GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Adjusting to a new family member involves getting to know one another. We all have our strengths and weaknesses as well as unique personality traits.
JoJo is learning his territory and has found the perfect place to keep an eye on it even when he is inside.

Upon hearing a thumping sound upstairs, I figured that I had better check to see what he had gotten into. I came around the corner to see a ball bouncing down the steps and a dog hot on its trail. He really does know how to entertain himself!
It does seem as if I spend quite a bit of time 'checking on the dog'. A couple of times he disappeared but I found him. He was keeping himself busy hiding.

He really has a sense of humor about expressing himself. As I was slicing into a fresh apple pie, I heard a sound behind me. JoJo had brought me his empty food dish and dropped it at my feet. Apparently he felt I should serve him some too!

I've had to make some adjustments around here. I've discovered that laundry needs to go in the washer instead of in a basket!

(Un)fortunately, he's only one, seven in human years, so he has a great deal of growing up to do. I see so much potential in him. Patience is key. By this time next year, it will be fun to reread this to see how much he has matured. Until then, hang on! I'm sure I'll have more escapades to tell you about.

MEET JOJO

 Meet JoJo. He's a one year old minpin/Jack Russell mix.

 My search for the newest member of the family led me to our local shelter. I'd been to two other shelters and did a meet and greet with a dog from Craigslist before I walked into this building and found what I believe will be the right dog for this house.

He's already made himself at home and discovered the best part...

a handy playmate! Although at the moment the cat is still uncertain of the situation.

MY PERSONAL EVOLUTION

As usual, I've been reading. The topic was the theory of evolution and the survival of the fittest versus intelligent design.
Like most people, I grew up seeing the chart of ape to man and was taught that earth's origins began with the big bang. I was told that all that I see began with primordial ooze.
The problem is, there are too many gaps and too many leaps to make this believable. How many cells had to develop and be found to be useful and thus retained to develop a single eye? Hundreds? Thousands?
I can accept that animals that don't necessarily need eyes do not have the vision of a human. I can accept that a human doesn't have the vision of an eagle. But I can't fathom how simple cells could develop into such complexity. Did nature determine that a means to see the world meant the necessity of incorporating a multitude of individual cells each performing a specific purpose in unison could be achieved all at one time?
Speaking of eyes, looking into the eyes of a fellow human being or a dog or a cat I see something that is not physical. I see sentience. I see a living being that is capable of joy, anger, jealousy, love.

Emotions have been explained as a result of chemicals in the brain. Certainly, there are drugs that alter those chemical levels and thus alter mood. I accept that fact. However, my next question is this,

What chemicals make it possible for me to even think about these things? Does that soul exist? Could a soul have been developed from primordial ooze?

Personally, I do believe in intelligent design. I believe that certain features of all species have changed over time to adapt to their environment. I do not see evidence that one species developed into another. I do not see the desire to live as having a molecular component but rather as a feature of the soul.

Life is a truly wondrous thing and I obviously do not have the answers to the questions that have been asked since at least all of recorded history but I do believe that the answers that I feel I have work for me and that releases chemicals in my brain (ie. I am happy with that.)

WINGED FRIENDS

One might believe from my recent posts that I dislike winged creatures. Not true. I don't like them in my house. I love to listen to them singing. I really enjoy those that come to visit the trees near the porch. I have a hummingbird that stops by regularly, multitudes of robins and starlings. Last year I had a pair of cardinals that would wander out on the lower branches and watch me watching them.
Last night I had a new pair of visitors. They stayed for several hours.

These thrushes didn't really sing, they made more of a chirp/clicking sound. They seemed to be as curious about me as I was about them.

Even as I sit here sharing this picture with you, I can hear one of our local woodpeckers working over the fence post across the road.

It is peaceful here, but by no means silent.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Well folks, vacation time has passed. A long weekend listening to music and chilling at Jazzberry Farm, a few days of work and then a week in Delaware enjoying the ocean! Whew.
I really like getting away but I also like coming home. Home is my favorite place to be. I am very lucky and grateful to be able to say that.
Home sweet home! I was eager to get back but I was certain that the cat would be certain to give me attitude upon my return. She didn't let me down. After an hour or so of demanding attention she finally lay herself down to relax. I thought I was off the hook but of course she had other ideas.
I discovered her evil plot before bedtime rolled around, thank goodness. Next to my bed where I normally would be walking in the dark was her welcome home gift for me.

I swear I saw her smile!

Dead birdie removed, I decided to stay up late to watch some TV before retiring for the night. While I was enjoying America's Got Talent, I saw something in my peripheral vision. "No," I thought, "This is not happening." But it was. BAT!!

I had the commonsense to open the door wide in hopes it would fly out but that still meant sharing space with the flying rodent in the meantime. I must have made a comical figure crouching and bobbing (because of course that is how you avoid a bat) as I made my way to the door.

I wasn't entirely sure that the creature had gone outside. Perhaps it had gone upstairs. When I went to bed I pulled the sheets over my head. I'm so good at self-defense against a bat....ha ha ha.

There certainly is no place like home!

LOOKING GOOD

Our new bathroom space is still a work in progress but we are getting closer. It is possible to see what the end result will look like.
The last time I talked about this we had gotten as far as putting in the floor.

Next step was removing the window. I absolutely love this old crawler. It has multiple uses! This day it was both scaffold and dumpster.

Time to seal off the hole.

And install the shower tub. But wait ... there's more.

We have the back piece. Also, we (he) had to build framing to attach the sides.

The shower doors are due in soon. Someday, I'll sit on my new commode and not see tools and parts scattered everywhere. I might even have a door and all the trim in place. Still, the improvement amazes me and I can look ahead to when it is really 'looking good'.

GENERATIONS

So how does it happen that this little girl grew to raise these two little girls?

And then, they raise these beautiful families of their own. Amazing!