Day 57: Belly up

February 28 2011 . . . I checked the memory cards from both cameras and indeed this is the only photo I took on this day.  Obviously the pup was being adorable, so I snapped this shot.

This was a Monday afternoon in the office. Yaxley is coming in for the long haul during the workday. And doing splendidly. Confident little fellow.

Day 56: Hand-me-downs

February 27 2011 . . . Yaxley sports his training cape.  A hand-me-down from Micron, who got it from Inga. A third generation CCI pup, of sorts. He'll wear this cape until he reaches five months or until I can't tie it around his Buddha belly anymore.

Day 55: Yaxley learns a new word

February 26 2011 . . . Are you dogs hungry? The one word to cure temporary hearing loss in dogs. Another food motivated dog; should make training go oh so much easier.

Day 54: First Snow

February 25 2011 . . . Yaxley's first snow day. Ever.  A natural California blonde; he comes from the land of sea and sky.  More photos of his flaky adventures are on the dog blog. Snow Day Redux

Day 53: Showing the new pup the ropes

February 24 2011 . . . Micron says, a new pup to train? No prob, I'll show him the ropes around here.

Not working out like he planned.

Day 52: Needs some plum sauce

February 23 2011 . . . Yaxley has discovered one of the few dog toys left that still have an intact squeaker.

Day 51: Party at Micron's place

February 22 2011 . . . You don't have to be nuts to have four dogs and a puppy in your house. But it helps.

Day 50: Is he still here?

February 21 2011 . . . Micron is taking his time in warming up to the new guy. He is showing a level of tolerance, but it just blows his mind that the puppy gets a lunch meal when he and Jager don't.

Micron decides on a nap on the cool hardwood floor. A nice quiet spot just to himself. When the pup curled up next to him, he didn't even notice at first. Eventually, Micron lifts his head casually to see what is on his leg. And does a double-take like that is the absolutely last thing he could imagine happening to him. What new fresh hell is this? is the look on his face.

He nearly got up, then changed his mind like he realized it would be too much like work. They both settled down and I got this adorable shot of them.

Day 49: Mindtrust

February 20 2011 . . . The new dog family. Got three smart and clever dogs here. Know what else is smart? That the new kitchen flooring matches yellow dog hair is no accident.

Day 48: The balance of good and evil

February 19 2011 . . . First day with the new pup, Yaxley. Micron is resistant to this conspiracy to give up his Golden Boy crown. While the pup is simply angelic, his ersatz mentor has gone over to the dark side.

Micron, for the first time ever, discovered the wonders of mud. Rolling, digging, and just soaking up the goodness of all that is mud.

I don't know - is that a look of defiance?

And not to be trumped in the I got the food lady's complete attention and you don't contest, Jager found something dead in the yard to cover himself with. I don't have a photo of that. He went straight to the shower where he acted like the water was acid or something.

Day 47: Puppy Raising, Part III

February 18 2011 . . . Our third CCI pup was welcomed into our home this evening. The little Lord Yaxley moved right in and started scoping out the good toys.  Dog rules go something like this: if it's on the floor it's mine. Unless the big guy can get it away from me.

The photo of the day will be pretty much dogs for awhile. That's how it's gonna hafta roll. With three dogs in the house, not much room for anything else to get my attention.

Day 46: Oscar and Felix

February 17 2011 . . . Muddy paws; not a pretty sight. Not something you'd really want to take a picture of, unless you're documenting a year of your life through photos. And this is real life stuff.  ugh.

Alternatively, the spotted dog is sparkling clean. Same day, same yard, same potty break. Go fig.

Day 45: Caffeinated

February 16 2011 . . . It seems that I didn't take any photos today. I think that instead of skipping a day in the blog, instead I'll include a prior photo that didn't make the cut of the day. 

This is Micron at my favorite coffee hangout, Boston Stoker. We stopped in on a cold and snowy afternoon for a skinny vanilla latte and sat by the window with a magazine for a few.  Got this photo on January 17. The photo I chose for that day was the new table and chairs for the kitchen. Glad to have a chance to use this one, which I did post on CCI's Facebook page.

Day 44: This little light of mine

February 15 2011 . . . A couple of votive candles and a dark kitchen. Just messing around with low light to see what I can get. Pretty much this is it.

After this mystical moment, I turned the lights back on and started dinner. sigh.

Day 43: Bromance

February 14 2011 . . .This photo was on Micron's dog blog, too.   Best buds Micron and Karsen sharing a quiet moment on the afternoon of Valentine's Day.  That's Karsen's pedicured paw atop Micron's double-jointed leg. Kinda sweet, it is.

Day 42: Just wanted a little EVOO

Feb 13, 2011 . . . I make myself happy pretending that I'm a good cook, just a step away from having my own TV show. It's just the dog hair spice that's holding me back.

This is nonsense, of course. I use a spaghetti sauce from a jar just like most everybody else. But I still insist that cooking with butter is essential, as well as is a good quality olive oil. And sea salt is used after the food is cooked. Just can't give up some things in spite of the it's-not-a-diet-it's-a-lifestyle plan.

So, I had a coupon for olive oil. Thought I had my head wrapped around the differences of virgin, extra virgin (snicker) and light, but now I see there's apparently a regional difference as well. Who knew? Well, I didn't really think about it until faced with the choices of Australian, Spanish, Greek and more. What do I want?  Dang, I don't know - Italian? That seems safe. So a bottle of IEVOO gets tossed into the cart next to the Extra Chunky Mushroom Ragu.  That'll do.

 

Day 41: Kids & Baby Sale - dogs not included

Feb 12 2011 . . . The grammar nazi in me is wondering why Kids is plural and Baby is not. Sure, Kids isn't a possessive, so no need for an apostrophe, so we're good there. And why, but why, no dogs for sale when there's one on display. 

Filling a need to get out of the house on a gray winter's day, we put the cape on Micron and head to the mall. We stop at Old Navy for a photo op with the supermodelquins. I didn't make that word up, by the way. These ersatz people with the toothy grins actually have names, including the dog, Barker.  To the left of Barker is Rita and Christopher, with Kimmy gazing into space behind them like she sees a double rainbow or something. It's true; I looked this stuff up on the Internet.

After the photo shoot (grand total of three photos), I turn around to see a crowd behind me. There are people with their kids lining up to pet Micron. Wow. He granted an audience with his usual graciousness, while I'm encouraging to keep a Sit and stop asking for belly rubs.

Day 40: Brudders

February 11 2011 . . . Marco and Micron after the CCI graduation ceremony. Two handsome fellas.

These two are littermates; you can tell that they're brothers, right?  Look at the ears and how the fur is curling exactly the same. Same soulful, intelligent brown eyes. And same lust for that dog biscuit waving around just out of the camera's range. 

These guys are from a golden/lab cross mom and a full golden dad.  Another really cool thing with this litter - check out the brindling on Marco's legs.  All the black pups had some level of brindle, very unusual to see in a CCI pup.

Marco has now matriculated and will begin his advanced training at CCI. (Micron has another three months until matriculation.)  Wishing Marco the best of luck in doggie college.

Day 39: Ask your father

February 10 2011 . . . the answer to "Mommy, where do puppies come from?"

Gotta big day tomorrow and the pup needs to look his best.  This is what was in the brush after I used the furminator.  But now, the dog is so very soft and fluffy; he has a beautiful coat. 

And there's a dog hair floating in my coffee. sigh.

Day 38: Isn't it ironic, doncha think?

February 9 2011 . . . A moose dog named Micron and a black dog named Red. Two CCI pups team retrieving a hapless Canada goose.

I hate, hate, hate using the flash indoors. Stupid glowing eyes and flat shadows.  What should be a cute pic is otherwise rather demonic looking.

But trying to take a picture of two dogs playing indoors without using the flash?  'Tis even worse.

Day 37: Just messin' with your head

February 8 2011 . . . Two CCI pups, Karsen and Micron, showing self-control by ignoring those dog biscuits on their paws. Look at those faces; they're not stressed, worried or even drooling.  This is just not a big deal.

Good dogs.

Day 36: Oh. I thought you said codpiece.

February 7 2011 . . . What's for dinner?  That would be cod.  One of my least favorite of the finned animal, but is also one of the least fattiest. Hence, the no taste factor that is its hallmark.  Part of my it's-not-a-diet-it's-a-lifestyle change.

I can't make it taste much better no matter what I throw on it. And so it seems, it even makes a rather bland photo. sigh.

Day 35: I haz ball. Is perfect day.

February 6 2011 . . . Home to unwind after a long day in the office.  Time for a robust game of chase the tennis ball, which gives poor Jager a break from being chewed on by the yeller feller.





Day 34: I hear they're good eats

February 5 2011 . . . I kinda feel badly for the tree rats in the wintertime. I wonder where they find enough to eat and hope the legends are true about storing food for hard times.  Here's a scurvy little guy eating the seeds from the honey locust tree.

I used to put out bird feeders. I'd have bird seed in the feeders and leave corn at ground level for the tree rats. But after these rodents starting not just knocking down the feeders, but actually stealing them, I had to stop.

Day 33: Side trip on the way to wine country

February 4 2011 . . .Another Friday evening, but a better week than the one before.  Regardless, I still have no intention to cook tonight. 

The kid was using my cell phone once and mentioned that I have more restaurants in my contact list than people. Nuh-uh, I said. Yeah huh, he replies.

I look and darn it, he's right. But only people are on speed dial, so it's not so bad, really. 

And yep, my car's a mess. It's an extension of my purse. And file cabinet.

Day 32: They don't taste like chicken

February 3 2011 . . .Today's photo is a cautionary tale.

If you keep dog biscuits on your desk, so they're handy when you want to treat your dog, then don't pour out a snack bag of pretzels next to them. The dog wouldn't mind the switch, but you might.

Just sayin'.

Day 31: Winter gets purty

February 2 2011 . . .The snow today has a sheet of ice over it. So walking in the yard is actually rather hard on the joints. It's that step-crunch, step-crunch walk. You know, when you put your weight onto your foot and it punches violently through the ice layer and down through about four inches of snow. Miserable stuff.

But I venture out to get some photos, because I'm taking a photo a day, dammit. So I get some bleak, gray photos and go back inside.  Take my boots off, fire up the computer and look out the window.

What's this? The sun's out? It comes out now, after I've already risked my delicate ankles out there?

Well, sh**.  As any photographer knows, it's all about the light, right? I have to go back out, no choice.  Cowgirl up and back out there. Step-crunch, step-crunch to the backyard.

It's late afternoon, the sun is out and a cool blue sky. The limbs of the trees are enclosed in ice and in the light of the sun it appears as everything is made of crystal. Well worth the trip back out there, I think.

This is the buckeye tree shining in the winter sun.  Kinda purty.

Day 30: Glazed over

February 1 2011 . . .What is this, like the third photo of the school bell in a month?

It's not like I have some weird bell obsession going on.  But a huge storm is coming through and everything is completely snotted with ice.  I can't get any further from the backdoor without busting my tail, so this is it.

And believe it or not, this is not a black & white photo. Look closely and you may be able to see the red rust on the clanger thingy inside the bell. 

Yes, it's that bleak in southwestern Ohio today.