xmas trees: a lesson learned?

i just cleaned up the remains of our (very) crispy, dead xmas tree. i actually only completed step one of two, which was to strip the ornaments and lights (and half the needles) off the skeleton, and haul the carcass out to the back porch. the curbside tree pickup doesn't happen till next week, so it'll have to decay a bit more outside before it gets taken off my hands for good.

last year was my first time having a real xmas tree of my own, and i loved the smell of pine indoors, and the tradition of decorating. however, after new years '07, i realized what a mess they are to clean up, and what a hassle to throw out. i still had pine needles in my chevy blazer almost a year later. the lesson i did learn for this year is to not miss the curbside tree pickup No Matter What, so the tree doesn't have to go in your car at all.

the lesson i apparently didn't learn was to water the tree so it doesn't become a crispy brown mess. next year i vow to either take better care of my xmas tree, or get something that looks like this amazingly awesome, sparkly, fantastic tree outside the visionary art museum. because my inner crow wants one!

p.s. shiny happy things workshop? so there!

a b-more x-mas

merry x-mas! so, in preparation for my mom's arrival to baltimore i decided to clean up the house; while picking up the (numerous) stuffed toys belonging to my dogs, i couldn't help but notice they all were seriously injured. if i was to call in a stuffed animal doctor, he would have a hard time deciding which patient to treat first. the triage system would go right out the window!

but i realized that i really can't blame them for tearing the small creatures to shreds. they have a bit of built up frustration i think. and who can blame them? i use the holidays as an opportunity to dress them goofily and take tons of pictures. which i love to show to total strangers on the bus (just kidding! don't have a panic attack and send me more pepper spray, dad!) so i think the dogs look cute, they disagree, and then take it out on the poor helpless animals they receive as presents after picture time.

issabella, pt.1

issabella, or miss bella, or bell is an ossabaw island hog, and lives in the farmyard at the baltimore zoo of maryland. and this is her tail...or tale, rather.

she is very moody; i think it is a combination of food aggression and bad habits she has been accidentally taught over the years. her skin gets dry and cracked in the cold winter weather, and to help, i have to go into her enclosure and rub her side until she lies down, and then (and only then) i can rub udder balm on her little piggies.

so far for me she she will lie down and thoroughly enjoy a belly rub and udder balm treatment one day, and the next day she takes terrible offense to you intruding on her space, and tries to bite you. actually, she did bite me, despite the broken rake i was told to carry for protection.

and thus i decided we need to work on our relationship, and embarked on a training journey. i've started working on bridge association (more on training later!) i also pulled out a soft bristled brush that had previously been used to brush the donkeys, and yay! she totally digs it; i have been brushing her while standing on the other side of the little gate and she will practically fall asleep standing up while being brushed. and the past two days when i step inside, and show her the brush, she is much calmer, quieter, and less aggressive.

i think it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

♥

kia ora

so i am brand new to this blogging business, but am horribly jealous that everyone else i know has one. so i had a spolied three-year-old moment and a night to myself, and thought, let's do it.
so voila!
and so i plan to have a little bit of fun and hopefully you will too!

♥ (thus far, the most html i know is how to make ♥ ♥ ♥ )