Bump in the Night

There is nothing scarier than a good Halloween pumpkin (mine was good, not great).

Except, of course, waiting for election results. So, I'm hoping there is no bump in the middle of the night. No strange new dawn of uncertainty.

No, I would like to think the real nightmare is over. That suspense will be minimal. The joy, overwhelming. The healing? Well, we can always hope.

Absentee Blogging

Okay. So the frequency of my postings has slowed a bit. I've been wrapped up in things (how specific of me). But, I did vote. The ballot was mailed on Monday. And barring some unforeseen event, my vote will be counted. I hope all my dear friends and family in the US are voting. It's too important for you to not let your voices be heard. Participate or don't bother complaining about the result.

We're certainly sailing through uncharted waters with not only the US economy, but the global one as well. I've been following along here in Sweden. And while I find a silver lining in that the US Dollar has staged an amazing rally against European currencies, it's pretty bleak otherwise. Still, TJ and I have decided to keep traveling and not let the opportunity to see Europe slip away.

For those who know me well, you probably can guess how I voted. But, this video uses both humor and poignancy to illustrate why it's time for real change in the US. I'm hopeful.

Scene: Photo Vignettes III

Lördagsbarn Stopp!
Surbrunnsgatan and Stora Badhusgatan, Göteborg, Sweden
September 20, 2008 2:24pm


Lördagsbarn Gå!
Surbrunnsgatan and Stora Badhusgatan, Göteborg, Sweden
September 20, 2008 2:25pm

The Trials and Tribulations of a Spastic Hund

Yes, hund is Swedish for dog. And, isn't this a picture of one sad little hund? But, looks are deceiving. The bandage is more for protection than a determinant of actual injury.

So, how did this come to be. It starts, as usual, with new and unusal behavior from Zoey. In this case, she started acting strange in our favorite backyard restroom area behind the Otter House. Last week, she began to tiptoe (best description I can come up with) at the edge of the grass. She didn't seem to want to walk into the yard, let alone do her business. Occassionally, some unknown force was nipping at her feet and head. Then, she would sit down and stare out away from the yard. Curious. We had to move onto to other pastures, equally as green, but farther away.

So, some of this may be my fault. I failed to notice the small bugs on her. They were, in fact, mosquitoes. And, it appears, they were biting her. Somehow, I thought given the colder temperatures that the bugs would have gone to their permanent slumber. Apparently not. Zoey began licking her paw. Swollen and a little red. A bite.

Now, dogs seem to think their saliva has curative powers. They apply it everywhere. To everything. One side effect of continuous licking is hair loss. Another is irritation. Zoey had both. Thus, the bandage. Which lasted all of 15 hours. She is a clever girl. Still, there was a little time for the affected area to heal.

No need to send cards or flowers. The patient is doing well.

Scene: Photo Vignettes II

Leo Pacifier

Højbro Bron, Copenhagen, Denmark
September 6, 2008 4:14pm

Zoey Pacifier
Norra Allégatan, Göteborg, Sweden
September 5, 2008 1:48pm

Scene: Photo Vignettes I

Street Corner Buddha
Skeppsbron, Göteborg
August 29, 2008 9:25am

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v4

This post contains a list of new and notable music I've been listening to of late. Feel free to comment with your favorite songs and artists. I always welcome suggestions for music. To find out more about my musical tastes, check out my profile on LastFM.

Artist links will take you to an informational website (Myspace page, artist website, etc). Song links will take you to a video of the song.

I’ve dug a little deeper into world music for this edition. Some artists are repeat offenders; I’ve previously recommended their music. Enjoy!

Pop
From Australia, Gabriella Cilmi, with a full-throated voice like Anastacia, delivers in-your-face pop-rock on Save The Lies, the follow-up to Sweet About Me. Her next single is Don’t Wanna Go To Bed Now. Pretty smart lyrics coming from a 16 year-old. She's got the voice to back up the bravado. And, finally, in Gabriella’s case, who doesn’t love a good cover of Echo Beach! Also from OZ comes Vanessa Amorosi with her soaring Perfect. Yes, it is. For a sweet redux back to the 60’s pop landscape, there is UK artist Beth Rowley on So Sublime. Canadian singer Esthero is Never Gonna Let You Go. Now, if she could just offer this unreleased song for sale. Swedish rising star Veronica Maggio sings in Swedish, but her voice translates Stopp and Mandagsbarn into mod 60’s-esque pop gems. An Iranian-born Swedish artist, Arash (featuring Rebecca), was all over the airwaves last month with Suddenly. And, then there is Belgian singer Kate Ryan. Her last song (Voyage, Voyage) was pure europop. But not my cup of tea. And repetitive. The same can be said of her new song, Ella Elle l’a. Still, I cannot get it out of my head. The final Pop entry is huge in Europe. I’m not sold, but I’ll pass it along anyway. The Script from Ireland with the somewhat drippy The Man Who Can’t Be Moved. Maybe a new category: schmaltz pop.

Dance
Shine (Ian Carey Mix) is yet another dance song off of Booty Luv's debut album. More grooves to shake things up on the dancefloor. Laurent Wolf (featuring Éric Carter) brings on the euro-dance beats with No Stress (Club Mix). Bellatrax (featuring Sophia May) loses control on I Can’t Help Myself (Sunfreakz Mix). One of those songs where you want to be in the center of the dancefloor waving your arms over your head. Well, I do. On Mike Polo’s I Love U Baby (Extended Mix), I think we get it. Emphatically. I finally jumped on the fun, sexy Lady GaGa bandwagon. Teamed with Colby O’Donis on Just Dance, Lady GaGa may not be able to see straight, but she knows the ultimate destination is the dancefloor.

Alternative
Wow! When I first heard Stop The Clocks by German band Donots, it was like listening to WHFS in Washington, DC back in the early 90's. Ah, the good old alternative radio days. And I dating myself here? Probably. Still, how can you resist a music video with puppies? Someone who caught my attention then is back again: Juliana Hatfield. She teams with Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs on This Lonely Love. The song is a long way from Everybody Loves Me But You or Universal Heartbeat. Her voice and tone has matured nicely with age. From Spain, Amaral puts it out there on Kamikaze. If only Shakira had gone in this direction.

Adult Alternative
The search for the next retro-cool singer (think Amy Winehouse or Duffy) has turned up a young Swiss singer, Stephanie Heinzmann. She’s big in Germany and her voice is spreading across the continent. Check out Like A Bullet, My Man is a Mean Man, and Revolution to get a sense of her talent. Norwegian singer Maria Haukaas Storeng sang Hold On Be Strong in the 2008 Eurovision contest. I missed the performance. As such, I didn’t hear her song until it started flooding the airwaves this Summer. Finally, Irish singer Laura Izibor follows up the promise of From My Heart To Yours and Don’t Stay with breezy, bright Shine. Check out this talented voice!!!

Hip-Hop
In 2007, Norwegian group Madcon remade Beggin’ and garnered success in a few corners of Europe. What a difference a year makes. The song, an amalgam of hip/hop and retro pop, has made its way all over Europe in a big way. Dig deeper and check out their song Liar.

Guilty Pleasures
Swingle Singing. Huh? Say what? In Swingle singing, songs without lyrics are sung using the sounds doo's, boo's, dah's and bah's. It originated out of the 60’s from a group of French session singers led by Ward Swingle. Hence the name. The Swingle Singers have been through several incarnations, but are still around today (sans Ward).


Archive Posts
Musik i Full Fart Volume I
Musik i Full Fart Volume II
Musik i Full Fart Volume III

Ooh, it really makes me wonder...

There was a story at the English language news site, The Local, regarding pedestrian crosswalk signals. The signal (shown above) is manufactured by a Swedish company, Prisma Teknik, and is ubiquitous in Sweden. It is also found in a number of other countries around the world. Be on the lookout for it.

Seems innocuous, doesn't it? A warning light, a figure of a pedestrian, and a helpful hand that points up to the button that should be pressed before crossing the street. But, in reality, the hand actually is a hidden symbol for God. The president of Prioma Teknik states that "We want to show that there is only one way to reach God and that is up and through Jesus." Now that's a subliminal stairway to heaven!

Of course, it is possible that if you don't press the button, but still cross the road, you might end up reaching God a lot sooner. Having said that, I use the hand to guide me to the button every time I cross the road. Heaven can wait!

Iceland: Fire and Ice Adventure

Iceland is vast. An amalgamation of varied worlds. It's the size of the state of Kentucky (TJ read that somewhere) but seems a million miles from the bluegrass state of mind. Except for the horses. There are a lot of horses in Iceland. They're hardy, like the people. They've survived fire and ice. And live in the great wide open. A visitor sees seemingly endless vistas like this one in the Westfjordlands. Icelanders live it. [click on images to see a larger view]

Getting around this island country was an adventure in itself. We had a Volkswagen Polo as our trusty steed. Manual. Which means TJ drove. And, brilliantly maneuvered across the variety of road surfaces that exist in Iceland. The Ring Road encircles the entire island. And it is paved. At least the sections we were on. But, straying away from the Ring Road is where road adventures begin. Most interior roads are called F-Roads. Rental cars are not allowed on F-Roads. We did not travel on F-Roads. But, we did drive on a lot of roads that were unpaved to varying degrees. Narrow. Occasionally steep. Usually with no guardrails. Like the road shown below. The posted speed limit was always much higher than what we felt could be driven given the conditions. But, not for the locals.

In Iceland, there were two things that stood out in the pockets of civilization. Restored churches and land-dwelling ships. There were churches everywhere...and anywhere. Many were situated adjacent to a homestead in the middle of pasture land. Sometimes with no means of access except to drive up to the adjacent house and park in the their driveway. We did not do this. Instead, we looked for the signposts indicating a church and access. As such, we did not visit a lot of churches. Most churches look like they were just built. Wood, stone and cement. Painted white with colorful roof and trim accents (usually red); though some churches were black. It turns out that many have been restored by the descendants of those who built or maintained the church (back in the day). Picturesque. Maybe that is the point.

As for the ships. Was this how [coastal] communities displayed their connection to the sea? Were the ships simply out of commission after years of sailing service? Had they all been blown ashore in big storms? Probably the truth resides in equal parts. Regardless, it was still kind of unique to see a ship moored on dry land. Smaller boats had been placed in playgrounds. A connection to the sea for young and old alike.

Water surrounds Iceland. And water flows out of Iceland. Water, water, everywhere. Falling. Thundering down to the sea. A land of waterfalls. Some were grand, like Gullfoss waterfalls.

Others were smaller (relatively speaking - note person in photo for scale). You could walk right up to them. And, in the case of Seljalandsfoss waterfalls (below), you could walk behind them.

Iceland is a land between two continents. It sits atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian plates are spreading apart. As such, it was born of volcanoes. Everywhere there is evidence of current and past geo-dynamic activity. Some violent, some beautiful, some both. TJ and I ventured to a couple of geothermal areas, mainly in South/Southwest Iceland. In one town, you could walk right up to the boiling mud. This was as close as I wanted to get. Still, it made me a bit nervous.

At another, we walked past warning barriers and into an unstable steam field. After a strong earthquake in late May, the activity shifted across an access road. We walked in and surveyed the spread of escaping steam. TJ walked out onto a lookout and boardwalk that had been closed for obvious reasons. Luckily, he only came away with dirty hands.

Other terrain in Iceland is a bit more benign. Lots of old and new lava flows. During the cooling of thick lava flows, fracturing can lead to the formation of hexagonal columns. Known as columnar basalt, these formation are found throughout Iceland. Sometimes, just the tops of the formation are exposed.

In a guidebook, we found some interesting statistics. Iceland comprises a land surface of about 100,000 square kilometers. Of this, glaciers represent 12 percent and pasture land another 24 percent. But, according to this source, the majority of Iceland (65%) is referred to as wasteland. At first, we thought that was a bit of a misnomer. But as we drove high above the fjords or across the moss-covered lava fields, we realized that wasteland was an apt description for this alien landscape.

In South Iceland, the Ring Road cuts through kilometers of coarse black grit surrounded by nothing but an occasional [large] boulder. This is glacial debris deposited by catastrophic floods when Katla, the volcano underneath Myrdalsjokull Glacier, erupted and melted the glacier. Katla has erupted 16 times in historical times; the last time in 1918. Driving on this flat black plane our thoughts turned to disaster scenarios. What would happen if Katla erupted while we were driving? Where would we go? Would/could we survive? We identified a high promontory on the coast that might offer safety. We were only here for a vacation, the farms and houses around us live with this doomsday scenario every day.

This mixture of fire and ice is what makes Iceland unique. But, with the fire, you likely want it small and contained. A hot springs or geyser will do. A violent, erupting volcano. No thank you, please. Yes, ice. Flowing ice. Melting ice. Sometimes, just eating ice. Here I am enjoying some ice that is likely over 1000 years old. Yes, in a sense, I am contributing to global warming. But, it was oh-so-enjoyable.

The highlight of the trip was seeing icebergs lying on a beach. Now, technically, I am not sure if they are still considered icebergs if not floating in water? But that's beside the point. Look at the colors. Look at the size. There was clear ice and coarse granular ice and snow cone ice. There was white ice, blue ice and black ice.

There were small icebergs and large, bigger than TJ, icebergs. It was a landscape like no other I had ever seen. And that is a lasting memory I wish to share with you.

I have posted more photos from our trip on Picasa here. Enjoy!

All photos shown on this post and on the Picasa link were taken with my new digital point and shoot camera. It is a Canon Powershot SD1100 IS in Bohemian Brown and I really like it.

Skyr: The Gelato of Iceland

I hadn't really given much thought to what food marvels I might discover in Iceland. If any, I assumed it would be a fish dish. But, on the Icelandair flight to Reykjavik, they served a creamy deliciousness called skyr. The in-flight magazine described it as a type of cheese product made from skim milk. But, it really fits into the yogurt family. However, in Iceland, they use the product in all types of dishes. So, it's not just a dessert sensation. Regardless, with low fat and high protein what's not to like. Skyr.is is the most prominent skyr product.

The taste is very familiar and, yet, quite different. I am tempted to say that it had a taste doppleganger in Yoplait's Custard Style Yogurt. But, I believe, Yoplait has changed the name (now Thick and Creamy), packaging, and maybe even the taste of that product since I last tried it. Damn those marketing execs!

Fret not, eager Americans, Whole Foods offers this delectable, cultured product in select regions of the country. I can only imagine what unimaginable price they charge for it, but try it anyway. At least once. Hopefully, it won't eat up your entire paycheck. For those of you in the rest of the world (myself included), a(nother) trip to Iceland is in order.

A-ah-ahh-ah, ah-ah-ahh-ah

we've come from the land of the ice and snow

from the midnight sun

where the hot springs flow

Back from Iceland. Amazing holiday. Amazing land. Our luck with the weather continued from the Italy trip. Only on the last two days was it overcast. But, even the clouds proved to be beneficial. We never would have noticed the partial solar eclipse had it been sunny. As far as midnight sun, we missed it by about a month. The sun actually set around 11:30pm and rose at 4:15am.

Our holiday is officially over. So, I will be posting about the Iceland trip as soon as I finish some posts on the Italy trip. August will be catch up month in that respect. Cheers.

Solen Skiner

The sun was shining for nearly the entire trip down to Italy. Could not have asked for any better weather. The weather gods were smiling indeed. And so, there are two sunsets that rate as the best of the trip. Both are from Italy. No surprise there. The Mediterranean skies are the most vibrant.

The first was on the walk back from the cliff-side towns of Manarola to Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre National Park.

The other was on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. As always a large crowd had gathered. We enjoyed the moment with them.

Giving Props to Pisa

Italy, land of my forebearers. And pasta. But, honestly, only one word adequately and accurately defines Italy:

G - E - L - A - T - O

I could have eaten gelato morning, noon and night. But, since breakfast was included at all the hotels, I missed out on that gastronomic trifecta. Pity.

In Pisa, a rite of passage for [nearly every] tourist is posing for the I Propped Up the Leaning Tower of Pisa picture. We were not ones to shirk our supportive duties. But, the question I have for you is: Who worked it better?

Hotel Recommendation: Hotel Globus in Florence. Very nice. Modern. In the heart of the city. Close to everything.

If We Took a Holiday...

A road trip. From Sweden to Italy. See the sights (and everything in between) in 10 days. This was going to be the best! holiday! ever! How could it not be? And who would choose to go on this daring venture? Seasoned travelers. Of sound mind and spirit. Of course. [click on a pic for a larger view]

Summer Listening

On holiday. Hence, the dearth of posts. Just finished the first leg of travel. Heard this song driving through Germany. Highly recommended. Little White Lies by Jenniffer Kae. She's an upcoming singer out of Germany and has a great voice. Her website is here. Enjoy the video.

Parting Shots [Göteborg]

Having lived in Göteborg for a good 5 months, I guess it was finally time for me to point the camera at my surroundings. To explore the visual treats that this city has to offer. Yes, there are visual treats to be found. If you like abstract, colorful, sober images. Which I happen to like. It's kind of like godis for the eyes. Since we will be living here at least another 18 months, I will have the opportunity to revisit certain locations through the seasons. You know, the two seasons we have here: Winter and cool Summer. Should be able to provide a complete spectrum of "my Göteborg." This is just the beginning.

So, the first stop on the tour is on the docks alongside Maritiman, the floating ship museum, which is located at Packhuskajen. There are 19 ships and vessels, including a submarine. Several are brightly colored. Naturally, I gravitate towards those ships. Shadow, anyone?

There is a floating platform between two of the ships. I assume it to be a painting platform. Most of the ship colors seen are present as splattered paint on the floating platform. How's that for deductive reasoning? The ships are painted anew often. Though sometimes, the colors don't quite match. The orange ship pictured above has at least 5 different shades of orange on its side.

Bold colors energize me. Red. Anchor. Away.

Party Post-Mortem

The Fourth of July party couldn't have been any more fun. Well, maybe if the Swedish Bikini Team had shown up. Still, fun. And warm. The weather gods were listening and the warm temps (27C+) returned just in time. Friends, food, drink, music and good conversation. What more could you ask for? TJ in a silly hat, perhaps?

I was not wearing mine for this photo, but both of us did receive a hat. One of many gifts from our dear new friends welcoming us to Sweden. A few pix from the party. To see more photos, either select a photo below or click here.

One thing I learned at the party is that my compact digital camera is toast. Too much abuse over the years. I've dropped it more times than I care to admit. All the photos seem to be out of focus on one side. Not good. And the trip to Burning Man added quite a bit of dust to the interior of the camera. Dust, you can have as much as you like.

Another thing I learned is that Swedes can really drink. But, occasionally, so can TJ. The day after photo tells the story. Shhhh. Be very very quiet.

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v3

This post contains a list of new and notable music I've been listening to of late. Feel free to comment with your favorite songs and artists. I always welcome suggestions for music. To find out more about my musical tastes, check out my profile on LastFM.

Artist links will take you to an informational website (Myspace page, artist website, etc). Song links will take you to a video of the song.

Dance
Freemasons ft. Katherine Ellis – When You Touch Me (2008 Club Mix/Radio Edit). The Freemasons come to the dancefloor rescue! What a killer dance track. The video is an homage to Bob Fosse's choreography in a dance number, Rich Man's Frug, from the movie Sweet Charity. For more of Katherine Ellis’ exquisite full-throttled voice, try Stereo Palma – Dreaming or ABSO ft. Katherine Ellis – Let The Beat Hit ‘Em (Soul Avengerz Remix). The latter can only be found on a Hed Kandi mix at the moment.

This Summer, one of the hottest songs in Europe (and hopefully beyond) is Hagenaar & Albrecht – What Would We Do (Original Edit). The funky piano chords hit you hard. Although the next song, Soul Survivors ft. Angie Brown – Bring It Back (Classic Club), came out last year, take a listen to this retro disco gold. Angie Brown's vocals are strong, lively, and cajoling. Bring it back, indeed. An electric disco maestro from Australia, Sam Sparro – Black & Gold, hit the UK charts earlier this Spring. His music is making its presence known in the US. Listen closely and enjoy. Dig a little deeper and try Hot Mess, a falsetto funk that echoes Prince and Al Green. If you seek a distinctive, androgynous voice set to a hypnotic disco sway then Hercules and Love Affair – Blind should meet your needs. Need to be uplifted? Danny Clark & Jay Benham – Wondrous (MuthaFunkaz Mix) truly delivers a wondrous reworking of a praise chorus by SuSu Bobien. And who knew that girl from Queens, Cyndi Lauper – Set Your Heart, would still be delivering the goods 25 years after she just wanted to have fun. End it all with a little (lack of) love from Russia: Valeriya - The Party's Over

Trance/Electronica
Kaskade makes big waves with Strobelight Seduction. Great vocal tracks include Angel On My Shoulder and I Remember (Strobelight Edit). You may also want to check out his remix of Britney Spear's Break The Ice. Yes, I am recommending a Britnot song. The last time I did that, it was a Guilty Pleasure pick.

Ambient Alternative
Bitter:Sweet delivers sexy space-age love songs. That's the good news. The bad news is that most of their songs sound oh-so-similar. The best of the bunch is The Mating Game.

Adult Alternative
Aussie Gabriella Cilmi sings playfully sly and sweet on Sweet About Me. The song was used in a 2008 European commercial for Rexona deodorant. Keren Ann sings airy and light as a Summer breeze on Lay Your Head Down. The song was used in a commercial for H&M promoting their 2008 Summer collection. Jon McLaughlin – Beautiful Disaster reminds me a lot of Shawn Mullins. And that's a very good thing. I liked Tristan Prettyman when she sang with Jason Mraz on Shy That Way from her previous album, 23. Check out her new song, Madly, and see why I continue my admiration for her singing and songwriting abilities.

Jazz
Every once in a while you need something cool and calm to wind down the day. That something could be Melody Gardot singing Worrisome Heart.

Retro 70’s and Neo-Soul
Jamie Lidell is crazy. The evidence is here, here, and here. But, he makes great music. How can you not be taken in by the soulful retro old school sounds of Another Day?

Guilty Pleasures
We started with a video homage to Sweet Charity and end with another for Valley of the Dolls. It's the Pipettes! With their retro 60's Brit-pop confection called Pull Shapes. I had read about the group a few years ago, but didn't explore much beyond three female singers in polka dot hoop skirts. Then, late last year, YouTuber Michael Buckley (aka What The Buck) promoted the song in his video blog. And I became hooked. You might too.



Archive Posts
Musik i Full Fart Volume I
Musik i Full Fart Volume II

Happy Fourth of July!

In Swedish, that would be Glad Juli Fjärde! Or some close approximation thereof. I think. Okay, I'm guessing. But, it's all about intention.

And it was our intention to have a party on July 4th here in Goteborg. And so, it has come to pass. We are having a Fourth of July party in Goteborg. We will be the only Americans at our party. Which may seem a little sad. But, we take solace in the fact that there's an American icon playing just across town at Ullevi Stadium. The Boss. As in Bruce Springsteen, The Boss.

Another amusing addendum to our adventures. How American is that? The Boss! Almost as American as a soker kaka decorated like an American flag with blueberries and strawberries. Now, that's American! Happy Fourth of July from TJ, Chris, Lily and Zoey!!!!

Pests and Pestilence

It is well into Summer and the ticks (fästning in Swedish) seem to be winning the game.

Current Score

Ticks 5
Chris/Lily/Zoey 0

Two things are wrong with that score. First, that my name is up there. Second, that TJ's name is not. I've already described the tick that we tweezed off Zoey several weeks back. New scores were posted during our Midsommar excursion.

You see, in Tanum, where we were, there are walking paths. And those walking paths pass through forests. And in those forests, lying in wait, are ticks. Lots of ticks. We picked quite a few ticks off the dogs while we were there. Then, we came home. And, the ticks appeared.

We got back in early evening. I showered. And found the first tick...on me. And, I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you where it was. Almost. It was on my nipple. No, I have no idea how it got there. But, it was attached. And quite content, suckling, as it were. And so, I can only say that the image of TJ coming towards me with a pair of [heated] tweezers is not a pleasant one. And, yes, I am monitoring the area to make sure no telltale ring appears. Lyme disease is present here in Sweden.

The next day, an even scarier discovery. A tick on Lily. On her eyelid. I had to wait until TJ got home so we could both deal with this tiny terror. Lily is one of the most patient (and gentle) dogs in the world. Two more ticks, the last one 5 full days after our return. Hopefully the last. It hasn't scared us from venturing into the woods. We'll just be better prepared.

On to another recurrent pest. The rats at the Otter House. Two nights ago, as I was walking the dogs out the front of the building, a rat ran right in front of the door. Oh dear god, they are relocating to our building! Nooooo! Stay across the street at the Otter House!

I did, however, make a discovery that puts my mind at ease. As I mentioned, the dogs relieve themselves in the back yard of the Otter House. A week or so ago, Zoey started eating something off the ground. When I finally discovered what it was I was horrified. It was a pellet. As in a rat pellet. As in rat poop. Needless to say, I kept her away from the pellets as best I could. No sense having her contract bubonic plague or a rat version of Hanta virus. Yes, I do worry about these things, even if the possibility is remote.

All that worry for naught. Yesterday, I took the girls over to the Otter House. As we rounded the corner into the back yard, a giant rabbit bounded away. It was a ridiculously large rabbit. I did wonder how those small rats could produce such large-looking poop pellets. Now, I had my answer. It was the giant rabbit! So, as I explained to TJ, I no longer worry about the dogs eating the rabbit pellets. A supplemental food source, right? Somehow, TJ does not share my viewpoint on this. He even questions the existence of the giant rabbit. I know what I saw. It was there. A big, hinking rabbit. What else could it have been? Does Lyme disease cause hallucinations?

UPDATE: TJ has seen the rabbit! He described it as huge. I'm vindicated! And not crazy. Well, not that crazy.