Sunday

The local farmers' market has opened again in our town. There are several new vendors this year. Neither of the two bakeries from last year were there hopefully they'll be back though. It's every Sunday through October. Nice to have fresh veggies and fruit and to support our local farmers and vendors.
Temperature in the low 90's. Came back home and my daughter and I took the kiddies into the blow-up pool. Pool is 120x72x22 plenty of room for all of us and a good way to cool off. Not fancy but that's ok!
Now to do my kettlebell workout while I'm still feeling cool!

Annie's Paw Print

This is a picture of what we received in the mail today from the animal hospital where we took Annie last week. We've never received one before for our other doggies. The date is on the back. Showed Stef when she got home of course we started crying again. What a wonderful memento to have!

"This Is It"

Last night saw, on Netflix Streaming, Michael Jackson's "This Is It". His crazy personal life aside, the man was obviously incredibly talented. Even if the documentary was edited to show him at his best as far as his interaction with the other people involved, it does seem fairly clear he respected the talents of those with whom he worked and they, in turn, thought very highly of him. Another sad and talented life ended too soon.

Celery Farm on June 19.2010

I've been to the Celery Farm in Allendale many times it's a lovely place to walk. Took a different path this time and there is a whole area which does not appear to be walked on very often. Quite peaceful and on Saturday morning there were very few people there at all. Most of these pictures were taken on the regular trails except for the one of the path.

Happy Birthday Annie

We were never sure when Annie's birthday was but we had picked June 20th. This picture is from her 13th birthday last year 2009. I'll have a bowl of ice cream in your memory Annie!

RIP Our Sweet Annie

Tuesday, June 15, 2010, we made the difficult decision to let our Annie go peacefully and with the dignity our special girl deserved. She was first hospitalized with kidney failure 2/7/10. But the signs of her kidney failure were increasing, despite our now giving her fluid therapy daily along with various other medications. She was a trooper through it all. Each visit to the vet showed her test results getting higher. Tuesday I cuddled and petted her all day. Stef was able to come home mid-afternoon to be with her as well. That the decision was the right one at the right time was confirmed when she was standing and her legs went out from under her at 3:30. When I had called the Paramus office that her vet works out of they recommended we call him in Fort Lee where he is on Tuesdays to take her there. He knew her history and us and it would simplify everything. Stef's mother-in-law arrived to watch the kiddies just before 6 p.m. The drive took forever the traffic was awful. I think Annie had some doing in that. She got to sit in the front seat on Stef's lap and rest her head on the door looking out the window, one last time, as we slowly drove along the highway. When we arrived there was a pretty mauve blanket on the floor of the room ready for her. Dr "H" is such a compassionate person - not to mention he is "very easy on the eyes" as one of their staff members had once said to me - and gave us time to say our last goodbyes. She went easily and quietly as we held her. Her remains will be back to us this coming week. The last time I was without a dog was 1984, 26 years. That was when we got our first Pekingese, Pickles, followed by Muffy shortly thereafter, resulting in their having and our keeping their puppies, Rumper and Blackie (the other puppy Dandy went to a wonderful family), and as if four dogs weren't enough, in 1996 Stef's father gave her Annie. She was one of the puppies being given away by a family who had a vegetable stand at the side of the road somewhere. Around that time Alex got Gus. He'd visit and there'd be SIX dogs! Dandy's family had moved back to Japan and when he was gone they said he was now a star in the sky. I like that. Now Annie has joined them all up there shining brightly down on us in the evenings. When I get sad I like to look at this picture taken January 2, 2006. We'd forgotten how chubby she was back then! In all her 14 years she never did realize she was a dog, and we never told her otherwise, even at the end. Dearest Annie, we will never forget you.

Oil Spill

What a terrible environmental tragedy!!

My Daughter

My daughter was notified today it is now official: She has been promoted to the position of Associate Professor at the University where she has been teaching for three years. She already has tenure. Go Stef you rock!!