6.07.2010
Why those blog posts have dwindled
I'm great at multitasking in a virtual environment, but I'm feeling completely overwhelmed by the number of three-dimensional home and garden tasks facing us right now. Add to that a large, emotionally needy, extremely energetic foster dog ("Yes, Jenny, we love you, but please don't plow into dear old Hana in your enthusiasm to be the first one down the stairs every morning!") and some days--even though I'm not "working" in the American Capitalist sense of the word--I feel in desperate need of a vacation.
5.20.2010
Provocative Question
Chalked in blue on a nearby sidewalk:
What can we do to get to the next world?
Heaven? An alternate universe, such as Lyra's in The Golden Compass? A planet in a galaxy far, far away?
What can we do to get to the next world?
Heaven? An alternate universe, such as Lyra's in The Golden Compass? A planet in a galaxy far, far away?
5.19.2010
Meadow Lake
I lived in three Great Lakes states (Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio) for most of my life, but I never lived close to any body of water until we bought this house in semi-arid Colorado. Meadow Lake Park is literally right across the street, offering tennis courts, a playground, green space, and, best of all, Meadow Lake. The park is bordered by a paved trail which is perfect for dog-walking.
Michiganders would call Meadow Lake a pond, size-wise, but it supports an amazing amount of wildlife, some permanent, some transitory. There's always Mallards, a few Canadian Geese, fish, and some turtles, including a large snapping turtle that sometimes wanders onto the trail. (A small boy, rubbing the snapper's shell under the watchful eyes of his parents, confided, "He likes to have his back scratched." The turtle, whose eyes were half-closed, did indeed look blissful.)
In early spring, a half-dozen pairs of Northern Shovelers came and stayed for a couple of weeks. A Great Blue Heron has been lurking around for the last two weeks. Occasionally, exotic visitors stop in: a Hooded Merganser, American White Pelicans, and a Black-Crowned Night Heron.
Meadow Lake has become a miniature nature observatory for me, so I felt proprietary pride yesterday when I noticed that two pairs of Canadian Geese had successfully brought five goslings each into the world and launched them onto the lake for an inaugural paddle.
One last thing about Meadow Lake: If you walk to the far end of the lake, you suddenly get a stunning panorama of the mountains to the west. At sunset, you feel as though you should be paying for that view.
Meadow Lake (Click on the image for a better view!)
Michiganders would call Meadow Lake a pond, size-wise, but it supports an amazing amount of wildlife, some permanent, some transitory. There's always Mallards, a few Canadian Geese, fish, and some turtles, including a large snapping turtle that sometimes wanders onto the trail. (A small boy, rubbing the snapper's shell under the watchful eyes of his parents, confided, "He likes to have his back scratched." The turtle, whose eyes were half-closed, did indeed look blissful.)
In early spring, a half-dozen pairs of Northern Shovelers came and stayed for a couple of weeks. A Great Blue Heron has been lurking around for the last two weeks. Occasionally, exotic visitors stop in: a Hooded Merganser, American White Pelicans, and a Black-Crowned Night Heron.
Meadow Lake has become a miniature nature observatory for me, so I felt proprietary pride yesterday when I noticed that two pairs of Canadian Geese had successfully brought five goslings each into the world and launched them onto the lake for an inaugural paddle.
One last thing about Meadow Lake: If you walk to the far end of the lake, you suddenly get a stunning panorama of the mountains to the west. At sunset, you feel as though you should be paying for that view.
Meadow Lake (Click on the image for a better view!)5.13.2010
Our New (Foster) Dog
Jim and I had talked before about fostering dogs for the shelter where we both volunteer, but had decided not to pursue it while Hana was still alive. But when I went in last week for my regular Tuesday morning shift with the long-term dogs, one of the other volunteers told me that Genoa, a five-year-old Rottweiler/Staffordshire Terrier (aka pit bull) mix who was a great favorite among the staff and volunteers, was "on the block."
Like humans, some dogs adapt to confinement better than others. Genoa, who'd been in the shelter for months, was suffering from depression, losing weight, and exhibiting behaviors of dogs who are literally at their wit's end. We'd already lost three dogs from the long-term program in the previous weeks, including Genoa's brother. The words, "Maybe I could foster her," were out of my mouth before my brain had even processed the idea.
Genoa--we call her Jenny--came to live with us last Saturday. Even with her all ribs showing, she's a big, powerful girl. She needs some brush-up work on house-training and basic obedience skills, but like most pit bulls, she's a fast learner. Also like many pit bulls, she's very affectionate and loves cuddling.
We hope that Jenny will find a permanent home soon--she'd be a perfect "best friend" for someone. Meanwhile, she's learning to live "on the outside" again, hitting the hiking trail with us and breaking in her new dog bed.
Like humans, some dogs adapt to confinement better than others. Genoa, who'd been in the shelter for months, was suffering from depression, losing weight, and exhibiting behaviors of dogs who are literally at their wit's end. We'd already lost three dogs from the long-term program in the previous weeks, including Genoa's brother. The words, "Maybe I could foster her," were out of my mouth before my brain had even processed the idea.
Genoa--we call her Jenny--came to live with us last Saturday. Even with her all ribs showing, she's a big, powerful girl. She needs some brush-up work on house-training and basic obedience skills, but like most pit bulls, she's a fast learner. Also like many pit bulls, she's very affectionate and loves cuddling.
We hope that Jenny will find a permanent home soon--she'd be a perfect "best friend" for someone. Meanwhile, she's learning to live "on the outside" again, hitting the hiking trail with us and breaking in her new dog bed.
4.28.2010
Currently #1 on the Job Hunt Nightmare List
The e-mail below came from an enormously talented and experienced librarian friend who is also job-hunting right now. The names of the organizations involved have been omitted because we librarians are nice people who don't want to embarrass large, publicly funded institutions whose employees exhibit shamelessly bad behavior.
OK, what I'm about to tell you, I think could place number 1 in bizarre job hunting events.
On Sunday, I applied for the position of [Research Coordinator] at [an institute] that is affiliated with [a large West Coast University system]. I was really excited about this position because so much of the job description was research and they also wanted someone to set up a library. OK, so I don't have fundraising experience, but all of my research experience should have made me end up on the interview list. . . .
After I sent my cover letter and resume, almost immediately, I received the form letter from HR...thank you for your interest in [the institute]... If they are interested in interviewing me, I'll hear from them (DUH!).
So, this afternoon, get this...I received an email from the woman who I had identified as the Director of Development. You can imagine how excited I was to see that in my inbox. When I opened the email, it said: "no." That's right, Katie, it had two letters, n-o. NOTHING ELSE.
OK, what I'm about to tell you, I think could place number 1 in bizarre job hunting events.
On Sunday, I applied for the position of [Research Coordinator] at [an institute] that is affiliated with [a large West Coast University system]. I was really excited about this position because so much of the job description was research and they also wanted someone to set up a library. OK, so I don't have fundraising experience, but all of my research experience should have made me end up on the interview list. . . .
After I sent my cover letter and resume, almost immediately, I received the form letter from HR...thank you for your interest in [the institute]... If they are interested in interviewing me, I'll hear from them (DUH!).
So, this afternoon, get this...I received an email from the woman who I had identified as the Director of Development. You can imagine how excited I was to see that in my inbox. When I opened the email, it said: "no." That's right, Katie, it had two letters, n-o. NOTHING ELSE.
4.26.2010
City Views: Capitol Hill, 4.25.10
Ixelles, our Brussels commune, was known for its wide variety of splendid architecture. The American suburbs don't offer that, obviously.
We've begun exploring the city of Denver, though, particularly since Patrick and Rachel moved into the Capitol Hill neighborhood downtown. Denver, unlike Detroit, values its architectural heritage, from the Craftsman bungalows (which often list at $500,000 and up) to the mansions of those who made their fortunes on Colorado's natural resources.
I've started taking my camera along when I'm in Denver. From time to time, I'll post images from a city that, in its own way, provides visual pleasures similar to those Hana and I had on our daily walks through Ixelles.
The building below is across the street from Pat and Rachel's apartment. The decorative carvings and statuary are eclectic (to put it mildly), ranging from an American eagle flanked by Chinese-style lions at the roof line to medieval gargoyle heads and dragons reminiscent of Copenhagen bordering the windows.
We've begun exploring the city of Denver, though, particularly since Patrick and Rachel moved into the Capitol Hill neighborhood downtown. Denver, unlike Detroit, values its architectural heritage, from the Craftsman bungalows (which often list at $500,000 and up) to the mansions of those who made their fortunes on Colorado's natural resources.
I've started taking my camera along when I'm in Denver. From time to time, I'll post images from a city that, in its own way, provides visual pleasures similar to those Hana and I had on our daily walks through Ixelles.
The building below is across the street from Pat and Rachel's apartment. The decorative carvings and statuary are eclectic (to put it mildly), ranging from an American eagle flanked by Chinese-style lions at the roof line to medieval gargoyle heads and dragons reminiscent of Copenhagen bordering the windows.
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