Redwoods

There's simply nothin' else like 'em.  

Alaska

Remembering the good parts of even the most difficult times.

Standing on the ocean, yep!
Does this person look comfortable?

Our de Havilland Twin Otter

The other pilot, Dan, and one of our mechanics
It is wonderful to have a mechanic along when one flies in Alaska.

A beautiful sight after a long flight over open water and sea ice.

Ostensible Kinfolk

On a visit to British Columbia I discovered this photograph of our family's long lost kinswoman  "Unfortunate Incident Jane."  She was a frontierswoman who aimed to model her bad behaviour on that of her American counterpart, Calamity Jane.  

Unfortunately, Unfortunate Incident Jane was handicapped by the fact she was Canadian and therefore constitutionally was obliged to be unfailingly polite. 

Japanese Anemones

Pretty and fun to say! 

Also reliable and thrive on neglect.

Good Guys

I think Paladin was the "goodest" of the good guys in the old westerns.  Matt Dillon, Gil Favor and Rowdy Yates, Ben Cartwright and his boys, Reese Bennet and the other Texas Rangers all were wonderful heroes;  but of them all Paladin was my favorite and still is.  How many cowboys in the heat of battle would shout to their enemy, "Use your brain!"  I'm pretty sure only Mr. Paladin would be so audacious.  

Have Gun Will Travel is on dvd now.  The writing is really good and the battle between good and evil never goes out of style.   One of my favorite activities is to spend a quiet evening knitting in the company of the ultimate good guy, a man called Paladin.  

The best dog in the world

Everybody knows their own dog is the best one in the world, and I am no different.  Chris had the softest fur on his ears, and he was so smart he taught himself new tricks.  For a little while I think he thought he was a cat, because he would climb the apricot tree in our front yard just like the other cats did.  Imagine the cats' surprise the first time Chrissy followed them up that tree!  Completely on his own initiative Chris would fetch and sit up.  One memorable night he treed a skunk, called for reinforcements, and stood pointing in the classic pose of all good hunting dogs.  He even sometimes would stop to open the newspaper and read a bit before he brought it to the house. 

The dismount is always the trickiest part.

The perfect sleeping position, in case anybody might
want to rub his tummy in passing. 

The yellow cat, Termite, had an identity crisis also;
he acted like a dog in a lot of ways.  Mother named him
Termite because she declared he was the most
useless thing she'd ever seen.

For a short time Chris thought he might be a pansy.