This is a cross-stitch someone gave me. I cropped and blurred the background a bit.
Here it is cropped even more and highlights added. I like this effect.
Here is my cutie little baby Kindle as a 6 week pup.
Here is the same picture with a hot wax effect. Pretty cool.
This is a geode we have I cropped down. Pretty huh?
Very interesting!I learned how to make a movie so here is a little birthday celebration for my maniac boy. Enjoy.
I can't believe it but my boy Jackaroo turns 9 years old tomorrow. Seems like yesterday he came to us as a bouncing baby boy and I do mean bouncing, he was fat!
See:
We will save the birthday celebration until tomorrow but I am feeling especially sad about him aging as I found out on Monday he has Spondylolysis of the spine and arthritis in his shoulders and elbows. Of course Jack does everything as though he may never get to do it again so he gives it his all. Some of this is normal wear and tear so I was not too surprised but the spine problem is disconcerting. The ortho-vet we saw said he can continue to train and run agility and that it actually will be good for him. But eventually his spine will be too stiff to jump anymore so until then I will keep him going. He will be getting chiropractic care, ultra-sound treatments and massage. Good thing we have pet insurance.
He did manage to charm everyone at the vet office as usual. He tries to divert their attention from probing, x-raying and massaging with kisses and soulful brown-eyed stares. I swear if he could bat his eyelashes he would. By the time we left he had been petted, fed and hugged by all the staff. Here he is with the x-ray tech, she really loved him and he loved her since she fed him incessantly.
I took this with my new phone camera and I am still learning to use it so excuse the poor photo. But, isn't he cute?!
I hope you will come tomorrow and wish him a Happy Birthday.
Kate over at Chronicles of a Country Girl started a really cool interview project. She invited bloggers to interview each other by asking 5 questions.
I asked my niece Ellyn over at A little Piece of Heaven to interview me. And here are her questions.
1. What was your inspiration for becoming a dog trainer?
I was first inspired because Tasha was such a bad little puppy. This was before I knew about Cattle Dogs of course. I really got inspired by clicker training though. Learning about Operant and Classical conditioning and applying it to dogs learning to do, well anything! From "sit" to "Put your toys away". I am fascinated by it all and love to watch dogs learn. On top of that I got involved in behavior counseling for dogs. Really! I help people who have dogs with anti-social behaviors teach them to deal in our human world. Its wonderful to see a reformed dog settle in to "normal" family life. I could go on but you get the drift I LOVE what I do!
2. Do you have one dog you love more than all the rest? Or do you love them all equally?
Well, I love all my dogs but one is more of what people call a "heart dog". In this case it is my sociopath Jackaroo, but don't tell the others. I have had to spend so much time modifying his behavior it has created a bond that is really strong. My new little girl Kindle is quickly becoming a heart dog too. You probably remember my Golden/Samoyed Cassidy I used to have? She was so sweet and when I lost her I thought I could never love a dog that much again but they have a way of twisting themselves around your heart.
3. Is Scott's hair growing back. Do you think he will do Locks of Love again?
Scott's hair is growing back. It is almost a year since he gave up his wavy tresses and he really loved doing that. He says he will do it again as long as its not Super Bowl Sunday. You may remember last year the Patriots went to the Super Bowl undefeated and then lost the big one. Scott is sure it is because he let them cut his hair on the day of the big game. I told my hair dresser and she has agreed to move the event should that perfect storm ever happen again. :-)
4. What is you finest culinary creation?
Hmmm, that is a tough one. I love to cook and hardly ever follow a recipe as its written (that runs in our family) and over the years I have made some pretty memorable dishes. Last Easter I made a leg of lamb and I had never done that before. It turned out fabulous and the family is already asking if we can have it again this year. I guess we'll go with it. Although weirdly Jackaroo was afraid of the oven for months after that. Every time we turned the oven on he refused to come in the kitchen and would stand in the dining room barking at it. I guess he didn't think that was one my best creations.
5. What is your favorite time of year? And why?
Oh easy! SUMMER!!!! I love hot weather and I love plants and seeing all the shades of green of trees. I love flowers and warm breezes and sitting on my screen porch late in the evening sipping an ice cold beer as the dogs frolic in the baby pool. And of course we compete in agility a lot more in summer and I love that. Only 5 months to go. sigh
So there you have it Now its somene else's turn so.....
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Bring it on people.
I am often amazed at what dogs know , at how perceptive they are. They often just know stuff and what to do for us. Tyler recently reminded me of this.
I had taken him to visit our vet for a check-up. When we went in the office there were 4 little children sitting in waiting room chattering, laughing and coloring. Tyler likes children, mostly because we give them cookies to feed him whenever we meet them but he is polite and only approaches them with permission. I was on a mission, busy and wanting to get in and out quickly so we continued on by and went into the exam room.
When we came back through 15 minutes later all the little kids were crying and were very distressed. Their mother hugged them as she explained their dog was very ill and not expected to live very much longer. It was heart wrenching to see their pain at such tender ages. I went to the counter to pay and Tyler started pulling on his leash trying to get to the children. I pulled him back thinking he would be an intrusion on their sorrow but he was very insistent and kept pulling toward them. I asked their mother if it would be OK for him to greet the children and she nodded. Tyler went to the first child and put his head in her lap. She dropped her tear stained face on his head and hugged him. He stayed with her a moment and then moved on to the next little child and so on down the line until he had offered comfort to each. By this time the children's mother, the receptionist, vet tech and I were completely undone by this lovely simple offer of ease from this generous dog.
Tyler has always been such a sweet dog but even so I was totally unprepared for how intuitively he knew just what to do to help those little children. It was a beautiful moment I will long remember. Dogs are amazing, they just know stuff.
We have another child with a December birthday. That would be our little spitfire Beta. She was born on December 5, 2003. Yes she turned 5 years old this last December. Where does the time go?
Happy Birthday Beta!!
You all first met her way back in February of 2008, Time to introduce the baby. She was our baby back then. Now she has become the proud big sister to little Kindle. Beta does a good job keeping her in-line too.
She is Scott's fast little agility dog and we are so enthralled watching her burn up the agility world. Her breeder has been approached by several people who would like one just like her. But, we have the only one!
We are looking forward to lots more years with our little Beta.
We missed celebrating this occasion with all of you on December 15, 08 because we had been plunged into the 1700's by the now infamous Ice Storm of 2008. On that auspicious day our Tasha girl turned 13 years old!
You may remember her introduction way back last January in Intro the Dogs. She's the reason I became a dog trainer. If she had been a mild mannered, easy going, laid back sort of dog, I would still be training tellers and customer service reps at a local credit union. I would have missed helping other people get control of their wild child dogs.
So thanks Tasha for being such an unmanageable doggie as a pup and Happy birthday. We hope you have several more to celebrate with us.
Don't you just love a new year? It just stretches out in front of us with all kinds of potential and possibilities. What will it bring? Will it be good, will it be difficult, hhhmmmm, who knows. But...we a get a new one every 12 months and here is ours all ready for us to get busy using it up. Exciting, isn't it?
So my sister dlyn has made a few resolutions and from the look of them she will be pretty busy! I don't like to go public with my resolutions cause then everybody tells you when you mess up. but this year I am going public. Ready? Here goes.
I think this year I am going to resolve to be more resolute. I think maybe, quite possibly, that is what I just might do. I think so, yup this is probably what I am gonna do. Pretty sure anyway.
I think I will also continue to have really cute dog pics too. Like this one:
You guys have any resolutions?
