Happy New Year

Well, this is it...the last day of 2010.  Doesn't it seem like just the other day everyone was all hysterical about Y2K..??  A whole decade has passed since then, and now we're starting the second decade tomorrow.  Cripes.  This is exactly why I don't like new year celebrations:  I should be celebrating the fact that Life is fleeting and time stops for no one...??

Another Scottish contribution--among a myriad--used by the world for New Year's Eve events:  the singing of Auld Lang Syne.  I doubt there are two people on the planet who know all the lyrics, but still, nearly everyone can mumble sing the first part.  I think the major reason no one knows or remembers the verses is that by midnight everyone is too blotto.  If you've been imbibing whiskey during your celebrations, again, be sure to thank the Scots.

If you're in the mood to do resolutions, knock yourself out.  Here's mine:

I talked to my friend Morag in Edinburgh this morning.  It was wonderful to catch up on all the news from the old neighborhood, though some of it wasn't great, including a fall she had during the ice and snow storms that have now laid her up for the next several weeks.  Still, it was good to chat, though as always, the homesickness sets in almost immediately.  Sigh.

Just as we were hanging up, I glanced out the front window to see several Yellow Finch pecking at the last seeds on the Birch trees.  They are such tiny birds I had to use the macro lens, and even without the image stabilizer I managed to capture a few good shots.  Don't they look like little yellow canaries..??

 

 

It seems like I take an inordinate amount of bird photos, but honestly, you have to admit they really are beautiful wee creatures.

I was looking at the Best of the Year stuff this morning, and couldn't resist this picture of Riley, celebrating his first birthday.  He won the internet Animal of the Year award as the most popular photo.  This photo has been circulating for months now, so you might have already seen it.  I had to post it, not only because of the win, but because tomorrow morning, this could be you, if you had too much fun on New Year's Eve...!!

Some links I found more cool than others.  I mean, really.  Who cares about best movie, or best place to live, or whatever. .??  Give me the intriguing, or the funny or the weird any day.  So, here you go:

Riley shows up at another website: 30 Most Important Dogs of 2010.  There are some great videos, and photos.  Only one was sad...sort of a Grey Friars Bobby story.

National Geo has posted the Best Underwater Photos of 2010, and though there aren't many of them, wow, are they interesting and beautiful.

Here's the most viewed YouTube video, in a category not related to misadventure, stupidity or animals.  I love this Old Spice guy...

In case you're wondering, here is a link to the 2010 Weather Events of the year.  It's kind of creepy when you read, month by month, how volatile the planet is...or is becoming.

And, to finish up, read the 2010 Darwin Award nominee stories, and cast your vote.  It never ceases to amaze me what folks can get up to.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas, nor do we share other holidays, but no matter who you are, there is acknowledgement of the New Year.  So, thanks for reading my blog, and hopefully I can bore entertain you for another year, another decade.  Here's wishing you all:

Boring...

Yet again, I've got nothing.  Yesterday seems to have been an aberrant with my posting of links, photos and videos, and in two postings no less.  What I should have done, in retrospect, was save the second post until today.  Hindsight.

Everyone across the internet is doing the "Top Ten...whatevers" for the 2010 year.  Mostly boring to me.  Haven't we already read/heard/seen these stories..??  Not many are worthy of an encore or recap.  I did find one or two interesting things, however...

Where is this..??  Do you know..??  I was just astounded by this photo of...

...Mars.  Can you believe that..??  Doesn't it look like trees growing down there..??  Apparently, it's ice crystals from beneath the sand dunes.  As the sand blows, it uncovers them.  If the dunes weren't pink, I would swear this was a shot of eastern Washington State, around the Palouse; or somewhere up the Gorge towards The Dalles, in Oregon.  If you want to see more, check out Discover Magazine's Astronomy Pictures of 2010.

Then, there's this solar eclipse photo, taken in January, 2010 of a jet taking off from Bangkok, Thailand.  Leave it to National Geo...and the most amazing photographer.  There are more pictures on their website, if you want to follow the link and while away some time this morning.

Ozzy and I just returned from a walk up the road to the dead end.  It's a warm, though misty and snow-melting morning.  That doesn't bode well for the afternoon, unfortunately.  Looks like a Swamp Walk at the park is on the horizon.

More Mish Mash...

After posting this morning, I was walking to the back of the house and noticed out one of the big windows two truly enormous hawks flying right over the edge of the ridge.  I raced for my camera and dashed outside onto the back deck to get as close as possible.  As I was aiming the camera, they screeched, then dive-bombed down the ridge and into the trees...and never came back.  While I waited, hoping for a reappearance, this lovely little creature landed on the fence right below where I was standing.

 

We had another heavy flurry of snow around lunch time, and I was convinced we would not be able to take Oz down the mountain.  By 1:00 it was brilliant sunshine and the roads were clear.  No hope for it then.  Down we went.  

Today, I thought we could go to a different section of Stewart Park where there are sidewalks and we might escape a Swamp Walk.  We don't go to this part very often because they are very strict about leashing, and there's a huge kids playground usually swarming with screaming/yelling/howling children--not my idea of a pleasant walk site.  Today there wasn't a soul, though what was really interesting was the Umpqua River, which was swallowing a good chunk of the river front.

This first shot is to my right, looking down river.  Those trees are usually not in the water.

Straight ahead.  I'm blocking the sun by standing in the shadow of the trees; trees that shouldn't be in the swirling water.

Now I've turned left.  I was tempted to take a video as the sound effects of the raging water was really cool.  Unfortunately I had Ozzy on his leash and could barely get him to hold still while I took photos, let alone a video.

Amazing how all that brown burned out, stick-grass has returned to emerald green.  Everything that was scorched by Summer's end is now green and lush...and it's not even close to Spring yet.  The river was very muddy, of course, so I couldn't get that yummy contrast between the blue sky, green grass and the water.  Still.  You can see how much rain we've had over the past few days.  Normally, there's a gentle slope on the other side of the trees, leading down to the river.  Not today.

Here's a fun thing.  I got this journal today.  I usually buy one each year, make it to about March, and get bogged down in Life and forget to keep writing.  This one is totally different.  It's been out for about three years, though is new to me.  Maybe it hadn't made it across the Pond..??  In any case, it's very unique and unlike any other journal I have ever had.  It even comes with a warning:

During the process of this book you will get dirty.  You may find yourself covered in paint, or any other number of foreign substances.  You will get wet.  You may be asked to do things you question.  You may grieve for the perfect state that you found the book in.  You may begin to see creative destruction everywhere.  You may begin to live more recklessly.

A few pictures:

 

 

 

Some of the instructions are hilarious: "Tie a string to the journal, go for a walk, drag it."  Others are weird and probably too hard for me to actually accomplish: Tongue Painting.  "Eat some colorful candy.  Lick this page ."  Eewww.  Maybe I could just rub the candy on the page and leave my tongue out of it.

The point of the journal is to free yourself, creatively.  My theory is it will help with my writing.  Though.  Hmmm.  I wonder how licking a page with a candy-coated tongue will help me write better....?????

Mish Mash

Woke up this morning to a mini-blizzard.  It was really coming down, in giant flakes of snow and very pretty, though freezing cold.  I grabbed the camera and tried for a short video. As usual, I'm sniffing...honestly, what is it with my nose..??  It was really windy and in short order the snow dotted the camera lens, to say nothing of at the end all you can hear is the wind, not my words.  Maybe that's a blessing...

Now, an hour later, everything is covered in snow, but we are also enveloped in a thick, icy mist.  If I were in Scotland right now, we would be calling this haar.  I experienced this weird weather phenomena several times throughout the years in Edinburgh, though didn't expect to ever see it here, in southern Oregon.  The haar is a frigid sea mist, so go figure how it's settled around our mountain when we're at least an hour from the coast and sheltered by the Coast Range.

I got all the grocery shopping done yesterday, so if we're somehow stuck up the mountain for a time, it won't matter.  Taking Ozzy for his walk later in the afternoon was an ordeal however.  The rain had poured down for nearly two days straight, so the park was beyond soaked.  I decided the new term for this kind of adventure is Swamp Walking.  Seriously, even the paved paths were flooded.  Poor wee Ozzy was up to his knees a few times, and the grass was just a boggy morass of mud and water.  We would have been drenched even if it hadn't been raining buckets.  In a way, I prefer the snow...in a way.



 

I found some interesting things this morning to post...better than the nothingness from yesterday.  So take a break from whatever and have a nice, warm cup of something.  If you're at work, keep pretending you're actually working; if you're home, nobody is watching, so settle in for some miscellaneous stuff snatched from the internet today.  As always, what is interesting to me, may not be to you.  You have been forewarned...


This link is very funny:  15 Redneck Inventions.  I can't decide which one is my favorite, though the hot tub is a good one, but so are the flat screen TV and the birthday cake "inventions".

Loved this video.  The poor wee calf had gotten stranded on the surface of an icy pond and couldn't stand or walk to get herself off.  The rescue helicopter literally blows her to safety.

Courtesy of Arbroath

Something you don't see every day.  I have no idea where this photo was taken, or who took it.  It's just a great picture I found on one of my morning blog reads.  This would be one of those shots where it would be fun to come up with a caption...

"But why do I always have to be the hat..??"

Via Arbroath

An interesting link if you want to organize yourself in the new year.  It's a calendar and reminder program you can download for free.  Basic, simple and easy to keep yourself on top of schedules, birthdays, projects, etc.  Chaos Manager.

I guess that about wraps it up for the coffee break this morning.  The mist is dissipating and the rain is back, though mixed now with snow and hail.  Guess we might be able to get off the mountain after all later today for more Swamp Walking.  Buggers.

Miscellanea

What a miserable day it is here in Roseburg.  Lashing rain, winds, and by tomorrow we are supposedly getting a real dose of snow.  I have to get to the grocery store today without fail; our mountain road is too dicey in snow and icy weather.

Speaking of snow.  This is a great video, taken over the weekend in New Jersey during the monumental snowstorm they had back East.

Michael Black on Vimeo.



Lately I've been posting stories/links on Tuesday that were interesting, but today I can't find a single thing noteworthy.  Maybe everyone's in recovery mode from Christmas, or spending their time trying to make up those pesky New Year's Resolutions.  And where did that idea come from, I wonder..??  What a way to ruin a new year.  Does anyone really achieve any of their goals..??  Or, maybe because I never do, I assume no one else does either.  According to Wikipedia, only 12% of all resolutions actually see results, so this year I'm not even going to bother.

Okay, off to the store before the (alleged) snowfall.  I might find something to post later today, though don't hold your breath...it seems like a not-much-is-happening kind of day...

Monday

Another dreary Monday.  I am so not fond of Mondays, though I have groused about it in other posts, so won't belabor the point in this one.

I had to remove my email address from the Contact Me tab.  I was suddenly getting a rash of weird spam and couldn't for the life of me figure out why.  I'm very careful where I use my email to avoid this very thing.  I realized the other day, however, that other bloggers don't have their emails on their sites and, like a dope, I had mine posted for all and sundry.  So, those of you that legitimately have my address, forge ahead; anyone else..??  Use the Comments function and I'll call you back.  For the spammers out there:  Bugger Off..!!

Here's the coolest short video.  Amazing how little credit we give to the creatures in our world.  This is definitely an "aawwww" moment.

Via YouTube

Isn't that cool..??  It took a minute for the tortoise to work it out, but he/she managed perfectly in the end.

And then, because I'm a sucker for these wee animal photos, I will finish today with this picture.  Wouldn't we all like to be doing this right now, on a dreary Monday morning...??

Courtesy of Amo

Another Change

I decided this afternoon to change the blog template again.  For some reason the green just wasn't working for me.  This blue probably won't last either, though I like it better--it goes really well with the Blue Jay photo.

Stay tuned...I might keep this up all week so every day will be a surprise...

New Stuff...

I decided to change the look of the blog today.  I probably should have waited until this time next week, you know, New Year, etc., but I felt like doing it today instead.  I'm not sure this will be the final choice, but I've pretty much spent the whole morning doing it and will let things rest for now.  Maybe I'll end up doing it all over again next weekend, who knows.

Love the Blue Jay photo.  I was going to put a picture of Italy, or the Med, or one of my other shots of Summer in Paradise, but I couldn't do it.  It's a bitterly cold day today, with lots of snow in the mountains (though thankfully, not yet on our mountain), and the thought of sun-filled, glorious days on the Bay of Naples would no doubt tip me right over the edge.

We had a very nice, quiet day yesterday, mostly reading and taking Oz out for his walks.  Then we had a great dinner, followed by much groaning about why we ate so much.  I made extra gravy so we can have hot sandwiches for dinner...and yum yum, my two favorite things: leftovers and no cooking..!!

Hope everyone had a joyful Christmas, and now you all can relax in the aftermath.  I like that it's all over and even better that it's Sunday.  Somehow, that makes it even more relaxing.  In case anybody's wondering what my plans are for the rest o' the day, here's a visual aid...

Finally...

I hope Santa was kind to everyone this year.  Ozzy got three new squeaky toys, so my morning has been a bit fraught.  Then he tries to bury them, apparently to save them for a time in the future when he will not have any toys (as if).  He gets all frantic and runs around the house looking for the best latibule (Bwah hahaha.  Save the Words strikes again..!!  Latibule = hiding place).  Course, if he sees you looking, that means he has to move the toy.  Poor wee boy, he does take his toys seriously...

My sister gave me the most amazingly cool dish.  How she managed to match it with my beloved Lodgeware Dutch Oven is beyond me as she doesn't live anywhere near me, and yet still got the color exactly right.  It's even more special because it's Italian...my favorite.  The red is just...yummy.

Our ex-neighbors in Edinburgh sent this terrific calendar of their Boxer, Harvey.  It's just a perfect series of photos as he's grown from a puppy to the great manly dog he is today.  He's the sweetest thing, and the pictures gave me another jolt of homesickness...but in a good way.  The photos I took of the calendar aren't too good, but you get the idea.

And then, I saw this newspaper clipping this morning.  What could it mean..??

Okay, that about takes care of the blog for today.  I have Christmas dinner to prepare, there's always Ozzy's walkies, and at last, the ordeal big event is winding down and I can stop posting Christmas-related graphics.  Next week at this time will be the start of a whole New Year.  Wow.  Where is the time going..?? 

Enjoy your Christmas everyone...!!

Christmas Eve !!

So, here we are...the final countdown to Christmas.  I hope everyone is finished with their preparations and can now relax and enjoy the holiday.

This morning I got an email from our across-the-street neighbors in Edinburgh.  They sent me a photo of our old house, buried in the never-ending snowstorms of December.  I love the picture, taken from their front window, though it did give me a pang of homesickness.  Still, I guess I should be glad to be in the temperate climate of Roseburg this winter, instead of the Arctic clime of Edinburgh.  And, wow, look at that threatening sky...bbrrrrrrr.

Alan and I plan on a quiet day; our biggest event will be taking Ozzy to the park this afternoon.  It's cloudy here right now, though not too cold, so just a typical Roseburg day, I suppose.  

Maybe later I'll find a Christmas movie to watch, though it will NOT be "It's A Wonderful Life".  I love Jimmy Stewart, but that movie drives me nuts.  When his little wretch child says that bit about "whenever a bell rings, an angel got its wings"...I mean really, gag-worthy.  That no doubt makes me a Scrooge of epic proportions, but I don't care.  That movie is like fingernails screeching down a chalkboard to me.  I think "The Nutcracker" is on, though that will put Alan to sleep.  What is it with men and the ballet..??

Well, no matter what we end up doing, here's wishing you all a great Christmas Eve...!!

Babble and Gird

Ozzy had his one-month health check yesterday, and passed with flying colors.  Dr Barry was very pleased, and now Oz can slowly be weaned off the wet canned crap food and get back to the dry, thank all that is holy.  I mixed his lunch half and half (wet/dry) and he was a very happy dog to get something besides the slimy wet food for a change, even though both varieties are the gastrointestinal diet stuff.  Hopefully, he will continue to stay healthy now that we have finally diagnosed his problems.

The weather yesterday was amazing.  It felt like the finest Spring day.  We walked Oz in the park, wearing just lightweight shirts and could even feel the heat in the sun.  I'm not sure how warm it actually got, but it was very nice.  Ozzy ran with wild abandon, either from a dose of Spring Fever, or the thrill of surviving his vet appointment.  I should have taken my camera, though of course, I never have it with me when I should.  The curse of an amateur photographer.

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I found some more goofy signs.  You gotta love stuff like this, really.  If it doesn't make you laugh, it will make you shake your head at the absurdity of things.

Apparently the seagull can't read...

Alrighty then...guess camping's out of the question at this campground...

Seriously.  Don't you have to wonder..??  This makes absolutely no sense at all, and yet they still put this sign up.

I love this one.  Didn't know my whole state was closed for the season.  Wonder when it will reopen..??

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OMG.  This is truly the scariest cat I have ever seen.  I would run from this creature...very quickly.  It doesn't even look like something from this world; more like the underworld.  Really creepy how it's claws are holding its rat-like tail...eeewww (*shivers*)...

Via Amo

So.  Let's recover from the nightmare cat by enjoying this adorable wee kitten having a nap, unaware there are demon felines abroad in the land...

Another gem from Amo

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Two days now until the reindeer land on the roof, so I'll finish up with this Christmas photo.  Hope all your presents are wrapped and you're ready to **gird your loins for the family event of the year...

Amo

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** FYI:  According to Wikipedia:  The term "gird one's loins" was used in the Roman Era meaning to pull up and tie one's lower garments between one's legs to increase one's mobility in battle. In the modern age, it has become an idiom meaning to prepare oneself for the worst.

I think both definitions pretty much cover a typical family Christmas, don't you..??

Stuff and Things

I'm going to be sort of busy today, so thought I would just post some photos and a very funny/happy video rather than blather on...besides, I don't have anything yet today to blather about.

Check out these actual road signs.  I mean, really.  What??

Okay, this apparently means explosives are prohibited in your car.  Ah, ya think..???  I don't have a clue where this photo was taken, but I know I don't want to go there.

This one just sort of defies rational thought.

And last but not least.  Instead of an airbag, you now need a parachute while driving in this unknown  area of the world.  No doubt people plummet straight off the "Precipitous Bluffs" while they're trying to figure out where the parachute button on their car might be.

All three photos courtesy of TopTenz

Goats.  They are the funniest creatures.  You won't be able to hold back a smile as these hilarious little kids play...

Three days and counting until Christmas, so as I head off to start my morning, I'll leave you with this greeting o' the day...

Miscellanea

Happy Winter Solstice..!! 

At last, the longest night is upon us, and from now on the days will gradually get lighter, and though it will still be Winter for months yet, Spring will come.

Last night I took some photos of the lunar eclipse.  I managed to get a few that aren't too bad, considering I was using the macro and pointing into the sky at an object approximately 238,000 miles away.  Imagine what I could have done with a tripod..!!

Just as the moon totally eclipsed and went red, the mist came over the ridge, and covered it up.  I was so disappointed; it was the Mars-like redness I really wanted a picture of.  Oh well, I think these three look pretty good, considering.

This morning, when I got up, the entire town of Roseburg, and the valley, were densely shrouded in fog.  We were sitting in brilliant sunshine.  It was truly beautiful, like we were alone above the clouds, up here on the mountain.  I wish I could have climbed onto the roof and done a 360* video, but alas, I don't have a ladder tall enough for that.  Trust me, if I did, I would have been up there in a heartbeat.

Here's a nice shot of the view from the study this morning as the sun was just coming up.  Roseburg is down there somewhere under the blanket of fog.  Aren't the gnarly oaks in the foreground just perfectly...ah...gnarly..??

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Time for a wee break, settle down with a cuppa, and waste spend some time reading a few interesting things I've found on the internet this week.  Bear in mind, however: what's interesting to me, may put you to sleep, but that's okay...it's your break.


I've been to Nevada many times (mostly not to Las Vegas, the energy-sucking capitol of the known universe), and never once have I seen or heard of this place: Fly Geyser.  Course, it's on private land, no trespassing, but still.  An amazing geological area, even if it started out man-made.  The photos are truly unbelievable.

I love this next one.  The International Institute of Not Doing Much.  Too funny.  Here's their manifesto:

We shall not flag or fail. We shall slow down in the office, and on the roads. We shall slow down with growing confidence when all those around us are in a shrill state of hyperactivity. We shall defend our state of calm, whatever the cost may be. We shall slow down in the fields and in the streets, we shall slow down in the hills, we shall never surrender!

If you can slow down when all around you are speeding up, then you're one of us. Be proud that you are one of us and not one of them. For they are fast, and we are slow. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing slowly. Some are born to slowness - others have it thrust upon them. And still others know that lying in bed with a morning cup of tea is the supreme state for mankind.

Two of their badges:

They have a great website, one that we all should consider embracing, especially after the post I did (Food for Thought) on Joshua Bell at the Metro station in DC.  I'm still appalled that virtually no one could slow down long enough to listen to the beauty of his music.

A strange obstacle course for this cat to choose.  And after all its work...well, you'll see.

Okay, break time over, people.  Unless you already subscribe to the "...Not Doing Much" philosophy, in which case, have another cuppa and carry on reading.

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Only a few more days until Christmas.  Everybody ready..??  Judging by the manic traffic in Roseburg, not everyone planned ahead, or shopped early.  Thank goodness I'm done.  Alan and I decided to buy ourselves what we wanted this year.  I got a really good deal on a Sony DVD player (I brought the one we had in Edinburgh...and totally spaced that the voltage was different, and I also lugged all my favorite DVDs that I now can't watch...aarrgghh).  I actually like doing Christmas gifts this way:  I get what I want, Alan gets what he wants, and Merry Christmas is had by all because there's nothing worse than trying to fake-love your gift, is there..??

On that note, with only four days to go until Santa arrives, I'll leave you with this wish: