Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Introducing Thor
We got a puppy yesterday. He's a boxer-bullmastiff cross and he is adorable! He's currently 9 and a half weeks and is just about 20 pounds.
Untitled from Penella Zollner on Vimeo.
The breeder was the owner of both the parent dogs. The Dad is beautiful fawn boxer and the Mom is a brindle bullmastiff. Both are average size for their respective breeds and we think Thor will probably top out at about 100 pounds. Since he will be a big guy, we're enrolling in "puppy school" as soon as possible!
We had a couple of 'piddles and piles' on the floor last night and a lot of barking/whining/crying/howling/groaning/gnashing of teeth all night for his first night away from home; poor Sweetie was very tired this morning when he got up for work (as you can tell in the video, Thor's bark is pretty high pitched and sharp and he's surprisingly persistent! Even I have a hard time sleeping through that). But that will only last a few days until he gets accustomed to his new crate (insha'allah!) and today we have had several successful trips outside.
He is definitely a 'people' dog which the breeder told us and that's part of the reason we chose him. He follows me around the house and when I work in my office, he snuggles as close to my feet as he can and goes to sleep. He wants to play with Jaz in the worst way but Jaz hasn't bought in to the whole 'puppy' thing yet. She has made it abundantly clear who's the boss around here and fortunately Thor seems to respect that. Give her a few days, she'll come 'round.
Untitled from Penella Zollner on Vimeo.
The breeder was the owner of both the parent dogs. The Dad is beautiful fawn boxer and the Mom is a brindle bullmastiff. Both are average size for their respective breeds and we think Thor will probably top out at about 100 pounds. Since he will be a big guy, we're enrolling in "puppy school" as soon as possible!
We had a couple of 'piddles and piles' on the floor last night and a lot of barking/whining/crying/howling/groaning/gnashing of teeth all night for his first night away from home; poor Sweetie was very tired this morning when he got up for work (as you can tell in the video, Thor's bark is pretty high pitched and sharp and he's surprisingly persistent! Even I have a hard time sleeping through that). But that will only last a few days until he gets accustomed to his new crate (insha'allah!) and today we have had several successful trips outside.
He is definitely a 'people' dog which the breeder told us and that's part of the reason we chose him. He follows me around the house and when I work in my office, he snuggles as close to my feet as he can and goes to sleep. He wants to play with Jaz in the worst way but Jaz hasn't bought in to the whole 'puppy' thing yet. She has made it abundantly clear who's the boss around here and fortunately Thor seems to respect that. Give her a few days, she'll come 'round.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Creature Spotting: Moose in our yard
OK, I promise I will not blog about the moose anymore after this. But they are pretty cool to watch when I'm safely tucked away in my living room! Lately we have been seeing the same mama moose and her baby in the pasture behind our trailer. They have become frequent visitors in our yard, as was the case the past 2 mornings. Yesterday, they headed for the cover of the forest before it was light enough to get any video but this morning they were a little more sociable. We watched them for more than 20 minutes before they moved on ... and even then they were in no big hurry to get back to the bush.
Moose in the Yard from Penella Zollner on Vimeo.
P.S. The quality of the video is poor because of this stoopid video editing software. It really sucks. Don't buy Panasonic!
Moose in the Yard from Penella Zollner on Vimeo.
P.S. The quality of the video is poor because of this stoopid video editing software. It really sucks. Don't buy Panasonic!
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
My Birthday in Montreal
For my birthday, Sweetie took me to Montreal. I have not been there before and I found it to be a very lovely city, definitely a place I would return. And surprisingly, and in spite of the myriad of taxes (GST, PST, HST, etc), it was a relatively inexpensive weekend.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
More Moose (mooses? meese?)
Throughout the entire summer, we had a grand total of 2 moose sightings: once, a cow and her calf darted off into the trees before we could even get a look at them and another time we spotted a bull in the pond at the edge of the trees. He headed towards the Belgian horses who were in the same fence but thought better of it when he realized there were two of them and, pound for pound, either one of them could have given him a run for his money. He trotted off in the other direction over the hill and was gone.
Within the last 2 weeks, the moose seem to have come out of hiding. They're everywhere!
Today I caught a glimpse of the 3 'loitering' moose that Sweetie warned me about (and "moose" is the correct plural for it.) These guy/gals (a bull and 2 cows) have been hanging around almost every day about a kilometer from our place and very near to where I had my 'close encounter' last week. Sweetie sees them almost every day when he goes to work early in the morning but normally I don't see them cuz I don't normally 'do' early. However, today they were still out and about when I returned home from a mid-morning trip into town so I took a few pix with my crackberry (sorry about the poor quality).
As well, early this morning (OK, sometimes I do get up early), there were 2 more moose -- a cow and calf -- chowing down in the pasture just across the fence from our trailer.
Like I said they are fascinating to watch ... from a distance.
Monday, October 18, 2010
What is the plural for "moose"???
It's rut season and we live in the wilderness. As such, the wildlife are out and about, mating and getting ready for winter. We live only a few minutes out of town and a few kilometers from the Wapiti River valley so we see/hear wild creatures in this area all the time which is part of the charm of living here. Deer, coyotes, fox and rabbits are all pretty common -- but moose are a different story. They are amazing animals! Massive and majestic. Fascinating to watch on the very rare occasion that one has emerged from the forest behind our property. One would think that these shy, seemingly docile creatures are harmless ... not so! Apparently, an encounter with a moose is more dangerous than an encounter with a bear, especially during calving season, mating season and when dogs are involved.
Puppy needs to go out every morning to take care of business. Usually I take her for a walk up and down our relatively quiet country road for her morning constitution but if we're in a hurry (or if we are feeling lazy), she gets a short sprint to her second favorite pee-spot near the trailer. Normally she is on the leash as she is a bit unpredictable. For a small dog with short legs, she can sure move and she's got big dog attitude! More than once, Sweetie has had to do the 50-yard dash to stop her from chasing the neighbor's black lab all the way back to his own porch.
One morning just before Thanksgiving, Sweetie took a turn for puppy's morning business and it was to be a short jaunt to the alternate pee-spot (while I stayed warmly snugged up in bed). When they returned, an ashen Sweetie woke me up, called me over to the window and showed me a big bull moose trotting across the yard! Apparently, Sweetie and puppy went dashing out the front door and nearly ran into the bull who was standing RIGHT at the end of our trailer directly in the path to the pee-spot. A startled Sweetie stepped behind a tree in case the startled bull decided to charge, then backpedaled to the safety of the trailer. Mr Bull did not charge and instead, hopped the barbed wire fence and headed off towards the forest from whence he came. Later, on his way to work, Sweetie returned to warn me that another 3 moose were loitering up the road where I usually take puppy for her extended morning walk.
We also take Puppy for walks along the road for her evening constitution and our usual evening route takes us in the other direction to the end of the road. Its a rather secluded spot and judging by the evidence, its sometimes a hang-out for crack-heads, amorous couples and people too lazy or too cheap to take their garbage to the dump.
On one of our evening walks this past weekend, we noticed a garbage can and a couple of garbage bags at the end of the road. Sweetie investigated the contents of the bags and discovered that at least one moose in the area had most likely found himself at the wrong end of a hunting rifle. It was a grim walk home.
The following morning, puppy was again needing her daily walk (which she very much looks forward to) and as usual, I bundled up for the morning chill and hooked her to the leash. As soon as I opened the front door I could hear howling coyotes. They were surprisingly loud but since it was coming from the direction of our previous day's 'discovery', I surmised that they were probably far enough away and probably preoccupied with their "find"; a walk down the road in the other direction was probably safe. Puppy did not agree. She wanted no part of it and no amount of coaxing would get her any further than the end of our driveway. Apparently her 'big dog' attitude does not extend to howling coyotes.
In fact, this was not the first time we've encountered coyotes nearby. One evening last week, I decided to take puppy to the end of the road instead of our usual route in the other direction because frankly, the usual route was getting boring. I don't often walk that way by myself. Call me chicken but there is a stretch of road that is flanked on both sides by dense trees which is a bit disconcerting and at the very end, there are trees on 3 sides with swamp beyond that. Puppy and I were just past the last driveway when suddenly, a coyote started 'yipping' from just out of sight. And then another. And then their comrade chimed in from the other side of the road. I have read that several coyotes barking at the same time can sound like many more than there actually are ... but wow! It sounded like a whole pack was surrounding us! We turned around without finishing puppy's business and hurriedly walked (if you run, they'll think you're prey!) home where I immediately changed my underwear.
Last night, puppy ate an especially big supper and this morning, she really needed to go out. Unfortunately at 7:30am it is still very dark out and after our close encounter with the coyotes, I am wary of going out in less than broad-daylight conditions. However, puppy sat by the door grunting relentlessly and I decided we would probably be OK if we stuck to the road more traveled.
The first 10 minutes of our walk was uneventful. Puppy did her usual thing -- sniffing about, marking territory and a much needed crap. But then I saw it ... and luckily I saw it! It was very dim but just across the ditch between some trees, a big dark 'blob'. Not a shadow, shadows don't move. There are no cattle, horses or donkeys there and it was too big to be a deer. It is also very near where Sweetie warned me of the 3 loitering moose a few days ago ... so I'm pretty sure the 'blob' could only have been a moose.
Like I said, I find them fascinating and I love to watch them from afar and from the safety and comfort of my living room. It is a much different story when I am out in the wide open and well within "chase and trample" range (Update: I paced off the distance the next day ... in broad daylight of course: less than 50 paces! And there were indeed moose tracks on the road where I had been). This time I ran full tilt! A quick peek over my shoulder showed the 'blob' was on the road behind us but luckily it was not in pursuit and a passing car scared it back into the trees.
Yup, one more pair of gaunchies for the laundry.
Puppy needs to go out every morning to take care of business. Usually I take her for a walk up and down our relatively quiet country road for her morning constitution but if we're in a hurry (or if we are feeling lazy), she gets a short sprint to her second favorite pee-spot near the trailer. Normally she is on the leash as she is a bit unpredictable. For a small dog with short legs, she can sure move and she's got big dog attitude! More than once, Sweetie has had to do the 50-yard dash to stop her from chasing the neighbor's black lab all the way back to his own porch.
One morning just before Thanksgiving, Sweetie took a turn for puppy's morning business and it was to be a short jaunt to the alternate pee-spot (while I stayed warmly snugged up in bed). When they returned, an ashen Sweetie woke me up, called me over to the window and showed me a big bull moose trotting across the yard! Apparently, Sweetie and puppy went dashing out the front door and nearly ran into the bull who was standing RIGHT at the end of our trailer directly in the path to the pee-spot. A startled Sweetie stepped behind a tree in case the startled bull decided to charge, then backpedaled to the safety of the trailer. Mr Bull did not charge and instead, hopped the barbed wire fence and headed off towards the forest from whence he came. Later, on his way to work, Sweetie returned to warn me that another 3 moose were loitering up the road where I usually take puppy for her extended morning walk.
We also take Puppy for walks along the road for her evening constitution and our usual evening route takes us in the other direction to the end of the road. Its a rather secluded spot and judging by the evidence, its sometimes a hang-out for crack-heads, amorous couples and people too lazy or too cheap to take their garbage to the dump.
On one of our evening walks this past weekend, we noticed a garbage can and a couple of garbage bags at the end of the road. Sweetie investigated the contents of the bags and discovered that at least one moose in the area had most likely found himself at the wrong end of a hunting rifle. It was a grim walk home.
The following morning, puppy was again needing her daily walk (which she very much looks forward to) and as usual, I bundled up for the morning chill and hooked her to the leash. As soon as I opened the front door I could hear howling coyotes. They were surprisingly loud but since it was coming from the direction of our previous day's 'discovery', I surmised that they were probably far enough away and probably preoccupied with their "find"; a walk down the road in the other direction was probably safe. Puppy did not agree. She wanted no part of it and no amount of coaxing would get her any further than the end of our driveway. Apparently her 'big dog' attitude does not extend to howling coyotes.
In fact, this was not the first time we've encountered coyotes nearby. One evening last week, I decided to take puppy to the end of the road instead of our usual route in the other direction because frankly, the usual route was getting boring. I don't often walk that way by myself. Call me chicken but there is a stretch of road that is flanked on both sides by dense trees which is a bit disconcerting and at the very end, there are trees on 3 sides with swamp beyond that. Puppy and I were just past the last driveway when suddenly, a coyote started 'yipping' from just out of sight. And then another. And then their comrade chimed in from the other side of the road. I have read that several coyotes barking at the same time can sound like many more than there actually are ... but wow! It sounded like a whole pack was surrounding us! We turned around without finishing puppy's business and hurriedly walked (if you run, they'll think you're prey!) home where I immediately changed my underwear.
Last night, puppy ate an especially big supper and this morning, she really needed to go out. Unfortunately at 7:30am it is still very dark out and after our close encounter with the coyotes, I am wary of going out in less than broad-daylight conditions. However, puppy sat by the door grunting relentlessly and I decided we would probably be OK if we stuck to the road more traveled.
The first 10 minutes of our walk was uneventful. Puppy did her usual thing -- sniffing about, marking territory and a much needed crap. But then I saw it ... and luckily I saw it! It was very dim but just across the ditch between some trees, a big dark 'blob'. Not a shadow, shadows don't move. There are no cattle, horses or donkeys there and it was too big to be a deer. It is also very near where Sweetie warned me of the 3 loitering moose a few days ago ... so I'm pretty sure the 'blob' could only have been a moose.
Like I said, I find them fascinating and I love to watch them from afar and from the safety and comfort of my living room. It is a much different story when I am out in the wide open and well within "chase and trample" range (Update: I paced off the distance the next day ... in broad daylight of course: less than 50 paces! And there were indeed moose tracks on the road where I had been). This time I ran full tilt! A quick peek over my shoulder showed the 'blob' was on the road behind us but luckily it was not in pursuit and a passing car scared it back into the trees.
Yup, one more pair of gaunchies for the laundry.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Life at the Acerage
She Blowed Up Real Good!
Sweetie and the puppy were away for the weekend and I was by myself for a few days. Since I am now a 'consultant' working from home, I was diligently working away at my desk when all of a sudden there was loud BOOPH!!!! that shook the trailer! Yikes! What the H-E-double hockey sticks was THAT?! I nearly $%!# my pants!
Turns out the neighbors were taking advantage of the soggy weather to burn a wood/junk pile behind our trailer. A little gasoline and a match ... she blowed up real good!
Our Neighbors the Belgians
The horses next door are a team of Belgian heavy horses whom I have affectionately named "Blondie" and "the Other One" (don't know their real names so I just made that up). They are nearly identical looking and were standing in a nearly identical pose.
The quality of the picture is poor because I decided to take it through the window. Why? Cuz Blondie and Other One are fickle and I knew that once I opened the door and snapped the the camera, they would move and ruin their perfect pose. And I was right.
Whatchulookin'at???
We're outta here!
When Nature Calls
So I figgered I got some OK shots of the Belgians (even though they moved) and was about to leave my photographic perch when when I noticed this guy about 50 meters from the trailer ...
I don't think he saw me at first but when he did, he changed course and headed off in the other direction ... but not before taking care of some 'business' first.
(Lucky for him it was me with the camera and not Sweetie with the cross-bow!)
Quiet As A Mouse
Sweetie got up early one morning last week to head to the office. He was so kind to be very quiet so as not to awake me. In fact, he was SO quiet that the resident mouse didn't notice him either! The brave little guy was busy snooping around the kitchen for crumbs and doing whatever else brave little mice do (like poo on the counter). Sweetie was pretty disgusted by this. He went into full-blown anti-rodent mode: mouse traps, Irish Spring soap, heavy duty rubber gloves and industrial strength Lysol by the gallon!
Friday evening I was settling in for the night when I heard it: THWAP!!! ... scuffle scuffle scuffle ... silence. Apparently the lure of peanut butter was too much for the little fella and it proved to be fatal. As I mentioned, Sweetie was away all weekend so I had to do the dirty deed and dispose of it (I briefly pondered leaving it for Sweetie to do but that would have meant seeing those bulgy eyes and flat head for several more days. Besides, Sweetie hates rodents of all types so I probably would have had to deal with it anyway).
Sorry, no photos to go along with the 'mouse' story cuz that would just be grim.
Sweetie and the puppy were away for the weekend and I was by myself for a few days. Since I am now a 'consultant' working from home, I was diligently working away at my desk when all of a sudden there was loud BOOPH!!!! that shook the trailer! Yikes! What the H-E-double hockey sticks was THAT?! I nearly $%!# my pants!
Our Neighbors the Belgians
The horses next door are a team of Belgian heavy horses whom I have affectionately named "Blondie" and "the Other One" (don't know their real names so I just made that up). They are nearly identical looking and were standing in a nearly identical pose.
The quality of the picture is poor because I decided to take it through the window. Why? Cuz Blondie and Other One are fickle and I knew that once I opened the door and snapped the the camera, they would move and ruin their perfect pose. And I was right.
When Nature Calls
So I figgered I got some OK shots of the Belgians (even though they moved) and was about to leave my photographic perch when when I noticed this guy about 50 meters from the trailer ...
Quiet As A Mouse
Sweetie got up early one morning last week to head to the office. He was so kind to be very quiet so as not to awake me. In fact, he was SO quiet that the resident mouse didn't notice him either! The brave little guy was busy snooping around the kitchen for crumbs and doing whatever else brave little mice do (like poo on the counter). Sweetie was pretty disgusted by this. He went into full-blown anti-rodent mode: mouse traps, Irish Spring soap, heavy duty rubber gloves and industrial strength Lysol by the gallon!
Friday evening I was settling in for the night when I heard it: THWAP!!! ... scuffle scuffle scuffle ... silence. Apparently the lure of peanut butter was too much for the little fella and it proved to be fatal. As I mentioned, Sweetie was away all weekend so I had to do the dirty deed and dispose of it (I briefly pondered leaving it for Sweetie to do but that would have meant seeing those bulgy eyes and flat head for several more days. Besides, Sweetie hates rodents of all types so I probably would have had to deal with it anyway).
Sorry, no photos to go along with the 'mouse' story cuz that would just be grim.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Jaz and her playmates
Sweetie's puppy LOVES the horses that live in the fence next to us. She is always looking for them and will sit and watch them for hours if we let her. And it seems that the horses kinda like her too; when they see her near the fence, they will saunter over and have a nose-to-nose chat. They're not that interested in us though unless we have something for them (such as lush green grass from our side of the fence since their side has been grazed to the ground.)
 |
| Jaz and her playmates |
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Drama at the acerage: Its a bird ... its a plane ... no wait, its a bird!!!
Sweetie left his truck door open for less than a minute, ran in the house to grab his wallet, ran back outside ... low and behold, he's got a passenger haha!
Its a bird ... its a plane ... no wait, its a bird!!! from Penella Zollner on Vimeo.
Change is good? Not always!
Rant alert!!!
I have taken tons of video over the last 2 years since I got my camera and in the past it was pretty easy to upload video clips directly to my blog (editing with the [bleeping] Panasonic/Sony software is another story and the subject of a future rant). I kinda like making "mini-movies" with my camera and over the months, I've created a few that I'd like to share here.
At some point, Blogger decided to "improve" things and changed the way videos are uploaded. I prefer to upload my clips directly to my blog (the other method is via You Tube) but I have had no success uploading since this change. Nuttin'. Zero. Zip. Nada. Grrrr! For whatever reason, the blogger FAQ and help sections have not caught up with the 'improvements'. I spent more than a few hours in this dead end loop:
upload video clip
"failed to upload" error message
Google it to find a solution
upload again, different file format
error message
Google it again, different search term
upload
error
Google
upload
error
beat my head against a wall
Google ...
This morning I conceded defeat ... partly. I discovered a website called "vimeo" which is like You Tube but geared towards professionals, artists and shmoes like me who prefer a respectful and supportive community (ever read some of the comments posted on You Tube? Nuff said). I'm going to attempt to upload my mini-movies there and link to them here and with any luck, I'll have some fresh new content!!
Here goes ...
I have taken tons of video over the last 2 years since I got my camera and in the past it was pretty easy to upload video clips directly to my blog (editing with the [bleeping] Panasonic/Sony software is another story and the subject of a future rant). I kinda like making "mini-movies" with my camera and over the months, I've created a few that I'd like to share here.
At some point, Blogger decided to "improve" things and changed the way videos are uploaded. I prefer to upload my clips directly to my blog (the other method is via You Tube) but I have had no success uploading since this change. Nuttin'. Zero. Zip. Nada. Grrrr! For whatever reason, the blogger FAQ and help sections have not caught up with the 'improvements'. I spent more than a few hours in this dead end loop:
upload video clip
"failed to upload" error message
Google it to find a solution
upload again, different file format
error message
Google it again, different search term
upload
error
upload
error
beat my head against a wall
Google ...
This morning I conceded defeat ... partly. I discovered a website called "vimeo" which is like You Tube but geared towards professionals, artists and shmoes like me who prefer a respectful and supportive community (ever read some of the comments posted on You Tube? Nuff said). I'm going to attempt to upload my mini-movies there and link to them here and with any luck, I'll have some fresh new content!!
Here goes ...
Monday, August 09, 2010
Back to the (virtual) land of the living!
Got internet at the acerage now. Oh how I missed home internet!!! No more needless trips to the library to see what's going on in the world, I can do it right from my own living room (or bathroom or bedroom).
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Flower Bed Pix
Begonias, clematis, petunias, pansies, some white ground crawler things.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Update on Minka
When I decided to move to Dubai, I had zillions of things to do and decisions to make. The biggest and most heart wrenching: what do I do with Minka? There were really only 3 choices: bring her along, find a new home or euthanasia. I ignored the last one; although she had been diagnosed with some impending health issues, the vet himself had no idea when or if things would progress and she was not suffering in any way. She was old but as far as I could tell, she had lots of life left. Putting her down was simply not an option.
I pondered the idea of bringing her to Dubai but decided against it. Aside from being costly, the shipping experience is traumatic for the heartiest of creatures and since I had no idea what to expect at the other end (I read that Dubai is not all that dog friendly which turned out to be partly true, not to mention the weather), this was not practical for me either. So there was only one thing left: find a new home. I spread the word and hoped for the best.
To my good fortune (and Minka's), my flyer on the Boxer Rescue Network website was answered by a local couple who had recently lost their beloved boxer to cancer and were looking for another one to fill the void. When they came to meet Minka, they fell in love with her and called back later to deliver the news that they would be happy to take her. A huge relief but a bittersweet one. So one afternoon shortly before I departed, her new 'Dad' came over, I gave her a hug and whispered good bye and with that she embarked on a new life.
From the emails and photos I received over the next 2 years, it was apparent that she was very well taken care of: they bought her an orthopedic bed and a snow suit, they switched her to a raw-food diet, they took regular road trips to the Canmore dog park, all of which she must have loved (well, the snow suit maybe not so much)! Her 'twilight' years were turning out to be the best of her life!
As I was packing up to return to Canada earlier this year, I received one last email from them:
For a second time, I had to say good bye to my "Stinky Minky". She was challenging at times but through all the pee on the floor, the drool on the furniture, the rummaging through the garbage, the dead grass in the back yard and mistaking my baby niece for a chew toy, she was still my girl and I could never stay mad at her for very long. Funnily enough, when I got my truck out of the storage compound, it still had Minka's nose prints all over the passenger side window! She was a big part of my life for nearly 7 years and in many ways, she always will.
And to the wonderful people who took her in and gave her so much love, thank you ... once again.
I pondered the idea of bringing her to Dubai but decided against it. Aside from being costly, the shipping experience is traumatic for the heartiest of creatures and since I had no idea what to expect at the other end (I read that Dubai is not all that dog friendly which turned out to be partly true, not to mention the weather), this was not practical for me either. So there was only one thing left: find a new home. I spread the word and hoped for the best.
To my good fortune (and Minka's), my flyer on the Boxer Rescue Network website was answered by a local couple who had recently lost their beloved boxer to cancer and were looking for another one to fill the void. When they came to meet Minka, they fell in love with her and called back later to deliver the news that they would be happy to take her. A huge relief but a bittersweet one. So one afternoon shortly before I departed, her new 'Dad' came over, I gave her a hug and whispered good bye and with that she embarked on a new life.
From the emails and photos I received over the next 2 years, it was apparent that she was very well taken care of: they bought her an orthopedic bed and a snow suit, they switched her to a raw-food diet, they took regular road trips to the Canmore dog park, all of which she must have loved (well, the snow suit maybe not so much)! Her 'twilight' years were turning out to be the best of her life!
As I was packing up to return to Canada earlier this year, I received one last email from them:
I have some sad news. We had to make the agonizing decision to put Minka down yesterday. More tumors developed, the worst one being in her mouth. Even though her spirit was still so very bright, her little body just had enough. We were both with her when she passed. Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to care for this precious life. We loved her dearly.
For a second time, I had to say good bye to my "Stinky Minky". She was challenging at times but through all the pee on the floor, the drool on the furniture, the rummaging through the garbage, the dead grass in the back yard and mistaking my baby niece for a chew toy, she was still my girl and I could never stay mad at her for very long. Funnily enough, when I got my truck out of the storage compound, it still had Minka's nose prints all over the passenger side window! She was a big part of my life for nearly 7 years and in many ways, she always will.
And to the wonderful people who took her in and gave her so much love, thank you ... once again.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Blogging is a wee bit overdue!!!
So what can I say. A lot has happened since my last post ... WOW, has it been 6 months already?!
Here's a recap:
--> Went back to Dubai.
--> Resigned my job.
--> Sweetie came to UAE to help me move back to the motherland.
--> A short (but nice!) stay in Frankfurt. Back in time for Easter
--> Two weeks with my family.
--> One weekend in Yellowknife with my friend (lots of creature sightings: a porcupine, deer, buffalo, a little beaver, a big black bear (will post the video soon) and a mama black bear with her little cub (didn't have my camera with me for that one ... grrrrr!)
--> Packed all my worldly possessions into my little cargo trailer (that took more effort than one would would expect: my baggage was held at Heathrow Airport in Canada Customs purgatory for about a week!)
--> Drove the 12+ hours to the lovely metropolis of Grande Prairie, Alberta and I have now officially taken up residence there with my Sweetie. (Yes, the Dubai - GP culture clash has taken some getting used to.)
So To-Do-List item #54 "Explore the World" has come to an end for the time being. The itch to travel is still ... well, itchy, so there will be more worldly adventures in the future but probably not of the overseas residence variety. There are still more places to see and things to do than there is time and money. More mountains to climb, languages to learn, passport stamps to be had.
What's the next item on the infamous 'to-do' list? Not sure yet. In the mean time, I have 6 months' worth of blog posts to catch up on!!!
Here's a recap:
--> Went back to Dubai.
--> Resigned my job.
--> Sweetie came to UAE to help me move back to the motherland.
--> A short (but nice!) stay in Frankfurt. Back in time for Easter
--> Two weeks with my family.
--> One weekend in Yellowknife with my friend (lots of creature sightings: a porcupine, deer, buffalo, a little beaver, a big black bear (will post the video soon) and a mama black bear with her little cub (didn't have my camera with me for that one ... grrrrr!)
--> Packed all my worldly possessions into my little cargo trailer (that took more effort than one would would expect: my baggage was held at Heathrow Airport in Canada Customs purgatory for about a week!)
--> Drove the 12+ hours to the lovely metropolis of Grande Prairie, Alberta and I have now officially taken up residence there with my Sweetie. (Yes, the Dubai - GP culture clash has taken some getting used to.)
So To-Do-List item #54 "Explore the World" has come to an end for the time being. The itch to travel is still ... well, itchy, so there will be more worldly adventures in the future but probably not of the overseas residence variety. There are still more places to see and things to do than there is time and money. More mountains to climb, languages to learn, passport stamps to be had.
What's the next item on the infamous 'to-do' list? Not sure yet. In the mean time, I have 6 months' worth of blog posts to catch up on!!!
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Happy New Year!!!
Happy New Year, everyone!!!
I am in Calgary but am now heading back to Dubai. Will blog about my visit home in a few days when I'm back and settled in. I couldn't really blog about it before because there was a surprise in the works for my seester's birthday and to blog about it, well, woulda ruined the surprise. There is never enough time to see everyone and do everything I want. Oh well, next time I guess.
I am in Calgary but am now heading back to Dubai. Will blog about my visit home in a few days when I'm back and settled in. I couldn't really blog about it before because there was a surprise in the works for my seester's birthday and to blog about it, well, woulda ruined the surprise. There is never enough time to see everyone and do everything I want. Oh well, next time I guess.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Clean up UAE 2009
Last Saturday I volunteered with several co-workers for the 8th Annual Clean up UAE campaign for the Emirates Environmental Group. It was more of an awareness drive than an actual "clean up" but thousands volunteers came out so in that regard, it was a success (assuming they each take the message to heart.)
The UAE is not a particularly dirty country although, when you leave the city, there is quite a bit of litter on the road side which is a pity. There is a propensity in this part of the world for people to leave their rubbish around for someone else to pick up, usually a low paid SE Asian worker. I am still in the habit of locating the nearest trash bin for my garbage and clearing my own tray at the food court. The concept of recycling is in its infancy here but gaining momentum so programs and facilities are slowly becoming main stream. It still feels very wrong to throw a piece of paper in a garbage can.
For the clean up campaign, I took my video camera and created a mini-movie of our activities:
The UAE is not a particularly dirty country although, when you leave the city, there is quite a bit of litter on the road side which is a pity. There is a propensity in this part of the world for people to leave their rubbish around for someone else to pick up, usually a low paid SE Asian worker. I am still in the habit of locating the nearest trash bin for my garbage and clearing my own tray at the food court. The concept of recycling is in its infancy here but gaining momentum so programs and facilities are slowly becoming main stream. It still feels very wrong to throw a piece of paper in a garbage can.
For the clean up campaign, I took my video camera and created a mini-movie of our activities:
Friday, December 11, 2009
Iraqi Fish and My New Little Friend(s)
If you happened to read my blog back in October, you may remember a rather worrisome situation for my colleague who was visiting his family in Iraq. His father had gone missing.
Fortunately, after more than 2 weeks, he was located in a hospital, alive, somewhat disoriented but recovering. The exact circumstances of his hiatus are not clear but at least they have him back in one piece ... hamdula!
My colleague is now back in Dubai and back at work. Several weeks ago, he invited me for dinner at his home for some "Iraqi fish". Every Wednesday they have it (it is imported from Iraq) and his wife had prepared several other dishes which were very tasty (which I can't remember what they all were!) followed by some Iraqi sweets. We had a nice visit and I got to dote over his little son, Omar.
Omar is just over one year old now, cute as a button but a little wary of blonde-haired people (hasn't seen them often in his young little life).
Fortunately, after more than 2 weeks, he was located in a hospital, alive, somewhat disoriented but recovering. The exact circumstances of his hiatus are not clear but at least they have him back in one piece ... hamdula!
My colleague is now back in Dubai and back at work. Several weeks ago, he invited me for dinner at his home for some "Iraqi fish". Every Wednesday they have it (it is imported from Iraq) and his wife had prepared several other dishes which were very tasty (which I can't remember what they all were!) followed by some Iraqi sweets. We had a nice visit and I got to dote over his little son, Omar.
Omar is just over one year old now, cute as a button but a little wary of blonde-haired people (hasn't seen them often in his young little life).
Later in the evening, he warmed up a little. Plunked himself down next to me on the couch and proceeded to liberate the Patchi chocolates from their box.
Lucky for me, they invited me to stop by and visit again if I am in the neighborhood (which I may just do if only for the yummy food!) Ironically they live near the intersection of Baghdad Street and Beiruit Street. My colleague is Iraqi and his wife is Lebanese.
And still on the subject of other people's kids, another colleague here also sends pictures of his little girl, Lilly (but he never brings her to the office ... now how'm I s'posed to spoil her???)
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
View from the Balcony
Post-movie Footnote: K, I made this video in the morning before that first cup of coffee and baileys. For some reason, I thought it was Wednesday (it’s not, it is Thursday!). Not such a big deal for the mini-movie, much more of a problem for my deadline next week … one less day to complete things! Doh!
Friday, December 04, 2009
UAE National Day Part 2 - The Flag
The UAE Flag
The National, an English-language daily here ran a nice article last week about the man who is credited with creating the UAE national flag:
Flag graphics from WorldAtlas.com
When Abdulla al Maainah saw details of a competition in a newspaper 38 years ago, he knew he had to participate. The advertisement came out of Sheikh Zayed’s royal diwan, and it solicited entries from artists to submit flag designs. The unification of the emirates was to be announced three months later, and the grand occasion was still missing an official flag.
He recalls the time leading up to the birth of his nation when, aged 19, he submitted his designs for the country’s flag.
“There was a day or two left for the deadline in the ad, and I didn’t have the right equipment. So I rushed out to get what I needed, and in one night I stayed up and drew my designs, and put them in an album and worried about not making the deadline.”
He entered six designs in the competition, which, according to him, drew a total of 1,030 designs. The committee in charge of choosing the winning design narrowed down the entries to six; among them was one of al Maainah’s flags.
“The papers ran the six nominated designs, but back then, all papers were in black and white. So I wasn’t certain that one of the flags was mine. It looked like mine, but there were no colours, so I couldn’t know for certain.”
But back then, al Maainah says, there was no real fanfare to commemorate the occasion. No one contacted him to inform him his design was one of six being considered, and when his design was finally chosen for the country’s flag, no one threw the usual high-honour festivities that we might expect today. He did not even know for sure that it was his design until he travelled down to the Mushrif Palace, where the flag was raised at the announcement of the unification.
“One day after announcing the unification, I was still unsure that it was my design,” he reveals. “None of the announcements were in colour. So I went down to the Mushrif Palace to see for myself. I recognised it right away when I saw it. It was my design. I was so happy. People were excited about the unification, but I was the happiest of all.”
The colours and stripes of the current flag have specific meaning, and nothing in the design came about by accident. The observant eye might notice the colour theme of the flag is also present in most Arab flags, and there is historical reason for this.
“The colours represent the colours of the Arab revolution,” al Maainah explains. He is referring to the Arab Revolt of 1916, initiated by Sherif Hussein ibn Ali, who worked closely with Lawrence of Arabia, against the Ottoman Empire, with the aim of establishing an Arab state that would have spanned from Turkey’s current southern border to Yemen.
The four colours in the flag are known as the pan-Arab colours, and are present in six other flags that represent Arab nations: Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Sudan and Palestine. Other Arab flags incorporate some combination of these colours.
Rooted in the flag of the Arab Revolt, the four colours each represent an era in the region since the inception of Islam.
Black is for the early years of Islam, which includes the time of the Prophet and the first two caliphates: the Umayyads based in Damascus followed by the Abbasids based in Baghdad. The latter’s rule continued from 750AD to 1258AD, and reached as far west as modern day Algeria to as far east as India.
Green represents the Fatimids Caliphate, which ruled out of Egypt from 909AD to 1171AD over an area that spanned all of north Africa, the west coast of the Arabian Penninsula, the Levant, as well as Malta and Sicily.
Red was the colour of the Ottoman flag. Before unification, the emirates had a red and white flag. White represents both a concept and a historic period.
“White is for philanthropy,” says al Maainah. “It’s for charity and good deeds. The white flag also has its own sacredness. It represents the sovereignty of the state, and gives one a sense of pride.”
Flag graphics from WorldAtlas.com
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