Day 282/365 Come Back Little Sheba...

We have one of those houses where you never know what you'll see. For instance, my mom holding her grandsnake, when she's had a snake phobia her entire life. Leave it to Sherlock to charm his way into her hands.

Now Sherlock has a new sister, Sheba....

Ahem.

SHEBA!

There she is.

Sheba is a Kenyan Sand Boa. This means that if I ever make it back to Kenya, I will *not* be stepping lightly, since Sheba's cousins are over there hiding under the sand.

Sheba has a variety of Sesame-Street talents, including illustrating a sideways letter "L"....

And a backwards letter "J",or possibly a number "One"....

Best of all is her impression of the magician Houdini and his disappearing act ....

Takes all of three seconds for that.

Leaving beautiful Zen drawings in her sand.

Day 281/365 In Memory of A Good Dog

Whiny Muncy passed away this morning, May 25, 2011, at 10:25 am, at the age of twelve and one-half years. He spent his last evening sitting with his mama then waited through the night, until she could sit with him again this morning.

Although he earned his name as a pup, as an adult dog, he was always easy-going, ever-affectionate and loving, and loved nothing better than to sit in the nearest lap. He was the proverbial "good dog", and any pup would be proud to live up to his standards.

Whiny was the son of Millicent (Millie) Magruder Muncy and Maximillan (Max)MacGregor Muncy. He was one of three pups, with two litter brothers, Lucky and Shy (of West Virginia), and one younger adopted brother, Chewy.

Whiny was preceded in death by both his mother, Millie (May 2009)and his brother, Lucky (May 2010).

His mother and father were both Missouri puppy mill survivors. As a result, Millie had numerous emotional and physical issues resulting from her treatment as a puppy. Many of those health issues were passed to her litter.

Whiny now joins his mother and brother sleeping with the butterflies, leaving a huge hole in both his human and his fur family.

Whiny Muncy

November 11, 1998 - May 25,2010

Day 280/365 Of Black Dogs and Lobsters

While it seems like every weekend we trot off to an incredible yard sale... like the one belonging to the Leopard Lady...(where every surface imaginable, in every room, in addition to every item, was covered in leopard print...I kid you not)...

There are the occasional weekends where there are no sales....and we are sad and desperate.

Those weekends we turn to the Golden Ox...

Herman the German....

Black Dog Salvage.

One of those places that must be seen to be believed.

Deep in its depths, anything can be found.

Architectural salvage like these wooden columns off some demolished Southern mansion that has lost it's Scarlett...

Orphan fireplace mantles circa 1870, 1900, 1920, 1930 - pick your decade, they're all lined up, waiting for stockings to be hung with care.

Up a ramp, fountains and benches and herds of concrete animals wander inside rusted wrought iron fencing.

The centerpiece of the "stove room", which also has two early 1960s pop machines (that work).

You can even buy luggage, in case you want to travel a vaudeville circuit...

Or buy seating for your own theatre.

Start your own business with a crank cash register.

Write another "dummies" book....

Meanwhile, this is the largest turn-of-the-century "ice box" I've ever seen - probably came out of an old country store.

The infamous stairway to heaven (I want this and the library that should go with it so badly).

No decorating motif is complete without a 3' suspended metal lobster

Or a mansion-sized palladian window.

Along the back side, past the metal lobster, are the various vendor booths, right under the building-length skylights with the hanging stained glass windows.

Someday, when my inventory grows up, I'd like a booth here, but my stock, at the moment, is too normal. I need quirky, unusual items.....like this stack of vintage books, dipped in wax.

There's no wick, so they aren't a candle, and frankly I'm not sure of the point, but well, there they are. Nothing like a wax covered 1808 dictionary.

And then I saw this sign in one of the stalls...and I was delighted...*he called?*...*really!?!?!?!*

What to get, what to get........

Metal lobsters or naked manakins?

Nah....Golden Ox.

Chewy will love it.