Our son retired from the Vermont Judicial Dept. last January. This is the formal photo they hung in the courthouse where he spent his last few years on the bench.  Normally he has a short beard and wears glasses a lot, but the photographer requested the "natural" look. 

He's a very handsome man in a very dignified pose Beverly, you must be so proud of him!

I was posting in Norm's B&T about Peter and Beijing, who both died in January 2011, three days apart, at the ages of 20 and 22. The vet said it was like an old married couple.

Beijing, female, 20 years;


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Peter, my red fox, 22 years;


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My fur folks, grooming;


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Don and I went to a special celebration for Tu B'Shvat, the New Year of the Trees, the day of planting new trees and flowers and also when traditionally one eats 32 kinds of fruits (fresh, dried, nuts, etc)

The celebration was in a children's playground with display made by the children of all the town schools with recycled material.

Here is one showing flowers, made from egg cartons recycled.

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This tree was a branch decorated with empty plastic yogurt cups

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A wonderful display of "flowers" each from a different pupil of the class

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Bev thanks for the comment and hope you took the time to see the video of her running like a nut.

That is a fine photo of your son, and like the clean shaved look.   I have a dermatologist that grew a beard and got all kinds of complements, my next trip the beard was gone, I did not ask why. Over the years I might give it a few days but have to shave.
 
Patricia it must have been rough on you but seems appropriate that they would pass within days, beautiful animals and photos.

Bubble, what a nice celebration and I marvel at the talent of the youngsters that did the displays.

Patricia, the pictures of Peter are close to Kendrick's look. 

Bubble, kids can be very creative with items that we dispose of, can't they?

Jack, Mimi is like so many other dogs, having fun in snow.

Bev, too bad your son retired; he could be eligible for the Supreme Court!

Mary Ann

Beverly, I missed your post. Wow what an handsome man, he could be hired for films!

Angel, I remember them well, and also the hard times you went through at the time.

Good morning, a real winter day, some sun and a few clouds. Maybe sleet storm to morrow, but it is Feb.

Jack, I think you are so lucky for the both of you to having found one another. such a beautiful dog.

Bubble thanks for showing us the photos.

Beverly have to join everyone else in say, such a nic looking man. I know you are so proud.

Thank you for all the nice comments about my son! I'm proud of the man he became, honest, ethical and compassionate. Not always present in his line of work. It also gained him a lot of respect from his peers and those who worked for him.

Jack - I also like the clean shaven look, but the beard has a purpose.  Shaving causes him skin problems.

Mary Ann -    That would be the last thing he'd want! The stress of the job is why he retired at 55. He's much happier and more relaxed now.

Bubble - Having a celebration for planting new trees and flowers is a wonderful tradition. Fun  recycling lesson for the children, too.

Angelface - I do remember Peter and Beijing. My much-loved Calei looked very much like Peter.

Thank you, everyone, for the lovely comments about my favorite fur couple. I have loved all my cats and have enjoyed all the parakeets I had between as well. But there are always a few that stand out and these two, especially Peter, carved out one of those unique spots!

And yes, Bubble, that year was the beginning of a bad time with being laid off with 200 others and my apartment going condo that month. The next three years were a dark period in my life.

Beverly, your son is handsome, and could probably star as advertising for the judgeship.  for doing such a great job and to him for taking that upbringing and running with it, (you can see it in his eyes).

Gloria and Jack, I know that Taffy and Mimi bring so much, love, joy, and companionship into your lives as Farrah does to mine. Maybe, just perhaps, animals are the fabled fountain of youth?

Here is Taffy watching the snow

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Bev,  you are lucky that some of your kids may be following you down to Florida.

I lived there for Seven years,  but knew that getting my family down there would have taken more years then I have left.
So I "retired" back to Maine.     Which I have never regretted...
I went out walking in the snow twice this morning,  getting ready for another "Big One" ....     So I am all set. 

Sandy
 

Gloria, that is some snow! It is like others I have seen in the east and northeast, you folks have to have lots of humidity for that amount! I will have to get out and take a few of our small amount. Stay warm, stay safe, and cuddle up and play with Taffy! 

My wife is going to have her dogs asses buried with hers.  I know there will be sorrow.

Sorry, I screwed up on ashes.  It sounds almost the same.

My first wife and her smiling hubby.  Picture back when skinny ties were in style.



Soon a picture of the wedding ceremony with wife no. 2.

Ray.  Good photo.  Look at that look in your eyes. Look ready to be up to something.

Look forward to seeing Number 2. See if the gleam still there.

BEVERLY...
...a very handsome looking son, you must be very very proud of him, his career and achievements in life... now if I was 30 years younger....    

BUBBLE...
...the children's playground looks rather spectacular when everything they have done is placed together...

ANGELFACE...
...they are good years in cat years, what a lovely picture tribute of your furbabies...

JACK WV...
...It goes without saying but you and Mimi really did strike lucky, looks like the two of you were made for each other, she is definitely coming into her own now...

RAY FRANZ...
...did they ever go out of fashion?... a lovely photo of the two of you, and a very smart couple you both made...

JeanneP asked about the trails.  Not busy now (some poor folk still work    The trails are busy during vacation months May till October.  I only use the top trails with no climbing.  Am posting my companion, and two photos taken from another spot.  The one winds around the buildings and back, the other is level for a bit then drops down around the lakes.    40 today and sunshine, had Mimi trimmed and then took for our walk.

I've been scrolling along & smiling at the photos and forgot to take notes!!!  I will "wing it"..... and may want to go back & modify.... the brain is still not up to par & body can't believe I'm insisting moving it around.

Beverly, this page opened with the beautiful portrait of your son (he is handsome & can mean a beautiful face, male or female!)... no question he has made you proud.  The photographer did a fine job of showing dignity & also a compassionate person.  My daughter has also chosen to retire, satisfied with her life work and ready to enjoy grandchildren, she has traveled the world so no interest in traveling, we'll see how this works.   

Patricia, love seeing your fur family again, and I do remember them.  I think it was Beau that gave you grief with his antics, right? 

Oh, poor Taffy.... hope you found a foot stool so Taffy could look out beyond that show.... funny shot, GloriaD

Bubble, I am so pleased to see kids using imagination to "think outside the box" to create.  It is discouraging to watch kids just open a box "kit" and put things together & never no clue how to make something out of nothing, like when we were kids.  My compliments to the kids for creating and pats on the back to the people that encouraged them.  And thanks to you for sharing their efforts!

Ray Franz, we've been around here a long time & I've always admired you & your family.  Okay, what year was that photo taken?  I was married in 1954 & skinny ties were in then.  You don't look nearly as "stressed" as my husband did/was ..... haha.....   you were handsome & trim, same as the last photo I saw of you.

And Jack, nothing makes me happier than to see a Golden pose for you.  She looks like a pup, so happy with her new life.  Would love to throw my arms around her for a hug. 

Mary Ann, my Tom looks like Peter & Kendrick.... when we took them in as babies, to be "fixed", we had no idea if they were male or female, had never touched them.  He went in as "Buttercup", even his eyes were yellow at that age, came home as "Tom." Their mama weaned them in the back yard, gave them to my husband & when she saw they were being fed, she left & we didn't see her again for 2 years, until the family that was feeding her moved & left her behind.  That was after my husband died, so when she started staying at our house I couldn't turn her away. 

Oh, wanted to tell you, Mary Ann, that when my oldest son was born the cord was around his neck & lungs did not inflate so he was in an Isolette with all those cords & tapes, his chest flat & had his head lower than his feet.  A ward nurse took him out of the Isolette the day after he was born so the doctor came in & told me "that because they had to increase the oxygen so high he might be blind, deaf or mentally challenged"..... He was 2 years old before I realized he was none of the above & in first grade was doing 5th grade work.  My best wishes to your babies and hope & pray they will do as well. 

And I can't go back to see what was on pages before this because I'm typing in the post box & know too well that it will vanish if I try to sneak a peak ..... been there, done that!  Thank you all for the photos and very nice hour of looking.  Better go check on cats, don't know who is in & which ones are out.  I need a walk, trying to get this old body working again.    Besides.......shut up, Shirley!!!

Ah, more to relish, Jack!  I am amazed at what a perfect "fit" Mimi is..... and know she is as happy as you are. What a gorgeous place to walk.... how about a "selfie" with her. 
 

A lovely place to walk, Jack.  Mimi looks perfectly content.

Shirley, my mother lost a girl who was a breach birth and had the cord around her neck.  This was a year before Norm was born - he 1929 and she 1928.  We had had a lot of rain and our street was not paved.  The doctor got stuck in the mud a block away and my grandmother, who had been a midwife in her younger years was there.  I think with a breach birth there was nothing my grandmother could have done, maybe not even the doctor. 

You were fortunate that your son missed out on all of the evils associated with a cord around his neck and a collapsed lung.  Isn't it nice when they exceed expectations in situations like that.  I kind of feel the same way about the quads in Indy, being four of them, and they all are college graduates and smart.

Interesting how Buttercup became Tom. 

Jack, I love seeing pictures of Mimi because I think goldens are second to none.

Mary Ann

This will be short, as it is getting near the time I go to bed and read.

Jack, always good to see pictures of Mimi

Shirley, I am so glad to see you posting, hope you feel better soon. Taffy just ruined the blind in my bedroom to day try to see out. Broke 3 slats.

Quote from: Beverly on February 10, 2017, 09:39:10 PM
Our son retired from the Vermont Judicial Dept. last January. This is the formal photo they hung in the courthouse where he spent his last few years on the bench.  Normally he has a short beard and wears glasses a lot, but the photographer requested the "natural" look. 

Great picture of your very handsome son, Beverly!

Gloria, I used to have a blind on my bedroom window and a cord was broken so the blind was down at all times.  I finally had it replaced with a honeycomb blind.  Kendrick occasionally looks out the window.  I have a table in front of the window so I moved some books away from one side and during the day when the blind is up, Kendrick will get up on his hind legs and look out on the pond.  If he sees something interesting (birds) he'll race downstairs to the slider in the family room.  Or he'll look out the window in Tom's bedroom. 

Mary Ann