Whirlwind Time Travel

At the very least, I can post a few appropriate photos from our travels over the last two months. That seems the most I can do, as every time we get on a high speed network, it's at the end of a long day, (or in this case, a long week), and I can barely keep my eyes open, let alone think coherently. So...

Where were we? Oh yes- after the naked art fair, we did a more conventional fair in Monroe Michigan, in conjunction with the River Raisin..

Jazz Festival. Monroe is a very old city at the mouth of the Detroit River, (where it empties into Lake Erie), and is home to one of the largest fleets of charter fishing boats on the Great Lakes. It was also the boyhood home of this famous (or in-famous, depending on your ethnic bent) coursing hound owner:

The jazz was of the "smooth" variety, for which I have little tolerance, but the festival was across the river, so we didn't have to hear much of it. Several very good smaller acts played the gazebo in the town square where the art fair was held, and that kept us entertained through a very productive fair. Note to selves: People with pockets have more money to purchase art!

August was taken up with some racing, and some lure coursing. The weekend before Labor Day, we went to the LCLC trial in the Niagara Falls area. I'll forego the action pictures, with something a whole lot more touristy, as neither of us had spent much time in the past on the American side of the Falls. Our campground, the Four Mile Creek State Campground, was perched on a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario, which gave us some spectacular sunsets..

We hung around for 4 more days after the trial, so we could see the Falls. We did the ultimate Niagara Falls activity (no, we didn't get married!). We took the elevator 175 feet through solid rock to the base of Bridal Veil Falls... we got totally, soaking wet on the "Hurricane Deck", but I got pictures!! Which you'll see in another post, as it appears I've exceeded my alloted file size here.. They're pretty cool, so you won't want to miss 'em!

In Dog Years... I'm 8.58!!

Lookin' good, too.

Note world's largest gyros in background. 

Promises.. promises..

That's all I ever give you readers, isn't it? Maybe tomorrow. Or Thursday... I've got a milestone coming up Thursday.

In the meantime, here's the latest RV rear window graphic from Shot On Site. This, on Greg Cook's vintage '73 FMC gas pusher. Nice rig. Nicer picture. If you've got windows in the back of your vehicle, (and who doesn't?), give us a shout.

Time... and a Signal.

That's what you need to keep regularly posting to a blog. It's what we've been lacking the last couple of weeks. So, just to let regular readers know, we'll be catching up soon. The Lake Country Lure Coursers trials, and several days as touristas in the Niagara Falls area (we did not get married.), the Great Canadian Triathlon and associated events in Ontario, and it just hit me, I never did the piece I wanted to do on the other art fair we did... one with clothes on... in Monroe, MI. (It's even greyhound- deerhound- staghound related. Sort of.)

Meanwhile, here's an interesting image from Lapeer, MI. We're sure we don't know this person; but he sure reminds us of someone! LOL (and will undoubtedly provoke a comment.)

 

Rally Pic of the Week

Really liked this shot of Rally from this past weekend. She's having a pretty good ASFA lure coursing season. As of right now, she's the No.2 Greyhound. Lots can happen between now and the end of the year, but a Top 10 finish seems likely, barring injury. You go girl.

This Week's Nature Shot

Another new irregular feature. Anyone who's followed my career knows I shoot a lot more than dogs when we go to an event. (NOTE: For longtime followers, I must regretfully report the cessation of the longterm "Women of Coursing" project, which has been defunct for just about three years now. You can do the math.)

My favorite subject is birds.

At the Racine Kennel Club field there's a pond in the outer reaches which is home to lots of wildlife. During the trial this past weekend, a couple of the exhibitors tried to get my attention as a good sized Great Blue Heron landed on the bank. It was too far away to shoot. But between courses I wandered out to the pond to see what was there. Much to my surprize, there were several waders feeding. The one you see here, is a Lesser Yellowlegs. More wildlife as it happens. 

In People Years.. He's 70!

I originally tried to publish this on Saturday, the 19th, which was my best buddy's actual birthday. But the vagaries of Blogger just stymied me to no end.
So.. here it is, two days late.

I'm astounded that every week we're at an event, people see Randir (Leelanau Mithrandir) for the first time and say, "I didn't know you had a Deerhound!". Well yeah; I've had him for over 7 years now. A teensy bit more if you throw in the fact that he was born in my basement and lived there for the first 10 weeks of his life. Then he went to his original home for almost 3 years, until I wheedled and cajoled his owners into "loaning" him back to me. (Thanks Dave and Laurie!). That was, as I say, more than 7 years ago. It's what would be called a "long term loan".

He was my favorite puppy. He was the brave explorer.. the only one of the litter of ten who would venture out of the puppy yard with me into the big wide world of the whole back acre and a half.

We've been exploring together ever since, from temporary homes in Kentucky and Wisconsin, to the coast to coast ramblings of the "Express". His favorite stop of all, (in fact the favorite stop of us all.. Dan, Margaret, and Randir's "girls", Buffy, Fanny, and Rally) has got to be New Mexico. This picture was taken last February. That's Randir at 9 1/2. You go boy!!