Mouse and Emma

I was worried about Emma not liking Mouse, but she is slowly taking to him. Could be because he is male, or young, or blind, or just not confrontational. Though the little guy is pushing the limits, he is now going into Emma's crate and sneaking out her squeaky toys. Emma isn't a big squeaky toy kind of dog and she doesn't seem to care, though she keeps her eye on him when he is playing with her toys. He does have his own toy and this pay day he will get another. He'll also get another on the day he lose his balls, I don't fully sexed dogs or cats so he will have to go under the knife. I really don't understand why people keep their male dogs fully male. Ok, I personally think it is because if they are male and own a male dog they sort of have tranference issues about the whole emasculation thing. Get over it guys, if you aren't a breeder you don't need to have unneutered dogs or cats.
The park is finally back to normal, with water, but whatever they are building in front of the dam is freaking me out. Maybe it is my love of science fiction, but it looks crazy. I think it is some kind of water pipe, maybe something to do with the fish ladder? It is just weird looking and they, of course, aren't letting people get close because of "construction." Yes they are constructing something, but really? I'm not going to walk out on the dock they built, it would be cool, but I think most, ok, maybe only a few won't walk out there. It's too bad there is no longer any, "Go farther only at your own risk." We are becoming a society of wussies. Every kid on the team has to get a trophy or star even if they sucked the entire game. What are we teaching kids? In real life there are winners and losers and if you are playing a sport someone is going to win and someone is going to lose and playing a game that praises both winner and loser is just stupid. It teaches our children nothing about pride in doing a good job, in working hard toward a goal even if you don't win and always doing your best and knowing that and doing better the next time out is what makes for champions. Getting praise for sucking at something isn't teaching anyone anything. Really it isn't. Unless it is teaching other countries why we can't make decisions about serious issues anymore because somebodies feelings might be hurt. I so got off track. Oh well.
I'm not a political person, but this week's discussions regarding contraception is scaring me. I don't believe abortion should be used as birth control, but I do think birth control medications should be available to everyone. Having Senate Hearings without female voices about contraception is wrong-headed and sure to put Obama back in the White House. Yes I said it. While I don't think Obama believes abortion should be used as birth control, I do think he think believes it should be available to those who need it. Contraception is a personal issue and shouldn't be legislated or restricted by the government. As Catholic the issue is only in a long line of reasons why I no longer practice the Religion I was baptized into. But then I never took part in Confirmation, so maybe I'm not even a "real" Catholic. Which brings up another item on my list, sacraments as the only way in.
I shall stop now, because I have gotten way off track and I only wanted to post a pic of Emma and Mouse.

Inclement weather days revisited

I thought I would share some photos of the ice rink that was my parking lot.

The ice was crazy, you can see it shining in the second photo, sorry about the orientation. You can see how even dirt clots that fell off cars can't brave the ice and have slid down from a car to the center of the parking lot.

McNary Dam

Took the dogs to the Dam today and low and behold the water in the ponds and creeks was nearly gone. Freaked me out, I was afraid poor Mouse would topple into the goo as walked over the bridges, but the guy did great. Nearly blind and he has yet to run into anything lethal. He just jets along, or tries to as Emma has to pee on every bush we pass by. He peed maybe twice and pooped once. Emma peed about 20 times and pooped twice, the last time all over her ass. She was a very unhappy camper on the drive home because I put her in Mouse's travel crate. I think she was more angry about Mouse looking at her from outside the crate.
I'll post pictures of our new family member as soon as I connect my phone to my computer at home. The sunset was so very pretty tonight, cotton candy pink clouds, lined by silver grey interlopers. Still beautiful. I am really loving my new home here on the north east side of the mountains.

Sustainable farming

On the left side of my blog you will see a variety of blogs, one in particular is dear to my heart, Lakeview Farm. I went to high school with the owner/operator/farmer. He was the one who got away, not that I really pursued him, but I most certainly should have. But that is neither here no there. They raise meat animals in a natural and sustainable way. I hope to purchase a half of a lamb this spring. I love lamb, I really do, if I had freezer room I'd purchase a whole one. I have discovered, however, that like most store bought meat, store bought lamb is not as tasty as I remember when I raised sheep in high school.
The farm is in Halsey which in the Valley which makes it very hard to purchase the chicken, eggs, turkey, and coffee that they also sell. You can also buy a  share in a cow and receive all the products she produces. Can't buy milk, of course, because Oregon had a freak attack about unpasturized milk products. Anyway, if you live near there, not that anyone even reads my blog, you should contact them about purchasing their products.
My stomach is rumbling from a recipe for roasted chicken, of course chicken raised at Lakeview, I will try the recipe this week with, unfortunately, store bought chicken from Safeway.

Divinity has landed

Finally did it! And now of course I have eaten half of them already.

They taste good, in my humble opinion, I just needed to cook the sugar mixture a bit longer and take more time with egg whites. I'll not be sure I have it under control until I am able to replicate more than one batch. Sort of the scientific method of candy making.

Day 3 of now what is called an inclement weather day.

"Inclement weather" sot of catches it all don't you think? Flooding in my hometown of Salem caused the District to cancel classes and crazy ice shuttered schools here in Hermiston. Ice is so bad I couldn't walk on the grass, which I thought was safer, without falling down. And again it is sort of nice because I can make Emma slide the way I want her to go, which is on to the parking lot for some reason. Falling in the parking lot would have hurt, falling in the grass hurt my pride.
The sun came out and melted just enough old ice to get to make new ice. How wonderful, people still driving a bit crazy on the highway, way too fast for the conditions. Oh, and of course the one truck that zipped by was Swift truck, yes "Swift" is the name of the hauling company. Driver drove way too fast, way too fast maybe he was the same Swift driver who almost killed a few weeks ago on 395 in Power City. Which reminds me there is a Wildlife Area in Power City that I keep not going to. It is on the way to McNary Dam and I just don't make the turn, I'll do better next week since this weekend we are probably stuck here until the ice melts. I've been watching the people having to go to work this morning and even with studs they are slipping a bit before the studs catch.
I am so glad I walked to Safeway on Wednesday and got a few things and that I stopped Tuesday night on my way home from class. There is no way I could walk to the store the past two days. Watching a neighbor trek to the garbage cans hope he makes it ok. Sun is currently not winning the battle with the clouds, which means the ice is still hard as a rock.

Snow Day!

Got the call at 5:24 this morning, yes I checked my phone. I was then awake for about an hour, which sucked but at least I remembered to turn off the alarm.
Today is Black Internet Day or something, several sites are going black to protest SOPA and PIPA which is supposed to go before Congress later this month. While I do not understand the intricacies of the bills, I do understand why there are protests in opposition to them. This time it seems that Hollywood or producers of content that will end up on the Internet are banging Congress with millions to be able to block content, pull down content, etc. without due process. Not very liberal of you Hollywood. I always cite my sources so I don't think I would be a target, but then again you never know especially if the entity who wants it pulled down doesn't need any proof at all to accuse of you doing infringing on copywrite.
I think these bills are in reaction to wikileaks. What I would like to know has any person or operation or government been truly compromised by what has been leaked? And I know if the leaks were of Taliban or Al Quada, I know I spelled that wrong, no one would care now would they? Or if North Korea's dirty little secrets were aired or any of our enemies, but because it was our secrets we are all up in their faces about it. Now that I have made myself a target I will again become apolitical.
Ok, I'm never really apolitical, but  why is the Internet so slow today, or is it the weather here that is the problem? Yes, that whole sentence didn't make a lot of sense, but as I said the Internet is slow and I had wait like 30 seconds for that sentence to even appear.
Have a wonderful rest of the day.