Photographs

  • Daily Life,  Photographs,  Reflections

    Dissipated Milestone

    Today marks the 246th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. It’s an anniversary that once meant so much to me, as the Corps itself once did. And now she is tattered, stained, dishonored, decrepit, and dissipated beyond repair. Exactly like the former nation she once defended. I do not celebrate today’s Marine Corps, but I do remember fondly the comrades I once had. I’ve never had friends like the ones I had in the Corps, and my life was never as focused, and I never felt as alive. So I celebrate the Corps, as I do so many other things, in the halls of my memories. Back when I…

  • Bluebelle,  Daily Life,  I Never Thought I'd Be In This Situation,  Jinx,  New Dog,  Photographs,  Prayers,  Reflections,  Saints

    Special Providence

    Shakespeare’s Hamlet tells us that there is special providence in the fall of a sparrow, mirroring our Lord’s words about God’s care for His children. Since this past Saturday, every passing hour shows me that there is also special providence in finding photographs of abandoned dogs in a county animal shelter. Mrs. Orr took Bluebelle to the vet today to get a full checkup, shots, deworming, and whatever else she needed. While she was there, the doc told my wife that he had an opening and would actually be able to spay our little dog today. She jumped at the chance, since the next opening wouldn’t be for almost a…

  • Bluebelle,  Daily Life,  I Never Thought I'd Be In This Situation,  Jinx,  Photographs,  Prayers,  Reflections

    A Riot of Heelers

    We spent most of yesterday sawing back and forth, emotions and logic battling it out, leaving us weary and unsure. Should we go look at the dog I believe to be Jinx’s sister? Should we leave well enough alone? Should we introduce chaos into a two-dog house that have finally reached a certain balance? What if she doesn’t fit in? What if our dogs’ personalities change and they become tense and unhappy? I watched the clock swing towards 100 pm, the hour the animal shelter opens on Saturdays. The dogs were asleep; Mrs. Orr and I were silent, brooding our own thoughts to ourselves. I walked up to Bonnie’s grave…

  • Daily Life,  I Never Thought I'd Be In This Situation,  Jinx,  Photographs,  Quotations,  Reflections

    Let’s Go, Jinxie!

    All of my coworkers are women, and without exception, they are observably addicted to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. They post and like and Tweet and share and upvote and forward until they lose track of who they are, where they are, and of what they’re taking notice. Just watching them makes my arthritic thumbs ache. And yet. Out of the entire gossipy solipsistic backstabbing shallow juvenile selfie-taking gaggle of them, not one — not ONE, mind you — knew what “Let’s Go, Brandon!” means, nor anything about the phrase’s origin, nor why it’s considered funny. Not one. I have a firm grasp of the concept of duty, and…

  • Daily Life,  I Never Thought I'd Be In This Situation,  Jinx,  Photographs,  Prayers,  Reflections

    As The Winds Cool The Earth

    That’s another picture of Jinx’s likely sister, taken from the shelter’s Facebook page, which I was able to access even without having an account there. The resemblance is remarkable. Same slightly worried facial expression. Due to their very limited hours, the first day we’ll be able to visit the shelter to see her will be Saturday at one pm. We’ll see how it goes. I asked Dixee how she’d like to have a little big sister. She said, “Knee grow, please,” and walked away to watch Mrs. Orr cook supper. Supper was homemade chili and cheddar & garlic biscuits. Perfect fare for a chilly night like this. *** I saw…

    Comments Off on As The Winds Cool The Earth
  • Daily Life,  I Never Thought I'd Be In This Situation,  Jinx,  Photographs,  Prayers,  Reflections

    Poorer Relations

    We recently drove past the new county animal shelter without realizing what the building was. When we saw the sign, Mrs. Orr and I both exclaimed, “So that’s where it is!” We had heard that a new, badly-needed shelter had been opened and that many cats and dogs were up for adoption. For some mysterious reason, I decided today to look at the shelter’s website. I scrolled through the photos and read some of the descriptions. Then I was brought up short by one dog for whom the shelter is seeking what they call “a forever home.” The dog was described as a female blue heeler mix, about 2-4 years…

  • Daily Life,  Holy Days,  I Never Thought I'd Be In This Situation,  Jinx,  Photographs,  Reflections,  Saints

    Something In The Air

    We awoke to one of those days that couldn’t be more perfect for the Orr temperament if we’d sat down with a Weather & Scenery Catalogue and ticked off all the boxes for the Saturday we were ordering. A muted, witchy glow of cloud-shrouded afterthought of a sun, leaves layered like the scales of Jonah’s fish across the slippery skin of the mountain earth, the rain as fine as the mist at the produce section in the grocery store, the stillness and sacredness that churches and even libraries once had but will never have again. When I swung my legs over the bed and touched the floor, the Spotted Southern…

  • Daily Life,  Jinx,  Photographs,  Prayers,  Quotations,  Reflections,  Saints

    Intact Routine

    Yesterday was one of the most perfect days I can remember. When we awoke, a cool front had blown in and it was raining steadily.  After feeding the dogs, my wife started breakfast (breakfast burritos from scratch…just one more element in a perfect day) and I took the spotted menace out for a soaking ramble through the hills. The mist was curling like Fafnir’s breath, silver and sinister, reaching into hidden places erupting from black chasms in the slick rock. We padded along, Jinx’s paws making a curious leatherlike sound on the wet leaves. We walked and looked and stopped and gazed and strolled and smiled — yes, Jinx smiles…

  • Daily Life,  Jinx,  Photographs,  Quotations,  Reflections

    Leaves Change, Dogs Lie

    As I write these words, Jinx is sleeping in the recliner on the back porch. I came out here to do a bit of writing and he came out with me. As is his custom, the spotted menace hopped up in my lap to snuggle, and so scribbling with my pencil in my notebook became nigh impossible. We rocked and watched the rain and the birds and the chipmunks, and we rested. I needed to go inside at one point so I could put clothes into the dryer, and when I stood up, Jinx got back into the chair and made himself comfortable. When I returned, he was asleep, but…