This meme popped up again recently on social media. Nothing groundbreaking, and of course there are other ways to learn to be more empathetic, but it resonates with this blogger.
Reading good books to young children has to be one of the most loving and fun ways to teach empathy. I don’t know who wrote the quote, but I can’t help but agree with it. How about you?
❤️📚📚📚📖💙📖💙📖📚📚📚❤️
🐾 A WINDOW EACH 🐾
Hello, Friends & Felines!
Gordie and Louie here, to let you know it’s the 2nd Anniversary of our adoption. Time certainly flies when you’re having fun, let me tell you. And we are ever so grateful that Jennifer and Paul came into our lives at the Gander SPCA on this day two years ago.
But who really rescued who? Our peeps were sad and lonely for another pair of cats, and we were hesitant at first, but now we are completely bonded and imprinted and can’t imagine any other life.
Have you ever considered rescuing an animal in need?
Have a purr-usal and see why we think these are all worthy reasons to bring a lovely little cat like either of us – or a friendly doggie! – into your heart and home this fall.
1. Every pet adopted from a shelter, instead of purchased from a pet store or breeder, improves the pet overpopulation problem.
2. Adopting a dog or cat from a no-kill shelter can free up space for older or special needs pets that may not find new homes before the end of their natural lives.
3. There are plenty of animals to choose from at most shelters. They come in every age, shape, size, coat color and breed mix. You can find purebreds at shelters as well.
4. Compared to the cost of purchasing a pet, adopting one is relatively inexpensive. And if you get a slightly older dog or cat, there’s a good chance he is already fully vaccinated and neutered.
5. Adopting an older pet allows you to skip over the time-consuming, often frustrating puppy or kitten stage of development and takes the guesswork out of what your pet will look like as an adult – size, the thickness and color of her coat, and her basic temperament, for example.
6. Most rescues do assessments on every pet taken in, to determine things like temperament, whether the pet has any aversion to other pets or people, whether he is housebroken, has had obedience training, etc.
7. Many shelters also offer lots of new owner support and materials about training, behavior problems, nutrition, grooming and general care.
8. If you have kids, adopting a shelter animal can open their eyes to the plight of homeless pets, teach compassion and responsibility, and show them how wonderful it feels to give a home to a pet that might otherwise live in a cage or be euthanized.
9. An older adoptive pet can be the perfect companion for an older person. Many middle-aged and senior dogs and cats require less physical exertion and attention than younger animals.
10. An adopted pet can enrich your life. The unconditional love and loyalty of a dog or cat can lift depression, ease loneliness, lower blood pressure, and give you a reason to get up in the morning. A kitty asleep in your lap feels warm and comforting. A dog that loves to walk or run outdoors can be just the incentive you need to start exercising regularly.
*list adapted from source: healthypets.mercola.com
If this list prompts just one of you to adopt a pet, we have helped an animal in need. And if you share the list, you could help an animal too.
Think about it.
💙 Lots of love, Gordie & Louie 💙
*This is my last instalment of Summer Memories, previously shared on September 15, 2014.
As the last tranquil days of summer disappear, I am drawn to the warmth of the sandy beaches that encircle Perry’s Point.
For a few moments, I can almost forget colder days are approaching…
This stretch of sand is begging for bare feet.
“To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.”
~ William Blake
It’s good to see that the beach birds are still around.
The sandpipers and plovers seem to be in no hurry to wing their way south for the winter.
Among the strands and clumps of kelp, there must be lots of yummy tidbits for them to eat.
Notice how some like to stand on one leg.
The different species get along fairly well, sharing Nature’s bounty.
Flight!
Due to global warming, many species of birds in North America are dwindling in numbers, and the numbers on protected and endangered lists are increasing.
I hope you never face extinction, my precious feathered friends.
This one appears to have something to say about it all.
I love their plump little bodies…
…and their long beaks!
Vivian doesn’t go down to the beach unless she has company…
Good thing for the beach birds!
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” ~ Charles Darwin
Thank you for stopping by to enjoy the beach with me, and Summer’s last hurrah. 🙂
Has Fall arrived where you live?
*My Summer Memories series will soon come to an end, just as summer does. ☀️🕶️🌞
We might not have the greatest weather in Newfoundland, but we do have some of the loveliest views.
I can’t seem to get enough of our local brand of Vitamin Sea.
This photo is from my hometown/birthplace.
A beautiful view from Signal Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
*
I have a treasure trove of pics from our visit to the town of Bonavista.
This one is perfect for the theme of half sea and half sky.
*
I took this one evening from the lovely Garden Cove Walking Trail,
while we were staying in Kilmory Resort in Swift Current.
*
Of course, this post would not be complete without a view from our own backyard.
“Smell the sea and feel the sky.
Let your soul and spirit fly.”
~ Van Morrison
*
Do you find the sea and sky as naturally therapeutic as I do?
***
Travel Theme: Land meets Water
(… meets sky? 😉 )
In a fishing village like Newtown, you will often see brightly-painted buoys adorning fences, rails and walls, particularly in summer.
While buoys of all types are still used for fishing. . .
. . . many are adapted solely for decoration.
As fall approaches, most of the buoys will be put away until next summer, but some embellish the landscape all year round.
When creating the title for this post, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Don Henley song, The Boys of Summer.
“I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
after the boys of summer have gone.”
Of course, if you are from anywhere besides the U.S., my play on words makes sense.
All other English-speaking countries pronounce buoy like “boy”, whereas most Americans pronounce it “boo-ee”. I wonder why.
And if that’s the case, how do Americans pronounce “buoyant” and “buoyancy”?
How do you pronounce buoy?
Do tell!
(And can you tell I’m not
ready for summer to end?)
*Summer Memories Series
“If I had my life to live over, I’d pick more daisies.”
– Don Herold
“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.”
– Carl Sagan
Summer and my love for it has been a delightful and major distraction, but of course those days are racing by. As the weather cools, you should see me around more often.
Now, where was I?
Oh yes – he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me…
🌼🦋🌼🦋🌼
Happy Monday, all!
When I woke up Saturday morning and picked up my phone, I noticed an unusual amount of notifications, including likes, follows and comments on my blog. Then I opened this email:
After blogging for nearly 15 years, I had finally made it to a “wider audience”. Thank you to all the new subscribers, and thank you for your lovely comments and likes. It means a lot to me. Maybe my fellow bloggers will one day receive this honour as well. I’m proof that it’s never too late!
If you haven’t checked out the post yet, here it is:
What is it that inspires our desire to create?
What moves an artist to draw or to paint a picture? What sparks the passion in a writer to pen a poem or a story? What is it that prompts a photographer to run for her camera and try to capture that perfect shot?
Here are a few things that give me continued inspiration:
1. The ocean, which surrounds me. No surprise there, right?
Every day, it is a slightly different colour, morphing between shades of blue sapphire, steel grey, or deep, dark navy with racing waves and frothy white-caps. On other days, it is as calm and flat as a mirror. The sea is a living thing: mercurial, organic, merciless, and endlessly beautiful.
2. I’ve always had a passion for all animals (no, not just my cats! 😉 ). Horses, dogs, whales, and birds… …natural beings of the forest and untamed creatures of the sea and sky.
3. Teaching children about Nature, and why we need to respect it, appreciate it and care for it is a spark for my imagination. I love answering their many questions…… and listening to them tell of their own experiences in the beautiful, natural world.
Have you ever noticed how Children and Nature go so happily together?
“As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us..”
~ Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth
“Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them.”
~ Audubon Nature Preschool
Do you have special childhood memories of exploring Nature?
What fills you with inspiration? Do tell!
First posted on this date, August 5, 2015
This evergreen post first appeared on today’s date in 2014. (Gosh, did life seem simpler back then?) We had planned to visit Lead Cove last summer, but couldn’t because of all the wildfire alerts in the area. We are fervently hoping we get to visit there in August. 🙏
☀️☀️☀️
Summer in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador, compared to most of North America, is short but ever so sweet. What makes it so cherished, to my mind?
The following photos were all taken in Lead Cove, the little community where I raised my children.
I love my home for its natural beauty,
its refreshing, rugged and
unspoiled charm,
for its clear and wide blue skies
without a whisper of smog.
I love the clean, sparkling water
and the glistening rocks adorning the coastline
that beg to be traced
and trod upon by eager footsteps.
I love summer in Newfoundland
for its breathtaking views
of seascapes and landscapes
when I embark on a hike.
Whether I traverse
its beaches of sand or
climb its rocky windswept hills,
I know my camera will find its aim.
I embrace it because
the bushes and shrubs,
green and lush,
are heavy with fragrance
and of wild roses in bloom…
…while in the gardens,
the planted perennials are brilliant with colour,
delighted at last
to spread their bright petals to the sun.
I love the hardy trees of Newfoundland…
…as they stretch
their ripe foliage to the sky.
Shot through with rays of sunlight,
a shimmering haze settles over the treetops
like a warm summer veil.
After a long winter and dismal spring
of cold, naked branches,
they, as I do,
breathe a sigh of gratitude
at the return of this warm and golden season.
Are your days filled with Summer Lovin’
where you live?
*All photos and prose are from 2014
Here is another favourite to add to my Summer Memories collection.
This post takes us back to an overnight stay on Gander River in June of 2023.
Whenever my husband Paul has to travel for work in our beautiful province, I often accompany him. Particularly enjoyable are the trips that take us somewhere we haven’t visited before. And when we can combine business and pleasure, the trips are all the more fun.
This time Paul’s work took him to a business associate’s cabin on the Gander River, to design an extension and renovation for the client. The long boat in the photo above took us there, the only way to access the site.
In spite of the high winds, and getting splashed by spray over the side of the boat, the temps were warm and the views were lovely.
Here below is a shot of the little guest cabin we stayed in on the property. So cozy!
The Gander River is well-known for its salmon pools and outfitting business. To learn more, check out this site.
Below: blue flag iris growing along the shoreline.
Time to eat, sit back and relax.
Our gracious hosts provided a delicious grilled steak supper and refreshments at the main cabin.
I would love to go back there someday!
