Sunday, February 21, 2010

This and that

This morning the sun is out and there is not a cloud in sight. It was a bit chilly, so I built a fire in the wood stove. I think sometimes that old stove is my best friend. It never argues, never complains, makes almost no demands of me, and always keeps me warm - although sometimes it is a bit high maintenance; every hour or so it wants to be fed. But I only need to clean out its litter box once a year, okay, maybe more than once a year but it is still a whole lot better than a cat.
It is an amazing thing (at least to me) a few winters back I was out of firewood and a big hemlock had blown down through my garage, across my yard and a good distance into my neighbor’s yard. When I cut it up, the diameter of the last two rounds were too large for my chain saw and its 20 inch bar, and that was cutting from both sides. I did finally get it cut through and it measured 42 inches across. It was a big tree, at least by my estimation. Are you still reading? Are you still there? I thought maybe those last few line may have put you to sleep.
All that next winter I burned that tree in my old wood stove. When spring finally came I emptied the stoves litter box of ash, can you believe it that whole tree fit into a single 5 gallon bucket. Pretty amazing - don't you think?
Yesterday, my friend, Abe and I went on a short hike up near Snoqualmie Pass. Abe has two yellow labs – you have met them before Max Aswell and Buster. Well of course they had to go along. I like his dogs okay but Abe insists they ride in the cab with us. He does have an extended cab but those dogs are still entirely to close. I know they are to close because upon exiting the truck the black sweat shirt I was wearing had dried dog slobber on my shoulder and left arm and although I couldn’t see it I am pretty sure my left ear was also covered in Buster slobber. Eight month old Buster felt it was necessary to lick my ear about every 10 to 15 miles along the way. Grrr…
I think Abe must actually be a better friend than that wood stove, for me to put up with that. The dog slobber is not a new experience for me - it is just something that is required if I want to be Abe's friend. The sweat shirt has already been washed so I guess a little dog slobber is a small price to pay for having a great friend.
Is there a lesson here? Of course there is: Always wash the slobbered up clothes before showering then no slobber will be tracked into the house.
We can talk about dog hair another time. Thanks for stopping by and reading to the end.





14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awww....Look at that face!!! (The Dog..Not the guy in the black tee)

"The face" is screaming out that- "Grayquill lies...I no slobber..Izz innocent...Mouth closed..It was just sweat...Grayquill's..Not slobber...Heh!"

PS: Could've sworn that I saw a post with some monkey pics some days back..Didn't have time to read it then...But it seems to have disappeared...:|

Lucy said...

A little slobber just adds the love to your garments! Chic magnet for sure!

Grayquill said...

Choco: I knew you meant the dog :) Young Buster does have cute face. But no lies here…Buster has not learned all his manners yet and Max Aswell has fallen down on the job.

Lucy and Dick: Huh…I thought it was slobber not love. I for sure know it was shinny and crystallized when dry…YUK!

Sylvia K said...

I did get a laugh here today! My Schnauzer doesn't drool, but my son's dog, Mojo, drools big time and I frequently get doused! But as you say, guess that's the price for having a good friend or son!!! Hope you have a great week!

Sylvia

Hilary said...

I guess a bit of drool is a small price to pay for good company. Cats are so neat that way. They rarely drool. They just stand in front of the mnitor whle I'm tring to typ! ;)

As for your friend the wood stove.. it seems to me that he's a bit of an ash hole.

Asif said...

Ohh Labradors!! How cute they look.
Especially the young pups...I just love them.
The young buster is looking very curious in the picture.

Blunt Edges said...

so u, my friend, are the reason for the dwindling number of trees on the planet!
ever heard of global warming? :P

Pat said...

A man who cuts his own fire wood is warmed twice..or something like that. We wouldn't even amount to a portion of the ash from that old tree if the same became of us, and we're all that and a bag of chips! God has a way of making us humble, doesn't he? He even uses dog slobber!
This is one of the most rambling, makes no sense comments I've ever left. Enjoy.

Grayquill said...

Sylvia K: Thanks for the good wishes – Mojo sounds horrible and Mr. Schnauzer sounds like a dream come true.

Hilary: Well aren’t you in a good mood today – I see the cat is a bit in the way – AYE? Pretty funny!
And there you go again the master of play on words. Yes that stove is a bit of an ash hole. :)

Asif: Yes, Mr. Buster is curious he is trying to figure out why I am trying to take my own picture.

Blunt Edges: What’s global warming? – Is it anything like running around the outside of your house in your underwear so when you come back inside you feel warm? Or is it kind of like getting yourself all hot chasing the cat, in attempt to kill it, after stepping in warm methane gas waste? – Barefooted.
I did hear a great suggestion to stop climate change. Strike a match to your back side every time a little methane is being expelled. The methane will go up in poof and can reduce air fresheners in your office space. If this idea catches on, it could bring the mini-skirt back in fashion – you know ease of access and all that! Hmm… imagine the result of a poof and the mini skirt-maybe that alone is reason to create a global warming crisis – real or not who would care at that point?

Pat: Is that what that slobber was for, God keeping me humble? Hmmm….I thought that was a woman’s job to keep us men humble.
I hope you are feeling better.

Amrita said...

i have a huge dog hait r problem on my funiture and clothes. Ha...ha

Mary said...

I love your take on life, Quill, and hope you keep on rambling for all us readers to enjoy.

Frank Baron said...

Don't fret Quill, I won't let Hilary get away scot-free for that pun. Next time I see her I'll punch her shoulder for you.

I can understand how you feel about that stove. I've formed the occasional strong attachment to inanimate objects. My first outboard was a 6 HP Merc. My, that sweetheart could fly on a 90 lb. 12' aluminum, with just a skinny 14-year-old at the tiller. And then, with a flick of the wrist, she would troll at 2 mph, purring like a kitten.

S'cuse me...seem to have something in my eye....

Anonymous said...

Grayquill,
Sounds like you had a couple of friends there for sure. slobber slobber. Yellow labs are beautiful. My niece had 2 of them. We have 3 cats. I inherited them from my wife when we married last year.... counting the days too...I think I'm ahead of you though! Beautiful pic of the mountains there:) The Bach

Grayquill said...

Amrita: Hair seems to permeate everything. Good luck with that.

Bob West: Gifted? Blessed for sure. Thanks for the kind words.

Mary: Thanks – I will do my best!

Frank Baron: You’re the best! Don’t punch her to hard – she’s a girl.
I can see the wind in that 14 year olds hair now. Sweet…

Bachelor: Three cats! Seriously? Sounds like pure hell – sorry! I feel for you buddy.