Hringa Fernandez

I was deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing this summer of Icelandic Sheepdog Hringa Fernandez in July, 2019. She lived a good life and was loved by her family and loved them in return. She is greatly missed by her adoptive family and by me too.  Korpur, her father, is still with me; Huld, her mother, passed  recently.

I've been extremely fortunate to be able to place, without contracts, the majority of my puppies in loving families where they fit in and there was mutual love. I never cared whether my "kids" went to obedience homes, farm homes, herding homes, agility homes, pet homes, support homes, even conformation homes, etc. In all the decades now of breeding Icelandic Sheepdogs only four puppies have been returned to me as unsuccessful matches: Two returnees, Kit and Pila, returned as adults and are still with me; the other two found replacement adoptive homes as puppies within a few days of their return and have stayed in their second homes. I am so very, very glad of that virtually all of my kids have been kept and loved. Nothing, nothing makes me happier than to hear about their lives with their families. Thank all of you so very, very much.

I am including some photos of Hringa Fernandez: - 

E.M. Forster

E. M. Forster wrote several books including: Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905),  Longest Journey  (1907),  A Room with a View (1908), Howards End (1910), and A Passage to India (1924). Four were written before WWI.

These are his words, more or less, from an interview before he passed in 1970.

Tiger Swallowtail on Silphium perfoliatum flower

"I do not believe in belief but this is an age of faith and there are so many militant creeds that one has to formulate a creed of one's own. Tolerance, good temper, and sympathy are no longer enough in a world rent by religious and racial persecution in a world where ignorance rules and science plays the subservient pimp. Tolerance, good temper, and sympathy - they are what matter really and if the human race is not to collapse, they must come to the front before long." E. M. Forster

Tiger Swallowtail on Silphium perfoliatum flower

The motto of Howards End? Only connect.

Forster said that there were three types of people in his novels: - the person I think I am, the people who irritate me, and the people I'd like to be.

Forster was a mysterious figure - very modest and retiring. He lived in seclusion at King's College. He was known to people of every age. Only in his extreme old age did he retire completely. He was both very loyal to his friends and also very critical. You had to keep up to the mark. You were frequently deflated if you were insensitive.

New Frenchies

A recent visit to the vets coincided with the delivery of some fur-ball, French Bulldog puppies. Because of the size of their heads, Frenchie pups always have to be delivered by C-section. Apparently that's an issue for many of the Bully Breeds. The pups are in the incubator until mom wakes up.

Maya Angelou

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

 - Maya Angelou

Talky Totty

I believe that my Icelandic Sheepdog Totty thinks she's actually talking to me. She goes on and on and on making noises; in her mind those noises are exactly like my noises to her. We have great conversations daily.

Recently on the way to the Port Austin Farmers' Market we went down a road we had never traveled before, a "new" road for us and saw these. I wonder what they are?

Tracy hard at work in the kitchen with her escargots. 

Garlic, butter, and snails - yum, yum. 

Jon checks the shells to make sure they were cleaned last time we used them. They were - clean that is.

Yes. A sunset. On David's birthday.

The last of my three dahlia varieties to bless us with its huge blooms. When this one finally flowers, fall is almost upon us! Bittersweet.

Dahlia

Rose of Sharon

My volunteer sunflower's progression over the past several days. 

Each "petal" is an individual flower. Each seed is produced from its own individual flower.

Check out the individual tiny flowers in the center as they open and later close.

Profile of a Sociopath

I've run into sociopaths a few times in my life and been fooled.  One was a respected psychiatrist with a loyal following among his clients, their families, and even real psychiatrists. And he never finished a year of college anywhere.

Some of the traits associated with sociopaths: -

·         Glibness and Superficial Charm.

·         Manipulative and Conning. They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible.

·         Grandiose Sense of Self.

·         Pathological Lying.

·         Lack of Remorse, Shame, or Guilt.

·         Shallow Emotions.

·         Incapacity for Love.

·         Need for Stimulation.

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Manipulative - Sociopaths tend to try to seduce and ingratiate themselves with the people around them for their own gain, or for entertainment.

Deceitful - Sociopaths have a reputation for being dishonest and deceitful. They often feel comfortable lying to get their own way, or to get themselves out of trouble. They also have a tendency to embellish the truth when it suits them.

Callous - Some might be openly violent and aggressive. Others will cut you down verbally. Either way, they tend to show a cruel disregard for other people's feelings.

Hostile - Sociopaths are not only hostile themselves, but they're more likely to interpret others' behavior as hostile, which drives them to seek revenge.

Irresponsible - Another sign is a disregard for financial and social obligations. Ignoring responsibilities is extremely common.

Impulsive - Making spur of the moment decisions with no thought for the consequences is part of everyday life. They find it extremely difficult to make a plan and stick to it.

Risky Behavior - Combine irresponsibility, impulsiveness, and a need for instant gratification, and it’s not surprising that sociopaths get involved in risky behavior. They tend to have little concern for the safety of others or for themselves.

Mark Visits

I remember all too well the days leading up to the mid-August Woodward Dream(?) Cruise. Lots of cars, people, and noise. Usually on very hot and muggy days. Always starting days or weeks before and lasting days after too. I do not miss it.

Mark came from Miami, Florida for a short visit last week. The primary reason for the visit was for him and Julie to have a memorial in Howell after the recent passing of their mother Dianne. They also spent a few days at the 100 year old family cottage on Silver Lake near South Lyon and Whitmore Lake.

I'm very grateful that he also found time to take a long drive here in order to visit me in my new home on the shores of Lake Huron. It would be awesome if he and Valeria and Maribel would all be able to come next time. I would love to get to know them.

David suggested that we dine at the Stone Lodge in nearby Port Sanilac; Mark had walleye - and I should have too. Perhaps next time? There were, as usual, a lot of Q-Tips there including me and my neighbors John and Nancy.

Although Mark seems to be a bit camera shy, I did manage to take a few shots of places we visited and him. This is a facsimile of a painting that hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts, I miss the DIA. We found this in Port Austin near the harbor. We discussed how this would look in my home but, alas, I have no wall space. Clicking on photos will enlarge them.

We were lucky that the weather was unusually mild for the middle August so we could be outside without being uncomfortable. Of course the Icelandic Sheepdogs dogs entertained us - lots.

Grindstone City gets its name from the hundreds of grindstones they made over the years. They no longer make them but some that were damaged during their manufacture have been used for breakwaters. You can easily see the outlines and even the holes in the middle of these huge mistakes.

The water levels of the Great Lakes is way up this summer; small, low lying islands have been consumed by the risen water leaving the skeletons of dead trees exposing were they had been. The birds still find convenient roosting spots on the branches.

I expected that we were going to add an Icelandic Sheepdog puppy to our small and old family but it didn't work out. Stuff happens; it's all good.

Kit (above) and I have started obedience classes at All Dogs Can in Lapeer, Michigan. We've progressed so fast during the first three sessions that this coming week Paulette, the instructor, has moved us from the first level beginner class to the next level up. Kit works for praise. She is disinterested in treats. Or toys. (I'll keep trying to use them but praise seems to work best.) We will most likely continue as long as the weather holds - and perhaps beyond too. It's a bit of a drive but Kit is a good traveler.

Brad Pitt - aka Bear

No sooner had Mark left than Jon and Tracy came up the next day for the weekend. I prepped Sans Souci and made sure the newly updated water supply works. I'm glad they came because I always feel sad after company leaves. (I think the last time Mark and I saw one another was during my parent's Golden Wedding anniversary at our Royal Oak home - that's a long time ago.) Although the dogs are great company, it is still lonely here and I miss human companionship. Jon and Tracy and Frank and Warhol are much loved here.

Moving Dirt - Sunday, August 11, 2019

There's a beach-well here at San Salvatore that delivers water from the well on the beach deep underground through a buried pipeline to Sans Souci, the pole barn, where overnight guests stay when they come for a visit. Unfortunately the beach-well has been flooded by the rising waters of Lake Huron. We've all been told that the levels of the Great Lake fluctuate on a regular, but as yet not completely understood, cycle. Maybe it's a seven year cycle? Who knows? Related to sunspots? Related to weather patterns? Clicking on photos will enlarge them.

When I first visited here the lake level was very low; I had about 100 yards  of stone, gravel, boulders and even some beach sand before we reached water. Now the water level has reached the bluff. I have no beach at all. That means that my beach-well no longer pumps water to Sans Souci; instead it pumps sand and muddy water to the pole barn.

When I built my home, we raised the soil level a few feet so that it was no longer lower than the surrounding yard. We were concerned about soil water levels flooding the crawl space or half-basement of the house especially after the winter thaws. In order to avoid hitting that pipe before the house was built we located the underground pipe that carries water to Sans Souci; it was about five or six feet below the then soil surface. We knew it would be safe to build a crawl space over the top of the pipe and also a half-basement which is located away from where the pipe ran. Compare the current soil level with Anthony in the hole.

The house has city water. The pole barn had beach-well water. Guests used beach-well water for showers, the toilet, and the kitchen sink. Drinking water was carried over to the pole barn. Most of my guests did not drink much water. Because the pipe had been spoiled by muddy water we had to try and connect the pole barn's water supply to the city water in the house. We finished that undertaking (literally undertaking) this past week. Sans Souci and San Salvatore are now linked. The water is potable.

To get to the beach-well pipe Mike and Anthony from Lakeshore Improvements had to dig down, way down, through several feet of fill dirt and then several more feet below the original soil level under which the pipe ran. The pipe had to be cut when found and then the concrete floor and wall of the crawl space had to be drilled through to insert a new connecting pipe to connect the city water in the house with the old beach-well pipe that ran under the house towards the pole barn.

We had to avoid the geothermal pipes which were located on the west side of the house which is why we dug the hole on the east (lake) side of the house.  I enjoyed the whole process. Honest.

I'm expecting a guest this week and Mark will be the first person to see if the process actually works.

Some recent photos: -

Lythrum

A few years ago there was a concerted effort to remove Lythrum from the US because it was an "alien" and out competed other native plants. Then, logically, in my opinion, there should be an effort to completely eradicate dandelions. And Phragmites. And Norway maples. And Norwegian Spruces. And Chinese elms. And thousands of other non-native plants. And animals including non-native insects. I like Lythrum.

A Field of Queen Anne's Lace - Wild Carrots

Cleome

Cleome

Sunflower - volunteer

Liatris spicata - Prairie Gay Feather and a Rosa

Clematis virginiana

Monarda - left for the Hummingbirds

Painter's Palate

Corylus - Hazlenuts

Corylus - Hazlenuts

Corylus - Hazlenuts

This is a tour boat I'd really like to go on.