Ten Truths About Puppies

I know I have talked about puppies a lot for a few weeks now.  I can't help it with this little stinker sharing our house.  How about some puppy truths?  I will at least give you ten of them for the moment:

10.  It's not all cute pudgy faces and fuzzy fluff balls of joy.  Puppies chew on furniture, fingers, pant legs, toes, they bark, growl, and ... well, you get the picture.

9.  Puppies, like kitties, also like to play with string.


8.  Puppy tushies melt me. 

7. I am so glad Sammy is learning how to climb the stairs up and down.  She's was getting a bit heavy to carry each time we needed to go out for business.

 6.  Puppies can (and will) sleep anywhere.

5.  Puppies do not respect quilts or sewing.  I had some quilt pieces laid out on the floor and somebody (no names... cough, cough... Sammy) decided to tinkle on one of the pieces.  Lesson learned.  Use the design wall.  Eww!!

4.  Puppies sometimes change color.  Remember how white Sammy was?  Look at this french vanilla skunk stripe she is getting!

3.  Puppies don't always like it when you stick the camera in their face.  I'm lucky so far that Sammy doesn't seem too camera shy.

2.  Take advantage of the scruff on the back of a puppy's neck.  It's the way a mamma dog would carry the pups around and it is a quick way to keep a puppy from wiggling mid move.

1.  And the number one truth I have for you today is...

...Give a puppy a stick.  Best toy possible.  It's cheap.  It's good for teething.  They are plentiful.  You don't have to remember to bring one with you, because they are everywhere.

Use good judgement on size and how long they can play with it... but you get the idea.  And my own rule of thumb is no running with sticks in the mouth.

I am sure I will think of more.  Now, go hug your cute fuzzy things and remember those darling early life moments!

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan

Katie Co-Pilot

I've had the puppy 'crazies' lately... meaning I want another puppy. 

I thought the best way to calm that down since we aren't getting a pupping in the winter (midnight pee breaks in the cold and snow -- no thank you) was to go deep into the archives and dig up some Katie puppy goodness. 

Yes, this is doing the trick just fine!!

And if all that wasn't enough to satisfy your very own puppy craze... then here's a short video of my favorite co-pilot!

Have you given the two dog household some thought?  Do you already have two dogs?  How did your first dog adjust?  How old was your first dog when you got your second?

Thanks!!  Have an innocent puppy loving the world kind of weekend!

Itsy bitsy...

The itsy bitsy spider...

...climbed up the water spout (stick of wood)...

...down came the rain (actually its dry) and washed the spider out...
out came the sun.... wait

...you put your left leg in and you shake it all about...

now the right leg
...put your right leg in and you shake it all about (you are playing along, right?)
you do the hokey pokey... lalala... that's what it's all about!!

I got a bit distracted there by the cute 'lil spider!
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Mr. Happy built a kindling stick holder for me out of thick bushes/trees he had cut down.

He's so handy.

I'm so lucky.

Here he is pre-drilling a screw hole.

There is something very hot about my man and power tools -- HOT!

Yup, next comes the screw.

Here's a better look at the cradle getting finished.

Cool huh?

It's found a nice home near the wood stacks and is nearly filled to the top with little sticks and baby logs which will be really handy when we start up the wood stove or fireplace.


Are you handy?  What have you created to try and make your life easier?

Just Keep Swimming

I'm a proud momma.  Dog-ughter (pronounced like daughter), a.k.a. Katie-love, can swim!!!!!!!!

Here look.  I'll show you!

Katie, being a golden retriever, has always been in love with water.  She isn't too hesitant to just walk in and lay down for a bit of a cool off.  She has also been know to gulp large amounts of water and splash.

Sometimes she dunks herself a little too enthusiastically which leads to water in her nose.    

This causes her to get out and go rub her nose a bit to fix the tickle she may have.

Sometimes my mothering instincts kick in and I feel the need to help the little one out by giving her nose a good rub.  Mean 'ole water tickling her nose like that...

I wanted to see what her natural response would be to me going out in the water a bit further... and guess what.  For the most part she followed me.

However, as soon as her little doggy paws realized that the bottom of the lake was fading away or the water was getting taller she stopped and looked at me with those big brown eyes. 

I swear she was saying momma, oh how I ever want to follow you, but first I must get longer legs so I can keep my cute little nose dry.

I looked at those little brown eyes with compassion and explained that she was going to try something new today.  Something I swear she has done as a pup, but it's been awhile. 

I even explained that dogs are natural floaters and that her wee webbed feet were designed for this too!

Come on girlfriend, let's give this swimming thing a try!

The pep talk seemed to work as we went deeper and deeper. 

When she hit the farthest point she could stand I gently took her in my arms and pulled her a few more steps out.

She didn't really seem to mind all this when I held her.

But as soon as I started to let go I could hear her thinking I had tricked her...

"Momma, there is no ground here."

"How could you do this to me?"

"What do you mean paddle with my paws?  It'll never work"

"I need ground! Whhhaaaaa!"

"Oh wait.  This paddling thing isn't so bad."

"Momma, I don't know what you were worrying about, I'm a swimming natural."

Yup.  There's my girl!!  Swimming!  I'm a proud momma!!

She took a break after the first swim.  Yes, a much needed rest water side!

Which lead quickly into her realizing she had done it!  She swam!

Excited goldens are often known to run in really big fast circles! 

Zoom!

Zip!

There she goes!

As fast as the wind!

I often find myself singing that Cake song about her "going the distance" ... "going for speed"

Make sure you bring your rain slicker with you. 

Wet goldens that have just run around a lot often like to shake afterwards and if you are within the splash zone it's a bit wet. 

Nothing compares to the smell of a good 'ole wet dog!

Now that she had her confidence up I wanted to show her the neat thing about sticks and water. 

You see, Katie loves sticks! 

And guess what she loves sticks in water too! 

See the yummy stick Katie?

Go get it!!

She did jump after it a bit in the water.  And still needs to get the hang of fetching a floating stick, but I could tell this was doggy heaven for her!

At one point, I think she decided she was going to swim the whole lake.  Either that or I forgot to teach her how to turn around? 

I guess I will have to think harder about which way I point her before she just takes off and paddles.

She did manage to turn back toward me.  (Thank goodness!)

Man 'o man this little doggy has my heart!

We ended the first lesson on a happy note after a really good paddle which apparently made her thirsty. 

Awww... that little tongue!

We walked home.  Both of us dripping wet and then stayed outside a bit to dry off.

Now, if this isn't a picture of golden happiness... then I don't know what is.

A BIG thank you to Mr. Happy for taking the pictures!

And I can sure see a lot more swimming in our future as the dog days of summer go on!