Sunshine Came Softly . . .

What a pleasure to see shadows again!

And to hear the sweet dripping of icicles!

And to read that the temperature could reach the forties this weekend!

Oh joy!

Dog Days

 Dog Days -- hot, still, breathless weather -- an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" according to Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813.

The Old Farmer's Almanac identifies the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. These are the days of the year when rainfall is at its lowest levels.

For more information on the origin of Dog Days,  check out Wikipedia. (We won't tell Maggie the part about sacrificing a brown dog . . .)

 

House Guests Bearing Gifts

Isn't this a wonderful crow? Our cousin Barb bought us this beautiful piece she made -- a woodcut, inspired by the picture below that I posted sometime back in the winter.

Barb carved a wood block then painted it with acrylics and printed and reprinted the image on canvas. Bits salvaged from old furniture provide a unique presentation.

We're enjoying our house guests -- an enjoyable and relaxing time to catch up on news of Tampa as well as other family -- as well as an excuse to eat and drink very well.

And yes, they brought their dog -- the charming Blackbird.

Ali Ali is in love. 

 

Chester...the Dog with a Resume

Chester the Labradoodle came to the Easter Party -- and thereby hangs a tail tale...

We include on our invitation to the Easter Party the stern words --"No dogs -- we have plenty."

It just makes good sense -- with cows and chickens and cats and little children, as well as the resident canines to deal with, bringing your dog along has the potential for major aggravation. And besides, what if Everyone on the list (well over a hundred) decided Rover would enjoy a day in the country?

The mind boggles.

But then there was Chester.

A little back story. It has been tradition for years now for a group of my younger son Justin's friends from college to turn Easter weekend into a bit of a reunion at the farm and they generally begin arriving on Thursday.  They are massively helpful in setting up for the party, hiding eggs, running the Easter egg hunt, and basically doing anything we ask of them.

Justin's good friend Cory is the overseer of all this energy. ("If you want anything done, tell me and I'll delegate it," he says.) 

A few weeks before Easter, Alan, (one of the out of town crew) asked Cory if he could bring his new dog to the farm as he really didn't want to board him.

"Absolutely not," said Cory. "It's a standing rule, no dogs!"

I knew nothing of this when, a little later,  I received a charming email from Alan, asking if he could bring his dog Chester, who, according to this email had done well in obedience training, was neutered, was past his puppy wildness, was well socialized, and got along with all people, dogs, and cats. (In addition to obedience school and trips to the dog park, Chester, it seemed, had two playdates with other dogs every week.)

It was the mention of the play dates that did it. After cautioning Alan that he would have to be reponsible for this paragon at all time, I said that he could bring Chester for the weekend.

"I can't believe Alan went over my head!" is the mild version of Cory's response when I told him this.

"But the dog has play dates!" I pleaded.

As you see, Chester came to Easter and all agreed he was a charming addition to the mix. And his people kept a watchful eye on him while he explored the pond and the cow poop and all the other joys of the farm.

Good boy, Chester! You're invited back next year -- just tell folks you're Bonafied Bonafido!

Jack

Jack is gone. 

Last Friday he was operated on for what turned out to be a massive tumor, necessitating a three hour surgery.  He came home and seemed to be recovering. The next day he managed a few shaky steps outside, before returning to his bed.  He seemed comfortable, though still groggy, and we thought that all was well.  Later, unexpectedly, he had a seizure of some sort, perhaps a massive  stroke, from which he did not recover.

He was the most cheerful dog I've ever known and the only dog who made a habit of turning to thank you when you opened the door to let him in.  

Jack the Jester, we sometimes called him because he was foolish in ways that didn't seem right for a Border Collie.

  "What would the lads down at the pub say?" we would ask when he climbed in a lap for a quick snuggle.

Another member of Dog Club gone, alas! But oh, what fun they had!

And how much joy they have brought us, despite the inevitable goodbyes.

Labradoodle?

Is it a bird?
Is it a plane?
It is a...

no, wait, that's not what I meant.

Is it a labrador?
Is it a poodle?

I think it might be...

a labradoodle?!

On a walk through our neighborhood last weekend
we found this dog running about.

That tail is gorgeous!!

I think it must be a lab/poodle mix...

What do you think?
Have you seen any cool dog mixes?

Grab a camera and a critter and join Camera Critters!

Ali Ali and the Chipmunk

Ali Ali, the mighty hunter. Motionless, never-tiring, invisible. he eyes his prey.

Oh, great, look who's here . . . the Terror of the Birdfeeder . . . a legend in his own mind.

Ali Ali -- an ebony statue, a frozen image, not a quiver of his flanks to give him away -- fixes the hapless rodent with his steely gaze.

Jeez.
Here I am with my mouth all watered up for some sunflower seeds, and Mr. Mighty Hunter has to show up.
Yo! Get a life, you stupid mutt!

Deaf to taunts but ever alert, the tireless Nimrod waits for the quivering beast to -

I'm outta here.

Dog-Earred Capitalism

I'm in love with Annie's ears.
Annie, my Labrador Retriever.

If I'm feeling stressed.
I pet her.
especially her ears.

They're so soft.
Unbelievably soft.
and silky.

I want to make a blanket out of them.
But that might send PETA after me.

And I'd hate to leave a bunch of ear-less dogs running around.
They'd look like alien dogs.

I thought about clipping Annie's ears off, maybe they'll regrow like a lizard's tail...
I need to carry her ears around in my pocket, like a lucky rabbit's foot.

I mean, where did the rabbit foot tradition start?

I might as well start a new one with dog ears...
But, Annie's particular about her looks, so I don't want to take her ears.

But, I promise, they are the softest thing ever.

If anyone's interested in starting a new avaunt guard business with me...just let me know.

Dogs have the softest ears.

Clearly this kitten agrees with me.

Gurus of Being

The dog on the left is Scout- a pleasant pup who lives down the road from us but visits often. He has one brown eye and one blue eye and, as you can see, poses like nobody's business.

Though Scout is a neutered male, our male dogs find him most attractive. His androgynous charm reminds me of Orlando Bloom as the elf in "Lord of the Rings."

Something about this sequence of pictures made me think of my niece's concept of a photo haiku.

So I'll try for a word haiku to go with them.



At home in this world
Gurus of being here, now --
Dogs in the spring sun.

Gnome Mobile and love of books

Did anyone watch this movie growing up? I loved it. What brought it to mind today was that since my Land Rover has been broken, I have been driving a rental car that looks a lot like the Gnome Mobile. Seriously. It has a very similar shape and is full of children, a dog, an elderly man, basketballs and backpacks and lots of dog hair. Lovely imagery, huh? I could show you a picture of my rental car, but I think using your imagination is much more fun, isn't it?



Our family dog, Annie, loves to ride in the car. She is so content to sit in the front seat and stick her head out the window, her ears flapping in the wind. We adopted Annie from DFW Lab Rescue this summer, and I can't say enough good things about that organization. They really try to match you with a dog right for your situation, and they work hard to find homes for these abandoned and/or just homeless labs. Most dog breeds have a rescue organization of some type, so next time you're looking for a pet, look them up! They usually require that you have a fenced yard and room for a pet (at least the larger breeds do).



I detoured a little off topic, didn't I? Back to the movie above. I grew up on a ranch and my parents choose not to have access to TV. Instead we read books and occasionally rented movies. I think this is a large reason why I read up a storm and prefer books over TV 90% of the time. That's not to say I don't like TV, I do, and I have a lot of shows I DVR (God Bless the DVR) and watch when I can. But there's something magical about books that the TV just can't compete with.



I've been trying to pass along my love for reading to my boys. It's was a challenge at first with my older son, Donny. He was slow to read and was more into comic books and/or graphic novels. I kept searching for books that were on subjects he would find interesting. I wasn't pushy, just consistent about sharing my love for novels and excitement about going to the bookstore. He's finally fallen in love with books and is an incredible reader! My younger son is just learning to read, and he loves for us to read to him. We usually get him to read to us now also, so he can practice reading.



What are both boys reading right now? Let me share.



Donny just finished reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret and is starting to read The Kingdom Keepers.



The Invention of Hugo Cabret: Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.



The Kingdom Keepers: Thirteen-year-old Finn and several of his friends become holograms at Florida's Disney World and then find themselves literally pulled into nighttime adventures in the theme park. Ridley Pearson's fantasy (Disney Editions, 2005) is fast paced and technologically savvy. Finn and his friends make repeated forays after hours into the very guts of such Disney icons as Tom Sawyer's Island, It's a Small World, Adventure Mountain, and other rides both tame and wild as they lay siege to Maleficent, an evil witch whose minions are at work to destroy the Disney mystique. The kids hang out at the park looking for signs and signals that will aid them in their nighttime quest for securing Disney power. Their parents are mildly suspicious, but Finn and his pals are fast talkers, willing to face their nighttime nemeses alone, rather than bringing in adult forces.



Remy's favorites right now are Poor Puppy and Bad Kitty, along with Oscar and The Mooncats and Walter the Farting Dog.



Bad Kitty: This four-part alphabet book will appeal to youngsters who like their stories more naughty than nice. The tale opens with Kitty learning that her owners have run out of cat food and that her only options are healthy and nutritious edibles that run the gamut from Asparagus to Zucchini. She reacts by doing an A-to-Z list of mischievous things, like claw[ing] the curtains and hurl[ing] hair balls at our heads. When her owners return with food that ranges from An Assortment of Anchovies to Baked Zebra Ziti, Kitty realizes she must atone for her bad behavior with a final list of alphabetical deeds such as cleaning the cat box and washing the car.



Poor Puppy: The scrawny, supercilious feline from Bad Kitty is back and—quel surprise!—has no interest in playing with guileless, gangly Puppy, who appeared at the end of that title and takes center stage here. Poor Puppy, Bruel writes. Poor, poor Puppy. Poor, poor, poor, poor, poor Puppy! The book then becomes a counting/alphabet book to demonstrate that Puppy isn't really poor—in fact he has many playthings at his disposal: 1 Airplane, 2 Balls, 3 Cars and so on. But Puppy still wants to play with Kitty, and as he falls asleep, the book takes another trip through the alphabet—and through the world—as Puppy dreams of 26 fun activities and locales he'd like to share with his best friend Kitty: Apple Bobbing in Antarctica, Baseball in Brazil, Checkers in Canada, etc.



Oscar and The Mooncats: A cozy tale about a cat who learns that there's no place like home. Oscar the cat loves his boy. He also loves to climb way up where he can see everything. He jumps onto the fridge, onto the bookshelf, and onto the roof of the garage, but if he jumps just a little higher, his view would be out of this world. With the mightiest leap of his life, Oscar makes it all the way to the moon. Oscar makes some new friends there.



Walter the Farting Dog: Walter, a fat gray dog with an apologetic look on his face, comes home from the pound with two children. He has incurable gas, and his family decides to take him back. The night before he is to go, Walter sadly devours "the 25-pound bag of low-fart dog biscuits the vet had prescribed for him, which had made him fart more.... A gigantic gas bubble began to build inside him." Wouldn't you know, two burglars break in, and Walter's liability becomes his asset.



My husband is currently reading John Grisham's new novel, The Appeal, and I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.



What are you currently reading? Have you seen the movie The Gnome Mobile?

For those of you who don't read or aren't reading anything currently, what's in your Gnome Mobile?

And, for those of you who aren't interested in any of those questions, you need to see this weird new fish from Antartica and how can you make it through your day without hearing about this? If I never make it as a writer, then I can always go into that new profession.