It's Like Living With a Mastiff Sometimes

My nephew Leo the mastiff often goes around with a drool rag tucked into his collar. He's a big sweetie - and he's also a big drooler!

Here he is demonstrating two techniques at once - the "strand" and the "bubble." Impressive.

Good job, Leo! (Photo credit: my bro)

Monday Mischief: Good & Bad Mischief

Good Mischief
This weekend we had a lovely family brunch at my bro's house.

Monday Mischief: Picking Granite to Match Your Dog

Remember a while back when I mentioned my bro and sis-in-law were re-doing their master bath, and my bro selected the granite because it matched his brindle mastiff's coat?

Well, it's all installed now, so here's the final product next to the inspiration:

Leo next to the new shower bench

Partying & Persimmons

Would you say that looks like a hungover pooch? If you answered Yes!, you are correct!

This is how Ab looked Sunday morning after a Saturday evening cookout at Fiesta Island with my bro, his wife, my nephew and his girlfriend and her family, my sis, my bro's neighbors, me and Mike, and three pooches. Abby had a very fabulous time! 

We got there early. (Actually... we got there on time, as did my sis. Everyone else was late. But we've come to expect that, so it's cool.) We had to kill some time and take the edge off of Abby's pent-up energy so we took her for a little walk. Then when the other dogs got there, we went for another little walk. As you can see in the pics, Guns (the Great Dane) was taken with Abby. He is eight, but she seems to bring out the puppy in him.

Abby, evading Gun's attentions like the spry minx that she is.

Leo, Abby's cousin, is a big sweetie. (Emphasis on big.)

This is his paw. You do not want it to step on you.

Abby chasing the birds & the boys chasing Abby

Resting, post-walk

The boys around the fire

The Survivor Girls (my sis-in-law is a 4-yr+ cancer survivor!)

After walkies and photo ops, we hung out and my sis-in-law BBQ'd some very yummy burgers. (Of course the dogs each got a burger as well - grass fed, organic beef no less!) We feasted and fiesta'd (hence Fiesta Island I guess) and all went home smelling like campfire. The next day Abby didn't get up until 9:15 and when she finally did, she looked like this:

In other news, we got persimmons in our CSA box yesterday. I have never (to my knowledge) eaten a persimmon. They must be good though, because I caught Abby trying to get one off the counter (and she is not much of a chow hound!). Got one down and offered it to her. Thought she'd just sniff it, but no...

...she tried to grab it...

...and run off with it. Seriously hanging on right here!

So... guess I better wash them good, whatever it is I end up making. If you have a favorite persimmon recipe, send it on my way!