Sunday, May 29, 2011

Doggie-Paddling Bliss

                Taking the puppies anywhere is always an adventure on its own.  This past week, JM and I decided it was time to take JD and P to one of JD’s favorite places, the lake.  I always have to pack a bag for them, just to make sure I have everything that they could possibly need; poop bags, toys, leashes, life vests, water bowl, clean water, snacks, towels, ear cleaner and medicine, cotton balls and q-tips in a zip lock bag, and so forth.  Sometimes I feel like a human mommy with a diaper bag, but instead I have my go to “doggie survival bag.” 

Trying on their life vests before we leave

                As we pull up to the state park to pay, the attendant reminded me, as he always does, that my fur children must remain on a leash at ALL times, ALL TIMES!  A little redundant, and he definitely didn’t have to repeat himself in a firmer fashion; mainly because I had no intentions of keeping them on a leash at all while we were there.  I know, I am a bit of a daring rule breaker, but how are JD and P supposed to play fetch while attached to a 6-8 ft. leash?  Besides playing fetch, my dogs are very well behaved and obedient.  Seeing another person or dog doesn’t bother them, in fact they show very little interest in playing with other dogs even though I socialized them and they frequent the bark park.

Anyways, it was an extremely quiet day at the lake, largely due to the fact it was a weekday, but the two had fun nonetheless.  We found a spot over off of the boating dock and posted up.  We audaciously disobeyed the park employee, and did what he adamantly told us not to do; we unleashed the pups, put on their floating gear (as a safety precaution), let them test the water out and sniff around, and then threw their toy out into the middle of the quiet water.  ANNNNNNNNNND they were off.  It was like watching the tortoise and the hare race after the much awaited prize floating in the water.  P was never a strong swimmer, but with his new life vest, he has a renewed sense of confidence when it comes to the water.  JD swam out, retrieved the floating toy, and brought it back, taunted P, and then dropped it at our feet for another toss.  You couldn’t keep these two out of the water. 

P was too tired at this point to swim that far out, but still excited!

                Soon two hours passed by with non-stop playing, and I figured enough was enough, especially since JD doesn’t know when to quit.  If she wasn’t wearing her life vest, I’m sure she would swim to the brink of no return and we would have to rescue her.  After drying off the dogs, and re-drying off the dogs (like I said, you couldn’t keep these two out of the water), cleaning JD’s ears (no ear infections here!), and packing up the doggie survival bag while trying to keep them out of the water we walked back to our car, of course with a few sniffs along the way, and soon enough we were home were bath time awaited them.  WHEW!  Who knew going to the lake with my two fur children would be so much work?

Monday, May 23, 2011

Back Breaking Work

                Yesterday was a back breaking day, and WHEW!  I’m still suffering from the consequences.  Let me start from the beginning.  JM and I have moved due to him being in the military, and at the moment we are living in a house that I am trying to turn into a home.  I know this is not our dream home, and nor do we have plans on staying in this area….EVER!, but it’s still home.  JM tells me that I need to stop decorating since he’s more of a “percher” (he never fully moves into a house or apartment, heaven forbid decorate it, he’s such a guy), and I on the other hand like to “live” (I can’t stand not making a place my own).  Well a few weeks ago I hit some garage sales while visiting KC and the nephews and we stumbled across the crème de la crème of garage sales.  The owner of the house told us they had a shop that had closed down and had their items, which consisted mostly of home goods and décor, for nearly 90% off.  I found a beautiful chandelier that I had to have, and pretty much stole it for only $10.00.  I finally had it installed this past weekend in our dining area (it replaced a hideous gold medallion light), and can you believe it?  

The hideous medallion light.  Very early 90's no?

  The contractor didn't center the light fixture in the middle of the room like you would think they would.  The room is a square, and since I don’t know the exact measurements, let’s says for visual sake that it is 10ft x 10ft; the light in the room sits somewhere at the 7ft x 5ft mark.  I know it’s strange!  Well for further input, there is a sliding glass back door that leads to the backyard in the dining room.  So the light is off centered to keep a clear pathway to the back door.  I didn't realize any of this, until AFTER I had hung the chandelier.  The way I had the dining room set up didn't work, so in steps the back breaking work of moving furniture.  

Original position

 
              Centering attempt 1                Centering attempt 2

After hours of moving things around, I think I finally found a set up that will work, at least for now, the only problem is I need to find a place for the box and it is not working out so well.  
Before

After

The room is still under works.  I am hoping to find some cute frames that match the rustic metal ones I have, but larger to hang some family pictures on the wall opposite of the buffet, or maybe some metal art work.  

The rustic frames I love.



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Romance at the Bark Park

                It’s always a good time when JD gets together with her stunning boyfriend, Rugie.  Rugie is a handsome, and very rare to find, all white German shepherd.  


Isn't he gorgeous???

Ever since the two laid nose on each other almost a year ago, it was love at first sniff.  

What a cute couple!

I feel bad leaving P behind, but I am unsure how Rugie and P would hit it off, especially since P is the type of dog who gets in the face of another dog and just barks and barks and barks.  I also know that Rugie is the sort that hates having small dogs in his face barking, as is any dog would, so better safe than sorry. 

                Anyways, back to JD and her date.  Rugie’s human, GG and I decided to take the two to a special place, a place where they had their first date, THE BARK PARK!  


Rugie kind of wanders around sniffing and marking territory, while keeping an eye on his human and his girlfriend; JD on the other hand, likes to play fetch with her bee, and even shares the extra one with other doggie friends that she just met (she’s such a good girl, and makes me so proud!).  At this particular Bark Park, there is even an agility course, so of course we had to test it out.  The tunnel was a bit of a struggle to get through, but once JD discovered that it was not going to eat her, you couldn’t keep her from going in it if I stood on the other side.  We even tackled the ramps, and jumping bars, however the weaving bars we’ll have to practice before we enter any competition…a lot of practice. 

Agility course.

Rugie showing JD how it's done.
JD giving it a try.


Showing off her hops.
Mastering the ramp.


                With all the training, exploring, running around, and playing fetch, the two love birds had to rehydrate.  We all went over to the watering hole, which consisted of huge buckets and kiddie swimming pools filled with water and even a water hose.  JD does her usual dunking her snout face first into the water and drank to her hearts content. 


Drinking or drowning?


She must have been hot, because she climbed into the tubs of water and when she was finished with that, she wandered over to the kiddie pools and laid her belly in it. 


Standing in the water tub.


Then all of a sudden, she got a call, the call of nature.  Rather than jumping out of the nice cool water, she decided to just let it go in the pool, which resulted in GG helping me dumping the pool, cleaning it, and refilling it with fresh pee-free water.



                 After all the fun and games and frolicking in the water, it was time for JD and Rugie to get a bath and wash off all the dirt and mud that they collected on their fur from playing in and around the watering hole.  Altogether, I think JD and Rugie had an exciting date.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Rub-A-Dub-Dub



                Bath time is always an exhilarating time.  P hasn’t had the greatest involvement with water; in fact, you could say P abhors water from a bad experience at the lake, while JD on the other hand loves it.  JM and I decided to take JD to the lake, and introduce P to the deep water when he was about a year old.  At the time, only JD had a life jacket, (since she swims so far out into bottomless waters and would not have enough energy for the journey back) and P was left to me or JM to play life guard and come to his rescue in shallower waters.  While on this trip and introduction to H2O, P had a bit of a brush with death in a near drowning incident.  P tried to follow JD out while playing a game of fetch, but evidently, P isn’t the strongest of swimmers, actually, he couldn’t swim at all.  JM and I watched him slowly capsize like the Titanic, and struggle to keep his head above the water before picking him up, relieving him of his struggle. 


Since this traumatic episode P has had a massive anxiety attacks when it comes to bath time.  He usually has an asthma attack once he in the tub, or when the water finally reaches his little paws, or both. 

Oh no!  H2O!!!

Even with my best attempts at comforting him, P quivers and trembles in fear the entire time I suds him up.  

Still so scared, poor P!

But the best part of bath time is when it is all over and I get to wrap him up in a towel.  He surprisingly enjoys being coddled like a baby and having me hold him in my arms; he likes it so much he typically falls asleep.  


Also, after bathing P gets extremely feisty.  So lively he does “run runs” around the house while JD chases close behind.  Watch out P, she’s going to get you!  


P doing an after bath run-run


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Fun Under the Sun


                All fun and all play makes for a tired JD.  JD, Ro-Ro (KC’s beautiful sable German Shepherd), the boys, KC, and I took a fun trip to what one of my nephews like to call “the duck park.”  We loaded up the car with the dogs, the boys, and their toys and headed to the playground.  I felt a bit bad about leaving P behind, but with two dogs and two young boys, KC and I had our hands full, as well as, I don’t think I could have dealt with P’s constant barking.  While at the duck park JD and Ro-Ro played fetch, ran around on the playground with the boys and all the other kids there.  Luckily the other parents didn’t mind a friendly wet nose and a little lick on their youngsters from what probably seems like a horse to their kids.  Here are some pictures from that fun day.

Playing on the playground. 

The pound with all the geese and ducks.


JD playing fetch with her best friend Ro-Ro.


JD needed to rehydrate!

A momma goose protecting her unhatched babies.  Don't get too close, or else she'll nip you!

A birdie hotel I may build and put in my back yard, on a smaller level of course.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Access Denied

                The past week I was visiting my nephews, and while there, P had discovered an outlandish hole in one of the doors there.  A hole in the wall?  Yes, a hole in the wall, but this was not a mundane or impractical hole in the wall, it was a kitty door.  

The hole next to a Diet Mist can for size comparison.


P feared the kitty door, even though the thing he relishes most was closed behind it, FOOD!  

That's pure fear in his eyes.


Determined to train him to conquer his fear, P and I spent hours just trying to get him to muster up the courage just to walk through.  Even after an hour a day, for three days, P refused to walk through the door without some sort of inspiration, T Bonz.  


      


The furtherest we got, was P feeling comfortable enough to put his head through.  Maybe on our next trip, he’ll be able to master the elusive hole.  

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Décor Help {part 2}

                It’s good to be home, but oh boy, it sure is quiet!  I had spent the last week visiting my oldest brother, his wife KC, and their two sons.  I love my nephews very dearly, but they sure do know how to drain you of your energy.  Ahhh….to be young, carefree, and lively like them again. 

                Also, I am proud to announce that JD and P were well behaved and didn’t partake into too much tomfoolery.  They actually stayed in the yard during this trip and no alarms were set off.

                Now, onto business.  I am sure everyone is dying to know what I put in my beautiful bowl.  It took a few trial and errors, as well as a small number of debates, but I think I found something that I love, well at least for now.   

 

        Trial and error 1                  Trial and error 2


               I found it at one of the few stores that I just absolutely fancy and very rarely leave without purchasing anything, Target.  I adore their home good section; I could spend hours and a small fortune on all the things I would like to own just in that section.  I probably spent a better portion of an hour starring at bowl fillers, debating between this one and that one; and sure enough I went with neither.  So what did I go with you ask?

PEARS!

side view

               Also, while on the hunt for this bowl filler, I came across another accessory I just had to have.  Now, I am debating whether or not to put something into this vase.  What do you guys think?

 
Close up of the gorgeous flowers

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