…like riding a rocking chair….

I hope it makes it…

Both our dogs got into a conversation with a porcupine last week. After an expensive visit to the vet (on a Sunday morning) they were both considerably relieved. Here’s a photo of Max on his way to the vet. That’s about the unhappiest look I’ve ever seen on his face. The white things sticking out of his mouth are, of course, porcupine quills. Occasionatlly it would really bother him and he’d try to claw his face off — if he could have climbed out of his skin, he would have.

According to the vet, Max only got a “polite sniff” …

We won’t be eating these…

“Back then there weren’t any tall trees growing anywhere on the ranch…”

“it’s a steep climb to get there but worth the work, every time”

I love this time of year on the ranch. It seems like you can’t wave a stick wthout waving it at a flower of some kind or other. The cheerful irises are everywhere, and this year we seem to have more than normal of the bright yellow Oregon Grape flowers. They look like English holly but aren’t.

walking along a ranch road lit only by starlight…

Climbed to the top of the “knob”….

… huffing and puffing is more like it…