Christmas 2020

Twenty-Fifteen! An unwonted year to be sure ...

I was really dreading Christmas Eve, as my faithful companion of almost 10 years, GingerSnap, passed away right at my feet Christmas Eve 2015.

Through an inexplicable series of events, triggered by my one and only sister, in 2016, I became companion of another Papillion.  "Penny" has been with me going on five weeks.

Penny was born in Anacortez in January, 2008.  She became my companion on November 29, 1916. She's a raving beauty! Check out those butterfly (Papillion) ears!

The challenge of taking a photo with no assistance

I set up my Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 on a tripod, and took several test shots to establish my field of view. Then came the challenge of triggering the camera, with a squirming pooch in hand and a floppy Santa hat, compose myself  and "smile," inside a 10 second envelope!

This was the first shot fired after the rehearsal. Penny licked my face! All the stars and spirits came into instant alignment, and I captured it on a 10 second timer delay!

Penny is an elder lady. We are going through the testing of borders; limits. She is experiencing culture shock, (she had three other critters in her old home,) and she is experiencing strange sounds, surroundings and smells.

I have discovered much about myself I had never paid attention to. I'll leave that up to you to decipher.

Our relationship came to a shattering end on September 21, 2020.  After four years of faithful companionship, Penny succumbed under the compashionate care of the staff a Hadlock Vet Clinic.

There is an on-going program of habitat rehabilitation here on the Quimpter Peninsula. Tarbot Creek has been the focus of groups of students and others to rehabilitate Tarbot Creek into a salmon friendly environment.  

As part of their program, they name a tree planted as part of the re-hab project, in honor of our passed compations. My first Papillion, Gingersnap has now been united with a tree  honoring Penny.

This country has been exposed to evil incarnate. This year has been particularly horrific with the shear numbers of those who are dead and dying.