Missing Blue

 

 

I have been fortunate to know and love some great animals in my time. Everything from cats and dogs, to possums, barn owls and even Mocking birds. Many odd creatures have graced our humble home, and I have learned much from these friends on our journey together. Many have come and gone and I never quit missing the ones who leave, whether they pass, find new homes or disappear, as did Blue. I still have seven rescued furry kids that live with me along with some fish.

 

Blue Dog came into my life by chance. Everyone in my neighborhood knows how I love animals and will not tolerate their mistreatment. One day I came home to find two dogs cowering in the corner of my backyard. They were sick and hungry and I was a bit disturbed that someone had put them over my back fence in the yard with some of my other dogs. I have no idea why they didn't fight except that my dogs are very gentle and only seem to have interest in the yard squirrels and birds.

 

One of the new recruits was a small female black Labrador and the other a male, was a pit bull, at least mostly pit. I named the lab Sugar Bear and the pit with one blue eye I named Blue Dog. I could tell they had been abused and starved and I fed them, took a great deal of time with them, gave them medicines to heal them and gave them lots of love. They adjusted well to being fed on a regular basis and were soon healthy and playing with the other dogs like they had been together from puppyhood.

 

I love all my dogs very much, but Blue just stomped right into my heart. His hind quarters were strangely marked. When he was walking away from you, it looked like he had on pants. I don't know how many times I smiled or laughed at that crazy dog with the pants on. He and Sugar had obviously been together from birth. That, or they had been roaming together for a while. They were always together and shared most everything in life. Best friends, or partners. I was never sure.

 

Then one day I came home and Blue was gone! It was like he just disappeared back to wherever he had come from. I don't know which was more upsetting, the fact that Blue was gone, or what it did to Sugar. I don't know if who ever left them in the first place stole him back (as my yard is a fortress because I love my animals), and there is no way to get out unless someone takes you out or lets you out

 

At any rate I was heartbroken, but poor Sugar was devastated! She looked everywhere for Blue and cried and laid around and would not eat. She was so pitiful. Why they left her I still wonder, but fortunately I have a big red golden retriever named George. George is so loving and picks up on a lot of things even people miss. I wonder if he knew how badly she was hurting somehow because he had experienced his owners moving off and leaving him tied to a fence with a one foot rope (with no food or water). I had brought him home several years before.

 

Whatever the reason, George started being Sugar's new friend. He picked at her and played with her and oh so slowly she came around. She will not eat unless George takes a bite first and always looks at him in new situations as if to say, " is this okay"? I don't know what will happen if anything ever happens to Georgie.

 

But anyway. If you are somewhere and see a pitbull with one blue eye and pants on, say hello Blue Dog, your Mom sure misses you and then give me a call.

 

Hope you all have a great holiday weekend, and remember to hug everyone of your furry babies, and your human ones too, every day. They are a blessing. And oh the love they give...

 

Peace and Love *

 

  © Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations, Chyna Moon Press,  1997-2013





I'd Rather Be Sailing

Aboard the True North IV in Cozumel, Mexico

 

This was one of the best days of my life. I was on a cruise from  the Cayman Islands to Mexico and took an excursion for a sailing regatta. Turns out the ships we were racing turned out to be a former America's Cup of Dennis Conner fame from years back and a Canadian ship the True North IV.

 

All deck hands were vacationing souls led by a hearty crew of sea loving sailors. The place was Cozumel, Mexico on a bright , shiny afternoon. All the crew were assigned tasks and each was given a crash course on what to do. Then we set sail.

 

The course was set for a 12 meter regatta. Ships had been chosen by a coin toss and off we went. Nothing on this Earth can compare to the feeling of flying over the deep turquoise ocean as fast as a ship can go with the wind in your face and your hair blowing out behind you.. All worries and cares drift away and you are one with the water. Dips and turns so far over one could almost dip a hand into the water if the hands were not so busy grinding and listening to commands. Tags and more tags and what was a short race felt like time standing still. Strangers bound forever by an experience like no other. Then at last America's Cup dipped in front of us to take the race.

 

But everyone here was a winner. No losers were had this day.

 

I will keep this feeling in my heart forever and if I am very lucky perhaps I might get a second chance to feel the sea flying underneath me and feel that perfect peace. It may sound silly to some, but I became a forever sailor this day.

 

 



 © Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations, Chyna Moon Press,  1997-2013



Meet George Burns

 George

 

Meet George. I have had many, many dogs and cats and various other odd animals that have come to live with me from time to time, but George is the sweetest, most gentle animal I have ever encountered in my lifetime. How anyone could move off and leave a poor animal tied to a chain-link fence with only about a foot of rope is beyond me. He had no food or water. It was very apparent the family had moved from the house and I thought they were coming back for him and just got delayed. I got a comfy collar and a secure long lead and put him up under the car port out of the weather. I fed and watered him and took him for a walk. No one came. The next day no one came and he seemed so very sad and kept cuddling up to me.  I left my phone number and address on the door to the house, and the next day he came to live with me. The people never came back or called. I already had a black Labrador at the time (Baby) that my husband had rescued in the middle of an expressway, and they became the best of friends.

 

This picture was taken in younger days around the time he sired a great litter of puppies (16) for which I learned the valued lesson of "fixing" most all the animals. Fortunately the puppies were all incredibly healthy and we found a good home for each and every one. Now days George, like me is growing old. I sit with him on the back porch a lot and we talk about his day. You never know what George is going to get into, even at his age. One of his favorite things is to eat figs. He also hates hanging flower baskets and will tear them to shreds and jumping on trampolines and into swimming pools. But those are stories for another night.

 

There is a huge old fig tree by the backyard gate. It has some lower branches that he can climb and reach his figs when they are in season. He loves to eat them right off the tree. I think the first time he encountered one on the ground that he might have believed it to be a sticky tennis ball. But after he lapped the first one down he was hooked. I worried about it for a while, but like most things with George his stubborn streak wins out over my guarded concerns. He spends more of his day chasing squirrels and napping in the sun. He hates indoors so you find him out back with the neighbor cat (Sam). They are also great friends.

We have a large fenced in yard that is kind of like a park and when the little house dogs come out they all still have a romping good time. Sugar Bear, another Labrador likes to stay in the back with George all the time. I guess they are the yard watchers.

 

At night both George and Sugar Bear sleep on the back porch. They won't come in. Guess they don't like the confined space, but they love the porch so I let them do as they wish.

 

There are seven friends here now. They all have either been abandoned or have disabilities but there is a lot of love here. No one gets left out or left behind. I love each and everyone but that Georgie dog ... he just stomps right into your heart.

 

May God bless all the animals in whatever situations they are facing, for their love and innocence is pure heart.

 

And the words below came from the love of all.

 

 

Georgie

Old red dog

with the golden, laughing eyes,

so wise in years;

I wonder

what you think

as you run to meet me

with wagging tail

and your big dog smile.
 

We’ve been together for many years now,

since the day I found you

hungry and alone

and brought you

to your forever home,

where you have been

my special friend.
 

So many words

to describe you,

but none of them fit exactly right

as there is no other dog,

quite like you.
 

We are both aging now old friend,

each of us a little slower,

and  a little less frisky these day;

though we still watch moon rises and fire flies

in the stillness of our backyard

on warm Summer evenings.
 

 Whichever one of us

gets  there first my friend,

you know the drill. 
 

In case I haven’t told you enough,

I love you to the moon . . .

my old red dog.

 

 

 © Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations, Chyna Moon Press,  1997-2013

 



More Computer Art

Harpo

 

This is another of my computer art pieces. It is copied of sorts from a photo I took in my kitchen once upon a time. I used a watercolor technique for a base and the eyes took forever as I couldn't get them the way I remembered them, but finally I found Harpo in there.

 

She was an amazing cat and someday I will tell you stories about some of her escapades. Later in life she loved to sleep in the kitchen where she could stay warm and always be near a treat.

 

Surely do miss my Harpi-cat. She was unique and such a pretty girl.

 

Goodnight my friends, wherever you may be.

 

 



 © Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations, Chyna Moon Press,  1997-2013





My Computer Art

 

 Island Flower by Joyce Burns

 

One of my favorite things to do is computer art. Many people don't understand it and for some weird reason say you are cheating art itself by doing art on a computer. I am here to tell you that it takes just as much thought and effort to put together a computer drawing or painting as it does conventional art and sometimes I lose all track of time and realize five hours later that it is 2:00 am and I need to be sleeping. We virtual art geeks don't get any credit for what we do, but it is born of love for the joy of creating.

 

This creation was inspired by a picture I took of this beautiful tropical flower in Freeport, Bahamas. Life in the islands is so laid back and the colors so rich you can almost taste them. These orangey colors reminded me of a Dreamsicle icecream treat that I used to get as a child from an old country store at home.

 

Anyway, I will share my love of creating from time to time so hope I don't bore you too much. Sometimes I may just drop in one of these with no writing and let you imagine your own story about it.

 

Thanks for dropping by and here's hoping you have your own sweet island dream.

Goodnight : )

 

 © Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations, Chyna Moon Press,  1997-2013



 





My Brother Ronnie

 

It's funny sometimes the more you try to bring something into focus, the further away it seems to slip from you.  Photographs and memories seem to fade around the edges with time. But I will remember you !

 

Today is the anniversary of one of the most painful nights that I have experienced to date in my life.

 

Seven years ago in the morning I lost my brother Ronnie to cancer. We had a long, hard battle. I sat with him alone this night and breathed every breath he took and felt every pain. In the morning I told him it was okay if he needed to leave that I would be alright until he came back for me. Oh how I lied. I don't talk about it much as even after seven long years it is still almost too much to bear.

 

Its a long, long story but Ronnie protected me from the day I was born. He even named me.

He was seven years older than myself and I swear I don't know how he put up with me.

 

Mother was divorced not long after I was born and in the time period in which we lived she suffered the finger wagging of society, even though he left her to raise us without ever looking back. He just walked off and I didn't see him again until after I was twenty-one. She never spoke a bad word about him, but she suffered much.  Ronnie was always looking out for one or the other of us.

 

Needless to say we never had any money to speak of. Mother worked every day and did the very best she could. My grandparents (her folks) lived with us too. Grandpa had been a barber but became severely disabled after he was in a fire. Grandma became babysitter and caregiver. So there were five of us. And now there is just me, and once in a while the reality of it all just grabs you by the heart.

 

But back to my point. Ronnie was the best brother anyone could ever have. When I was in high school, I wasn't going to get to go on a class trip and Ronnie worked extra shifts at his job and surprised me with the money to go. And he made sure I got my class ring. How do you repay that kind of love? And that was him all the time. Such a giving heart with everyone.

 

That was one of a million things he did for my family. People now don't know what love is. They think its money and presents but its sacrificing for one another, not because you have to, but because you want to show that love. No it wasn't perfect.. There are always times you don't see eye to eye with those you love. But I know in the end I would have given my life in exchange for any of the other four of my family.

 

So I guess my quest here is two fold. One to tell you about my amazing brother. (He was an awesome writer too and inspired me to try to be my best). But the other thing is to cherish the ones you love and tell them over and over as you may lose the chance when you are least expecting it.

 

As for my family, I still love you everyday of my life, with every breath, and especially you my sweet brother. I hope that you are all rejoicing in heaven and that one day you WILL come back for me.

 

I miss you so.  Love, Joyce

 

 

 

© Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations, Chyna Moon Press,  1997-2013



   





Far Away Faces

 

 

I always wonder what will end up here in an evening.

 

I love playing with art programs and color and haunting looks so this is what came about playing with color and light earlier.

 

Everyone has many faces and though you think you know yours, it is never the same. So many factors play into a face; so many of life's lessons bend and shape it daily. Smiles, frowns, ups, downs, love... death, rich, poor, smart or dumb as a box of rocks. Painted and photographed, written about and lifted in song. Smooth faces, faces with scars, old faces with lines of hard earned wisdom. Fat faces, skinny faces, and many rainbow colors of faces. Some with tattoos and holes and all manner of things. Faces that are worshiped by many and others, though magnificent go unappreciated by a single soul, even unto death.

 

But if you want to gain a treasure, look at the face next to you. Chances are its a face you love, or maybe a face only a Mother could love, but each one is unique and made by God and stamped with a purpose.

 

As for me, I choose to love faces of all kinds :)

 

Just me observing in this big old world.

 

Sweet dreams; may they find you and grant you peace.

 

 

© Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations, Chyna Moon Press,  1997-2013