Once a Tree

http://roscosplace.blogspot.com/2014/09/quare-domine.html

North Cascades

none of the other photos are worth working on.  we went, nicki swam, we came back.

Nicki & Mia

I had my head buried in some stupid MacProblem when Nicki started pesting, earlier than usual, to go out.  Since it was taking forever to repair my laptop's permissions, i figured i might as well give in to Nicki's insistence.

He could hardly wait and dragged me down the street to the back road which runs along the edge of a forest and horse-field.  Once there, in the post-dusk distance, i saw some blurs one of which was black...

Aaaah...  Nicki was whimper-throating.  Sure enough it was Travis and Mia.  Travis is fairly laconic but he likes dogs.   "Shall we let 'em play?" I asked.  "Sure."   We each unleashed our straining dogs and.....

 ROMP TIME!!!!!!   

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The two ran, pounced, jumped, pounced, ran and so on with boundless energy for three quarters of an hour without stop while Travis and i talked about the city's traffic cops who are now lurking about undercover.

There was nothing undercover about the pups who were being as ostensibly DOG as could be imagined.

I remarked to Travis that Nicki must have smelled Mia which is why he was so eager to go out.   After a while, Travis mentioned that Mia sits on their front porch waiting for Nicki to walk by.  "She does?"  "Yep."

"Mia doesn't like other dogs, that much, and definitely not that white husky" he said, "but she's different with Nicki."

It has been obvious for a while that Nicki and Mia have a "thing" going and I wondered what complex of smells, hormones, memories, and  happy-triggers run through their doggie brains.  We put labels on everything.  I suspect dogs do not.  Even so, they certainly have an arrangement and hierarchy of sensory pulses.... and Mia and Nick are high on one another's pulses.

And more,

With our dogs back on their leashes and walking along with us quietly, Travis and I came to the place where we part ways.   Just then,  Nicki and Mia turned toward one another, reached over and gave eachother a parting slurp.

Travis and I exchanged a glance.  Nothing needed to be said.  

A Lazy Sunday

Back to gym today after a three day hiatus of very low energy verging on sick.  As is not unusually the case, after an enforced rest, i either maintained or went up in weight.  Up to 105 on shoulder presses and 80 on curls. It still surprises me though. 

I'm considering cutting back on the intensity of my aerobic component which is too long and too intense for someone who is not 33 anymore.

I've also started mixing the whey protein with the hemp protein in equal proportions. The whey is simply too much gloo goop and the hemp while less "protein-potent" has more fiber which is probably better overall.

Nicki was very patient throughout all of this and so, since it was warm, i bought some floatable balls and took him to the Oshin for wasser-bal, his big delight. 

There were some neo-hippies on the beach, looking dirty and ragged and smoking weed and accompanied by a cute puppy whose natural handsomeness put them to shame.  They looked at me with suspicion.  I wavered between telling them: "it's three years until the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love" or "give it up and just buy the Volvo already."   I decided to pet their dog instead.

As i write, i am just about finishing up mp3ing all my Bach.  I'm surprised how much i have and astonished at how much he composed.   Just as astonishing is how all of this gets squeezed onto a thumbnail.  

 

  

Like Clockwork

Like clockwork, summer came to an end with a cold and drenching squall.   Nicki who loves water decided he does not like rain.

It was overcast and ominous when i left the gym but it seemed it would remain that way long enough for a romp and balspiel.   Even so, we headed to Cornwall Park where there is a lot of tree cover.  One thing about Washington forests is that, being so dense, they are something of a natural umbrella. 

We walked through the trees toward the clearing where we play fetch.  But the instant we arrived out in the open the first drizzle started.  Nicki came to a stop, looked intently left,  intently right and then made a straight line for the cover.   No balspiel, and that was that.   

By the time we got back to the Jeep, even nature's umbrella was leaking.    Nicki is now under the desk staying warm and waiting for chow.   Lentils are simmering on the stove.  

It was a crappy summer, actually.  Hot, humid and overcast.   I can't say I regret the rain.   I'm just glad I got the cars all waxed, and bumpers painted with "rubberized" liner.  Looks kewl actually. 

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MBP     50-155(10)  + 170(8)
MRO     50-140(10)  + 155(7)
FBP     b,  70(10), 90(7,7,5)
BOR     45(10), 80(10) 90(10,10)
IBP     70(10), 90(10) 100(8,7)
SRO     90x8x3
CPD     65x10x3
GURP    11grams hemp protein.