Sunrise at Stonehenge

Sunrise at Stonehenge, originally uploaded by badcampix.

The sun rises through the stone portal and the first rays fall on the ancient altar at Stonehenge on the morning of the Summer Solstice.

Ani

Ani, originally uploaded by badcampix.

Oncidium Kalihi Orchid

Oncidium Kalihi Orchid, originally uploaded by badcampix.

The orchid in my kitchen window is budding again.
I feel so honored to be blessed with such an opulent display of beauty!

Ice River

Brian in the grove

He’s a goodboy,with a great personality, and a number of odd quirks. When we brought him home the car freaked him out, as did linoleum floors, in-fact any floor that wasn’t carpeted or wood freaked him out. He didn’t understand how to go up or down stairs, he was completely un-housebroken, and he had a nervous habit of spinning and running in clockwise circles for long periods of time. Griffin is our rescue dog. Over the last two and a half years he has gained almost three pounds (making him a normal weight), two siblings with which he shares a love/hate relationship, a bright, funny, sensitive personality, a home, and us.

It began one late night at the end of September. Cheryl was working on the sports section of the Providence Journal when her co-worker called her over to look at a Smooth Fox Terrier on Pet Finder at the city pound.

“He’s awfully cute, but we don’t need another dog…”

At the time, Cleo and Puck were (and still are) our two feisty Fox Terriers. After our Daschund died we looked for a dog with big personality, few health problems and that wouldn’t set off Cheryl’s allergies – Smooth Fox Terriers seemed to fit the bill. We were introduced to Lori Furguson of Blu Vu Fox Terriers, and soon Cleo, a delicate looking tiny brown and white puppy came home with us. We were in love.

“Ok.” Said Cheryl’s co-worker. “I’ll send his picture along to Berta.”

I found myself opening a page with a little black face looking up at me. After much discussion, we decided to inquire about the dog, with the intent of possibly rescuing him from puppy death row, and then passing him along to Smooth Fox Terrier Rescue to find him a forever home.

A number of phone calls to Providence Animal Control later, Cheryl discovered that a young male Smooth Fox Terrier had been picked up with no identification from a downtown neighborhood having been seen running loose for about a month. Unfortunately no one had come forward to claim or adopt him in his three an a half week stay with the City of Providence, they had just that morning passed him along to the Animal Rescue League for one last chance… if he passed his evaluation. Five weeks, two visits with the whole family, and a whole lot of red tape later, Griffin came home with me. And never left.

It’s been a long journey since that day in November. With love, and patience, and better living through chemistry, every day gets better and better. He no longer spins uncontrollably, fights with his siblings are fewer, and we can trust him out in the house unsupervised (mostly). Each morning he charges down the stairs and into the kitchen to get his breakfast, and greet the day with joy. The love and trust we get from him makes it all worth it

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Walking

The woods are wrapped in secrets and dreams, painted in shades of grey. Mist rises between the ghosts of silhouette trees that bend and sigh under the burden of new snow. Boots slide looking for a purchase on the uphill trail. Only the crunch of my footsteps and the patter of freezing rain breaks the stillness.