Benazir Bhutto assassinated

We just heard the news. This is horrendous.

I have so much respect for this woman. I had the fortune of seeing and hearing her speak at a small conference in Boston a couple of years ago. While the other speakers were (with the exception of one) successful and interesting women, Benazir for me stole the show. She was honest, approachable, human--and real.

When asked about Islam and terrorism, she said that Islam is a peaceful religion.

"These people have hijacked my religion."

NOTHING justifies this assassination. NOTHING.

Christmas bear?

Here is my first contribution to Long Island's Christmas Light Spectacular. I think I will call him Billy.

I can see that I rapidly have to collect inflatable santas/snowmen riding aeroplanes/motorbikes/cars or sitting in snow globes, and surround them with lit-up sugar canes, Christmas trees, decorated trees (deciduous and evergreen, just put lights all over them), flashing lights, floodlit nativity scenes, flourescent deer, window lights, roof lights, garage lights: white, green, blue, red, yellow--any type, any colour.

Some of the displays are amazingly graceful and are wonderful to see in these dark winter nights.

Some of the displays are just plain tacky...

Another winter sunrise

The sun has moved further and further to the south. Soon it willl start to bounce back... the longest night of the year is with us, after that, the future just gets brighter.

It's so cold even my thoughts are frozen

Arrived back from San Francisco, after a couple days in Sacramento, via Los Angeles, on the red-eye. Concerned because we were flying into a storm, the second to hit New York in the past week. But the flight was uneventful, the landing no more bumpy than others... and the snow was being washed away by pelting, torrential rain.

It rained and blew and blew and rained all day yesterday. And then the temperature dropped.

This morning, the wind is still blowing. But all of the water on the streets is frozen.

The bay is still liquid, I can see waves tossed up by the wind.

Ever-changing

The view, the weather, the sunrises and the sunsets, the bird population, the animal sightings, the things on peoples' houses and lawns (this week it is Christmas lights and decorations, including a huge cut-out crib scene just up the street... I wonder what the raccoons think to that).

The other evening I was walking by number one beach as the sun was setting. Walking the stray dog, trying to find his home, instead finding the most beautiful sunset, gold and pink on the flat steel water.

Every day is different.

I wonder if I will get used to the differences? I hope not.

Dog visitor

This is the dog who came to visit this week. We don't know his name, but he was a real gentleman (if a little down on his luck--nothing that a nice hot bath wouldn't have solved). I was taking Fury for a walk when he came trotting out from the wetlands beach. I did an about-turn with Fury, but she'd noticed him and, of course, wanted to show who was boss. I spent the next ten minutes dragging her eighty-plus pounds all the way back home. Each time we turned a corner, I thought we were safe, but each time, he followed. He followed us right into the front garden and sat there on the grass.

And... once she was inside the house, Fury decided that he was a Nice Guy. And let him in, where he drank a large bowl of water, ate a big bowl of her food, and snoozed. He would not climb the stairs though--either couldn't, wouldn't, or didn't think it was allowed.

We posted him as Found Dog on craigslist and on fidofinder.com, called the local vets, called the Animal Shelter (where they took all the details), put up a sign and walked him through the neighbourhood, looking for his home... but no-one called. A couple came to see him, who had lost a labrador a while ago, but it wasn't their dog.

Poor guy... we were sure his family were looking for him. So Friday we took him to the animal shelter where they told us that the family had been calling all morning (but they hadn't passed on the information that we'd given them and which was pinned to their "found dogs" noticeboard in the lobby. Anyway... happily, he was reunited with his family.

The animal shelter takes in strays and dogs and cats that are given up for adoption. It is a sad place full of barking, hopeful dogs looking for someone to love them, feed them or even just tolerate them. Most of the dogs were pit bulls or pit-cross-somethings. Some old and grey-whiskered, some young pups, and some without ages. All were sad and I cried to see them. Not enough to take another one home: but because they needed homes of their own.

If you want a dog, go to the shelters and find him there. He's waiting, your dog. You'll know him when you meet him.

Muffin's First Snow!

It is snowing!!! Muffin has never seen snow before. She went out and tested it. For five minutes she wandered around the deck, her back twitching each time a snowflake landed. She sat and waited for birds. She came in again, washed herself, then went out the front door, did a tour of the house, came back up onto the deck, and is now comfortably warm on the chaise longue where she has a good view of snowflakes.

Fury went for a run on the wetlands beach. There is something weird, and yet beautiful, about snow on soft sand.

The flakes are getting larger, but it is forecast to turn to sleet, and then rain, later today. I forgot to empty the hosepipe to the pond, and it is frozen solid. I bet it will leak when the temperature goes above freezing again.

Winter sunset

The skies are pink, orange and purple now, and it gets dark very early. It's like the day is over at 5 p.m. I have to remind myself that there are many hours to fill between dark and bedtime, and plenty that can be done without daylight.

House fire! So sad...

This is really sad. The house just up the street, backing onto the wetlands, just caught fire. We noticed when the dog started barking... huge plume of black smoke and a fire truck arriving. A neighbour said that the homeowner was out of the house and is safe. Horrible how quickly a home can be destroyed.

And the reeds surrounding are dry, dead and like tinder.

House update

Nook at the bottom of the stairs, back of the hallway.

Thanksgiving, lots of visitors from near and far... a few days off work... managed to get some things finished (thank you for the help!!! you know who you are)

The kitchen went through its first big test--Thanksgiving dinner--and managed it very well. Not only all the cooking, but having several people in the kitchen area at one time. The breakfast bar is really really useful!

The entry hall has a nice new floor. It's peel-and-stick vinyl, compartively inexpensive, and it looks really good. Maybe one day I'll replace it with something more permanent, stone or ceramic, but I'm happy with it for a while. Now all that needs to be done in the hall is to paint the woodwork (all the walls are finished), hang some pictures and find the right furniture.

It's coming together! :-)

(Not all simple or costless though--yesterday we had a leak in the pipe that drains water from the kitchen sink. It was dripping through the ceiling/sofit in the room below, coming out at the lowest point: a light fixture. Another 400$ for the plumber, plus two large holes in the sofit and another burned-out electric circuit later, I'm glad that room has had nothing done to it yet!)

First real frost, heron is patient

The forecast was for 22 degrees farenheit last night (about -4C?). There is thin ice on the water that flows to the bay. The heron is sitting patiently waiting... or maybe his foot is frozen into the mud?

Thanksgiving and testing the sofas

It works. Eight people can relax/sleep/hang out on the sofas.

The Scratch Rat

After three years, Muffin has finally discovered the Scratch Rat. Not for scratching or sharpening her claws on, but for cuddling up to.

And the work goes on

I am making this radiator cover, at the back of the hall/bottom of the stairs. It's to cover the radiator that we found hidden inside the box inside the closet inside the closet under the old stairs--it wasn't very pretty.

The cover is made from a few pieces of wood, and a set of metal heating vent covers. I made the gap between the top and side wooden pieces such that the vent covers would just slot in. As you can see, I need to go back to Home Depot for a couple more. Three more to be exact: they are 12" wide and the wood strips are 8 foot.

The black-rubber-mat-like thing is in the hole at the bottom of the stairs. I have to mix some concrete and fill the hole one of these days... probably not until springtime when it's warmer again.

Tomorrow the plan is to clean out the hall, put the saw away, paint the walls at least once, scrub the floors and put the rug down. Make it at least livable for Thanksgiving.

Every day is a new day

Wind

Last night, when walking Fury in the dark between the street lights, I could hear a distant roaring noise, like a freeway somewhere across the ocean. The night was still, not cold, humid, a touch of mist.

This morning the freeway is upon us. It is a roaring wind: whitecaps scudding across the bay.

Was it a sound preview? Or an aural premonition?

He's back!

I have to place a "No Giant Herons Here" sign in my fish pond.

Winter sunrise

See they can get along!

They tolerate each other's differences -- which can be big -- and still manage to live harmoniously in the same space. I can learn from this.

Music to paint/clean up after painting to

Five doors each with fifteen panes of glass: all painted, one coat of primer, two top coats semi-gloss, one with three coats because it had been stained a very dark brown... all painted, all the blue painter's tape removed... now all that's left is to get one of those single-sided razor blades and scrape off the bits of paint that escaped the painter's tape. And paint the radiators. I think that's it--for the big room! Still the rest of the house to go.

Soundtrack: Bruce Springsteen's "Greatest Hits", Amy Winehouse "Back to Black", Rachmaninov "Symphony no. 2 in B minor", BBC Symphonic... Elvis "Love Songs" volume one (why didn't they include Kentucky Rain???), Radio Caroline Calling 70's flashback with such gems as Radar Love, Silver Machine, Pinball (that one takes me back to making toasted cheese sandwiches in the union at Melton Tech...)

The new sofas arrived yesterday. I have to assemble them: put on the stretch covers, fit the supporting frame and legs together and fasten them on. I need ten arms and about five times my strength (how the heck am I supposed to turn the right-hand sofa and left-hand chaise over to fasten them together????) but will get them done, one day at a time. Yesterday, it was the ottoman/footstool (begin with the easy one): today, the right-hand loveseat/sofa. Still left: left-hand chaise longue (will attach to the sofa), and a stand-alone right-hand chaise long. They are low and are a grey that fits with the kitchen floor tiles and the stainless steel.