These Westies belong to a neighbor who lives just down the street from us... we always see him walking them past the apartment after I get home from work. I was lucky that day when I just happened to have my camera with me out on the balcony, and shot this pic... come to think of it, I haven't posted any new ones lately. I've been meaning to get those printed up and let him see how they turned out, since they're among my favorites now.

They've been threatening us with flash floods for over a week, and it seemed like the experts were going to be wrong again. Until late last night and early this morning when it just poured. Robert got soaked going into work this morning, but by 7:30 a.m. the sun was out again and it was already starting go get humid. That was here in south Jersey. Over towards Philly and areas north, the Schuykill river continued rising and a lot of streets were under water. And up in Trenton they're estimating the river will rise by 27 feet, peaking at 8 p.m. Which was about an hour ago. Well, I'm glad we didn't get all that here.

The other night we put in the new edition of Boondock Saints in the DVD player, the one that has the director commentary. I highly recommend this one... of course I recommended the original when it came out on video. It's always been one of my all-time favorites. Now if only Troy Duffy will tell us when the sequel will be released!

I haven't been writing anything new lately. Instead I've become addicted to a relatively new site called YouTube. So I've been trying to think of all these different ways to get some of my older poems out to a different audience... we'll see what takes shape there. This could get scary, haha!

Had a bit of an emergency with Pablo last week. He was throwing up, not eating or drinking, and was straining to go in the litter pan. Right away I thought it a urinary infection or blockage, so we rushed him to the closest vet who kept him overnight. He had the beginning of cystosis (sp), and an upper respiratory infection. Poor little guy. We got his meds and so far he's been improving... none of those wild sneezing fits anymore either, lol.

DC United is shutting out my Wizards even as I type. Dammit. It's already 2-0. I would watch, but I don't know if I could take the disappointment. "Sigh."

Hey... I just had to share this!



A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the
answer to "Where do pets come from?"

Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with
us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and
it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."

And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will
be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so
that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how
selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will
accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of
Yourselves."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal.
And God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged
his tail.

And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the
Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."

And God said, "No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be
a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own
name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved
Them.

And they were comforted.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said,
"Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen
like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has
indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."

And God said, "No problem! I will create for them a companion who will
be with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion
will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are
not always worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's
eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings. And
Adam and Eve learned humility.

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't give a shit one way or the other.

Imagine

I just joined a site called Youtube not tot long ago. Just thought I'd share one of the better videos I've found on the site. The video (of lipsyncing to John Lennon's Imagine) was edited from submissions of various site subscribers by a high school senior. Definitely a project worth sharing!

Public Service Announcement

This is Taz...



This is Taz on Kitty Grass...



Any questions?

You've just been mooned

I couldn't resist trying to capture the full moon last night. I really like the manual feature on the camera, it gives you a lot more creative control with your photos... Anyway, its my first attempt so be kind with your critique, folks. :P

I've been missing a lot of the MLS games lately. It's almost like the Direct Kick cable channel is trying to pull a fast one by airing a lot of the games during the week... and here I was all used to "Soccer Saturday." Well I guess I just ought to pay more attention.

Speaking of Soccer.. the World Cup just started a few days ago... But the US team plays its first game on Monday. ("USA... Ole, ole, ole".... got that as a ringtone for my Virgin Mobile phone. Not my idea of a decent Team USA chant, I wonder what Mexico's FIFA ringtone sounds like?)
Anyway, our home team should do OK, since they have three Wizards on the team. Always partial to the Wizards when it comes down to the crunch.

It's also been a cool spring... only for a few days so far has it been really warm to speak of... the rest of the time its been rainy and sometimes even a little chilly.

This past week I've been exploring a site called
You Tube, which is a user video site... so I've been thinking of ways to creatively get my content up there as well. So far I've only posted footage of some of the dogs in the pet shop, and a slide show..

Before I go, I'd like to share one of the gems I found on the You Tube site...
Guitar Instrumental

I submitted an entry to a challenge in an online photo group I just joined.



The challenge was: Pick three things that are related, arrange them in any position, you control the lighting, paying attention to composition, light and shadow. It had to be in black and white.




Which one do you think I posted in the group?

Memorial Day Pics

Some things we saw when we went for a walk on Memorial Day...


The fire marshall must live here...



Then we happened to pass this church I never noticed the few times I've been down this road. Funny what great architecture you miss when you're not looking for it...




... And what detail in the artwork!

Java-holic

Ok. I admit it.
I can't start the day without a pot of coffee.

Mocha Frappuccino

Hyper and driven, you'll take your caffeine any way you can get it. Frappuccinos are good, but you'd probably chew coffee beans in a crunch!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

The Larch

Happiness In A Gardening Metaphor

Laying an essay down that I've been
reading to scan this balcony of all
its dirt-full containers,

the eye works
right to left, left to right
through the varigated yellows, purple
and reds. Again a new set
and I'm surrounded closer here by green.

Leaves of tall sprouting Sun
and Moon flowers before me and
to my right. I'm busy
anticipating at least five
black centers with a burst
of neon amber.

Funny how I've just noticed
the same bird singing a different
song than the one I
woke up to this morning.

Pet Shoppe Pics of the Week

Meet the latest resident of the Pet Shoppe, she just arrived today. This Pomeranian is barely two months old and weighs a mere 1.84 pounds... so she won't be much larger than this when full grown (she's really not much bigger than a hamster at this point!)Thanks to co-worker Allyssa who helped pose little Pommy, for also providing scale. Really. Can you even resist a ball of fluff like this?

I'm sure most of you have heard already what happened to Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro at the track over the weekend. I haven't usually extended focus to race horses but as an animal lover, I was really concerned with this story. I knew the racing career was over but was shocked to learn that the injuries were considered life-threatening. At this point he's out of surgery and enjoying an excellent first few days since the accident, but as they say... he's not out of the woods yet. So keep Barbaro in mind and wish him a full recovery.

Unweary

Motion like that could turn your thoughts
loose to build momentum out in the wind,

while the breeze is still chilled
in its own way, this late in the season.

My thoughts are with the hawk, barely visible
and soaring the undercurrents of surprise.

He must feel it too, this thing unseen until
the effect reaches wing, feathers; and lower

still where it sings through limb and leaf.
Alive when another gust compels an understanding

of instinct and action immediate.
Flow with it, flow with it...

And he does, high above and tethered
by my lens.

Bring it back...

I've been hearing off and on about NBC cancelling one of their most successful sci-fi shows from last season. After a spectacular cliffhanger for the season finale, they've chosen to cut the entire show from the lineup. Wanna do something about it? If you're a fan of the show Surface feel free to visit this site and sign the petition directed to the executives at NBC. Other shows have been brought back this way (correspondence from a fan base) so get your name on the petition to bring the show back on the air.

Oh, the weather... the month is already half gone which means next month by this time it should be summer. You couldn't tell it by how chilly it still is in the mornings, and in the evening once the sun starts to set.
But in the meantime when the sun warms up the day, there's always this...



... Which I caught on a quest by taking an alternate route home from work yesterday, passing a retirement community which hosts the pond and footbridge that can be seen from the road.




I can remember a time when it seemed I would never be able to do anything like this again... the opportunity to take such pictures, the sense of contentment that comes with it. Just the chance to do something I always wanted to do...




I stayed at that post a good half-hour, snapping picture after picture. Ah, life is good!







Then later at home, I snuck these covert shots of Pablo, a before and after set during which I got even with him for all the times he woke me up waaay too early...







Wakey, wakey!

Well, just a little sample of what I've been up to lately... taking pictures. It seems I've rediscovered photography, and just recently got myself a new digital camera. I'm still learning the features on it. That and the software programs. It seems pretty easy to follow. That's not the problem, though... the problem now is deciding which ones I want to keep - oh hell, why not all of them? Lol. Looks like I'll be photo crazy this summer for sure.

Woah... a video of my pet shoppe Bengal kittens... The quality isn't really up to par because I was moving the camera a little more than I should have I guess, plus it's not what you'd call top-of-the-line equipment... But its a start, though. Oh, the possibilities! :)



Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Sunflowers, candles and poi, oh my!

Springtime has been busy so far... not so much at the pet shop where things have slowed down quite a bit at the moment, but in general. About a week and a half ago I planted sunflowers, and already they're getting some height. It didn't take them long, I can't wait till they start to bloom. Not a very good picture though, but maybe you can still see what I'm talking about. I've noticed with the camera I have now, its been nearly impossible to take inside pics because for some reason the camera doesn't register available light, especially if the source is from a lamp. The only halfway decent ones taken indoors are those with daylight streaming in from outside. In other words, the subject has to be right at the sliding glass door.
I just finished the Harry Potter book that came out last summer. It took me long enough to get to it, and the ending wasn't such a shocker for me, thanks to Nick Pickerell of Blue Springs, MO, who posted a surprise spoiler on his Xanga site last year. What gets me though, is he never even read the book... he told a story about how him and a friend went into the local Barnes and Noble, and he happened to see it on display, picked it up and quickly turned to a point near the end, read a few paragraphs, set the book down and then commented to a complete stranger the end events. He's still a jerk for doing it in my opinion. So I've decided that when the next (and final) book in the series comes out, I'm not going near anyone's blog until I finish the book. It was really a dirty trick, a smart-ass stunt.. grrr...
So The Half-Blood Prince has been logged on my "have read" list. Now I'm on to The DaVinci Code. Not to worry, I'm conditioning myself to be well aware of potential spoilers until I finish this one, lol.

I've also been keeping up on the latest with my daughter's new home-based business venture candle sales. So if any of you might be interested, feel free to visit her site.

This spring I've been trying to get back into yoga more... I enjoy it, that is on those days I'm not being lazy. And I think I've found something I can really enjoy as much if not more, as well. I'm anxiously awaiting my order from Home of Poi, which is a site showcasing an art form similar to fire dancing. Fascinating, I'm really looking forward to learning more about this. I happened to see an episode of Survivor: Exile Island where half the tribe members were allowed to bring some kind of luxury item for winning a reward challenge... one of them being a firedancer, her luxury item was a set of fire poi. Very cool, very cool indeed.

Last Day of National Poetry Month

I was somewhat disappointed this year with the poetry awareness being so scarce locally. I guess that's what makes today's find in the Courier Post's South Jersey living section a real treat. Therese Halscheid is Haddon Township poet who's just released a new collection, Uncommon Geography. I'm impressed. My only concern was there were far too few articles like this in the local papers.

New Photos

These are the new Bengals that came into the Shoppe today.

A collection of Himmies...






.... One of the two Puggles we got in today :)