Cold Weather Equals Sad Brown Dog

Emma doesn't really seem to be enjoying winter this year.  I can't say I blame her, since it's been either snowy, rainy, slippery, or muddy for three months now.  But finding her snuggled up in a corner under a blanket has made me begin to question if she's a Labrador at all...

I know it's frigid outside but, considering her (alleged?) ancestors used to paddle around in freezing water up in Canada, I'm a little confused by the sudden urge to hibernate under a blanket when my thermostat is set at 70 degrees.  Maybe she's actually part bear and this is the closest she could get to finding a cave to hide in.  Poor Brown Dog!

We really need to make this a regular thing...

Luke and I decided to test out my new backyard by having a bonfire and fireworks display. Turns out I have a perfect backyard for such a gathering...great view, flat yard, no pesky neighbors (well, okay, those chihuahua people are weird, but thankfully they didn't intrude). Everyone had a great time, and I hope we can do it again soon!

The view from the deck.

I think the lights are staying up all year...I lovc Christmas lights!

Luke and his fire...I didn't ask what he used to get it to light so quickly.

I'm guessing that it was a fossil fuel of some sort...

Emma was remarkably well-behaved the entire night...I love my brown dog!

I've never been a fan of wine coolers, but Seagrams Lime Melonade was great...and only 3.5% alcohol...I do love my "kool-aid" beers!

Emma kept disappearing throughout the night, and I found her in Luke's truck every time...crazy dog won't jump in the back of my CR-V, but manages to get into the cab of a pickup with no problems!

Despite telling me he would not be sleeping outside without a tent, Luke decided this was the best view of the Big Dipper...

Such a nice bonfire!

Settling In

Most of our little Seward Ave family has made the move to the new house on Rocky Road. Only Izzy and Casey have yet to come for good...they are spending some quality time with the Grandmother, who lives right down the road. Henry, Ruthie, and Emma seem to have made themselves right at home:


So I guess now I have to start calling it my little Rocky Road family!

Why, Mother Nature, Why???

I am very firmly entrenched in my belief that it should not snow after March. So imagine my dismay when I woke up on April 27, to this:

Yuck.

Izzy, Emma, and Casey seemed to enjoy it though.

Demo Doggies

No, the girls were not present for the actual demolition of Ugly Kitchen Wall, or construction of the new wall, but they did come to visit shortly after:

Casey (aka K.C. Masterpiece, ChubChub, or Squirrel)

Izzy and Emma (aka The Perps, Eejits, or Black and Brown)

I love my puppies!!!

UPDATE: Emma Enters Finger Lakes Wine Country Facebook Contest

Emma did not get chosen for the Top 12 of the FLWC Dog Mascot Contest. I feel kind of bad for her, so I'll be giving her extra special treats for the next few days. :(

Emma Enters Finger Lakes Wine Country Facebook Contest

If you are on Facebook, there is a group you can join called Finger Lakes Wine Country. I joined for obvious reasons - I live in the Finger Lakes, and I love going on wine tours! This summer, they have been having a contest for a dog mascot for the Finger Lakes, so I entered Emma:


I think she totally deserves to win...she loves the lake, she loves hanging out in her grandfather's vineyard, and she'd probably love wine if given the opportunity to drink it! Could you get a better mascot for Finger Lakes Wine Country than that? I don't think so!

Our Newest Family Member

So I've been a bit busy this summer, working lots of overtime, and not being at home very much. Sadly, my few minutes of internet time at night are spent on Facebook, which is quite addictive, so I've been a little negligent about blogging. I realized today that I never even introduced our newest family member, and she's actually been living with us for over two months now!

Casey

Casey is a two-year-old border collie that my friend Tracy let me borrow while she was on vacation. We liked Casey so much that Tracy and her family let us keep her!

Casey likes hanging out with friends, particularly her BFF Izzy:

Izzy and Casey

She is also an active member of the Seward Ave Canine Soccer team:

Emma, Izzy, Sally the Mormon dog, and Casey

We are all very fond of Casey...well, except for Henry and Ruthie, who have decided that they do not like being herded around the house and yard.

Old Baby Pictures

I really, really miss my babies! And I couldn't even find a picture of my poor little Ruthie, but here are some of Henry, Emma, and Izzy that I just took a few weeks ago:

His Lordship of Seward Ave, Sir Heinrich

My un-photogenic little brown dog, Emma.

Izzy-dawg, who looks sad in this picture despite being the canine form of Prozac in real-life!

Extra Baby Pictures!

I just thought I'd share a few more pictures that I found on my camera today!

Ruthie, with an angry-looking Henry.

Very serious Izzy...kind of unusual, since she's generally the clown of the family!

Henry, making it known that he is NOT in the mood for a belly rub.

My little brown dog Emma, smiling because she probably just snuck upstairs for a cat food snack!

Did you miss us?

So it's been kind of a long time since I last blogged. Almost two months. 53 days, according to TimeandDate.com. Or 4,579,200 seconds. In other words, I totally suck! But on the bright side, really not much has happened here since November. But to catch you up, here goes:

In early November, not one, but BOTH of my computers crashed. Now, my desktop is over 3 years old, so I wasn't too upset about that, besides being highly annoyed that someone smart enough to create a virus that could ruin my computer was actually wasting their time creating a virus instead of doing something productive like finding a cure for cancer. But whatever. People are time wasters (I'll admit to it!) and I wanted a new desktop anyway.

It was the strange downfall of my six-month-old Dell laptop that was mildly confusing. You see, I was merely watching The Hills Aftershow online because my DVR for some reason didn't record, and right as I was about to hear what Heidi's sister really thought of Heidi and Spencer's faux elopement in Mexico, my computer just died. I almost cried. I also almost threw the computer against the wall. I mean, Heidi and Spencer had ELOPED and my computer couldn't even wait until the end of the show to crash? WTF?

But I persevered, and fixed my laptop and found an awesome new desktop! Yay!!!

It's just so beautiful...*tear*...

My other notable November event was hosting Thanksgiving at my house. By hosting I mean that my mother came and cleaned my house the week before, and then she and my grandmother came down the night before, cooked everything, and then I set the table. It was exhausting.

December involved decorating my house for Christmas and shoveling a lot of snow. Fortunately my mother helped with the decorating. I couldn't find anyone willing to help with the snow. Of course, I didn't offer to pay. That usually brings Ross and Luke to my house in a matter of minutes!

My Christmas Pharmacy Village...I'm such a nerd!

Henry spent a great deal of the month batting at low-hanging Christmas ornaments...

Note the absence of Christmas lights...this photo was taken after Emma ingested a 6 foot extension cord...and yes, it was plugged in at the time...

Sadly, I have no pictures of Ruthie to share. She refused to sit by the Christmas tree, and although caught on more than one occasion sleeping in the Christmas Pharmacy Village Square, I was unable to find my camera to preserve those precious moments. Maybe next year...

We Passed Basic Obedience...Just Barely!

Today was our last class in Basic Obedience training at PetCo. And the girls passed! Well, not that they were actually tested or anything, but I'm pretty proud of them. They even posed quietly for their diplomas!

Izzy, still having some difficulty with "watch me!"

Emma, who has finally mastered the "down" command. Yay!

We learned a lot this time around, probably because Iz and Em were the only two students, and we lucked out and had two instructors! We learned how to walk on a loose leash, leave it, stay, down, respond to "come" with an appropriate finish (sitting at the person's side), and to "wait" as well!

I'm kind of sad that school is over, since it was fun going every week and learning new things. (Yes, I actually miss school, go ahead, make fun of me!) But it was really worth it...I think if we keep practicing, I will soon have two model canines. Now, if I can just keep them from chasing squirrels into the neighbor's yard...

Scrapbooking Fun!

I'm finally back in a scrapbooking mood, and since all my supplies were nicely put away, I decided to make a new digital layout using some freebies I found online! I know it's a little early for Halloween, but since I'm sitting here with the glow of my outdoor decorations shining in through the windows, I was in the mood for a little fall fun:

The flying bats are courtesy of Bubble's Babbles' Halloweenie elements, and everything else came from Becca Bonneville's Treats kit, which are both wonderful! The picture of Emma is, of course, my own AMAZING work! LOL...I keep telling my mother that my photos would be better if I had a better camera, but I'm pretty sure even the most expensive camera on Earth won't help my inablility to take great pictures!

I'm such a slacker!

Not too much is happening here on Seward Ave. Izzy and Emma are still going to obedience classes. And Henry, Ruthie, and I all have colds. I'm feeling great, thanks to a combo of Aleve-D, Zyrtec, and Mucinex (gotta love polypharmacy!), but I feel so bad for little Henry and Rue. They're both trotting around with runny noses, and sneezing all the time. I hope they get better soon.

"I'm sick and you're taking pictures of me...what kind of a cat-mother ARE you?"

The girls have been spending lots of time with the Mothership out on the farm, running around the gardens and grape field. I drop them off at 8am every morning and spend the entire day at work being jealous that they're tearing around outside and I'm stuck indoors dealing drugs to people who constantly inform me that I will be voting for Obama. FYI - you make me want to be a conservative, and just for trying to force your political opinions down my throat, I'm going to go get some Sarah Palin bangs. So there!

Today it was so nice out that I let the girls spend most of the day out in the backyard while I did laundry. They're so sweet, everytime I come outside to visit them, they act like it's Christmas or something. They're better than Prozac!

"Ohmigosh...Mom just came outside...woohoo...this is the BEST DAY EVER!!!"

I have to say, having pets really does add some color to your life. For instance, I finally captured on camera (though not very well) what greets me every time I come up the back steps to my house:

Normally, he's not quite so sad looking, but remember, he's sick today, poor boy.

And last but not least, there's my little brown dog, Emma, who is providing us with "Crazy Dog Face of the Day:"

The dorkiest dog I ever met, but I totally love her!

And now I must be off to finish my laundry...I always save the red and khaki for last, even though it's what I need to wear to work tomorrow!

Look at that Face!

Emma, after hearing we were going to visit the lake!

Round Two of Dog School: Basic Obedience

So Izzy and Emma have enrolled once more in one of PetCo's dog training classes. This time it's Basic Obedience, and sadly, the girls are the only ones there. Now, you're thinking that's a good thing, as they'll get extra attention and learn lots, right? Well, it's the extra attention that is embarrassing to me, because all of our faults are on display. Okay, mine and Izzy's. Emma and the Mothership seem to be doing quite well.

(Even when there are more interesting happenings, she is still willing to "watch me!")

Week One went okay. The girls remembered their commands, and the Mothership and I weren't too horrible. (Really, it's the humans being tested in dog school...the dogs are just the means for testing!) Week Two, however, was a different story. Izzy refused to cooperate, and I was SO embarrassed! I think she was punishing me for putting her walk off until after school. Never again! I shall take Izzy first from now on!

(At this point, Izzy wouldn't "watch me!" if she was starving and I was holding a steak!)

So now we're on to Week Three. I'm not positive about what our homework is this week, as I was so disheartened by my little Iz. I think we're supposed to be working on the girls coming to us, and sitting down at our sides automatically. I'm also working hard on the loose leash walking, since that's what upsets the Mothership most. We had a most successful walk this evening, if you ignore the fact that Emma was whisper-barking at some chick on her cell phone. But seriously, who talks on their cell phone outside at 10:30 at night in 40 degree weather? Someone who is hiding something from her parents, that's who. She totally deserved to be barked at, even if it was only a whisper-bark.

I just can't help but laugh at them. They're so sweet and goofy!

Why I Spend Several Hundred Dollars a Month at PetCo

I like to shop a lot. Lately I've been on a budget, so my only shopping joy comes from frequent visits to PetCo, which some people have deemed unnecessary, but I think are absolutely mandatory. Somehow, I don't think I even need words to explain what some call my "frivolous spending," but for those who do not have pets, I will try to enlighten:

Doesn't a cute cat like this deserve a nifty Igloo litter box?

And why shouldn't my boy have the finest Temptations Dental Treats the world has to offer?

And seriously, could you feed these two anything less than Nutro, which is going to keep their joints healthy for years to come?

My babies are cute and fun and loving and totally worth the expenditures. Even if it means our country estate will take a few more years to get! And I think only my Aunt Paula understands, as she sent me a gift card to PetCo for my birthday. It must take one crazy pet person to know another!

Emma's Catastrophic Day at the Beach

My poor Emma. First she gets spayed, which means no running, jumping, or swimming for two weeks! Finally, Friday she was allowed out in the lake. I was so worried that she would have forgotten all about fetching, as she had just figured it out the week before her operation. But no, she remembered everything, and even challenged Izzy a few times to swim out an fetch their Wubba Kong. I was so proud!

Saturday we returned to camp, as the weather looked promising. Iz and Em romped all over the shore as the Mothership and I cleaned up around camp. Then I took a break to get some sun out on the dock, and Emma joined me. I looked up a few minutes later and she was laying in a pool of blood. I kind of freaked out a bit. Heaven help me should I ever have a child who's been injured. I called up our poor vet, who is about the most awesome doctor on EARTH, and she told us to bring poor Emma right in. She had almost severed one of her toes on something sharp! They had to knock her out and stitch up her poor little foot, and now she's stuck in a green bandage bootie, and isn't allowed to swim again!

The green bandage matches her eyes in person.

I'll admit, I'm kind of sad because she won't be able to swim when we're on vacation. And she's so pitiful, she can't use that foot to get up on the couch, and she doesn't want to play with Izzy or knaw on poor Henry. But she's so cute, I can't hardly stand it. How did I end up with four such brutally attractive pets? Really, such good looks should be spread out a bit more!

Seriously, I have the cutest dogs ever...look at that face!

Bathing Beauties

I have to say, I think I have the two most amazing dogs in town, and the people that pull over in their cars when we're out on our morning walks all seem to agree. But they really surpassed themselves at the lake today. Emma finally learned to swim. I know, I know, what kind of lab doesn't know how to swim? And it's true, she was once able to swim, but something must have happened because the dog hasn't actually swam since late April. She'll go out neck deep, even sit and lay in the water, but will not paddle around. She's always been kind of a strange little dog.

Regardless off Emma's oddities, yesterday I carried her out a few times and then set her in the water so she could swim back to shore. It didn't seem to scare her, since she let me do it over and over, but she still refused to swim out herself. Well, not so today! The Mothership and I were out floating, and out paddled Emma to see us:

"Look, Mom, I'm swimming without floaties!"

I know I'm turning into some weird animal person, but I was so proud of her I almost cried. I'm kind of afraid I'll be one of those crazy mothers that attends all of my children's games in t-shirts with their pictures on them. So I think maybe I'll reconsider the whole child thing for now...

So, onto Izzy...Izzy has been swimming nonstop all summer. She'll come out with us while we're floating, and swim around for a while, rest on shore for a bit, and then swim some more. I guess she must have gotten sick of all the paddling around, because as I was shooting Emma's first real swim, Izzy decided to steal my SmartFloat. My first thought was "please don't pop the SmartFloat" because, well, SmartFloats are about the best inflatable water toy ever, and I didn't want to have to trek all the way down to Target to get another one. But then I realized that my dog had actually climbed onto a raft by herself, and was chillin in the water with the Mothership. You have to admit, it's impressive!

"Oh, a puppy's life is so tiresome, sometimes I need to kick back and float the day away..."

Emma-dawg

Nothing new to note tonight, since I'm in the middle of a five-day stretch at the pharmacy. So I thought I'd stop by with a recent picture of Emma, who seems confused about whether sleeping on the couch is appropriate or not. (For the record, it is INappropriate!)