Uh Oh....

One boy, dripping wet...

One dog, perplexed and thinking...

"Uh...is this approved human boy-child behavior???"

("Oh, and by the way? If it isn't, I had nothin' to do with it!")

That Cody - such a smart dog!

Dodgie and Cody were running around the pond

shortly after Dodgie and Bill arrived in MO. 

Of course, Dodgie "happened" to fall in. 

Hmm....Cody and I both wonder if perhaps it was intentional...

Obviously Cody wanted to be sure her humans knew she had 

nothing to do with Dodgie's pond immersion, 

and only with Dodgie's  excellent doggy supervision.

~~~

xoabb

P. S. - I am having GREAT difficulty downloading/uploading my photos via this Columbia connection, so I stole my brother's photo (the first one, second one is mine, 'tho he stole it from me - turnaround is fair play I suppose...) - when I return home to the land of the good wifi, I hope to have pond and other photos to share with y'all... 

Please, contain yourselves! I know I know, you can hardly wait!

A small taste of the fun to come: 

(below are the only photos of mine I've been able to download)

WHEEEEEEEEE!

Top of the World!

Well, at least in our little part of Missouri. 

Continuing our (Saturday) hike, we circled around the valley via the creek bed and then went home by going up the hill and cliffs at the opposite end of our parents' property. On this end of the valley, the cliffs are more compact, if you will, but just as tall. The one you see here is a good 60 to 75 feet from its top to the forest floor beneath it. (At the bottom of the visible rock you can see on the right, it just drops off).  Unfortunately this cliff is also in the way of the connector the MO State Highway Dept. thinks is absolutely necessary to build between Highway 63 Interstate 70. It will be the second interchage. Very very necessary don't you think? Enjoy the photo. In the near future this cliff will be no more as it's slated to be blown to smithereens. Isn't imminent domain just wonderful? On to happier things...

After I'd quickly come down from the top*,

Dodgie decided he, too, needed to see the world from the cliff top,

So up he climbed.

(*I lasted up there for about 6 seconds...

Heights and me?  Not so much. 

And it's getting worse the older I get!)

Dodgie on top of our MO world.

(And though it is a good 65 or so feet 

down from up there, there is that large ledge

(you can see it in the first photo, above) 

just in front of Dodgie, so he was never in any 

danger...though it does look rather precarious.) 

While the woods, valleys, cliffs, stream and hill top plateau with pond that comprises this paradise my parents call home are beautiful any year (and any time of year), this summer of '08 has simply been over the top - just breathtakingly and incredibly gorgeous. Columbia (and most of Missouri I suspect) has had so much rain this year and so few days of blistering heat, everything is green, green, green! The landscape, whether wild or manicured looks like it's still the middle of spring, not the middle of August. It's been one of the most stunning summers Missouri's seen in a long time! (When I can finally upload photos onto Flickr, I'll share some of that beauty with you.  Brother Bill has had a bit more luck with the internet and has managed to upload some of his - if you'd like a taste of this paradise, please head on over to his Missouri '08 pics! (Oh, and if you want to read about Cody, the very best pound puppy ever, visit this post of his. You won't regret it! I promise! ;-)

~~~

xoabb

 

Sunday Serenity

"Just living is not enough." said the butterfly, 

"One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."  

~ Hans Christian Anderson

~~~

xoabb

Old Man Tree One Year Later

Yesterday my brother, seester, Dodgie and I hiked down to the creek bottom on my parents land. Mom and dad live in the middle of 50 acres within the city limits of Columbia, MO. Their house is on top of the hill with fields surrounding it and a pond about 30 feet from the deck. To get to the valley we followed the old covered wagon trail down.

Dodgie standing underneath the same tree you see above.

It was wonderful to come around the bend in the creek

and see that tree still standing in all his glory.

I see a face in the trunk - actually I see Darth Vadar - and though a little more of his face is missing, he's surprisingly intact, considering his precarious position on the side of the creek. Just down a bit to Darth's right there's another sycamore that's fallen down because of storm currents undermining it's root system.

Undeterred, that tree has branches growing out of it's top side.

My brother's photos from yesterday are here!

~~~

xoabb

Can't Post Pictures...Can't Visit Blogs...

Can't post pictures....can't visit blogs...why I could post this much is beyond me when I can't get anywhere else. Here in the "outback" of Mizzourah (HA!) the internet connect is random at best...right now it is randomly bad.  Been trying to upload pics and just visit blogs to leave a comment or two...not happening!  Phone company (only internet connection available where my parents live)?? Better improve your customer satisfaction cuz we are not happy here!  

I'll be trying again tomorrow morning...do hope my luck is better. We're all having a blast and there really are some fun things to share!  

Until whenever, I guess I'll be pictureless...so disturbing! 

~~~

xoabb

Cruising Altitude: 16,000 Feet

The views at only 16,000 feet cruising altitude 

are simply incredible.  Especially during a stormy/sunny day.

My seat was just behind the wing and I 

was continually turning around to snap the sky view. 

The guy behind me must have thought I was nuts!

Who in their right mind takes a bajillion photos on a plane ride???

Well...ME!!

We were delayed for nearly two hours at take-off. And then all 

the way down to Dulles we wove in and out of thunderheads. 

 Several times, we flew through the more tame ones...much to 

my stomach's lurching...me a good flyer - not so much!

But, OH, the skies were spectacular!

Sky Watch Friday.  Do join us!

~~~

xoabb

Mizzourah Pond Fun

See that rippling water behind the canna lily?

It was caused by my Dodgie leaping in...

Then "walking" on water...

And ultimately splashing under!

Ahhhh...my Missourahhh.

~~~

xoabb

Droplets Dripping...

Afternoon rainfall.

Droplets dripping down on leaves.

A delightful drenching.

~~~

xoabb

The Travails of Travel

Off to Missouri I go!

We're on time, and I walk out to the plane. 

(It's a small airport.)

Uh...excuse me, I was not told this was a 

prop-plane!!  I don't do prop-planes! 

Well, ok, I did as I really wanted to get where I wanted to be. 

So we taxied out and then sat...and sat...and sat...

Bad thunderstorms in the area...very bad...

I am muttering every prayer, spell, mantra...

I'm sure you get the picture!

Two hours later.......we were airborn.  

(And, you know all that stuff I muttered before?  

It was remuttered during our bumpy takeoff, believe me.)

Must say, when you fly at an altitude of only 

16,000 feet and just after a storm has gone through, 

the sights are amazing! Here's a taste of what

one sees looking down - just wait till you see the clouds and sky!

(just wait, 'k?)

~~~

xoabb 

Homeward Bound

Home where my thought's escaping...

Home...where it's been waiting silently for me...

(Above, Dodgie by the edge of the pond at dusk)

~

I'm leaving CT in just a few hours from now to 

fly back to my beloved home town - Columbia, Missouri.

My brother and sister have arrived already -
it's a family reunion of sorts and I'm so looking forward to it!

(Above, Dodgie and Cody fishing with Grand Roger and me last summer)

And of course there will be my Dodgie,
my dad, and mom and dad's dog, Cody.

Mom, of course, is there and GB joins us this Thursday.It's a very good thing.
(Thank you, Martha, for those last five words!)

~~~

xoabb