Saturday, December 20, 2008

Big Bone

Ooohhhh!!!!!

What is that?


A BIG bone!


It smells gooooood!


Can I have some?


Wait! What's that?


Yea!!!! Big Bone!!!!


My big bone


Don't even think about it...


You asked for it!

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Out-Takes with Santa

I had the time of my life today. I got to play photographer to a Santa Paws event. What else could I want in life but a camera and a bunch of dogs. . .

The trick to taking any good photo of a dog is to take a hundred bad ones. Not sure if that makes much sense, but the bad ones are always fun to laugh at:

The "I'll kill you look"



The "If I don't look it will go away"


The lucky tongue shot:


The "Bulldog" shot


And the Money shot

Saturday, November 29, 2008

What A Day

Today was one of those days where I just should have stayed in bed.

Lets start with the attack on pocket:
We go hiking in this wonderful off-leash area. Its not a dog-park in the traditional sense but a lot of dogs do go there and many people meet up there for play-dates. Despite the hundreds of dogs that we have met through the years we have never had a problem with a single one. Granted, Mole has had an issue with a rambunctious puppy or two, but he calls off quickly and we all walk away no worse for the wear. But today was a disaster. We went for our walk like normal - got to the top of one of the hills and we came across two women walking two dogs. One we had seen a few times before. She is a pit-bull sharpei and is full of energy. I have always been leery of her because of her breed and her age - and I know that my kids don't do well with that high energy, non-stop, play drive that she has. The other was a brindle thing - no discernible characteristics. The sharpei ("sassy") started to walk towards pocket today and pocket just stood still - about 5 feet from me. They looked at each other, no issues. . . until the brindle thing came bounding up behind sassy. That imediately turned into a bounding drive toward pocket. Pocket took off running and ran in a huge circles. I yelled leave-it and called for pocket. The women half hartedly called for their dogs - followed by the "they just want to play" chatter. I finally yelled STOP loud enough for everyone to freeze - including terrified pocket. The two dogs went back to their owners and pocket waited for me to come get her. The ladies started in again with the "they just want to play" and my response was that "a hundred pounds of dog chasing 5 pounds of dog is not play." We finished our walk, but we were all shook up. And I am having serious thoughts about going back there again.


Then came the computer crap. . .
My computer went down a few months ago - a friend was able to get it started again but it still has bugs. I tried all the basic stuff, but eventually it became clear that everything would need to be re-installed. That process takes HOURS! Starting with the backing up (I have done this before, but with all the new pics, it needed to be done again.) Once everything was finished saving, the re-install didn't take to long . . . but the moving of the saved files back to the hard drive takes a long time.

But in pap-pap news:
We are now starting to eat some wet food - but enjoy it most when its mixed with the milk in the bottle. The back teeth are almost all in and he now can climb up and over stones in the yard - and up one stair. He sleeps 6 hours a night and entertains himself at times. We had a photo shoot in the back yard - but since my photo editor still isn't working . . . grrrrr





Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Play Time

I know that I keep saying this, but its amazing how fast he grows! And its not just physically! I should probably weigh him to see how much he has grown since the 1.8oz tub of jelly he was 20 days ago. But it is interesting to see how much he develops in a day. His behavior changes constantly as he learns about his environment.

He had a great play session today with another little dog:






I know the lighting is off, but I also know that E really needs more pap pap shots. . .

So here is another just because

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Carbon Foot Print

Have you ever thought about your Carbon Foot Print? Now there are calculators that can help you tabulate it. According to their calculations my carbon foot print is 24 tonnes - more then average (20 tonnes Co2/year). When I saw that number and read that statement I almost choked. I know that I commute to work and all that adds up, but come on! I still try to do my part.

Then I read further down the page. . .

Part of the calculations are based on average user consumption/waste. Well, I think thats where this whole calculation went terribly a rye. For one thing, I consume way less then the average person that I know. I know there are people who consume less then I do. I use re-usable bags instead of plastic. I use a stainless steel coffee mug instead of paper cups. And I buy most of my stuff used - including clothes! Besides from commuting to work, I don't drive that often - and if I do, we carpool. I think most of my real waste comes from the dogs - the laundry and food. But even the food is more eco-friendly then kibble. The puppy pee-pads aren't helping this month, though.

After reading the whole page, I found a different calculator and found that my carbon foot print is 12 tonnes Co2/year. I feel that this is a bit more accurate because you can enter in your car m/m/m and you can enter exact flight data as well. You can also input info as to what/how you consume. Part of the calculations are based on what part of the country you live in as well.

Later, I found another calculator and determined that my carbon foot print is 17 tonnes Co2/year. Again I feel that this is a little high because it doesn't consider your consumption but it does take off points for using energy efficient appliances/lighting.

At the end of my experiment I never really determined what my Carbon Foot Print is, but I take some solace in knowing that its lower then average - but how much is still up for debate. I guess I can look into offsetting it, but that would mean I have to leave my computer on for another hour and that would increase the electricity to the house which would increase my foot print which would mean that I would have to do that much more to offset it. . . .

Thursday, November 20, 2008

First Steps

Pap Pap (aka: mouse) took his first real steps on day 17 - videoed for posterity on day 18. Here it is day 20 and he is just walking everywhere. He seems to enjoy exploring. . .backwards and forwards! The first few steps had to be taken on an empty stomach because his muscles just weren't strong enough to hold the weight of his big belly. Now that he has had some practice he can move around whenever he wants. But he is still a little boy. He will start crying if he has turned himself around and can't seem to find you. He is still at that age where all this is cute. Mole isn't too sure about him now that he is moving, but Abby seems to like him more. She actually thinks he is playing with her - I'm not even sure if he can hear her high pitched screams of joy yet.

Its still hard for him to push him self up. . .


But once he gets going. . .


There's no stopping him!


Until its time for bed - that is. . .

Monday, November 17, 2008

Doubled in Size

When little Pap Pap came into our lives he weighed only 1 pound 8 ounces. He has since doubled in size in a week and a half and now weighs 3 pounds 10 ounces. He is growing like a weed and eating me out of house and home. Food for a few days for this little guy cost $47. Thats more then Abby and she weighs 16 pounds!

Gratuitous puppy shots:






He just keeps getting cuter and cuter. His eyes are finally open and he is now taking a few steps on his own. He is still eating every few hours but I am only waking up once a night now instead of 3 times. It's still not a lot of sleep for me, but its just easier to stay up late and wake up early then to wake up twice a night for feedings. And while I have NEVER been a fan of puppies, and I've never been one for the "miracle of life" experience - I am glad that I get to experience this. I'm not particularly maternal and having children was never high on my to-do list (ok, its not on there at all) but its still fun watching him grow and change. I ooohhhed and aaahhhed the first time he opened his eyes and I cheered him on as he took his first steps. He really is a lot of fun and he will always hold a special place in my heart for giving me this experience that I never thought I would have.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Sucker!



How can you resist this face?

I found this little guy while I was in Martinez looking for some kittens. He was left in a box at the front door. And while I really do know better then to take on a 5 day old singleton pit bull puppy, I just couldn't resist. Something told me to take this little guy and at least try to give him a life - he wouldn't have lived much longer if I walked on by . . . and I do work for rescue.

After a scare the other day, he is doing well. He is now 10 days old and a feeding machine. I really feel bad for mothers. The amount of force he puts on a nipple terrifies me enough to add it to reason 999 not to have my own children.

But he does look so cute when he is done feeding and is *finally* asleep.



And despite previous thinking, Abby isn't that bad around the puppy. I mean, I don't leave her alone with him, but she hasn't eaten his eyes out either.


I did take some photos with my regular camera and will post those later - after I get more then 3 hours sleep a night

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Nightmare

After Abby's adventure she came home with a major case of separation anxiety. Not that big of a deal to me because I have dealt with it before with Mole. He used to scream for hours when I left him and he would loose his bladder/bowel control. After 5 years he is almost completely free of the anxiety and can be left alone for 6 hours with no worries.

Abby has been a bit more challenging because she tends to destroy things or hurt herself when left alone. Due to my schedule and lifestyle she is rarely left alone. I bring her to work every day and she comes in the car on most errands. The few times that i have had to leave her alone she has done some major damage. Its hard to believe that a dog with hardly any teeth can eat through an electrical wire. And when she is left crated she usually manages to escape - despite cords/special locks. The longest she has been alone is 4 hours. Usually I come home to a loose dog and something eaten. Not that big of a deal in the whole scheme of things. On the rare occasion (twice) that I have to be gone longer then 3-4 hours I leave her with good friends of mine that she absolutely loves.

Well last night was just a nightmare for the both of us. I HAD to be gone for 12 hours for a benefit that my work was putting on. I left her with my mom - who she knows, but doesn't "Love". She went back and forth between being crated and being loose. My mom went to the benefit and was gone maybe 4 hours. When she came home, Abby had thrown up everywhere and had diarrhea everywhere. And it continued well into the early hours of the morning.

I feel bad that her stress level was so high that she expressed it in such a vivid way. I also feel bad for my mom who had to clean most of it up since it was still hours before I got home. But I'm kinda all out of ideas on what to do with her when I HAVE to be gone. She can't be left loose, she can hardly be crated. I feel like the only option at this point is to drug her. Not something I really want to do, but not sure what else to do at this point. We are beyond air sprays and oral tinctures - they haven't worked yet . . .

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Serious Withdrawal

I think I had my first caffeine withdrawal symptom today.

At first I thought it was just the flu. I haven't been feeling top-notch since Tuesday and while things didn't get progressively worse, they didn't get better either. One thing that had gotten bad, though, was my back pain. It started in my mid back and has progressed over a couple of days, and restless nights, to me not being able to move a whole lot. I slapped some icy-hot on myself and called it a night.

But this morning I woke up to a pounding headache, severe nausea, and extreme irritability. I seriously thought that I had some weird brain tumor and was going to have a stroke in the middle of the bath tub. But I had something important that HAD to get done today, so I pulled myself together and got it done.

On the way back from my super important errand it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't had any coffee yet today. And my symptoms were the same as those described by admitted caffeine addicts. In fact there are whole websites based on Caffeine Dependence. And more websites based on the effects of caffeine itself and others on how woman with a family history of alcoholism are more likely to have dependence on caffeine.

I found all that out after having a triple shot latte. . .

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Chia-Truck

There are many times when I wish I had a camera, but this one took the cake. Its a chia-truck. Normally when I see plants in the back of a truck its usually a hodge podge of crap stuffed in - obviously moving to re-plant. But this truck looked like it had been purposefully planted. It looks like a beautiful garden



Weird

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Craigslist FAIL

This pug Need A New Home

Pug

18 week
male

Re-Homing fee

There is a fee to this because I want a nice and loving person to take care of it. I can no longer keep the cat because I am moving to a new state. Please contact me ASAP Thank You.
Contact me at 510 676 4430


CAT?????

Puppies For Sale

I have spent most of my adult life campaigning for rescues. Granted, there was 2 years in the past 10 that I went to the "dark side" in a for profit job - not that I made much of a profit. But even while in that job I had a parade of rescues coming through my home and my heart. So imagine the frustrations I felt when I saw this just a few houses down from mine



I asked a law-enforcement friend is she had the power to arrest people in Hayward, sadly she did not. I have no real recourse for these people who are breeding and selling highly difficult dogs to own - and I say that with a true understanding because I too am in love with a breed that is difficult to own. What made me even more frustrated was when I saw Michael "walking" the sire down the street in a completely uncontrolled manner. I am not sure how long these people have been here, but I find it interesting that today was the first day that I saw the dogs that live in that house and its the same day that the sign goes up. Was the "walk" a way to drum up business? I just hope to god he doesn't decide to take his advertising campaign to our local off-leash haunt.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Camo. . .

Typically I feel that if I never see camouflage in my life again I would be that much happier. But thanks to current trends I often see it everywhere. Thankfully the trend is slowly on the decline - at least for this decade. So what possessed me to crochet a baby blanket made out of camo yarn???

L.O.V.E.

Pure and simple love.

The baby comes from a military family and will probably shoot his first deer before he is 5 years old. I'm not condoning either of those things, but since he is (going to be) family, I can't really judge either.

Here is what the blanket is supposed to look like when its finished



It actually looks exactly like that (for now) but is still so small it could be a pocket scarf. . .

I better get back on the needle

Friday, October 10, 2008

Guess What???

NO COWS!!!!!



None here either. . .



The only good reason for the change in climate is that the cows are gone. Otherwise, its too cold - especially for those early morning, before work, walks. Its so cold I have to LAYER my sweatshirts!

I guess one more good thing about the change in weather is Christmas!!! I already know what I want. But I'm a little too embarrassed to ask for it - and to wear it. But it would sure make walking a lot easier. Right now I have this HUGE side bag that all my stuff gets lost in. It would make things so much easier if I had a nice little tote where I could organize my leashes, poop bags, car keys, phone, and dog treats in. Right now I feel like (and look like) St Nick - but I'm not nearly as jolly - even after my morning coffee kicks in

Monday, October 06, 2008

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Confession

They say that confession is good for the soul - but what if you don't feel sorry for what you did? What then? Is something "wrong" if everyone you know doesn't think so?

Meet Tara



Now imagine coming home and finding that tied to your fence! Don't let the smile fool you. . . she was 100lbs of pure German Rottweiler. She was everything this breed is supposed to be: calm, stoic, loyal, affectionate, brave, trustworthy, silly, and full of love. She is the reason I love this breed so much. She was the perfect dog - in every way. I always felt safe when she was around, I new that she would never let any harm come to me - something I rarely felt with most people I knew.

She came to me late in life (hers, not mine) and she was already riddled with cancer. Her previous owner had neglected her in more ways then one, but since she never took her to the vet, she never had the mammary tumor removed and it eventually metastasized. I took care of her every need for quite some time. And when the end came, I did the humane thing and said good bye to her while she still had some of her dignity - something a rottie should always have. A few months after saying goodbye, I get a phone call from the previous owner who decided that she wanted her ashes back.



I didn't send this in, but this is my secret too. But those I have told don't blame me at all. I made a promise to that dog that she would always have a home with me. . .and I kept my promise. She still watches over me. . .

Friday, September 26, 2008

Gimme Five



Or four . . .

Chicken feet the first time in a long time - and the first time for Abby. I didn't realize there were so many ways to eat a chicken foot.

Pocket wants to slurp hers down. . .


Mole eats his toes first. . .


Abby roles her in dirt first. . .



No matter how you eat it, its still gross to me - but super cheap with the new food deal through Feed This.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Stealing Dogs

I am a "member" on a few dog message boards. I go on about once a week or so - its about all I can take. I like to hear a few funny stories, see some pictures, answer a question or two, but I am not "actively involved". The reason I am not active is because of crap like this I found on Pit Bull Forum:

Okay, so there is a family behind me and they have a pitbull puppy that they do not take care of...at all. I'm sure you know what kind of people I'm talking about. She's never on a chain or leash or anything. They just let her run the block and every thirty minutes or so will look for her. Turns out she's usually in my yard playing with my dogs because I don't want her to get hit. I wish I had a picture of her, she's a five month old puppy, all white with brindle spots on her back, with one brown and one blue eye. Cutest dog ever, and get this, they want to breed her. (Of course). She's FIVE months old, I was talking to them after they came to my yard to collect their dog and they said how she was in heat and they plan to breed her. ...FIVE months. Good lord. She has no manners, no training, no shots...nothing. I feel like I have to do something...

Well, there's a friend up in Wichita who I called today. I told her she was getting a puppy on the 26th. (When I next go up.) Because I want to take this dog to her. I want to save this poor dog the fate of getting stolen, abused or hit by a car. ...Am I doing the right thing? Beth is definitely a person I would trust having a pitbull, and this would be her only dog at the moment so it would all work out. ...I have two weeks to decide, am I right in doing this?

WTF???

You can't STEAL dogs!!! And the thing that made me more angry was the other responsible dog owners tell her to do it!

Huh? Did I miss something??? Since when is it ok to take something that doesn't belong to you just because you don't like (insert description here) I can't take someone's car just because its a classic and they aren't caring for it in the manner I think best!

Now I know that this is a DOG - a living, feeling, being - believe me, I know! But you still can't steal it! I follow many practices that most dog owners "(and even many vets) find reprehensible, but I am so thankful that they can't take my well loved, and well cared for babies away. I am probably one of the few "dog people" I know who actually like the terminology "dog owner" as opposed to "guardian" because guardianship can change, but once you own something, you own it until you decide you don't (and I know that many people don't relinquish their pets properly) Maybe I am just naive because I live in an area when Animal Control works - where they do their job and save the dogs that need saving and EDUCATE the people that need it.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

For Rent

roommate for rent

Better start sleeping with one eye open

Doppelganger

My dogs are rescue dogs - I take great pride in that. I managed to get lucky with both adorable and well behaved pets free of charge. Most people have to pay a little bit for their rescue pets but since I have always had some involvement in rescue I managed to get all five of my pets at "no charge" - they only cost was my *soul*

Despite my happiness in having wonderful rescue pets, one of the things I miss is seeing what my kids looked like as babies and seeing their siblings. But having met many litters of puppies I know that just because two dogs are born from the same parents doesn't mean that they will look at all alike. But I still find myself ohhh-ing and ahhh - ing over dogs that look even a little like one of mine. Up until a few days ago I had only found one dog that looks even a little like mole. So you can imagine my surprise when I ran into pocket's doppelganger:




Can you tell who is who?

Even pocket's aunt had a hard time with this one. . .

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Work



In six years one unspayed female dog, her offspring and their puppies, if none get spayed or neutered, can produce up to 67,000 dogs. In the same six years one unspayed female cat, her kittens and their kittens can add up to 73,000 cats. There will never be enough good homes for all of these unwanted pets. Humane shelters will continue to euthanize millions of healthy cats and dogs each year for no reason other than homes cannot be found for them.


Sometimes I feel like I just can't keep up

Monday, September 08, 2008

BAPF

I'm thinking I should apologize to those who have had to deal with me these past two weeks, but I have been under quite a bit of stress. My work participates in the Bay Area Pet Fair and Adoptathon. This is a huge event for us - not only is it a great way to get our name out there, it also showcases some of our harder to place animals. But because it is such a huge event, there has been a lot of stuff to do - and that stuff has kept me up many nights and has made me a crying, crazy lunatic. Thank god its all over!!!

Looking back, it was totally worth it - I say that as I can hardly walk today from all the running around the past 4 days. We adopted out 6 dogs - one really hard to place dog, and two puppies I couldn't give away with a Ferrari. The venders had some fun items - not that I remembered to come back and buy and of it. The food was better then most fair food, but there was no Funnel Cake - wait a minute, what kind of fair is this???

But the real highlight of the weekend - and what made all this work worth it:



Getting to look like a Weimaraner.

Abby's mad she had to be an IG for the day.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Vacation - part 3

I have been super lazy about getting the final part of my vacation trilogy up here! I have too many dogs in my head - and too many on my bed! to get to this. The third part of my vacation was Niagara Falls - US side.

This is called the American falls, and are considerably smaller then the Canadian Falls - but they photograph so much better!



The Canadian falls are so large that you have to be back very far in order to get a complete picture of the falls


This is the best picture that I was able to take of the CF


This is a tour that takes you down along the AF - notice the bright yellow rain gear everyone is wearing??? You needed it - especially on the "Hurricane Deck"


Notice all the people in the blue rain gear in this photo. This is the boat that takes you *almost* into the CF. You get extremely wet on the "Maid of the Mist" but you also get some great shots - assuming your camera doesn't drown! (is that even possible?)