A Block I Can Live With

I wish I was more of a natural block designer but practice, practice, practice...right? Anyway, you don't want to know how many different versions I went through before deciding the Friendship-Star block is probably going to work. I have a mess of larger triangles but I will deal with them in the future layout.

I have actually lasted in my office/sewing area much longer than I thought I would today. It is really hot up here right now.

I finished "Defending Jacob" in my book club of one. :) My high-brow Stephanie Plum consumption may be bumped for awhile as I wouldn't mind reading some of the other books by this author (not to mention my overall reading backlog right now).

This book definitely has you living through the family agony side of the accused/defendant. I wouldn't even say I necessarily loved and supported the narrator, but he had quite a voice and definitely draws you in.

I just got "Your Dog Is Your Mirror" from the library in part because of a chapter the author specifically writes on dobermans: "The Late, Great Doberman Pinscher." The more I work with the breed the more I am passionately drawn to some of what has happened to create their current "challenges" for working. I am looking forward to getting into this book.

I liked the opening quote to "Your Dog Is Your Mirror" so much that I found a version of it online:

"I have noticed in my life that all men have a liking for some special animal, tree, plant or spot of earth. If men would pay more attention of these preferences and seek what is best to do in order to make themselves worthy of that toward which they are attracted, they might have dreams which would purify their lives. Let a man decided upon his favorite animal and make a study of it, to learn it's innocent ways. Let him learn to understand it's sounds and motions. The animals want to communicate with man, but Wakan-Tanka does not intend they shall do so directly - man must do the greater part in securing an understanding."

- Brave Buffalo (late 19th century) Teton Sioux Medicine Man

At the K9 Nose Work trial there was a judge who talked about dogs being in so many ways a superior animal and how we are constantly bringing them down to our level. I am greatly paraphrasing here, but I have been thinking about what said said quite a bit. In a way I find this quote says roughly the same thing.

Have a great night. It is going to be a hot one for us. 

Hot Days Coming

Good morning. For the Seattle, WA area hot weather is coming...hot enough to require some extra care for pets and people.

Last night was pretty darn warm but I still cooked beets, Brussels, and sweet potatoes for the next several days because I can promise you the oven will not be turned on until the temperature drops again.

We headed up the Winery before 6am since I couldn't sleep anyway and there is no way I am hiking later in the day.  

This is one of those photos that really don't do the sunrise justice although you can tell Nim is less than thrilled probably because he hasn't eaten yet and he is always a slow morning dog. Truth be told I don't feel all that stellar hiking early either but we are both still glad we did it.

That is Fuller Mt. in the distance - looks like the Loch Ness Monster bump and is a favorite of mine. I think the haze will probably be settled in the valley area for the next few days

Have a great day!

Squak Mountain

Today I knew I had to start early before the heat really came in. It never really cooled for most of us last night.

I went to Issaquah for cheaper groceries and then stopped at the Fish Hatchery without a real clear plan but knowing I wanted to get Nim out on a walk.

I don't know if you can see with Nim's paw covering but that is one of the fish fossil prints in the bridge at the hatchery.

The above photo is the less known fish ladder further along Cabin Creek.

Then we started up the Squak Mountain Access Trail which is sandwiched between condos and residential. Nim had plenty to say because the small animals were chirping.

We continued on and I was more committed to Squak Mountain at this point.

Perhaps you can see it in his face, but Nim hates this bridge. Hates it. It is bridges like these that make me wish I had time to volunteer on trail work because it is not particularly dog friendly.

We made it up to Central "Peak" which is basically electrical buildings and towers. It was blazing hot, I had swallowed several bugs, been stung by nettles, and I knew I didn't bring enough water.

So we went back the way we came rather than adding on any more loops for exploring. This cabin was more visible on the way back down Phil's Creek Trail.

Parts of this trail are pretty narrow and overgrown (and apparently in nettle season) and parts are open and gorgeous like this:

Once we got back to the fish ladder Nim wanted to get in the water:

To his limit:

I think he actually made a splash and was trying to catch it:

On the service road along Cabin Creek there are a couple of totem poles. I really don't know anything about them but I always look for them when I am back there.

This one finally has rotted enough at the base that it is on the ground now which is too bad.

I was probably a little dehydrated and tired for what this ended up turning into but it was still fun.

Gypsy's NW1 Title

Sunday was Gypsy's (and my mom's) first K9 Nose Work trial held in a very warm Thunder Mountain Middle school in Enumclaw.

Even for a heat lover like me, it was pretty unforgiving. There was no shade in the parking lot which is hard on the dogs. A lot of cars were running most of the day to keep the AC going.

Gypsy all marked in red for danger. Ha! :)

Nim attempted to be supportive with some whining and staring.

Gypsy would have none of him. Except for while they were walking "together" doing their business.

I couldn't take photos during any of the searches but I got to watch pretty much all of them.

One of them I was outside the room looking in the window, but my friend Cindy was in there as a timer so she got to watch. :)

Gypsy was a good little worker and very readable. I think we all thought she had lost her brain on the car search but then the smell wafted her direction and she was back to work.

It is a long day for a high-maintenance little dog. :)

She did wonderful and she titled! And pretty much everyone there thought she was the cutest thing ever (I could hear all the cuteness chatter as mom walked up for her ribbon). 

Ugliest Quilt Block in a Long Time

Good morning! We are already starting off muggy, but the sun is shining and I have some road trip planning to do. More on that later, but I believe I have an "anchor" to put other dates around now...and probably more importantly, to commit me to doing the actual road trip rather than just dreaming about it.

Yesterday after more frenzied cleaning (Nim hates it, I love it) I finally started sewing on a quilt that I cut out during the quarter but hadn't started sewing yet.

Good thing I am impatient and tend to make blocks before I do all the piecing because this block is UGLY.

I was so disgusted that Nim got his way and we went for a walk with all the entire Snoqualmie Valley mosquito population so I could plan a new quilt in my head. I think I have an improved idea.

This is known as the Tokul area. It can be a bit of a relief for mid-afternoon hikes if you need a sun break but wow...the bugs were biting.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Mine is going to be full (especially with my seam-ripping plans on that ugly block).

Tomorrow Mom's mini-aussie Gypsy attempts her NW1 (first trialing level for K9 Nose Work). Nim will be attending in a supporting role because Gypsy loves him so. ;-)

One more thing for your Saturday:

Please send a little doggie prayer out to Nina at Bird Brains and Dog Tales and her humans: Cindy and Cindy's husband. As you can see, Nina is very elegant and beautiful. At 14.5 she is experiencing some kidney failure and some compassionate thoughts for all of them would be wonderful.

Phew

Nim has been dying of boredom in my final push for the quarter which means he is really pulling out all the stops on annoying behavior.

I had a small crisis this morning when my fairly recently installed black ink failed and my choices were 20 minute drive into Issaquah + Office Depot (enough said) or the local office shop. I tried the local office shop and at 8:30am they still weren't open. I know I shouldn't be surprised. Then I realized for my homework purposes printing in red would work.

I just have to get out later so I can complete work-work in black.

Homework and final submitted! However my office is a mess. Nim probably thinks the rest of the day will be about him but little does he know that a cleaning frenzy that is coming. I can't even return to sewing in this mess.

For the first time in a long time I actually want to blow off everything and put several hours into reading.

I read pretty much daily (not just homework) but I hardly ever block out hours for reading - most days I simply can't. I am officially way off the book club right now which I am sort of bummed about. It has been an unfortunate 2 months: one book I didn't want to read, and the other selection had a library wait list was something like 1000.

I did pick up a book that didn't pass voting from a month ago:

Defending Jacob. I am only a short way into it, but REALLY into it.

I am also reading:

Kingpin. This is a strange read for me because the hacker is probably only a few years older than me so it is interesting to read about that technology time again.

Have a great day!

August!

I can't believe I am 6 days into August already and just getting a post done.

I wish I could say I have been ultra-productive but really I have a little bit too much going on, almost to the "wheel-spinning" level.

Despite my complete annoyance with the rabbit situation around me this little guy lives out my bedroom window and I kind of love him. Turns out Rusty was right, there was a family back in the hole he would spend time trying to charge into.

Last week we had a lot of heavy clouded in AMs followed by clearing and warming in the afternoon. This is a hike I used to do all the time but hadn't done with Nim yet in part because of the terrain on his growing body. Neither Nim or my ankle loved the cobble but the loop went well.

Ugh. Nim's crazy eyes - I am sure something was chirping - anyway, this photo is to show how narrow the trail is. It is one of the many "unofficial or primitive" trails that are all over Mount Si.

This weekend ended up being hot!

By this area of WA standards, getting upper 80s and 90s is hot. Remember this is an area in which home air conditioning is not standard so little hot snaps like this don't always bring out the best in people.

Or Emile...

Meanwhile Leela seemed the least phased by the heat but it was a rough weekend for her obsessive need for touching...especially Nim. He was too uncomfortable.

The photo below made me laugh because it looks like she giving him a rear-massage. She is not. It is just the angle of the photo. In Leela's universe it is just her and her doberman.

Eventually she went and sulked on the slate. The only one smart enough to lay there (coolest surface in the house).

Nim woke up this morning fantastically grouchy.

Much of his night looked like this:

...trying to stay cool.

I can tell our relationship has come along way because I actually feel sorry for him today and I am trying to make his day better.