Coal

It is always heartbreaking when you lose a pet. When that pet belonged to a friend, you ache for them as well as yourself. So it is today.

Coal was a Newfoundland, and the best dog. He was gentle but could be assertive when the need arose. The only dog that my Jake was afraid of, and it didn't upset me in the least. Coal had corrected Jake's behavior one day, and my guy never forgot it.

Coal went over the Rainbow Bridge today. He had been sick for months, losing weight. It wasn't discovered until this week that he had Lyme's disease. His kidneys failed, and the end was here.

So I am writing this in memory of a great dog. But also as a reminder how important it is to use preventatives for canine diseases. Flea and tick infestations can be stopped with a variety of good products on the market. They must be applied every 28 days. Heart worm can be prevented, but again the medicines must be given to the dog every month.

Our pets are our families. Please take care of them. Coal, you will be missed. You were a gentle giant and we love you.

Linda, Gracie, and Jake

Review

Sometimes it is helpful to go back and review old photographs. There are always a few out of a batch that spark my imagination and creativity, and remind me why I love photography. The three above do exactly that.

I was not going to take the big Canon D40 on vacation this year, because it is so heavy. But Pat and I discussed this. She has the same complaint. Because we have rented a car and will be doing a lot of driving, stopping, driving some more, etc., we think it won't be bad. Pat hauled her camera all over Italy in 2 previous vacations, and it about killed her back. We won't be walking a lot, my back and legs just won't allow it. So the plan is the little camera in the purse, the big camera on my shoulder, and away we will go.

These photos were taken last July at Chicago Botanical Gardens, on a very hot day. It was 92 by 9am. And this was early in the day, right after they opened. I used the little Canon Powershot I had at the time, that was then stolen when the asshole broke out my car window and took my purse in September. I like these shots. A lot. And I guess I just needed to remind myself that you have to flip things around a bit and try new angles.

Have a great weekend.
Linda

Misc. rambling

We desperately need rain. It has been hit or miss for weeks, and our area is one that is not getting more than a 10 minute drizzle. I am back to watering trees and the big grasses in the hopes I won't lose them.

Oddly, one of our local weathermen stated yesterday that this is the end of summer. There are no forecasts for intense heat, and he feels we are moving more towards fall like weather. That's fine by me! But I did notice yesterday that 2 different types of decorative grasses in the backyard are already developing their "plumes", the tall spikes that shoot up as a last gesture of the season. It's August. This doesn't normally happen until September. Oh, boy.

And now on to a ramble: my heart sank when the news broke about the two boys who were strangled by a python. This is not the first time a large snake has killed children, and I'm sure it won't be the last because some people are morons. You can't train a snake. It is not going to sit, roll over, or fetch. It is going to do what is hardwired into it's DNA. Hunt and eat. This is my opinion, but hey, it's my blog and I can say this. ANYONE owning an exotic animal or reptile that causes death or serious harm needs to be punished. What really blows my mind is that people with pythons as pets eventually will get rid of them, and many are released into the wild. Is that a problem? Ask the state of Florida. Yes, it is an enormous problem. Florida is now having python hunts to cut down on the population. Pythons will eat small dogs and cats, and will go after children. It is a food source, nothing more.

End of rant. It just makes me sick that two more children had to die because some idiot thought it was cool to have a 14 foot snake. How cool is it now, asshole?

Thanks for stopping by.
Linda