Easter Belle - Take 2

Happy Easter, Everyone!

On Lead

...I could do that! I bet Lu would need help, though. She always claims to be rhythmically challenged.



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Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice?

Geesh, if I have to wear the get-up on the dog above when I graduate, I think I'll flunk.

Oak Apples

Charlie Brown had his kite-eating tree. Belle, Cody and I have our Squeaker Ball eating tree.

This morning, I noticed that squeaker balls aren't the only thing this tree likes. Somehow, this oak tree is growing apples as well!

Can you find two apples and a blue squeaker ball?

Halloween Has Gone To The Dogs

Are you looking for a few good ideas for a Halloween costume for your dog?

Check it out...

Dog Blog, Blechh!?

Geesh! I hope Belle's blog is more interesting than the comic above would indicate. At least we don't do daily summaries of the doggy loggy poop patrol pick-ups.

Paperwork

A friend of mine was in a card shop and found this great card for me! After I wiped the tears away from laughing so hard, I told her I had to blog it.

I wonder how I could teach this trick to Belle and Cody without having them shred the TP before arrival? Hmmm...

My Three Dogs

Welcome to the morning routine.

From left to right - a hungry Bird, a Hungry Belle and a Hungry Boy. Don't let the cat looking creature on the left fool you - he's really a dog. Every morning, all three troop out to do their business. As soon as they've finished they come right back for breakfast.

My apologies for the nose slime on the glass - they were really hungry and couldn't understand why I was taking pictures instead of letting them in for breakfast.

A Dog's Life

It's been a rough week around here with four animals and only one human. Either they miss Molly or I do but either way we're getting on each others nerves. Ole the Monster Cat, won't stop yowling and attempting to escape. Any screen will do - so long as he can head butt it. Belle and Cody are non-stop wrestling, punctuated by barking at every person who passes the house. If I sit on the front porch with them, telling them to be "quiet" when people and/or dogs pass they're fine. The treat when they don't bark helps too, I'm sure. But as soon as I go in, they are just obnoxious big brown barky dogs. I hate it when people cross the street rather than pass our house. And Woobs - he's fine as long as he can stay in my lap or my arms - all day and all night. Given that he's a Big Cat, this isn't easy to accomplish. Not to mention the fact that it's like wearing a fur coat on these hot days. Right now, there's no way they all would leave me alone long enough to watch a movie - I'm living it.

Rock of Ages

I've been feeling my age with all the graduations and invitations to 30th class reunions I've received recently. I had a good chuckle when I read the above comic this morning. It reminded me that numbers can mean many things or be many mean things. It's all in your perspective.

Flexi Fun and Other Chuckles

• As one of our Flexi-leash homework assignments, I had Belle drag the leash and plastic holder around the yard. The purpose of this assignment is to let the dog, in a controlled environment, get used to the sound and feel of a flexi-leash that has either been dropped or popped off a wheelchair. If the dog is not used to the sound of the flexi-leash handle there is a strong possibility the dog will be startle and/or bolt from the loud clanging, banging thing following them wherever they go. After about 10 minutes of dragging the leash around, Belle was getting more and more irritated with this nuisance attached to her. She kept giving it dirty looks and then finally had enough. She picked up the handle, brought it over to me and pushed it at me as if to say, "enough already, take this thing off of me!" I still get a chuckle just thinking about it.

• I'm making the most of the dog treat recipes shared recently in this blog. Training two dogs, I'm going through the kibble quickly. Today's Red Rover cartoon really hit home for me.
• Happy Wednesday, everyone!
  

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

It was Picture Night for the Monday Night Pups at yesterday's class. In addition to individual shots of each dog, a "family" photo was shot for the Blue Coat Benefactor - the Helping Paws newsletter to dog sponsors and other supporters.

Like any family photo - the toughest part is just getting everyone in to the picture. Eileen, with her practiced eye and knowledge of each dog's personality, knew just the right positions to minimize misbehavior. (In the FinnFam - that usually meant separating the two youngest brothers - they were always conspiring to play "See Food" or bunny ears on the unsuspecting sibling who was actually trying to look good for the shot). What is it they say about the best laid plans?

First shot - all the dogs are in order (or so we thought), with Party Girl (Belle) placed last and in the outside position so that if she pulls one of her stunts she doesn't take the whole gang with her. There's so much focus on getting her to stay, that no one notices that Dozer isn't in the shot. Until Judy (the ace dog photographer) looks at the photo and someone says, "where's Doze?" So we line them all up again - thankfully, the four on the platforms had stayed in place, and Bella and Rocky down in front were still mostly in place. Belle, was yep, Belle and had left her spot immediately.

Finally, all the dogs are back in line and Judy starts firing away. Her hope was to at least get the dogs looking at her, no one noticed what the two in back were up to. Liv had turned tail to the camera, and Mac decided to say hello in that uniquely doggy style (read sniffing butt). Liv was accommodating enough to even lift a leg for him.


Thank God the two youngest FinnFam brothers never thought of that one.


(Left to Right, Back Row first: Liv, Mac, JayDee, Thor, Dozer, Bella, Rocky, and Belle. Not pictured: Brio, Rally and Kade. Thanks, Judy M. for the picture!)

Singles Ads

I received the following e-mail today and liked it so much I just had to share. It is a singles ad purportedly published originally by the Atlanta Journal...

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me.

Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy, I'll be waiting....

Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society

Now that's what I call a great ad!

They're dogging it!

...I just had to share with the "Speak" world the logic that my sister-in-law and her beloved used to make their selections for the NCAA Basketball Pool. It just doesn't get any better...

Be Careful What You Wish For

I think this comic is telling me to appreciate the snow tumors that grow on the dog's fur and paws when playing outside. At least the puddles they leave behind when they come in are relatively clean and easily wiped up.

Throwing in the Towel

No, no - before the rumor mill goes too far, I'm not quitting (can you quit a volunteer job?). This post is really about towels - the terry-cloth, bathtub type.

Before the most recent cold snap, I purchased new towels to replace some that were wedding gifts (twenty-five years ago). It was high time to retire them because they had gotten so thin and ratty they weren't much good anymore for drying off a whole human body - just parts. Being the fabric hoarder that I am, I thought they'd be great to keep by the door to wipe off Belle's muddy paws. Terrific idea, but Belle had another, as usual.

Since the demise of Baby, Belle has had no soft chew toys to gnaw on, rip apart, and drag the sad shreds around the house and yard. No problem - the towels work just fine, thank-you. Belle, wipe that guilty look off your face - you are so busted!

Sigh. I suppose I should be glad she prefers the towels to Ole the Cat. I know Ole is.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from Belle, Molly and I to you and yours! May all your days be filled with love.

Mud, Sweat and Tears

Oh, if only she could, or would.

Everyone who knows me knows I am the world's worst housekeeper. Not because I don't know how, but because I'm so good at finding other things more interesting to do.

Alas, the loving presence of Belle forces me to do that which I so detest so much more frequently. The really sad thing about that fact is you couldn't tell by looking at my house right now. Sigh!

Escape Claws?

From the looks of it, I don't think the jury is feline the defendant's pain.

On The Lighter Side...

After yesterday's deep thoughts, I think Gary Larson was trying to tell me to "lighten up". So today, I give you just the bare bones. Do you think that sandwich came with a glass of "Oste"-spumante? Oh stop whining, I know that joke should be calcified. I just don't have time to flesh it out.