Saturday, April 16, 2011

Picking Up The Torch


While I worked on Thursday afternoon my co-worker attended her daughters play (pictured below).  Any thoughts about what the play was about?  I think that may be Mother Nature front and center, but I've no idea who the boys in the upper left may be.     
With a slow schedule, I took Friday off and caught up on yard work.  The dogs helped.   
~Sheba left & Hamlet on the right~
Today we've had tornado warnings, thunderstorm warnings, and severe storm warnings.  Heavy rain fell off and on all day.  We have standing water in our backyard and the dogs have literally had to wade out to the grass.  There have also been periods of thunder and lightening.  Off and on throughout the years we've had dogs that have been afraid of the storms.  The last few years the one to have the most fear was Tanner.  Now that he's gone, I have to admit to looking forward to not having a dog with storm-phobias.  However that changed today when CarrieAnne (below) picked up that torch and came and sat next to me after every rumble of thunder.      
Despite all the noise outside, its been another quiet day at home. A TV show that has been on all day and I've been watching off and on is one I've never seen before called 'Parking Wars.' The show focuses on the employees of the Philadelphia and Detroit Parking Authority and their daily work: ticketing, booting (via wheel clamp) and towing cars all the while dealing with the tempers and rants that arise with the car owners who are all innocent victims.  Remind me to check to see if we have any unpaid tickets and to not to park in Philadelphia.  Actually, I don't recall ever getting a parking ticket (speeding, yes, more than once!)  Have you ever gotten a parking ticket?  Where were you and did you remember to pay it?  Another question, have you ever left your dog out in the rain...I accidentally forgot Charlie outside today, but remembered him...eventually...

30 comments:

  1. That was our evening!

    Luckily for us, nothing too major materialised!

    But I do hope for a great Sunday - I've got five cuties to fetch!

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  2. Yes, I'm sorry to say we have forgotten Frankie outside more than once. He is such a patient dog - he just sits on the verandah knowing that at some point we'll start wondering where he is and realize we've left him outside...

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  3. What a look from Charlie ! The three little boys are clearly potatoes. Either that or cigarettes . Ot there again...

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  4. Oh dear! What a forlorn look on this handsome fellow's face...I save all my old towels for such occasions! I've never gotten a parking ticket or a speeding ticket. Does being pulled over in a spot check count? I was excited about that!...:)JP

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  5. Oh my gosh! Look at Charlie's little face!!! :) Poor boy!

    CarrieAnn is a lovely girl. I always seem to have a dog that is afraid of storms here - right now 2 of them.

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  6. We have been thinking lots about our pals in the mid-Atlantic states - and have been concerned - sounds brutal... Awww - Charlie! You must have been a wet sight! Love the pic of Sheba and Hamlet! And we hope CarrieAnne is doing okay too. We think the boys in the back left are maybe... trees?
    xxoxoxo
    Sammie, Avalon and Ozzie

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  7. Oh poor Charlie! Hehehe. I bet he didn't really mind it though. Did he? Because we sure wouldn't mind being left outside! We LOVE playing in the rain.

    Hoomie Melissa has not gotten any ticket so far. Let's hope she does not get any ever.

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  8. Earth Worms? Maybe the boys in the back are worms? I'm not sure about the crowns but perhaps they are worm Royalty! :-) Adorable photo.

    I have a confession to make. Like most of your followers, I feel as if I have come to know and love your dogs. Apparently not quite as well as I thought! I was deeply saddened when Hamlet had to be freed from his Earthly suffering but it is just over the past few weeks that I've realized: I was thinking that Hamlet was Tanner! Not that Hamlet wasn't a wonderful, beautiful, charming friend and companion ~ it's just that Tanner is the one that really wormed his way into my heart with that gorgeous, white face and gentle courage. I guess what I am saying is that while I am so very sad that Hamlet is gone, I am blissfully happy that Tanner is still with us!

    Stay dry and safe. Hug all the pups and have a GREAT day!

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  9. The weather has certainly been erratic hasn't it? I would think having all those pups around would be very helpful during yard clean up! ;)

    xo Catherine

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  10. Funnily enough (or rather not at all funnily!) I got a parking ticket yesterday! My first one ever in 26 years of driving:0( I had paid for an hour's parking but forgot to note what time I left the car, and returned 10 minutes late to find 2 parking attendants slapping a ticket on my car. Ironically, I had just been saying to my daughter how lucky we were!! I think I was very unlucky that the attendants were standing at my carat that time - they go all over the county so what were the odds of that?! I'll be £25 worse off for my carelessness. That'll teach me to be more careful won't it?!

    Poor Charlie! I love the look on his face in that photo! When our darling Rosie Mae could hear she was absolutely petrified of thunder and lightening, but now she's deaf and almost blind she is happy in blissful ignorance. Just about the only positive thing about deafness and blindness.

    xx

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  11. Glad you got through those storms relatively unscathed. Sounds terrible! And, yes, I also finally have two dogs that are not afraid of storms. For years my two boys (Nesta and Kesey) were terribly afraid of thunder and it really was a nightmare.

    When I lived in Missoula, parking tickets were about $2. So I would collect 15 or 20 of them before I paid them off! Can't get away with that in a big city! Lol!

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  12. Poor Charlie. Yes, I've left one out by accident or more often I've sent them all out not realizing that it was pouring. When I came back to the door there they were waiting for me with those wet curly faces looking at me asking "why, Mom?"

    As much as I loved Monty and miss him every day since he's been gone, it is a relief not to have a dog so terrified of storms that I have to stop everything and sit in a closet with him. Morgan is afraid, but she just stays close.

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  13. Poor Charlie, I know that look. Sorry to relate, I have left Jill outside in the rain, may have something to do with her phobia. Of course you know Jack is really traumatized! After that last stormy day, he tried to get in bed with me, I said no, but let he sleep next to me on top of the covers.

    I think the three boys are trees.

    No, no tickets, just stuff like "Hey lady, did you know your headlight is out?" Once, when I had just gotten my blue Nova, I peeled away from the stop sign - not on purpose, the gas pedal was so touchy - the cop that pulled me over was quite surprised to see me driving, I think he thought he was going to get to act tough guy, with a bunch of teens! :-)

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  14. The little boys are Bart Simpson.

    Rumor has it that Easton is afraid of thunder. Not much of that in Seattle.

    Parking tickets: yes, a few in my life, can't remember details, but haven't had one in many years.

    Leave a dog in the rain!! In the northwest, it is a way of life, more or less. There is always shelter from the storm.

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  15. I saw you are having terrible storms in the South East --I hope you are OK. Soldier is scared of thunder here and puts his head on Angel's butt and tries to become as small as he can. The picture of Charlie: Priceless, no words necessary.--Inger

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  16. In over thirty years of driving I've never had to pay a parkking ticket (though probably shoud have)and have only had one speeding ticket. I was 23 and overtook (in the fast lane of a two lane road) a marked Police car! It was a 50km/hr road and I was breifly doing 58 while I went past them to allow me to travel at the speed limit (the car I passed was going slow), so they fined me - in my defence I had injured myself the night before in a fall at work (so had bruises to my head and ribs) and I had a million and one things still to do spinning round in my mind as I was flying to Japan later that day, so I probably shouldn't have been driving. The officers thought it was funny as people don't normally try to pass them and I couldn't deny that I'd done it (and wasn't willing to take my shirt off to show them the visible bruises) so I paid the fine.

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  17. Great photos - love those little kids and doggies :)

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  18. Aw, poor Charlie! I hope he's not the type to hold a grudge! My mom has always had a dog with a fear of storms too, they do seem to pass the fear along to one another! As soon as one was gone,she would get another and that one would be afraid.

    As for tickets, I have never gotten any of any variety, but my brother has gotten both and has paid them...eventually :o)

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  19. Awe.. poor sweet Charlie. Is he trying to give you a guilt trip or what??! lol. Sheba and Hamlet look like they're really into helping. I mean REALLY into it.
    I don't think I've ever had a parking ticket. Speeding ticket, yep... but no parking ticket.

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  20. oh no, poor charlie, him with that beautiful angel face.
    I'm glad you are, a love for all and take care of tornadoes, so long. Pamela and Family

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  21. our black lab was terrified of storms, Molly couldn't care less......

    Gill

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  22. We have never had a fenced in yard so we've never forgotten a dog outside. But, we recently left K in the mudroom, with the door closed, and then proceeded to search the whole house for her :)

    Sorry about the lousy weather. Have you ever tried giving a treat for every thunder clap? That's what we do, and so far, it's made our two like the thunder.

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  23. Oh no, poor Charlie; glad you remembered him eventually; just don't tell him!
    Yeah, we had all those storms as well; see my post for Sunday (Too Close for Comfort) and Hurricane was frightened and did not leave our side; bless his heart!
    thanks for sharing Kim...

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  24. ah poor charlie, yes i have left a dog or two out in the rain. nugget (golden) has spread his fear of storms to all of mine except sammy. they all come gathering where we are...poor things. and we have huge windows that let in all of the scary lightening and noise. parking tickets? all the time when my hubby owned the building...it was a loading zone that we had put in there and they couldn't wait to ticket the owners...rarely paid and let it run out and we finally got spots in a nearby garage...they are vicious in our town...

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  25. Thanks for stopping by to visit our long dormant blog! Ruby has been having some health issues, so we haven't felt much like blogging in a while. Hopefully she's back on track now, and certainly enjoying the Spring.

    You have the most beautiful home for your tribe, and your photos are just adorable.

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  26. that sunflower is just sooooooo well gay!!!! lol

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  27. Aw! Those dogs are so precious Kim. We had a dog, Jessie, who was petrified of thunder and would shake like crazy even before it started!

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  28. Never had a parking or speeding ticket. Okay, I probably just jinxed that!

    The dogs will bark to come back in, so, they never let us forget them. Actually, Nuala likes me to go out with her.

    Glad to hear you made it through the storms. We had nasty, nasty weather here. Three tornadoes confirmed as close as down the street from us and possibly a small one here at the homestead. Nothing was damaged here except the greenhouse got a little twisted and the pines back behind the chicken coop (across the neighbors driveway - the one you see in photo's of the coop and gardens)were twisted and snapped off. These were 30-40'trees.
    Just like other tornadoes I've experienced, it happened fast and furious. For once I was glad that the dogs always follow me around. They went right into the bathroom with us during the peak..

    And I supposedly live in an area where tornadoes only happen every now and then. I think the NWS may want to re-think this.

    Sorry for blabbing on!

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  29. Doesn't Charlie know how to hurl himself at the door while barking like it's the end of the world? If not, Jed & Abby can both provide lessons.

    Did Carrie Ann never display thunder phobia while Tanner was alive? If not, isn't it odd she would develop it now? Maybe she absorbed a bit of the Tanner spirit when he left. Or maybe he just got sufficiently upset that she figured the problem was receiving adequate attention and she didn't need to do anything. And now the torch has been passed.

    Jed & Abby

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  30. I do not like those thunder boomers either! Poor furries!
    My computer has been broken for almost a week. I just got it back and ran over to say hi, and check on my friends at Golden Pines.
    love
    tweedles

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Speak--I really enjoy your comments! Thanks for stopping by today!!