Spin Cycle: Ode to thistle and maple leaves

Sprite’s Keeper has a weekly spin cycle, where participating bloggers put a spin on a writing topic. I’ve read Goodfather’s spins and I enjoyed the heck out of them (try his shed series during Halloween). So I moseyed on over to Sprite’s. I had plans to join in the last cycle, but my job got in the way of anything close to actual writing. This week’s I couldn’t pass up.

Play Secret Santa and write about a blog you enjoy.

So I sent a list of blogs to Sprite’s Keeper, received my assignment, and am tickled pink to be Secret Santa blogger of a really special blogger.

Da da da DA! Without further ado, I present a little tale of one of my favorite blogs:

Of thistles and maple leaves.

I ran into thistle in my first ventures out into the comment world. I think it was this post. Thistle lives in British Columbia and these shots of the trail where she walks her dog stopped me in my tracks with a sharp intake of breath. OHHH! Pretty. Gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. The icing on the photographic stunningness was the inner monologue that went along with the pictures. One because it was a Wordless Wednesday (I loved that she could not help but narrate the pics). Two, because she had to let the internet world know that her dog’s penis really wasn’t as big as it appeared in the photograph.

So, I left a comment and I let thistle know how much I enjoyed the photos of her world. She came and checked out this blog post and left this sassy comment, “OMG...is that...a palm tree at your feet? I will trade you both the woods AND the river for that view. Plus the Littleman. Well, maybe not the Littleman, maybe his mom...the Pipsqueak. She'll keep the beastie entertained for you...”

Thistle has several smooth terriers. And yeah. She offered to send me one for my ocean view. Thistle has a wicked sense of humor and is about the best I have ever seen at using the line out to mask/not mask her gift of sarcasm.

Like me, thistle is a horse and dog person. She just knows a lot more about them than I do.

Thistle’s insatiable intellectual curiosity, combined with her sarcastic sense of humor, makes her blog diverse and always a fun place to visit.

During our American elections and tabloid media frenzy, thistle diverted her readers by a series of posts on Canada’s elections. She managed to inform us and keep it really interesting. It had quite the calming effect.

She ran a series of hilarious pictures (try here or here or here) of dogs in costumes pre-Halloween. Then on Halloween itself, gave us a history lesson on the origins of Halloween.

She travels the internet and brings back fun and games, like a test to how old one's brain is. Or if one is more conservative or liberal in one’s politics.

She works in mental health and has a heart of pure gold to balance off her sassy wit. She volunteers for Special Olympics and is the creator of The Helping Hands Project.

What’s not to like?

Last time I heard from thistle, she was busy helping her dad fix his heater and shoveling snow.

So, here’s some balmy weather. I set up a chair for thistle. She might let some of you borrow it too.

And some funny dogs.






Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa.