Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.


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Norwood’s star

Norwood's star reminds us how wonderful the world is.

Norwood’s star reminds us how wonderful the world is.

Katie here.

You remember when I told you about Norwood last March?  He and his mom Debi used to go out every day for a run or a walk and they shared it with all of us.  Norwood was a very cool dog who had to go to the Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly and way too soon.  Mama always called him “Dude” cause he was so cool.

Photo of Dude by Debi his mom.

Photo of Dude by Debi his mom.

Well anyway, Norwood is now a bright star way up in the sky.  His mom made a lot of his friends their own stars and asked us to put them up near our favorite trails, cause he loved to run with his mom on trails through the woods and parks.  We got our star in the mail a couple of weeks ago.  It’s been sitting on the counter where mama looked at it every day, deciding where it should be hung.

I said it was a no brainer mama!  It has to go in my park!

So Wednesday we went over to my park to have a private memorial for Norwood.  Just my mama and me.  Mama told me I couldn’t call him Dude that afternoon, cause I needed to be respectful.  So I called him Mr. Dude instead.

We found a perfect spot, in a grove of cottonwood trees, where the gentle wind in the leaves makes a soothing sound, almost like waves on a beach.  We tucked it back into the trees a little bit, so Mr. Dude will have shade but still be able to watch the people and dogs that pass by on their walks.

 

Do you see Mr. N's star above me?

Do you see Mr. Dude’s star above me?

There was a little breeze and Mr. Dude’s star rocked gently.  Sometimes the sun would make it glow, sometimes it hid among the leaves.

We stood quiet a little bit and sent a prayer up to Mr. Dude to watch over his mom and the new puppy Seager.  Then Mama arranged for some songbirds to do a musical number and we walked slowly back toward the car.

Mama let me sniff as much as I wanted, no hurry she said.  And then a beautiful Monarch butterfly flew by and fluttered for a little bit right in front of mama’s face.  She says she thinks Mr. Dude sent it to say thank you.  You’re welcome Mr. Dude!   Sure was pretty.  And then the best thing of all!  A flock of ceder waxwings flew in formation right overhead!  Mama said that Mr. Dude had a perfect ending to his memorial — his very own fly over!

All in all it was a beautiful memorial to our friend Norwood.  Thanks to his mom for sending us the star.  People are putting their NorStars up in parks across the country.  If you see one on any of your adventures think of Mr. Dude.

Norwood–the dog that touched hearts around the world.  And made us all smile.

For you Mr. N

For you Mr. Dude!

 

 


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Five photos, five days #3

This is part of Carol’s challenge, Five photos, five days, complete with a story; truth or fiction, or maybe some poetry.  And you’re supposed to nominate someone each day to join in the fun.

 

Mom's new babies!

Mom’s new babies!

At Kensington (the park, not the palace) it’s all about babies this time of year.  Today mama swan’s eggs began to hatch.  There was a huge crowd of paparazzi, cameras clicking as each egg hatched.  Mama swan ignored them all and paid exquisite attention to her new little ones, shielding them from the cameras with her wings.

It’s a special time and we’re lucky to be witness to it.

Today I’d like to challenge Karma of Karma’s When I Feel Like It, because I know she has a new camera lens and is just itching to get out and use it!

Mama up close

Mama up close before the little ones arrived.


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Five photos, five days #2

Everywhere there are signs that say “Don’t feed the cranes.”

Mid-morning snack

Mid-morning snack

But cranes can’t read and apparently neither can humans.

A few weeks ago as husband and I walked around the lake at one of my favorite parks we saw many people standing still, hands upright while chickadees flitted.  And we were accosted a few times by chickadees expecting something special.

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We didn’t have anything to give them, and think it’s wrong anyway.  But I have to admit it was fun to watch.  This little guy will remember forever the day he had the crane eating out of his hand.

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This is part of the five photos, five days challenge that Carol put me up to.  Now I have to think about who to nominate to carry on the challenge.  Today I nominate the Cowspot Dogs, because they are living in a new place and have lots of places to show us.  Here are the rules, loosely speaking:  Post a photo (as you can see I’m having a hard time sticking to one photo.) and a story, fiction or non, or maybe even a poem, one a day for five days and each day nominate someone to play along.

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Five photos, five days #1

I’ve been nominated by Carol at Wanderings of an Elusive Mind to play along on the Five Photos, Five Stories challenge.  Each day for five days I need to post a photo and a story, then nominate someone else to join in.  So here goes.

Most of you know that Katie has a favorite park.  Turns out that lots of people enjoy Katie’s park for all sorts of reasons, not the least is that there are parts of it that are very photogenic.  One evening as Katie and I were packing up to go home after a walk we noticed this:

Senior photo shoot

Senior photo shoot

I’m sure this young man is one of next year’s seniors.  And that he plays in the school orchestra which must be a large part of his high school experience.

Watching them brought back memories.  More than forty years ago I was having my senior photo taken outside.  It was a new thing, back then, to take senior photos outside a studio.

Forty + years ago

Forty + years ago

I wonder now what caused my folks to choose this particular photographer, someone who was doing something so different.  I don’t remember being part of the decision, but I remember the afternoon spent in a field getting my picture taken.   I’m sure the young man Katie and I watched last week will remember his photo shoot too.

I wish him a wonderful, happy, and musical future.

So the hard part is thinking about who to ask to participate.  The rules are simple, post five pictures with stories, fiction or not, perhaps even poetry.  Nominate someone each day to continue the challenge.  Today I nominate Sara for purely selfish reasons; I want to see some more photos of her boys.  I know she’s super busy with school this time of year, so I’ll understand if she can’t play, or can only post a couple of photos.  But I hope to see Oreo and Chewy soon!

Just yesterday

Just yesterday

 

 


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Force of Nature

 

cropped Katie May 8 2015

Dandelions, those pretty little yellow flowers that so many people work so hard to eradicate from their golf course inspired yards, are incessant forces of nature.  Turn your back on them for one moment and they spring back to beautiful life.

And Katie-girl, a force of nature in her own stubborn, hyper, crazy, joyous way.

The combination is beautiful.

You can see all the other interpretations of forces of nature at the original post.  Or catch a few of my favorites here, here and here.  Each is a totally different take on the concept.

I love these challenges because you see wonderful things from all over the world.  Enjoy.

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Watch those treats mama!

Hey mama!  I'm stuck behind this big log!

Hey mama! I’m stuck behind this big log!

Katie here.  Those of you that live around here are probably noticing that spring has arrived!  Oh I know sometimes we still get a snow flake or two, but all in all stuff is really beginning to green up and some people even have gardens that are blooming already!

My mama says she doesn’t know how this happened.  She didn’t notice the willow trees turning yellow before they popped out in green buds, and she didn’t see her goldfinches when they were green with gold tufts of new feathers.  She says suddenly the grass was green, the willows were green, and the birds were gold!  She doesn’t understand how she missed all this.

I do.

She works too much.  It’s hard to notice stuff like trees and birds when you go to work in the dark and come home at dusk.  I’d say it’s even hard to notice things like a princess.  Who is sitting right by her feet.  Holding a pink pig in case she wants to play.

Or anything.

So I look forward to the weekends, because then, sometimes, if I’m lucky, my mama will take me to the park.  Like she did today.  Of course she wanted to take some silly pictures.  Honestly mama…don’t you have enough photos of beautiful me sitting beside grasses at the park?

Got anything good over there mama?

Got anything good over there mama?

Today she liked the way the sky looked and she was trying to get me and the grasses and the sky.  But she couldn’t get me to look at her.

I have a new rule about having my picture taken, but don’t tell her.

When she gets out that stupid camera and makes me sit I do.  But I look the other way.  And when she calls my name I look at her for a split second and then I look the other other way.  Even when there’s really nothing over there that interests me.  I do this a lot until she gets really frustrated and just takes the picture anyway.  She has to be really fast to get one of me looking at her.  It’s my little way of letting her know who’s boss.

Not going to look at you Mama.

Not going to look at you Mama.

We all know who’s boss.  Right?

So anyway, today she thought she’d trick me and she pulled a plastic bag of treats out of her pocket and she’s squatted down trying to take a picture of me with the sky and she was waving the bag of treats around and I’m focused on the ground just next to her and I won’t look at her and she can’t figure out why until I stand up and she stops looking through the camera and says “STAY!” in her school voice, so I do, and she gets the shot and then she stands up and says “come!” and I do and then I start scarfing up all the treats that had been flung out of the plastic bag all around her.

Ha ha ha ha mama!  See?  I am such a good girl!  Even though there were treats flying everywhere I stayed until you said come!  But I wasn’t really interested in looking at you when there were all these great treats lying all over!

My cover girl shot.

My cover girl shot.

Mama.  Sometimes she’s not very perceptive.  But I love her anyway.

Especially on the weekends.

Can't we just go for a walk mama?

Can’t we just go for a walk mama?

 


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Afloat

After a long week of work visiting my favorite park keeps me afloat.

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You can see other interpretations of ‘afloat’ at the original post.  Or see a few of my favorites here, here and here.  I like this one too.  And this.

OK.  I have to stop now.  But this one made me giggle.

Care to share what floats your boat?  This challenge lasts till next Friday.  Let’s see what’s floating near you!