Does your UPS delivery person bring treats for your dog? Mine does. Do they allow your dog to lick their face? Mine does. It seems like a funny thing to say but I am thankful for my UPS man – he is always so pleasant and he loves my Vizsla Simon. What more can you ask for?
Happy American Thanksgiving!
I absolutely love photographing at vineyards– the incredibly beautiful vines row upon row, the succulent grapes hanging on the leafy vines and of course the highlight of being able to taste the wines. We are so excited to have the cover of the September/October issue of the new North Carolina Winepress magazine – hope you check it out! This photograph was taken at the lovely family owned Flinthill Vineyards located in the East Bend. They also have a restaurant located in the old family farmhouse called The Century Kitchen.
Almost every pet I have had has been a hand-me-down or a from a rescue organization. There was poor Tasha, the slightly crazy black and white cat that had to be adopted because no one wanted her, Zoe, a sleepy girl, adopted because a dear friend had terrible allergies and then Ruby, the lovely and sweet first vizsla who was abused but became my best friend for five wonderful years. Just this past year there was Dovie, the large eyed cat my friend’s husband found starving in a parking lot and of course my wonderful crazy & beautiful Simon.
Sometimes these little creatures just walk into your life unannounced and unexpectedly. Last week a forlorn, starving, flea-infested little dachshund was staggering down the street and I stopped to pick him up. I christened him “Reuben” and took him home for some a little tender loving care. After a bath, flea spray and lots of food he started to look a little better. It makes me sad that so many animals are not taken care of – left unneutered and unspayed to fend for the themselves.
My sweet vizsla Simon took little Ruben under his paw so to speak and I decided to use Facebook as a forum to find this little guy a forever home. There are many negative things about Facebook but this time it was the power of the Facebook network that led us to find a wonderful family for Reuben.
We are dropping little Reuben off to his forever family tomorrow. He’ll be missed dearly although it has only been a few days. If you are interested in adopting a Dachshund in particular, please check out www.almosthomerescue.org
My cousin Cathy Berkhout-Bosse (www.mypelham.com) took me for a little cycling tour of her pretty area of Pelham last Thursday. It was a windy cool fallish day but it was wonderful. We stopped by my Uncle Gerry & Aunt Gwen’s house to say hello and check out the garden, then up and down many hills to the Comfort Maple – the oldest sugar maple in Canada, estimated to be from the 1500’s. Cathy managed to get a little work done on the way & I found some beautiful pears just growing by the road.
Thankfully Earl slowed down considerably before it hit Prince Edward Island. I went out for a walk in the wild wind.
Brittany & I were matched as sisters in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program over nine years ago! She was only eight years old when I nervously signed the papers to be her big sister. I wasn’t sure what we should do on that first day but when she gave me a hug I was smitten for life. We have done so many things over the years: lots of cooking, painting, gardening, laughing and just being together. Brittany is not just a program for me, she is truly my family and I am so blessed to know her. She is a beautiful, kind, effervescent young lady.
If you have ever considered mentoring a child, please follow through and do it today! You will never regret it.
A couple of years ago I had the privilege of photographing at chef Susan Hermann Loomis’ amazing cooking school in Normandy. I learned about so many things but what stuck with me the most was the exquisite flavour of fleur de sel and that most of all that seasonal fresh ingredients are best. Susan just published a delicious new book “Nuts in the Kitchen” and we were thrilled that she used one of my images for her author photo.
Check out Susan’s cooking classes: www.onruetatin.com
