A Daily Life

I’m so thankful that our miniature pinscher was inside snoozing when this visitor came by.  The trees are clear of leaves, so there was good visibility to see that the tree suddenly acquired something additional.  The hawk was big, so it’s probably a female redtail in winter plumage. It was facing our neighbor’s yard until it heard my […]

One of the more frustrating bumper stickers I see on cars says, “My Dog Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student”.  Having been an honor student, my child being an honor student, and owning dogs of my own, I find that statement to be offensive. Have you ever seen the Jeff Foxworthy show, “Are You Smarter Than […]

After we got done with our lovely Thanksgiving dinner (wonderfully cooked by our daughter), there was some mumbling about needing a nap. Only one of us got one.  And she thoroughly enjoyed it too! Word for tomorrow – TENDER.  If you prefer to work ahead, see the list for the week under “A Word A […]

It’s a good thing that when the dogs look this angry, they’re just playing and not trying to actually kill each other!  The beagle was only a couple of months old; our other dog was about 8 months older. Bark Magazine had a great article about this recently.  The author discussed how dogs use play to […]

For a change of pace, we are having a pop quiz to see how many urban myths you can identify as false.  There are three questions here, and a bonus question at the end. Ready?  Here we go! Now that the garden is down, does it still require extensive guarding from danger? Very good!  For the second […]

Someone thinks he’s the luckiest dog around!  Look at that – two – yes TWO dog toys in his mouth at one time.  The beagle does not feel quite so lucky – he wants his bone back so he can hide it again.    

Is this a content looking beagle?  Although you might want to put on sunglasses before looking at that white tummy for too long. Word for tomorrow – WITHIN.  If you prefer to work ahead, see the list for the week under “A Word A Day”.

The boys are not usually allowed upstairs, but sometimes my favorite boy toy lets them come up to keep me company as I get ready for work in the morning.  They were so cute at the top of the stairs, he got my camera out.  This caused the boys to give him identical quizzical expressions […]

It’s hard to not flinch when the dog decides to jump up and give you an enthusiastic face wash! Word for tomorrow – SHAMEFUL.  If you prefer to work ahead, see the list for the week under “A Word A Day”.

Our miniature pinscher is so very tiny – not even seven pounds – weighing less than any of our cats and just slightly more than a bag of flour. He’s just like the big dogs, but in miniature.  He’s just as jealous of whether someone is getting some he isn’t.  He loves his treats.  He loves […]

When I visited my daughter last month, she brought in two of the puppies to amuse us.  These little boogers moved fast!  I finally got my better camera out and put it on continuous shoot.  I clicked off several hundred shots in a short time and thankfully, there were some keepers of the whirling dervishes, […]

Does this puppy make a convincing argument that he needs to be petted?  After all, there’s still hair on top of his head!  It’s a family joke – this is the one that needs to be continually petted and reassured. Word for tomorrow – REPLY.  If you prefer to work ahead, see the list for the week […]

Along with her breeding mastiffs, my daughter has a Shar-Pei as a house pet.  The Shar-Pei is a medium size dog, weighing about 40 pounds.  When I was visiting, the dog tried a new trick of crawling under a very low coffee table.  The mastiffs couldn’t get to her, she could watch the family room, […]

As a puppy, dog #1 loved to play in the mud.  I walked him off-leash along the Missouri River and if there was a puddle, he’d find it.  Thankfully my Jeep wasn’t too new.  I clipped him into the back and ignored the mud the next day. When we moved to Minneapolis, one of the […]

I have no particular topic for today, so thought I’d just throw out some loose thoughts. I love doggy daycare.  It’s the best way to wear out the dogs and ensure a few days of somewhat more obedient dogs.  They love it too – they know that if I’m up before dark, they’re going out.  The daycare […]

Our dogs have such very different personalities!  The beagle believes it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.  He lives in the moment – which is great when I’ve yelled at him unfairly and not so great when I’m trying to teach him something. He loves his outside time and will spend hours at in the yard, whether […]

Our miniature pinscher went to the vet today for his annual exam.  After ferociously trying to rip the vet’s assistant apart, he was forcibly muzzled (all 6.5 pounds of him!) so he could have a blood draw, butt poke (checking for worms), and shots. Worse yet, he got left behind to get his teeth cleaned.  And as […]

Someone concluded that this was the best place to take his nap – in the sunspot.  If the floor wasn’t so hard (and far away), I’d be tempted to try it out with him! Word for tomorrow – COUNTER.  If you prefer to work ahead, see the list for the week under “A Word A […]

I’m at my daughter’s house to spend some time with her before work gets even crazier than it is.  After this, I won’t see her again until Thanksgiving.  It gives my favorite boy toy a break – he has the house to himself and other than the dogs, can keep whatever schedule he wants to […]

I’m always a little frustrated at this phase of summer.  In a few short weeks, my winter squash has gone from lush and productive to looking straggly.  Now the race is on to keep the vines alive long enough that the squash will ripen. It happens this way every summer.  One day it’s all looking […]