Happy Holidays

Farley, Grace, Jack Jack and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you (my faithful blog readers) a Merry Christmas! This card was done by a good friend of mine named Cindy. You can see more of her work on her website - http://www.photoartpawtraits.com/

We have Jack Jack, Farley and Grace, from left to right.

On a side note - Jack Jack is no longer afraid of the fountain. I placed it on a bath mat, and that seems to be working for now. He isn't running up for a drink, but he will drink from it without too much encouragement. So that's progress.

It's The Small Things

So, this past weekend I finally broke down and bought the dogs Christmas presents. All year long my mom complains about dog toys laying all over the house, so I vowed not to get them anything this year. My plan was to do homemade cookies instead. Well, my MOTHER was the first one to cave . . . she got them holiday-themed tennis balls and some other toys from the vet clinic (they carry great toys there).

A lady that sells pet supplies as a home business had an open house this weekend, with 30% off everything. I needed dog food anyhow, so I went to her place. The dogs have LOTS of presents now. I bought a Premier "Kibble Nibble" for Jack Jack, since he loves toys that make him work for his food. Farley got a "Pentapull" toy with squeakers and made of nylon. Grace got a Tough Turtle puzzle toy. It won't matter - Jack Jack will steal it from her anyhow.

The big thing that I bought (well, my mom and I are splitting the cost - she's such a good doggy grandma!) is a Drinkwell Platinum water fountain. I have wanted one for the dogs for ages, and it was on sale, so I took the plunge. Grace and Farley walked up, looked at it, and had big drinks. No issues, other than Grace dunking her ears in the water. I need a room-sized placemat to catch the water dripping from her mouth and ears. She looks like a Loch Ness Cocker!

Jack Jack, on the other hand, is completely convinced that it's a Cocker-Spaniel-eating-monster. He took one look at the fountain and retreated to the far corner of our kitchen, shaking and tail tucked. I sat on the floor in the kitchen for quite a while, trying to calm his nerves and ease his worry. He watched the other two dogs have a big drink, and so he got brave and took a drink. Well, as soon as the water "chugged" in the reservoir he backed RIGHT off. Poor guy . . . he's totally convinced it's evil. I wish he wasn't such a scaredy cat! Anyhow, I did hear him later, drinking out of it when nobody was around. Of course, once it chugged, he quit drinking, but I didn't hear the frantic scrabble of nails on laminate. In the meantime, I have an alternate source of water for him.

Any suggestions on a huge placemat or something else to catch the water from my Loch Ness Cockers that insist on dragging their ears through the dish and walking aorund with water dripping from their lips???

My Beautiful, Special Girl

Grace had her last therapy visit of the year yesterday morning, so I spent Friday night bathing, drying and trimming, to make her even more beautiful than usual. She had a wonderful session this morning - she managed to win over two residents that initially didn't want to see any dogs at all. It was pretty cool to see them enjoy her visit by the end of it.

Yahoo!

After an entire week of deep-freeze weather (at least -30, and quite often much colder), we are finally seeing warmer temps. Don't get me wrong, it's still brisk at -16 Celsius today, but at least this is walking weather! Jack Jack will be so, so, so happy to go for a walk tonight. He's been standing with his nose pressed to the front entryway closet doors, begging me to take him for a walk, every single day. The cold weather doesn't bother him one bit.

I've been babysitting some Pugs for family friends (they live across the street, thank goodness). One is an 18 month old male, and the other is a 6 month old female. Two very cute, very sweet dogs. Also very snorty. The noises they make are just unreal! Their barking sounds like strangled shouting or something - it's an odd sound for sure. The Pugs have been hating the cold weather, so there have been quite a few accidents inside. With the warmer weather, they're pottying outside more, which is also a nice treat for me.

The countdown to Christmas is on, with just 8 days to go. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. My shopping is done, I just have wrapping and labelling to do. Hope you're well on your way to being done shopping too!

Irony Reigns

I'm pretty sure I have posted blog entries with the word irony before. Or maybe Murphy's Law, since that's another one I use a lot. Yet again, I have been affected by my friend Murphy.

As you know, I bought a new car two weeks ago. A beautiful 2008 Dodge Avenger, brand new (never sold). I picked it up on the Tuesday after I bought it, and drove it around happily for a few days. Love, love, love it! The heated seats and command start are a blessing.

On Monday (this week), it got super cold. Like, -35 or something ridiculous like that. I tried to start the car Monday after work to go out and do some errands, and it wouldn't turn over. I plugged it in and let it sit, but no dice. Dead battery. Bummer. My dad had it boosted and driven up to the dealership for them to look at. I got all kinds of different calls from the dealership about the possible issue. Whatever, I just wanted it fixed. On Thursday my dad called me from the dealership to tell me that he had good news and bad news.

The good news was that they replaced the battery on my car. Good stuff.

The bad news? While some schmuck was moving my car, they banged it up and did some nice damage to my rear bumper. Now a new rear bumper is on order, and it should be replaced in the new year.

Sheesh! The damage sucks . . . but I guess at least the dealership put the first scratch in her. Hopefully that takes care of any damage for a very long while!

I Learned Something New

About myself! I learned that once I turn something into a habit, it really sticks! Yesterday when I got home from work it was -10F. Brrrr, right? Yes! But despite the cold temperature, I really wanted to take my youngest dog for a walk, so I bundled up (longjohns, hat, mitts, down jacket) and off we went. It was cold, but I felt great!

In the past (in my old life, I guess you could say), I never would have contemplated walking in that kind of weather. I was a fairweather exerciser at the best of times.

I'm proud of myself. I hope that this means that I've made a permanent lifestyle change. If so, I see nothing but better health in my future! And a less hyper dog, who LOVES his walks.

Slight Scare

So, on Friday night it was SUPER windy up here in the Great White North. I took the dogs outside, but the wind was a bit much for me, so I came inside and waited for them to finish up. Farley came in quickly (hey, he has no hair!), but Jack Jack and Grace were being uncharacteristically slow. I couldn't figure out what was taking them so long, so I went outside to check, and saw that our gate was open :( The wind must have blown it open, because we're all very careful about closing it.

Of course, my heart was racing . . . Grace is a runner, but will ALWAYS come back when called. I knew they hadn't been gone long (max of 7 or 8 minites), but I was worried that if Jack Jack got spooked, I'd never find him. With all of the inflatable lawn ornaments out right now, he's easily spooked. I ran out the front door, calling the dogs. Grace came running from about 3 doors down, smiling and wagging. Life is just an adventure to her.

I couldn't find Jack, and I could feel the tears welling up in my throat. I called and called and called him, getting more frantic with each call. I'm sure it was only a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. Then, like a magical apparition, he came around the corner of the house. What I think happened is that he was wandering in the neighbour's yard when he heard me calling out the back door. As I ran to the front of the house, he ran to the back door. The wind must have been carrying my voice away from him.

Anyhow, all's well that ends well, but that was darned scary for a few minutes!

What A Pain In The . . .

So, a friend had recommended that I try the Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD. I ordered it through Amazon, and finally tried it on Tuesday night. First of all, what a workout! Wow! I was sweating by the end of the warm-up LOL Secondly, I am still sore today, especially in the glutes, adductors, hamstrings and quads. I decided not to do the DVD last night - I took a walk instead, hoping it would help ease the muscle soreness. Not so much. I'm going to try to do the DVD tonight, but I'm not sure my legs can take it!

This weekend is a busy one for me. Tomorrow morning I have a haircut booked (hooray!) and then tomorrow afternoon is my work Childrens' Christmas Party, so my mom and I are taking my two nieces to that. Tomorrow night I'm hoping to catch a movie with some friends, and then go home and get some SLEEP. Sunday I HAVE to groom my youngest dog, and I have a meeting in the afternoon for an organization that I volunteer for.

Talk about being on the run!

Canine Artist Terry Stanley

I commissioned three paintings by artist Terry Stanley, and she sent me photos of them yesterday. All I can say is WOW! She has a beautiful eye for the soft expression of a Cocker, and I couldn't be more thrilled with what she did for me. You can see her website at http://www.terrystanley.com/ - her prices are VERY reasonable, and her work is outstanding. She has done artwork for several of my friends, and all of the paintings turned out beautifully.

Thank you Terry, for capturing my "babies" in such a beautiful manner. I can't wait to frame these side by side and display them with pride.