Wordless Wednesday

Bad Kitty Bo with his sweetie, Musette...

 

Yep, they're digging it...

Darby doesn't hop onto his chair anymore, waiting to snub my goodbye kiss as I'm pressing to get out the door. He's figured out there's no reason to snub me, because I'm not going anywhere.

Weebs, too, has learned that her frantic scratches at the covers that used to occur approximately fifteen minutes before the alarm was scheduled to go off can wait until the sun has actually begun to rise. She's taken to spending more of her time out in the household with us, rather than sleeping away the day in the bedroom, waiting for me to return, as there's nowhere to return from.

Bad Kitty Bo is just happy to have another full-time servant, while Musette is far too polite to act as though she notices anything different at all.

Such is the nature of the household as I slip into week seven of unemployment. My worries for the future aside, the pets are undeniably pleased to have me home, particularly now that so much more cooking (and living) is taking place within the boundaries of their domain. They appreciate the extra cuddles in the morning, the extra hand to let them in and out of the back door, the extra voice saying, "Leave that alone!"

O.K., maybe not so much on that last one, but you get the drift.

I appreciate them being here for me, too. As much as I thought I knew, really knew, what it must be like for someone to be laid off from a job, there's nothing like firsthand experience to set your perspective straight. Having the critters be their usual pesty, dorky selves has proven to be immeasurably comforting, especially on those days when the world seems particularly cold. They pull me outside of myself when my wheels are  spinning a bit too long, reminding me there is still plenty in this world to laugh about --- and clean up after.

Though I'm unsure of what comes around the corner, I know wherever the path leads they'll remain steadfastly under my feet...or on my chair, or in the bathroom while I'm showering, or sniffing around the edges of my plate when my head's turned, or sucking out space on my pillow while I'm trying to sleep.

They're supportive like that.

How to enjoy a pool...

...when you don't like swimming!

Darby loves hanging on the edge of the pool, begging us to splash water in his face. This is his favorite back yard activity, hands-down, even if he regularly leans a bit too far over and falls in.

I snapped a few pics of his recent endeavors for your viewing pleasure!

He's already fallen in once, hence the wet back end...

"Dad, I'm waiting..."

"Whew, about time!"

"More, more more!"

"C'mon...I'm right here!"

"Biteyface!"

"Mom says all good dogs know, 'Go dry off on your towel!'"

"Back for more!"

And so it goes. Every pool adventure includes running the Doodlebug ragged around the edge, making him chase us from one side to the other in the hopes of getting splashed. It's not always my idea of perfection --- occasionally a girl would like to float around without distraction --- but there's just no way I can deny him such a simple pleasure.

My your summer find you with simple pleasures of your own in which to indulge.

Versatile Blogger Award time!

A little ways back I was fortunate enough to receive this award from two different blogs at about the same time: Something Wagging this Way Comes and Nanny McFur. I am touched that both blogs consider me worthy of such consideration, as I have found each of them fun and inspiring in their own right.

The main purpose of the award is for those of us who enjoy writing about pets and pet issues to share a little love for other bloggers who we find interesting, inspiring or amusing as we click through our digital universe. There are two parts to this --- to tell you seven things about me you may not know, and to share this with fifteen other blogs. I always love reading other people's seven things, so I'll start there:

1. I hate wearing shoes and will take them off at any given opportunity. If I come to your house and take my shoes off, you'll know I consider you a really good friend (and, yes, it's happened).

2. I have a deep desire to shave all of Darby's hair off just to see what he looks like underneath :)

3. I love finding reasons to laugh. The worse the day, the bigger my desire to find the funny in the world and celebrate it.

4. I watch almost no T.V. I don't have cable or satellite, so the bulk of my viewing is DVDs (which you'd think would mean I'd get more done, but that is wholly untrue).

5. I take songs and change the words around to make them about my pets, then sing the "new" songs to them --- which is also the only shot you'll ever have at hearing me sing. You're welcome.

6. My love of coffee knows no bounds. Hot, cold, mixed in food --- I'd shower with coffee-scented soap if I could find it.

7. In the time it took me to write the first six items, I could have walked the dog, made breakfast and done the week's grocery shopping :)

Whew! Glad the hard part's over. Now onto the fun stuff: Naming fifteen other blogs I feel are worthy of the Versatile Blogger title. Here they are, in no particular order.

Snoopy's Dog Blog

Cleo's Day

Catsparella

Cat Chat with Caren and Cody

Fetch

To Dog With Love

Housecat Confidential

Fully Vetted

Pawprints, Ears & a Tennis Ball
Sebastian the Sensitive Soul

Adventures of a Cattle Dog

Animal Shelter Volunteer Life

Bark'n About

Bocci's Beefs

Life is Like a Box of Nuggets

Just in time for the Saturday Blog Hop, so in addition to the cool blogs above, you can check out more of the creativity unleashed on the blogosphere!

Yep, more cats!

Fortunately, only of the wooden variety (for now, heh)!

Yep, even the fake cats get treats around here!

As I've mentioned before, I have a bit of a collection of cat figurines. While the additions to my collection don't come nearly as frequently as they did several years ago, my mother continues to find items that she think are worthy additions while out on her ventures. During my last visit with her, she gifted me with this trio of photograph-holding felines to add to my case.

I'm always grateful for new items to add to the group, and I love that my mom enjoys finding pieces that aren't already represented. It's one of those things she does that reminds me that no matter how often we get together, we're never far from each other's thoughts.

Anyone else have an assortment of pet-themed items? Do friends or family give you gifts that reflect your love of the fur-footed? Please share!

Wordless Wednesday

"Gotta keep the meathooks clean in case the dog gets any ideas..."

It's time for the Wordless Wednesday blog hop! Check out some of the other great photos being shared today!

Wordless Wednesday

"You told me to 'drop it' and I did. I don't understand the problem."

Hop over to some of these other great blogs!

Remembering Bosco

 

You were our first "family dog".

 Soft, sweet and loving, you were the perfect dog for young boys and young marriages.

 Best friend of kittens, chaser of birds and master of silliness.

July 25, 1995 - July 8, 2005

To this day, our hearts are fuller for having had you in our lives.

Thank you for sharing your life with us.

"He spoke through tears of 15 years how his dog and him 

traveled about.

The dog up and died,he up and died 

And after 20 years he still grieves"

~Mr. Bojangles

Wordless Wednesday

"The only parent who counts is the one who's cooking!"

It's time for the Wordless Wednesday Hop! Check out some of the other terrific blogs that are participating:

The tale of the portable pet bed

Some time back I won this coolio portable pet bed in a Giveaway hosted by Nanny McFur:

It is undeniably cute and even has a zippered pocket on the outside to stash a leash (or treats, Darby reminds me).

Love the cute design on the outside!

 Alas, there were two concerns. The first is that when the bed is unzipped, the teeth of the zipper are exposed. While I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue for short-haired breeds, Darby's fluff stood a really great chance of getting caught in the teeth. That's not going to work out so swell for anyone if it were to happen while we were sleeping. Animal Planet might want to think about adding a zipper guard to future versions of this to help the hairy ones out.

Don't mind messy me. This is my "post-swim" look.

 The other concern is that, all in all, it's a bit small for the Doodle. Sure, he can seem fairly small to some folks who see him in photos, but he's clocking in at about 40 pounds these days and would have a hard time squishing himself on the bed without flopping off to one side or the other.

So, we've decided the only right and proper thing to do is to donate this bed to Friends of the Kern County Animal Shelters Foundation as a prize for our next fundraiser. The bed can go to someone whose dog can really use it and supports helping companion animals. We think it's a win-win!

Elsa's Lullaby

I've had the link to this video for some time now, but only watched it today. What a lovely tribute to a beloved friend.