Bridge to Nowhere

Charlotte came on the Tuesday morning meet-up, but then she had a meeting to attend- something about global warming?- so just Wilbur came with me for the afternoon walk. We went here: 

At first he was having fun playing in the field. 

Then he got really bored. So we set off on an adventure. We didn't have time to go to Alaska, but we found our very own... 

... Bridge to Nowhere! 

Wil looked all around but he couldn't figure out what the bridge was for. 

We decided it was a nice bridge anyway, and the clouds were pretty, too. 

I Don't Know About Kids

So, hmmm. 

These photos were taken just on a whim through the fence. That's my neighbors' kid. Kids are harder to shoot than dogs. They're squirmier, and "stay" is not as effective, even with a treat. And they poop in their pants, which is a turn-off. And why is baby drool grosser than dog drool? Also, why is everyone I know pregnant? Maybe there's something in the water. Guess it's a good thing I only drink beer. Oh, I'm kidding. 

I also drink cheap wine. 

But seriously, two of my close friends are preggers, and so is my cousin, who is going to be one of those women who looks like she just swallowed a basketball.  Apparently their dogs don't sleep between them and their husbands in bed. 

Anyway, if anyone has any pointers on what makes a kid photo a good one, I'm all ears. 

And here's ol' neighbor guy with their beagle child, Toby. 

Not Ugly

I can't seem to get enough pet fur in my life/on my clothes. I have three of my own critters, work in a grooming salon, and help out with different rescue events. So naturally, when the local dog fanciers club put on a gig today call Responsible Dog Ownership Day, I had to go! There was Flyball, Rally-O, Agility, CGC testing, meet-the-breed booths, and milkshakes. Combine those things with this Dobie face and that is what I call a good day. 

This next guy fooled me- I thought he was a German Shepherd with a longer coat than you usually see. Turns out he was a Shiloh Shepherd. From what I gathered from the handler, the Shiloh is a more "correct" version, or older-lined version, of the GSD. He didn't have that super-sloped back that modern GSDs have (which, striking as it is to look at, isn't desirable because of the physical problems it causes. However, so many breeders breed for what their customers want, unfortunately). He was a pretty laid-back, mellow dude, and if I thought I'd have been able to get away with it, I would have snuck him home with me.  

These guys, these dogues de bordeaux, were the biggest snugglebugs out of anydog I met today. I wish I'd gotten a shot of the drool strands, but their handler was way too quick with the facecloth. 

I'm generally not a huge Collie fan, but this one really impressed me. Then again, all the dogs there today were great. I guess anyone who comes to a day dedicated to responsible dog ownership probably already is, and their dogs really all proved it, both in behavior and in appearance. 

These little Border Terriers (thanks, Diane) just made me laugh. You can just see naughty oozing out of the one on the right. 

Ah, the steadfast Bernese Mountain Dog, leading the pack of cop cars behind her. 

This Chesapeake Bay Retriever obeyed her command to "kennel." That's what you get when you own a dog who's smarter than you are. Trust me. I speak from experience. 

Ah. See all the ladies lined up to take pictures of this police dog in action? There was a very good reason for that. Don't get me wrong, the dog was beautiful, too. 

This is a breed called the Leah Hound. I'm not sure which is cuter: her, or her little Jack-o-lantern Chihuahua (the previously mentioned Cocoa Bear.) 

This dog, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, was also up there on the Not Ugly list. 

All in all, a great day. This time next year, maybe Wilbur's skin will be better, and maybe Char won't try to eat other leashed dogs. That way I could bring them and show off my gorgeous mutts. Hey, we're getting there. 

Send in the Relief Pitcher

This week I am cat-sitting for Stella, my sister-in-law's cat. Aren't you jealous? 

Actually, she's a really nice cat. She is from our local humane society. In case you are looking for a cat to add to your family, there are nine gazillion homeless kitties in the shelter system at any given time (pleasepleaseplease spay and neuter) who would love to share your lap! Miss Stella is be-you-tee-ful! 

And also a little camera-shy. 

I had no part in any cat being on any kitchen counter. I was just a spectator. Sorry, D. 

But seriously, how can you get mad at something this cute? 

Do you think my apartment would look this nice if I had only one animal living there? 

Come home, mommy! This lady is stalking me with her camera! 

Once the cat was sick of me following her around, I went home and took the dogs for a hike/fetch session. 

Char loves playing fetch during hikes. 

But sometimes, like today, I go and ruin it by throwing the ball over the fence. Sometimes, it just barely bounces over, and I am able to reach in with my Go-Go-Gadget arm (aka the Chuck-It) and retrieve my errant throw, but today I was really into it and chucked that sucker clear into the next field. 

And, I don't know... I don't think risking tetanus was really worth it. 

A Recap of the Summer

Remember that cold, wet, gray blanket I mentioned earlier this week? Mmm-hmm, yep it's here. It was decent this morning, but now that I'm home from work it is really soggy out there and I'm postponing walking the dogs. They're actually not giving me a hard time about it, probably because Wilbur is exhausted from laying in his kennel, watching me work, and Charlotte is busy working out a mathematical equation about the toll collections on the Road to Nowhere, and how to increase its revenue (good luck, girl!) Anyway, I thought, since today is not a picture-taking sort of day, that I would post shots from this summer to remind myself that summer here in the Pacific Northwest really is worth the soggy winters. 

For one, there were the sheep. 

Roper herds sheep. 

Char herds tennis balls. We found out Char has a medical condition known as Tennis Ball Teeth. I've tried to switch back to the frisbee (sorry, Char's hips) or a rubber ball, but she refuses anything but fuzzy-ball-which-ruins-her-teeth. 

There were pretty flowers this summer, over near Olympia. 

Now, heading the opposite direction...  

... we saw a bunch of sea life! Of course, I didn't have my camera during the kayak-trip-of-many-baby-seal-sightings, but this dude was pretty cool-looking, too. And less noisy. 

Char got all artsy this summer. 

Char reallyreallyreally wishes we lived at the beach. 

Wilbur only likes the beach when it's not hot outside. Which, of course, is exactly when I would rather be doing something drier. 

The water's salty, there's sand in my fur, and have you seen the size of the sand fleas around here? 

Char reallyreallyreally wishes we lived at the beach. 

Like, reallyreallyreally wishes.

Come pick me up in November, Mom! 

It's all fun and games until sand gets in your eye, said Wil. 

I LOVE sand in my eye! said Char.