A Story - "A Dog's Life" - and Some Special Dogs

 A Story

A Dog's Life

From the time he was a young puppy, Marshall was in training.  Marshall had to obey his owner: no chasing cats, no jumping on people.  He always came when called.  His owner gave him fun things to do: searching for objects, playing frisbee, navigating obstacle courses.

From the time she was a young puppy, Molly did whatever she wanted. She chewed shoes, pulled on the leash and never came when called.  Her behaviour meant she rarely played with other people or dogs.

One day Marshall found a lost child.

One day Molly ran into the street as a car came.

Since we are on the theme of dogs,  here are some photos of dogs that have lived and visited with us.  This is Bonnie who was my daughter's dog.  Bonnie was energetic, mischievous and fiercely loyal to my daughter.

This is Bella, my neighbour's dog.  She comes for walks with me.  She looks a bit like the Littlest Hobo from TV fame years ago and she also has a very independent spirit.

Our two Labs that we had for about 12 years.  Ginger and Snap were sisters.  Ginger, on the right, was the bossy one but she was afraid of the vet and couldn't handle car rides.  Her sister Snap loved to play find the Kong outside and didn't mind the vet. I thought Snap would be very sad when Ginger died but we had our son's dog at that time and that eased the transition.

They almost always slept touching each other.

This is Jaws, who my son took in from a shelter.  He was extremely stressed at first but my son won him over and he became a real cuddlebug. He was much smaller than the Labs, only about 25 lbs. but he never felt that he was a little dog and happily played with them. He stayed with us for several years when our son's job didn't fit with keeping a dog.

Sullivan is a newer addition to the family and belongs to our other son.  He is playful, gentle, well-behaved and a bit of a chicken.  A good friend to our young grandson.

Sunrise Watercolour Sketch

 I'm still watching various watercolour tutorials on Youtube. This little painting (4" x6") is based on an acrylic painting by Jay Lee who teaches on Youtube. He has watercolour tutorials as well as other media.

Other people I am following right now:

The Mind of Watercolour - mostly landscapes - likes to experiment

In the Studio of Michelle Weber - lots of techniques  Some videos on mistakes to avoid

Emily Olson Art - animals - super accomplished artist who can paint anything!  She has lots of suggestions for painting fur and feathers.

Louise de Masi -birds and animals. Lovely fresh style. Excellent at drawing.

In Canada, for reasonably priced art supplies visit www.paintspot.ca  This site is run by a group of artists, and they have a great selection of good quality paints and paper and accessories.

For a smile, watch mrandrewcotter on Youtube with his dogs Olive and Mabel. 

Also check out videos about Chaser, a super smart Border collie. There are a few videos with her - look for titles that include "1000 words" because she apparently knows 1,000 words.  So interesting to see the contrast between Olive and Mabel who are Labradors and Chaser who is a Border collie. Totally different personalities.

Keep well and keep looking up.

Hibernating

"Wake me up when spring is here."
Our little dog, Jaws, likes to burrow under blankets.  He doesn't have a thick coat but he knows how to stay warm.
We had a brief bit of sun today - about 15 minutes.  It was quite blinding after the weeks of dull weather we've been having.  Still, it isn't very cold which makes going for walks easier.

Little Bits and Pieces from the Week

 This little fellow is staying with us for a few weeks.  He is very cheerful (notice the wagging tail in the photo), but unfortunately our other resident dog, Jaws, does not like him so we must keep them apart.  Our visitor normally lives in Montreal, and is enjoying his country camp time in spite of getting fox-tail burrs in his fur and becoming decidedly dirtier.  Maybe we should give him a bath and a thorough brush before he goes home.

 A triple tomato I picked the other day.

 Globe flower is not often offered as a nursery plant, but I like the long lasting flowers that are especially welcome near the end of the summer. It also blooms in white and pale pink, but I like the strong magenta best.  It dries beautifully and keeps its colour for months.

I learned recently that the lovely blue lobelia, that works so well in pots and baskets, is native to South Africa.  It grows in open areas, and the wild variety looks just like the commercially grown flowers.

The cardinal flowers (also a kind of lobelia) are still growing well, and they are sending up multiple blooming shoots now.  I hope they make it through the winter.  I saw a hummingbird today, and hopefully the bright red flowers will keep her coming back.

Poor Monkey

This is Poor Monkey out in the snow.
Our little dog, Jaws, has recently been having issues with Monkey, although he's had him for quite a while. A couple of weeks ago, Jaws insisted on bringing Monkey outside, and left him outside.  Oh well, I thought.  He just forgot to bring him in.  I brought Monkey in, but that was not the end of it.  The next day, Monkey was again banished to the great outdoors.  Once again, a person returned him inside.  Next day, Jaws took Monkey out and hid him under the deck.  For the next few days, he brought Monkey out into the sun during the day, and put him back under the deck at night.   Monkey was ignored for a few days, and then, suddenly, Jaws decided to bring him into the house where he has been ever since.  Very strange.  I guess even dogs get cabin fever and go a little nutty. 

Snow

 Snap hasn't been feeling very well lately, but she was really enjoying the new fresh snow.

 I like the way the snow made an overhang on the railing.

 It's hard to be grouchy about snow when it is so darn pretty.

Sugar dusting on the door.

Happy Horsey Surprise

 My neighbour has been trying to breed a paint horse for several years with no real success until now.
A day or two ago, this little one was born to the chestnut mare, and what a beautiful foal it is.  For me, the black head would be a real plus as horses with white ears or noses usually suffer from sunburn on those spots. The white he (she) has on his face is just perfect.

 "Yes, I like to stay close to Mama."  Notice the whispy little whiskers under his bottom lip, and his amazing white tail with a black tip. I have never seen a tail like that before and I don't know if his tail will become one colour as he matures. Fun while it lasts, anyway.

 See his little tongue sticking out? What a cutie.  I love the fuzzy forelocks foals have when they are very young.

 A couple of neighbourhood dogs were enjoying frolicking in a ditch.  It was summery hot today so the cool water must have felt good.  The brown dog is sort of a canine Huck Finn, always into games and adventure, and leading his sidekick astray.  I hope the owners won't be too disappointed when the dogs come home wet, muddy, and likely stinky.

Our Special Furry Friends

 Little Jaws, our son's dog, can be pretty fierce if you are a mouse, a squirrel, a pussycat, a schoolbus or a truck, but he is affectionate with people and loves soft blankets, comfy chairs and sunspots.
He was a rescue dog and we don't know anything about his past.  He didn't show signs of abuse but we think he was left alone a fair bit because he will chew blankets sometimes if we aren't home. He may have picked up the habit from being bored at home alone. He is best buddies with Ginger.

Ginger has gotten sleepy in her old age (she is 10) which is probably a good thing because she is somewhat fragile.  Last fall, she hurt her back leg or back and it took many weeks of very restricted activity to get her healed up.  A few days ago, she reinjured herself but it is not so bad this time and hopefully she will get over it sooner.  She is very into food as most Labs are and she is a friend to every person or dog.  Her favourite place to sleep is close to her sister, Snap.

Snap is the thoughtful one.  She is always "reading" you - body language wise.  She loves games, especially ones where she has to find something.  She also loves food, but you can win her over with fun just as easily.  Unlike her sister, she is often apprehensive of other dogs and prefers playing with people.  Although she is 10, she can be puppyish and downright mischievously sneaky- "What's in Snap's mouth?!" at times especially if she thinks the grandchildren are getting too much attention.
Our special furry friends.  They add smiles to our lives.

Tonight the edge of Hurricane Sandy will blow through our area.  We won't get  a lot of rain but the winds will be high.  We stocked up on water and food so if the power goes out, we'll be fine.
Hope it's not too bad in the US.