TerrierCyn from Johnson City TN

Thank you for your lovely poem re the sunset over Peat Island.I was quite moved.

Hey Cyn, check out Kay's cave photo - I directed some info to you, but realized you may never see it. It's about Organ Cave in southeastern WV, a civil war site where the confederates mined saltpetre during the war. It's an underdeveloped attraction, part of the charm of the place where they request you wear sturdy walking shoes to do the tour. It really gives you the feeling of what it was like to be those guys working deep underground in dark conditions, with only torches to light the way.

It's Kay's yesterday photo, medium puzzle.

I wrote it on the puzzle page, forgetting it was yesterday's puzzle!

Sandy has been on glucosamine for a long time, and it does seem to help a lot (we take ours together - that way I remember both our pills). She's so old now, that I get amazed when she wants to walk further than I think is good for her. The cold weather seems to give her energy, that's good except when she slips on the ice (she fell on the deck the other day, and we (meaning Sandy and me) had difficulty getting her back up. I can't put pressure either on her hips or on her belly near the back legs where she has a tumour growing). So I've been getting exercise shoveling away enough ice that she can move about on the deck and out front going to the driveway!

Yes, Organ cave was great - so rustic, perfect for the civil war story they tell. As I said on Kay's puzzle, just overlook the fey aspect of the soldier manikins - they are female, and they've tried to hide the heels - pretty funny, though - and rather endearing! We saw bats as well - the cave folks are very protective of them, and give a very good talk about the little guys. I usually don't care for caves, but this was great fun, I'm so glad I saw it! We had voted it to go on the National Register of Historic Places, and the folks there invited us to have a meeting there (the Archives and History Commission meets three times a year), so we did. A nice adventure after our meeting!

Hey Cyn - that puzzle was hard!!!!! I loved the subtle colors in the branches - it was fun to do. I shall try to get my photos together and submit some for puzzles as well. Kate (Schultz's Mom) was saying that if I posted Sandy's photo on puzzles, folks would think she was Schultz - they did look alike, he was older, but not by much (half a year). Maybe I'll do that if only to confuse people!

Anyway, I hope to see more of your photos in the puzzles!

Well, Ms Terrier - that's what happens when one writes something relying on memory - I could swear Terrier preceded Cyn on that photo! Dod wonder where the heck you photographed it, but thought it might be a new "garden variety" of fig. I thought to go back and double check it, but knew my message would be lost if I did that. Ah, well. Don't I feel a bit foolish!?

How is your weather behaving now? It's gotten colder again here, and we had really fierce winds - had to call a neighbor to cut a tree that had fallen across my driveway and blocked it. Lots of felled trees everywhere - winds gusted over 70 mph, sounded dreadful inside the house! Hard to sleep with banshees roaming around, shrieking!

Cyn -

I lost my beloved Sandy today. She was 13 years and 5 months old. She had lost her appetite last weekend, showed reluctance to walk around our circle, was sick to her stomach Tuesday, then again on Thursday, and I took her in to the vets. Tests showed her liver was failing (she had had liver disease from a poisoning many years ago), I held her today while she crossed the rainbow bridge. An autopsy showed liver and spleen cancer, so she was spared more suffering, but I am not adjusting to losing my best friend very well. She lived a long life for a big dog - 85 pounds - and she still had her frisky moments, even up to yesterday.

I just wanted to let you know. It's hard to believe it all happened so fast.

Thank you, Cyn - it is so hard to lose such a good friend and companion. Yesterday I did a good deed, and it helped me a lot. A friend has a tiny medically challenged doggy - a puppy mill screwed up little "miniature poodle" who looks like a tiny sheep but somewhat deformed - on trial from a shelter and I went over to give my opinion on the sad little guy. He is settling down, thought he was in doggy heaven because three people were around him cuddling him, and I supported her in his adoption (she always had big dogs). I did say if she couldn't deal with medical problems, I would take him. He deserves better than what life has handed him so far - but I think she's too attached to him and will keep him. But it was hard to come home to an empty house with no big yellow dog at the door.

Hi, Joan!

I understand too well how empty a house can feel ... but somewhere the right dog for you is waiting. He or she may be a beautiful dog or a goofy-looking one; a tiny puppy or an older dog; a dog who takes to you immediately or one whose trust you must earn. But keep looking ... if you leave your heart open, your dog will find you. I'm shedding tears again -- I wish I didn't cry so easily! Take a good strenuous walk and enjoy the rebirth of spring ... the golden daffodils, the cheery narcissus, the bloodroot unfurling its unique leaves ... Sandy will be beside you in spirit, but dashing ahead and back, free from her aches and pains and delighting in life. I wish I could be there for you, too ... take care, my friend! Love, -Cyn

Cyn, A wonderful poem on Medium jigsaw. Thanks for sharing and how lovely of you to give so much time to the folks in the nursing home.

Dear Terrieryn.
.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
My best wishes to you.

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas



and

Well, Cyn -
A year ago I welcomed an "unadoptable", issue ridden fellow into my life - today I have a good companion, a dog whois doing really well in obedience training and - as I discovered Tuesday - is a natural in agility work! In a half hour Jasper did all but one of our trainer's pieces of equipment - not beautifully, but he did it! He even caught on to the weaving around the poles quite nicely! So now I have something else we can work with! I'll write an e-mail soon and tell you more - but I thought of you while we were working!