May 31, 2013

FitDog Friday: Rise and Shine Kampers!

Rise & Shine K9 Kampers* - It's Time for K9 Kamp!
If you've been following the blog for a while, you probably remember last spring when Rita and I joined in the fun of K9 Kamp, with 4 weeks of fitness challenges sponsored by Koly of Kol's Notes and Kelly of Peggy's Pet Place.
k9kamp canine fitness blog challenge

We were so honored last year to receive two awards (Gopher Wrestling Champions** and the Beach Babes Award!), not to mention we won swag! This time, you can win swag too! Fun, right? Read on!

May 30, 2013

Mirth Watch Thursday: A Bedtime Ritual

Rita makes us laugh (or at least smile) many times a day. One of the things she does is so darn cute and funny that I've been trying for ages to catch it on video.

I've blogged before about our sleeping arrangements - she's welcome to sleep with us but sometimes goes to her own bed for a while first. (Maybe because she fell off of ours before...) 

Almost every night when she goes to her own comfy little bed, she goes through this very energetic ritual of rearranging her blankie. It's like she has to have it just so or she can't sleep - although it usually just goes from one crumpled blob to another.

I've been trying to capture this on video for months (after all, we've had her almost 18 months now!), with no success. She really goes to town rearranging that stupid blankie when my camera is nowhere in sight. But whip out the camera, and she stops and stares at me like, "What?"

Or she acts like "Nothing to see here."
"Seriously, Momma. I'm not doing anything. Go away with your camera."
I thought I'd almost caught her the other night - but no. I got 7 seconds of this. What a tease.

But, then, finally (!) - success!
 
I just wish I'd captured the usual grunts and harrumphing that generally accompany this behavior!

Does your pup have a nighttime ritual? 

May 29, 2013

Wordless Wednesday:That Was a Dumb Idea

We recently took Rita with us to Santa Barbara for a few days. (That wasn't the dumb idea. It's coming.)

My sis lives there and we wanted to visit and check out the Amgen Tour of California. (Drug scandals notwithstanding, we're big pro cycling fans and this is a very cool week-long race that shows off the beauty of our state.) One stage was ending on the Wednesday we got there, so we knew we'd be able to see an exciting sprint finish, and the next day's stage was starting from the same spot. Always fun to go to the start and see all the big US and European cycling stars at the team buses before the race. (Yes, I'm a cycling groupie!)

We stayed with my sis, who has a cat. Rita HATES cats. (This also wasn't the dumb idea.) But she apparently likes cat toys... She immediately tried to steal a mouse toy:
A terrible - but hysterical - pic. See the mouse's tail? 

May 28, 2013

Back to Normal(ish)

Hello everyone! Sorry the blog has been quiet for a week. I've been having blogging withdrawals, but   hopefully starting tomorrow things will be back to normal.

I had to take a break from the blogging mainly due to computer troubles (and also just plain being busy - we went away for a few days, it was the hub's birthday, my brother-in-law visited, my sis and I were prepping our entries for the fair - anyway, posts & pics to follow on some of that!).

The computer was definitely the BIG problem though. My laptop died and I was forced to go out and buy a new PC. I'd known I needed a new one for a while but kept putting it off because I was overwhelmed by the options (Mac or PC? Laptop or desktop? Touch screen??). But when your computer dies, your forced to do some quick shopping.

May 19, 2013

Chick Lit Chit Chat Blog Hop: What's On Page 25?

This week, I'm participating in the What's on Page 25? blog hop. If you read your way through the whole hop, you can enter to win a fabulous prize! Read on! (I'll be back to my regularly scheduling blogging next week!)

FINALChickLitBlogHopButton2013


May 15, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: The Almost-Perfect Doormat

Remember the other day when I posted about bilingual dogs and the need for dogs to learn French? Well, a couple of days after that, I came across an almost perfect welcome mat for our house:

May 13, 2013

Monday Mischief: Smoothie Mischief

If you've read my novel, What the Dog Ate, you know that Maggie, the main character, enjoys a smoothie for a post exercise recovery food. She always lets Kona, her chocolate Lab, have a go at her glass when
she's done.
Kona doesn't just eat undies. Lots of things make him lick his lips throughout the story.