New Puppy - Molly Tupal

Call me crazy....but, I had a weak moment on July 29th when we went to visit/view some Springer Spaniel/Lab puppies. It was on the last day of dog sitting my old lab friend Shaddow. (See the story of Shaddow in my 2005 archive). I once again was thinking seriously about wanting a larger dog, and, well, there in the morning newspaper was the answer to my desire.

The puppies were at a house on an small lake out in the country, about 16 miles away, so we had a nice drive for a Saturday morning. There were 3 female puppies available. All were black, although each had unique markings. One had a white speckled foot and more Springer look, but she was very clingy. I didn't want (another) clingy/whinny dog...so we skipped that one. The other two...one was pure black with no white...a bit longer hair with curly hair on her ears; the other had some white but looked more lab. So....I picked the pure black/curly ear hair puppy....much to my husband's dismay. At the time, he was negating my trying to make a decision with comments like "we should talk to our vet", "you should do more research on dog breeds", etc. I, instead, took out my checkbook, paid the fee, and gathered the puppy up...heading out the door.

We struggled with discovering a name, kicking around a series of them on our drive back home. The one that seemed appropriate was "Molly", although when run past my daughter, I was told it was "too common". Well...the dog seems to come to "Molly", so....Molly it is. I decided to fancy it up by adding a Star Trek character's name to the mix...Tupal. Tupal was the Vulcan woman on the newest series - Enterprise....that was sadly cancelled last year. So...Molly Tupal is our new dog's name.

Molly seems quite smart, is picking up on routines very quickly for a gal that has been on the planet for (now) 8 1/2 weeks. The other dogs are getting accustomed to her...and I'm enjoying having a new dog pal.

(Above Photo is of Shaddow (L) & Molly (R), with my dog Zeek in the background. Below is John with Molly and Zeek on the couch)


S~

Astounding Rainbow

June 18th we had an ominous storm pass over, and luckily we were spared any severe weather. The storm, though, momentarily made the most astounding rainbow that I've seen.


I was driving along the Lake Michigan lakeshore when I saw it. It brilliantly glowed, and where the illusion suggested it met the water, the water seemed illuminated. I tried to capture it with my digital camera. The pictures do not begin to show the glory that it let us glimpse for the fleeting moments it arched across the sky.

Feeling Crummy Summer

I've not been the greatest at keeping up with my blog this summer because I have felt crummy ever since going on my trip to Colorado. I mentioned that while I was there in early June, I did develop bronchitis. I lost my voice, developed a cough, and by the time I got back to Wisconsin, I had a sore throat and plugged up ears. I've had several doctor visits, and the initial ones did address the bronchitis. However, I have never quite gotten over the plugged ears, my throat still flares up, and about every couple days, I'm back feeling fatigued and generally not great. So..it certainly has slowed down my summer.

I've tried to think of the good things that this has given me...not feeling great for 6+ weeks causes a person to ponder many things that are not so positive. But, on the positive side, this has certainly caused me to slow down! I mean, left to my own devices, I tend to be busy..busy...busy. Feeling crummy has made me take naps and rest and do nothing. So...hopefully by the time college begins in September, I sure hope to be back to my zippy self.

Yearly Fireworks

4th of July was quiet...relatively...for us as we had no plans for parties, or company, or anything really out of the normal routine. Instead it was a day of working in the yard on projects that we've had in mind. The main project of the day was beginning work on a cement block patio area below our deck. After finishing 1/2 of the project, we took some time to leisurely bask in the joy of our work....setting up our chairs and enjoying the cool of the evening. When dusk fell, off we went to watch the local fireworks, choosing a spot along the breakwater of Lake Michigan where I usually go fishing here in Two Rivers.

HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT HOLIDAY!