First Day of Advent

Dear Everett,
Here we are, December first, and I have not completed my Thanksgiving entry.

I bought a new camera Eve. I need to teach myself how to use it. I brought it to Nina's farm, hoping for some wonderful pictures of the kids, of the feast, of the farm. I took over 300 photos, but because I really have no idea how to use the camera, almost all of them are blurred, missing the image from the frame (i.e. dog tail but no dog), or completely dark because no flash went off in the selected setting.

And yet I am so grateful in this economy, to be able to even purchase the camera in the first place. There are so many who are doing without--jobs, incomes, capital for payment, regular meals. The pups and I--we're doing all right.

So though my challenge remains between the seat and the keyboard, I remain hopeful that the treasured equipment will justify itself in my hands, and lots of insightful, challenging, fun photos are in our future.

I would download some now, for this post, but I've placed them all on my external hard drive. You'll have to wait until tomorrow, Eve, to see some of my new photos here.

On this first day of Advent, behind the virtual door of my virtual calendar, I see giving thanks, for my camera and all the opportunity it represents.

Giving Thanks

Dear Everett,
I have much to be thankful for, today. I am so lucky to have Ansel, still talking to me daily, after 11 yrs together. This is from our early morning outing--we are on our way to Nina's for a while--more photos of the kids and more items of which we are all thankful.

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving

Dear Everett,
This is the first big holiday without you. I am so, so grateful that you are in a good place, no longer dealing with cancer. I am thankful too, of the time I had with you. You are such a good dog. You were such a good friend.

I tried capturing the dogs in the beautiful sunrise light this morning. I believe I still have plenty of room for improvement.

The puppies were less than impatient with me today. Here they are on squirrel patrol:
Marshal seems to be laughing at Paisle, for something:
What, did I distract you?
Big Boy's lovey face:
This is only one of a few photos of M with the kong--Paisle wrestles it from him all the time now.
M in the process of losing the kong...again:
The Little Bean:Maybe they really DO share, and it just SEEMS like Beanie always has the toy of the second:

Now Momma has the kong:Playtime is over--time for a nap. Big Boy showing off his "I am really a Mastiff" face:And in a few minutes, the kids are down for the count. I am so lucky to have them. And on a final note here for the day--Big Boy weighed in this afternoon at 79.6lbs. If any of tomorrow's feast falls his direction (doubtful, since he'll be spending most of it in his crate) he will probably tip the scale at 80lbs before the week is over (I wonder if his snoring will get worse...).

Anthropomorphic Puppy Love

Dear Everett,

Long ago in 1994 when we brought you home, you maybe slept with Kechel once or twice. I have photos of one time you slept NEAR him, but not close enough to share body heat. I do remember how you fit between his front and back legs when he stretched out, in your starved bony frame, but do not have the photos to show the close proximity.

When you were still young, and Ansel came to us as a baby, you two never slept together. Never. When Paisle came to us, after you'd crossed the rainbow bridge, she tried and tried to cuddle with Ansel, who (after various forms of complaint) would either get up and leave, or force Paisle to move.

Well now here we are, present day, and Beanie and her boyfriend Marshal huddle almost daily. If Beanie did not sleep in the coveted location (my bed), they would probably squish onto the same doggie bed all night.

Here they are, after a morning of exploring the back yard:

Is it yet more anthropomorphism, if I say the cold weather is having more of an effect on Marshal, than on Ansel? Last night I had to pick up Big Boy, to bring him to bed. Sure, I could have left him on the doggy bed where he was, but I at least wanted the opportunity to cover him with a wool blanket in the BR doggy bed, to ward off the inevitable chill in the night. Big Boy still struggles to rise after exercise, and in the morning when we first venture forward. I think he is close to 80lbs now--your size, Eve--but I wonder if his growth (and weight gain) are having adverse impact on his strained hind quarters.

What is wrong with him? If only we knew. Like Ora, disk dog champion and fellow pit bull who's been devastated by an abscess near her spine. Ora went from leaping after flying orbs of plastic, to not having control of her hind quarters in one week. She is still incapacitated, almost three weeks later, with various cocktails of pain killers, antibiotics, and now steroids. What happened? What caused her sudden, and completely out of character, decline? Why is Marshal so uncomfortable? I would never equate Ora's pain to M's, as she is several years his senior, and without firm medical diagnosis. Yet neither of these beloved family members are capable of telling us what hurts. Does Marshal have hip displaysia? Is his stiffness just part of the recovery process, from his broken femur? Why is such a young, and growing puppy taking so long to heal?

I wish you could tell me, Eve. So funny, to know they are essentially the same frame, though Beanie is so petite compared to her boyfriend, Big Boy:

I hope Big Boy is 100% soon.

His girlfriend is waiting for him.

Smiling!

Hi Everett!

Alright, this photo is blurry (what else is new), but I think this is the first time I've caught on camera one of Marshal's little smiles:

So maybe I am taking artistic license, in what I call a smile. The rough and tumble is next, but this is very close to what he looks like when he smiles.
Even though it has been well below freezing (that is another fresh snow fall under the pup's feet), here is one of my snapdragons, still blooming:
No wonder these are one of my favorite flowers. What a survivor.

Cozy Coats, by Climutt

Dear Everett,

Finally, here are the photos of the Crew, in all their coats, outside, and at the same time.

Alright, Eve, I do have my favorites. I am partial to Marshal's, probably because he wears his the most (often all day in the house, to make sure he stays warm on his healed leg), and I really like the horse blanket style. I am partial to Paisle's, because it is so cute on her, girly without being sappy. And I am partial to Ansel's, because it's ice blue border shifts with him, and of all the dogs I really think he will benefit the most from wearing it in the coming months. I love how Sydney Holcomb, the artist of the company, Climutt, made the coats in matching material, while still expressing each dog's individual style. Or maybe I am just projecting their style, onto each coat? And I know I've already said this once, but Marshal (on the right above) and Paisle (in the middle), had almost identical measurements. Granted their coats are two different styles, but the little runt, Beannie, is definitely not drowning in hers, yet she's noticeably smaller than Big Boy! Isn't she cute in this solo photo!And here she is, squished between her boys:
Ansel really shows his age induced barrel, here:
I do not mean any disloyalty, Eve! Ansel is aging, and aging well. As evidenced in yesterday's photos, he at least holds his own when the pups get going (well perhaps even that is not completely fair, because M is forced to quit early, by yours truly). He looks well, and plays well, and sleeps well, for being 11 yrs. old. I heard on MPR, when their semi-annual vet visit happened on the Midday show, that pit bulls life expectancy is 9.5 yrs. At the time, Ansel was just 10.5, and has now tipped his hat at 11, and look at him!

This is a chase scene from today, though it really does look very similar to yesterday's play. Ansel, who has been active in his entire 11 years with me, still rollerblades with me whenever given the chance. It is Ansel, not the puppies, who demands to go for a walk every day. Ansel is the one who decides we've slept enough, and must get out of bed, no matter what time we actually got INTO bed. And Ansel is the one who reliably goes into his crate, depending on what set of shoes I don (work shoes are heels, work from home shoes are slippers, weekend shoes could be boots or sneakers, but BEWARE bringing out the sneakers because they ALWAYS mean a walk!). Maybe, Everett, if we should write our memoirs many years from now, we'll realize that having a fenced in yard was the worst thing that happened to us as a family, because it allowed me to become lazy. It is no longer a requirement to get the dogs out for a walk to take care of business, as well as work off some energy--I can just let them out in the yard. So...the pups do not have the ingrained schedule that Ansel does, born from years of routine.

I feel a new year's resolution coming, which does not have to be based on the calendar year. After all, Ansel DID just have a birthday, and that's a new year, right?

United in Play

Dear Everett,
It was a beautiful day, today. Actual temp reached 37, but it was much warmer out of the wind, and in the sun. The Crew took full advantage of the nice weather!

Ansel might be the oldest, but he has as much heart, perhaps more, than the young pups. They played for a long time!

Please excuse the blurry photos. There is so much spirit in them I wanted to post, even though I cringe at the lack of clarity....

The boys on their own, while Beannie investigates the fence behind me.
I am not really sure why this photo is so oversized. I'm experimenting with different photo storing packages, and this one does not seem to store photos all the same size.