Passing airplane still generates magic; a man, a horse, and Catahoula; two girls on a riverbank; four-wheeler in the river; ice cream on the face
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 12:52PM ;)
Despite all the work facing me, I remained lazy throughout the remainder of the day. One should not work on magical days such as yesterday, especially when his grandsons are present.
I was out in the back yard with Margie and the boys when an airplane passed overhead. I remembered when I was a child how wonderful, mystical, and magical it was to see an airplane pass overhead. What with their constant viewing of videos, the trips to the 3D movies and all that, could Kalib and Jobe ever possibly get that same feeling from watching an airplane pass overhead?
;)
Ha! Kalib got the feeling!
;)
And so did Jobe!
;)
In the afternoon, I took off on a 16 mile bike ride. It wasn't long enough. It was too short. I wanted to go and go, but I figured I would be gone too long. Down on Sunrise Drive, I saw a man, a horse, and a dog coming toward me.
It was these three - the man is Jim, the horse is Warrior and the dog is Chain. Chain is a Catahoula Leopard Dog, a breed that I had never heard of.
"I never thought I would wind up with a Catahoula," Jim said. "But I did."
I looked Catahoula up on Google and found they originated in Louisana. Here is part of what I learned about them:
The Catahoula Leopard Dog is independent, protective, and territorial. Loving with its family and all people they know well and reserved with strangers (this would include strange children)...
These dogs need attention. This is not a dog that can be tied to a doghouse, fed, and ignored. Chaining and or ignoring a Catahoula Leopard Dog will either make them shy or aggressive. They need human companionship. This breed needs direction, training, something to do, people, attention...
A Catahoula Leopard Dog enjoys the company of a good horse...
Maybe I made up one of the above lines.
;)
I pedaled until it looked like the road was about to end in someone's yard.
;)
On the way back, I decided to stop, climb up the rise over the road and see what I could see. This is what I saw - the Little Susitna River, with two girls sitting on the bank. Hence, this series of studies, beginning with:
Two girls on a riverbank, study #4,328: They stick their feet in the water.
;)
Two girls on a riverbank, study #2: The sky overhead.
;)
Two girls on a riverbank, study #282,881: they are joined by a dog.
;)
I shot this four-wheeler image as I pedaled across the bridge that crosses the Little Su.*
*In comments, reader AkPonyGirl has pointed out that it is illegal to drive a four-wheeler in the Little Su, due to the damage they cause to salmon spawn. Thank you, AkPonyGirl.
;)
About 10:00 PM, I mentioned the words, "ice cream cone" and Kalib got excited. So I loaded up the boys, left Margie home for some moments of solitude and headed off to Dairy Queen. On the way, we saw a rainbow and began to chase it.
We did not catch it, but we did overshoot Dairy Queen, so we turned around at the next stoplight and headed back in the direction of ice cream.
;)
At Dairy Queen, we got our cones, then parked for awhile. In the outside driver's rearview mirror, I saw two Dairy Queen workers, taking a break.
;)
The boys and their cones. After I took this picture, I started the car back up and drove home.Jobe was a sticky mess when we got home, but the cone made it all the way without being dumped on the floor, in his lap or on Kalib and that was a first.
(or click on individual images to see larger version)
Reader Comments (6)
Aww, the kids loved that ice cream!
We love Catahoulas, they're used down here a lot. Hog dogs, they call them, but they work real nice on cattle. We have one ourselves, two that are half Catahoula, another one Wade picked up in a remote area starved and blind in one eye and gave to his Dad, who loves that dog like his own kids. VERY loyal dogs, very smart animals. Loved the pic with horse, rider and dog.
Too bad that kid has the 4 wheeler in the river. Where he is is spawning for the salmon and it's very illegal for a motorized vehicle to be where he is. Just like the sports hunters changed the path of the caribou, this kid probably doesn't realize the extent of his actions.
Love the horse picture.
Thank you, AkPonyGirl. I suspected that this was the case, but was not completely certain that it applied where the bridge is. Thank you, and I have noted it in the post.
Mikey - All the more reason to stop and see you some day when I am in Arizona.
The photo of Jim, Warrior, and Chain is powerful! Hopefully, you can get a copy of it to Jim - he would consider it a prized possession, I'd think. Thank you for showing us your "magical sky day", (from a fellow airplane fan).
The picture of Kalib watching the plane? I have to say that was the perfect picture. I love that. The look on his face, sillouetted by tall grass, just perfect!
great pictures..love the one with the horse and the clouds are magical. Of course Kalib and Jobe are always a treat