What Children Like

I never get any protests from children. All you get are giggles of mirth and squirms of delight.

I know what children like. 

~ Roald Dahl

There is no shortage of adorable children in Peterborough. And of course, since kiddos come in all shapes, sizes and species, you'll find a few of the non-human variety here, as well.

I hope you enjoy.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

~ W.B. Yeats

These two siblings were having a bit of a tug of war on the dock, one evening. He wanted to stay and she wanted to return to the nearby restaurant.

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

~ Kahlil Gibran

She won!

Watch the littlest kids carefully; the biggest messages for the grown-ups are hidden there!

~ Mehmet Murat ildan

Closer to sundown on the same day, a younger pair peered into the water together while their mom watched over them from just outside of the camera's view.

I like dogs

Big dogs

Little dogs

Fat dogs

Doggy dogs

Old dogs

Puppy dogs

I like dogs

A dog that is barking over the hill

A dog that is dreaming very still

A dog that is running wherever he will

I like dogs.

~ Margaret Wise Brown

Bounding into the water just like a little kid, this dog couldn't be happier.

The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. ~ Ambrose Bierce

And back out again with his victorious capture. He runs to his person to toss the ball into the river for another opportunity to swim and fetch.

A child's imaginary playmate just might actually be there. ~ Doug Dillon

Same river, different dog with his kidlet, having a late afternoon swim.

Your children will smash your understanding, knowledge and reality. You will be better off.

Then they will leave. You'll miss them forever.

~ Tibor Kalman

And then they moved on. The dalmatian was in a kayak with one of two adults (though only one of visible in this photo) up ahead.

A party without cake is just a meeting. ~ Julia Child

I'd hazard a guess that there were a bunch of kids enjoying a birthday party just inside this home.

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Speaking of parties, the little cutie hidden behind the cup is one of Carol Anne's neighbours who recently attended her milestone birthday party.

A child is a curly, dimpled lunatic. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I suspect that this little guy has another pair of shoes much like this at home.

Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia. ~Joseph Wood Krutch

The only "kid" I have still living with me is my beautiful Zephyr.

The soul is healed by being with children. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This little sweetness was having fun exploring the sand and splashing in the water.

When a kid says "smell my hand," it almost never smells like cinnamon. ~ Brian P. Cleary

And finally, this exuberant little girl was feeling the evening music at an outdoor concert.

More photos coming up soon. I do also hope to get around to some blog visits before too long. See you soonish!

Sweeter, Richer, Louder

Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there. 
~ Judith Viorst

So now that the chilly month of November is here, I figure it's a good time to reintroduce the balmier days of summer. Mostly, I happen to have a lot more photos from the period of time when I suspended my blog and so I'm going to inflict some of them upon you from time to time. This is one of those times.


A familiar site from the past. A foggy morning in May with the sun just beginning to peek over the hill and a graceful bird on the wing.






And here's the same spot at the end of a different day.






Later in the summer, this is the view from one of the bridges in Peterborough. On this August evening, friends and I were about to head over to a free Kruger Brothers concert in the park. Their amazing banjo and guitar strings weave classical music with bluegrass and folk. I had seen them perform with Steve Martin on Letterman a while back and was looking forward to this evening's performance - minus the wild and crazy guy. The forecast called for a likely rain shower and we were equipped with raincoats and umbrellas. You can see that although it was still dry, the clouds were beginning to form.






It was difficult to take the imminent rain seriously when sun and clouds painted the sky such a friendly shade of pink. The music hadn't begun yet, and neither had the rain. Oh, but both of them did - at around the same time.






I didn't take any photos of the rain because I was trying to keep my camera and myself tucked under the umbrella because it didn't just rain - it POURED! The downpour started early on during the music and only let up a bit before the Kruger Brothers were done. Most of the people who sat around so casually during the pink sunset were long gone. A diminished number of us sat it out and enjoyed the show immensely, in spite of the wet weather. These guys managed to stay dry on stage and neither their spirits nor ours were dampened. The show was fantastic.






A couple of weeks later, I joined the same friends at a different park for a different show - the folk festival. I was tired and didn't stay for very long but enjoyed the music and the people-watching while it lasted. It wasn't any more crowded than this but I still had a hard time finding Carol Anne and Michael. They were somewhere on that hill. And I still can't find them in this picture. It's not them - it's me!






I did find them eventually - seated not too far from this cutie.






This pooch was hyper-focused on his person - waiting to get the signal which would allow him to grab the frisbee.






The view toward the stage was lively. Music was good. Kids were happy. The weather was dry!






The sun bathed the hill with gold as it began its descent.






In between performances, folks chatted, daydreamed or read. Some went off in search of food. Many just enjoyed the last rays of sunlight.






A quick photo on my way out.

More (perhaps even more current) photos coming up soonish.

Who You Are

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~Dr. Seuss

A couple weekends ago, my neighbour, her young son and I headed into town to watch the Peterborough Pride Parade. I expected it to be colourful, upbeat and fun and I wasn't disappointed.

Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start. ~ Jason Collins

This was the start of the parade which probably lasted about a half hour. Gotta love the play on words with the GayPole.

If you removed all of the homosexuals and homosexual influence from what is generally regarded as American culture, you would pretty much be left with "Let's Make a Deal." ~ Fran Lebowitz

This local businessman was feeling the love.

Gay teenagers are four times as likely to attempt suicide as straight ones. I wish they knew that there's nothing wrong with them; that they are just a different shade of normal. ~ Jodi Picoult

It was well attended by community kids..

There is nothing wrong with going to bed with someone of your own sex. People should be very free with sex, but they should draw the line at goats. ~ Elton John

... even kids of the four-legged variety.

It always seemed to me a bit pointless to disapprove of homosexuality. It's like disapproving of rain. 

~ Francis Maude

I was quite impressed and pleased with the huge show of support from local churches.

At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won't be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black.

~ George Clooney

Each carrying their messages of love and acceptance.

It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. ~ Maya Angelou

There was also the school board staff and students sporting t-shirts which said "Respect Accept Include."

Ethnic diversity adds richness to a society. ~ Gary Locke

Also supportive were various government branches.

If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door. ~ Harvey Milk

Our much-respected first responders such as the Peterborough Police...

I believe gender is a spectrum, and I fall somewhere between Channing Tatum and Winnie the Pooh. ~ Stephen Colbert

... prideful Paramedics..

When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one. ~ Leonard Matlovich

... and our always-ready Infantry Reserves.

Don't quit. Never give up trying to build the world you can see, even if others can't see it. Listen to your drum and your drum only. It's the one that makes the sweetest sound. ~ Simon Sinek

Amnesty International followed close behind.

Let's make a law that gay people can have birthdays, but straight people get more cake--you know, to send the right message to kids.

~ Bill Maher

Everywhere I looked I saw youthful faces...

I was raised around heterosexuals, as all heterosexuals are, that's where us gay people come from... you heterosexuals. ~ Ellen DeGeneres

.. and youthful hearts.

I had a hell of a time convincing people I was gay - which was so annoying! ~ Portia de Rossi

There were high-flying butterflies...

Mothers, tell your children: be quick, you must be strong. Life is full of wonder, love is never wrong. Remember how they taught you, how much of it was fear. Refuse to hand it down - the legacy stops here. ~ Melissa Etheridge

.. and those who stayed closer to earth.

I once had a large gay following, but I ducked into an alleyway and lost him. ~ Emo Philips

I'm not so sure this little guy was aware of his flamboyant appearance..

We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture. ~ Robin Williams

... but this guy surely was.

Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands? ~ Ernest Gaines

Lots of fun and smiles all around.

The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself. ~ Gore Vidal

The parade ended at a nearby park where folks mingled and muddled through the crowds.

Here is a little tip for all of you. Don't come out to your father in a moving vehicle. ~ Kate Clinton

Thanks for coming along!

A Weekend With Benny

This weekend the sudden onset of colder weather brought a dusting of snow. I felt a pull to spend time outdoors, which is easy to do when Benny, the Jack Russell Terror visits. His extreme vigor settles down to mere boundless energy after he has participated in the day's activities - a nice long walk, time spent chasing my not-so-tolerant felines and tearing through the back yard with his girlfriend, Raven.

When Benny arrives for the weekend, his tail wags so hard, you'd think he could propel himself upwards and fly. I'd like to think that his excitement is directed at me - after all it's been at least a week since we've last seen one another. But I know better. Once he's set free, Benny flings himself out of the car and rushes right past me, and over to my neighbour's house. Behind that front door, waits Raven, a little mostly-black Schnoodle (part schnauzer, part poodle), and object of Benny's affection.

Together, the tiny terrors have learned the worst habits from one another. Raven has introduced Benny to new cuisine opportunities. While he was perfectly happy to ignore such mundane items as bird seed and his own frozen poopsicles, his canine partner-in-crime has shown him the joy of "waste not, want not". Benny, on the other paw, has taught her the art of escaping. No matter how well we cover the gaps between fence and ground, this furry Houdini can worm his way through almost anything. When the two of them are on opposite sides of the fence, Benny will encourage Raven to help him dig under it, and then he'll pull at the base of the chain link with his teeth, bracing his back legs for his one-sided tug-of-war, allowing her to burrow through from the other side. We've since allowed a space for them to go back and forth between the two yards.

As much as he loves her, there are times when Benny is not unhappy to see Raven go home. Those times usually follow a long session of her chomping on his rawhide bone, or settling into a lap which he has already claimed as his own. Once the two of them are apart, Benny is usually ready to take on one of his usual hobbies - bringing us chew toys so that we can wrestle them from his growling vice grip-like jaw, or if in a particularly charming mood, he plays Chase the Cats.

My felines are a work in progress when it comes to Benny. There are times when they can be nose to nose, without incident. There are other occasions when their mere presence triggers Benny's chasing instinct, which is quickly followed by disapproving hisses, spits and growls. I've gently suggested that Frank stop making those noises, for fear the cats will learn from his primitive behaviour, but alas, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Benny is doing a great job of keeping us all pretty active on weekends, since his twice-a-day walks get us out moving, no matter the weather. The small lake in the park across the street has been slightly frozen over throughout the weekend. It's just thick enough to hold the weight of a duck or a small breed of dog, if you don't give into the overwhelming temptation of allowing him to scamper toward where it thins. Benny knows what to do with water (bite the waves, of course), but he was quite uncertain about this new, cold and slippery, solid surface. His first few steps were tentative, before he busied himself by biting at the leaves and twigs buried just below the surface. I suspect that before too long, he'll be flinging himself across its icy cover for a long glide, which is pretty much how it happens when he chases my cats across the linoleum floor.

Occasionally we need to do the unthinkable, and go out for a short while without Benny. The commotion begins when he immediately senses that we're thinking about suggesting that we might want to talk about considering going out without him. Panic ensues. Pathetic cries begin to escape through his nasal passages. He senses doom. Life, as he knows it will be over. He is a dying dog. The cries turn to gut-wrenching screeches. Then forlorn howls. This is all before we have even put on our jackets. The struggle to keep him inside the house while not closing the door on our own hands or feet is near-impossible. If, by the fifth or sixth attempt we have successfully escaped, multi-syllabic squeaks will seep through from inside. If we hesitate before driving off, a quick flash of white tells us that he has taken a running dash at the front door, and leapt up to try and catch a glimpse of us through the frosty window, three feet above the ground.

I suspect he recovers quickly though. Upon our return, he's as calm as a Zen garden, having settled in nicely for a rejuvenating nap. By then he's ready to start the day's events all over again.

Once the day winds down, and all creatures are in their respective homes, Benny is near-lethargic, which for a Jack Russell Terror means that his energy level has dwindled down to that of an average tornado. With a gentle wag of his tail, he'll allow us to settle him in for the night. Like a toddler, he needs to take a toy to bed with him. He'll lie down on his blanket and give our hands a goodnight lick. Once asleep, I'm sure he dreams about Raven, ice gliding and the day when he'll get along well with the cats.

That last one might have been my own dream.

You can read more about Benny and his daily adventures with Frank over at Remaindered Random Musings.

Here are some photos taken from this past weekend. Click on any of them to see a larger image.

Raven comes calling for Benny. She often just appears at the back door, stands on her hind legs and jumps for joy. Here you can see that she's been feasting on bird seed (click photo to enlarge) from the snowy ground below the feeder. One of my nicknames for her is "Velcro."

Skittles is bored with being Benny's plaything.

Benny explores his new slippery world

Earlier last week, Frank went fishing near his place and caught some trout. He's been experimenting with a hot smoker, and this weekend, he brought it over to my place along with the fish. These fillets were just about ready to go into the smoker. Several hours later, they turned out yummy!

The best of both seasons come together. Colourful reds, golds and greens soak up the late-day sun and contrast against the icy water and snow-dusted grass.

I don't know what caused it to grow this way, but this bent tree bows gracefully to every season.

A dead thistle stands tall, watching over the lake.

A branch sits on top of thin ice and creates a shimmery reflection.

An evening walk around the lake to see the icy water glistening in the setting sun

Later, the full moon peeks out from behind a pine tree.

Night has fallen and a street lamp shimmers across the icy lake creating a silhouette of a curious duck.