Friday Night Photos - Actual Spring Edition!!

Yep, no snow in sight. And the sun is shining (miracle!). Wandering the neighbourhood is a lot easier and warmer. Here's a shot from last year: our obscure branch line of the old Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad.

We have a trip to Colorado coming up. A ham-fisted panorama from our last trip:

Off to watch actual people navigate the actual warmth. Wow!

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Pricknick's picture

Thanks for hosting bollox.
It's finally warm enough here to start running the rivers and lakes.
Female Redwing Blackbird.
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Mallards.
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Bufflehead.
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Michigan Coot
rsz_pricknickcoot.jpg

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

janis b's picture

@Pricknick

to enjoy the birdlife and the serenity. Cheers Pricknick, and thanks for posting.

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snoopydawg's picture

@Pricknick

and making sure that the other birds are playing nice in the water?

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Daenerys's picture

Loons are everywhere right now! I've seen at least 24 since last week. I saw at least 18 in one place; it was crazy! Here are my favorite shots:







I never get tired of seeing them. They are so pretty, with iridescence on their necks and perfectly smooth heads.

My tree swallows came back too! Here's one of them:

Beautiful weather; now if only the wind would stop for a few days....

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This shit is bananas.

janis b's picture

@Daenerys

Nature is truly amazing and always fascinating. Thanks for showing us some of its infinite variety.

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Emma

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sky hook

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carvation

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janis b's picture

on a dreary day here. Lit a fire for warmth and comfort. I hope you’re all feeling copacetic and enjoying the evening. Thanks for posting Bollox, and I'm glad the sun is shining on you.

dirty dishes ...

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@janis b have a fire going here too. Tried to turn your spectacles upside down for a foreign focus, the coaster almost became a face-ist thing Wink

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janis b's picture

@QMS

You always make me smile.

Sending you some upside-down cheer.

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b

We're in the 80's already, but it's going to be down in the 60's again with lots of rain. We need the rain though and I don't like how quickly it's warmed up so soon.

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

In transition ...

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janis b's picture

@janis b

and is concerning. This past summer was the hottest and most relentless I've experienced here.

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dancing on the horizon. Any guesses where this is?

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janis b's picture

@QMS

but it looks more Pacific than Atlantic, with a European flair.

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Anja Geitz's picture

@janis b

I was going to say San Diego, or Del Mar.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

@janis b Close, but no cigar. T'was Barbados. Tried sending you shots of ferns in Charleston, but file manager won't take them. Cheers anyway!

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janis b's picture

@QMS

Of course it's the caribbean. I did think for a second, maybe Cuba.

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@janis b I have either hemp or clove, your choice Wink

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janis b's picture

@QMS

and she smoked my last clove cigarette I have been saving for 2 decades. So yes, I'll take a clove with the hemp, thanks.

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snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

Maybe the French Rivera? Before you answer, tell us what side of the pond it's on

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

Thanks for initiating that QMS, and to you snoopy for always being your curious self.

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@janis b

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janis b's picture

@QMS

What a beautiful thing is a fresnel lens. You must have encountered many on your sailing trips. Nice.

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@janis b

220px-St._Augustine_Lighthouse_1.jpg
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janis b's picture

@QMS

More easily identified by google than the first image. Tell me where that first fresnel lens is, please.

Does anyone know an app that can identify images?

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@janis b @janis b That is the St Augustine lighthouse. I climbed all the way up in December last. Scared the bejeebus outta me when I looked down. The fresnel has been removed twice. Once for protection from some invading force, and again much later to fix it after some dumb punk shot it. Used to burn oil, now it's electric. The lens is amazing. Weighs a couple tons.

Snoopy stumped me on the SF Bay locale.

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janis b's picture

@QMS

Between your and Dylan's reference to St. Augustine I might plan a road trip from S. Florida this summer to St. Augustine.

[video:https://youtu.be/A6Ggihst8n0]

Sometimes the most obvious is also the most elusive ; ).

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snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

I thought everyone would get it so easily.

I love the Chesapeake Bay Area. I'd love to go back there with my digital slr and photograph the area. I have a book of that area in black and white. The lighthouses in that area are stunning and it's amazing how they were built with their limited technology. I bet if they were built today they wouldn't be so grand.

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snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

Alcatraz with a full moon

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I had to lower the resolution so I could post it on here. It looks much better than this irl

I didn't see the newest comments for some reason and I'm late to the party, darn it

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snoopydawg's picture

Plants and weeds are in full bloom, but the blossoms on the trees have started to fade.

IMG_2033_0.JPG

My lawn is covered with dandelions this year, but I'm not alone. Since we didn't have a cold winter and it warmed up so quickly everyone is having problems with dandelions. Sure I could have sprayed poison all over them, but they will go away on their own so why waste the money?

Thanks for hosting again.

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

A long time ago I read in a book the observation that if everything else disappears on earth, dandelions and ants will survive.

I wish you a good evening.

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b

And probably flies will survive the end times. Oh and mosquitoes! Yep, definitely mosquitoes will be here when everything else is gone.

You too. Enjoy your fire and hopefully you are having a glass of wine?

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

A planet of annoying or even likeable insects is very unappealing. Almost as unappealing as part of its current state. At least the dandelions will provide something bright.

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Anja Geitz's picture

@snoopydawg

Of yellow and purple flowers. Nice feeling to it.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

snoopydawg's picture

@Anja Geitz

I walk down an alley that has all kinds of flowering things, plus a few dawgs that I always have a little treat for. One dawg used to bark at me and seem so mean, but I can now feed him with my hand instead of throwing it over the fence.

Smile

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Anja Geitz's picture

@snoopydawg

Friends with dogs. Enjoyed your story.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

TheOtherMaven's picture

@snoopydawg

I found a good recipe for dandelion syrup here: http://naturesnurtureblog.com/homemade-dandelion-syrup/

Have made dandelion jelly most years since living here, but I'm a bit late on it this year so maybe syrup for a change. Yum!

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

snoopydawg's picture

@TheOtherMaven

And that sounded icky. Reading the article I see it's syrup. Why does she make syrup?

I’d already been making my own syrup because that “Aunt Jemima” nonsense they sell at the store is just gross –

Good reason. Have you eaten anything that is made with them? Thanks for the link.

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@snoopydawg back in the old country. Wasn't bad. Think it had honey in it.

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janis b's picture

@TheOtherMaven

I will try it next Spring!

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dystopian's picture

Here's a few below

Shame something less than stellar (looney) got associated with loons, as they are spectacular birds - great shots... Fantastic calls they make too. Out in CA when Pacific Loons are migrating you can see thousands in a day go by seawatch points (any promontory), many Common and Red-throated in with them. Sometimes Pacifics can be 50 miles offshore.

American Goldfinch
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Barred Owl
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Claret Cup Cactus
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Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maples (Nov.)
Maples-17b.jpg

Thanks everyone for all the great posts...

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Anja Geitz's picture

@dystopian

How did you get the owl to look at you?

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

dystopian's picture

@Anja Geitz

Well we were having this conversation ya see... The trick with owls, and this works with lots of birds, but outstanding with raptors, is to squeak like a mouse. make kissy noises and they usually key in, until they figure out it is that wanker down there... With many others, especially smaller birds, making small bird sounds often gets them to look, like pss pss pss, chidit chidit, psssss, pssh psssh psssh, like a scolding event.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Anja Geitz's picture

@dystopian

That's really interesting. I never knew mice even made those kinds of sounds. Ya learn something new here everyday!

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

janis b's picture

@dystopian

Thanks for all the colourful photos.

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dystopian's picture

@janis b

Barred Owl are fairly diurnal. Owls nest very early in the year, often getting underway in February, so they have lots of mouths to feed by April and May, and consequently are out lots in the day when not too hot or sunny. Hawk, Burrowing and Snowy Owl are all very diurnal, more so than Barred, but most owls are fairly nocturnal, and so hard to photo in general. Though when with young, they often have to hunt in the day.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

janis b's picture

@dystopian

Whenever I see your name I think of one of my very favourite novels, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It's a 'dystopian novel', but really it's more about the love between a father and son.

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snoopydawg's picture

@dystopian

Has anyone ever seen one in real life?

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snoopydawg's picture

@dystopian

How cool would this be?

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This really happened. I found this on the guardian

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Anja Geitz's picture

@snoopydawg

Awesome picture!

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

@dystopian on the back deck, since putting out thistle. They sing so joyfully. Now they are getting into the sunflower seeds as well.

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snoopydawg's picture

@dystopian

I have only seen one in real life and that was decades ago. In fact I haven't heard any for a long time. Are they going extinct or have their environment changed?

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TheOtherMaven's picture

@snoopydawg
which means they're out and about while you're asleep.

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dystopian's picture

@snoopydawg

TOM hit the nail on the head. Most of them are out when most people are not. Spring is the best time to see them as they are feeding young so much more active than when they are without the extra mouths. Almost any good woods have owls, they are far more common than most think. Any foothill canyon, riparian corridor, and open forest will have them. Usually they roost in dead clumps of leaves (small types) or holes, or the densest part of the tree where they are very hard to see. Walk windbreak rows of junipers in winter looking for pellets on the ground to locate roosts.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Anja Geitz's picture

But i'm home sick today with a 101 fever and I needed to cheer myself up. This is Aidan Turner of Poldark for any of the women following the series.

Thanks for hosting. Love all the colorful pictures (and the black white one of the train. Love trains!). You guys are awesome!

image_18.jpg

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

janis b's picture

@Anja Geitz

could be good medicine.

Get well soon, zoe.

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Anja Geitz's picture

@janis b

Smile

Thanks for the well wishes, Janis

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

snoopydawg's picture

@Anja Geitz

Well if he makes you feel better, then go for it. Hope you feel better soon. You're the second person who said that they are sick.

Smile

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janis b's picture

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@janis b Sure has grown, tho. Needle, Arizona

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janis b's picture

@QMS

The same photo today would include cranes everywhere you looked.

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b

This is probably too easy

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b @janis b

The bridge then the water and then there's that brown circular spot. This is a dog park where they get to play off leash. The dawgs got to swim when the tide was in, but, yuck when it was out. I'd see people going back to their cars and the dawgs had mud all up their legs and bellies. I kept Bailey out of it

I'd take Bailey to it when I had to go to my doctor. She didn't like how aggressive some dawgs played so she'd sit on the bench with me and we'd watch the others play.

This is Beagle Bailey. I was taking a Beagle break.

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This should give you a hint on what city that is

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

and looks so self contained and wise.

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b

She was the sweetest and kindest Dawg I've had and our connection with each other was so incredible. She didn't care what we did as long as we were together.

I would wait until the traffic cleared before I drove home and so I'd find a road and take it. Can't tell you how many times I got lost somewhere after taking a wrong turn, but with Bailey by my side and my camera I never worried about it. I'd always find my way home again. This brings back great memories.

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

It's the perfect image for me to sign out with. Sweet dreams.

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Anja Geitz's picture

@snoopydawg

They just stare into your soul

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

@snoopydawg looking west? Used to sail out on the Bay, but don't recall that vantage.

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snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

One more guess?

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@snoopydawg Oakland or Alameda

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snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

You're closer than Berkeley

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@snoopydawg @snoopydawg fit the description, but the photo is taken inland of the bridge. I give up!

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snoopydawg's picture

@snoopydawg

This is San Francisco Bay with Alcatraz in the middle, Sausalito to the right and Tiburon on the left.

After passing by Muir Woods I'd get lost somewhere around Mount Tamalpais where the scenery was full of green hills and huge oak trees. And lots of cows. Bailey loved looking at cows.
Funny, I thought that photo was easily recognizable of the city. Oh well. Thanks for playing.

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@snoopydawg thanks that was a fun guessing game. I recognized immediately the Bank of America (or whatever it is called now) building on the right, the big black stain of greed. Hated it when the built it, never want to see it again. I guess the new salesforce monstrosity towers over it now. Progress.

If I ever got enough money to get near the GG bridge again, I'd jump off. Join my brother in the Bay why not. Our dad was an architect, he gave us opinions and stuff. LOL he designed the Safeway S sign when I was a kid, when he worked as a draftsmen for a big firm in the city. And the Akron parking lot down by Fisherman's Wharf. It is still there, and it is still a good design I think. Parking lot! omg did I mention I hate cars now too? sheesh depression, I've had quite enough of it. In the end my dad and brother built fancy spec houses for profit. Nothing has changed.

drive drive drive
as the world burns
just feel good about it
why not

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snoopydawg's picture

@eyo

Mine asked me to scatter his ashes off the Golden Gate Bridge as the tide was coming in. He loved SF and so wanted to live there for awhile before the Great End, but he got too sick before he could do it.

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Bollox Ref's picture

IMG_6481.JPG

Now, off to watch "Cromwell", with Richard Harris and Alec Guinness.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

janis b's picture

@Bollox Ref

enjoying a bit of sun.

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Bollox Ref's picture

@janis b

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

janis b's picture

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janis b's picture

@janis b

he had become a 'bag-lady'.

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@janis b The Cat in the Sack

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janis b's picture

@QMS

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janis b's picture

@QMS

I will now go to my library site to request that book.

ps. Whenever I exit at Newton Rd, I am greeted by a billboard that has a sign/ad in the corner for QMS. I still don't know what it stands for.

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@janis b back in my graffiti days. Ha. In this cave it stands for Quicksilver Messenger Service, a band from the 60's.

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janis b's picture

@QMS

Got this playing now ...
[video:https://youtu.be/Wi0e7brHdMQ]

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Anja Geitz's picture

@Bollox Ref

Plastic grocery bags were the worst. I once came home and saw my Zoe with one wrapped around her like a toga.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

janis b's picture

@Anja Geitz

when I came home to Duffy my dog, with a bag of screaming yellow zonkers attached to her head ; ).

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Anja Geitz's picture

@janis b

Thanks for the giggle Smile

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

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