Blind as a...

17 August 2015

Bats are blind - right? So how is it that a bat came flying right at me while I was wearing my yellow jacket? Maybe sonar doesn't work on yellow. What do you think?

~mom

A Great Swimming Spot..

13 August 2015

Here are some of the places I have swum this summer:

• Kits Pool
• Hillcrest
• Pool at Rockridge
• Lake at Rockridge
• Second Beach Pool

So far, my favourite swimming spot has been Second Beach Pool.  Here is why:

• You get to ride your bike to get there
• The lane is nice and long - 50m
• There are very few people swimming in the lanes - today I had an entire lane to myself!

I'm working on perfecting my breast stroke...

~mom

Between Gods

11 August 2015

by Allison Pick

This book is a memoir. It's like an autobiography in that it is a story about the author's life written by the author herself. However, while an autobiography is a story about the author's whole life, a memoir tells the story about one part of the author's life. Allison Pick writes about the time in her life when she goes through the process of becoming a Jew. 

Why I Read This Book

I loved Allison Pick's previous novel: Far To Go which is a story about Jewish children during World War II who were sent by their families on trains to England to save them from the persecution elsewhere in Europe. I knew Far To Go had ties to the author's own life as her Jewish ancestors had fled Europe and had hidden their Jewishness (is that a word??) for decades. I hoped that Between Gods would shed a little more light on her family's history and offer further insight to Far To Go.

 

What I Thought About This Book

Allison Pick writes very beautifully. However, I did not find Between Gods very compelling. Allison's father was Jewish but her mother was not. Therefore, Allison, although it seems she should be half Jewish, isn't actually Jewish at all. Allison describes being pulled so strongly by her Jewish heritage that she wants to convert to Judaism. She doesn't feel any pull from her mother's background at all. 

My feeling about the whole thing is this. 

Parts of Allison's family went through some horrendous experiences during World War II.  Allison is alive because her grandparents fled Europe and came to Canada, renouncing their Jewish heritage, and becoming Christian.  Allison, while researching and writing Far To Go, was deeply affected by the hollocaust stories within her own family as well as others' accounts (who wouldn't be?).  Because of her Jewish roots, I believe she felt a personal connection to hollocaust victims.  I believe she also suffered some survivor guilt.  I also believe that she didn't feel connected to her mother's Christian heritage because it wasn't as interesting or compelling.  During a lot of the book, I didn't relate to Allison at all.  I felt that she was over-dramatizing her situation - especially in the parts where she tries to convince her father (who IS Jewish but is a practicing Christian) to return to his Jewish roots.

What saved the book for me and kept me reading were the snippets of the other parts of her life during the time she converted to Judaism: her wedding, her miscarriage, her first child's birth.  I also appreciated her descriptions of depression.  That said, I wouldn't read this book to figure out how to get out of a depression because this book seems to imply that you will no longer be depressed if you convert to Judaism.  That doesn't make much sense to me..

~mom

Kobe's Dog Log: The Forest

9 August 2015

If I imagine heaven, it would be this: a wooded area filled with dogs and people of all sizes. There would be lots of areas to sniff and explore. There would be treats and cookies to eat. I could run untethered. Today I went to a place that was almost heaven. 

After a miserable car ride, I wasn't too pleased to find myself in an unfamiliar place with a leash around my neck. A walk? Now? I was not enthused. But within minutes, we were in this amazing place called a Forest. 

The Forest had a walking path. Clearly, many dogs come to the Forest: I smelled them EVERYWHERE! The best part: I was allowed to sniff and sniff. They had brought water for me so all that sniffing didn't make me too thirsty!

Along the path we saw:

- bikes: big bikes; small bikes; bikes for one; bikes for two; fast bikes; slow bikes

- people: big people; tiny-just-learning-to-walk people; people in groups; people by themselves

- runners: fast runners; slow runners; in-between runners

- dogs: big dogs; small dogs; mostly all calm dogs

I was supposed to sit whenever a dog walked by. This was hard for me. I was so excited - I wanted to play with every dog I saw. A couple of labradoodles that were just my size stopped to play. I behaved myself: I sniffed but held myself back from jumping all over them. I'm learning that jumping on dogs will tighten my leash and result in the end of play time. The best part of meeting these dogs was the Owner. She was soo nice. She had a dog treat just for me! I was so excited I could hardly sit like she asked.

Speaking of treats: I got a lot of treats on this walk. That made me happy. It's so much easier to remember to listen when there are so many possibilities for treats! I was asked to sit a lot: when people walked by; when people biked by; when dogs walked by; when bikes rode by.

I have only one complaint: the leash. If I hadn't been on a leash, I could have run and run and run. Still. Today was almost heaven..

~Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: Car Ride

9 August 2015

Something new happened today.  I was led outside to the car.  There, in the back was my crate!  I was confused.  What is going on?

I was put into the crate and the door was closed.  Suddenly, it was pretty dark.  Then I started bouncing about.  I guess we must have been moving.  I wasn't too happy.  The people were talking about "Granville Island".  I don't know what "Granville Island" is - it seems like a long drive followed by a really, really slow drive.  Luckily, the door opened and Black Hair gave me some water. 

Unfortunately, the door closed again and we started driving again.  This time, I heard the words "Kits Beach" and "Vanier Park".  That seems to be a lot of slow driving too.  Yellow Hair seemed to be getting stressed.  I wasn't happy either.  I could bark, but I would get shushed and no-one comforted me.  I heard the word "home".  Hooray!

When the car door finally opened, though, I wasn't home - I was at a forest.  I wasn't very happy after being in the car for so long.  Car rides make me sick!

~ Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: I am Not a Chicken

8 August 2015

When I first came to this Red House, I was a bit timid. I was happy to hang in the kitchen. I didn't nip. I didn't bark. I was on my best behaviour. 

It seems like this Red House is more permanent than I first thought. I've spent a few days getting oriented. I've sniffed my way around the block, around the other block, even the long walk to the big field with all the dogs. I've figured out how things work. Like:

- Yellow Hair is the big boss

- Brown Hair Boy and Brown Hair Girl are puppies just like me

- I go for so may walks that I don't really need my pee-pad

I feel pretty assured about my place. I'm allowed in the living room in the evening. I've tried to go there during other times of the day. I will get called back to the kitchen but if I choose not to hear, I doubt I'll get in trouble. If Yellow Hair is around, though, I'll get put back in the kitchen and the gate will go up. Still. I'm pretty happy. 

Tonight, a new door opened. Everyone went through the door. There are steps going down. A dungeon, perhaps? I don't know WHAT there might be but I'll tell you this: I AM NOT GOING DOWN THERE! Not that I'm a chicken...

~Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: Walk after Walk after Walk!

7 August 2015

So.  It turns out this family I'm staying with loves to walk.  I walked with Brown Hair Boy.  I walked with Brown Hair Girl.  I walked with Black Hair.  I even got to walk with Yellow Hair.  Oh, boy!

Walking is exciting.  There are so many new smells!  It is hard to remember to keep walking instead of running ahead or sniffing side to side.

Here are some things I saw today:
- A broken water pipe (I wasn't allowed to play there.  Boo.)
- A family with a young child
- An older couple
- A lady in a wheelchair
- An injured bird (I wasn't allowed to play with him.)
- A dog (I was allowed to say hello which I did: very loudly but we weren't allowed to play)
- A big, noisy Truck (I didn't like that very much)

Mostly, I was very polite.  I sat quietly every time someone passed by.  Except the time a person was attached to a DOG.  That was just too exciting!

At some point with all that walking, we ended up at this large, grassy field.  Guess what was there?  DOGS!  They were playing ball.  They were running.  They were off the leash.  Boy, did I want to play with those dogs.  I didn't.  I got to sit in the grass and watch them.  Still.  It was super exciting!

I had a bit of trouble settling down after all the excitement today.  I fell asleep early enough but woke up suddenly and went straight for the door.  Yellow Hair took me outside.  I was confused.  It was dark.  There was a DOG outside.  I was disoriented.  Luckily, Yellow Hair stayed close by and took me back inside right away.  I was happy when she put me in my crate.  I curled up with my Rabbit and went to sleep.

~ Kobe