annoyances...it's part of life

 life really can be annoying at times.  i have no place to complain but still.  we all love to some days.  my eye is annoying.  the swelling is much improved but it feels almost like i have a corneal abrasion.  would be easy to get that with that swelling.  what little eye lashes i have left at this age probably rubbed my eye.  now lots of tearing.

 swans out at Potters Marsh.  this is always a great time to see migrating birds.  this is from the other day.

 today i slept in again.  a benadryl stupor.  i think i will try to avoid that tonight.  i get less of a hangover with alcohol.

 love to watch these big birds land and take off.

 hit the dog park again today.  laziness. i did put the dogs on leash for some drills a few times though.  those pups need it.  Ivy is in full jumping mode.  mostly with me it seems.  i've decided the way i've been trying to train her only makes her see me as a wrestle buddy like Tusker.  today i tried to just turn my back to her and not give her any reward for the leaps.

 not sure if it's the cooling weather but her coat seems to be getting longer.  will be interesting to see how she looks in a year. it took Blossom extra time to get her full coat.

 eating crap, exercising like crap...October is my restart month.  get back on track.  was doing great until the puppies came.  i knew they'd totally throw off my habits.  they create exercise in their own way...

 stopped by to check on a friend, had heard rumors and hadn't gotten a response from texting. i had a gift card for her anyway for watching the dog.  the rumor i'd heard was true.  we aren't all perfect and our job is stressful. life can change in a very short time.  it's hard to adapt to those changes and tough not to be down on yourself when things seem to go very wrong.

 we never know what the plan is for ourselves.  what lessons we are to learn and how those lessons will be presented to us.  in the moment it can seem harsh and it's hard to have perspective.  hopefully this friend will find a better position for herself that will bring more happiness and be less taxing emotionally and physically.

 some poor older guy had his house stormed by 4  guys.  he lived in a house that was old and less than 500 square feet. what could he possibly have had in there that those 4 big guys had to crash in and nearly kill him for. what is this world coming to?

 you think you can plug along in relative safety but it's concerning the way things are going in our country...will this violence just become how we all meet out ends.

 these goats were also rather close to the road.  they chill in this area so i stopped to enjoy them since they were so close.  it was a mama and baby.

 is my headlight out?  kinda looks like it.

 at times this pair almost looked stuffed. they are alive and well though.  pretty cute and pretty chill about the camera's.

 another one of those stories that makes me grateful not to have children. i have always laughed when folks say to me who will take care of you when you get older if you don't have kids....some kids really take care of their parents...last weekend a 36 year old woman hit her mother on the head with a hammer.  not sure how the mother did...of course one wonders also was there more to the back story..what sort of childhood did she have with her mother. i suspect well loved and respected mothers are often cared tenderly for...but it's not guarantee that is for sure.

 the wind did finally start blowing late, late last night.  all i know is i woke sometime after 2:30 am to wind and the electric out.  i checked to make sure all the dogs were in and then shut the dog door. don't want a fence to come down and them to get loose.

 cute baby...not sure why mama lost part of her one horn.

 nice back drop of fall colors

 i don't often get lucky like this with the goats.  i see them all the time, but generally they are much higher up...or i'm short on time

 beauty.

 also saw the bore tide on the way back.  it was getting dark.  i was hoping for a sunset ride back but it had clouded over on the return trip.

 sounds like Seward got loads of rain over the past 24 hours and there were flood watches.

 for a while the winds blew in blue skies.  it was a nice late afternoon walk at the dog park.

 a bald eagle has been hanging out there. yesterday i warned a woman with a chihuahua of it...small dogs would be at risk.

 also i had placed one of Rio Catalina's coats in the car to give to one of the great danes.  may share more of them.  seems silly to have them sitting in my closet unused.  tough to let them go...part of Rio i guess.  i made her several coats. the coat of many colors fit Atticus perfectly.  i'll be able to think of Rio when i see atticus with the coat.

 i don't pull out my sewing machine very often. lately i haven't baked much either.  those domestic skills seem further and further away.

 colors on the way to Seward the other day.

 the fall colors are all over the place.

 often stop at this lake in Portage  great place to let the dogs loose and let them swim.  love that glacier fed lake color on the water.

 of course, i had to try and steer them clear of all the dead salmon that were scattered about.

 it's that time of year.  the salmon runs are ending with death and the carcasses are everywhere.  dogs love anything stinky

 Blossom got to chase her beloved tennis balls.  forgot the chuck it yesterday at park and today we lost 2 tennis balls before we'd gotten the first mile of the walk in

 Tusker was still testing out his swimming legs...got a bit splashy at times

 loved this one with Ivy's front feet.  she's a wader. had run into one lady who said the pool place had kind of forced her dog in at the end of the session since her dog had been anxious about it. i'd rather just let them go in naturally. if she never wants to swim, it will be okay. she still gets out there and plays and can cool off and all that.

 the hand off.  all that work to swim out to get the toy and Ivy is ready to pounce as soon as he gets to shore.

 that water color is just beautiful though.

 these last ones are at another stop along the way.  a rest area that i've stopped at with them before.  good for them to run around every so often. good for me as well.

 my beautiful Blossom.  she seems to be back to herself again today.  eating fine.

 trio on the hill.

 this one below is my favorite.  came out pretty cool.  got totally lucky having them all not moving at the same time.  nearly impossible.  haha.

 well, i shall turn in.  hopefully, i feel better tomorrow with this dang eye. silly bugs.  amazing when tiny bugs or bacteria can really throw off a big mammal such as myself.  we think we are so tough.

thankful for:  A.  puppy snuggles  B.  everything is still intact after all that wind  C.  a steady job that for the moment seems fairly secure.