at this time.  they are pretty chill today. i know when i do get motivated they will happily jump up and be their usual active selves.

dogs do adapt to your life. 

may still get out there. it's beautiful out.  the yard is slowly drying out.  dog poop pick up continues.  i tore down the front deck railing. it's nice having the light.  will have to think about new railing.  the other was falling off. looks better off than half on.  

tire change over time. perhaps my next stretch off i can get some of that done.  the tires are frozen in still this week. 

loved this with the beach flowers

back to work again tomorrow.  these days off go way too fast.  boo!!

who knows what tomorrow brings these days.  between crazy putin and the crazy right wing nuts our life as we know it feels very unsafe. 

the right actually is probably doing more for gay rights and trans rights than they realize.  most people do not like to see groups singled out and treated so nastily even if they weren't big fans of the gay and trans element of our society. Americans do like the underdog.  the right is making these populations the underdogs and that brings out the protective sides of most normal not q insane people. the same with Ukraine.  putin has made the world want to protect the nation that they are lashing out at. Zelenskyy has done a great job, as have his people, in using social media platforms to let the rest of the world see how heinous the russians behavior is. 

their total desire to ban abortions will probably backfire on them eventually.  there is a long road to go before we get this nation back on a rational path, that is if we can get the conspiracy crack addicts into some sort of addiction treatment program of reality. is it possible or is there just a generation of fools who will cling to all sorts of insane and nonsensical conspiracies over common sense and truth. 

well, i better move on to stage two of the day.  we do have more daylight so i can get out with the dogs.  lakes are mid thaw so a bit scary right now.  do i risk Jodphur loop and the dunes or are they still grooming the trails and the lycra's will be after me. hmm.  

i could just take a nap too though!  grateful for A. another safe and relaxing journey to Homer. B. the life and laughter the dogs bring in to my world C. that all bad things eventually end.  new bad things can begin but at least the old bad things do end.