Welcome to my World

Welcome to the domain different--to paraphrase from New Mexico's capital city of Santa Fe which bills itself "The City Different." Perhaps this space is not completely unique but my world shapes what I write as well as many other facets of my life. The four Ds figure prominently but there are many other things as well. Here you will learn what makes me tick, what thrills and inspires me, experiences that impact my life and many other antidotes, vignettes and journal notes that set the paradigm for Dierdre O'Dare and her alter ego Gwynn Morgan and the fiction and poetry they write. I sell nothing here--just share with friends and others who may wander in. There will be pictures, poems, observations, rants on occasion and sometimes even jokes. Welcome to our world!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Promised answer on photo

Okay, it is a sunrise picture. I took it from my home in Whetstone, Arizona just north of Huachuca City and east of the junction of highways 90 and 82. It was a chilly morning in late February and the sun was rising far south still, somewhere between the Tombstone Hills and the Mule Mountains that separate Bisbee from the San Pedro Valley where Sierra Vista, Huachuca City and Whetstone all are located. Here is another look if you wish to see it again:

The shrubbery along the right was the row of pyracanthia bushes that edged the unpaved road and one of hte Lombardi cedars that were interspersed between them. The dark line in the center was a flagpole sitting in the front yard. My house had been built as a church and had a big wooden double door in the front and some other quirks. The pole was rusty and had no line on it so we did not use it. We were always going to have it taken out but never got around to it.   So that's the rest of the story!

And here is one more similar with my 'snowflake' holiday decorations still on the glass of the front storm doors! And yes, it did snow there a bit at times!

Already I am getting so spoiled to being in the sunny south high desert environment. Today it was overcast most of the day and as a result, chillier than it was supposed to be so I whined around all day and fussed about the 'cold' although it was in the upper 40s and a high of 52 by my thermometer. It would have been a balmy day in Colorado! I know it was mostly a state of mind--when the sun is not shining, it feels cold to me! I dug out a medium weight parka and it felt great!

So I stayed indoors most of the day and played with creating calendars in my Printmaster program. Now I want to get a new scanner--my old one that was the same vintage as the computer I recently gave up on has zonked on me. I think it is actually the disk that came with it which will not load properly anymore to provide the drivers and such that are needed. I'll get my electronics mechanic brother to tinker with it but also start looking for one that will scan all types of photographic media since I have a huge bunch of prints, negatives and transparencies to scan and save in digital form before they deteriorate too far.

My dad, my father in law and my husband were all avid photographers and so I have been also since I got my first Kodak Brownie box camera when I was about twelve or so. That's one of my goals and projects planned for 2013, actually. I'll keep you informed of the progress! And you will likely see some of the results.

Anyway I made a calendar for 2013 with sunset pictures --all mine and there were still more to choose from--and another with railroad pictures, some mine and others that I have collected. Yes, I am also a rail fan for many years starting with watching the 'local' come in to the Verde Valley two or three times a week when I was a kid. I'll save more on that for another day!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Winter Solstice-2012


This is a picture from the east coast, taken by a friend of a friend. Here in New Mexico I seldom see spectacular sunrises although we did get them in Colorado. Here the mountains to the east are high and close so there isn't the vast horizon to view the colors. But then, sunsets and sunrises have a lot in common.... I bet you cannot tell which the picture at the end of my post might be! I'll give its story tomorrow!

I did not do an all night vigil as some of my Druid and other Pagan friends did--just do not have the stamina for that these days but I was up to greet the sun and did so with a thankful and joyful heart at the promise it portends. Lugh returns! Winter will pass and hopefully the winter of spirit that darkens so many lives right now as well. The actual point of the sun's most distant place was early this morning--I read six something but forget the time zone that was for! I think a bit later here in MST zone.
The world did not end --I never thought it would!--but perhaps this can mark a new beginning for all. I too send heartfelt prayers out to the Earth and all upon it. We must never lose hope regardless of the terrible events to which we may be witness. May they be growing pains in finding ways  to move into a better, brighter future. Collectively we can at least light a candle in the darkness and show light to this new day.
After I came back inside--it is chilly here today, about 30 at dawn--the following verse came to me in a flash so I will share it with all.  Thanks be to Brighid for the gift of her inspiration!!
Go in peace. Brightest midwinter/Yule blessings to all! 




 Winter Solstice 2012
A sweet subtle brightening
Slips over the crest--
A new day begins
And once more we are blessed
As Lugh the Light Bringer
Returns to the sky.
In the chill hush of dawn
Hearts sing in reply.

A promise is kept
And we offer our praise,
Our thanks from the spirit
On this day of days.
The seasons will turn now
And spring come once more.
Thus our lyrics of joy
Resound shore to shore.

May the light of our hope
And our faith never wane
As we walk now Her path
And trust not in vain.
That in this beginning
We too may bring light
To that spiritual darkness
And  the hearts deep in night.
                          (c)  21 Dec 2012

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Meet Ginger--the newest Canine Kid

I cannot call her a replacement for Belle. There could not be one because just like all our human friends, each canine partner is unique and can only fill it's own paw prints but Ginger is the newest companion to come into my life. As of today she has been here a week. And of course has me 'trained' already!!

She is a sweet but very energetic and happy girl except that she has a tendency to get spooky and skittish and have small panic attacks. It is going to take some time and patience to help her get past this. She may never lose it entirely but I think in time will be much better. She is only about twenty months old and I have no way to even imagine what trauma she has experienced in her young life. Her prior Mommy seems like a very nice lady and certainly cared a lot for her but Ginger was becoming over-protective of her to the point she worried about her grandchildren. Also, Ginger would jump a regular yard-height fence and went off on some expeditions that may have put her into danger and fearsome situations--which is probably part of her current problem. I suspect a man has been cruel to her or at least scared her badly because she is very wary of Charlie and he is a total dog person and other than yelling now in then when he gets frustrated--mostly with "things" and almost never with dogs!!--he is every canine's best friend. She will take treats mostly and allow a quick scratch or pet now and then but we'll work on that.

Ginger is the youngest dog I have had for a long time, probably since we got Alanna as a puppy from the Humane Society in Colorado Springs back in May 1977! She reminds me a lot of Flash, my first dog, actually. She is, as near as I can figure, a mixture of Border Collie and Aussie. She loves to run and is incredibly nimble and agile, twisting and reversing and leaping as if she was nearly weightless. She plays ball well--just say 'bring it' and she is trotting back with her eyes sparkling to get it thrown again. She has a rope toy and loves to play tug and has had some mad running sessions with Beebee and Rojito gallantly trying to keep up--she can run rings around them! 

She has already pretty well bonded to me and in time will accept that she is now part of a pack and not a pair. She and Rojito get along well; he isn't quite the same to her as he was to Belle but they are both red and he clearly feels a kinship. By the way, despite my original intentions he now sleeps on my bed at night.... Mostly I am able to keep him off my pillow and out of my face and so far no allergy consequences seem to be happening! Ginger sleeps at the side or foot on rugs, just as Belle did and shows little interest in getting up. Only yesterday did she get on the couch to look out the living room window after seeing Beebee and Kaycee do it ever since she arrived.

Kaycee is healing from his surgery and now has the bandage off and the wound area is shrinking quickly and hair growing where he was shaved and burned around the edges. I got two kind of homeopathic cream/salve products and we have one the vet provided. he is still a grump and we still have to persevere in keeping him from worrying at the wound but if we can hold on, it will be well in time. He is jealous of Ginger and not nice to her which is no real surprise. He and Belle never did get along and we may not be able to leave him and Ginger unsupervised together but we'll see how that works out. Anyway I am glad to have a new dogster and one who is a daughter of my beloved herding breeds. She likes to ride and is going to be a good travel partner in time.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Positive Steps--An Editorial!!

I am as appalled as anyone in their right mind would be at the continuing violence and senseless killings. No, I do not have answers and wish to all the Powers that I did but I do very humbly offer a few suggestions of what we as a people need to do. The following is strictly my opinion and I do not expect anyone to agree with me but I do want my readers to think about it with an open mind. Some humble suggestions:

First ban the media from any proximity to tragedy and disaster scenes. Shoving a microphone into a survivor's face, regardless of their age, and demanding answers like "How do you feel..." should be a CRIME!! I had to shut off my TV last night after watching this horrible situation being dissected, salivated over and splashed across my screen for over an hour. I was literally about to be sick. A very brief statement that a tragedy occurred and the simplest possible facts about it is more than enough!! No one has a "need to know" and the damned press needs to back off!!!

Second, I am sure there will be lots of screams for gun control. But if someone is so vicious or deranged as to want to kill strangers, they will find a way--bombs, crashing their vehicle into a crowd, poison and a zillion other means. People kill, not guns. So we need to focus on the real problem: fixing these broken people.

Third, if possible don't even give the doer's name, much less all the gory details and whines and blame slinging. We do not need to, in effect, glorify criminal, heinous acts!! In training animals reprimands are often seen as 'attention' by the creature being trained, giving reinforcement we do not want to give! The doers here want fame and notoriety and power; withhold it from them and their hapless families who probably are not guilty of anything but being human also!

And last, yes, we need to pray for the families and the spirits of those killed and wounded in all these hideous events but we also need to actively pray for the healing of those who are so deranged, warped or twisted that they may be contemplating acts of horrible violence. It might still be possible to turn them in other directions and collective prayer does have incredible power.

To help this on some more, we may need to get rid of the most ultra-violent games and entertainment media because for some it is hard to draw a line between playing or make-believe and real blood, gore and death. We banish toy guns but allow video games where one leaves a trail of bodies?? We flash blood and gore across the TV and movie screens and call it art and entertainment?? Only the military and first responders fully realize how ugly and final death can be unless as private citizens it strikes close to us.

We may even need to go back to a bit more discipline and consequences in early childhood for negative behavior and stop worrying so much about 'self esteem' and puffing their egos and avoiding trauma of every kind. Life is real, harsh and earnest and children need to be slowly introduced to these facts from infancy on instead of it suddenly hitting them at eighteen or twenty-one.. There are no free lunches. We do not all have the same abilities and skills but that is okay. Everyone will not be an A student, a brilliant athlete, or the prom royalty but if we apply ourselves and seek where our personal strengths are and then build on and use them, we can almost all be okay and make a contribution. and have a decent life. But we have to work and earn, not go and steal it from others.

I would not go so far as to say religion necessarily has a place in the classroom but some form of spiritual belief belongs in every home and it is the parents' job to instill it in their children--a respect for others, the concepts of right and wrong--and yes, there really is a difference and it is not being "judgmental" to say so, at least not taking judgmental as a dirty word! Hate, violence, bullying, theft, even rudeness and greed --all the traditional no-nos are still valid. I think many young people are not learning this. And it is NOT okay to go kill anyone just because you feel your parents are too strict, you do not have all the gizmos you want, other kids are not nice to you or really anything else. The fact most of these mass killers are very young seems significant to me; we are failing our youth somehow for this many to go this wrong. Whatever we have been doing the last 25 or more years isn't too successful. We need to ask why and what we can do better.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Dogs and Desert Snow

Goodness but the time has gotten away from me! But I can whine a little and you will understand why I've been silent,

First on November 30, one of our resident canines had laser surgery on his right foreleg. Kaycee is a purebred Australian Cattle Dog or Blue/Queensland Heeler. Like a lot of purebreds he is a bit high strong and given to a few neuroses! He got a wound and would not leave it alone enough to fully heal. He had a couple of light laser treatments but they did not do the job and it kept getting worse so this time they burned the whole area to get rid of the cyst and damaged tissue. It is like a third degree burn and needs serious care and protection. Of course he still wants to lick and gnaw on it so he's been in either a muzzle (when he cannot be under total supervision) or an inflatable ring collar that deters but does not totally prevent his worrying the leg. 24/7 ever since. It's been a challenge and it isn't over yet but he is showing some signs of healing now. Another 4-5 weeks and he may be able to get back to normal. If we cannot get good healing, he could lose the leg, a sad thing for a four year old active dog. So that is one issue.

The same day Kaycee had his surgery, I drove up to Carrizozo, a small town about fifty miles north and 'met' a young female dog who is probably going to be joining our pack to take the vacant place left by Belle. Ginger is a mix of Aussie and Border Collie, twenty months old, red and white, and looks like a real sweetie. Her current mom does not have time to keep her happy and exercised and she jumps a regular yard height fence and gets into mischief and danger. Our five foot chain-link should keep her corraled. I waited a bit for her trial visit so Kaycee could have the spotlight he needed but she will be here on Thursday and stay while her current mom goes on a holiday trip. If it works out, Ginger will be the newest of the canine crew and we'll be back to sixteen feet of dogs! She is very pretty and I think she'll fit in well.


As to desert snow, well, that comes from the photographs I took early last month when I visited the White Sands National Monument with some friends and we all agreed the pure white sand deep in the dune area really does look like snow! So I have used a couple of the photos for my Christmas cards which I have been printing and slowly getting addressed and ready to mail. I miss the old data base program I used to use to do easy labels and have not ever come up with a viable substitute so it is the old fashioned way for me again. And my hand writing is pretty pathetic anymore.  I address a few and then have to rest my hand!

We have had a touch of winter the last two days with hard frost both nights --"ice frisbees" in the bird baths in the mornings and a biting wind out of the north-north west. Highs in the lower edge of the fifties which after the late and very mild fall seem pretty chilly! But when I read it was sixteen degrees, wind and snow in Colorado Springs at noon on Sunday, I felt much better! What a blessing it is to be away from that. We need some moisture and I would even accept some s**w if it comes to that but more than a skiff is not too common here. We had maybe two inches once last winter. Rain, the old fashioned slow day-long drizzles my brother and I recall from our youth in central Arizona, would be very welcome but may not come in this drought ridden era. But  some showers over the weekend may be possible. Desert dwellers are always on the lookout for any precipitation. We don't do rain dances but more from lack of real knowledge of how to make this work than reluctance!

More pretty sunsets too, with some clouds, which were all the 'weather' we saw from a storm that socked the more northern regions with snow, ice, bad roads and all the wintry issues. So I'm sharing some pictures with you all!

More soon, I promise. My Christmas preparations are going to be done soon and I'll have perhaps a bit more time and maybe some Ginger adventures to share as well. Meanwhile go in peace and harmony with mild temps and gentle rain! And visit tuatha-de-brighid.org, the developing website of my on-line Druid group that is a very special circle of friends. That phrase is not grammatically correct in old Gaelic but translates as the Folk or People of the Goddess Brighid, which we strive to be, a clann or family of sorts although from many different ethnic and genetic roots.