Flowers

Geranium vine (Pink Blizzard) and catmint in my hanging planter.

Polka dot plants in my front tubs.

DoodleBug's First Charity Walk

DoodleBug completed his first charity walk today, for the local AIDS Foundation. He had a great time! It was just a short walk (4 K, or 2.4 miles), but had been selected by the daughter of a friend as a charitable walk she wanted to do. And, as this is one of the few that allows dogs to participate, when they asked me to walk with them, naturally, I agreed. Doodle was in his element, working the crowd, flirting with the women, charming the men, making the kids giggle. We ran into two other golden retrievers adopted from his rescue group, one of whom we'd met at a local meet and greet, and the other who was adopted at the same time as Doodle. I could have gotten her dog and she could have gotten mine. Might I say here that hers was much calmer than my maniac.

Anyway, it was hard to get photos, as I was on the other end of the leash, but here's a photo taken before the race. Doodle is leaning into one of his most favorite people in the world, my friend J. He and I often go on 3 or 6 mile walks with J, so when he sees her, he immediately assumes he's in for a fun, long walk and we have to start NOW. Forget this waiting nonsense. Let's walk!

Late this afternoon, after a Pet Partners meeting, I ran into my friend A in, of all places, the yarn aisle in JoAnn's, and she wants to go on one of these walks with me. I'm going to scout out one where we can take dogs, as she has two: a senior lab and a young Pomeranian. Can you imagine the ginger cuteness of DoodleBug and a Pom walking together? I'm not sure I can stand that much cuteness.

I Went to California...

...and met some donkeys (that's burros to you) on the road. The little brown guy heard me telling Greg to give him my apples (which Greg didn't, I might add). I think he's giving Greg the stink-eye.

The Colorado River looked so inviting. I miss water.

Now, you know I cannot resist those little historical markers on the side of the road. I have to check them out. You never know where they will lead, what forgotten gem or incident or person they memorialize. Luckily, neither can Greg, so we slammed on the brakes and went back to see what one we'd passed commemorated. It was a sign for the Blythe Intaglios, prehistoric human and animal figures that were made by removing the desert pavement (varnished pebbles that sit atop the desert surface). Here's just one of them (these are not the easiest things to photograph from the ground surface, so follow the link to see much better photos).

Then, as Greg had never been to Palm Canyon or the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, we stopped there for a brief hike. The road up to the canyon (and our Rav in there for scale). The mountains in the  background are 30 miles away.

The famous palms (these are a remnant native palm colony).

The view from the top of the trail.

 

Pretty Eggs, All in a Row

A gift of cage free, organic, free range eggs from the field school. There was another large brown egg and one more green egg, but the boys had them for breakfast. Aren't they lovely? I hope you can see all the different shades of light green. Their yolks are a vivid orange. They are delicious, with a more egg-intense taste.

Spiders on Mars?

Robert Krulwich is one of my favorite science reporters, and he has a fascinating new article on some strange "black spiders" that have been identified on Mars. Check his article out for some totally cool images and an interesting discussion of how Mars' surface may be much more active than we think.

Krulwich's Martian 'spiders'--just in time for Halloween!

River Walk Shawl

I made this for my friend T, for a shawl swap, and at the risk of sounding like I'm bragging, well, I'm going to brag. I love this! I am so stinking, ridiculously proud of how it turned out. I think it's the prettiest thing I have ever made. It's the River Walk Shawl published in Interweave Crochet last year. The stole measures 66 inches by 18 inches, and is made from just over two skeins of Cascade Heritage Silk in this gorgeous charcoal gray. What a wonderful yarn to work with--smooth, silky, yet springy from the wool, never split, no knots. The yarn shop where I bought had a knitted sweater sample hanging in the same Heritage Silk, but red. Yes, gorgeous. So please indulge my bad taste in bragging.

Reading About Walking

I know, most ordinary people think reading a book about walking is boring. Or should I write: Boring! If you've not noticed over at BookTeaCatDog, I've read a few books about walking, both historical and philosophical. I'm not sure why. I enjoy them, almost as much as I enjoy walking. Strange but true. And now, I can add a new genre--I am reading fiction about walking. And it is fantastic!

I am completely absorbed in and enthralled by The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, and it is as wonderful as reviews--and its nomination for a Man Booker Prize--have said. She manages to convey how walking helps one refocus, deal with the past you'd rather not remember, hope for the future (well, I haven't gotten to the hope and future part, but I sure hope it's coming), see life, real life, not TV life or life as you think it is, but real life. Beautifully written, so sensitively drawn, with such compassion for characters living such quiet and surprisingly desperate and unhappy lives--and yet, it is not depressing at all.

I think Harold will be re-awakened by his walk. I hope Maureen is. I hope Queenie is waiting. My friend S is listening to the Audibles version at the same time, but we haven't compared notes yet. I hope she loves it as much as I do.

I wish I didn't have to work, but could just sit and read. How do I get a job just sitting and reading?