adventure time?

I would love to go this year, but I think when it comes back to the US would be more logical.

Training the puppers

3. Perfect timing this morning. Just as Keiki and I were returnig from a quick lap around the park I noticed Stan and his Calder's Dairy truck coming up the road. We hustled to beat him to the porch so she could try a sit stay and meet the driver socialization exercise. Funnily enough Stan was also training somebody! LOL

2. While we were walking (left Luna alone so she could have some down time from constant puppy) she kept trying to lead. Luna gets to lead the pack when we are all walking as a group. Without Luna Keiki kept trying to stop and sniff EVERYTHING and to go faster than I wanted. There was alot of about face manuvers but I think it went well.

1. Not only did I get to play Pokemon on a walk but we picked up some trash. (Yes, I still hate plastic litter.) There was a Pepsi bottle in the snow.  Grabbed it up and rinsed it out to make one of these dog puzzles I saw on prouddogmom's pinterest. She loved it and got all the treats out is less than five minutes.

Quick Pup-date

She is doing fine. Her coat is starting to get thicker. Her ears are still pretty bald. I think half of my concern about her feet is that they are naked. I can't tell if the increase in fur is helping them look more normal or if the swelling is decreasing. Thursday she has her skin checkup and I amused at how excited I am to see if she gained weight and if the mites are dead.  Luna has resolved herself to this "guest" in the cave. She needs a nap. Keiki has about 200x the energy to which Luna and I are accustomed. Getting my steps in has been a piece o'cake.

In other news, so many submissions to so many small mags and anthologies. I got a $5 deposit in paypal and I am not really sure from where! There were a lot of .01 cents a word zines a couple weeks ago. That being said, I am still waiting to be adopted by a historic fiction agent.

Keiki moves upstairs

It isn't all glitter and rainbows. Puppy training is a job. HEY! Ask me why I was so freaking tired yesterday...CUZ I GOT LESS THAN THREE HOURS OF SLEEP Thursday!

A. We went to the hockey game and that was a hoot. They lost, really hard--so there was no Over Time and we left. We got to bed at a vaguely appropriate time. EXCEPT...
B. When we got home we woke up Keiki. She wanted to play. That was cool for about ten minutes but then it was bedtime. EXCEPT...
oh no... there was a breach in protocol. She cried, she cried and cried and cried. Loudly and with much despondent drama. She finally fell asleep for about two hours. She woke back up at 5am. UGH. #crate #consistent #firm I won. (I think.)
C. I sincerely tried to nap in the afternoon and very nearly fell asleep once but then the Schwans dude came and it was a lost cause.  Friday, I went to bed at 8pm.

Previously on LOST, she had been very good in the crate. Izzy had invited her in and that was fine. Another couple of successful nights downstairs, and then Z. thought he might invite her into his room. Except she had the farts. So he vetoed that idea. INSERT SADDEST PUPPY IN THE WORLD.

After the Thursday night FAIL he decided to get the Febreeze on Friday; rather than torture everyone else in the pack with plaintive puppy pontificating and everyone slept peacefully all night last night.  Keiki slept on the cat bed next to the space heater in Z's room. It was very humorous. I am sure the cats were not amused but they were on Z's bed anyway so honestly, they had to abstain from casting a vote.

It has been decided that Keiki can sleep in Z's room (on her new appropriately sized doggo bed) but the crate stays downstairs and in effect for when she needs her own space or we leave the house.

Waves

It is too easy to say, 
"Oh, I am a Pisces. I need to be by the water." 
Maybe because the nine months in the warm saline womb
reminds me that
maybe I miss my gills. 

Have you seen The Shape of Water? Getting a lot of buzz #oscars.
I did not like the way Zack Snyder portrayed my boy. Aquaman swilling whiskey and stealing things from the Batcave? Grrrrr.

I am off topic already. I need to think about waves. Tides in the Thames. That scene Arwen calls the river? Yeah...that is what I need to evoke.  Roman River Gods.

Eau des chiens mouillés

Day 4: Walkies
In between oddly spring like bursts of rain we snuck in a short lap around the playground.

New Puppy: Tape Delay

On Thursday morning Pete and I zipped out to the shelter ostensibly to drop off an application for adoption and some old towels. They always need old towels.  The lovely young woman working the front desk glanced over our app and explained the smart way/hacks to be ready for what they call "The Love Train" which is a good thing and what we were planning to do on Jan 26. The pre approved app was part of that process. She paused for a moment and asked "Does it have to be a Shepard? Are you willing to consider other breeds? I replied that PUPPY was the most important detail. She described a pup they were calling "Crostini". She had a laundry list of problems. We shrugged and said sure we can meet her. We walked back and decided we did want to pet her. So we got a "family visiting room" and in just 15 minutes fell in love.  What a gorgeous little soul. So happy and affectionate. She is just a baby. (baby moose-- but baby just the same). We texted vids and pics to the Fam and everybody was thumbs up.

She was picked up as a stray in Ypsi. She came in malnourished, about 8-10 pounds underweight. She came in with "diffuse demodectic mange" which has her very nearly bald and crusty AF.  Her skin looks like dried gray clay. Her feet were bleeding from frost bite (remember how cold it was three-four weeks ago? *shudder*) She was in rough shape.

She is ours now. We promptly settled on Keiki (Hawaiin for "child". It is pronounced CAKEy) and have swapped her off the grain heavy puppy chow to Merrick's Backcountry Puppy chow with 30% protein. She eats like she is starving. Then she burps. I hope that slows down soon.  Gulping food is not wise. She has two antibiotics, special shampoo,  big ol' anti oxidant Vitamin E's, the anti parasitic meds. OI. Happily, she takes them all like she knows how much she needs them.  She sleeps all night in the crate. She is doing extremely well with the housebreaking. The cats have decided to move back upstairs. She is great on a leash. She came a with a scrunchy toy dragon we are calling Crocostimpy. She is teething and has demolished a bully stick and a goat hoof already. There are tennis balls everywhere. I am pleased.

SHARKS!

I know yer prly sick of "when we were in Hawaii" as an intro but, hey-- I need to start these with something.  My constant amazement at the novelty of tropical warmth resulted in me either staring, mouth hanging open, up at coconut trees-- or squealing "This is the BEST DAY EVER!" --a lot. So after SharkDay and after HorseDay (please don't ask me what day that actually was because of grief week and jumping time zones I am still not entirely sure what day it currently is.) anyway--my buddy Rob asked "Okay which was really the best?" Chrissy pipes in with, "If you could only choose one?"  I can't. Both adventures were uniquely stupendous. Compare one to breathing, while the other is your heart pumping blood. How do you choose?

In an effort to stay focused I will recount the glorious 20 minutes we had in a shark cage.

  

We went out onto the Pacific, less than two miles from shore. We were in a diesel engine boat. The amazing guides explained how fishing boats bring the waste and debris from their work day out and dump it. The Pavlovian response of diesel engine noise and easy food has the sharks responding like clockwork. Thus my silly analogy that sharks are underwater raccoons, just playing in the garbage. That worked until I saw the mongooses (mongeese? lol). In Hawaii they have mongoose, not raccoons.

The sharks, these beautiful eating machines. These elegant apex predators. Powerful, sleek and evolutionarily perfect. I LOVE THEM. Faithful readers will recall the JAWS post. There were at least four, possibly six --at one point I was sure I saw eight-- but let me tell you. It was quite hard to count. It was my second time snorkeling and the ocean never rests. The guides were happy with the calmness of the water but it still moved constantly. Sea sick is a common response. Snorkeling is easy until a wave goes over the tube, or the flapper thingy goes inside out.  Also as you can see in the one shot, my feet didn't reach the bottom of the cage. So normal people can hook their feet in the bottom. Chris and I basically had to tread water.  Thank goodness Z rocked it with Chris's underwater camera! He took all of our underwater shots! Good lad!

The sharks came right to the cage. I quickly felt like teenage boys had just got home from school and were asking for snacks. I was not scared. There was no tension, just hungry boys looking in the cookie jar to see nothing they want to eat. I could have stayed in that cage all day. Pure awe. We were the zoo for these Galapagos sharks. It was mesmerizing and beautiful.

At one point I looked DOWN and it was never ending blue. It was just clear sapphire water. I don't know how to express the significance of my smallness in that moment. I saw how enormous the planet is, on this little boat, in this little harbor, on one island-- I felt so connected and so aware of my place in the food chain and my responsibility as someone with thumbs and cognition to take care of our home. We have to tread lightly.

"Honeyed Locusts"

In GRRM's fantasy series (which I have read at least three times and love to hate the show) A Song of Ice and Fire, the volume titled Dances w/Dragons has a scene where one of my favorite characters is served something called "honeyed locusts" (Hers are poisoned. These are not.)  For some reason several years ago (It had to be a marathon viewing party.) I made bacon wrapped dates.  Z. and I immediately decided they LOOKED like giant overcooked grasshoppers--a family tradition was begun! I have since done several variations, I recommend the family and barony approved pepper bacon and maple syrup sprinkled with Penzy's Northwoods Fire spice blend (paprika, garlic etc) CLICK HERE  However, for this iteration I wanted to respect the hosts' veggie preferences and so skipped the bacon wrap. You can swap out soft cheeses, tahini. You can swap out nuts (I haven't tried pine nuts yet and now I am in my macadaemia nut phase). You can chop the nuts and sprinkle on top. You have my permission to think outside of the box! They will disappear faster than if strong Belwas was nomming them!

Honeyed Locusts for Melisant & Jeremy’s baby shower

Medjool dates

Raw Almonds

Feta (3 parts)

Greek yogurt (1 part)

Honey

Minced fresh rosemary

 --big tip piping bag

1.     Split/pit the dates, get the nasty seed out but leave the backside of the date intact. Like a hot dog bun.

2.     WHISK THE SHIT out of the feta, yogurt and honey. (Srsly, I had issues with the piping tube tip getting clogged with chunks. I like chunky feta but this needs to be smoooooth.) Taste, adjust w/more honey. Fill pastry bag.

3.     Assembly line: Put a nice little dollop of cheese in each date. Squidge an almond into the cheese. Line ‘em up on foil lined cookie sheet (If you go for the bacon wrapped you might want to bake them on the rack/tray combo to catch drippings). Drizzle w/more honey (or maple syrup etc) bake for 15 minutes at 375F.

4.     Sprinkle with finely minced fresh rosemary.

5.     Eat one before they are all gone.

6.     Serve. They are rich so have a beverage that will cut through the lush.

Still technically Hawaii

Upon our recent trip, I was (of course!) intrigued to learn about Hawai'in food. That topic may take a  few posts to cover cuz SPAM!, "macnuts" and taro bread. I want to talk about the strong Japanese influence, plus the Portugese influence, native produce VS imports, seafood-- oh holy mother of god Poke Bowls (tm). NOM. I think the wild chickens might end up under food too...SO MUCH fascinating stuff to taste! In addition to the Hawaiin food, I also got a Verde sauce lesson from Chris and chorizo tips from her pal Tammy. But YES, Pineapple is ubiquitous. I learned that at the Dole Plantation that it isn't native, but it is thriving.

Chris got us to several bakeries and at liliha bakery I was interested to see a popular gel topping. It is a very thick fruit glaze, especially on cheesecake bars. I was immediately inspired to make a pineapple cheesecake. FTW!

I was particulary proud of this one because A.) My ovens aren't quite dead yet. A new set has been ordered. I trust my over 30 year-old thermostat about as much as I trust cooking over a fire B.) The macadamia nut and panko crust is FAR superior to graham crackers or even ginger snaps.

Childhood Dream Come True

Riding Along the Pacific

When I was a young girl I had near weekly access to my uncle’s small farm. They had chickens. They kept large scary hogs in the woods. The hogs ate the acorns and grunted a lot. My cousin’s pigeons often won best in show at 4H meets. My aunt and uncle also had horses.

 At any given time they had at least four, at one point I seem to remember that they had eight different quarter horses. One beautiful appaloosa, whose name was Babe, was the tallest and favorite of everyone. All the cousins would descend on the paddock. The fastest runner got to ride Babe. Her elegant height and noble head inspired fantasies common to every kid who was knee deep in a ‘horse phase’. I could hardly carry her tack and seldom won the coveted mount. In fact, Old Pokey, the rotund little pony who looked like the Hobbit ponies in Tolkien, was usually my ride. A gang of pre teen cousins would ride the back roads of Michigan’s thumb to a tiny lakeside town to get ice cream.

We would ride bare back in swimsuits with just bridles or lead ropes. It was very informal (and a little scratchy). We rode through woods. We rode down one lane dirt roads, shaded by ancient maple and oak trees. A gentle walk in the summer heat. Occasionally, the older kids would challenge each other to a race, but Pokey with his barrel sized belly was far more interested in the wild grass that grew along our path.  As I gained experience and years I graduated from Pokey up to one of the interchangeable chestnut mares that my Uncle bought and sold.

I rode through cornfields and around muddy cow ponds. In daydreams, I visualized myself on an enormous stallion galloping through the waves on an ocean beach. Every temperamental tantrum I pitched as angst filled teen I WISHED I had my own horse to race across the moors, to run away on my unicorn. Small town girl with a big time imagination. I never believed it would actually happen. As an adult I often rented trail horses and so never lost my seat. As a parent I made sure my kids knew which side of a horse to mount, but riding was by no means, even a monthly occurrence.

On a recent trip to Oahu, to visit friends stationed there, I convinced my pal and my 19-year-old daughter to go trail riding along the beach. We drove across the island to the North Shore and joined up with some tourists to be guided along the pristine private beach.

Clara and I bring up the rear. Christine is just in front of Izzy.

It was early winter so we hoped to spot a sea turtle or two. I was thrilled to see the ocean but had to contain my excitement because both my pal and my daughter were consciously “being brave”. They were both anxious, but game. I explained that trail horses were completely accustomed to the path we would be on. That they were herd animals and would not bolt or even consider throwing their rider.  I discovered it was actually my pal’s first time ever! I knew my daughter’s experience was minimal so I shared funny stories from my childhood such as making a peanut butter sandwich on horseback. One of the few times I got to ride Babe-- I wasn’t getting off her, even for lunch! I made the sandwich through my aunt’s kitchen window. It went well if you ignored the peanut butter on the pommel! I put them at ease, naming the bits of tack they would need to understand. I explained the cinch carefully to my nervous pal. The staff lined up the non English speaking tourists on the gentle animals.  We walked out of the yard and progressed along the shore.

I wasn’t galloping through the crashing surf but it was truly beautiful and everything I could hope for. The powerful blue water, the white sand, the gorgeous sunshine highlighting picturesque palm trees. I didn’t even mind wearing the helmet. I was flattered to learn that the guide had put me on the alpha mare to keep everyone moving along. That was an excellent plan, for as the path turned inland my daughter’s horse decided, much like I remembered Pokey’s stubborn choices, to try and grab a snack. I was so proud of her keeping his head up. It was amusing to hear her steady, “NO, IKE!  Ike, NO!” as he tried to snatch succulent green leaves from the bushes, but she kept the reins in and low and he finally resigned himself, with much disgruntled huffing, to keeping pace with the herd.  My pal did great on her first time ride and she is going to take her neighbor back again!  I completely enjoyed the pleasant ride and it was extremely satisfying to reminisce about my Michigan summer daydreams in this Hawaiian winter reality.

---

The staff at the Hawaiian Polo Club are to be commended. Their animals were perfectly trained, gentle and spotless! The guides were lovely and relaxed. I cannot praise Angie and Priscilla enough.