Boo-wow-wow

Saturday afternoon, the sky was cloudy, but I walked up to Henry's Market to buy some salad fixin's. Scary is the price of lettuce, but if someone can grow it for me, I will pay. On my way home, I saw some great pictures and went back home to get my camera. Alas, it was for my eyes only, but I can describe it.

Behind a cobwebbed gate with signs posted, the seasonal "Enter at your own risk" and the more permanent "Beware of dog", was the sweetest yellow lab sitting in the open doorway of the house. Indeed.

At a house where I took a picture last year of a gargoyle, was still the gargoyle with a black I-don't-know what breed of dog. He was built exactly like that gargoyle: small pinned-back ears, small eyes, smooshed wrinkled face, and sitting a little hunched on the porch. This guardian had a leash on and turned out to be more mobile as he too went inside.

They both probably came out to sniff the air as we had a few raindrops. It wasn't the spring-time fresh smell of rain and not enough fell to drown an ant. I'm going back in too. But I want to post a Halloween picture. Here's what happens when you carve a pumpkin in southern California where the temperatures are still in the 70s. Say good-bye to your pumpkin the next day. It collapses in on itself, turns furry with a black or white mold depending on its mood. Bleah, as one pumpkin is saying.

Face Time, Space Time

I'm dog sitting / cat sitting / house sitting this week. Dylan the standard poodle is very clinggy and needs a lot of face time. Angel, the toy poodle, on the other hand, needs her space. Maybe you can see her above Dylan's nose on the other side of the pool.

Angel and I have made great progress in that she joins me in the living room in the evening to watch some television. By join, I mean that she's on top of a chair by the fireplace and she tollerates me sitting in the same room on the far end of the couch. Really, we've come to an understanding that I can put her on the leash to be taken out, she doesn't like to be picked up, and it's nice to be fed "tv tray style" on the couch. I'm not taking great liberties; her mommy spoils her too.

The trick to getting a good night's sleep is to tire Dylan out. He slept good last night after swimming laps and taking a walk around the neighborhood.

My Dad asked, "Does this mean you'll be getting a dog?" I think this means that I most definitely will not be getting a dog. Got plenty of dog right here if I need a fix.

Home Search

We started looking at houses in a more quiet neighborhood. There are many communities in San Diego and we're now focusing on areas east such as San Carlos and Del Cerro. Mission Gorge and Cowles Mountain are two serious hiking areas nearby.

This property we looked at overlooks a neighborhood park where people can toss the ball to their dogs. There are also hiking trails in the distance. There's a panoramic view of canyons, mesas, and evening lights.

All that can't compensate for the structural flaw, a slab crack. Onward, . . .

Dog Paddling

Dylan is a two-year-old standard poodle. House sitting / Dog sitting for two days was quite a pleasure. Dylan wears a life jacket into the pool, but he is not a natural swimmer and would rather just hang onto you.

Percy by the Pool

Percy has been hanging out by the "pool" on the tile for the past few days because it has been unseasonably warm here in San Diego. Over the Labor Day weekend, temperatures were in the high 80s with humidity over 70%. For a cat who's acclimated to temperatures in the 70s with virtually no humidity, that's enough to make you pant (as we saw Puffin do once). We tried to get the putties to lie on gel ice packs (concealed under newspapers or cat nappers). We had the blinds drawn during the sunny part of the day. The windows opened and the fan pulled in cooler evening air, but it was still thick and heavy. The tropical storm has passed so we may have a few days reprieve before the next storm affects us. I'll still take this over a New England winter.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Beautifully painted electrical boxes brighten the intersections of San Diego. This one may give one pause before dining on pies of poultry. These beautiful roosters are located outside San Diego's Chicken Pie Shop on El Cajon boulevard under the landmark water tower.


Editorial: The Chicken Myth By Neal D. Barnard, M.D., President of PCRM

The Good Good Pig

This was my favorite book read this summer, "The Good Good Pig" by Sy Montgomery. She lives in southern New Hampshire and adopted a runt of the litter. He was named after the conductor "Christopher Hogwood" and lived 13 1/2 years longer than most pigs. Most pigs don't make it through the winter and rather get a one-way trip to the slaughter house. This was a sweet sweet story of how "Chris" started out the size of a cat and was nursed to survive and entertain for 14 years. Neighbors and local restaurants would save their "slops" and Christopher would develop a true foodies palate, rooting out his favorite morsels first, savoring every taste out on "pig plateau." Christopher was not the biggest pig that ever lived, but he grew to estimates of over 700 pounds. "As Christopher's girth increased, so did our doubts about who was in charge at our house. Not only was Chris destined to vastly outweigh us, but we faced a growing realization that our pig was dangerously, possibly diabolically, brilliant."

Just when you think . . .

Just when you think they can't get any more adorable, there they are! Percy will tollerate Cappuccino within a paw-swatting distance, but only if he is oblivious to it.

Reba send me an email of a 1955 Good Housekeeping article. It spoke of very unliberating tasks for the wife to make the husband's home more of a castle. Have the meals ready, get a fire going on chilly nights, don't bother him with your troubles, make you home a place of peace and tranquility. Put that article in the context of four companion boy cats, and it doesn't seem so outrageous. Unconditional love coming and going, as long as certain conditions are met.

Berubes visit San Diego

Smile! We hooked up with David and Ellen on Friday near the end of their vacation. They still hadn't seen the ocean, so we took them to Ocean Beach and Point Loma. Ellen walked in the chilly ocean at Dog Beach and I rinsed off some pup-kiss (dog slobber). I always have to question the wisdom of walking on Dog Beach barefoot, but I do it every time anyway.

We then drove over to Sunset Cliffs where this picture was taken. It was overcast, so no sunset at these cliffs tonight. It's always fun to see family. Even though we couldn't quite remember the last time we saw each other (at least 10 years ago?), it felt like yesterday. Thanks for the wonderful visit!

Stonewall Peak in Cuyamaca

Last Wednesday, Joy and I enjoyed an afternoon hike up to Stonewall Peak in the Cuyamaca State Park. Surprisingly, there will still several varieties of wildflowers blooming in late June. In one spot, there were dandelions gone to seed. The fluffy heads were ginormous, as wide as three-fingers!

We brought along plenty of water and snacks for a picnic in a field on the way down. After the Cedar Fires of 2003, many of the trees are still charred, but showing signs of coming back. It still has more of a ghost town feel than forest.

Coming from the Northeast, I still have to warm to the Southern California landscape. Lovely to look at, but walking the dusty eroded trail stirred up a lot of dust that found its way into my walking shoes. It's Teva sandals for next time!

From the California Parks website:

Paso Picacho, 5 miles north, sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet. The most popular hikes start from this camp, including the 2 mile hike up Stonewall Peak (elevation 5,700 feet), and the 3.5 mile hike up Cuyamaca Peak (elevation 6,512 feet), both which offer breathtaking views of the deserts to the east, the coast to the west, and Lake Cuyamaca at the bottom.