Of Christmas Past

Reminiscing. Back in the old days we had 3 great dogs. Our bullmastiff Harvest was the baby -- biggest but youngest. All of them were scary smart but Harv always tried to be like a people. He was too young to remember his first holiday season, as he was the puppy for my birthday, but the next year was a keen joy! Harvest slept in a kennel box in the bedroom and that 1st Christmas James & I crept to the living room to hang pet store stockings over the television as a surprise -- we didn't have a fire place -- & place boxes of gifts under the nice tree we had. :) That morning Harv woke up, went to the big living room widows to say hello to the Sun as he did every day, but under his still half closed sleepy eyes his nose began to twitch. The tree was all lit up & he looked at it in seeming wonder from bottom to top with his eyes opening wide like a computer animated TV commercial dog! Gypsy (the black dog) & Deyanna (the grey dog) were already woofing for their stockings, being old timers by then, so Harv quickly turned see what the fuss. He did a triple take at the TV so that you could almost here him exclaim "WHA!??" He flipped his entire body around in one swoop to look at us as if to say "OMG that dude in the red suit I saw in the cartoons was here last night! I don't know how he got past the cat but he was HERE! Santa Paws is REAL!"

He bounced his already large body up & down like a Baby Huey in excitement. Deyanna sat up on her hind legs to offer a perfect movie star paw wave & Gypsy sang out a hearty chorus of roo-roo-roo-roo's. I moved to take the stockings down but noticed that Harvest had disappeared. I called, "where'd ya go buddy?" He came bounding back into the room with his favorite toy -- a stuffed pink pig -- in his mouth. He sat that toy upright on its legs then used his nose to push Piggy forward towards the tree! He was sharing with his buddy! We gave the dogs their stockings & wrapped toys to let them tear open as they pleased. As Harvest pulled each item out of his stocking he paused with it in his mouth to show it first to Piggy.

To me, that was one of the coolest Christmas' ever!


-- Tree

Autumn Equinox Memory

Photo from, "Vegetarian on the Cheap", see link below.

Was outside with the dog admiring the day and pinched a bit of wild onion green to sniff -- so well balanced that I'm tempted to harvest and clean some up for a sandwich! Alas, at this age my tummy disagrees so I'll just enjoy the smell. However, when I was a child it was nearly impossible to stop me from eating the growing things, and this time of year was worse than all others for my mother. That one sniff of wild onion today brought her lovely face immediately to my mind's eye as I recalled her tenderly wiping my dirty face after an Autumn day outside. Yes, I can still hear her voice in my mind... 

HOLY COW YOUR BREATH SMELLS ATROCIOUS! choke, cough, gag!

Mom didn't like wild onions much. Thankful for memories, still fresh, that make me smile.

-- Tree

What to do with wild onions:  http://vegetarianonthecheap.blogspot.com/2010/04/foraged-foods-what-to-do-with-wild.html

Words Worked

Weird... I discovered an image being circulated that includes exact lines from one of my old poems that was published prior to Internet popularity. It's cool to be plagiarized, I guess -- though I certainly don't condone the act! However, if I didn't want to share then I wouldn't have published it later on the Net too. The thing is that very many of the comments posted along with the image include statements of how the poem (it's actually a prayer) has been going around for many years and that it's been read at many a funeral to ease the pain of loss while offering hope for the future. How lovely that words can touch so many hearts! It doesn't matter that someone used words that came out of my pen to enhance words that have indeed been in use for a long time. What matters is that the words worked! I feel so honored and thankful to have been used by Spirit in this way!

"The colors we brush upon this life remain bright long after the soul takes flight!" -- T.E. Pruitt

Settling Down

Tonight there are uncomforting thumps and bangs from downstairs as stuff settles with the withdrawing flood water. I know it's a good thing, but it still sounds scary. I've not seen any bubbles in the water that might lead me to suspect a gas leak, so I suppose we're doing alright. Though we still have many feet of water we never had to leave our home, so I KNOW we're alright. Since there's not much else I can do right now I'm heading up to my art studio room where it's warmer anyway and I have all sorts of lovely things to distract me from the yuck in the basement. :)


-- Tree

2013 Downtown Kokomo Indiana Flood

*UPDATE: The City of Kokomo has issued a press release declaring this the worst flood on record.
 Starting, at our home, somewhere around 4:00 AM April 19, 2013 the Wildcat Creek in Kokomo Indiana began to flood from recent heavy rainfall. By 5:00 AM many homes near the creek and in other low lying areas began to fill with water. At this time, 11:45 PM, the water in our basement continues to rise though the creek should be cresting its flood peak by now. The water inside and outside the house has turned to a slick looking shade of dark brown. Thankfully we do sit up a bit higher than most, and our damage isn't too extensive; We've watched neighbors floating past in boats to retrieve belongings, so we know we're lucky. Our hearts go out in thanks to the very nice people we encountered on our way to fetch drinking water and in sympathy to those in the flood effect areas!

Early afternoon, water main replacement work on East Walnut Street ceases as the flooding from natural causes worsens.

Low lying areas outside of downtown Kokomo are being hit the hardest.

An entrance gate and home rest beneath the flood water in Kokomo.

Longview Street in Kokomo mid-afternoon of the flood.

The water continues to rise here on East Sycamore Street, Kokomo IN.

A hopeful basket of Spring flowers bobbed past, riding the flood current in Kokomo. 

Longview Street in Kokomo mid-afternoon of the flood.

This old fence was soon covered by flood water.

Turbid flood water strains to fit through the historic district of downtown Kokomo Indiana.

The majority of this view normally doesn't have water covering it.

Rescue workers arrive and heavy vehicles seem to be moved onto overpass bridges to weigh them down against the bobbing flood currents in the City of Kokomo.

Kokomo Fire Department arrives with rafts to rescue water logged residents in need.

Kokomo Fire Department arrives at Union Street with rafts to rescue water logged residents in need.

Flood waters push through the City of Kokomo Riverfront District.

The Union Street bridge fights back the flood.

A house in the City of Kokomo Riverfront District under flood water.

The flooding begins to catch media attention by late afternoon.

Rows of trees lining the bank of the Wildcat Creek usually do not have water touching them.

Main Street, City of Kokomo Riverfront District

City of Kokomo Riverfront District in flood.

Flood water from the Wildcat Creek reaches close to the historic 1913 level under the old railroad trestle bridge.

Turbid water pushes under the closed Main Street bridge in Kokomo.

A haunting image from the flooding in Howard County.

Looking towards the rising flood water down Main Street in Kokomo.

An urban walking trail runs along the Wildcat Creek in Kokomo. By the afternoon of April 19, 2013 the path was nearly submerged in flood water.

This trestle bridge in Kokomo Indiana survived the great flood of 1913 due to railroads and residents having loaded the bridge with heavy cars of coal; Back then the water was lapping the base of the bridge -- not far from where it is in this photo!

 A view of Washington Street bridge by Foster Park, behind the fire department in Kokomo.

The trestle bridge in Kokomo Indiana and the rising Wildcat Creek.

A resident surveys the water level at the old trestle bridge in Kokomo Indiana.

Throughout the afternoon many residents braved a walk over the old trestle bridge in Kokomo for a view of the flooding Wildcat Creek.

The Wildcat Creek enjoys a visit to Foster Park in downtown Kokomo.

The swing set, tall slide, and other playground equipment at Foster Park in Kokomo under flood water.

Through the trees the performance stage at Foster Park in Kokomo can be seen under flood water too.

The Wildcat Creek breeches its banks and leaves Foster Park in the City of Kokomo under flood water.

In the early evening it began to rain again. By the morning of April 20 the wheel tred on the machine and green grass pictured here was covered with even more water.

At the dip between sloping roads residents use a boat to get around near North Purdum Street in Kokomo.

By the early evening passersby must use a boat.

A flooded side yard on North Purdum Street.

END

 The photographs in this blog post were taken by both James and Tree Pruitt during a walk to the store one afternoon in Spring. Later in the morning hours of the next day the water began to rapidly pull back and sink away filling the town with gurgling bubbling sounds of relief!

-- Tree

Theft From Above

While walking the dog this evening my attention was caught by a feral cat on the other side of the street that had jumped on a dove. The bird hopped around squawking loudly while flapping its wings. Fat-cat took a big swipe with his paw, knocking the dove into a roll over the grass, and then jumped into the air after it. The cat was still airborne when he was passed by a Peregrine falcon that swooped in to grab the dove! The cat landed and tried to jump up after the thieving falcon but only knocked the dove slightly askew. Turning my direction the falcon struggled with its prey while flying right at me, screeching all the way! I ducked as it flew over my head close enough for me to focus for a second on the thrashing doves eyes that seemed to know only two streets over a nest in an empty field was waiting. 


-- Tree

Higgs boson in my lifetime is pretty darn cool

I remember laughing at the old movie "Parenthood" where the grandmother sucks in helium during a birthday party and says, "When I was a girl Grover Cleveland was president." My version might be, "When I was a girl the Mayan language and simple physics were still mysteries". What a world! :)
 I appreciate the reserve expressed in the link... be 100%. Still, Higgs boson in my lifetime is pretty darn cool to me! "It remains an open question whether this is the Higgs boson of the Standard Model ... or possibly the lightest of several bosons predicted in some theories that go beyond the Standard Model,"http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/14/us-science-higgs-idUSBRE9270XW20130314


-- Tree

Rockin With Mars

If there was or is life on Mars the evidence will be found in the rocks; stone doesn't lie! I think it's so cool that what is basically ichnology is being useful to outerspace programs! I spent every moment of my childhood that I could crawling an ancient streambed, wondering about the marks and how they were made... heck I still loose hours in wonder pouring over the specimens I collected; An entire scene can be recreated from just the information found in fossil imprints! Mars rocks! ;)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/12/life-on-mars-evidence-nasa-curiosity_n_2861505.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%26pLid%3D282730



-- Tree

G Loving Day

 I had a "G" day... glorious grey, though some would say gloomy, grateful, giggling, good, Gabby! It wasn't too long ago that I accidently sat on the new cat because Gabrielle had never lain on the sofa before; She'd not shown interest in sitting on the cushions until that day. Afterwards she was fine, and I healed, but today she took a new liberty by climbing up to lay on my chest when I sat down on the sofa! Being not quite two years old she's still more play than cuddle, so a purring curl-up was a shock that left me glowing (another "G" word).
 She can be grabbed for a hug anytime, but this was her choice and more intimate than holding her while standing. Her motion was slow, sweet, gentle, and she looked right into my eyes while searching for the perfect snuggle-in position. She purred while I rubbed her tummy until a bird landed in view outside a nearby window. Laying just an inch or two from my face Gabby chirped a cat song to the bird. I did my best to imitate the sound she'd made, and when I did her eyes widened in shock. She picked up one of her paws to gently stroke my face in the same manner that I do for her when showing that she's been a "good girl"! After that she twisted her head into a darling snuggle under my chin -- truly touching! Her purring deepened in tone. I sat there far longer than I'd intended but was left with a smile that has lasted longer still. It's a joy to watch this cat continue to develop and grow!

You'd never suspect this sweetie likes to pretend the dog is a wildebeest and she's a lioness!

-- Tree

Metaphorically Yours

A ball got thrown into the air, and there it stayed while with bat in hand I waited on the ground for my chance at a hit, until at last I decided to jump up and fly after it.


-- Tree