The Heart of the Matter,Part 2: Treasures

Valentine Treasures
Valentine treasures are people who
have often crossed your mind,
family, friends and others, too,
who in your life have shined
the warmth of love or a spark of light
that makes you remember them;
no matter how long since you’ve actually met,
each one is a luminous gem
who gleams and glows in your memory,
bringing special pleasures,
and that’s why this Valentine comes to you:
You’re one of those sparkling treasures!
Joanna Fuchs

The Heart of the Matter, Part 1 : Waiting

Waiting

Left off the highway and
down the hill. At the
bottom, hang another left.
Keep bearing left. The road
will make a Y. Left again.
There's a creek on the left.
Keep going. Just before
the road ends, there'll be
another road. Take it
and no other. Otherwise,
your life will be ruined
forever. There's a log house
with a shake roof, on the left.
It's not that house. It's
the next house, just over
a rise. The house
where trees are laden with
fruit. Where phlox, forsythia,
and marigold grow. It's
the house where the woman
stands in the doorway
wearing the sun in her hair. The one
who's been waiting
all this time.
The woman who loves you.
The one who can say,
"What's kept you?"

by Raymond Carver

Afternoon Shadows In the Greenhouse

Winter is getting long
students are getting cabin fever
today I heard one yell, " I am SICK of snow".
the ice has never melted around my outside door of the classroom,
the ice has turned to a hue of blue.

It's time to load up my bags
return home again
and step into the greenhouse.

I can't think of a lovelier place to spent some time during this end-of-winter funk!

A Note

A Note

Life is the only way
to get covered in leaves,
catch your breath on the sand,
rise on wings;

to be a dog,
or stroke its warm fur;

to tell pain
from everything it's not;

to squeeze inside events,
dawdle in views,
to seek the least of all possible mistakes.

An extraordinary chance
to remember for a moment
a conversation held
with the lamp switched off;

and if only once
to stumble upon a stone,
end up soaked in one downpour or another,

mislay your keys in the grass;
and to follow a spark on the wind with your eyes;

and to keep on not knowing
something important.

~ Wislawa Szymborska ~

( from Monologue of a Dog, translated by S. Baranczak and C. Cavanagh)

Stump: A Comeback Story at Westminster

At our house we have a yearly ritual that occurs some time around Valentine's Day. This year it was yesterday and today. We ate dinner on trays and viewed the final evening of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and cheered on our favorite dogs. We missed the first round yesterday, but got caught up online. Of course, we are always partial to springer spaniels and Australian cattle dogs. I ooohed and ahhhed over other breeds, discussing the possibility of owning a curly coated retriever or a Brittany as Annie and Shelby reminded me in their own ways that they are the real champions and no, we don't need another dog at this house!
Tonight a Sussex spaniel named Stump proved to everyone in the dog world that even though you are ten years old (seventy in people years) that you can still can walk proudly on the carpet at Westminster and win Best of Show. Of course I love all spaniels, but this guy caught my eye with his beautiful coat and regal manner. I didn't know much about his story until he won. Then, as in any sporting event with a new winner crowned, the stories began to unfold.

I should have remembered Stump from 2004 because he won the sporting group that year. He went into retirement and almost died of a mysterious medical condition. He was wasting away and spent nineteen days in the hospital. Vets at Texas A &M saved him. A week ago his handler Scott Sommers decided to bring him out of retirement and take a trip to Westminster. " I thought it would be fun", Sommers said.The Sussex spaniel breed has never won Best in Show. Stump is also the oldest dog to ever win the prize. He beat out nearly 2500 other dogs to be crowned Best of Show tonight. He even did his only trick, which is to beg, after he won.

I love the expression on any spaniel's face. I love their body language also. Any type of spaniel whether a springer or Sussex always seems to be trying to tell you something. Stump is one happy dog. Also, there is nothing like the devotion of an owner and his dog at a moment like this.

At a time when I dread listening to the news and stars in the sports world have been tarnishing their hero status, it is nice to have a comeback story about a Sussex spaniel named Stump!

Lake Roosevelt Road Trip: Saturday Sunshine

Those of us that live in the Inland Empire understand how a day of sunshine can lift the spirits, bring back a surge of energy, and cause people like us to grab lunch, the dogs, cameras, and sunglasses and head for a road trip along the northern part of Lake Roosevelt.The source of the Columbia River is north of us across the border in Canada, but there are places along both shores of Lake Roosevelt that the channel has narrowed to resemble the original river. These pictures were taken at Snag Cove Campground and boat launch.
As the road climbed higher it was easy to view the lake where it widens again. If you look closely you can see a bridge that connects Stevens and Ferry counties in northeastern Washington.
As we headed down the hill to cross the new Kamloops Island bridge small pools of water were melting in the sunlight on the frozen Kettle River. The new bridge sits close to the railroad bridge that stayed open during the construction. We spotted lots of deer as we made our way around the lake. They were quick, but I did catch a picture of this guy. With the sunshine, the wildlife, gorgeous scenery, and the road reopened at the bridge it made for a grand road trip close to home.