Cutting Tools

Since I don't seem to be spending much time in the kitchen these days, I decided to create my Mono Monday still life with my quilting tools since that is where I DO spend quite a lot of time.

John asked me this morning how I had slept and I said I slept quite well. 'So did I', he said 'that's probably why you did'. That established, we decided to take ourselves off to the Regional Park for a walk with Spike. This is a walk in two parts...three if you count the drive through the beautiful Sonoma Valley as one part. The next part is up a rocky trail which has recently been rerouted and made much more pleasant. It meanders along through the trees, some dry and starting to lose leaves, and some mere ghost trees, victims of past fires now deconstructing themselves as branches fall to the ground around their feet. Spike is content to make his way along the trail without a lead and we are content to let him, though technically it is forbidden. If they can make exceptions for guide dogs leading the blind, surely they can make exceptions for the halt leading the blind dog....

Eventually the trail dives down, and becomes much steeper with lots of loose rock and some eroding steps. We leave Spike to his own devices as he is proceeding with caution and we do the same, leaning on each other for balance.

Once we arrive at the bottom of the trail, we make our way back to the car park on a paved trail which we call the 'meet and greet' trail because we pass so many dogs, a timid ridgeback, a seventeen year old blind chihuahua in a carry pack, and his companion, on the ground, a dachshund mix. His people asked us about Spike because they suspected the 'mix' part might be springer. Back in the car park a man was training his German Shepherd on a long lead. The dog sat on a picnic table as the man backed away from it, keeping the lead slack and telling it to stay. Eventually the man released the dog which ran up to him, received praise, and sat at attention waiting for it's treat. An impressive performance.

In a further departure from our normal schedule we decided to go to Trail House for lunch where we each had a hot dog! With potato chips! Further departures from our normal diet but we both enjoyed them. 

Another assassination on Trump foiled by the Secret Service...what an odd name, as they are probably the most obvious, least secretive government service there is. I couldn't help wondering what the response would have been if anyone had asked if the total unwillingness of the Republicans to put forward any sort of gun control might possibly have prevented these attempts on Trump's life. Both attempts involved long range assault weapons, one of which was given by a man as a birthday present to his underage son. And what is going to happen after such a contentious election in a country half of which is armed to the teeth?
It doesn't bear thinking about, but I hope somebody is....