My Bit of Earth

Cabbage Nibbles and Terrier Quibbles

I was at the Burrow garden tonight and discovered some chewed on cabbages.  Just a little, and just on a few leaves--not enough to make me really worried, but I'd rather nip it in the bud.

The Problem Solver says I need to start looking for wee caterpillars and picking them off.

In other news, Moe does not get to go to the community garden again on nights when watering is going to take place.  It seems his one moment of fame has gone to his head, and he now thinks ice-pick barking at the water hose is cute all the time.

Not so much.

Terrier Play

In addition to our scooter-buying and parade-going, Moses and I spent part of the weekend at the Heartland Spring Terrier Trial.

Yesterday, we did some go-to-ground and a barn hunt.  Moe got through the GTG in 6 seconds, which was good enough for second place. 

He probably would have placed in the barn hunt as well, had I not screwed up.  The point of the barn hunt is to see how well you communicate with your terrier.  A rat is hidden in one of several tubes in a barn-like area, and the dog has to sniff around and find it.  When you think your dog is acting like he's found the tube with the rat in it, you say so.  The idea is to both pick the right tube, and to do it quickly.

When I released Moe he went straight to the correct tube, but he didn't indicate as strongly as he usually does, so I encouraged him to check out the other tubes.  He still didn't seem too excited about any of them--and after a minute of wandering around the barn stall, I was totally stumped--so when he went back to the first one I decided to just pick it.  Wouldn't you know it, that was the right one!  If I had just trusted him, we probably would have done really well.  I'm going to try hard to remember that next time!

Today he won first and second place in his two races, and (for the very first time ever) was able to figure out the super go-to-ground!  Super GTG is a more complicated version of regular GTG--the tunnel has multiple entrances and exits, and has some uphill and downhill parts.  I've entered Moe at every Jack Russell trial we've been to, but he just gets so excited when he knows we're doing earthdog that sometimes he has trouble engaging his brain.  He's never been able to even get to the rats before. 

Today he ran into the obvious entrance like gangbusters as usual, but--when he realized that wasn't going to get him to the rats--he really stopped and thought about it and used his nose to sniff out the right entrance instead.  He found the rats in just over a minute, which was good enough for fourth place.  I'm hoping this is a sign that he's maturing a little bit.

All in all, not a bad trial for us.  :)

Wednesday Poll: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

This winter Moe and I got into a new bad habit.

See, I'm a cold blooded person, so I always want someone to snuggle with when I crawl into bed on chilly winter nights.  Unfortunately, Sweet Husband is just the opposite, so there are nights when he's too warm for a snuggle.  This winter I discovered a solution to our problem in the form of a certain wee terrier.  With Moe cuddled up against my chest I stayed nice and toasty, and Sweet Husband stayed cool as a cucumber--a win/win situation for everyone, including Moe who thought the idea was just swell.

Except now that Spring is coming I don't necessarily need my furry heat pack anymore.  Said heat pack however, now thinks that laying down his fuzzy head anywhere other than next to mine on my pillow is not an option. 

So, for this week's poll:

Where does your dog sleep at night?  How did the arrangement come about?

Comment and discuss.

A Sunday Drive Discovery

We took the dogs to the dog park for a well-needed run this afternoon.  Afterwards we didn't feel like coming home (where cleaning house was the next project of the day) so we went for a little drive. 

Lo and behold, we stumbled onto a lake.  And not just a lake, but a lake with a beach.  And not just a lake with a beach, but a lake with a beach without a "no dogs" sign. 

It was, in all honesty, kind of a crappy little strip of beach, but the pups didn't mind as they were still hot from running at the dog park.  Moe pranced up and down the edge of the water in a "Baywatch" impersonation, while Porter dipped her toes in.

Pretty Porter

Got this pretty picture of Porter last week in the field next to the Burrow garden.  As I've said before, she doesn't often agree to be photographed, so whenever I get a good one I have to share.

If you look closely at her chin, you can just see a glimpse of gray.  After years of keeping her youthful face, she's finally beginning to show her age.

If you look closely on the right of her neck, you can just see a glimpse of her new, red collar that we got from one of our Welsh-List friends.  Thanks again, JoAnn!

Old Dog, Young Dog

There was an article in the Whole Dog Journal this month about how to survive life with an old dog and a young dog.  We've been having some issues lately, so I was very interested.

One of the suggestions was not to feel guilty about doing separate age appropriate activities with each dog.  For example, Moe gets an active game of fetch by himself, Porter gets a nice slow walk by herself.  That way neither dog is being forced to keep up or slow down to accommodate the other. 

So yesterday afternoon, Moe and I went for some fetch (and to take some pictures, of course).  He was actually kind of a different dog without Porter around.  He's so afraid of her taking his toys away (which she likes to do just because she can), it was fun to watch him play without having to look over his shoulder every few seconds.  He just looks happy, doesn't he?

Porter was a little alarmed when we left without her, but she got an extra rub down when we got back (with Moe shut out of the room so she could relax properly). 

All in all, not a bad little tip from the WDJ.

Hello March! Hello Mud! Hello Outside Fun!

It was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous here today--sunny, seventy, breezy--so this afternoon we took the dogs to the dog park and planted a letterbox I've been hoarding for awhile.  But before I get to the box, I have to share this picture.

This lovely pup is a Golden named Ella.  While Sweet Husband and I--and Ella's horrified owners--looked on, Ella did a perfect circle, sniffed once, and joyfully flopped down right in the middle of the gooshiest mud puddle in the park.  Some days I'm very grateful that my dogs are just a little prissy, or, at least, prissier than Ella!

But on to our letterboxing....

Lovely Lawrence #2: Dog Friendly Town

This box is planted at "Mutt Run" a dog park near Clinton Lake in Lawrence, Kansas.  (Directions.)  Your dog can be off-leash for this entire walk, and you'll probably meet some new doggie pals.  However, I wouldn't recommend looking for this box after a strong rain unless you have proper mud gear!  (See above picture.)

When you get to the park, you'll see a red gate at the end of the parking area.  Go past the gate, across the small bridge, and continue to follow the path--you should be walking east, generally.  Before long the path will turn to the right.  Continue following the path.  Just a bit further the path will turn again, this time to the left.  There the path basically ends in a large field.  Just as you come out of the trees, you'll see this mound to your right.  The box is underneath a large rock next to the tree that's basically in the center of the mound. 

If you go hunting, leave a comment and let me know how you find it!

See also: Lovely Lawrence #1:  Rock Chalk Jayhawk!; Lovely Lawrence #3:  The Kaw.

(Letterboxing: P4 F5 X0 / Geocaching: P0 F2)

Godspeed Little One

We had to have our Sweet Poppy put to sleep this evening.  She stopped eating yesterday, and by this afternoon it was very clear she was suffering so I made the call to our vet. 

I've never been through that before.  I've had pets die, of course, but this was the first time I made the decision myself.  I've often thought of it in kind of simplistic terms--if an animal is suffering and isn't going to get better you put it to sleep, right?  The ramifications suck, of course, but the decision itself...what's so hard about that?

Yeah, not so much.

A Thank You Note

Dear Bogart (Airedale Terrier and Handsome Devil),

Because we don't have our own blog like you do, we're hijacking Mom's blog to be sure you get this message. 

Thank you ever so much for the sample treats you sent!  We were only allowed to try the chicken chips tonight, but they were so tasty that Porter and I ate the entire package! 

If you ever need us to do more taste tests we will be more than willing to help out, and we wish you all the best in fulfilling your dream of providing your wonderful jerky to all dogs everywhere. 

Please let us know when you start selling--now that we've figured out this computer stuff, sniffing out Mom's credit card to place an order should be a piece of cake!

Thanks again,

Moe and Porterhouse

Wednesday Poll: What Breed of Dog Are You?

I'm surprised I haven't thought of this one before!

For this week's question:

If you were a dog, what kind would you be?  Take this quiz (or another one of your choice) or just make it up and say why.

Comment and discuss.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

It's so very hard to believe he used to be this tiny and cute.  And--as we said often at the time--he was very lucky to be so.  There are days being adorable was all that saved him from being sold to gypsies!

Several pairs of underwear, five pairs of shoes, at least four electronic gadgets, various and sundry pieces of woodwork, and three years later....Happy Birthday Moe!

UPDATE:  Moe spent his birthday at home, got to take a shower (which is his favorite thing, but a special treat in the winter when it's cold out), and took a long nap on Mom's tummy.  (Thank you MLK day and lovely government jobs!)  Dad (a.k.a. Sweet Husband) brought home ice cream for both dogs, which--once we blew out the candles and took it out of it's plastic cup--Moe ate in one huge gulp.  I don't know if dogs get ice cream headaches--and he didn't act like it bothered him if it did--but my head almost hurt just watching it!

Snowy Fields, Snowy Dogs

After a few days of breath-stealingly cold weather, we finally ventured out this afternoon, because, you know, dogs must be walked. 

The wind was absolutely bitter, but the colors were beautiful.  This is one of the fields we walked through (in full color, half color, and black and white). 

Letterboxing on the Kaw

Don't ask what happened to #2--I numbered the boxes so that they'll make the most sense when they're all laid out, not in the order I'm placing them--but yesterday Sweet Husband, the dogs, and I placed Lovely Lawrence #3:  The Kaw.  Here's how to get to it:

From downtown Lawrence, Kansas, take Massachusetts Street north until you get to the bridge that crosses the Kansas River (a.k.a. the Kaw).  Cross the bridge.  As you cross the bridge, if you look to your right you'll see the pictured large mural made of rocks in the north side of the river bank.  Make the first right turn after the bridge, and park your car near the park benches.

Climb up the hill to get to the trail that runs along the river.  Follow the trail east until you get to the mural.  Walk down the path on the eastern side of the mural until you get to the place where the edge of the mural comes to a point. 

From the lowest of the bricks that outline the edge of the mural, face directly away from the mural.  About 20 feet out into the rocks, you'll see an almost perfectly square hole.  (Here's an extra hint.)  Reach down into the hole to find the letterbox.  Be careful to watch for snakes!

See also:  Lovely Lawrence #1:  Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

(Letterboxing: P3 F5 X0 / Geocaching: P0 F2)

And a Happy New Year

Porterhouse (pictured here up way past her bedtime) and the rest of us wish you all a happy, healthy, satisfying 2008!

We rang in the new year with some Wii bowling with Cutie Niece, and later some midnight noodles and non-alcoholic champagne with Nice Sister.  It was the first time I'd been up that late in months, but we had a great time!

Pictures of New Year's are here, and pictures of all our Christmas and New Year's fun are here.

Wilderness With Six (But No Snow)

We're having a second (third? fourth?) Christmas this weekend in the old hometown, so today Nice Mom and Sister accompanied Sweet Husband, the dogs, and I on a walk at Wilderness Park.  It was chilly enough that the strip pits were lightly frozen over, but there wasn't any snow--and just enough mud to get the Wee Welshman's beard suitably dirty.

More pictures here.

Snow, Trio

Went for another snowy walk today; this time on the trails near the Kansas River and with dogs in tow.  We've had the greatest winter weather these past few weeks.  It seems like as soon as the snow starts to melt we get another two or three inches to top it off and keep everything white and beautiful. 

However, today I discovered that while snow is lovely for walking it isn't very good for letterboxing.  The dogs and I walked for a full hour along the river trail and couldn't find a satisfactory place to put my new "Kaw River" letterbox.  There were a few hopeful spots, but in the end it was just too hard to tell how well camouflaged the box would be once the snow melts. 

Eh, it's a good excuse to go back another day....

Happy Holidays!

Snow Walk

Although we didn't get nearly the 7 inches predicted, we've got snow!  I curled up inside most of the morning.  Then this afternoon, Sweet Husband and I took our two little murderers the dogs for a walk. 

Grrr...it's hard to stay mad at a Welshie with snow beard....More pictures here.

The Perils of the Food Chain

Tonight, I came home from my lovely office Christmas party to a bird cage door that was slightly ajar and piles of feathers on the floor. 

No birds, no bodies, just feathers. 

After a thorough hunt, the answer to the mystery was clear--the dogs ate the birds.

I won't pretend I was madly in love with our lovebirds Duck and Chick, but they were certainly amusing and I've grown to love their squawking and other antics.  While they didn't care a fig for us, they were certainly always happy with each other and that was pleasing to me in it's own way.

And now they're gone...there weren't even bodies to bury, we had to scatter their feathers from inside the vacuum cleaner. 

I can't be seriously mad at the dogs--they were just doing what dogs do--but is it OK if I don't want them to kiss me or sleep with me for awhile?  And what's with crazy things happening to our pets around the holidays?  It's like some sort of hokey Christmas curse.

Cookies for Canines

I finally got around to trying Kathy's dog treat recipe today (being iced-in helped).  As she says, it's extremely forgiving.  I couldn't find ground flax seed, so I bought whole seeds and coarsely ground them in my food processor.  The result was a pretty, flecked dough that--despite the stickiness of the peanut butter and molasses--was very nice to work with. 

Moe and Porter approved of the result, and with about 4 dozen cookies (I doubled the recipe) chances are some other dogs will be enjoying them soon too!

A Memorable, Dark (Chocolate) Day, A Useful Present, And A Friendly Reminder

Some of you may remember better than others, but today is the anniversary of the day Moe pushed aside an x-pen, climbed the Christmas tree, and ate a box of chocolate, expending the second of his nine lives (this was the first) and blowing my Christmas budget to smithereens in the process. 

In commemoration of that momentous day, I offer you the gift of the National Geographic chocolate chart.  Has your pup gotten into some of the forbidden stuff?  Want to know if you need to go to the vet, go straight to the vet, do not pass go, prepare to pay hundreds of dollars?  The chocolate chart tells all.  Just put in your dog's weight and the amount and type of chocolate consumed and it will tell you what you're in for on a scale from vomiting and diarrhea to possible death.  (Never say I didn't give you anything.)

And right now while you're thinking about it, remember, they can get into places you would never think they'd be able to--make sure all your chocolate Christmas eatables get stashed very, very far out of reach!

Wednesday Poll: Think a Happy Thought

I've been trying to work this into a post for months now, and it seems this is the week for it. 

You know how you just get overwhelmed sometimes?  Not by anything in particular, sometimes not even by stuff that's going on in your own life, but just a little of this and a little of that until finally all you want to do is curl up in a little ball and lock the door?

When I feel like that, I watch this video.

You don't have to watch the whole thing if you don't want to (although I would suggest it), basically it's about five minutes of Welshie puppies frolicking to cheerful music.  I don't know what it was made for, I don't understand any of the words, but it just makes things better.  It's my happy thought.

For this week's Wednesday poll:

What's something silly that makes you happy?

Comment and discuss.

We Planted Our First Letterbox!

Moe and I planted our first letterbox today!  Here's the clue if you feel like going hunting:

Lovely Lawrence #1: Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

To find this letterbox, you need to enter the building pictured, which is on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, Kansas.  (Hint:  You can see this building from the football field, and sometimes you can hear it even further away than that.)

Walk into the building.  It doesn't matter which door you go in, but to find the letterbox you must exit the door with the words, "in the vanguard" carved above it.  Directly in front of you, there will be a cement bench.  Facing the football field from the bench, look to your left.  You will see a wooden barrier that conceals a light.  Walk around behind the barrier.  Facing back towards the building, look under left corner of the barrier.  The letterbox is wedged between the ground and the bottom of the barrier, covered with leaves.

If you find the box, drop me a line and let me know what your think!

And I almost forgot--I left the Quasimodo Hitchhiker here for the first finder!

(Letterboxing: P1 F5 X0 / Geocaching: P0 F2)

1/6/08 UPDATE:  This box has been ever-so-temporarily removed for repairs.  I hope to have it back out shortly!

1/12/08 UPDATE:  The box is repaired and back in place!

4/23/08 UPDATE:  This box has sadly disappeared.  :(  I suspect it was removed by the University landscaping crew.  I will replace it eventually, but for now there's nothing there but a great view.

One Out of Four Wasn't Bad

Saturday was a perfect Fall day--a little gray (the better to offset the glorious leaves), cool (but not cold), and just a bit breezy.  Sweet Husband was away, Porter was sleeping, so Moe and I decided to head out to find some area letterboxes.

We set out to find four, but things didn't quite turn out that way.

First, I thought we'd try to drop off our hitchhiker at the I-70 Joyrider Hitchhiker Hostel.  For this letterbox we were required to figure out several "license plate number" clues to find the correct location.  I was able to figure out the general area, but I couldn't figure out the exact location.  I'm not good at word puzzles to begin with, and Moe--who was not happy to be in the car when he had been promised a walk--did not help my thinking process.  Eventually I had to vow to try again another day.

...But a Good Day Letterboxing

Over the past few weeks I've been learning about a new hobby called letterboxing. 

It's a pretty simple game.  Someone hides a container (usually Tupperware) with a small notebook and stamp inside.  Part of the idea is to hide the box someplace pretty or off the beaten path--some place special that people might otherwise miss. Also, although it's not required, people often carve their own stamps, so each one is unique. 

Once the box is hidden, the person who placed it then posts clues on the internet about the box's location (see LbNA and Atlas Quest).  Others read the clue and use it to find the box.  When you find a box you stamp the box stamp in a notebook that you carry.  Then you stamp your own stamp, your "trail name", and the date into the notebook in the box.  People keep track of how many boxes they've found, and how many boxes they've placed.  (This is known as a PFX count, for "Placed, Found, Exchanged.")

Letterboxing is similar to geocaching, except that geocaches are found through GPS coordinates and geocachers trade stuff (small trinkets, coins, etc.) instead of stamps.  Although they're separate things, it seems that a lot of people hide hybrid letterbox/geocaches.

A Bad Day Earthdoging...

We got up early this morning and drove to Iowa for the Central Iowa Dachshund Club's fall trial.  To make a long story short, Moe got disqualified...for fighting.  It was almost the same thing that happened in California (except this time the other dog was completely innocent).  Moe had his head inside the false den, the other dog tried to squeeze in beside him, and Moe turned and snapped and snarled.  It got broken up quickly, but as it was definitely more than just a "hey back off". 

I spent most of the drive home psychoanalyzing.  I wouldn't call Moe an aggressive dog.  He's great with people--even kiddos--but even I have to admit he's developing a real problem with other dogs.  He doesn't seek fights, but if he's already excited (doing earthdog, playing fetch) and another dog goes after something he wants, watch out! 

He hasn't always been this way though--when we did his early obedience classes he did well with other dogs--which really has me trying to think about when exactly it started.  Was it because of what happened at the last trial?  Bad habits learned at doggie daycare?  Bad habits learned from squabbling over toys with Porter?  Just him growing up and into a more dominant dog?  All of the above?

But in the end, I guess it doesn't really matter.  Regardless of the cause of the problem, we have some serious socialization and obedience work to do before Mr. Moe gets to play at earthdog again.

A Happy Halloween T'Ye Matey! Argh!

Happy Halloween from me and Captain Moe! 

(Porter was being a typical tween-ager this year--or a stubborn old lady depending on if you're counting in human years or dog--and refused to sit still in order to be properly photographed.)

The Heartland Harvest Hunt

Our first frost was glittering on the ground early this morning, as Moe and I headed out for the Heartland Working Jack Russell Terrier Club's "Heartland Harvest Hunt".  We've only been to this trial twice now, but both times it's really been very nice.  As the only Welshie for miles Moe is pretty recognizable, but several of the club members remembered my name too and I'm incredibly more nondescript!

We started the day with a little racing.  Last year Moe raced in the novice class, and--due to his lovely long legged-ness--won pretty decidedly.  This year he was bumped up to the regular adult class and didn't have such an easy time.  He stayed with the pack well enough to come in fourth in both the flat race and the hurdles, but in comparison to the front runners it looked like Moe was moving in slow motion.  (I was a little glad.  Don't get me wrong, I like to win, but it's better when it's a little more hard fought.)

Next we did some go-to-ground.  Moe had a try at the super go-to-ground (which is an extra complicated go-to-ground maze) but couldn't quite figure it out.  He busted through the regular tunnel though--it took him 6.6 seconds to get to the rats, which was a good enough time to earn first place in the open adult class.

All in all it was a lovely day, more pictures here.  Stay tuned for the conclusion of Moe's 2007 earthdog season next weekend in Iowa!

Moe is UNLEASHED!

There was a little package waiting next to my mailbox when I got home today, and when I saw the label I'm sure my reaction led my neighbors to believe I might be a little insane.

It was Moe's book!!!

About a year ago, I got an email from Lisa Wogan--a contributing editor at the Bark magazine, among other things--saying she had seen this video of Moe playing in the sprinkler on YouTube.  She wondered if I would let her include him in a book she was writing about dogs who play in non-traditional ways--i.e. not organized dog sports, just stuff for fun.  A few months later she interviewed me, Moe had a little photo shoot, and--voila--now we have the book!

And he looks so great!  I hadn't seen the pictures before today, but they turned out so well!  And he's on the very first page! 

The book doesn't officially go on sale until next Wednesday, but if you'd like a copy you can order it here. And, even if you just flip through it in the book store, leave a comment and let me know--I'm excited to see how far and wide Moe is going to spread!

Would This Dog Be Better Off In a Shelter?

I'm sure at this point most of you have read about Ellen Degeneres and the dog.  (If not, here's the news story.) 

Aside from agreeing whole-heartedly with the many comments that have been made about how silly it is to take a dog out of a perfectly good home when so many are dying in shelters (see this post from Pet Connection); and the discussion of what a huge disservice rescue groups do to themselves and the animals they serve by creating arbitrary rules about who they will and won't adopt to (see an earlier post from Pet Connection, as well as a post from Stacy, and while you're at it read "Redemption" by Nathan Winograd); I have a personal story.

You see, our sweet Porterhouse was not always our dog.  She was originally adopted from a shelter by a friend, along with another puppy named Feta.  Three years later my friend graduated from college and had to move for grad school.  After a very thorough search, she could only find an apartment that would allow one dog.  She had bonded pretty hard and fast with Feta, I had a lingering affection for Porter, and the rest is history.

Years later, I was cleaning out my files and came across the adoption paperwork and vet records my friend had given me.  By then a law student, I read the adoption contract carefully and noticed it had a clause similar to the one in Degeneres's case; essentially "If you ever can't keep the dog for any reason you have to bring it back to us."  I remember chuckling to Sweet Husband that I was glad they'd never checked.

And while I'm very sure the shelter Porter came from would never check back (I believe they're currently under a distemper quarantine, and so, obviously have bigger fish to fry), I have to wonder, "What if?"

Nathan Winograd and "Redemption"

Last night we popped over to Kansas City to see Nathan Winograd, author of "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America".  He spoke for about an hour and a half, predictably hitting many of the high points in the book, but also introducing some new twists and more recent statistics.  I was very impressed with him--his logic builds perfectly on itself like little Lego blocks, and at the same time he was very engaging.  Even Sweet Husband (who is all about saving animals, but mostly went to humor me) came away both informed and entertained. 

I discussed the book at length a week ago, so I won't rehash.  However, if you haven't read it yet, you should; and if Winograd is coming to a city near you on his book tour, it's definitely worth your evening to go.

Shy Chicken

I Milked a Goat Today

This afternoon Sweet Husband and I went on the Kaw Valley Farm Tour.  The farm tour is held every year about this time, and is basically a sort of open house weekend at all of the local farms, dairies, vineyards, etc.  We only had one day, so there was no way we could see everything, but we still made it to quite a few of the farms.

Our first stop was "Screamin' Oaks Farm".  And as you can see from the picture at right, there I milked a goat.  Sort of.

It was actually kind of funny.  The Nice Goat's owner showed us (call it three 20-to-30-ish ladies and one 9-year-old girl) all how to draw the milk down from the udder; then she let us have a go.  Trying to be polite, we grown-ups let the little girl go first. 

She was a natural milkmaid!  She had milk streaming out like a pro on the very first squeeze, and she eventually even got a little rhythm going.  Then one by one, the grown-ups stepped up to the bucket...and failed miserably!  I managed a few good squirts, but for the most part all I could get were little drops.  It really is harder than it looks!

In Which Moe Eats a Tennis Ball

Attention Pet Lovers, Read This Book

Last week, roughly four of the five pet blogs and columns that I read were all talking about the same thing--a new book called "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America" written by Nathan Winograd.  It's rare that anything--aside from mass food recalls, of course--makes such a splash, and when I saw that the author was planning a book signing and discussion near me soon as well, I quickly went out and bought the book so as to be properly prepared. 

Rub That Doggy

Although we're celebrating a bit late, Porterhouse turned 10 this month.

For a few years now, I've had grand plans for a party on her 10th--lots of people, lots of dogs, games, cheesy party bandannas--the whole shebang.  But earlier this month when I started thinking about the specific wheres and whens, Sweet Husband wisely pointed out that--as Porter dislikes both big crowds of people and big crowds of dogs--a party might not be the best way to celebrate her day.

But what to do instead?  I felt like I needed to do something a little out of the ordinary--i.e. not just a special food treat or a trip to the dog park.  I don't know what her perceptions of time are, but in both dog and people years a decade is a long time and I felt like I needed to honor that with something extra special.

After stewing for awhile, I had an idea.

Shaman Dox

The Wonders of Nature

I like my modern entertainment as much as the next woman, but some days just walking out your back door can be...well, incredible.

Last night, Nice Sister-In-Law and Cutie Niece b