End of an Mural...

Back in October 2007, Richard and I tiled our guest bathroom while our house was still being finished.  Because of our Southwestern look, we had a photograph that Pa took at Hovenweep National Park, Utah, made into a tile mural and put it over the bathtub.  This is what it looked like.

 

 

 

 

 

Despite being sealed, over the years, the tile photo has degraded, due to water damage from the shower.  Our neighbor has touched it up (she's a painter) and afterwards, I sealed it again. However, despite her excellent painting on several occasions, the picture has deteriorated even more.  I finally made the decision to peel it off the wall.

 

It didn't take much.  A couple hours work with a nail file, a scratch pad and water, and the Hovenweep mural is no more.  Maybe one day I can replace it with a better tile photo application process.  

 

The smaller photo tiles I have scattered on the other walls are intact and still look great.    

My beautiful Flint has stepped over the Rainbow Bridge to be with his lifelong pal, our princess, Echo.  He was my faithful, loyal companion all of his life, I chose him because when we went to the Humane Society to get a dog, he ran up to me, stuck his head between my hands and begged to be petted.  He was my defender, no one could get near me if he thought they could be a threat…even Richard. He had to be in whatever room I was in, and when I left the house, no matter who was here, he wailed piteously, as if he’d lost his best friend.  And now, my heart is broken again. I have lost my little prince. 

Flint Moonbaby

September 2002 – July 9, 2014

“And this puppy he lived with only one thought, to love and be loved by me.” 

 

In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle The Lion Sleeps...

I looked out the kitchen window and what did I see...

 

 

Christian enjoying the warm summer air and lounging on one of the chair cushions. I've bought fabric to remake the covers, just haven't gotten around to it, yet. 

It's been raining off and on for a week, good for the garden, but pretty much keeping us indoors.  Richard has been reading books on the Kindle, I've been writing, editing and keep thinking I'll do a little sewing, but haven't actually made the time for it.  We did do some clean-up between rains - power washed the front porch, put all the winter cat box houses away, washed the cat bedding , cleaned the furniture and freshened everything up.  The door trim needs to be painted, so I bought some paint for that, but it's too damp to paint just yet.

 

Buddy sulks when he cannot go on his walk.  Here he is, back in his cubby behind the kitchen cabinets.

 

 

The lone paw dog...

 

 

 

Rainy days makes all the animals hibernate.  Christian and Buddy share the couch.

 

 

Flint curls up near the front door.

 

 

Emmy begs for treats from Richard.  She'll sit there and wait patiently for quite a while. The fire-eye she's giving him is a trick of the light...I hope.

The Animals Make Our Days...

Now that Spring has sprung, we've been working on the garden, doing a little reorganizing in the house and generally keeping up with routine chores like lawnmowing, harvesting our "crops" and playing with our animals.

 

Just some fun pictures of the animals in no particular dated order.

 

 

Right in the middle of the picture, you can see Buddy's paws sticking out from behind the cabinet. There's a cubby hole in that corner he likes to hide in.  Because we've still not put the baseboards on the cabinets, his feet pop through.  :)

 

 

He was sulking about not getting his walk.  He's very good at sulking, and does everything he can to make one feel guilty, including cuddling my robe (and purse) and long-suffering sighs.

 

 

Now he's happy - he's a lap dog!

 

 

His favorite toy - it's not only easy to pick up, it SQUEAKS!

 

 

Dinah contemplates winter.

 

 

Emmy naps with the dog toys.

 

 

Emmy guards the porch side entrance, while Christian keeps a lookout.

 

 

 

 

Christian wakes up.

 

 

And goes back to sleep.

 

 

And then shifts to the pillow...with the wrong end.

 

 

And finally, he moves to the mink blanket on our bed and disappears.

 

 

If you click on this picture it enlarges.  There are tiny whilte lines in the trees above the Corolla.  Richard and I went outside, and it was raining right there...and no where else. I tried to capture a photo of the raindrops, it came out as lines.

Vanessa Atalanta came to visit today...

Otherwise known as the Red Admiral butterfly.  I took nineteen photos before I got a shot of it with wings open. 

 

Our princess has stepped over the Rainbow Bridge.  We are heartbroken. She was a fat little puppy whom we rescued from the Humane Society and it wasn't until years later that we found out that she was part-wolf when an expert told us specific characteristics she had. She was the gentlest of creatures and despite a painful, arthritic hip, she loved going on walks, and loved when our grand-niece, Cheyenne, cuddled her.  She is greatly missed and left a hole in our hearts where loving her will always be. 

 

Echo Avalon 

 

January 2003 - April 24, 2014 

 

"She was as constant in her love as the sun in its journey through the heavens."

 

 

Echo looking over the creek and lake

 

 

Echo with Buddy