A Whole Year in a Post

So almost a year has passed since I last posted.  Wowsers!  Hard to catch up yet not hard at all because I can't say as I have done very much that is exciting.  Still, every now and again I think I should keep writing.  I used to write first thing I got up but now I've taken up other activities that rob that time.  Then there is always the problem of subject matter.  I seem to lack that.  Anyway, on to the update ...

Me Mither is still trundling along at 101.  I still go to see her regularly.  She has slowed up an awful lot now.  Sleeps a lot.  I don't have a recent picture that would do her justice, just one taken on the iPod which is all grainy.

We had an amazing summer with NO  BUGS  !!  Yay, my kinda year.  Loved it.  Could sit out and not be "bugged".  One day I was sitting out on the deck along with Mingus and thought, I'll just pop  my coffee cup in and check the time.  No sooner set the coffee cup down and I heard wild barking which lead to high pitched yelping.  I raced out and called Mingus who I could see was out on the road.  He started running toward me and from around the corner came loping after him, this big sleek, beautiful looking black bear.  I started screaming so the bear headed for the neighbour's yard.  Mingus looked over his shoulder, saw the bear was no longer after him so the dickens gave chase to the bear.  More screaming on my behalf.  (My throat hurt afterwards)  Finally Mingus reluctantly came to the house.  Such a cheeky little rascal.  Anyway, I am VERY sad to report that they killed a lot of bears around here.  So sad.  I won't tell how many ... you'd cry.  Here is the cheeky rascal himself ....



We were spared forest fires in our area for which I thank the Lord.  Late spring we got a goodly rain and then another rain a little later that spared us drying out completely.  The coast and lower mainland were really dry but we actually remained green ... because of those rains.  I live among trees so fire is always a concern.

This fall, almost winter, has remained quit mild.  We have only dropped once to -16C whereas we can go to -20 to -30 by now.  Here was a web taken this fall, dotted with frost ...



and another picture of the first snow ...



and Mingus in that snow ...



We are to get more snow today that is to fall until tomorrow noonish.  Sigh.  More shovelling.  My back is holding up for which I give credit to the taking of elk velvet for a couple of years now.  Plus, my neighbour helps me out every now and again ... for which I am very thankful.

Another neighbour has the nerve to be moving!  She sold her place just this last weekend and will be gone before next month's end.  Whew.  Sad for me but glad for her.  Mingus has claimed her yard as his own and defends it accordingly but I fear that will have to change now.  He loves his aunty neighbour.  Actually, Mingus loves just about everyone and greets most enthusiastically.  When the ladies come for Bible study, he races out to greet the first comers with wild abandon and then races back to the house, grabs a ball or whatever and races back to them and then escorts them to the door with exuberant barking.  (The first ones usually park out on the street - hence the time for all this).  He is too funny.  My greeter extraordinaire!!  He makes up for his blah Mom.

We are between Bible studies at the moment, pondering when exactly to start up again.  This fall I had two going ... Thursday AND Friday mornings.  Too many ladies to fit all on one day.  Kept me busy.

I bake bread every Friday morning so am up and 6:00 on those mornings.  Love my bread.  They go on and on about how bad bread is but phooey ... I love it.  I even bought a hand grain grinder ... which takes a LOT more muscle than I thought (gets the heart rate up) but I add a good cup of this hand ground flour to the mix.  I think it adds a nice flavour.  I use a mixture of Hard Red Wheat and Spelt for that.

I haven't done much for decorating this year.  A wreath o the door and the Chanukah candles (I love watching them flicker in the window) ... enough.  I don't get company this month and am happy with my meagre contributions to the season.



One of my Aunts died in November, the one who spent 50+ years in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa.  It was kind of cool because this summer one of the "boys" she took in hand, sort of adopted over there and encouraged and helped over the years was able, through a speaking engagement in Montreal (presenting a paper), to come and see her and thank her for all she had done for him.  It had been a prayer of his that he could do this in person.  Then another aunt and uncle were able to spend three months this summer visiting her almost every day ... kind of a closure for her and a send off.

.

As a young woman she took a boat from South America, during war time, landed in Liberia and walked into Cote d'Ivoire.  Quite the gal and quite the story.

Well that should do, after so long a time.  I seem bent on giving you all eye strain.  If anyone even reads this now after all of this time.  LOL  (D would say, you write for you and if anyone reads it, okay)

ttfn ....