Best Friends,

ILL ALWAYS be in my heart. 

So I took off to check one of my favorite lakes for ducks, found some too, and that was good.  It was cold tho, so I was in and out of the van warming up.  I am always in a place of peace when Im birding.  I can be exactly in the now.  The best place to be present for.   

Also I saw a river otter in the lake...didn't get a photo of it, because I was just pulling in and parking the van.  That was a pleasant surprise. 

My sis has this dog her name is Patches and she was a stray living in the town and my sis was able to get her into her yard, and now she lives there.  But there is one problem, she won't come into the house, and actually there's two problems, she wont go on a leash.  She is afraid of being contained.   My sis has made a wonderful nest for Patches in her shed she has  heater, a bed and a dog house  in the shed to snuggle in,,,, so she is warm...but still it's fretful worrying that she is ok.  So now sis is hinting that "when I come see her" I have to bring Patches home with me.  Hmmm I would love that BUT

I have 2 dogs , they are sisters,  quickly approaching senior years, they will soon require medical help and physical help...I will have to and need to devote all my attention and funds to helping them and that is the only fair thing.  I've had them since they were 4 months old....Plus my sisters dog Jim is the same age as my girls and he is diabetic so I think she should keep Patches and try to make a stronger bond with her.  

I have been swearing, NO more dogs, it's difficult to travel  with dogs, ON cold freezing mornings I have to get up out of my warm sleeping bag and walk the dogs, and in Summer when it's HOT and  I am in Rocky Mountain NP, where dogs can't hike the trails of any NP, they cant stay in a hot car so that means I don't get to hike.  I have traveled and camped with all three of my dogs, I'm including Casey who passed in April he was a super sweet heart and I miss him so much. HE went on so many trips with me, long trips of like 8,000 miles and not just once twice but MANY times.  

So the longest stretch I was traveling with all 3 at one time was 22 days...camping and driving all over the country.  The dogs love to travel...I love to travel also so we have made it work, but Im getting older and it's getting harder to do...Floss cant jump in or out of the van, I built a ramp for them...I can not pick her up any more she is 55 lbs...and Annie is 50 lbs...and they are 13 yrs old. Both of them are lame, have arthritic joints and cant go on hikes even in good weather or where they are allowed...so it's just a huge challenge. 

                               The girls and I enjoying  a mountain hike ...Happy Faces

                                 and Casey and I  exploring a Lave Tube in California

                                                                                

  
I love dogs...

Weapons of influence?

AITING ON THE DUST TO SETTLE...

I have been at it all day...meaning busy.  One thing upset me well more than one but this one really hurt.   I saw another bird with ONE eye really bad he is currently not catchable.  Poor thing. We have at least one hummingbird hanging around saw her today at the rose bush getting some nectar from the flowers...she should be packing by Oct 1st. 

About 9 I took a walk around the block, so nice and cool it was in the 50's this morning and the high today in the cool breezy 70's Perfect weather.  Would be a little chilly for the beach but perfect for around the homestead.  

After my walk it was breakfast, then I had to drive to the nearest gas station and get gas for the mower.  I've been driving around with the jug in my van for a week, and even when I gassed my van up I didn't think to fill the jug.  I've had a lot on my mind this week!!

Back home by 11:30 and we started the yard work at noon, I hope that's the last time for cutting it but it may not be...depends on if it warms up at all...we generally allow that grass in the front yard at Mom's to get a little higher it helps with the erosion problem. 

I spent the afternoon playing with the dogs and grooming them, cut their nails and brushed their coats, Annie had some sap on her foot so I cleaned that off, and they are fed I had a late lunch so I plan to have a salad later ,and of course a shower...I have dust all over me from riding the mower on a breezy day.  I did not try the bagger, because I have not assembled it or attached it to the mower that is a project right there.  

Can you believe I feel asleep in the middle of Svengoolie, I was just so sleepy I could not hold open my eyes I did try...really bummed about that.  

2 weeks after the Harley Rally in South Dakota 369 new cases, they don't care so why should we? Their Governor should be in jail for not protecting her citizens...she in fact tells them to NOT wear masks...Evil bitch is how I see her.  One guess oh yes she is a Trumper!

Ok Im on purpose not checking Facebook, I can almost hear the deep unrest without even clicking on it...I just want this year to go away, just end Dec 31'st can't get here quick enough But honestly I said the same thing last year.  
So PBS had this special about Hacking the Mind.  They explained how Trump was elected and HOW the  Russians interfered in the 2016 election.  Its all algorithms.   See Bannon has this company called Cambridge Analytical.  I told you he was instrumental in creating Brexit. He used this same method to accomplish that. 

AND Facebook is very much responsible for Trump being elected...So here is how they did it...Bannon's company's altho they didn't come right out and Steal Your personal info they bought it!! Yes in the USA it's not illegal for social media corporations to sell you personal info.  Banks do it, your creditors do it, your Internet providers do it, your search engines do it...your cell phone companies do it... the list goes on and on.  

So they put out a few posts to stir up people's emotions, once they peg hole all of us based on what we do online, like how the middle class is being left behind, how Hillary is not going to help the middle class and how Trump is not a politician and he will drain the swamp etc...So they tracked the likes, the shares, the area where  the people who liked those posts, they track their profiles, and then they Start to bombard those profiles with ALL news Trump...that created this huge following and they direct your thinking, hijacking your mind.

And meantime the Russians did the same thing by posting negative Hillary ads, and this is how they Hack the Mind of people. I think I'm going to stop using Facebook...because it's highly dangerous...
I may not have all the details correct on how they did it so give this a listen...You don't have to watch it just listen to it while you do something else...in  A different tab.  Hacking Your Mind Weapons of Influence.  We care more about losing than winning! This is an excellent look at how we are being manipulated by Corporations!  The political discussion of the video is in the last section of the video. 

The whole idea of investing in the stock market is BS.  I will never get that one.  Only the very wealthy who can afford to lose should be investing! YET everyone is now in the stock market?? Why?  We are so bombarded by Marketing it is ruling the lives of many.  I am not a consumer, I buy food and the things I have to have...but I do not go out and just check in stores to see what's in there.  I go in for socks I come out with socks!

...the new guy who bought the 7 acres on my north boundary is fencing his piece in...I hope it' anything but goats...or pigs...goats are noisy and pigs stink...I hope it's just for dogs, he has no house there yet so kinda weird...the deer won't be happy. 

I planted a row of Eastern Cedar Trees to create a Privacy wall when the land went up for sale, some of the trees are finally beginning to grow...HOPE they really take off and get bigger this year, so I can't see what he is doing!!

Good fences as you know make good neighbors...so we'll see. For the record, I do not buy extended warranties...do you? That is fear of losing...when they ask me at the store I normally tell them "NO worries if it breaks I'm bringing it back here for a refund!!" 

Ok time for a shower and some dinner.  

Pondering and

ondering if...

Tomorrow I can actually get in my van and drive into town?...it's 14 days since I came down with the virus straight from Hell illness, so I think if I am feeling about as well as I do today I have 2 things that really need to happen. The big toe on my left foot is trying to get red again but it's not too bad as of now I will keep an eye on it and I think I may get an ice pack out. 

Things have been pretty heavy in here lately so I'm trying to lighten up...I can be intense, I don't do news on weekends so I have not heard any of the latest politics to ruin my day...I filled up my bird feeders and noticed I'm almost out of seed this is something I have to take care of and the battery operated blower I got from Lowes...CRAP...so I want to take it back so I can get that refunded before I pay that bill...
The hedge pruners are great the blower won't even begin to budge pine needles off my patio.  I had tried it before I got sick and thought I would give it one more try in case the battery was not fully charged so it's been sitting there 2 weeks charging, and I gave it a quick try this morning after filling up the feeders NO way it's not worth the $89.  It's a the Black n Decker Power Command --useless.  So I will look for a different brand when I'm feeling more  like dealing with that, for now just returning this one is on my agenda.  Maybe the brand in the blue box...hmmmm 

The dogs need some of the frozen Chicken Strips I feed them.  And I need some fresh produce so IF I am able to do it, I will make 2 stops...
I also was able to cook a pot of Black Eyed Peas that will be my meals for the next couple of days.  So easy to do I put it on and just let it to simmer while I watched a few youtube videos, and now it's all done.
My son actually texted to see if Im still alive, imagine that next I expect to get one where he needs a loan...
I actually visited Casey's grave, in the backyard... which I have missed since it's something I do every single day.  Tears always come but it's part of the process of life without someone you adored and loved.  I am a long mourner...It took me years, well actually I am not finished mourning the death of my horse Sundance he died in 1996...

Its not in me to just forget the souls I have loved so dearly...I had a dream on Friday night...and MOM was there she quickly walked passed me and she waved at me...it was the younger version of Mom, I awoke screaming "there she is" omg then tears before bedtime.  More wet pillows...

Windchimes make me smile so I hung one by her crypt and so she could hear it when the wind blows...I told her on a visit if she ever needed me just ring that bell....Im still waiting for her to need me like I need her.  I just miss her so terribly you can not imagine...or maybe you can if it has happened to you. 

You know it's funny my Mom and I didnt have a good relationship till I was 20 years old...I know why but that is a story for an entire book not a paragraph...although one word may do it, Survival.

Today I feel very alone, maybe since I have not seen any human except thru my window for 14 days I really don't enjoy being around people I'll take animals any day so my 2 girls are my family.   They watch over me and Annie is the drill sgt making sure I get up to fed them and have water in the bowl.  They have a doggie door that takes them onto the screen porch then into the fenced yard so they come and go as they wish to but when it's hot outside they hang out in the ac with me.  Floss is so smart if I flip the wall switch on, she looks up immediately to see if the ceiling fan is going to come on..so the other day I showed her where the wall switch is for the kitchen lights she got it within one try...she figured out the ceiling fan thing by herself..

I drew her attention to the switch in the kitchen, pointed to it, then once I turned it on I pointed to the light she watched...then I turned it off, then when I flipped it on, she looked at the light...so clever. She would make an excellent service dog.  And I had a tissue to wipe down my nose I was sneezing,,,,then I would sneeze wipe, and then it would hit again I had left the tissue on the couch I sneezed she looked at the pile of tissue she knew that was next.  

She hates any beep, and text messages .  She heard a beep on TV someone got a text message, she looked at my phone laying on the table, then she checked her path to the back door to make sure she had a clear shot to run out if I grabbed that phone....
I know you have had the tv on when someone would knock on  A door,....my dogs jump up bark and run to the back door they think we have company.  I think all dogs so this sometimes I knock on wood because I'm superstitious and they think it's a Jehovah's Witness. 

There is a gate with a sign at my parking area and this gate comes into the yard, their domain...the sign says BEWARE OF DOG...this one FedEx guy didn't bother to read that sign, oh my--- hell hath no fury like 2 surprised dogs..and one very frighten man holding a box who dared to actually come into the screen porch, but got no farther before 100 lbs of black fur with 2 heads and 4 rows of sharp teeth were barred at him.  Surprise this time the sign was right? Im just glad this happened while I was home to control them and stop the attack. Floss will bite. She is the protector.

Well tomorrow I may tackle religion who knows...politics, religion, and what's the other topic that rounds out the trifecta of no no topics? OH yeah ---->MONEY!! 
for sure.