Sometimes I Feel Like People are Staring at Me When I am Buying Grapes

I do not concern myself with cleaning my fruits and veggies pre-consumption. In fact I feel that ingesting bacteria and other micro biotic weird stuff on a regular basis boosts my immune system in way that a hyper-hygienic, flu shot infused existence could not even hold a candle too. Therefore I am not afraid to taste test grapes at the local Safeway. I taste the red and then the green and then the red globe and the black grapes prior to forming decisions about my purchase. I want to like what I get and to me taste testing is a form of insurance, although I always end up purchasing the red ones unless I can get my hands on some concords. I love concords. They have a flavour unimaginable for a grape or any food at that matter. Sweet, tart, fresh and juicy all within the skin of a mini grape. I also like to open the zip lock bags of grapes and put together the ultimate collection of perfectly ripe fruit. I mean you are buying them by weight so why is it so strange to do this?

Underground Howling of Barkerville

You may know that dogs are not aloud to hang out in Barkerville but behind the scenes a few special dogs have been cruising those ghost town streets and trying to control the out of whack, tourist fattened population of Whistle Pigs (also know as Richardson’s Ground Squirrels.

This is Story. She has made her way into the hearts of the Barkerville maintenance crew. Right now she is living a bit of a double life. She has one home in New Barkerville, a grouping of houses that were moved from Barkerville in the 1960’s when this ghost town became a provincial park. They did not want people living on the site so their homes were moved about one kilometre outside of town just passed the cemetery. Recently Story broke her little dog leg. She actually has some sort of metal think bonding her leg bones together. Sad but true she would set off a metal detector. She looks ort of pitiful and limpy but she is a tough dog through and through.
And then there is Pokey who is the sweetest creature ever to have existed. I loved him so much that I made and hung prayer flags in his honour from the top of a mountain in Wells. It has now been renamed Pokey Summit. He grew up in Barkerville but moved to Wells at the age of seven to be with his true love, Moutou.

The Dogs of Wells

Looper
This sweet and wiley husky fell off of the back of a truck passing through Wells and decided to stay. She likes to cruise and catch small mammals as an after breakfast snack.
Mickey Finn
The niece of Pokey this dog acts more human than a number of homosapiens I know. She likes snacks, massaging backrubs from the best massage therapist ever, Kate Sulis, and loves the big white door.

Hey-Guy
His name may simply be Guy but because we always see him roaming around and call Hey Guy! to him his name, at least in mine and Jen’s books, has become to Hey-Guy. Bizzi Girl
This is Bizzi Girl. She is busy. She likes to wear hats and pearls when she goes out shopping. Sometimes she also carries a handbag but that is only when she needs to bring her cell phone. She is the descendant of Duke Squark a howly jowly bloodhound and Sasha Pinkerton, a Jack Russell terrier that rides the big rigs with her papa. Bizzi has had a busy life. Born in Wells she moved to Grise Fiord, Nunavut at a young age but returned to Wells a few short years later. This September she decided to follow her people, Bogles and Mao Tse-tung, to Quesnel.
Molly is a sweet dog but she really truly has a pea brain. She likes to chase cars and can run faster than any dog I have ever met. She had early onset hip dysplasia and had the nerves in her hips snipped so they are still weak and sway from side to side when she walks but they don’t hurt. She lives with the one and only Judy Campbell. Judy is the real momma of Wells. She moved to Wells in 1973 and bought a house for less money than she paid for her chain saw. She is part of the Trails Society, The Historic Society, The Friends of Barkerville, The Friends of the Hall, Island Mountain Arts, The Wells Barkerville School and the list goes on. She has sharp teeth and hates Tofu.

Smithereen Canines

This my dog Moutou. I love her. She is fluffy and silly and likes to bark. She also likes roll in dead things, play in the snow and go on road trips. She grew up in Montral but after 6 years in BC she has lost most of her french and only has a hint of an accent. Next is Baby Tobes. She is the smallest but her crazy personality is full power. She likes to chew things, especially underpants. I know I should actually learn from this and not leave my shit laying around but I just can not seen to get that straight.
Poe (short for Pony Princess even though he is a boy) has a very sweet face but I have chosen not to show it to you. He really is best known for his sheep butt. Fuzzy-wuzzy with absolutely no hint of a tail. Although he is an American, originally from Alaska and recently relocated to Whistler, he is a Smithers dog through and through. He is a bit of a Houdini and likes to sneak out of his yard. Often times he can be found around the back of the Sausage Factory on Main Street. Once he even snuck into the Alpenhorn Restaurant where I work. Everyone loves Poe but he is not alowd in the restaurant. Health inspectors seem to have problems with furry quadrupeds in public eating establishments.

The Telkwa Pack

Gus is a man…actually he is more of an adolescent. He is like Kurt from the Sound of Music. I think the word they used was incorrigible. He lives in Telkwa with a lot of really nice dogs and really nice boys. Kai is his big brother. He is a real man, and a cool one at that. He doesn’t try he just is. Johnny lives with them too. He has a big smile and loves the loves. He reminds me of Moutou but is much bigger, browner and a boy. His last name in Zyp. I think that is the best name that I have ever heard of.I think this dog’s name is Cassidy. She was living in Telkwa with the last three dogs but decided that Golden is more of her scene. I can’t really blame her. Golden is a nice place and her people were going.

Victoria Hound

This is Abindar Doggiewal.

She has a pointy snout, tiny little pencil legs and a turd body. She is and happiest when she is with her momma Meghan and is probably in a bit of a state since her momma finally got her skinny little butt off of this continent and is spending 6 months working on some sort of internship in South Africa and Abbey is living with Russ, Meghan’s boyfriend, in Victoria.