What I Think This Look Means, And What It Really Means

Pretty much every time I take Rita for a walk, she'll stop a few times and look up at me with a smile, sort of like this:

HOT Dog & the #RememberTheRescue Contest!

It's been pretty hot here - the temps aren't that bad here at the coast, but it's been unusually muggy.

Rita's not a fan of overly hot weather so we got her a little pool this summer. As I've mentioned here before, she hates to swim, but loves to dunk!

Our Dog Is So Nutty: The Lemon Candy Caper

Rita, as I've mentioned before, is very picky. She's not much of a beggar because of it. Even things that normal dogs love (peanut butter, yogurt, etc.) don't get her excited. And there are some things she flat-out hates, like anything citrusy.

So one day when she took an interest in these sour lemon hard candies on our coffee table, I was curious as to why. These were definitely a novelty (I'd never bought them before) and she's usually interested in new things so I thought maybe she was just checking them out and making sure they weren't up to no good.

All threats must pass inspection.

Painting Pup Portraits in Acrylics

This past week my sis invited me to her house for a painting day. It was my first time painting pup portraits with acrylics, and it was a lot of fun.

Before we starting painting though, I had to get some kisses from my sister's adorable pup Stella.

She wasn't totally thrilled with being a model for my photography, but she looks so darn cute on this turquoise chair... I couldn't resist snapping some pics of her! (Because: turquoise. And what's better than dogs + turquoise!?)

When You Ask the Universe For Something, Be Specific

A couple of years ago, I saw a turquoise gnome in someone's front yard. I know you're not supposed to covet your neighbor's goods... but, damn, I coveted that gnome in my heart...

Mainly because I'm obsessed with the color turquoise, as this photo demonstrates...

A Little Adventure In Big Bear Lake

Recently we went to Big Bear Lake, which is only about 2 1/2 hours from San Diego, for a quick getaway. Big Bear was very dog-friendly, with leashed dogs welcome on the trails and on many restaurant patios.

There seems to be a by-law in Big Bear that there must be one carved wooden bear for at least every other house. (This guy was one of my favorites.)

A Plethora of Pretty Pics of Purple Plants Plus a Perky Pooch

On our walk today, I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of pretty purple plants blooming... so thought I'd share them.

Running With The Doggy

Not to be confused with Running With The Devil. (Personally, I'd rather run with my dog.)

I love my new running shoes. And my running buddy!

Around Here, We Love An Under Dog

We usually cheer for the underdog here at our house. That doesn't always work out too well (take the recent Super Bowl for instance...). But we do have a particular favorite "under" dog...

Here she is under "cover":

At Least The End Is Getting Closer

We've had a wee break from the construction for our kitchen remodel, for various reasons, but now that that workers are back, Rita just... can't... even...

December Dog Photo Challenge - Plus Bloopers!

Rita and I decided to join Spencer the Goldendoodle's December Dog Photo Challenge for a fun way to be inspired this month with our photos that we post on Instagram and Facebook. (It's not too late to join! Check out the link to Spencer's page and join us!)

I thought I'd share some of the bloopers today! (We always have many since Rita isn't in love with getting her picture taken. And, wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I posted twice in one week! I'm really enjoying my new once/week schedule, but I wanted to share this before December was half over!)

The other day, the word was SWEATER. With Rita's thick coat + our San Diego weather, she's not a sweater girl, so instead I had her pose with #bearsinsweaters. I got this adorable photo:

Life's a Beach - Part Deux

I used to have a long-sleeved, pink "Life's a Beach" T-shirt when I was in college. I LOVED that shirt and wore it constantly. Then someone stole it out of the dryer in the dorm laundry room. (People suck sometimes.) Anyway, I've lived the vast majority of my life near a beach and I've always loved that phrase.

When I wrote the title for this post (it started as just "Life's a Beach), I wondered if I'd already used that title, given my love of the phrase. Turns out I did... over 4 years ago - and it was a sad post. It was just a few days before our girl, Abby, died and we knew the end was imminent. Hence the "part deux" in the title. (I'm all sniffly now from re-reading that old post, so let's get on to some fun beach pics of me and Rita...)

Life's a beach, part deux is all about the smiles!

We'd only been at the beach like one minute, and her nose already had sand on it.

"What?"

Yeah... Pretty Much...

I'm a pretty easy-to-please person. It doesn't take much to make me a happy camper. One of the things I really love is just hanging out with my pooch and loving on her.

Wordless Wednesday: Here's the Scoop...

Get it? Here's the scoop.

"Scout"ing Out Some Fun Over The Fourth

Hope all our American readers had a lovely long weekend! And hope your pups weren't too upset about the fireworks!

A patriotic pup with red, white, and blue flowers

The Opposite of Bitey-Face

Last week I shared a lot of bitey-face photos, which is mostly what's been going on around here since Reg came to stay with us for two weeks. This week I thought I'd share the opposite of bitey-face: the much-less-often-captured-but-just-as-cute Snuggle Sessions. (Note: sessions are generally brief since Rita ain't much of a snuggler.)

This is Rita's spot on the sofa - the corner of it beside me. Reg would often insert himself between the two of us. Here he is, resting his head on Rita's haunch. (Say it with me: "Awwww.")

Wordless Wednesday: Bitey-Face-Palooza!

Reggie is here! We're dog sitting him while his pawrents are away for 2 weeks.

Does Your Dog Have Friends?

Rita has two good friends, Reg...

Wordless Wednesday: Surf's Up

We've had a lot of wind and some choppy surf here in San Diego lately.

Ain't No Party Like a Puppy Party

The other day if you've liked my author page or we're friends on Facebook, you might have seen this pic of me with two cute puppies and a sweet old golden in the background. If so, did you wonder who those pups are?