Toys and the pouring motion

Neither of my dogs are self-entertaining. I’m not sure how much of that is a breed trait thing or how much is just how they have been raised. I really prefer an interactive dog. I don’t get the enjoyment of standing around and watching your dog do something without you. To each their own, of course, but I don’t get wanting to have a dog that doesn't give a shit if you are there or not. Because of that, I have never really encouraged my dogs to go off and figure out their own games. I play *with* them. Bella, for sure, needs some human interaction. She doesn't see toys as something to bother with alone. She won’t even tug with Kate unless I am holding the middle of the rope. Even then, she isn't really tugging with Kate. Kate is playing a parasitic role in *our* game of tug. 

Kate, though, she doesn't really need human interaction. She doesn't really play with other dogs in a typical sense. At daycare last week there was a bulldog in with them. For some reason, bulldogs really seem to love pushing jolly balls around. Love it! I don’t know why that would be a breed thing, but it seems to be. Kate had the bestest time ever following that ball-pushing dog around….all…..day. She was so damn happy. It was hysterical. She doesn't want to take the ball. Doesn't get in the way. Actually makes a concerted effort to stay out of his way. Just runs alongside, barking, tail going like mad. It’s like it doesn't occur to her to do that herself. Or that wouldn't be fun. Or something. But, getting others too is a riot. 

 

The pouring thing, how do your dogs react to this? I put some juice in a bottle I was re-using. I wasn’t sure that the seal would work and wanted to check before I let it leak all over my car. Bella, being the nosy britches she is, was standing in front of me. I tipped the bottle 90° and held it to see if it would leak. Bella blinked hard and backed up like she thought I was going to pour something on her. ‘Cause, you know, I do that all the time, just randomly pour stuff on her in the living room. *eye roll* Since the only time something is poured on her is during a bath and even then, never just over her head – how rude – I wondered where that reaction came from. I did the same thing to Kate and her reaction was to move toward the bottle like I was giving her something. Hmm. Tried on one of the other dogs in house, same reaction as Kate. A Bella phenomenon? Is she just paranoid? 

 

Perhaps.

She's aging

Look at the gray ears! 

 

Now, of course the white on the tip of her left ear had always been, but the right? When did that start getting white? And all the hair on the inside? I think the problem with Kate is that she is not so much graying as just fading. She is starting to get really light in the areas where her color meets the white. She’s blending. Also, spending a little more time enjoying the small things. Not just ball-type small things. 

Sundog. 

 

The photo below is just so Kate. She really wants to do what you want, but there are always limits. In this case, Kate’s complete lack of bendable anything. She also doesn’t really adapt. See, if Bella couldn’t reach with her prominent leg, she would have tried using the other one. Kate? No. I asked them to touch each other. To Kate that means touch something with your left foot. Not her problem is it is not in range. :) Had Bella been on her other side, it would have worked. 

I was going to post today

But, Comcast is an asshole and clearly doesn't want me to be the kind of productive that would require an Internet connection.

In lieu of said actual post, please enjoy Kate's Comcast face.

What's that?

Rain, rain, rain!

Like, actual wet stuff falling from the sky. Woke both Bella and me up early. Been a long since we have heard tink, tink, tink on the gutters. Kate slept through as she isn’t much concerned with those sorts of things.

When I was walking to my car this morning I thought, “I wonder how these tires are going to be in the rain.” Then I thought, “I bought this car in January.” January! This is the first time I have driven it in the rain. Nine months. Wow.

It was raining pretty good for several hours. We walked this morning. They were not totally soaked through to the skin everywhere, but enough that they will be soft and fluffy when I get home.

And don’t try to figure out how to use a speed light on a new camera at 5:30 AM. Unless you want funny Blair Witch Project pictures of Bella.

That face. It kills me.

It took me so long to figure it out she was damn near dry when I got a shot she was fully visible in.

Eh well. Going by the California schedule, I have another nine months to figure it out!

Learning

I have been trying to get to know my new camera before my trip. Learning curve is larger than I expected. It is really hard to get used to having such a small camera in my hand. I feel like I am going to break it or drop it or forget that it is there. It is certainly not as *present* as a DSLR. It is also really easy to put your finger on the viewfinder or sensor or lens. Not a lot of real estate. You remember Will Ferrell with the tiny phone in the Jeffery’s skit? That’s about how it feels. 

 

Interrupted by squirrel on wire 

 

I think it will be fine for portrait-y and tourist-y type shots. Good thing seeing as that’s what I bought it for. Just need to kick the tires more. One of the issues with point and shoots is that you lose the depth. Photos tend to look flat. Flat makes Kate look like a giant. 

Yes, the fence comes up to her rib cage. 

 

It’s also proving hard to get shots of Kate in the sun. Her white bits are always so blown out. More toying or a filter or shade… 

Or, just get ticked dogs. 

The coat

Her crazy old lady coat continues to live up to its name. I just love it on her. Does she not have the best back of the head? She looks rather feral most of the time. Her shininess kinda ruins her street cred, though.

Pelican watching.

Cheese fest

More snow accumulation, too. Very distinguished.

She's going to need those little half glasses soon. If for no other reason then to wear them on the end of her nose and look over them at young dogs in a judgmental fashion.

Nicknames

One of her's...

Paperclip