To say it was an eventful weekend would be a bit of a understatement. This weekend was action-packed. However, I'm exhausted by all of it and I just want to enjoy my chocolate coma, so I'll leave all of that for later and for the moment, simply share the family tradition of humiliating the pets with festive holiday wear: Koa tolerates this, as with all things, with good humor. We will sit nicely but only if you promise great rewards. For Brody, liver treats will do the trick. In ... Read more »
Brody
My Anaconda Don’t Want None
One of the prices we pay for living in paradise (aside from traffic, cost of living, and all of that manmade stuff) is sharing the land with the lovely rattlesnake. Generally speaking, they aren't too difficult to deal with if you are your average suburbanite- just leave them be. It's not like they're Boomslangs that drop randomly out of trees onto your head (I had nightmares after learning that little factoid); they sun themselves on rocks and other exposed places trying to be left alone. ... Read more »
The Usual Suspects
Pawcurious Police Department Law Enforcement Incident Report Date: 03/26/2010 Time Printed: 0715 Incident Number: 012345 INCIDENT DATA: Incident Type: HOMICIDE Address of Occurence: DR V'S YARD Weapon Used: TEETH Domestic: YES ... Read more »
Things to smile about: Fetching Tags
I had NO idea I had so many knowledgeable chicken experts reading this blog. Truly, thank you for the encouragement and all the fantastic links. I have my work cut out for me. I even found out my receptionist is on a similar chicken kick and she pointed me to a place that is selling 8 month old laying hens. Score! There are all sorts of things that put me in a good mood this week. I put new tags on everyone's collars, and they are seriously, seriously cute tags. Since people tend to frown on ... Read more »
Mom of the year strikes again
My son, like all 3 year olds, is a bit of a drama queen. A bump on the noggin is a traumatic head injury. A bruise requires a band-aid, ice, and a popsicle. And on a daily basis, he is mauled, devoured, and eviscerated by the dog. "AUUGGGHHH!" he will scream, an ear-splitting curdle that ricochets around the surrounding hills. "BRODEEEEE'S BIIITING MEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Invariably, this involves Brody doing a little bit of the harmless but annoying mouthing that puppies do when they are still ... Read more »
When Irish eyes are smilin’
Did you know Emmett's original name was Seamus? He was a right red lad, that he was. And each day, Brody looks more and more like him. I wouldn't have chosen that- in fact I was pretty clear I did NOT want that- but now that he's here, I wouldn't have it any other way. And trust me, that little leprechaun is an Irish rogue through and through. So in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I will once again impose upon you with my bad poetry skills. Limericks, of course. Remember, there is no such ... Read more »
On Safari: Herd Management
No single person has a more challenging job at the reserve than the game warden. His role is to maintain healthy populations that remain diverse. Every so often, this includes the introduction of a new species into daily life on the savannah. ... Read more »
Dueling dognose
Husband took out the camera this weekend to submit Kekoa to a family tradition, the fish-eye lens close up. She turned on her "soulful" eyes and readily complied. Brody does not like the competition, if his startled expression is any indication. He continues to be a bit nonplussed at the new addition, but he's getting better. I mean really, who could resist this face? ... Read more »
Weekend in pictures
Kekoa is perpetually smiling. She is a happy girl. ... Read more »
Picture of the Week
Tech support has decided we need a Picture of the Week. My husband promises he will produce one, each and every week. I told him in no uncertain terms that this was a Big Commitment and made him swear on his camera honor that he would keep it up. "Well, you can contribute too," he said. "But I don't want to," I said. "This is your idea and my only good pictures are ones I got because I was lucky. I can't produce good photos under pressure." Then I told him this was a good way to force ... Read more »
Kekoa
As some of you astute observers noted, the person standing above the black lab in the last picture yesterday was indeed wearing Pet Doctor Barbie boots. 37712 came home with me. And promptly was outfitted with a shamrock hat by my daughter. She is much more compliant with our family's costuming requirements than Brody has been. They say black dogs are the hardest to adopt. They are hard to photograph, they say. Pish posh. ... Read more »
Sonnet XVII
When I was in high school, I loved to write poetry. Sonnets, limericks, haiku, you name it, I did it. Something about the juxtaposition of the rigidity of the writing structure with the creative challenge of expressionistic thought was very appealing to me. I never said it was good poetry, though. That is why I majored in biology. These days, I limit my poetry to once or twice a year, and I present it with the clear disclaimer that it is bad poetry, which doesn't make it any better but at ... Read more »
Meep meep
Brody's been a monster when it comes to counter surfing. At first it was annoying, then it became really annoying, but now it's gotten to Category 5. I actually had just consulted my trainer on Wednesday to see what she would suggest to stop this behavior. Obviously not leaving food on the counter would be the most easy solution, but I don't want to feel like I can't put a sandwich down, run to answer the door, and have it disappear. The final straw came this morning, when he got into a bunch ... Read more »
On safari: After the Storm
Behold the desert savannah. Usually a placid Garden of Eden for goldenbeasts and jungle ocelots alike, this tranquil landscape has been torn apart by a rare and brutal lashing from Mother Nature. How does the mighty Goldenbeast adapt to disruption? Can he survive the transformed landscape? ... Read more »
StormWatch 2010
When there's bad weather in Southern California, they always make it sound like the most dramatic event ever. "RAIN WATCH 2009!" "STORM WATCH 2008!" " Expect INCHES of RAIN!!!" I can see how people watching the news in Maine from under a blanket of snow are less than impressed. Trust me, though- this storm was a doozy. Southern Californians aren't mentally or physically prepared for a good drenching, so when it hits we all stand around befuddled as to what the heck we're supposed to do when ... Read more »
Product Review: Kyjen toys
When I was given the opportunity to review a selection of dog toys from the Kyjen company, Brody shot me a look that said, "You'd better take this one, lady." Not that he isn't as spoiled as they come anyway, but I'll admit the majority of his playthings are the usual easily destroyed types that I get at the store. I was already interested after so many of you raved about the line when I was looking for suggestions for the Holiday Guide, so this was a no-brainer. They sent a large assortment ... Read more »
May your days be merry and bright…
The parvo puppy is still hanging in. Every day he survives is a victory, and I'm allowing myself to feel optimistic for the first time since he was admitted. On the second day he was hospitalized, he was struggling. The plasma transfusion we performed had been minimally helpful. So once again, I pulled a Hail Mary and called in the quarterback. He's so big now, and the wee pup so small, I barely needed anything to get enough for a blood transfusion. Fresh whole blood has some majorly nice ... Read more »
It’s done.
Brody is a eunuch. I had intended to wait it out until a year, but there were several reasons to do it now. One of the main ones being, I have a doggie daycare very close to work but they have to be neutered in order to go- and he NEEDS the stimulation! Plus the kids were asking too many questions about what he was doing with his dog bed the other night. I had intended to ask my boss to do the neuter, because I couldn't imagine the idea of something going awry and me being too distraught ... Read more »
