So not a puppy

Everyone else is talking puppies. They're getting them, having them, hoping for one. That time of year, I suppose.

Me? 

Heck no!

 I'm getting a ladybug!

 

She just up and walked right out of her larva suit. Left it on the floor and everything!

  I hope the dogs don't knock her off 

 

 I also wish this didn't coincide with the 3 hot days this week!

 Name suggestions?

It can't sound like Kate or Bella or any commands or words my current dogs know or may possibly know in the future. I am not a fan of "sport" names like Rage or Chaos. I am also not a fan of names wherein the pronunciation is absolutely nothing like the spelling. You know who you are people with with dog names written like "Xhaife" and pronounced "Dave" - I don't care if it's Gaelic, your dog came from Modesto, not Ireland.

You know, I'll probably just go with "Fly."

Prehistoric

Sorry, you're going to have to bear with me until I get bored with the extension tubes.

Kate toesies. Very reptilian, yes? Looks like she needs lotion.

Kates cheek. Dogs are amazingly dusty.

Eyeball selfie. Speed light visible, anyway.

My birder

Bella has loved birds since she was a puppy. She could spend a great deal of time watching the hummingbird feeders on the balcony. Inches from them. Just wants to watch. She gets very...happy. Not in a prey drive kinda way. More like how people act on a whale watch when they actually see a whale? Like that.

One of the places we go occasionally has a duck pond. I don't normally go over there because, A) dogs are not allowed on the trail over there and B) ducks. Mallards not exactly a draw.

I decided to pull in on our way out since I hadn't been in a while. Have a look-see. Let Bella have a look-see. 

It was initially as I suspected. 

Boring.

Just pidgies

And pidgies photo bombing mallards

Bella still happy to have a bunch of birds so close to the car.

Then a family with small children showed up. Small children with a loaf of bread.

It got all Alfred Hitchcock real quick. 

I would never post a photo of a random child 'cause that's just weird, but I did get a picture of a 6-ish little girl who was just in a complete panic. Not expecting the amount of company one loaf of bread would invite. She was standing there with her little arm stretched out holding the limp slice of bread. Total mouth open cry. This is why I don't have kids. I would do shit like that on purpose.

"Here, take this and get out of the car"

So funny. Right up there with feeding infants sour stuff. Ha!

I ended up having a little panic of my own. Totally thought this guy was going to end up in the car.

Hey dude, turn.

DUDE TURN!

Bella thought this was the best thing ever. We may have to add pond watching to the weekend routine.

I didn't even get any shit on my car!

Quintessential Bell

Extension tubes

So fun!

For me!

Totally irritating for sleeping dogs!

Sun damage

Grass stains and split ends

Sleepy tongues

__________

And, a non-DR PSA:

Putting your turn signal on does not automatically give you the right of way. The little flashing light does not just magically part traffic for you. Moving the stick on your steering column does not alter the rules of the road in your favor. You actually have to yield...give way...figure out how you fit. And you should probably get up a little earlier. No one needs to be in that much of an agro rush at 630 in morning.

Can you imagine how unbelievably wonderful this world would be if people just learned how to merge?

Old Dog License

How do they decide it’s time for this? Puppy license is easy. That is granted by the older dogs who decide to give a little shit a break ‘cause they don’t know any better yet, right? I don’t recall granting anyone anything. I would love to know the thought process involved with the oldies. It’s really funny to watch my Best Good Dog decide that there is no way I could possibly be talking to her.

 “Come?” “Sit?” “Wait?” 

Must be talking to Kate.

   

She has also become incredibly fickle. One toy does not do anymore. She decided a few months ago that she doesn't want to chase the same ball as Kate anymore. OK, you don’t feel like keeping your eye on Kate and the ball. Fair enough. Now, she prefers a rotation of toys. 

Friz works for a while

   

Then kicking ball

   

Then chuck-it ball

   

Then a roll and done

   

Kate will still make this face for anything airborne 

 

She’s good like that

 

Fear

Funny how things work. I have no issues with spiders at all ... provided there is a camera between my face 

and theirs. 

 

Sans camera, though? The only time you will see me truly act like a girl. Someone has to die. Or someone has to run flailing from the room. 

Either or.

Ant farming

Dogs have sheep to tend to, ants have aphids. 

 

They hug them and love them and squeeze them and call them George and get nectar droplets for their trouble. 

All this going on in the backyard on one little plant! 

Hoverfly with aphids 

 

Whatever the hell this thing is 

And everybody’s favorite beetle…

   

And, yes, everything has dog hair on it at my house. No one gets a pass!

The Bella Witch Project

I'm so scared!

Aging

It’s funny how things change. I am going to see my mom this weekend. I was talking to a coworker this morning about my out of office time. When I told her where I was going the first response was, “is she okay?” 

So, we are at that age now? I don’t just go see my mom anymore? Maybe I’m going because she ill or dying or something? I’ll have to let her know. It’s like being at the doctor if you have lost weight. First question…. Did you lose it on purpose? That’s the same as saying “you are at the cancer age now, start worrying about that.” 

Bella is just looking so old now. I know she is “only” eleven, but it seems to be sinking in this year. 

 

The intensity is still there, but the duration has shortened. No more hours of anything. More like a good 20 minute run, then, "I’ll be over here eating grass when you’re ready to go.” It’s sort of unnerving to see her decide to NOT go get a ball. Bella is not a “meh” kinda dog. 

Kate is not really physically aging. Will forever be a ball freak. She is just relaxing a bit. She walks sometimes now. Will sleep in different places without looking like world is going to stop spinning. Definitely aging gracefully. 

 

My housemate goes to work pretty early. I let all the dogs out before I go to work at a later (and way more reasonable) hour. Poor Myka, the oldest in the house at 12, is losing her hearing. Physically she is great, but instead of “My, let’s go” it is now, ‘myka, Myka, MYKA!”  :)

I also didn’t think she was looking older. Looking at photos this morning, though? 

Totally graying out. 

You don’t really notice the progression on a merle dog. 

Myka in 2009

   

Last year!

 

Her color may have mellowed, but she's still a shit!

Food now, photos later

I got my D600 back from Nikon today. This was part of the dust/oil/smudgies-you-can't-get-rid of sensor problem recall of sorts. "Service advisory" if you are a lawyer-type. It was free, so good. But... isn't there always a "but?"...I no longer have the soft smudges that look like dust and in their place I have a bunch of these...

Really, Nikon? Did they chisel the oil spots off the sensor?

I haven't decided whether it's worth making a fuss. I don't print my photos and certainly not a professional, but it is irritating knowing they are there and irritating knowing they weren't before it got "fixed."

Why does everything have to be such a project?!

I was so excited to have the body back that the first thing I normally do when I get home was put on hold so I could take some test shots.

Can you take a guess at what the first thing usually is? 

Does this poor, poor, starving dog give you any indication?

Woe is her.

Pathetic, right?

Lump free since 2014!

Kate had her weird gum tumor-y thing taken off Wednesday. No issues at vet. They cauterized it instead of cutting so no stitches or bleeding or anything gross like that. She was also just sedated so no full on knock-you-out business. She was in good spirits that night. She doesn't get bent out if shape by days like that like Bella does. Such a trooper, that one. For such a weird, anxious dog there are some things that she is so roll with the punches with. It's weird, but I'll take it. Bella was actually glad to see her when she got home, too. All waggy and concerned. Bella usually looks at her a bit sideways like she thinks Kate's been out partying without her. 

 Yes, Bella, she was eating cheese and playing with kitties. 

 I got news this evening that the mass is benign. Per the report from Davis it is a mass "in reaction to chronic inflammation or infection." 

 I think it is a reaction to constant ball playing and not paying attention to where you are throwing your face.

 Kate has...umm....thickening? of her lips on the top and bottom where they sit over her canines. Like they are sort of calloused? When she goes for a ball she does so with head cocked to the side. She also tends to carry things like that. Not unusual for her to have abrasions in those areas. 

 I guess her face was just protesting the years of abuse. 

 She had to have 2 days off from toys. Not good for Kates mental health. That is a dog in need of endorphins. 

She got her fix this evening.

   

Sort of a fix for me too. Sweet baby Jesus, she's annoying when she hasn't had exercise! 

 Bella not annoying today at all. Just....old and tired. She got to go to daycare all by herself today. If you ask me, she was a little too happy about it. Bouncing in and bouncing back out again. Apparently busy day 'cause wiped out in the car as soon as the door closed. 

 Although, she was very happy to see Kate when we got home, so who knows. Maybe she just realized she was missing when she saw her again?

Goldfish memory.

 

Favorite shot of my favorite girl

I just love this one. Taken in April of 2009. Must have had a warm spring that year. 

Prior to all the gray. Prior to the knocked out front tooth. About half her life ago.

So weird, time.

Eleven years old today. One one. 

Wow. 

Almost a teenager. No cake this year. Although, maybe I'll feel bad and get some on the way home.

Here's to eleven more, Bellissima!

The buffalo

If you are lucky you can spot her grazing in the wilds of San Jose.

Bella's coat is getting ever more cray-cray. We're growing upwards now. 

She may soon need some product. Or a hat.

My little hunchback.

Photo unscrupulously lifted from the daycare website. 

Although, they do give me a hard copy, so not stealing, really.

No presidential talk today

Just dogs and ravioli.

It was old fart day today. My two being the youngest of the farts.

We went to have lunch with the mighty Miss Emmy (and Marie)

I hope my two are that well at 14 and a half. 

Still queen of the couch.

 

Reigning over her domain



Kate only care about the toys. See the dog bed in the back? First things she does is go to that bed, pick it up and shake it so the toys cover the living room. She's such a polite house guest.

She works herself up over the toys for a few hours then moves on to the other good thing about Aunt Marie's house....bedding.

Bella's favorite thing about visiting is when stuff happen in the kitchen involving something other than me just getting coffee. Like, you know, people actually cook in there and shit.

Rubbing it in