Mom...I Gotta Go

This is what Lilie was crying at 12:30am the other night. I was woken from a deep sleep, with ear plugs in, as Lilie was whinning loudly from outside my door. I got up, went to the back door to let the dogs out, and it seems that Lilie REALLY had to go. There was a nice size puddle of urine on the floor. Have I mentioned lately that I love my pets? They sure know how to treat me well.

Jasper and his two paw touch

Jasper is one of our adorable cats, and he does a very adorable thing with his two front paws. As we walk by him, he often, and I mean often, runs by us, pauses long enough to tap us on our legs with his front paws, then runs off. That's it. That's all he does. At first we were completely surprised by this behavior, and then I started thinking it was rude (he would often do this around supper time), and now, I just get a big ol' kick out of it (no pun intended!). It's things like this that make raising all of these hellions worth it. I just look at him and smile.

By the way, this is Jasper helping Husband hang a light fixture in the bedroom. Both of our cats love to get in the way! But, at least now when I talk about Jasper you have a face to go with the name!

Copper-sitting

Husband and I are dog sitting for one of our friends. Here are her facts: she is a year old, weighs less than my cats, and is a pure-bred Beagle....yes, I said Beagle. Copper is having the time of her life here; two dogs to play with ALL the time, and two cats to harass until they catch on to the fact they can jump onto furniture higher than she is. Luckily for me, Husbands work schedule worked out just so, that I only had to manage all FIVE pets one day. The first night she howled, I turned to husband and asked if, since she was one it would stop. The second night Copper didn't stop moving until after 9:30, and that was only because I gave her a chewy. The dogs are having a blast with her. Lilie plays really well with her, half the time Sadie is policing them. Lilie only had to be scolded twice for not sharing, Sadie already knew the drill. Copper has only gotten hurt twice, which really is a miracle considering she weighs something like a sixth of my dogs. Lilie accidentally bit her little stick legs too hard. Copper's leg went in the air, and I "tough" loved her and told her to walk it off! All in all its been a fun experience and we enjoy having her. Although, lucky for Husband I won't be bothering him at all for another dog...filling five food bowls, and feeding five animals separately is a LOT of work.

Not The Butter

Anyone who has spent a fair amount of time around me knows that two of my favorite foods are butter and salt...weird right? Don't worry, I don't go around eating these two things together and only these two things. But fresh popped popcorn, hot vegetables, all these things deserve the deliciousness of butter and salt. So, here's the scene: I come home Thursday after work. Lilie goes to the water dish to quench her thirst, Sadie heads for the water dish in the kitchen. But wait, there isn't a water dish in the kitchen. And then I see it, my tub of butter lay right side up, lid showing signs of a break in from the cats, and Sadie, with butter on her chin. Not the butter! So you see, nothing is safe in this house.

It Always Brings A Smile

It snowed, it snowed, it snowed! For some reason the first snowfall always brings a smile to my face. There is something about it. I guess there is just so much anticipation for the start of winter just as there is for spring. I never realize how ready I am for winter until it snows. This year winter was late...I know for all of you lower 48ers this seems a tad on the strange side. I remember my freshman year of college there was snow the third week of September and it stayed, see nothing to complain about. It's always fun to see the dogs run outside and greet the first snowfall as well. I swear there was a little more hop in Sadie's step this morning. I suppose it's not unrealistic to thing her feet were cold! Now comes the cold, the slick roads, and the high heating costs, but it'll be worth it, until February. And then spring will come, in May.

I Had A Date With My Dog

I had a date with Sadie tonight! It was our forth agility class. Today we learned to spin. I know, sounds glamorous. I did learn something tonight though...that agility is great because you don't get tested on the previous class lessons...the bad thing is, you don't get tested. I only say this because, if you don't practice, then your dog doesn't get better. However, you have to be your own motivator, because their really isn't any failing (unless you consider not graduating). I need to start working with Sadie more, but at least now we have a list:

• work on the beginnings of a front cross
• work on the spin
• work on stays
• remember to say "wait" and not stay

Sadie is a great agility dog, I'm really the one holding her back.

I Know You're Out There

So, sort of contrary to what my "no comments" tab tells me, I know that I have visitors to this blog because of the counter. If I do have faithful readers, or just a visitor who happens upon this site every once in awhile, I'd love to get feedback. I'm sure there are plenty of readers who have animals. I'd love to hear stories about your little ones. So, every now and then, leave me something to indicate how I'm doing...even if you hate what I've written. In my case, no news is no good, and bad news is better than nothing. But to those you do read, thank you!

What the ****?

And that's putting it mildly. First, take a look at Sadie, how vicious does she really look? Take a good hard look.

Now, to be honest, I did pick a pretty cute picture, and as a disclaimer, she is my little baby. But I do know that she is no angel, and that she can be a bit protective. Now the point of this all. I took the dogs to work today. I am well aware that Sadie barks at people when they walk by the car. I've also had all of my coworkers tell me that it wasn't a big deal, to quite worrying about it. "She's just doing what dogs are supposed to do, barking is how they communicate." That said, the following note was placed on my windshield (no editing on my part took place):

"Please don't part these dogs here. They are loud and act vicious to people who pass by. You are giving a bad image to all dog owners and especially those who have to bring them to work. Please park you car on the outskirts of the parking lot where few people pass, not always in the center, where everyone passes by. Thanks. P.S. Your dogs bumped on your hazard lights (how appropriate), and they act so vicious that I don't dare stick my arm in to turn them off, so your car may be out of batteries by the end of the day."

Okay, here my problems with the note:

1. The note was left open, facing everyone who wished to read this tyraid.
2. There was no name, no contact information. I believe this is cowardly. Had the person been nice, and respectful, I would have loved to chat with them to find out more information. Instead I'm left questioning how inappropriate her behavior really was.
3. I am a good pet owner. And anyone can attest to that. I love my dogs and take really good care of them, that's why there were in the car and not in a kennel for nine hours today.
4. How the heck does this person know I don't have to bring the dogs to work? And, to be honest, no one really has to bring their dogs to work, they just prefer not to kennel them all day.
5. I don't always park in the center of the lot. To be honest, this was the second time I've done this.
6. How awful is it for a person to be thankful that the hazard lights were turned on.
7. And why would anyone, under and circumstances, other then the dog dying, put their arms into a strangers car. I think this part of the note sounds pretty smug.
8. The fact that they obviously believe I'm a bad pet owner.

Things that I like about the note:

1. They remembered to say please twice.
2. They remembered to say thanks.

I really wish that I could have had a civil talk with this person, who I think is a student, and a female. Now I'm left to my own inner anger about the whole thing. Later that day I had someone I knew, and the dogs did not, walk by the car. Sadie acted like I thought she would, bark at him until he passed the car. During this whole incident the windows were all the way rolled up with the doors locked. I know that I wouldn't have felt so threatened that I would have had to write this note. I just think this person handled the whole thing completely wrong, and next time should have the balls to do the right thing: leave a short polite note asking me to contact them. Do you all feel like I'm out of line? Let me know. It's okay, I promise I won't bite.

First a Quilt, and now a Curtain?

My mom and one of our longtime family friends drove up to visit me this past weekend. FYI, I live 350 miles away, and they came up for the weekend. Takes a special person to do this trip three or four times in the summer. Don't see them in the winter, no one wants to test their luck with the road. Anyway, this isn't this point. Mom was up here the beginning of September with my sister. The two of them politely informed me I was making a quilt for this girl we knew who was pregnant, who just happens to be the daughter of the woman that accompanied my mom this weekend....follow? So, I spent the beginning of the month quilting, whipped out this adorable blanket in two days. Then this weekend my mom informed me that I was going to make a curtain to go with the quilt. When asked why neither of these two women made the curtain...well, it's all so simple of course, they don't know how and don't want to buy a sewing machine, so why not drive for seven hours? Crazy, I know. But I do love the company. On the second day they were here they take out the fabric, and wallah, they didn't buy enough. And as it turns out, luckily for me no on in town carried enough fabric so I was able to relax (sort of) the rest of the weekend! I had a lot of fun while they were here, and unfortunately this will be the last trip of the year...mom got snowed on they way down.