Thursday, July 31, 2008

Getting crafty

I actually did something a little productive tonight - I made Avery a pillowcase dress.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Sisters

I think Avery's expression pretty much sums up her thoughts about having a little sister.





Monday, July 28, 2008

Welcome Baby Girl


This is Dana McNeil Suber, my new great niece, born today. 7 lb, 5 oz, 19 inches long. I hear there is a head full of hair under that cap.



Sunday, July 27, 2008

Pretty Girl

Thanks Cheryl for sending a pic.

Happy Happy

Scout went BOB, and according to Cheryl, "floated around the ring."

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Saturday in Ohio

Not our day - Scout was BOS. Cheryl said she was having way too much fun and was "unfocused."

Friday, July 25, 2008

Friday morning

Just heard from Cheryl - Scout went BOB this morning.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Scout in Ohio







Looks like she's trying to figure out the Sporting Dog games.
She is showing in Marion, OH in a four day (Fri - Mon) show this weekend. The judge on Saturday is the same one who gave her a 4 point major and BOS on the day she finished her championship.



Monday, July 21, 2008

This made me laugh out loud


and boy, did I need it. Men - be careful where you shop.


Saturday, July 19, 2008

3 Dog Stories

Today was a day with two encounters with dogs and people I just don't understand, and some good news from a friend. As the deep voice on Law and Order would say, "These are their stories."

Dog Story #1: As I was puttering around the house today, Spencer started his special frantic barking which signals that there are dogs in HIS yard. I looked out, and there were two small poodle/terrier mix looking dogs. I had seen them in the yard once before a few weeks ago, and I thought then as I did again this morning that looked like someone's indoor dogs who had gotten out. The last time I saw them for some reason I couldn't go out and check on them, but this morning I could and I did.

One was obviously younger than the other, and he came running right up to me. I picked him up and saw that he had several tags hanging on his collar. I checked his teeth and ears and he looked like he had been well cared for. I went back in the house for glasses, paper and pencil. I was going to do the right and noble thing and help reunite these two guys with the owner who must be looking high and low for them.

Two of his tags were from dog finder websites, and the other two were rabies tags from vet offices on the other side of the county. I put out some water for the dogs and came back in to see if I could find their owner, who must be beside his/herself wondering where these two rascals were.

One of the websites had no way to look up the number on the tag - the site just said to take the dog to a vet or shelter and have them read the chip and contact the service. So I checked the other website, and found that the little fellow was owned by Jane Doe (name changed to protect me from this person), her address (also on the other side of the county), her phone number and email.

I called the number, and a recording said the number was disconnected. Made sense, I thought, she must have moved into this neighborhood. My next call was to the vet now that I had her name and the rabies tag number. The person at the vet's office was quite helpful. She confirmed that Jane Doe did in fact bring the two little poodle terrier mixes in for shots in 2007. She took my name and number and said she would call Miss Jane.

An hour later, Jane calls me. Here I am, thinking she is going to be all excited that I have found her babies, and I have given them water and secured them in my backyard. Not so. Jane tells me that she had adopted the dogs from the shelter because her little boy wanted them. However, once she got them home, the little boy was no longer interested in them. She also was not happy that the dogs were not house trained. She said that she worked and worked to train them, but after three whole weeks she decided they were untrainable and she took them back to the shelter and someone else had adopted them.

I told her that it was odd that the shelter would adopt them out wearing the same tags. I have a pretty good feeling that these little guys were dumped. I went back out to check on them, but the little guys were apparently small enough to slide out between the rails of my fence and were scampering away. It just made me sick - here I am pining away after Scout and Cosy and these two little guys are either out there fending for themselves or live with someone who just lets them roam at will.

Story #2: Laura and I stopped at Petco today so I could pick up some food for Spence. There was a group there doing pet adoptions. I usually don't even stop to look, because I'm just not looking for a dog to adopt. Today, however, I look over and see a gorgeous Great Pyrennees puppy. He looked really nice, and was as sweet as he could be. I walked over to talk to the folks manning the booth, and asked if they had contacted a breed rescue group about him.

I was pleased to hear that he is being fostered by someone involved in Pyr rescue. However, I was somewhat taken aback when the woman said that they were being really careful about who they allowed to adopt him. She said with great conviction, "We're not going to let him go to someone who wants him to guard their livestock" like this would be akin to sending him to Michael Vick's dog fighting ranch. My jaw dropped. She said, "I know this is what they are bred to do, but he would make a good pet and that's what we want for him." I just walked off shaking my head.

Dog Story #3: To end this post on a happy note - congratulations to my friend Jeri and her cardi Lizzie (AKA Lizzard) who finished her breed championship today in Houston in grand style - winning a 4 pt major and taking BOS over specials. Congratulations girls!

Friday, July 18, 2008

On the road

Scout arrived in PA last night.

Goodbye sweet girl

Cosette has crossed the bridge and is hopefully reunited with her old buddy Elliott. For 18+ years she graced my home, made me laugh and kept me company. She was active until just a few days ago, and I am thankful her suffering was short.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

A sad day

Who would have thought that Scout being gone on her adventure would almost be the bright spot of the day? My old lady cat Cosette is nearing her end of life. At 18+ years, she has had a long and pretty healthly life. Just last week she was going about business, swatting Spencer when he needed it, cleaning Scout's ears and jumping in the shower with me (Cosette never got the memo that cats don't like water.)

The last few days she has gone down quickly. She won't eat this morning, even yogurt which she loves. She has eaten little for the last couple of days.

I got Cosette as tiny kitten in March, 1990. She joined Elliott, a big brown tabby who lived until I had him put down on the Saturday before Labor Day, 2005. I waited much too long to help Elliott over the bridge - he was sick for a long time before I let him go. I promised that I would never do that again, and I am feeling that now is the time to let her go.

I think Spencer is wondering where Scout is this morning. He had a restless night, and was Grumpy McGrump this morning. When I let him out this morning, rather than doing his business in the upper yard as he usually does, he ran down to the back yard where Scout usually goes and was doing alot of sniffing around. He's probably also keying in on what's going on with Cosy. I think I'll take him to daycare rather than leaving here today.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Last morning romp in the backyard for a while . . .

A bittersweet morning . . . .

The last breakfast these guys will share for a while - I know Scout will do just fine and I hope she learns a lot (and of course, wins a lot!) Last night I slept on Scout's freshly laundered crate pad so it will smell like us - didn't realize how pathetic that was until I told Carlton about it this morning. He just doesn't get it, does he? Oh well, he has something to laugh about all day now.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A chairful of cardi

These guys are trying to break my heart. They have been inseparable since the day Scout came to live with us, but I have never seen them snuggle like this in the same chair. Scout heads out on her adventure on Wednesday and she will miss Spencer much more than she will miss me.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Finally found my round tuit

OK - I've had this refrigerator for at least 10 years. And I have thrown away way too many unfinished gallons of milk because they went bad because the only place a gallon jug fit was in the door - not the coldest part of the refrigerator. Today I decided I needed to give the fridge a good cleaning, and finally got the idea that hey, if I rearrange the shelves, I can put my milk on the top shelf. It was also a good chance to discard some ancient condiments, and now it definitely looks like a single woman's sparse refrigerator. It's also emptier than usual because with Scout about to go out on the road, I'm taking a break from making dog food until she comes home.

Unfortunately for me, my crackberry was handy and the next thing I know I am taking a picture and putting this out here for friends and strangers to see. Please don't think less of me.

Friday, July 11, 2008

My girl is going on the road without me . . .


Scout is headed out next week on the road with her handler, Cheryl, for a few weeks. I'm going to miss the little pumpkin, but this will be a good opportunity for her to bond with Cheryl and get some ring training.
This is the ad for the next CWCCA bulletin. I love this picture of her.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Best of Breed again!

Yesterday, Scout was BOS. The dog that beat her went Group 4, but she beat him today!

Friday, July 4, 2008

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Traveling dogs

On our way to Maryland.