Meet Kaiju

Most of you know we lost our beloved Akita girl, Irie, in April.
Our good friend and AMAZING breeder had a single pup born on Halloween (OK, the 30th for her in Mountain time, but I'm eastern, dammit).
We were sure Pup was going to be show quality, so.. No baby for us.
Turns out, she was a long coat, so.... WE GOT HER!
I'll fill you in with the whole *Sam takes off to New Mexico before Christmas* thing later.
For now, meet Kaiju.. Or Kai.
Kai like.. HI!

Hip hop abs..or, how I nearly died

It wasn't Hip Hop Abs' fault.
It was Voodoo's. Death by setter.
I got a free copy of HHA with my ShakeO kit.
OK, you know I'm always up for a challenge...this is probably why I won't see 40.
I watched the basic section, where we learn to Tilt, Tuck, Tighten. Seems simple enough so here we go!
I was following along fairly well, a minor miracle for me, when a certain Voo decided to break his stay and flop down right behind me.
*flail/scream/crash*
I didn't step on him, thank God, but.. WTH dog! Really?!
Do you have a death wish!?
For revenge, I'm making him advertise HHA while holding his down/stay.
So there!
Voo is no way endorses Shaun T or Hip Hop Abs. He says it makes uncoordinated white chicks fall from the sky

Voo is HAPPY. just.. Happy.

It has begun

Gardening season.
Huge asparagus crop this spring! Yay!
I'm mid-mulch project, so have a pic of the weirdo dogs.
Voo in cart, Henry on cart.
Did you plant anything new?
My auntie gave me some huckleberry to try... No idea how that will go!

Things to do with a box- DogBlog!

I have several "game for games" dogs, and one of them being a complete spastic mess as seen here.

Big, empty box, treats and some time to kill (and dog brains to wear out).

We treat for ANY behavior offered. This is all for fun, which IS training, and not teaching a specific behavior (which we also make FUN).

I crack up, the dogs tire themselves out while having a blast. Win all the way!

"You are slightly ridiculous, Human"

I do believe he's making faces

Strider, want to play!?
"Oh HELL no"

Draped over the box. Supercute.

And then shit went totally downhill and Voo went crazy, knocking an ottoman onto the Akita, and smashing the box...thus ending Things To Do With A Box.

I stopped mid-post to take the dogs out...and scoop the yard. Gross, but something you have to do as a dog owner.
Might I recommend my fave cleanup tool?

Since I am so classy, I refer to this as the Shit Claw. I know. Class.

This and a lidded 5 gallon bucket.  

I tried the little rake and scoop combo, but it's a pain to carry 3 items around the property. 

Bucket in one hand, ShitClaw in the other. That, and easy to clean boots.

If someone out there wants to send those boots, in green, size 9, for me to review.. I will selflessly devote the time and energy to do so.  ;)

Happy (granted, late) Thanksgiving!

A ton of wonderful things and people and LIFE to be thankful for this year.

No small part of what I'm thankful for:

I love my dogs :D

DogBlog! Winter

Right now, I can hear my neighbors' dog barking away.  She's an outside dog.
As most of you know, I don't DO outside dogs.
My horrid horde is inside. Because I live inside.
Yes, my house needs cleaned at a professional level, every day.
 I'm ok with the extra cleaning
-to be fair, I track in WAY more funk than The Horde. I need tied outside.  Michael is covered with MY hair. I shed a lot, apparently. I need to find a dog with 14 inch, chocolate brown hair.
To blame said dog.

No judgment here, really.  If you have outside dogs, you do.
Just do it the best way possible. 
Spend tons of time with your dog. Please.
My neighbor dog was an adorable puppy, frequently seen scampering around the porch with the family. Now? She's tied at the far end of their property. We never see anyone interacting with her.
If you only see your dog for moments a day, you WILL miss signs of a cold dog.

Housing is critical in cold weather areas.
Slapping some wood together just isn't enough...
Insulated dog houses
Check out the link. Ordering an insulated house is easier than building one.
Really.  And you KNOW my love of power tools and building.
Should Michael ever banish me to outdoor living, because of my dirty feet and shedding, I'm just ordering an insulated house.

Bedding is also critical. A fleece blanket or a cushy bed is wonderful..for inside.
Outdoors? Not good.
Straw, baby. Stuff their house, keep it fluffed, check for moisture.
Don't get lazy.
Please.

That ALL being said, get ya dogs in the house with you.
Still, no judgment, but...dogs. In house. Please please?

After all, why have a dog if you can't share your total life...like....

Make them wear stupid headbands:

Take humiliating photos of them sleeping on the couch:

Give them ridiculous pajamas:

Why miss out on THAT?

As a side note to having dogs inside with you, here's a status I posted on Facebook recently:
Dog humiliation triple whammy:
1.Countersurfed a squash, 2.while I was on the phone with a dog TRAINER and 3.shamelessly faked death instead of doing Push-ups as I instructed:

Dogs. They keep you humble.

***
A very special thank you to Sarah Wilson for allowing me to link her work. TO DEATH.

One month..and a thanks

4 weeks.
28 days.
Of confinement.
Pass the Xanax.

We're all doing really well..normal well for this time of year!
Things are busybusy at home, Michael is busybusy at work (retail management)...blahblahblah.
But, we're good!

AND...AND AND...
LOOK!

Santa must have heard my desperate pleas and sent a Pileated for Christmas.
About damned time.
It's only been 20 years.
First pileated woodpecker sighting was when I was 15..walking home from the bus stop..and I've only seen 4 since then.  FINALLY, a photo that looks like a bird and not a blackish blob!
----

As a pet owner, I'm required by law to take embarrassing photos of my dogs on holidays.

I think her headband is a little too tight.

Made the mistake of using the command "watch it!"..he's so intensely focused on cheese he looks like a maniac.

No dogs were harmed..or emotionally scarred.
My dogs are snobs.  $16 a pound Manchego cheese is an accepted reward for complying.  Regular old provolone? 
Hell no.

Henry is getting pretty bored, but is finding ways to amuse himself during confinement.

---
I appreciate you all not bailing on me during my vanishing act. I know we lose and gain followers all the time, but I gotta say..I really expected a lot of people to bail.  So, thanks for sticking it out :)

The zombies didn't get us.

With all the winter prep, hiking. houseguests, crazy job stuff..I haven't sat down at the computer for anything but work.
But, we're alive and well.
I'm playing catch-up on all your blogs again (209 posts..you are all chatty. Dammit.).

My beloved Flatlanders are here..we've been hiking and cooking up a storm.
I haven't picked up (or remembered) my camera until yesterday.

I once scratched my cornea by hanging out of a moving car to get photos.
Did not learn my lesson.
At all.

Started out along the creek and had a total elevation change of 341 feet.  That doesn't seem like much until you realize that change happens all at once omg wtf was I thinking I am not a mountain goat.
No gradual incline..you are hiking along and wham. The trail is suddenly at eye level.
Dammit.

No photos of the incline, since I was too busy trying to breathe.

Plus, you're in front position and realize Flatlanders are behind you..and there are big rocks everywhere..and you might just have an "unfortunate accident" 341 feet to the creek bed below.

As a bonus gift, this morning it is SNOWING!
Irie was so wiggly I couldn't get a clear shot.  Or, maybe my hands were shaking with excitement.
I LOVE SNOW!

"Get my backpack..we're going HIKING!!!"

I'm passive-aggressively waking up the household by loud coughing and door slamming. It's starting to work..Michael just groaned.

Blah..but not.

We're dealing with a bunch of crazy, stressy stuff right now.
New and exciting stress we've never dealt with before
(Sarcasm...a healing balm for my soul).
I'm going between anxious/hyper and anxious/blahhh.
Headaches, sore shoulders, insomnia..all that awesome stuff.
But..this isn't a whining, complaining post.
At all.
I am full of appreciation for what we have.
For our warped senses of humor getting us through this.
For that moment when Michael is finally home from Hell Job and we crash on the couch together...
and for that span of time, everything is ok.

Scoot over, Voodoo..we'll watch for Michael together.

I'm full-to-the-eyeballs with appreciation for the dogs and cats..

Pile of  warm bodies and a down comforter..better than Xanax!

Warm bodies to snuggle when I need it.
Warm bodies that don't judge when I stress eat my stash of really, really expensive cheese. 
A large stash.  
I did eat apples along with the cheese...so we're calling it healthy, got it?
Once again, I hate that couch. It's extremely comfortable, but..here's the shallow part..it always looks funky and dirty in photos.
Stupid microsuede.
*grumble*
But..dammit..we HAVE a couch. In a house.
That's far more than some people have.
So truly..not bitching.

The weather doesn't help.
It has been gray and rainy...chilly...
We need some sunshine, even if it's cold!
I know most Texans are ready to smack me with their rain gauges for crying about too much rain..so I'll shut up about that, too! ;)

200..

posts!  For me? A miracle.  I get distracted by projects, books, the weather.
Pretty much everything.
This is post 201 and I meant to mention post 200 on that post.  See what I mean?

I should have a giveaway when I reach a bigger number.
  I can give away..hmm..some deer?  The Chaos Dogs?  Michael?
Pig!  I'll giveaway Pig!

It's been a full week since we've seen Pig.  I'm guessing she's gone for the winter.
I checked photos from last year and she vanished in early October.
We haven't seen any signs of a dead animal around (not being morbid, it's just nature) so..
Goodnight, Pig!
I saved this image for her official Fall Retirement.

I have amazing aim, huh?
Don't ask how many flowers were tossed (and eaten) before I landed one.
The key to this is breaking all of the stem off and making sure the back of the daisy is as flat as possible.  Just in case you want to try this at home (yeah, don't do that).

Michael's alarm went off at 4 am.
Voodoo expresses our feelings exactly:

Enjoy your day!
Take a nap for us...

GRR..but...

Vile human being.
Destroying A nest..ONE nest..is bad enough.
"1,458 nests and 2,400 eggs and chicks had been destroyed. Only one chick was still alive."
I have faith this scumbag's personal Hell will be filled with extremely pissed off birds.
----
NOW.
Moving on, because I refuse to allow this to upset me for the rest of the day..week..month..
We had a stunning morning..the fog and sunlight..just gorgeous.

Aside from the getting the pee scared out of me...

Ok, that was kinda low.  Scared me and the birds!

It was a perfect morning.

Part of our woods..

The five of us tromped around in the woods for a bit, then worked in the back yard.
Well, I worked.
The dogs did dog stuff.

"Bird!  BIRD!"

 Yes, Voodoo..there are birds at the bird feeder.

Strider and Henry, with Voo pointing...mushrooms...in the background.
Mushrooms.
His ancestors laugh.

 Voodoo doesn't eat mushrooms, but I dispose of the ones he finds. Why tempt fate?

Shortly after her Majestic Akita shot, Irie got her head stuck in a bucket.

I also stubbed my toes into one of those @#$%s.  That'll teach me to wear flipflops during chestnut season!
Once my toes stop throbbing, we're heading back out to the woods.

Maybe we can all do something kind for wildlife this weekend, to help make up for the *shortcomings* of some of our species.

We lived!

Good stuff:
Great campsite 30 ft from the backwaters of the lake:

A great blue heron hung out with us for several days..and a green heron popped in yesterday morning:

Our dogs were quiet and well-behaved:

Last night, all hell broke lose!
We never camp on weekends.  Now I remember why.
FOUR loose dogs wandering around.  Apparently, leash laws only apply to..us?
  I think ALL kids should get to go camping..don't get me wrong..but with that comes teaching respect for other campers.
Stop the damned screaming.  Stop running into other campsites.
I would have gotten my head handed to me for screaming for no good reason.
Had I run into someone's campsite (screaming), I would have gotten strapped to the roof rack.

Or fed to the fish!