Be-el's sprained ankle

Towards the end of last week, Be-el, our big black lab cross, started limping. By Tuesday she was getting worse, so off we went yesterday to the vets. Doctor Brenda gave her leg a thorough going over and told me that the ankle was swollen, but she was unable to tell if it was a fracture. So poor old Bubba had to stay for an X-ray. Turns out that there was no fracture and it is probably just a sprain, and Bubba is going on to metacam for a few days. We already have a cheaper generic version of metacam for Jenny who has Hip Dysplasia, so at least the drugs didn't cost a fortune, but there was still the office fees and x-rays to pay for. Having pets is not cheap.

Be-el probably sounds like a strange name for a dog. It is short for Beelzebub which we choose because she was a little devil when she was a puppy. But like most of our critters she has other nicknames too. I usually refer to her as Bubba and Pat calls her Betty. We generally reserve Be-el for when she is being bad.

Cape George Hiking Trails

I took a day off yesterday and did a spot of walking on the Cape George Hiking Trails. The first trail I took started at Cape George lighthouse and looped inland and back to Ballantyne's Cove. There were some splendid views from atop the hills, due in part to the clear cutting that must have taken place there a few years ago. It is interesting to see the forest is rejuventing itself and I wonder what the views will be like in twenty years from now.

From Ballantyne's Cove I had to walk back along the road, not the best idea, but preferable to walking back along the same route. This gave me time to drive down to the trail head at Cape George Heritage Schoolhouse. From here there is access to several looped trails, and the route I took led me along small brooks and up through mature hardwood forests. At higher elevations the rivers were dry, but judging by some of the gullies I walked through there must be a good flow of water in the spring. I would like to visit again next May to see the landscape in a different season.

I took Maggie with me, the smallest of our four dogs. I wasn't planning to, but when she saw that I was packing my back pack she started getting really excited so I broke down and said she could come. She was very well behaved, and not at all like the hyperactive monster she is at home. She did very well on the 20km that we covered, though she curled up and napped at every rest stop I took, and slept on the back seat of the car nearly all the way home.

Calamity Jones

I was chatting with the wife about a week ago and had a premature senior's moment. I was wanting to refer to her as that famous landscape gardener, you know, wha'sis name, Calamity Jones? Well, I knew that wasn't quite right, and though Pat knew who I meant, neither of us could come up with the right name.

Today, as I was riding around on the lawn tractor, I recalled that conversation and the name came to me almost straight away - Capability Brown. Well, I guess I was close!

Snakes alive

I have gotten used to finding snakes in the garden, usually curled somewhere warm, and often in the compost heap. But today while I was moving lumber out of the solar kiln I came across one under a layer of boards. At 38 centigrade, the kiln must make a nice home for a snake. This Maritime Garter Snake is perfectly harmless, and indeed there are no venomous snakes in Nova Scotia. They have their young in late summer, so I wonder if there is a family in the kiln? I just hope it can find its way out, or get enough food in there.

The other patron saints of England

According to this article by Father Andrew Phillips, England has three patron saints. The first was St. Edmund, from about 869 A.D., as a result of his resistance to Danish invaders. After the Norman invasion in 1066, Anglo-Normans began promoting Edward the Confessor as a patron.

When Richard I defeated Saladin on April 23, 1192, St.George became the patron of the English Army, and within a few centuries he was venerated throughout the land.

The dragon legend

One explanation of the dragon legend involves a large crocodile with wings. Basically the dragon would eat anyone who spent too long outside the city walls. A couple of sheep were sacrificed everyday to keep the monster satisfied. When there were no more sheep, they started on the children. But when it was time for the king's daughter to become the sacrifice, St. George steps in, does battle with the dragon and goes down in history.

It's quite plausible of course that George killed a crocodile, and the story got a little exagerated and spun out. Read the whole story and make your own mind up.