Sibling Writing Assignment #33: Still Life After a Dry Period

I gave the sibling assignment this week.

We were to use the topic Still Life

with words and pictures.

Raymond Pert's is here and Silver Valley Girl's is here.

With the weather conditions we have experienced

in August I am surprised I still have life in the gardens.

Lack of water, dry winds, warm nights,

and hundred degree afternoons

have challenged all our plants,

but these sunflowers came out victorious.When the rains, cooler breezes, and lower evening

temperatures came, these beautiful flowers lifted

their faces to heaven and smiled.

Final Road Trip: Republic, Curlew Lake, Second Hand Stores, and Doritos

Today we enjoyed one last road trip before my brother leaves and I begin my schedule of school preparation next week. We did a beautiful loop that included Highway 20 to Republic, north to Curlew Lake State Park and the town of Curlew, over Boulder Pass, then back to Barstow and down the Kettle River and home. It was an afternoon filled with great conversation, Doritos Collisions, second hand stores, ice cream bars, logging trucks, and photo shoots. We passed on bringing home the Moonshine kit.The lovely '70's avocado lamp was a diamond in the rough, but again I said no.
I loved these Office Hours, but didn't think it would work at school after Labor Day.

We couldn't figure out what this was or where we would put it, so it stayed on the hillside it was propped on when we left the second hand store.

Fondue seems more like a winter food so I resisted buying this also. The tours of two second hand stores reminded us that "one person's junk must be another person's treasure." For us the treasures were the mountains, lake, sunshine, and companionship. We will miss Raymond Pert and Snug when they leave tomorrow.

Garden Grab Bag for August

As we move into the last days of August our garden grab bag contains: incredible inpatients

a captivating cosmo

tasty tomatoes
a serene sunflower

beautiful begonias


hardy hydrangeas

Getting Reacquainted With Snug

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." Unknown Along with my brother Raymond Pert his dog Snug is also spending some time at our house. Snug is an English Springer Spaniel like our dog Annie. They are about four months apart in age. The dogs decided today to get reacquainted. Shelby, our red heeler is asking Snug above why he keeps jumping in the pond full of murky water. Our dogs taught Snug here how to drink out of the fountain when the adults weren't looking. Shelby and Snug were trying to decide whether to chase after the toy one more time. I think at this point this evening Annie and Snug decided if they posed together people may notice they are the same breed. Annie is on the left, Snug on the right. Annie and Shelby aren't used to being around too many other dogs, so they had to readjust to a cousin that likes to play chase, jump in and out of the ponds, and rub his face on the carpet. After catching many photos of the three of them tonight I think we all agree they are readjusting just fine.

If you want to see a beautiful video of Snug the Joiner done by Raymond Pert, go here.

Road Trip Over Tiger Highway Through Pend Oreille County

JEJ, Raymond Pert, and I took a road trip today through a part of Northeastern Washington that is a favorite for all of us. We headed east on Tiger Highway (Highway 20) from Colville toward Highway 31. Our first stop was at Crystal Falls. The clear, cascading water was situated between large rocks creating a perfect photo opportunity. Next we headed north on Highway 31 in Pend Oreille County and stopped above Box Canyon Dam. With the train trestle hugging the mountain it looked like it had always been there. The striking view looking north toward Canada and the Selkirk Mountains was enhanced by varied shades of green, gray, blue, and white. After stopping in Metaline Falls we looped around and headed toward Sullivan Lake. JEJ and I had been there a few years ago in the fall and thought the area around the lake was spectacular. Today was no different. The cloud cover and rain sprinkles gave Sullivan Lake a serene look. The road hugged the shore of the lake as we headed southwest. The campground was enclosed by a grove of trees creating a green reflection on the lake. A lone tent was pitched close to the water in the shadows.As we drove closer to Colville again the clouds began to depart, leaving the promise of a sunny late afternoon. Today was again a reminder of why we do much of our traveling in thiscorner of the Inland Empire. The beauty astounds me on every road trip.

Cats Are a Blessing!

"Of all domestic animals the cat is the most expressive. His face is capable of showing a wide range of expressions. His tail is a mirror of his mind. His gracefulness is surpassed only by his agility. And, along with all these, he has a sense of humor." - Walter Chandoha

Now that the cats are coming in more with the cooler mornings and rain I can get reacquainted with them and be reminded of how much each of them is unique in their own way. Finnigan and McDuff came together as kittens. Yes, believe it or not they are brothers. Finny is an elusive cat now. Sometimes we don't see him for days. He loved our deceased dog Lucy and followed her around in the yard, but now he wanders off to hunt and explore. McDuff is always around. He waits by the cat door in the morning for his breakfast. He sits under a shrub to keep cool in the afternoon. He sits on the wall in the evening behind us as we rest after dinner. He loves companionship and a nice tummy rub!
Sweet William and Lily came together from our friend's house when she died. They also are brother and sister. William is a affectionate cat and hangs around close by like he is above on a ladder that holds up hanging plants in the summer.
Lily's new favorite spot is on top of an old dog run that became a chicken yard. She loves to nap on the chicken wire and it works like a hammock. She has been scared by our older cat so she keeps her distance.

Iris is the cat that thinks she is royalty. She stays in the house the most. She loves to try to show the other cats that she's The Queen. I don't know if they believe that, but they usually stay out of her way. She had a twin sister Poppy that disappeared a few years ago.

The newest addition to our cat population is Isabelle. I love this picture where she is on the other side of the fence when I went to water plants on the dog graves one day. The family that rescued her was moving so we brought her home. We lost her brother Lucas when he was ill as a kitten.

Each of these cats are a blessing and they let us pamper them, hold them, comfort them, and make theirs lives as comfortable as possible. What more could you ask for?