My little corner of the World and How to toast your nuts...

My little corner

It is a few days of holing up in the Temuco apartment while I should be out somewhere, doing something. Instead, I have made forays out to check on the dog, get a few groceries, and mostly enveloped myself in the internet world. I've made well-intentioned lists, washed dishes in the bathroom (the only source of hot water) and actually, for the first time in three weeks, taken laundry out to be done.

The dog is allegedly doing better, and he is so big and intriguing looking. He's been sedated a bit, and doesn't seem to respond much to me. Frankly, the old guy is just ready for an old folks home. I have to admit that I've fallen in love with him. I'm a sucker for sweet, old men. I am hoping that Jonathan Jara with the local humane society can find a "provisional" home for him in the next several days. As tough as he is, I don't think he would do well even if I could take him on the trip back to Futalandia. Eight hours from here to the ship that would take us another eight hours to Chaiten, then another four to Futa. While my heart hurts to leave him, my head knows it is unrealistic, and it would not be fair to him, or to me.

Nothing wrong with his eye, he's just getting some really great pain killers

My mother and her round-table of dog-lover friends compiled a list of names for the dog. Here they are:

Lucky

Freepass

SnowSprizt

Andes

Serra

Canall 9 gaelic for Strong Wolf

Chance

Freedom

Dakota

Renegade

Fuerte Lobo (also Strong Wolf - Spanish

Champs

Angelo

Mr Fuzzy

Latte

Mocha

Very sweet! I can't pick! But I'm hoping that someone will adopt this brute and give him some name. I have avoided naming him because when you name a critter, you own them. We've had Chief, a boxer Greg had for almost 13 years. He died of old age. We had Stinky, who was the mother of all street dogs. She died from a poisonous snake bite in Panama, and then Max, who went out of his mind and had to be put to sleep. Alfie the cat ran away, and Minky is at the vet's house in Futa. She doesn't care who houses her, so I feel confident she will be just as pleased when we come back, as not!

Please support Spay and Neuter programs. Please support Humane Societies in your area. Please thank those local vets who donate time to organizations that help promote responsible pet ownership.

Meanwhile, I'm toasting nuts. I bought a huge bag of peanuts at a bulk store last week. Tonight I had a taste for seasoned nuts, so I opened the bag and tossed them in a bowl with smoke seasoning, garlic, a little salt and a pinch of unrefined sugar. I mixed them up and put them on a sheet in the oven which was set to low-low-low. I would try this again and add a little more kick like some merken, but didn't have any tonight. If you do this on the low setting and stir them around every ten minutes or so, then let them cool completely after an hour, you have a nice snack. The sugar binds the seasoning together and coats the nuts. When cooled, they are excellent!

Greg is getting his butt kicked by the antibiotics, but doing well, nonetheless. Tomorrow is basic training...his tough days lately have messed up sleep-wake schedules, which I allowed for a few days. Tomorrow will be a walk in the park, and I don't mean a walk in the park. Sunshine (or not as the weather will dictate) and outside interaction with the world is in order.

In my little corner of the world now...I've dumped the ashtray, tossed out the beer can, taken a vitamin and put the keys in my purse. Now I will shut down the computer and get a good night sleep.

Night!