One Fine Dog!

She posed just for us!

Our dog is difficult when it comes to photos.  When I hold up a camera or a phone, she either turns away or lays back her ears making her face look strange.  She is staying at Son and Daughter-In-Law's home for now and we are missing her terribly.  Yesterday, Son sat down in his chair and asked her if she wanted to let Dad and Mom see her.  She actually posed for him, and this was the result.

Not exactly newsworthy

It's cold outside, very cold for these hills.  My warm jammies feel so good and my bed was a nice nest this morning when the four legged critter decided twas time to awaken.  She likes to eat at five and again at five.  That has been her schedule since we discontinued the three per day feedings when she advanced from puppy chow.  Ol' Abner usually is awake in time for her breakfast, even though he crawls into his sleeping chair, turns on the TV and proceeds to snore away.  For some reason this morning, she seemed to think he would benefit from additional time between the sheets.  It didn't change her plan that breakfast was due, so here I sit with a warm cup of brew and a dog sleeping on my feet.

This would have been a great day to sleep late.  I was up well after midnight washing sheets for the room where Pappy will sleep while he is here and catching up on recorded episodes of some of my favorite shows.  The paper is out on the sidewalk and I'm wondering why we didn't teach this Laborador Retriever to retrieve the newspaper.  Oh well, I think someone told me not so long ago (referring to herself) "Suck it Up, Buttercup"!  I guess I'll suck it up and go retrieve my own daily news.

Spring Fever!

Dog and I are feeling restless again.  Our exercise has been limited for too many easy reasons lately.  She's developing a little paunch...and I won't even think about the sour note from the scale in the bathroom. It's not pretty!  Now that the spring/Easter cold snap is in the past, we must regain our commitment to a daily stroll flanked by alternate days in the gym.  Laziness has been so very easy to embrace for a couple of weeks now.

Trauma and roller coaster events in lives of friends and family keep my mind racing.  I know how those poor greyhounds feel as they chase the bunny on a pole around the track!  Where is the rescue team when we need them?

Oh well, I'm putting on my walking shoes and going outside to hear the birds singing up close and personal.  Belle's ready.

Road Weary

It was a long drive back to the mountain from the Texas Hills.  Ol' Abner was really tired and the dog was a restless traveler, not a good combination for a fourteen hour ride in the summer heat.  I spent the majority of Thursday moving very slowly alternately with napping.  We weren't even pulling a trailer, so this trip should have been an easy one.  It wasn't.

The weekend prior to our departure was spent preparing the back half of the property for staking out the new garage/shop/playhouse to accommodate Ol' Abner's toys and projects.  Son has a project or two to add to the facility, so he was a willing accomplice.  Removal of multiple cedar trees even with the help of a big excavator/backhoe thing was hot dusty work.  Once they were pulled from the earth, the root balls had to be removed.  Chain saws seem to be much easier to use in chilly weather.  At least cutting logs makes more sense when prepping them for the fireplace.  These big hunks of root balls had to be removed from the downed trees so the remainder could be toted over to the "Green Center" and turned into mulch.  It's a nice service offered in our new town on the first and third Saturdays of every month.  When we need mulch, we can go back and retrieve a load of our co-mingled wood bits.  It was a very hot long day of manual labor.

The next day,  Son and Ol' Abner gathered the root balls, loaded them on the trailer and hauled them out to one of Son's jobsites where a large pile of similar refuse is being gathered for proper disposal.  Again the summer heat took it's toll on them.  Monday and Tuesday involved yard work, repair, and visits to suppliers to prepare for the new construction.  By our exit on Wednesday, exhaustion was looming.

Dog seems to sense tension and takes on the stress.  She rode well for the first couple of hours then became agitated and restless.  She whined, groped our arms and tried to climb into the front seat.  Every little thing in the back part of the cab was fair game for shredding or stirring.  When we prepared for a drive to the capitol on Friday, she showed no interest in coming along.  She seemed to enjoy her day with the house to herself.  I think Ol' Abner would have been perfectly happy to stay with her, but he couldn't quite send his mouth for insertion of crowns without the rest of his tired body.

It's good to be back to the house on the mountain.

When "DOGS" fly

My favorite form of exercise is a long walk through Dogpatch neighborhoods. Depending on the route I choose, a leisurely stroll on level ground or a quick trot down the hill only to huff my way back up gives the satisfaction needed for my daily mood. Often a neighbor or two will join in, but a chocolate colored labrador retriever is my intrepid companion whether Ol' Abner chooses to come along or not.

Other dogs sometimes join us on the leashes of neighbors and she delights in making friends with any four legged companions. Her friendly social nature will usually win over the trust of these critters quickly. One neighbor resides with a small dog of unknown ancestry appearing to be a mix of a dachshund and a beagle or something with a brindle coloring. She is every bit as social as Belle although she does not enjoy a leash. Gidget will come running out to meet us as we walk by. She will roll and tumble with Belle, then proceed to me to perch in begging style on her hind legs to receive a gentle scratch on the head, then off she runs to play in circles around us.

Gidget is well known around town as Ol' Taxidermist's companion. Riding shotgun in his truck, head hanging out the window as he navigated a turn into a parking lot one day, resulted in a sudden tumble out to the ground. A few months later, she suffered a bout of lyme desease. Full recovery ensued though she learned to scream shrilly if someone touches her or attempts to pick her up against her wishes. When Mountain Girl and a large very old Blue Heeler, Sam, moved in, Gidget quickly adapted and took charge of his habits. She learned to run beside the four wheeler in the woods and refuse to exit a car if the ride has not yet been to her satisfaction.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a tiny carcass of a fawn beside the road along one of our walking routes. It appeared as though the internal organs had been cleared cleanly while the legs, and head were intact and it looked almost uninjured. I commented on this phenomenon to Ol' Abner and he explained the usual process of scavenger birds. Other neighbors mentioned the tiny fawn and a few days later it had disappeared completely. Ol' Abner came in and related a tall tale to me. Neighbor Joe had been watching as vultures munched on the fawn as Gidget irritated them. He said she barked and charged them until one flew up and grabbed her with claws firmly attached to her neck and shoulders. He watched as the creature flew across the street and around a house with a clearly reluctant passenger squirming in his grasp. Horrified he continued to watch the scavengers. Minutes later the sassy little dog came trotting out of the woods to harass the birds one last time, then turn on her heels and race toward home.

We shared the tale with Ol' Taxidermist and Mountain Girl later that day and she observed that Gidget didn't appear to be injured, but hadn't seemed to be venturing out as far as usual. Ol' Abner noted that she no longer followed past the corner where the fawn had lain. I guess that dog DID fly...and no doubt she has at least nine lives.

Rainy Days and Rainy Nights

Rains have cooled the mountains finally after a couple of weeks of 100+ temperatures. I hesitate to complain as I have listened to my friends in drought stricken Texas lament the heat and dryness over the spring and summer. The only time I enjoy a rain event is during a good night's sleep, but I've found myself praying for the rain to come to Texas this year. Cooler days have made outdoor time in Dogpatch more tolerable, but the humidity leaves the body soaked with sweat after a few minutes outside. The dog doesn't seem to mind and delights in our longer morning walks, although I can't say the same for the grazing deer. As we stroll down the street and she strains at the leash in an effort to greet the fellow four-leggers, they scatter in panic from their breakfast. I guess they spent the rainy night sleeping too.

Ol' Abner and I usually travel to the Lone Star State this time of year. Two very important birthdays easily justify the ride, but bonuses include wildflower viewing and a fun weekend down on the Llano River. The latter two were sadly disappointing this year. Drought conditions have made the bluebonnets sparse and a bit anemic, the crawfish was over salted and brisket was rubbery at the big cookout. We didn't get to camp in our usual spot, so everything was just a little out of sync!

Son and Daughter in law have their house on the market. Their house was beautifully decorated in a style that boasted of both personalities in a most unique way. To stage for the sale, the entire house was repainted in soft neutral shades and the "hot rod room/office" became just an office...tasteful, but with little personality. The kitchen cabinets no longer display the vines and lovely heirloom pieces passed down from generations before. The table leaves have been removed to make the dining area more spacious. The back deck is the only place that remains as it was...tranquil and inviting in the morning breeze.

The four legged kids clearly had to make a statement this morning. D-in-law awoke with two shoes shredded beside her bed. Unfortunately they were the right foot side of two pairs of flip-flops. She sadly lamented that she has two shoes now missing their "sole mates", someone suggested that they were just recycling in honor of "Earth Day". I guess we will watch the yard for signs of the recycled remains.

A chill in the morning air is lasting a bit longer each day. The trees herald the transition from summer to winter with brilliant shows of color. It is almost too chilly to enjoy a carefree cruise on the lake. Last week we ventured out for views of the shoreline color only to be charmed by a regal looking eagle sitting on a tree branch as though it were his throne. I lamented the lack of zoom capability in my camera as the shot just would not pick up any more than a tiny black and white speck in the center of the frame. Capturing the foliage in full bloom was difficult with the limited zoom. Sometimes a bit of whine can be productive. When we returned home, Ol' Abner did a little research on line to find some possible replacement cameras. The following day we traveled to a nearby town to look for them in person. I settled on the one I thought would serve my needs and he ordered it in my favorite school colors, a choice not offered in the retail outlets. Yesterday it was delivered and we happily ripped open the package and began the process of putting all the attachments on the camera box. Once the batteries were inserted it clicked to life and I was ready to play. First I had to go downstairs and finish the project interrupted by the delivery. When I returned, I sat down to read and learn. Twas not to be! The minute I turned on the camera, the dog climbed in my lap and clawed at the hand holding the camera. She was shuddering and wedging her 63 pounds around behind me in the chair when I turned it off and stood up to see what the ruckus was about. She calmed and sat staring at me as though I should be ashamed of myself. When I turned the camera back on, she immediately went into a protective crouch and tucked her tail. I went outside with the camera and she chose to stay inside. Later Ol' Abner picked the camera up from a table and she immediately went into distress. Guess I will have to call the manufacturer on Monday and see if there is a way to mute the signal my poor canine is receiving from the instrument. Otherwise, it may just have to go back...even though it appears to take really nice photos. A panicky dog tends to make the photo experience a bit unsatisfying. Maybe we'll have to respond to a different whine.