A couple of months ago, my Unruly Beast, Aslan, was taking me for a walk around the block when he suddenly discovered a scent that he had to sniff. He failed to give me the "I'm going over here for a sec" signal, and, clumsy me, I wound up on a concrete driveway up the road. In the spirit of the Olympics, I pretty well nailed the landing. I figured I was going to relive the moment frequently based on sensations in my left knee and hand. I rolled onto my right side where my arm was stretched full length and I could see the leash taut with 85 pounds of Dark Golden fur S T R E T C H E D toward a plant in the yard. My body on that concrete, by the way, wasn't going anywhere, so Aslan was at the proverbial end of his rope.
I was mad. I'd had all the pet fun I could stand, so my partner and our pooches headed for home. My knee and hand weren't all that bad.
A couple hours later, when reaching into the cabinet, I found out that my shoulder was the injured body part. I got in with an Orthopedic Guy the next day, and while waiting for the appointment, Hubby and I spent some time roaming in a nearby PetSmart. We bought a 'Gentle Leader' training harness, one of those contraptions that go around the dogs head and over his nose. (Did you know that a dog has an Adam's Apple? I didn't, even after Anatomy & Physiology of Farm Animals at Tech!) Pricey --around $20 for a collar? -- but if it worked to keep the big boys from pulling ...
It worked! On both our pullers (those "Hey! Who's walking who?" dogs). At least on the trial runs the teen daughter took them on. I was scared, and busy getting to know the orthopedist and the physical therapist and his staff. The MRI's on the books for this week.
BUT, today, I took Mr. Unruly and the Gentle Leader to the local Greenway for several miles of Walk with my Walking Partner, and after the 10 minutes of fighting it (predicted in the literature), he was a model citizen. Incredible! I live about 4 miles from the path, and here he is after the drive home.
When it comes to Girl Scout Day Camp, there are 2 jobs I'm willing to do: teach canoeing and teach singing. Our area lost its camp on the lake a few years back, so that axed my canoe job.
I haven't been at Day Camp for a while, but am back this week, teaching singing. The girls haven't been taught traditional Girl Scout songs since last time I was there, as far as I can tell (except one Troop led by an admitted "Old Scout"), so there's been some catching up to do. Everyone needed to learn 'Taps'. No one knew 'Pink Pajamas' (and many were scandalized at the thought of sleeping naked!). It would take a lifetime, I'm telling you.
We're in a field in the city park, in a tent city of sorts. Trying to provide shade in a field that has ONE, count 'em, one tree. Fortunately, even though it's 90 degrees, there's a good breeze (balmy!) and no one's fried so far.
This is my Music Complex. The wind can really whip that tarp around! But the girls fit under it nicely. Follows is one of our traditional songs. I especially like the second verse. :~)
She wears an R for Real-Live Sportsmanship.
She wears an L for Loyalty, for Loyalty.
She wears an S for her Sincerity.
She wears a C for Courtesy, for Courtesy.
She wears an O-U-T for Outdoor Life, Outdoor Life.
And that Girl Scout is Me! Hey!
*I took the Head off of my Dolly.
I took the Arms off of my Chair.
I took the Legs off of my Table.
And from my Horse I stole some Hair, I stole some Hair.
And then I put them All Together.
With some Water and some Glue.
And I get more Lovin' from my Home made Dummy
Than I'm ever gonna get from You! Hey!
*The 2nd verse can vary widely due to 'regional variations'. I never teach versions that include 'boy bashing'.
Show us something cheerful.
Submitted by Alex.
Spring flowers are cheerful, if flowers have emotions.
But what is more cheerful than a dog or 3 when the mistress comes out into the yard? The belly rubs. The wagging tails. The slobbery tennis ball throw (if the greedy beast permits it!) The companionship in general. Now that's cheerful. (Think I post enough of Aslan?)
Love it or hate it, many of you lost an hour of sleep last night due to Daylight Saving Time? Worth It? Do you like it more/less now that Daylight Saving Time occurs earlier (and later) in the year?
My understanding of Daylight Savings Time is that it was created to help the farmers with getting their crops in. Now tractors have headlights.
The spring change isn't so bad, but waiting till the end of October puts kids on the road waiting for the schoolbus in the dark for a couple of weeks before the time changes. That's a risk I don't think needs to happen.
I really don't see the need for the switch at all, although I just don't remember what it was like pre-savings time. (I do remember when it started. That had enough hoopla to be memorable.)
(I didn't write this. I lifted it from the link below.)
Almost everyone in the Americas and Western
Europe will have a beautiful view of this eclipse if bad weather
doesn't spoil the show. The moon will be high in a dark evening sky as
viewed from most of the United States and Canada, at a time when most
people are still awake and about.
The main event begins at 9:01 p.m. ET, when the moon is completely covered by the darkest part of Earth's shadow. That translates to 8:01 p.m. CT, 7:01 p.m. MT and 6:01 p.m. PT. The total phase of the eclipse lasts 51 minutes, and the moon starts coming out of the darkest shadow, or umbra, at 9:52 p.m. ET.
Get lots more info here!
It worked, it worked, it worked!
Click on the string of numbers.
(I still don't know how they do it!)
Show us what the weekend has in store for you.
