TUDOR UPDATE: KITCHEN CABINET DOORS

Cabinet doors sanded well enough to suit Hallie.















Cabinet doors sanded well enough to suit Nick.



They're working hard on their new home in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. They won't move in for several weeks.

COMMON INTERESTS

Some years back, Mike and I attended a family wedding. We were sitting at a banquet table with other family members – and a couple none of us knew. Including that couple in conversation proved difficult. They were quiet; the rest of us were family and had plenty to talk about.

Naturally we didn’t want to be impolite. We wanted to include that couple in conversation if we could. Mike sat closest to them and kept trying. Occasionally he would ask them a question; the reply would be brief; the strain continued.

Finally Mike mentioned that he should check on Nellie, who was waiting in our vehicle, whereupon the man asked what kind of dog -- German Shorthair – and conversation opened up. He and Mike had an enthusiastic conversation about dogs and hunting.

“Finally!” commented my sister Joni, seated on the other side of me. “You can always find something in common but sometimes it takes a while. You just have to ask questions until you find it.”

We experienced that again recently. We attended a memorial service that included a luncheon. (And incidentally, we left our phones in the car, thinking that the most polite thing we could do.)

We knew the parents of the deceased but not many of the other guests. As we sat at lunch, Mike began a quiet conversation with the man next to him. An Idaho resident, he was an avid fisherman, he said, and had traveled Idaho to fish. Mike described the location of the farm. The man knew the Gilbert Grade. Did we have chukars on the farm, he asked. And then he said, “I also like to bird hunt. I have a German Shorthair.”

“I have two!” replied Mike. And the conversation took off. The man whipped out his phone and showed pictures of his dogs. (He has also had German Shorthair in the past.) Like Bess, his present dog is a talker, “verbalizing” over the activities of daily life.

 “I’d love to go,” he said, as Mike described some possible hunting excursions. As we took our leave, the man punched Mike’s contact info into his phone. I gave Mike a piece of paper from my purse to jot down the man’s number.

I suggested to Mike that he really should take pictures of the dogs with his phone – and then keep his phone on his person. There’s something about cell technology we just don’t get until we see it in action – and even then we forget. KW

OF DOGS AND PILLOWS

We had a cold spell last week and often as it warms up, we’ll get some snow. And that happened. It snowed Saturday and Sunday and it was beautiful for a few hours even as it makes navigation difficult. 

 

 

Here are pictures of Nellie and Bess on point taken during our Sunday afternoon walk. Nellie was first to point, then Bess “backed” her point from the other direction. Eventually a pheasant got up and flew off. 

 

The warming trend continued and the snow quickly melted off here in the valley. It’s already 56 this forenoon. A predicted wind / rainstorm – what they call the “Pineapple Express”-- has either fizzled or, more likely, is delayed.

Yesterday, Mike and I decided to take advantage of the break in the weather and get out for errands and groceries, along with many other folks.

While we were out, I suggested that we head over to Costco and pick up a new dog pillow for Bess and Nellie. Chris had suggested we check on a pillow from L.L. Bean. Those are expensive, but she had a point (at least, I think she was making a point): we needed to invest some money if we were going to have a substantial dog pillow. We've had dog pillows from Costco before and I decided to pursue that route.

So, heading for the pet department in the back of the warehouse, we came upon a large display of gold dog pillows -- then another – and another. I didn’t particularly care for a gold one, so we continued to the pet department where there was a little more selection. Discussion ensued.

An associate in the back had obviously noticed us and finally approached. “Say, if you folks are looking for a dog bed today,” he began, “we have an over-abundance of gold ones [no kidding!] and we’re in the process of marking them down. For that reduction, my dog doesn’t care what color his pillow is.”

“No, the dog doesn't care, but I might,” I thought to myself. But, it’s not a forever thing, and frankly, gold was as good a color as the others they had. So, we waited around while signs were placed and new tags prepared. Then, we took our gold pillow and checked out.

 

At home, the removal of the familiar old pillows caused angst in the dog world. As expected, Nellie’s initial reaction was rejection of this new and better pillow while Bess bounced right onto it, taking her half out of the middle, which did not help Nellie’s adjustment. After an afternoon of flirting around with it, they settled onto the new pillow as if it had been there forever.

Nellie does love padding under her bones. KW

   

THE MISSING MAILBOX

"Here's one for you," began an email message from Hallie this afternoon.

She continued:
Nick and I stopped by the house today to check on the sewer work. On our way out, a van approached very slowly and then stopped in front of the house and rolled down the window.

"Are you the new owners?" asked the woman in a Norwegian accent. We affirmed and she went on about how excited she was for us and that it was such a cute house. She had her eye on it, but was told there was an offer already. Her name was Heidi and she was in her late 40s and wore her grayish brown hair in dread locks.

"I looked around and saw the mailbox under a bush in the back" she said in her sing-song voice. "Ya, the mailbox is under a bush, I'll show yooo." She pulled over and hopped out of the van and showed us the way to the very back of the yard and crouched to peek into the inside of a leafy bush/tree. "It's there!"

And sure enough, she produced the mailbox that we had been sorry to discover missing.

How about that. Its a little rough, and I don't know whether it will even be worth restoring, but it might find a place somewhere as a conversation piece.

[In the picture of the house, you can see the mailbox beside the front steps. Nick and Hallie had noticed it was missing and had no idea it would turn up. KW]

BESS LEARNS THE SNOWBALL GAME

“Winter Storm Smites L-C Valley” read a headline in today’s newspaper. Yes, we have 9 to 12 inches of the stuff after the overnight storm. Citizens of our valley don’t like snow very much. We don’t like to drive in the stuff. Those of us who don’t need to travel out of the valley in winter don’t have go-in-the-snow tires. We just don't have enough snow to make snow tires a practical investment, so when we do have snow, as we're bound to, it's a challenge.

Snow here gets a lot of negative press, but the fact is, if we don’t receive winter precipitation in our mountains, we have a summer of drought. It’s a concern. So I say, “Yay! It snowed!” It's really a good thing.

      

Mike took Bess and Nellie out for their morning walk, and Bess stayed out to play “the snowball game” with Fun Guy (Mike). She learned to find the packed snowballs in the soft snow and fetch them back to Mike.

According to the forecast, the snow won’t last long. It’s already 31 and over the next few days a warming trend will set in – highs in the 40s and lows in the 30s. So, the snow will turn to rain, and we’ll cope with slush for a few days. But -- maybe the rain will be snow in the mountains. I’m a fan of snow in the mountains. 

UPDATE:
It was quite clear this morning that Nellie was upset. What could be wrong? Then it dawned on me that Bess had played one of Nellie's favorite games, the snowball game, and Nellie had been left inside. I suggested that Mike give her equal time.

So, Mike put Bess in the crate, got a tennis ball, and took Nellie outside. At first she couldn't find the tennis ball in the deep snow, so Mike tossed it where she could more easily find it, and then she was onto it. She had a great time. And when she came back in, she was content to settle down for her nap. KW

COLD AGAIN . . .

It’s been cold – a low of 7 above yesterday morning (Feb. 6) with recent highs in the low 20s. We got up to a few inches of snow today, though it was a beautiful sunny afternoon. The sun felt warm shining through the back door even though the high was just 25.

Because of the cold temps, Mike let the dogs stay in both Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Nellie slept on one of the dog pillows while Bess was confined to her crate.

The dogs – Nellie especially – really like routine. Our custom is to put them in the kennel at night and let them out first thing in the morning. Then they come into the house and – well, the day goes on from there.

So, Nellie’s snout was “out of joint” when she was required to sleep in the house. The first night we could hear her beating her pillow every so often – and it sounded as though she were frustrated.

Last night, Mike decided that he would let the dogs decide where they would sleep – in the house or in the kennel. As soon as he opened the door, Nellie marched straight to the kennel and into a house. Bess followed and took the other house. They had no intention of spending another night in the hot old house.

 

Valentines’ Day is coming – soon -- and I was late with the shirts for Emmy and her doll. I finished them this morning and got them off in today’s mail. The matching designs are from “Girls ‘n Dolls Accents” produced by Amazing Designs. I purchased Emmy’s shirt but made the doll’s. KW