Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: fun stuff


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Maybe I rushed to judgement

Katie here.

I may be a princess, but I can admit when I’m wrong. Sometimes anyway. Mama woke up and told me to go read this blog that tells the other side of the story. It’s possible that mama didn’t cheat on me, but was merely protecting me from a band of redneck pupsters who maybe wouldn’t treat me as a princess rightfully expects.

Me and baby long leaf pine trees.

So I might have been just a tad premature in my accusations.

Then, because mama felt bad that I felt bad she took me for a walk over on the mountain, just me and her. It was beautiful.

Come ON mama! We’re going for a WALK!

She let me stop and sniff most everywhere I wanted, though sometimes she told me to move along sweetie. She said at the rate we were walking we’d be out there forever and I asked her what was wrong with that. She just smiled and shook her head and told me I’d be scared if we were out there in the night. But I don’t think so…mama was dreaming about camping while we were out there, she can’t deny it.

This time we didn’t walk up the mountain, we walked almost all the way around it! And of course I had to stop and be photographed at each new beautiful location.

Like along the edge of the logging road where the moss grew and a stream ran behind me…

Do I get a treat for this?

…and down on a little beach near the water, with the maple tree above me in full red blossom.

Yes this is really pretty, mama, but we need to get back to our walk!

We were the only ones out there except for some people fishing from a boat way out on the water. It was lovely!

Can we get going now?

Once mama wanted to get down to the water to get a picture of some silly trees and I didn’t want to go, so she tied my leash to a branch and left me up there! Well! I told her she didn’t need to tie me up, I was perfectly capable of waiting for her on my own, but she didn’t believe me.

I’ll wait for you up here mama!

So, a little bit later, while she she was busy looking through that view finder thingy and wasn’t holding my leash, I decided to go for a wander. And when she turned around I wasn’t where she left me and she couldn’t see me anywhere! She got all panicked and called and called me and I didn’t come!

Well, not right away.

Mama likes lines of trees. I don’t know why.

I was just around a corner checking out another trail that smelled good. When she called my name again I ran right out of that trail and toward her laughing all the way. Mama laughed too. She said she didn’t know how I could get away from her so quick. I said…mama…there’s nothing quick about you and taking photographs!

Pretty little things. But not as pretty as ME!

She didn’t let go of my leash after that. Bummer.

We walked a long way, and eventually mama said we had to turn around because she wasn’t sure the logging road would circle back to the parking lot. You know I don’t like turning around and I put up quite a fuss. I wanted to go further!

I don’t want to turn around mama!

But mama is smart. She said she didn’t want to have to carry me all the way back to the car. So after awhile I gave up and followed along. Don’t tell her but I was kinda tired, and I was glad when she wanted me to lay down next to these pretty tiny blue flowers.

Aren’t these pretty? I think we should stay here and study them for awhile.

Eventually we got back to the car. I didn’t let on by I was glad to see it. It was a lovely adventure and I’m glad mama and I made up. It’s just the two of us down here and I’d be lonely if I had to get rid of my mama.

She says she’d be lonely too.

That looks interesting over there mama!


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Cheated!

Katie here!

I am livid! And depressed. Oh man, I’m just all wound up because my mama cheated on me! Oh yes she did, and she can’t explain this one away either.

I looked up the definition of cheat, just to make sure I was accurate, and this is what the Urban Dictionary said: “Someone who is in a committed relationship and breaks the trust of his or her Katie-girl by getting physically or emotionally involved with another dog.”

OK, I edited the definition just a bit. But she still cheated.

Three boy dogs and a car – that’s just asking for trouble.

What you say? You don’t think mama would ever do something like that? That she loves me with all her heart and I’m the most important dog in her whole world?

Well. I have proof.

Yesterday, at approximately 11 hundred hours a car drove up to our house. A nice lady (I remember her from visiting her farm last year) got out of the car and petted me and she smelled good and I liked her right away. (She’s a regular treat dispenser, ya know what I mean?)

Well, I guess mama isn’t actually TOUCHING them.

I gave her a tour of my lake house and then she and mama went back outside and I wasn’t allowed to go with them. Huh! Something is up. But I didn’t see or hear anything so I waited expectantly. I figured I was due another treat.

Then mama came back inside and got her camera and I still didn’t get to go with her. That’s definitely a sign that something’s amiss. Usually I am the center of all her photography and if she’s not shooting beautiful me, then, I ask you, what is she taking pictures of?

This is my tower. Mama should only bring other dogs here if I give written permission.

But I heard the car drive away and my mama didn’t come back in the house, so I settled down to wait (not nap, people, wait!) by the door.

I’m not going up there!

Eventually she came back and do you know what? She smelled like boy dogs! More than one boy dog! I think my mama is cheating on me with more than one dog! And these aren’t the harmless neighborhood dogs either! I know all their smells and she’s usually with me when they come around.

That’s a tall tower!

So…while she was sleeping last night I snuck on her laptop and found pictures! I have proof people! She went up the mountain without me (that part is just fine) and took the nice lady and her three boy dogs!

And then, the worst part is she brought them back to the house and they got to explore my back yard! And I didn’t even see them out there because I was waiting (not napping!) by the door on the other side of the house!

HEY! That’s MY lake!

What do you think I should do? Should I kick my mama out of the house? Or should I go find a new mama and a new lake house with my own special bed and special dinner bowl and my own special food and treats and toys?

I think this is the one I have to worry about the most. You know how mamas fall for younger guys.

I need advice and I know you guys are just the ones to tell me what to do. You can comment here, but do it quick cause mama will be awake soon and you know she’s always on her computer. I don’t want her to find out she’s been caught.

PROOF!

Not yet anyway.

PS: Mama woke up. She says to go to this blog to read about the other point of view.


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When a screwdriver turns into a walk in the park

I’m at the lake house, enjoying the view and the weather and what appears to be spring happening all around me. But evening comes early in this part of the country and during the long dark hours I wander the house, noticing stuff that needs to be done.

Like cleaning — especially those places that aren’t automatically done during a regular visit.

So I decide that the cold air return needs to be spiffed up. I doubt it’s been cleaned in the almost fourteen years since mom and dad left us the house. It’s not something a person would normally pay attention to, but after two weeks of living here, it’s moved to the top of my to-do list.

I look at it more closely and figure I’m going to need a phillips-head screwdriver to get it off the wall. We still have dad’s workshop set up in the basement so I traipse downstairs to search.

Hmmmm….where would I find the right screwdriver?

There’s a lot to choose from, and I quickly find what should be the perfect tool.

Back up the stairs I tromp, petting Katie-girl who is waiting anxiously at the top, unsure of where her mama went. I get down on the floor to begin loosening the screws. But darn! The screws need a flat screwdriver. I don’t know what I was looking at before.

There’s one of everything here.

Shaking my head I get myself up off the floor (which isn’t all that easy these days) and stomp back down the stairs to the workshop. I put the phillips-head back in it’s appointed spot and grab a flat screwdriver.

At the top of the steps Katie waits patiently, wondering what in the world mama is doing now.

Back on the floor again I get the first three screws out; both sides and the top of the grate came out pretty easily. But the screw on the bottom, right down at the floor, is smaller. And, as I peer at it my head flush with the floor, and through my trifocals, I see that it needs a phillips-head screwdriver.

“Hey Katie,” I say, “Want to go to the park?”

Parks are good mama!


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A February boat ride

Leafless trees, evergreens, mountains and clouds. Breathtaking.


February and boats don’t generally mix up where I come from, unless you’re in an ice boat skimming over a frozen lake. I’m sure that’s fun, but when I’m in a boat I’d rather worry about sunscreen than frostbite.

Saturday morning, the sun bright in a blue sky filled with puffy white clouds, was perfect for a little boat exploration.

Let’s go mama!

The boat traveled under a few bridges and then up a creek, looking for the resident eagle. It was a beautiful day, and it turns out there was a fishing competition going on. We came across several father/son teams tucked in the backwaters of the lake. We slid by them as quietly as we could.

Spending time together.

The creek narrowed, and I moved to the front of the boat looking for the eagle. Katie kept a close eye on me from the other side of the wall.

Whatcha doing mama?

This was her second boat ride ever, but she wasn’t too concerned about the engine vibration or noise. She likes being outdoors, and she’s always up for an adventure.

The creek winds through beautiful country.

Eventually we were as far as we could go up the creek. We hadn’t found the eagle, but a bit further was a low waterfall making lovely splashing noises, and more fathers and sons were fishing from kayaks. We dropped anchor to listen to the water and enjoy a biscuit breakfast.

Water running over the rocks just up there made such nice background music.

Then we turned around and slid as quietly as we could back down the creek to the larger waters of the lake. The clouds were piling up in the blue sky.

Couldn’t have had a more perfect day!

Out in the open water Captain Carl throttled up and Katie and I enjoyed the wind in our hair.

Mama! We have the same stylist!

She’s a very brave little dog and enjoyed every bit of her boat ride adventure. I did too.

Can we do this again soon mama?


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Cee’s B&W photo challenge: Structure

Some of my favorite things about visiting the lake house in Alabama are the long leaf pines. Their long green needles glimmer in the Southern sun, and the pine cones littering the ground underneath are huge. After years of collecting them I now just gaze at them wistfully, wanting to add to my collection but knowing they look most beautiful in the wild.

Resting in the sunlight.

On yesterday’s walk up the mountain I couldn’t help but stop to grab an image. The structure was just perfect in the afternoon light.


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How to fill the days

This is the entrance to the park. Isn’t it pretty?


Katie here. Mama says she’s getting behind and asked me to please catch everybody up. I swear. She’s only got one responsibility, to keep my subjects advised on my activities, and she can’t handle it. But I guess you, my loyal fans, deserve to see what I’ve been up to so I’ll sacrifice my nap. This time.

Maybe I should be nicer to her, cause yesterday she did take me to a very beautiful park. We visited it last year and mama took time to remember the name of the park and look up an address. She gets points for that.

Notice how things are already getting green down here?

It’s called Town Creek Park and it’s in Auburn Alabama. It’s a little park, but really pretty. We liked it a lot last year, and we explored even more this year. There’s a trail that goes off through the woods and because it was sort of hot here yesterday mama took me on that first, so that I’d have shade.

We saw some squirrels and a beautiful red bird while we were back in the woods. I didn’t chase the squirrel but mama spent a long time taking pictures of the cardinal.

Getting pine needles to make a nest? Or getting something to eat? You decide.

Then we went out and walked around the pond. There were a lot of turtles, I remember them from last year. They still seem sort of lazy, just laying around in the sun and I’m not sure what they’re good for so I mostly ignored them. Mama thought they were interesting, but she loves turtles. I don’t know why.

It’s not like you can take these guys for a walk in the woods or anything.

We were walking around the pond and enjoying the pretty sights…

Quick mama! Take the picture, there are CHILDREN coming!

…when suddenly mama noticed this group of people, mostly little kids, headed our way.

Cropped until it’s almost abstract, but notice that little blond boy out front.

UH OH!

Mama hauled me off of the trail and we waited for them to go by. Of course the little kids noticed me and got to us way before the adults who were on their phones realized what was going on. Especially the little blond boy who ran at me with outstretched hands. Mama was debating about picking me up as we became surrounded by curious little people.

But miracles do happen. The adults told the kids to “FREEZE!” And they did! So with mama crouching down next to me I let each child come up and pet me. I stayed very still, and after a little bit I actually leaned into some of their little hands. They said I was soft. And pretty. I thought they were very well behaved for such short people. After they left mama said I deserved an extra treat. So it turned out to be a win/win.

By the time we got home I was very sleepy so I mostly slept through the beautiful sunset we had. Mama and my Uncle and I sat out on the deck and watched the sun go down.

Sunset on Lake Martin

It made the water all pink and purple, and then it turned apricot. Mama said it was one of the most interesting sunsets she’d seen in a long time.

Such a pretty color.

Today my Uncle noticed a heron out on the neighbor’s dock. It sure was big! I didn’t think we should go out to meet it so we stayed inside and mama took it’s picture from the living room.

Fishing.

And they took me to the local park where we got to explore the playground cause there weren’t any short people there yet. We went early on purpose.

This is cool mama!

After lunch they left me at the house while they hiked up the mountain and climbed the fire tower.

Such a beautiful day to be high above the lake.

I tried to make them feel bad, but in reality I didn’t especially want to hike up the mountain in 85 degree (29.4C) temperatures anyway. I took a nap in the air conditioning instead. You can decide who you think made the wiser decision.

Looking for the perfect fishing spot.

SO…now you’re caught up. Except that it’s almost time for another sunset. But I figure it will look a lot like yesterday’s and the day before. You can imagine it, right? So I don’t have to stay awake any longer editing this post?

I thought so.

—Your travel guide, Katie the Princess signing off.

On the climb up the mountain.


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Something pretty

Barn in hilly Kentucky on a cloudy afternoon.


As you remember, Katie wouldn’t share her blog post with me, so I haven’t been able to show you all the pretty things we saw on our trip south.

Pretty things that were not Katie.

Light hits the barn.

I hope she’s napping so she doesn’t realize I’m blogging. She gets a tad upset when it’s not all about her. But in a way, this is about her, because we stopped a lot on the way South, more than I might have without her.

Lonely cow.

We drove through some pretty country but often I couldn’t get off the freeway in the places I wanted to take pictures. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out, but when I was able to leave the highway and explore a bit of back road I almost always found something good.

Rain was on the way.

I was usually searching for barns, but sometimes I ran across something else. Like an octagon shaped house. I saw the signs for it and we traveled 15 miles out of our way just to check it out. I thought maybe we’d get out of the car and wander the grounds, but there were no trespassing signs everywhere.

Would have liked to see inside.

Thankfully there was also a marker that told a little bit about the history of the house. I shot two quick photos and got the heck out of there before anyone inside could get upset.

A bit of history.

Once we finally made it to the lake there were plenty of pretty things to notice too. Like this pair of bluebirds checking out the purple martin gourds.

“I don’t know honey, it seems a bit small.”

The sun was shining our first day here, and Mr. Bluebird’s feathers shone like sapphires.

Mr. Bluebird glows.

The local grocery store, here since forever, is gone, but I thought this faded mural on the side of the store was pretty. And nostolgic.

Piggly Wiggly fades into history.

Even tree bark here is pretty!

A many colored tree.

I guess it’s true that there’s beauty no matter where you go, no matter the season. And if you’re in the South in early spring you can almost always count on something catching your eye.

Sometimes it’s hard to look away.

The end of another pretty day.