Poor Bird

We wondered why the birds had forsaken our feeder for the past two days.




Guess one of them became a meal itself. We do have several cats in the hood and the hawks are always patrolling.

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New Year, New Twitter Avatar/Icon

New Twitter avatar

Trying out new avatar on my Twitter account, Twitter / Iquitoz. See if the icon will fly. Need to reduce my photo to get a better tiled background.

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Freda's Myminicity, Frévilla

Some time ago, our dog, Freda, began to build her own myminicity, Frévilla, in Spain. In her honor, I am going to continue construction in Frevilla. I hope that you might stop by and help out once in a while. You might even want to start your own city.

Several of Freda's friends have also started their own cities. Charlie started New Charleroi in France, Joe Stains started Stainsville here in the United States and Sophie began to build the Italian city of Sophenze.

As each city's population grows, industry and transportation needs will grow also. To add an industry to some one's city, or your own, you will need to add the letters "ind" to the end of the URL before going to that address. For example, the URL "http://new-charleroi.myminicity.com/" will increase the population, but "http://stainsville.myminicity.com/ind" will add an industry to Joey's city. The same applies for transportation. Adding "tra" to the URL and "http://sophenze.myminicity.com/tra" will add a transportation upgrade to Sophie's city.

It sounds a little confusing but once you get the knack it is quite easy. Just remember to add the three letter code to the basic URL to add something other than a new inhabitant. As the cities grow more options will be available.

An IMPORTANT POINT: You can click on each city only once a day from the same computer.

Clicking on Frevilla-ind right now will add an industry to Freda's city.

Clicking Frevilla-tra will add a transportation upgrade.

Let me know if you have started a city and I will help you. Help some friends, have fun and thank you.

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P.S. I have started my own city at Iquitoz - MyMiniCity.

New Look

Added the pomegranate banner and selected a new template.
Tweaked colors.
Will see if this will hold up for a while.

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Remodeling

Why does it take so long to upload a photo in Blogger? Sunday evening/night is a waste of time trying to do anything blog wise. Good night.

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Two Great Dog Stories

Quickly. Found these two great dog stories.

Worst dog in the world? Move over, Marley

SF Gate: Buddy, Emil DeAndreis' blind dog, wears dishwashing glove... (Courtesy Emil DeAndreis) Multimedia (image)

Enjoy.

Merry Christmas.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

I know this has been around a lot but it is always good to see it again. To see a dog enjoying life to the fullest reminds us that humans need to do the same, no matter what the season.



Thanks to Bailey and Friends for this great video.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

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DON'T LET THE KIDS SEE THIS!!

Who hasn't received this via email? Well, there may be a few.


Haven't seen any Reindeer Jerky on her
website yet. Won't be long. You betcha!

We certainly don't miss the Alaskan winters. And are VERY glad we are not living there now.

Wonder how many blogs are posting this cute photo.

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Coffee Shops Serving Oatmeal, Hmmm...

Heard on NPR this morning that coffee shops have begun serving oatmeal. It's a big money maker. (Oatmeal Is Hot In Chilly Economy : NPR)

Don't know if they would make any money with my 12 item oatmeal spread...



Oatmeal
Milk
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Ground Flax Seed
Peanuts
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts
Almonds
Dried Fruit
Grape-Nuts
Roasted Soy Beans

Cup of Joe anyone?.

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Tripod Sunset

"Tripod Sunset"

Nice walk.

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Eight Years Ago in the Mile High City

It was eight years ago today that our beloved Freda came into our lives. I had seen her photo on the Denver Dumb Friends League web site.


She barked that she wasn't electric.

She was a frightened, dirty, scrawny forty-four pound dog that took our heart away. One look and I knew she was the one.
Twenty additional pounds later and a little cleaning up and she looked rather nice...



Freda, thank you for your loyalty, companionship and love.

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Wood Turning

Yesterday we met our friends Amy and Mike for lunch in Sonoma. Had a great meal at The Red Grape.

For Christmas they gave us two wonderful wooden pieces they turned themselves. A beautiful sea urchin ornament with stained Myrtlewood, turned by Amy ...


Six inch Myrtlewood Sea Urchin Ornament

And a wonderful Maple burl bowl turned by Mike...


Eight and one half inch Maple Burl Bowl

Wish I was as artistically talented as Amy and Mike. Beautiful pieces. Thank you Mike and Amy.

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Having a Wild Week(end)?

The past week has been very busy. Week ago Monday had neighbors over for dessert and a Deaver's Orange Muscat. Friday went to another neighbor's for dinner. Saturday a Christmas party, yesterday a Christmas brunch and now we're off to meet our friends, Amy and Mike, in Sonoma at The Red Grape.

But to pay for all this wickedness I had to do some gardening before the much needed rains arrived Saturday and Sunday. Read about the proper mulching of trees (Mulching Trees) and found we had to enlarge the mulching area ...







Removed some very small shrubs, Euonymus japonicus Microphyllus Variegatus, from beneath our bedroom window and transplanted a few Fortnight Lily, African Iris (Dietes vegeta)...





And was Royal Taster for the four batches of Christmas fudge...



And updated this blog.

Such is life...

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Bloody Mary's 75th Anniversary

In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Bloody Mary. A brief visit to Foster's Big Horn Bar and Restaurant in Rio Vista, CA. Black wolf and Big Horn can be seen on wall, among a few other 'trophies'.

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Foster's Big Horn Restaurant

Interior of Foster's Big Horn Restaurant in Rio Vista, California. Mr. Foster was a big game hunter in the middle of the 20th century. There are several hundred mounted specimens in the bar and restaurant. Largest mounted elephant head in world.

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Another Foggy Morning

It was a very foggy morning walk today.



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Mighty Mouse

Enjoying our new (and first) Mighty Mouse...

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Solar Wind Sunset

"Solar Wind"

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2008 Rio Vista Christmas Parade in Two Parts

The beginning of the very short 2008 Rio Vista Christmas Parade.




The exciting conclusion of the Rio Vista, CA 2008 Christmas Parade.




We are trying.

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Frost Lights

Installed our 'Frost lights'. Mini Christmas lights to help keep the frost off our bower vines out front.



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Forlorn Sound

Listened to the Canada geese flying over ALL night. Such a forlorn sound.

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Freda is Home

Freda is coming home. Vet called to say that her remains have arrived. Nice to get them and have some closure.

Freda is finally home.



"Homecoming Sunset"

Had a toast to welcome her home.



Will scatter some of her ashes at her favorite haunts on a foggy morn'.

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Sunset

Sunset from the third green.


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Who Likes Shopping?

Went shopping today. What a disaster. Found some great shoes but shop didn't have my size. The coffee pump at Trader Joe's produced no coffee for me but did for the person BEHIND me. Salesperson at OfficeMax took the customer BEHIND me first. Christmas carols in shops were terrible. No classic carols sung by singers born before 1975, except one Beatles' song. You can not improve on the classic carols sung mid-century. And both of our burgers at IN-N-OUT were undercooked. A first for us.

At least our evening walk went well. Saw one great horned owl. Heard three others.




Finished the evening off with a little Maker's Mark.

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Hummingbird in the Backyard

Hummingbird 2 from DeltaGypsy on Vimeo.
My little buddy

This is the hummingbird that watches me each morning as I top off the fountains and replenish the bird food in the backyard. I took care of the Hummingbird Forest at the Denver Zoo for about ten years. Still amazes me that we see hummingbirds in December, but it is Rio Vista, California.