Category: k

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A Frolicking Good Time

I really enjoyed this past weekend.

First, there was Saturday’s wine tour. It was a great time. Then on Sunday, for the first time in a long time, we got to visit the WV Place.

Spring in West Virginia

Our little house in the woods has been neglected of late. There’s just so much stuff to do and/or discover here at the new place. Honestly, the only reason we went on Sunday was because we had to. My car has been parked there, in that very spot you see pictured, for a couple of months.

Being a one-car family has been different. It’s not like we don’t have other modes of transport available. If I take off with the truck for a weekend, Hubby still has the bikes at his disposal. But cargo space is pretty limited.

So now we got the car back. I am happy. I’ve missed my car.

The dogs were happy, too. They really enjoyed the visit, however brief.

K and Belle, soon after arrival.

See how nice and clean they both look in that image I posted above? That did NOT last long at all.

Hunting

Meg went off to visit the neighbors while the younguns set out for a hunt.

Hunting

This wood pile sits at the bottom of the hill near the turn in our driveway. It’s a very boggy area.

And More Hunting

Can you see K in the last shot? You have to look closely as she blends in and there’s not much to be seen.

I swear K is part mountain goat.

Part mountain goat?

She is the most sure-footed dog I have ever seen.

Belle

Belle did her share of climbing, too. But K’s climbing abilities are unsurpassed. At least among our three.

Bog Dogs

When they weren’t on the woodpile, they were running around it. Through the bog.

Belle may be our little princess, but she loves her some mud.

Happy as a Pig in Mud

Really. The ground where’s she is laying is a spongy, muddy mess. She was happy as could be. Click on that image of Belle to get a close look at her back feet.

Speaking of happy… check out the smile on Meg’s face.

Happy Meg

Yes, dogs can smile. The WV place is her favorite place in the whole world.

I guess you could say she’s a country dog at heart.

Trees are still not quite full.

I was surprised to see that the trees are still rather bare.  I guess most are about half filled-out? Quite a few others still have a ways to go.

Sparse Canopy

See what I mean? There just aren’t many leaves yet. Maybe it’s because of the weird, cold weather we’ve had. Last weekend, it snowed a bit at the WV place!

Meg was pooped.

Meg is a bit out of shape, I guess. She hadn’t been out long, but looked exhausted.

The young girls were still raring to go. K, especially, was still showing some spunk.

That's My K!

How was your weekend?

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For the Dog Lovers

Our dogs are pretty popular here in town. I can’t decide if it’s because they’re cute (well, they are), because they look so happy when we are out walking, or just because there are three of them, which is sort of rare.

I often get comments like “boy, you have your hands full!” And more than once I’ve been asked if I am a professional dog walker, if I work for animal control, why I have three dogs…

It’s funny.

Because I have been walking them for a while now, observing the different reactions from folks we encounter, I have learned to spot the people who just aren’t “dog people.” They’re the ones who don’t even glance at us or crack a smile.

They don’t know what they are missing.

Our dogs are a never-ending source of entertainment.

Sometimes, I think they do stuff just to make us laugh.

 

 

Other times, I think they are just being dogs.

 

I came across a cool dog-cartoon site as I was looking for some interesting clip art to add to this post.

 

 

Every time I thought to myself, “Okay, this is the last one I’ll share…” I saw another I just had to include.

 

The site, a blog, I think, is FunnyFidos.com. I think there’s more than just cartoons there. But I’ll have to check it out further some other time. Because I already wasted enough time scrolling through the cartoons.

What I really wanted to do was share some recent shots of our girls. Because I know at least one of my followers really looks forward to dog pictures.

Remember what I said about them being entertaining? Like kids, sometimes these dogs do the darnedest things.

 

Belle

 

Hubby was playing with Belle the other night. She plopped into her bed at one point and he put one of the other beds on top of her. She likes being in and under things, so she stayed like that for a while.

 

Hubby and Belle

 

After Hubby left, K and Belle were knocking the beds around (they are very light). One ended up, upside-down in the doorway of my office. I was on the phone, so I just left it that way. A little while later, I noticed the bed was occupied.

 

K on the Upside-Down Bed

 

Belle and K are really funny together. They love to wrestle and play. One of these days I’ll have to get a video of them playing in what seems to have become the wrastling room.

Oh, and I can’t forget to mention Meg. She doesn’t enjoy playing as much as the younguns, but she’s still funny.

 

Meg

 

That’s one of Meg’s favorite sleeping positions.

And that concludes my dog post for the day.

Almost.

Are you a dog person? Not sure? Take a look at THIS CHECKLIST to find out.

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Random Bit of Coolness

Every now and then, stuff pops up that catches me completely by surprise. Good stuff.

It doesn’t happen often. I guess life is too predictable. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve had my share of crazy unpredictable lately!

As for the good thing…

I noticed on Facebook last night that a preview of the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network (NBRAN) 2012 calendar had been posted. Upon closer inspection, I was tickled to see a picture of K playing with Alice (our foster puppy during May 2011).

Here’s the picture I’m talking about.

K Playing with Alice

Nice, right? I love seeing my girls in print.

But that wasn’t the really cool part.

I commented about that being my Special K. And Sharlene, the lovely lady who is responsible for creating the calendar every year said, “I didn’t realize that was K.” (K, like both of my other dogs, is sort of famous. I’ve posted lots of pics of her.)

Shar followed that comment with an e-mail that said, “One of our Canadian volunteers did this for us when they had a meeting this summer at Malabar. I’ve altered the wording some and used it on the small tote bags to hold treats to sell at events and they have been popular. She did it in [liver and white] and [orange and white] both. You can tell it’s K from the position and I was the one to send the picture to her so I know it was K.”

The “this” she was talking about is the following graphic. I chopped the words off for the sake of this post.

My Special K

How cool is that? Damn cool, I think!

And it’s just like K to be wearing sunglasses.

Now K is not only in the calendar, her likeness is helping NBRAN raise money to help all of the other dogs in need.

I was especially happy to see that because the other cool drawing I have of my dogs was done before K joined the family.

ToadMama with Belle and Meg

Just tonight I unpacked that very print. Framed, of course. I’ll be hanging it in my office.

Now I can print a copy of K’s graphic to frame, too.

That really made me smile.

Thanks, Shar!

 

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Bark Bark BARK Bark Bark BARK BARK

Yesterday was one of those work days when I was feeling a bit stressed because I’ve got a deadline to meet today and still had lots to get done. What needed to be done was writing. Real writing that requires thought. But I was having a horrible time staying focused thanks to the dogs. Two dogs, really, but one in particular… K.

Hubby had to go to his office yesterday. (Did I ever mention that he works from home now, too?) So it was just me and the bitches here at the MD abode. Belle has always been our problem barker, but yesterday K was the culprit.

Belle is a reflex barker, i.e., if she hears something, anything, she barks and then goes to investigate. Of course, that usually gets one or the other dogs barking, too. If there’s actually something worth barking at, K and Meg will elevate their vocalizations from the level of “hey I might hear and/or see something” to the “OMG, Mama, there’s something coming to get us! NOW!” hysterics.

First, it was the trash truck. Then some really threatening-looking young mother pushing a baby stroller. And we can’t forget the kids waiting for the school bus.

Then it was the squirrels. And the birds. She alternated between barking her face off in the back yard to barking her face off at the front door. Of course, as soon as she barked, Belle barked. It was crazy. Just about the time I’d get them to stop something else would set them off.

Then the UPS lady came with a big package for Hubby. Those UPS people are VERY threatening. They always bark like crazy at them.

Once I got them to shut up, I looked at the package. It was a Father’s Day present from Shannon. Food from Omaha Steaks. It said on the box to open and put in freezer immediately. So, knowing Hubby wouldn’t be home until evening, I removed all the perishables, put them in the freezer, and then set the box smack in the middle of the foyer so he would see it when he got home.

It was quiet for a few minutes and then K started barking again. Hysterically. Once I got to the foyer she’d moved away from the door. I looked outside to see nothing. No people. No cars. No bird or bunny. No walkers. Not a thing.

So I went back to work.

A few minutes later she started again. When I got to the foyer she’d again moved away from the door (she knew I was going to scold her for barking). I looked outside to see NOTHING.

Back to work for me. Back to barking for K. It was maddening. And it went on like that for like TWO HOURS. Finally I got her to shut up when Belle took off out the back door barking. K followed. I went outside to quiet them down. That’s when K went back into the house, to what sounded like the front door, and started barking AGAIN.

I was about ready to blow at that point. So I stormed back into the house and FINALLY discovered what she’d been barking at.

Any guesses?

That Omaha Steaks box.

"Mama, there's a monster in this box!"

When I removed the food, I didn’t bother with the dry ice at the bottom of the box. It must have been popping and crackling. Or something. All I know is, it had the dog freaked out. I opened the box and she wouldn’t come near it.

"It's scary."

At one point, I was so frustrated I put Belle and K both in the crate. They didn’t bark, but K whined quietly the entire time. In hindsight I know it was because the crate was still within sight of the big, scary box.

"It's still freaking me out."

I admit, I sorta wanted to kill the dog. But at the same time, it was pretty funny.

Besides… just look at that face.

"I'm so embarassed."

I’m hoping to get some fun and relaxation in between projects this weekend. Are you up to anything good?

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Picture-perfect Easter Greetings

After what has seemed like days/weeks of rainy/cold/otherwise crappy weather, today’s weather is picture-perfect. Yesterday was, too, as you’ll see in the images I have shared below.

Another very cool Graphics Fairy image.
Happy Easter!

I may have started with “all is right in the world” except for one thing. We got word yesterday that my Dad’s oldest brother, Bob, passed away. We knew it was coming (based on other news we’d received earlier in the week), but it is still very sad. My heart is definitely heavy on this lovely Easter morning.

We’re at the WV Place (surprised?). We spent most of the day yesterday trying to finish up all the little projects hanging over our heads. Hubby did the last bit of drywall finishing because he got tired of hearing me whine about it. I started hanging the slate tiles on the half wall that flanks the kitchen. There’s one little spot remaining on that wall, and then there’s another little piece of wall to do. I’ll finish that today before heading back to MD.

Hubby made me a fabulous breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and biscuits. It was delicious. Isn’t it funny how food always tastes so much better when someone else cooks it for you?

All of my girls are waiting patiently for their morning stroll. And it’s such a nice day, I’m pretty anxious to get out there myself. But first, here are some very Spring pictures I captured yesterday…

Redbud

(I hope you’re not tired of seeing the Redbuds yet!)

Dogwood Tree
Turkey Hollow Road (our "street")

Dogwood & Redbuds
Dogwood

Here a a couple good pictures of the girls. (Post wouldn’t be complete without them!)

Meg (it was her turn to get dirty this weekend)
K and Belle

I hope you and your family have a lovely Easter.

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Spring Hunting Expedition

Friday was a picture-perfect Spring day. Saturday it rained. And rained. And rained some more. For the most part, the showers were intermittent. Until late afternoon when the serious storms rolled through — with thunder, lightning, and even hail — dumping three inches of water on us.

You can only imagine how saturated the ground is.

The good news? The morning-after light and clouds made for a very cool picture (if I do say so myself).

Spring Morning After the Storm

The bad news? The saturated ground made for some very dirty dogs. Especially since they were hunting.

Belle Hunting

K is our most-dedicated (fanatical) hunter. Belle has been learning from K, apparently. She discovered this rotted stump earlier in the day on Saturday. Rotted stumps seem to be the preferred homes for mice and other woodland rodents.

Belle Hunting

Later in the day, while we were walking between rain showers, Belle revisited the aforementioned rotted stump.

She was so obsessed, she stayed there, digging, while I walked to the end of the road with the other girls. That is VERY unlike Belle, who usually doesn’t like to let me out of her sight for more than about 30 seconds.

"What!?! Can't you see I am busy?"

This is the look I got after calling her name repeatedly. She was obsessed I tell you.

"I know you're in there!"

The girl was definitely on a mission. But she did finally give up and leave her stump, near the end of our driveway, to return to the house with me. Maybe because it had started raining again.

Later (right before dinner), Belle and K were tag-teaming whatever critters were lurking under this stump, which is very close to our house. In fact, I could watch them from the kitchen.

I knew they had to be getting dirty. But every now and then, just like with kids, you have to say “what the heck” and just let them have their fun.

Dirt washes off, right?

"What!?! Would you QUIT calling me already? I'm hunting!"

Belle was the only one who would even stop when I was calling their names.

A Rare Face Shot

I actually caught a shot of K’s face. She wasn’t completely ignoring me after all.

Dedicated Hunters

That glimpse of her face was definitely fleeting. She was back at in in milliseconds.

They did eventually give up on that stump. Maybe because it was time for their dinner?

The Hunt Resumes

During our after dinner walk, Belle was back to the original stump.

"I know you're in there. I KNOW it."

She did not want to give up. Notice how dirty her legs have gotten?

I shot a video, too, which I’ll have to share later. She dug and dug and dug. Finally, I tipped the stump over so she could get at whatever it was she was going for.

There was nothing there. Just some old nesting material. Either it was an old nest or the residents had decided to get out of Dodge during Belle’s earlier assault.

She did finally give up on that stump. But even after it got dark, despite the fact that it was raining, she and K kept running in and out, digging (I assume) at the stump right behind the house.

During the course of the evening, Belle got progressively dirtier.

By the time bedtime had rolled around, she was one DIRTY dog.

Belle (After the Hunt)

So much for our cute little princess.

Belle (After the Hunt)

I think she was even a little embarrassed. But that didn’t stop her from going out for more.

Belle at Her Dirtiest

This was the last shot of the evening. She even had mud caked around her eyes.

A short time later, after she’d dried, I noticed that the top of her head and sides of her face were crusty with dried mud. I couldn’t let my baby girl go to bed looking like that, so I washed her face for her.

You should have seen how brown those paper towels were. Yuck!

Have your critters been enjoying the wet Spring as much as mine have?