Track Santa

This is a great link if you're interested in tracking Santa by Norad.

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

O Howly Night

Christmas is coming soon, so here is a doggy manger scene in the spirit of the holiday. I have no idea where I found this picture, but it's kind of cute. I especially like the collie as Joseph.

Banana Museum

To return to the subject of bananas, here is a link to an actual banana museum in Auburn, Washington.

http://www.bananamuseum.com/

Scrub, Scrub and Scrub

I must get down to washing the floors. I refuse to smile and look happy though.

I remember my parents had a machine something like this that polished the kitchen floor and scrubbed the rugs. That was in the late sixties or early seventies, but I don't recall who manufactured it. It worked quite well to keep a pet filled home shiny and sweet smelling.

The high heels crack me up. I mean PLEASE!

Snowstorm

We had the first Rhode Island snowstorm of the season last night. It was pretty, but icy. I'm one of the least graceful people on Earth whether snow and ice is present or not. Watch out!

Here's another picture taken in Cumberland. It's a shame I can't remove the big old telephone poles messing up all these shots. The scenes would look so much better without them.

Hey! There's no telephone pole! How did that happen!

Banana Bread

In honor of the holiday season, I'm including my recipe for banana bread. Though I avoid baking whenever possible, this bread doesn't really count since it's made in a bread machine. My machine is named Sally Sunbeam, an energetic young lady who whips up all kinds of goodies with uncomplaining enthusiasm. The recipe came from allrecipes.com.

Banana Bread - Quick Bread for Machines

Ingedients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise

Directions:

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine.

2. Select the dough setting, and press Start. Mix the bread for 3 to 5 minutes until the bananas are mashed and all ingredients are thoroughly combined. If necessary, use a rubber spatula to push the dough from the sides of the bread pan. When 3 to 5 minutes have passed on the clock display, press Stop. Do not continue mixing. Smooth out the top of the loaf with the rubber spatula.

3. Select the Bake setting, and press Start. The Bake cycle time may vary with machines, but should be about 50 minutes. To test the bread for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center top. If there is dough on the toothpick, reset the machine on Bake and continue to bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the machine, but allow the bread to remain in the pan for ten minutes. Remove the bread to cool completely on a wire rack.

This recipe is really easy. It would probably be good with chocolate chips mixed in.

Max and Sabrina

This is Max. That's short for Maxwell, or as I like to say, Maxwell Smart. He's a Border Collie with a VERY strong herding instinct. When a car passes, he flops down on his belly and gives it the Collie "eye." He's also very sensitive, turning his head to watch me as we walk along the streets of Providence's east side.

Max has a sister named Sabrina. In contrast to Max, Sabrina is a hardheaded little Bichon who wants to do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it, no questions asked. She's a good deal older than Max and has developed cataracts. She also hates the rain. If it's raining, she gets under the kitchen table, requiring my crawling after her to attach her leash. As soon as the leash is attached, she suddenly comes out from under as if nothing at all were wrong.

One of my services as a pet sitter is making sure the trash is taken out and brought in on the right day. Providence now requires all trash cans and recycling bins to be put out whether there's trash in them or not. Also, the large trash can has to stay outside, even though it's been emptied, or the recycling truck won't pick up the paper and cans. The city is talking about fines if you don't comply. Is it me, or is that crazy? It sounds like just another devious way for the city to make money. But hey, what do I know!