what is it about white guys and assault rifles....?

 when there is a terrorist attack there are calls to ban all those from Muslim majority nations...so perhaps it's time to just ban all white dudes from owning assault rifles? 

 not much is known i guess but more are dead.  this time it was a church.  we haven't really heard any rational still for the white guy in Vegas and it's not looking like we will. 

 terrorists kill for some perceived political gain, it looks like these white dudes often just kill to kill.  why is that? what is it about being a white male that predisposes these guys to blood thirst.  I'm not saying there aren't mass killings by other races or even the rare female, though that does seem really rare.  it just seems all too common that it is a white male. 

 i have heard 26 lives lost in this shooting.  a guy across the street had a rifle, he heard the shooting and came out with it.  not sure if he got a shot off that eventually killed this guy or if the guy killed himself. 

 it's a pretty depressing state that our nation is in though.  these killings happening far too frequently.  surely the answer can't be thoughts and prayers until the next and the next and the next? what if it is your child, your brother, your wife, your husband lost....will we ever get any action.  these poor souls were in a church.  seems there should be some protection being in a house of worship, but there doesn't seem to be.  we have had several shootings in churches, some of those racially motivated. 

 if these white guys are trying to prove themselves the superior race they are failing pretty miserably in my opinion.  a superior person would rise above, a superior person would not hold such values as to believe they are superior. 

 as you can see it snowed last night.  not much, I'd guess just a few inches.  enough to make the drive to the trail head pretty slippery. 

 the rest are from yesterday.  these stumphenge. 

 i drove slow, was only going a few blocks to get to the trail head and still on my regular street tires.  my car was not happy and so i went super slow to avoid an accident.  most of the cars around me on my short drive were also going the slow speed i was, but a few cars caught up and as a car zoomed past me the driver opted to hold his horn down for like 5 seconds.  there is a part of me that wishes to see the car flip out of control due to the drivers speed and jerky behaviour...i am clearly not a superior human.  a superior human would never have such thoughts. 

 had some errands i wanted to run, but opted to skip it due to the road conditions.  better save than crashed. 

 watched a dull movie, which i suspect i actually slept through part of it. 

 got the door to the little library unstuck and put a few nails in it so that the door could be opened more easily.  didn't think about winter with it.  i will for sure have to find a way to solidify the post more in the spring as well.

 while i was there i went ahead and made a small, pretty pathetic snowman. 

 my snowman making skills are pretty poor.  i did not grow up with snow so making snowmen is not something i ever did until well into my adult years.  if anyone has any mad skills and wants to teach me, come on over.  i did drip him with food coloring....clearly i did the same with Ivy Rose.

 we spread cheer on the trails today.

 admittedly, I've been anxious to put the pups on their leashes.  that will probably subside when I'm in less pain. still a big bruise on my wrist and elbow as well as the discomfort on the shoulder.  perhaps i am more of a wimp than i thought.

 despite walking over 4 miles today, the pups came home and have spent hours wrestling in the back yard. there is now a large pink spot in their main wrestling spot.  dogs go a bit nuts when there is fresh snow

 these are from that strange area where there was a thin crust of ice.  no doubt the snow today weighed this all down and it is destroyed, i was the lucky one to see it.  sometimes life lets you be lucky like that. 

 the dogs had little appreciation for this marvel. 

 woke with a sore throat, not sure if that will evolve.  took some Tylenol as i felt that body ache thing. i did just get my flu shot last week and i find that sometimes i will feel like this soon after, only to have it resolve without anything worse.

 you can see on the trunks where the ice crust broke and fell off. 

 i thought it rather cool looking. 

 i am pretty easy to amuse though.  another Monday walk tomorrow.  always fun. 

 it's fairly early so i figure I'll try to load some pictures so that i can maybe get started on the calendar in the next few nights. always so many fun photo's so it's hard to know which to choose. 

 the 14th it will be one year since i lost my sweet Blossom and then a few days later on the 18th will be the second year since i lost Rio Catalina.  we move forward from loss, but we never totally move on, even if it's a dog.  my dogs are my family up here.  they are with me all the time.  i can depend on them, they never judge me.  they don't care if I've put on a few pounds or if I'm not really dressed to impress, which is always.  they are happy to just be near me...i mean really happy.  they are always way happy when i return from being away...even if it's just been to go to the grocery.

 very grateful that i had these guys when Blossom passed.  can't imagine how difficult it would have been otherwise.  they kept me busy this year. 

 thinking the cover of the calendar will be a collection of cairns and memorials that i have made over the past year.  i still have a lot of ashes....so i will hopefully just continue to take the dogs at the bridge on more adventures.

 it's time to get Skelly ready for Thanksgiving.  that was one of the errands...trying to get inspired for idea's for a scene worthy of Skelly and crew. haha.

 Ivy cracks her way through the thin ice.  i think at first she was a bit anxious but soon she was cracking it all over. 

 the results looked cool

 more frozen ground...all covered now though.  the pups did great off leash today.  thankfully, they are pretty good off leash since on leash can be dangerous.  dang squirrels...thankfully at least many of the birds have migrated south...those robins were killing me!

 seemed a good day for black and white. 

 heard of a co-worker i had a few years back, i had not heard that he and his wife had split up. today i heard that he killed himself on Halloween.  how awful.  you just never really know what is in the hearts of those around you.  please reach out to those you may not contact often.  just a text...remind them that they matter, that they are remembered, that they aren't invisible.  it's easy to feel invisible in this world. i suspect we all feel like misfits no matter how much we appear to fit in.  we all feel awkward at times. 

 this was a pretty huge sap drain..over 1 foot really.  needed color for that.  may God be with those souls who were lost today, may he be with those who loved them and may God protect our nation that we may find a way through all of this hate and anger that seems to have taken hold.  grateful for:  A.  fresh snow and a happy pink colored dog, she makes me smile  B. diversity, our earth is an amazing place because there is such diversity...plants, animals, insects, humans, landscape.  I am constantly in awe of the grand and the small.  C.  ice cream.  it fixes everything some days.

Ice and Bubbles

 love this one above...it was actually just a snap shot out the window, pretty much blind.  just the fog and light were so pretty that day. 

 this guy was in my hood, i pulled over and snapped the shot

 these are from a walk in Campbell Airstrip track the other day.  i switch back and forth between more current pics and leftovers from summer/fall. 

 it has been foggy a lot of late.  today the sun came out a bit. 

 i headed over to do a loop of gasline-powerline and then off on side trails.  no leashes required.  feeling a bit chicken to try a leash walk until this should heals.  i tend to give injuries such as this a few days rest with ice and ibuprofen.  i do increasing stretches and range of motion exercises and see how she goes.

 found this little frog in the woods...hopefully he locates his proper owner before the snow comes again.  I'm sure he is missed. 

 more fog.  i was thinking that many would probably run to the ER after the fall that i had the other day.  there they would probably put a splint on and say rest it for a few weeks.  I'm more of a believer that the sooner you move the sooner you heal.  if you can't move at all...then for sure get in and get it looked at.  if it doesn't heal then again get it looked at.  there will be pain.  we seem to live in a society that believes there shouldn't be any pain and if there is an MD must be immediately consulted and tests run and maybe surgery. 

 i started out doing the chuck it with my left hand today. eventually, i got brave and used my right arm. i just did a slow and methodical wind up, followed by more wrist than shoulder.  went well, some discomfort at certain points but it did make me hopefully.  in the background above the bigger tree is the bear tree on Campbell Airstrip Road...that is where the mama black bear tends to den up each year.  is she in there?  i didn't go close enough to look and i won't. 

 hit a movie and meal with a friend this evening.  my should did freeze up a bit from sitting. haven't been out to eat for a bit so that was nice.  the movie was one I'd seen a clip of and it looked interesting. "Goodbye Christopher Robin".  happy my friend was game to check it out as well.  i quite enjoyed it.  the story is about the author and family.  sounds like the author Milne had a pretty tough go of it during WWI.  in those days you just didn't really speak of it it seems. 

 i suspect these weeks as he prepared to write this were some of his happiest weeks.  i doubt they ever expected the book to do what it did nor were they understanding of how that would impact their son.  i just don't think they had paparazzi in those days to the level that we do.   In the end this little guy was subjected to a great deal of public interest, he couldn't escape it.  it's sort of a sad tale of a life that seems to not reflect at all the happiness of the book.  i think after Milne's son went to war himself he had a better understanding of it all and the impact the book had on all who read it. 

 he apparently refused any of the money or other royalties of the book and all that went with it. 

  these are from today.  these are what the earth looks like as it freezes. 

 there were areas of frost.  always love frost. 

 the puppies were happy to be back out on the trails. 

 was laughing the other day..i went to a petsmart and stopped in to use the facilities.  while i was in my stall i hear the lady in the stall next to me, "oh hello, i just called to say i love you..." followed by her flush.  nothing says i love you more than calling from the can i guess.  haha. 

 driving home tonight i was listening to a podcast i like. Stay Tuned With Preet- he was the AG in New York and had been asked/told by iitoo that he would be kept on and then was dropped like everyone else.  i think he refused to quit though and so was fired.  he always has interesting podcasts about what is going on in our current.

 he and a guest were discussing the recent indictments.  they also both know Mueller, the female guest worked with him for a few years i think.  he sounds like he is highly respected.  he is registered as a Republican but he is not political.  he seems to have solid ethics.  i think they were saying he was the FBI director previously...anyway...they were just saying that he was in a job that has a 10 year term.  they actually got an act of the senate to allow him to continue past the 10 year as he was viewed so highly.  i think it was Obama who made the request and it passed the senate with 100% agreement.  they were pretty disgusted to see that some are trying to discredit him. 

 have people like Manofort been promised pardons if they keep quiet?  anyway, always really interesting to hear Preets viewpoint.  great podcasts.

 i think my library may be frozen shut.  I'll have to attempt to open it tomorrow.  was thinking perhaps i could just put a few nails and a band to hold it shut..perhaps that will keep it accessible through the winter. 

 this is looking back down the gasline trail

 stopped at the little creek.  always fun to get photo's of the ice buildup there....actually these two are from the powerline part of trail

 everything gets encased in ice and then the snow comes

 frost over the city with Mt Susitna in the background

 happy pups...they will be ready to rock again tomorrow. was debating a run at Spencer Loop tomorrow...or i could head to Kincaid for a loop

 bubbles!

 waiting for me to toss the toy

 these are at the little creek.  loved this stick all the way across the creek with a bunch of icicles hanging off of it.  can't last too long

 switched to black and white...seems to capture the ice better.  not sure.

 of course, i had to keep tossing the tennis ball as i wandered up beside the little creek.

 bubbles in the water as well.

 was supposed to be loading pictures and making the calendar.  i wasn't a slacker today though.  well, i did sleep in quite a bit...so i guess i was a slacker. 

 water and ice...always cool. 

 my papers haven't been arriving. not sure what happened there. i mostly read on line i guess anyway.  will have to investigate.  the paper has been having financial issues anyway.  have felt the need to support news sources, especially of late. 

 Ivy at the creek

 she is one enthusiastic dog!!

 i have managed to leave the gating off the cat zone this week with no ill effects.  they are almost 2 and it seems i should be able to feel fairly safe.  mostly, Ivy will still relocate items of clothing...though the other night when friends were over it was actually Tusker who kept bringing peoples shoes into the main room.  i finally just put all shoes on the dryer. silly Tusker.  Ivy gets blamed for a lot i suspect as she has a bit of a history. 

 there was this other strange area today.  i had never noticed water out there until i saw the ice out there today. 

 those pictures will make it in eventually. it looked like there had been a bit of a flooding of water followed by a freeze and then the water seemed to have vanished from beneath.  it left this strange thin layer of ice in the area.  some had cracked away.  the pups helped crack more. 

 some people must have walked by, their dogs came to investigate us...figured they probably assumed i was out there off trail for some other purpose...but i was just wandering.

 this from above turned out kind of cool i thought. it doesn't take much to fascinate me though.

 tired berries.

 back to the creek.  almost ready to move on

 that stick is not that solid...that is a lot of water weight on it.

 ice is amazing stuff.

 the dogs and i also cruised down stumphenge.  you can see Ivy's paw in the photo below.

 often i see a photo op and before i snap the photo one dog or the other has stepped in and taken out the object of my interest.  i just laugh and move on. these last few are in stumphenge.

 more bubbles. off to bed.....ice, ibuprofen and sleep.

grateful for:  A.  the author of the Winnie the Pooh stories, they have made a lot of kids happy over the years, even if it didn't make his kid too happy in the long run  B.  ice bubbles and icicles C.  frost