Sunday, February 7, 2016

Ship Wrecks

Tales of ship wrecks and wrecking crews have always fascinated me.  Is it because my lineage goes back to Viking raiders?  Is it because Mom was raised on Chincoteague, and the family were local water men for centuries?  Is it because my Dad was a sailor in the Navy?  (Of course, Dad was in the aviation and radar parts of planes on aircraft carriers - but he was still a sailor...)  It's a terrible thing to admit, but I'm not afraid of drowning - I'm afraid of fire, instead.  I know that the many types of water on our world can be treacherous - seas, lakes, rivers, creeks - a flash flood in a dry arroyo.  And I always remember the five high tide marks on the wallpaper in Pop-pop's kitchen on Chincoteague.
   I have always known that the shoals and sand bars around Assateague Island, both in Maryland and Virginia, have been dangerous since men started sailing vessels along the seaboard.  I had no idea how frequently there was trouble, until I read a statistic stating that in 4 years, the Coast Guard stations on Assateague Island assisted 261 ships.  That means almost every 5.5 days, the Assateague Coast Guard was out helping ships....    I don't know why, but I find that number amazing.
   Here are some photos of  wooden shipwrecks from around the world - Great Britain, Australia, and the United States, to name a few.  The first six photos were taken on Assateague Island.













Saturday, February 6, 2016

Favorite Photos of Assateague and Chincoteague Islands

Most of these photos were taken by friends in Maryland and Virginia.  They can be found on Facebook on pages about Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.  Some of the photos were taken by Allan Sklar, some by Beached Paws Photography, some by dscphotography.net, and others by people who posted the shots for the enjoyment of others.  Please enjoy....












Friday, February 5, 2016

Gifts From Winter Storm Jonas

Winter storm Jonas ripped across the eastern seaboard January 22, 23 and 24.  It washed away large sections of the beach (and parking lots) on the southern end of Assateague Island, in Virginia.  On the northern end of Assateague, in Maryland, some really interesting sights washed up   Pieces of a wooden ship, guessed to be about 200 years old, and some sort of metal hopper.  Not to mention sea foam everywhere....












Thursday, February 4, 2016

Wildlife in Snow - Photos








Cats and Dogs

Well, with the snow storm here, the flights for Seek's Mom to return were cancelled.  She was due back in the wee hours of Tuesday, and then Tuesday afternoon, and now, Friday - tomorrow.  I'm getting paid, but I feel sorry for Seek.  She is definitely a social cat, and having Jill stop by in the morning, and me for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and Claudia stopping by two or three times a week, just doesn't match up with "Mom time."  I know I miss Lovey and Nedi greatly, even though I'm spending a few hours with them two or three times each day.  Finn's family will return tomorrow morning, and tomorrow evening I'll move in with Maggie May.  Then - unless there are any emergencies - I'll be home with my kits beginning Monday; with nothing scheduled other than week-day dog walks until April.  But, somehow, I always manage to have several last-minute house-sitting dates pop up....
    Finn has been having a ball in the snow - being a 70 pound Golden-Doodle, he has no problem with snowdrifts up to 3 feet deep - while that comes to my waist.  My biggest problem with Finn is that his favorite toys are white, and when he takes them outside, they have a tendency to disappear in the snow.  Thankfully, Lamb Chop has red gloves on her front hooves and she's pretty easy to spot - finding the plain white octopus, on the other hand, is a nightmare.  Finn has faithfully helped me shovel out the gates and parts of the driveway, as well as the walk-thru gate from the street, his walkway to his doggie door, and the area behind the garage.  I need to remember to text a message to his family that the driveway will be like an ice rink when they return home in the morning...
   Seek is a copper-colored Spangled Bengal with golden eyes.  She is a huge love and just wants to be loved and petted and made much of.  I scratch her chin until she drools all over my hand, and then holds me gently, while she bathes it away....  Such a sweetie.
   Nedi decided to supervise me yesterday when I was sweeping the snow from the balcony.  As soon as I had cleared a space for me to stand on, he was between my feet, swatting at the broom bristles when he felt they came too near.  He was intrigued with the way the snow disappeared down the cracks at the edges of the balcony.  He went over and patted at the opening, but it wasn't quite large enough for his paw to fit through, so he sat and pondered, while I swept more away in front of him.  The look on his face was priceless!   Lovey sat in my reading chair and observed the clearing procedure with some disdain.  Once everything was clean, though, she and Nedi, both, had to examine and critique my work.
   Lovey and Nedi have made Beatrice into their newest hand-maiden.  All they have to do is sit and look at her, and she will get them treats, or open a can of "treat" food, or grab their string toy and play with them.  Nedi serenades her every morning to open her bedroom door, so that he can go sit in her bedroom window.  (My bedroom window is five feet away from hers, and is never closed, but he needs to be in Bea's window...)   My cats have both of us humans extremely well-trained for their wants and desires...
   Enjoy your day - or your night!

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Snow!

Boulder had it's snow record blasted away Monday night into Tuesday morning - we officially had 16.8 inches of snowfall in about 20 hours.  Thankfully, it was fine powder.  I used a plastic broom to sweep my balcony clear at noon today - although we had more than 24 inches piled up.  The high today was 26 degrees (F) and the expected low tonight is 1 above 0.  I need to go feed Seek, and spend some time with her, then head over to Finn's for the night...  Here are some photos from around town during the past 36 hours...