Road Trip! SD to SD

As I mentioned last week, my siblings, my one sis-in-law, and I all met up in Oacoma, South Dakota to bury my mom beside my dad's ashes. Two of my sisters and I drove - from San Diego to South Dakota - in two days, which seemed like a bad idea on the start of day two, but we had a lot of stuff to bring!

On the whole trip, this was the only dog I got to love on - a carved wooden dog.

Pretty Sure The Dog Thought I Adandoned Her

I was away last week on a road trip with two of my sisters.

Beautiful weather for a road trip!

Who's The Top Dog?

Birthday Donations Update: I wanted to thank everyone who wished Rita a happy birthday the other day. I'd said I'd donate $1 to Baja Animal Sanctuary (where Rita came from) for every comment. Well, I decided to include my replies to everyone's comments, which put the tally at 98. Woot! I rounded up to $100 and sent a check off to BAS, so thanks everypawdy!

Now back to our regularly scheduled post...

Frequent readers will remember Rita's cousin Reggie came to stay with us for two weeks last month.

While organizing the gazillion photos I took while he was here, I noticed these two similar shots from different days:

"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

Dog On A Log In The Fog, Post-Jog

Okay, not really "foggy" but "marine layer" doesn't rhyme.

Are you impressed with my wordlessness?!

Can you come up with more "og" words? I'm all agog to see if you can!

Wish Rita a Happy Bday; Help a Dog in Need!

Last Thursday* was Rita's fifth birthday. To celebrate, for every person who comments wishing her a happy birthday we'll donate $1** to Baja Animal Sanctuary, the rescue in Mexico where we got Rita.

We've been celebrating Rita's b-day all week, culminating with today's donation-fest. It's what my friends and I always call a "Hanukkah Birthday." (What would be really great would be a "Ramadan Birthday"!) Hmmm. Just remembered Hanukkah is 8 days, and we're only celebrating Rita for 7 days. Guess this is technically her "Hanukkah -1 Birthday."

On her actual bday, we went to the beach:

What's On The Telly? Dog Don't Care; He Watches It All

As you know, Reg stayed with us for two weeks recently.

Man, that dog watches a lot of TV! He loves everything - dramas, dancing, sports, cartoons, the news... even commercials.

Here he is watching Peaky Blinders. Not sure if he could understand their heavy Irish accents or not. We certainly can't, so we turn on the captions, so maybe he was paying such close attention because he had to read along like we do.

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.

Pics To Make You Wanna Go To Maui. Like, Now.

Last week I told you about Rita's adventures at the gulag spa while the hubs and I were in Maui. Today I thought I'd share some pics from our trip.

We love Maui and have been several times as it's a not-tooooo-long, non-stop flight from San Diego. And it's so relaxing there!

Here is the view from the lanai at the condo we rented. (If the view alone doesn't make you relax, doesn't the word lanai? So much more serene sounding than balcony.)

We're Worriers. So, Yeah, We Asked for Proof of Life

I took a blogging break last week because we went to Maui for vacation. If we go somewhere that Rita can't join us, she stays with my sis, brother-in-law, and Reggie. She loves them all and they take great care of her, so we have no worries.

Except when we do worry... Which is often for me.

I can't help it - I've always been a worrier and I always will be one. I have this very terrible habit of always imagining the worst - not because I really think that's going to happen, but because I have to let my mind go there for a minute, just to see what the "worst" might be.

So, off we went last Saturday to Maui, secure in the knowledge that Rita would be well taken care of. I snapped this pic as we were leaving. As you can see, Rita looks completely unconcerned about this!

"Oh, you're leaving? Oh. Okay. Whatevs. See ya'!"

Making Our Walking Routine Less Routine

I/we take Rita for a walk pretty much every single morning. We have a lovely 'hood, with lots of different routes that we can take, but still... sometimes you need a change.

So, lately - maybe once every other week - Rita and I hop in the car and drive down to the next 'hood. It's fun because Rita gets to sniff new things, and I get to see new things. (And, since I started running again recently, it's especially good since it's flat, while our 'hood is super hilly!)

Sometimes I find pretty new places to pose Rita...

The Fur Flew, But Everyone Was Happy

Rita doesn't like to get brushed. (I don't understand why. The Kong "Zoom Groom" we use looks as if it would feel like a massage. Plus you end up cooler and lighter afterward. What's not to like??)

Sometimes the hubs brings the brush along on walks, so he can quickly sneak in two or three strokes when she stops to sniff something. But this weekend, she was completely distracted by a lizard in the bushes, so he went to work on her!

Zen Dog

Last year, I gave the hubs this zen dog:

Why I Do Laundry When It Rains

Last Friday, it rained all day. And I spent most of the day doing laundry. It took me a while to remember why I'm so conditioned to think rain = laundry: It's because we lived in Bermuda for 7 years.

Did I ever tell y'all that? I don't think I did, so today I'll share a little bit about Bermuda life. Don't worry - there will be dog pics. (Apologies though: I didn't have a great camera back then, and the images here are snapped with my phone from my photo album. There are some lovely photos of Bermuda on their tourism Pinterest page.)

There are many interesting things about Bermuda, but today I'm focusing on the roofs. Yes, the roofs. They're very pretty - a nice, crisp white, which looks lovely against the greenery of the island and the bright colors of the houses themselves.

Pastel-colored house, white roof, lush landscape? Yep, that's Bermuda!

A Doggy and a Foggy Beach

Certain beaches here in San Diego let you bring your leashed dog in the morning or early evening. Because we are lazy (that includes Rita!) we often don't get up early enough to get to the beach and still have plenty of time for a good walk, but today we managed to get up and at 'em early.

It was really foggy today so I thought about skipping it, but we went for it.

A Dog Named Trixie

If you've been around the blog a while, you know my mom passed away in December. While going through her things, my one sister found 9 letters that my dad had sent to his parents during WWII.

Spring Roll

Sorry this is a bit blurry, but you get the idea...

It Didn't Change My Life, But It Does Spark Joy

I confess, I haven't been writing lately. I've got a book over half done, but it doesn't "spark joy" at the moment.

So, what have I been doing? Well, I spent weeks "Kondo'ing" my house.

My Kondo'd T-shirts

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.

Old Snow Is Better Than None - Taking the Dog In Search of Winter

Last week we went to Flagstaff for a little vacation, in search of snow since Rita had never seen it before. Unfortunately, it ended up being really warm, which was nice, except that it was too thawed for any showshoeing, but not thawed enough for hiking. Bummer!

We attempted one very muddy hike in Flag in the trails behind Buffalo Park. (Buffalo Park is a nice spot to walk your on-leash dog, with a nice flat loop trail. At the back of the park, there's also a connection to a much more elaborate trail system. But it was too muddy to go very far when we were there.)

Here are Rita and the hubs in the park, with the arrow pointing out the only "real" snow in the background.

Wordless Wednesday: Workin' It

Rita is really good at looking like she hasn't eaten in three days when you are smacking out on something she wants a bite of. (Note how she sucks in her cheeks.)

I Met My Furry Muse!

If you've been around the blog a while, you might remember I posted this picture last year of our family friends' Labradoodle, Annie, the real life inspiration for Marie, the fuzzy heroine of my third novel, House Trained.

Photo credit: Annie's mom

New Cozy Sheets - The Dog Approves

We recently got new cozy polar fleece sheets. To say Rita approves of them is an understatement.

The Sweet One and the ... Intense One

There are two border collies in our 'hood whose yard we often walk by on the weekends.

There's a sweet one...

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?

Rita: Nutty About Chew

I wanted to share a couple of cute pics and a funny video from Christmas and figured I better get on it! Christmas already seems so long ago. (Although our neighbors are still turning their Christmas lights on every night...)

Anyway, here's Rita opening her gifts. Do you wrap presents and let your pup(s) open them?

See Beautiful: Beauty's All Around on a Hike

Belated Happy New Year!

I must admit - I've lost my blogging mojo (hopefully I'll find it since I'm in the middle of a big spring-cleaning binge), but I promised last month when I shared our Sedona/javelina adventures that I'd share some of the other pics I took if I remembered the See Beautiful hop.

And I actually remembered!

It's hard not to "see beautiful" when you're out on a hike with this scenery:

But I thought I'd share some of the other beauty on the trail - all the different trees and plants.

Wishing You A Yule That's Cool!

I thought I'd share our Christmas card with you all today. I got the idea for the card, based on the immortal words of Louis Armstrong, last year while I was listening to Christmas carols.

Less-Wordy Wednesday: A Prickly Heart & A Pup

In Monday's post I mentioned we went hiking last week in red-rock country (Sedona to be exact). On one of our hikes, I noticed a heart-shaped cactus...

Darling Pigs & Dirty Paws

We took Rita on a little hiking vacation last week.

On one hike, we saw three javelina, which, according to Wikipedia, are also called peccaries or "skunk pigs". They were super cute, and Rita was pretty excited about the bit of piggy mischief!

A Bear, a "Book Gram," and #12DaysofKolsNotes

A while back, I wrote about the one bear in my mom's collection that was "Rita's" - she would run and snag it every time we went to Mom's because she knew she was allowed to play with it.

Wordless Wednesday: She Just Wakes Up This Way

Why do people say someone's a "dog" if they think that person's unattractive? Makes no sense. Dogs are gorgeous!

I mean, siriusly. No makeup, no hair product. No weird sheet creases across her face. She just wakes up this beautiful!

A Moveable Feast With a Side of Mischief

I hope all of you in the States had a great Thanksgiving! Ours was very nice, if a bit complicated logistically.

Because my mom is in rehab (following a hospital visit, not for drug abuse!) about 75 minutes away and could only get sprung for 4 hours, we had to have a "moveable feast," which included Rita of course... and some mischief on her part.

Monday Mischief: Grooming on the Go

Rita is apparently blowing her summer undercoat out at the moment. She normally sheds a good bit all year long, but now it's just nutty. There are little clumps of fur coming out on her haunches and butt.

It's not her favorite thing to get brushed, so the dog-daddy has been trying to sneak a little brushing in here and there each time she stops on a walk to sniff or eat grass.

"Stop brushing me and let me graze!"

Wordless Wed. - When You Ask the Dogs If They're Ready

READY??

They look ready to me!

Thanks to BlogPaws for hosting Wordless Wednesday! Thank you for letting me be wordy! You can check out all the blogs in the hop here.

Works On The Dog-Daddy Every Time!

Pretty much all Rita has to do to get a treat out of the hubs is to stand there with her head in the pantry where we store the treats.

Okay, The Dog Snuggles Sometimes

Last week, I said Rita's not huge on cuddling, but my sis reminded me of this other sweet photo of Rita and Reg almost having a cuddle a previous time that Reg stayed with us:

What Does the Dog Think When You're Sick?

I've had a terrible cold for almost a week now - the worst cold I've had in a while. Rita has been very sympathetic. And very interested in my chicken soup lunches. (Actually, maybe she wasn't sympathetic. Maybe she was thinking, "She's in a weakened state. I can probably take her and score that chicken soup!)

Speaking of Nuttiness... Cuddles & Close Ups

In my last post, I wrote about "nuttiness triggers." Today we have more nuttiness! I finally got around to pulling pics off my big camera, and I found these pics of Reggie's recent stay that I'd forgotten about.

Rita was minding her own biz in her usual spot on the couch in my office. 

The Dog's Nuttiness Trigger

Does your dog have a "nuttiness trigger"? You know... where one minute they're just walking along like a normal pooch, and then they hit that trigger and suddenly they're romping and bouncing and running like a nut??

With Rita it's getting her feet wet. When we're out on a walk and she walks through a puddle, we yell "Wet feet!" and she starts spazzing out. She often suddenly takes off running, dragging me behind.

With our angel Bailey it was "loose dirt." Don't ask me why.

Angel Bailey

We'd be on a hike and Bailey would just be trooping along on the packed dirt trail, and suddenly we'd hit an odd patch of sand or soft, loose dirt, and she'd turn into an absolute banana. We'd always yell, "Loose dirt!"

To this day, we still yell, "Loose dirt!" every time we hit a patch of sand on a hike, and up until today, Rita has just looked back at us like we're crazy.

But today, for some reason she channeled her angel sister and had a little spazz attack when she hit a big patch of sand on our hiking trail.

She immediately started digging furiously...

... she bounced around to try from another angle...

She's just a blur here!

...and grabbed a stick to try and bury.

Our little nut job. What a goofball. She reminded us so much of our Bailey today.

Love the splayed toes and the dirt all over her nose.

Is there anything similar that makes your dog get all nutty?

Thanks to My Brown Newfies for hosting Monday Mischief! Visit My Brown Newfies to see the other blogs in the hop!

An Introvert Comes Out of the Cave

Yesterday you might have seen a post I shared on Facebook. It was an essay I wrote on "6 Marketing Tips for Introverts" posted on the We Heart Writing site.

Well, sometimes it's good for introverts to come out of the writing cave and network with other writers, so that's what I did TWICE this weekend. (Okay, that's big for me! Twice, people. I put on makeup and everything.)

First of all, on Friday I met up with my local writing pals, Liz Fenton (of Liz & Lisa fame) and Dee DeTarsio. We always have a lot of fun when we get together.

Liz, me & Dee. Photo courtesy of the gorgeous Dee DeTarsio

An Impromptu Take-Your-Dog-to-Work Day

Recently the Dog-Daddy had to go in to the office to pick up a report on the weekend, so we took Rita along with us for a little Take-Your-Dog-to-Work Day. Since she doesn't always like strange men, it's best to go on a day when no one else will be there, rather than on the real TYDtW Day!

She had a good time checking out where the heck Daddy goes for such long stretches of time every weekday!

A Book's Birthday - In Pictures

I thought I'd share with y'all some of the highlights of today, my new book's birthday, and let you know what Pub Day is like!

To start your book's birthday, you wake up all excited that your book is out. But your dog is all like "Whatever. Can we play? Can we go for a walk? Let's do SOMETHING!"

"Whatevs, Momma!"