JACK WV....
.....ah yes, now I understand...wherever animals graze and roam, it is always wiser to keep ones dog on a lead...not only safer for the animals, but safer for our own dogs too....It is good to hear of the respect from other dog owners to clean up after ones dog mess...

Jack just watched your video clip, do you find somewhere new to walk every day, it looks so vast, I am sure you come across somewhere you haven't walked before.....

The Winter Festival of Lights I would sure love to see...

Jack, I found the Mansion area.  I was sorry I couldn't enlarge the map to find it, but I can't have everything!  It's a nice map.

Take a look at Grand Haven - lots of whitecaps and it looks soooo cold there.  Well, it is only 25 degrees here, 35 miles east of Lake Michigan.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann I took a look at Grand Haven and it sure looks cold, and not surprised that no one is on the beach.   

Having problems with Photobucket and have only a few photos of The Festival of Lights at Oglebay.  With the stream of traffic it is difficult to stop for photos, and not good at night time shots.   Giving a link to a production done by Oglebay.  It is a bit long but you can skip along to speed things up.  I may park at the fountain some evening to see if I can get a few photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FX0vrPi0GM

Jack.
Looks like a perfect layout for walking. We have one park on campus area that is laid out prefect also. I use it if not to cold. Have to drive over to it. About 2 miles.use the mall don the street if to cold outside.
I only drink beer in U.k. It's over 18 pct. found one being made in a small brewery in town here.
Stopped and sampled 3 while back and could really feel it.  They were just sample glasses.
Wine even gets to me. One glass only.

Jack, love the picture of Mimi on the bench, so glad you have found each other.

Sachiko, I Have not been in here in a while, but I have to mention your sweater, I love the color and style.  I have just made six pair of fingerless gloves, to give as Christmas presents. I also taught a class in Homemakers how to make them.

Mary Ann, Grand Haven does look cold but is so pretty with the waves lapping on the shore.

I have a small kitchen.  We have a dining room and never expanded the kitchen.  I may have to consider a larger kitchen    Mimi has taken over.  She does not move, fortunately even when I step over her. 



For the record, Mimi is not a replacement, you do not "replace" pets you have loved.  My Kibbles, Zoe and Jessie were each special in their own way and feel Mimi will also be.

Cold and windy so doubt we will make the park today.

JACK WV....
....each and every dog we have all have different characteristics, no two dogs will ever be the same, that is why we grow to love them......I can still smile and laugh over the antics from the most recent ones I have lost....take my Megan for instance...she was very food orientated, never had any interest in playing with toys nor tennis ball but, she did love her nylabone bone....I would say, she was the closest to me, wherever I sat, she would come sit behind me...My Petra now, I could never ever get a kiss from her but, when she was in the back of the car she would poke her head in-between the backseats and only then did she give me a kiss, she was also very good when she slept in my bed...where she laid, usually under my duvet, you would always guarantee that will be the same place where you find her in the morning....My Benji, now he was never a lapdog but, you could always guarantee a kiss from him, you only had to get near to his face and ask him for a kiss...in all the years I had never known him to turn a walk down, he was always eager to go for a walk with his master, even if I had just given him one......I miss each and every one of my three babies.....Jack, seeing your Mimi settled into her regular spot reminds me of a place between our old dining chairs and table our Benji would always lay...I can tell that your Mimi already has her own personality which is starting to shine through......Totally agree with you...no dog can ever be replaced...they are all unique...

I had to look twice at your last photo of Mimi, Jack, because she seemed to have two heads!  The back leg looked like another thin head with the muzzle on the paw.
She is a beauty, lucky you.  I am jealous of all of you, dog owners.  I miss one so much.

Bubble. You are right. I looked at Mimi photo again
. Looks like  foot and nose of another dog. Isn't she a beauty? I miss having a dog also. Hasn't your grandson asked for one yet?  Does he live in a house or a condo? Most countries not like US where they have big yards. Are dogs as popular?

Bubble and JeanneP   I took a look and see what you mean.   Possibly that is why I sometimes get her backside when she joins me on the daybed. 

Ah yes, now I see that too, looks like a floppy right ear on the floor, with the left ear, and nose, tucked away in a warm and cosy spot....with the head resting on the paw...

Quote from: JeanneP on December 10, 2016, 01:22:18 PM
Bubble.  Hasn't your grandson asked for one yet?  Does he live in a house or a condo? Most countries not like US where they have big yards. Are dogs as popular?

Dogs are very popular here too.  Aviv would be delighted to have one, but the apartment is not big enough and on higher floor with no lift.  So it would not be practical  especially that his parents work very long and odd hours. So no big yard, same as with my place.   But I do have a lift, even though it is a tiny one and I barely fit in with the w/chair.

The holidays are always tough on  the diet.  I checked a few and here are the results.   Going to try a liquid diet, meeting my son for a few beer

Now that photo Jack, looks just like the McDonald's in North Pole, twenty-five miles south from here! Except there is a train crossing under the overpass.

Patricia the building in front is a two story playground, sorry I am too big to use.  They hold birthday parties and the youngsters are tugging their parents to play prior to even getting food.

All of the McDonalds here have added those playrooms in the past couple of years. I haven't been to a McDonalds for years but here they are full of kids I'm told.

Now 3 of our McDonald had those play places but 2 have taken them down. People just put their children in them and then go and sit down.  Had 3 children hurt and naturally they sued McDonald.  Shame as they were nice. But mothers and Baby sitters. were using them for getting a half day out. Sit with friends having coffee while kids played. Got more children in them than the parks did. Summer and Winter.

We eat at McDonald's most Sundays after church.... my treat for anyone in the family that goes to church when I do.  OUR McDonald's crew is especially nice to us, knows what we always order to drink & bends over backwards to make sure we get everything we order.  We call it "our Cheers", have a big group when my daughter comes to town.... all of her kids & grands manage to get to church with us & always #1 son & wife.  We are a happy bunch. Our store does not have the playground, a good thing since we are there for breakfast!

Jack, Mimi could not have been more perfect for you. I agree that no pet ever replaces but what a shame it would be to miss loving each one.

I would love a dog, good size one, just need to find the right one.  One of these days it will happen~~

I started hanging the candy on the tree today, think I have about 8 bags + 2 bags of Double Bubble gun. It takes forever to punch the holes in the wrapper & insert hooks & then hang.... but the kids eyes sure shine when they see a whole candy tree.  Was nice this year that lots of the bags/wrappers were bright red for Halloween.... I buy when 50% off the day after that holiday & store it in the little frig in the basement until ready to hang on the tree. Shame on me, I polished off all 3 big bags of the "Fun size Hershey bars".  Good thing it's all gone, I do think some of that candy landed right around my middle.   

I'm going to Sam's Club tomorrow for another chicken for the cats & to get a couple eye of round roast to cook & grind to make meat spread "for the holidays".  I'm going to get a 2 pound box of Velvetta cheese to make pimento cheese spread.... both are good on celery sticks, Ritz crackers (or bread).... so finger food & then the candy tree.  Probably the kids won't get over but one time during the holidays, the "official" gathering will be at one of my grands houses since they have big play rooms in the lower levels of their houses so kids can play & be rowdy with only one referee down there at a time.

I'm afraid I don't bend when it comes to letting kids run wild in the house & jump on furniture.  I don't put everything up for them, they need to learn how to act, I think, when they go to other peoples houses.  My mother used to say, "shame on the parents if people dread to have their children come.....  we need to provide them with manners & discipline as much as food and water."  When I get done decorating I'll take photos.  Lot of work but I need the exercise (to make up for all that candy I've already eaten!)

Shirley, yes we want the photos.  You are simply too busy

I'm looking forward to seeing those pictures, Shirley.  Larry got me a large size iPad Pro and I am really enjoying it.  Hardly even use the computer anymore. Can do just about anything on it that you can do on the computer.  We've been so busy getting things like we want in this new residence that we haven't done much picture taking.

Shirley has such a busy schedule, with her motor home, cooking cleaning and the cats.  She has little time for photos.  I do not travel, cook or clean (may have to with daughter coming for Christmas)  I spend most of my time on the computer or with the camera and Mimi.    Here is a photo of Mimi that I included in the slide show.  Cropped the photo of her at the entrance to the Mansion.  I was unable to get the smile she usually has for the camera like she had in the previous photo.

She is a pretty girl---with or without the smile.  Do I see some snow?  We are having a warm day but tomorrow it turns cold again.

Jean yes we had several inches of snow.  Check the slide show.  We are dropping to 7 degrees tonight, a 13 high tomorrow and 4 degrees tomorrow night, then a bit of a warm up.

Jack, it is nice to see Mimi again! She looks healthier and more assured than from earler posts.

Patricia thanks.  She has taken over my home (including me)  I just notice how much darker her fur was in the first photo, but poor lighting.

Guess you laugh when we complain about the cold, like I do when Jean comments on hers.

Jack, she must have had a thought about her old life in that first photo.... looks sort of sad.  Don't you know how grateful she is to be in your life?!!  Bless her heart (and yours), you are so good for each other.  I am amazed at the video of Oglebay lights..... they must work on it nearly all year.  That one campground I stayed at on the east side of Kansas City was to close Oct.1 for the crews to set up a festival of lights all through it.  I forgot to ask how long after it will be closed, was a convenient stop for me. 

I still don't have all that candy on the tree.... even after eating the 3 bags of Hershey's fun size, I still had 8 or 10 bags of other candy.  I think I brought 8 up from the frig & left 2 down to add to the tree after some get eaten.  Do need to get back to work, this is my time-out for the morning (only it is lunch time now).  Gotta go smile at Mimi again. 

Hi Shirley, that candy wouldn't last long for me. I'd just graze up one side of that tree and down the other!   

Jack, I do shake my head a bit but am aware of dry and wet cold. Our 40 below is dry cold and the humidity is similar to Arizona. It is very similar to a humid climate's forty above with rain. I could never convince my late mother in law of this. Upon hearing of minus thirty-five to forty below, she thought everyone was crazy to live there and thought everyone must live underground. 

A friend went south one year and was running around in shorts and tees at thirty-five above. The natives and his family thought he was nuts!

Patricia, I remember being in Florida when the temps would be in the 60s.  I would be wearing a sweater and people who lived and/or wintered there were wearing winter coats.  Probably we both thought the other was crazy.

Mary Ann

That's very true, MaryAnn!