Haliburton Weekend : The Wolves

According to the Haliburton Forest Howler there is a lot of excitement, aggression and flirtation amongst the wolves during late February and early March as breeding season is in full swing. Today the pack - Smudge and Citka, the Alpha pair, and their siblings and offspring, - roams freely in a 15 acre enclosure, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Below are the Alpha Female Citka (top) and the Alpha Male , Smudge. The story goes that Citka killed her own mother to take the position of the Alpha Female, as did her mother before her. (Killed her mother ,Citka's gramma).)
Smudge killed his brother to take the Alpah Male position. I am so naive about all this nature stuff, but it was so very interesting to learn some of the ways of the wild Grey Wolves.



Below is a fellow named Cedar, who used to hold the position of Beta Male, until February 2009 he decided to challenge Smudge for the position of Alpha Male. Cedar lost in a fight that lasted 40 minutes and resulted in many injuries and bloodshed. In loosing the fight Cedar was forced down to the lowest position , Omega, and now must endure being an 'outcast'.



He now is trying to make his move back into the pack , but when he tries to interact with his siblings, the Alpha pair come immediately and put him in his place. Eventually he will work his way back in. While we were observing these amazing creatures from inside a one way glass, Cedar came and approached another fellow, and preceded to try to make some waves, by eventually sitting right on top of this fellow named Haida.





Though we were watching the compound behind the one way glass we could hear the wolves growling and whining . We were told they could not see us, but they knew we were there and could hear and smell us. You can tell by the look on this chaps face he was not being fooled by the glass at all.





The Alpha Female spends a lot of her energy mentally and physically stressing the rest of the female wolves so that they are unable to conceive pups leaving the Alpha of the pack the only one to produce pups.
As well the other males are so preoccupied by the Alpha Male that they rarely get a chance alone with a female for an attempt at mating. If the Alpha Female has done her job properly breeding among the subordinates will not work.

All in all a very interesting and fascinating experience for me. Thanks so much Carol. It also makes me re-think the whole concept of 'a wolf in sheep's' clothing.'

Haliburton Weekend : Part One

What we did was something called 'Ear Candling', and this process is supposed to remove wax from ones ears. I have had a ringing in my ears for a few months now and am trying everything I know to make it stop. This did not cure me, but it was a fun adventure none the less.


Charlene in the roll of the Apothecary.

Ack !!! Feel the burn ! (not really)

Then Bud had his turn. He is hearing impaired and thought it might help.


Charlene our Apothecary again .


After all that nonsense we had a lovely bar-b-que ,once the big rain /thunder/lightning/wind storm finished and power was restored.

The sign below boast a bit of trivia that Haliburtion is exactly 5000 km. each way to the Equator and the North Pole . A very fun claim to fame.

Luke 24:45

Then He opened their understanding(minds), that they might understand (put together)the scriptures

Then He opened... a statement of unspeakable value; expressing, on the one hand, Christ’s immediate access to the human spirit and absolute power over it,
to the adjustment of its vision, and permanent rectification for spiritual discernment
( Matthew Henry Commentary)

Yes, I keep praying for this gift more and more.

Children Can You Hear Me ?

Your heart can see My Face.
What does it look like to you ?
What expression do you see ?

When you look at My Face you will see how much I love you.
You will see that I care about how you are doing.
You will see that I enjoy your company.

Sometimes I look happy . Ask me why .
One reason is because I think you're terrific,
and I'm glad to be your friend.

Sometimes I look sad. Ask me why .
Maybe I'm sad because I know you're sad.
But we can cheer each other up.
Show me your face; let me hear your voice.
Because your voice is sweet and your face is full of love. Song of Sol. 2/14

This is a little taste of a book written by Brad Jersak.

Gone

Though dawn is distant, I wake again
to sit in Your Presence, to wonder at You.

You've ruined me You know.
for anything else.

Longing for one vocation fills my soul:
To consider You, to feel You, to worship You.

To find words (o, vain and futile task!)
That capture what's in my heart.

Your gaze presses in upon me
Warm, yet weighty,
On the edge between tender and terrible;

And the oldest truth I know
comes back again in plain yet haunting tones:

You love me. I matter to You,
and You are never not there.

My heart swells with yearning,
Quickened to what the Shulamite knew so long ago.

Your image gazing through the lattice,
Your touch upon the door

Her pounding heart
sets the tempo for mine as desire mounts.

To be loved, purely and completely,
O wonder beyond wonder !

I will follow after You ,
lovesick for all my days.

You draw me upwards,
expanding my heart like a balloon over fire,

And I am carried on Spirit wings
to regions only dreams have known 'til now.


A small portion of a poem written by Gary Wiens 'Songs of a Burning Heart'

A Very Long Time Ago

My dad, mom, sister Darlene, daughter Julie, son Tim, and sister JoAnne.

Very Cool Story

In his heart a man plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. Prov.16:9
Over the last few months I have been thinking about moving to another apartment.

While I sit here at work, I browse the classified ads and I have even checked out a few. I wanted something closer to my work since I have to drive home at noon to take my little dog out.

Anyway, there are these posters hanging in my building and I found it very compelling to do exactly what they suggested since I had already been looking.


Rents in this little town are pretty expensive and not many places allow pets . I am reasonably comfortable where I am now, except for the fact it will become an oven when the temperature and humidity rises, and there are these giant hornets and their nests and oh yes sometimes the bats find a way inside somehow . AND here is no A.C.

Anyway, I had been reading a book by Jill Austin who went to be with Jesus this past January.
She was a prophetically gifted lady and in her book 'Dancing With Destiny'


which was published back in 2007 she tells of her early days and relates some of the 'words' the Lord gave her for people.

" I see this fish. I see it in a fishbowl saying, 'Let me out of the bowl. Let me out of the bowl' After that I said that I saw the next part of the word, which was a shark coming to devour it. The Lord told me that if He let the fish out of the bowl too soon, the shark would eat it. I learned that this applied to a situation that someone had been praying about."(end quote)


Is that not sooooo cool? The Word that God speaks IS alive and so too an authentic prophetic word sat hidden in a book and brought life to me so recently. I love that He is into the smallest details.

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer:29/11

Meet the Mop Dog

Mop Dog
aka : Komondor is from Hungary. So unusual and kind of cute, though I would not want to be his groomer.

Thoughts on the Sock Drawer

Lately I have been thinking about purchasing life insurance. I am not a wealthy person, so to make a commitment to paying a monthly amount for the next five years at least, takes considerable pondering. At my age in life they will only start with five years....no long term....so funny !

On the other hand , if anything should happen and 'I get to go Home to Jesus' sooner than later, there would not be any burden on my children, whom I am sure will heave a collective sigh of relief and who can blame them.

Maybe that is what made me think on my sock drawer. What exactly is in 'your' sock drawer ?

When I was caring for my little Aunt T. a few years ago, the time ultimately came when it was time for me to 'clean out her sock drawer' now that she didn't need them any longer.

Last night while observing a pair of my old and worn socks, and having just purchased some new ones, I suddenly remembered Aunt T.'s sock drawer. They were living together among her undies, as are mine . The dresser was an old white one handed down from someone. Mine is an old brown one that I purchased last year at a thrift shop.

Anyway, my mind wandered to the time when my kids or perhaps my sisters will be the ones to come and 'clean out my sock drawer' and decide if any are worthy to be recycled or donated somewhere .Where do socks go to die ?

What's in your sock drawer ? Is it in suitable condition to be 'gone through' when you don't need them any longer ? And those undies ? (notice I didn't say 'dainties')
Hmmmmmmmm... I would like to think my sister may want my fluffy red ones , socks not undies ....ok, I'm getting carried away here.

Thinking of my little Aunt's sock drawer is a bitter sweet memory . I'm not ready to clean mine out yet though so don't worry. It would be interesting to know what other people keep in theirs .

So, living with my socks and undies is my ipod, semi important papers that I was too tired to put away, an expired Christmas card to one of my grandsons , a few pictures that also didn't get put away properly, and I honestly don't know what else since it's a deep drawer and I only live off the upper corner layer.

When you live alone who's to notice these little things, but when it's time for someone else to have to 'do the sock drawer and other personals' it's a different feeling. So I hope I remember to tidy it up before I leave the planet. Oh yeah and get rid of my journals ....gotta remember that one for sure.

Good Grief !

Zoe woke me up this morning at six a.m. with the sounds of her throwing up.

Upon investigation I was so surprised to see she had barfed up a button way too large for a small dog. What next I wonder ?

She can sniff out used chewing gum under the snow and even come up with things from the floor that amaze and astound me. Push pins from the bulletin board, paper clips from who knows where.... the list is growing.

This is actually very dangerous for her and when I talked to the vet today she told me she had just done surgery to remove an elastic from the intestine of a cat.

Responsibility for a pet is way more that we can imagine sometimes. My previous dog Sam never did any of this weird stuff, but Zoe has her own different personality and strange attraction for eating absolutely anything

.....except her dog food.

Thank You

The 'Girls' catching up . Zoey was very excited to see her friend Mini...a good chistian dog, who loves to share her treats and the wonders of the 'facebook' page of the corner fence.



It was great to meet Jeanette, Carol-Ann's sister from Colorado and their mom.





The Family


Kinza trying to 'arrange' the dogs for a picture. Good job Kinnie.



We also went to visit Maggie and Jon and Katherine where Zoey received this great present....in hot pink. Maggie tried to be a very good hostess to Zoe as well, but I'm afraid my Z. is still a bit overwhelmed with Maggie's size . Maggie even offered Zoe her very large chewy bone....so cute. Dogs are amazing social animals and I love watching how they relate and communicate with each other.



By the time we arrived home, someone definitely crashed from all the excitement of the weekend.



I just want to say thank you so much to all of you for making our visit such a fun event and for loving and welcoming us into your homes.

Time For Fun

In a few hours Zoe and I are hitting the road for Toronto to renew acquaintances. Canine as well as human friends and family.



There will be lots of catching up to do for all of us especially Mini and Zoe.



There will be chasing each other around and lots of laughter and hugs.



We will also visit Maggie again . Now that Zoe is older it should be more fun for her since she is not in the least intimidated by Maggie's size.



The only real challenge will be navigating the 401 during what is left of rush hour after work. Lord have mercy !!

While caring for Anneka and Aila last week I was able to watch this movie after the girls went to bed. I was an Abba fan way back when.

The funniest thing I found in this movie was Pierce Brosnan singing ....SOS !!! Never thought of him as a singer, but then I guess if he came singing to me that would be a different story.

I did enjoy the movie and Meryl Streep was so fun to watch in this role.

A Safe Place

"Listen to me.....

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you ....

I've been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, And I'll keep on carrying you. I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray. I've done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you. ( Is. 46:3-4 the message)

Sometimes, the cares of this life can be very overwhelming.
I have chosen to live my life in these later years , kind of in obscurity enjoying hiddenness.

After many tumultuous years I have been rescued by Jesus, and I am so very grateful. No longer will I sell my soul for the counterfeit deceptions the spirit of this age offers.

I have learned to put a high price on my purity, finding the clarity of heart that accompanies such a decision worth the mockery the world may send my way.

The truth is my choice to live for the Lord according to my faith is not difficult . Even during the times of loneliness and misunderstanding I don't mind so much.

Where I am tested is in the place of security like where can I afford to live ? How will I pay my bills ? What happens if I get sick and can't work and there is no one to care for me ? How long will I be a viable employee as I age ? Even though I get scared every once in awhile , compromise is not an option for me.

It's not an easy life when you are in the early years of becoming a 'senior'. Notice I said 'early years'. It's fun to get the discounts and all, but can become frightening facing the later years , even with a strong belief system.

Recently , as I was ranting on to the Lord about a bunch of totally unrelated things He led me to the above scripture .

The Truth is the Truth is the Truth. I still believe in absolutes in an age when that it not popular. One Word from the One who created it all and holds it all together by His Word is enough to calm the storms that rage within me and around me. Just one Word from You can shatter a thousand lies.

So today , I speak my heart , taking the risk . Oh well, He has broad shoulders and a very tender and loving heart where I am carried all the days of my life.

Longing

I am so desperate for You Jesus, words fail me.

Rise Up My Love

While our for our brief walk this morning I saw and heard these lovely birds. So brilliant and their song was strong in my ear almost demanding my attention. The promise of spring and better days ahead. I think this is a Scarlet Taninger.



And come away....

Adventures In Ottawa

Well I have been here in Ottawa a little over twenty four hours and so far it has been an interesting challenge.

Things were going well....Jason and Yvonne had left a beautiful vase of roses on the table and a lovely thank you note in advance.

The girls arrived with excitement . In the early evening we three plus Zoey watched a movie while reclining on my bed.
'Rattatoui' the little chef who just happens to also be a rat.

My little dog was whining a bit, but I just thought she was jealous of the children.

I am a bad puppy mommy ! Why ? For missing the signals my little dog was giving me.

I am sure all of us have had the uncomfortable experience of having to go to the bathroom but have had to 'hold it'. That is what happened to Zoey. She had to go, was telling me something was wrong, but I was not listening.

A bit later , while busy with Anneka at the computer, Zoey jumped up on Jason and Yvonne's bed (another no ...no...) and lost it! Suddenly there was a puddle where there should NEVER be a puddle !

To make a long story short,and after much freaking out, there was no way I could fit the king size duvet in the washing machine, so I decided the only proper thing to do would be to replace it. I will keep the soiled one, wash it in the big machine down the hill from my place, and maybe eventually I will actually have a big bed of my own that it will look wonderful upon.

Anyway... I digress...

Today, after doing a bit of special shopping for Anneka and Aila , we headed to IKEA to replace the duvet. While we were shopping I let Anneka pick up a few blank gift cards at Walmart, and then again at IKEA.

I told her I found the little plastic card really good for scrapping frost from my windshield.

On the way home in the car, Anneka says...'Gramma ? Can we go to your bank now and you can fill up my gift cards ?'



She is just too funny .....I laughed at her practical thinking and the joy she had over the thought of me loading her many gift cards with all my money.

Ha ha ha ha...that's me dying laughing.

All in all, it was a fun day in spite of the huge traffic jam on the 417. Her comment just made my day , so tomorrow we just might have to take a 'small' trip to Dollarama and MacDonalds.

After all it's only money, and I happen to be the daughter of a Very Generous Father God who supplies all of my needs as He continues to love me outrageously.

There And Back Again

Top of Skyline Hill for a taste of the lovely view.
It takes a few days for city to recede ,
allowing the grandeur of nature
to work her magic on my soul.



Good friends are a precious treasure.