My Scruffy Valentines

It's February 14th again, and that can only mean one thing: Kip's birthday, and the anniversary of Katy's "Gotcha Day*".

Kip is 6 (!!!) this year, and Katy is probably a year or so older, so we'll say she's 7 today.

They are both fantastic dogs, my loves, who make me laugh every day. I've said it before - I can't imagine life without them, and the joy they bring into my life.

So Happy Birthday Kip, and Happy Gotcha Katy - there may just be an extra treat in store for you both today!


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Since Katy was a stray, I don't know her birthday, but we "celebrate" the day she came to live with us, aka her "Gotcha Day". Her actual "Gotcha Day" is Feb. 11, but that's close enough to the 14th!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving....

My sister got me this fantastic kitchen rug as a Christmas gift - well, at least it was supposed to be a gift for me...

We can haz food?

Is that food over there?

Maybe over there?

We give up.

How about now?

Sigh.

Starving.

We are cute - now feed us, or the rug gets it!

The Return of the Interloper

Over New Year's we once again had company, in the form of my sister's dog, Lily. While the dogs all get along, Katy can, at best, be said to tolerate her furry cousin. As you can see in the following photos...

Why am I all alone?

There you are Katy!

Katy, where'd you go?

Oooh, is this a good spot? Can I join you?

Damn Interloper. She took my spot!

It's my chair! I don't want to share! I don't know how Kip can sleep...

Fine. I'll just move to the back. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Here. All alone. Hanging on. Precariously. By myself.

Really, I'm fine.

No I'm not. I'm falling.

I hate you.

Lily is now back at her own house, and Katy is much happier :)

And so it begins....

Garden goodness

This was the harvest from the other day: potatoes, okra, zuchinni zuchhini zucchini (my second of the year - woot! Sigh), carrots, tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes. Not pictured: the two large bowls of tomatoes already waiting for me.

Also not in the basket - the monster Federle tomato, which finally ripened:

It's huge!

With Kiphead for scale

I'll make another large batch of soup, and I'll grill some to add to the previously grilled jalapeno peppers (I have an idea for a smokey salsa thingy - no recipe yet, but I hope it works), and I'll make a batch of roasted tomato sauce - yum! And then, the real canning will start!


Good thing I know what to do with any tomatoes that are left over...

Wordless Wednesday - February 22, 2012

Mine

A 2nd anniversary and 5th birthday

Five years ago today, a little schnauzer puppy was born, and 9 weeks later he came home to live with me. And just over two years ago, another little schnauzer joined the fold.

Yep, it's that time of year again - the anniversary of Katy's adoption and Kip's birthday. Now, I may be a crazy dog lady, but I'm not so crazy as to actually do anything for the dogs on their "birthdays", but I do note the days every year.

Dog people "get" it, non-dog people never will, and I'm not going to waste my time trying to explain it to them. But these dogs enhance my life in more ways than I ever thought possible.

So happy birthday Kip, and happy anniversary Katy, and may we have many, many, many more!

And fine, maybe, just maybe, you'll both get an extra treat today :)

Sad dog is sad

I'm forced to lay in the hallway.

On the bare floor.

Then Kip steals my sun.

Katy loves to lay in the sun.  Unfortunately for her, the only windows that get good sun in the winter are in the side of the house, making the hallway the best spot for sunbathing.

And I am NOT putting a dog bed in the hallway.

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I have NO idea what is going on with Kip's back leg in that last picture.  It is not on backwards, and isn't broken, nor is it 25% longer than his other legs.  Freak.  :)

1 breed, 2 dogs.

SNOW!

I LOVE SNOW!!!!!



















 
Are you freakin' kidding me?  Get out of my way, woman, I'm coming inside.

What do you mean there are two more months of this??

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!


















Kip digs snow.  Loves it.  He will play "find the snowball" for HOURS.  My neighbours think I'm nuts because I'll stand there and kick snow at him, to his everlasting joy.

And Katy?  The dog that would spend 25 hours a day outside if she could?

She is not amused.

Same breed,  two totally different dogs!

I think the dogs like the new couch.

This is why I made sure to get a couch with a wide back :)

D is for...

... dog, naturally :)

I can't remember a time I didn't want a dog, but we were a cat family, so I waited.  I waited until I was done school, and until I owned my own house.  And finally, after more than 30 years of waiting, I got a Kipper.  And then a Katy. 

They make me laugh.  They warm my back and my feet on cold winter nights.  They give me a reason to get out and walk, and to stop and talk to my neighbours.  They have even allowed my neighbour to lose a bit of her fear of dogs, as she gives them their daily treat, and they gain weight ;)

They bring joy into my life - joy to see Katy learn to play, to see Kip learn a new skill.  The joy I see on the faces of those that love them, and the joy the dogs give in response.  The joy they have when I come home, when I toss a ball, and, best of all, when I open the magic white box that contains their food.

Dogs are in our lives for such a short time, and they will eventually bring me heartache - but it is so worth it.

I waited over 30 years, and I won't be without a dog in my life ever again.  So here's to dogs, all dogs, and to Kip and Katy - you give us so much, and all you ask in return is a warm bed, a full tummy, and a scritch or two after a game of fetch.  We owe you so much for the laughter and joy you bring to us - I promise I'll try to walk you more often, and yes, I will get you that fence you've been asking for!

Wordless Wednesdays - July 6, 2011

Iris, bought at the "year end" sales last summer, and plopped in the vegetable garden for now.  And did you really think I could publish a picture without dogs?  :)

And now Kip is 4...

Four years ago today, Kip (and his seven brothers and sisters) was born.

Nine weeks later, he came home with me - after a four hour car ride, during which he whined.  The entire time.  Poor pup!

He grew up quickly.  Too quickly.

And he learned how to jump, and to go up and over and under.   And he even learned how to stop on the table, and not slide off the other side. 

And then we moved home, and he learned what squirrels were, and that a dog needs to be ever vigilant.

And to always look up.

He learned what a lake is, and how nice the beach is - even if he doesn't like water very much.

He is my clown, my goof, my funny funny funny dog.  He loves every one, every dog he meets, and has never had a bad day, a bad moment, a bad thought.

He is my boy, and he is four today.

[insert hysterical laughter here]

Dad came over again today, to work on the plumbing.

All we needed to do was to fix the backwards taps.

And it only took four hours...

And seriously, it was such a crappy time, I don't even want to blog about it.  We had the @*#*^ things apart, back together, apart, back together, apart...

But finally....

 LOOK!!!  OFF!!!!

AND ON!!!!!!!!!!!

 (Please imagine your friendly blogger laughing rather hysterically at this point of the day)

We also got the medicine cabinet hung - it's the Flåren cabinet from Ikea:

I also have the large storage cabinet, which will eventually go next to the shower.  But someone has to paint the bead-board first.  Oh, yeah, that someone would be me.  Oh well, for now, it lives in the hallway.

And just because no post is complete without dogs:

Comfortable dog.

Uncomfortable dog.

Katy will sit in almost any position, especially if there is potential for belly rubs.  Kip, not so much :)

The Year of the Katy

One year.

365 days.


366 days ago, there was no Katy in the house. 

365 days ago, there was.

This was the first picture I saw of her:

(From Fred at One Bark at a Time, now at Pound Dogs)

And I figured someone would snap her right up.

Four weeks later, she was still at the shelter, so Kip and I made the drive to Toronto to get her and bring her home.

Since then, they've spent most of their time like this:

And this:

But by far, this is my favourite picture of them:

I think they like each other :)

She loves her "Grandpa":

Wants to help him with the renos:

And isn't shy about reminding him which dog he should pay attention to:

Katy has come so far in a year.


She has lost over 5 pounds. 

She is getting better coping with strangers, and her default is now to come sit by me if she is feeling stressed.  Good girl!


She knows how to sit, how to go "over" (jump over something) and how to go "hup" (jump up on something).  She sits to get her collar on and off, and for treats, even from strangers.

I can now brush her entire coat in one sitting.  And I can cut all her nails at the same time.  This, from the dog that would completely meltdown if I tried to cut two nails in the same session when I first got her.  She still doesn't like any sort of grooming, but she tolerates it, and that's all I ask from any dog. 


And best of all, she has learned to play.  She'll play with Kip, and even bring me toys once in a while.  My favourite is when she does a fly-by, and steals Kip's toy from him, and then the grand game of keep-away is on!  There is no greater satisfaction than seeing a dog that didn't know how to play, learning to.  And enjoying it :)

She is my girl, and she is a GOOD girl.

Happy Anniversary, Katydid!