Sunsetting on a long week

   I was tired from studying this week, working so hard this week, from expending mental energy on the test this morning, and then from diving this afternoon. But it turned out that this sunset was a compelling argument for me to get out and run tonight. So I took Taylor with me, and we polished off another 5 miles. Worth every moment! 

   My boy is almost 7.5 years old, but he still drags me the whole way. I'm hoping he'll be up for running the Westport St. Patrick's Day run with us! But for now, we are zonked after our run:

   Scott sent this to me, and it gave me a good laugh during this trying week…

Alternative to the Thundershirt

   This all started when Amy posted a picture of her dog Cisco, who is scared of thunderstorms, and he was sulking while wearing his Thundershirt. Another friend commented that her dog Rocky was sulking too.

   I asked if the shirts actually calm dogs, because Aki is afraid of storms too. Amy said, "Yes! Whether it's soothing, or it just breaks their spirit because they feel like they're wearing a training bra". So I couldn't help but do this (poor Aki was a great sport!). The girls' version:

   But, speaking of things that dogs DO like, anyone who knows dogs and cats will get a kick out of this:

Lionhearted Bruce

   I saw this great Scottish terrier logo in a magazine, and sent it to Madeline and Diane.

   Based on recent events, Diane said that she thought Bruce would prefer to have a possum in his mouth then keys. Bruce cornered a possum in their backyard recently, and he received some scratches on his nose So of course I had to draw this…

Shibariffic birthday!!!

   Shiba-themed birthday artwork made just for me, all the way from Fukuoka, Japan! Madeline asked her niece & nephews to draw for me. She just returned from a 3-week visit and surprised me with these at my desk. Couldn't ask for a better present than this!

#inktober Sleep Zombies

Anyone else never get a full night's sleep? Do your pets stay up with you?

Taylor's evil twin

The dogs LOVE it when I throw a towel over them and rough them up. They snarl and bite and wheel around and throw it off... And then come back for more. It's quite funny. Particularly when you consider how much they HATE to have their wet feet toweled off when they come in from the rain.

Aki: 1, Bird: 0

My lil' beastie caught another birdie. She was standing at the door, whining and quivering with excitement to show me. Poor bird!
   And then... I convinced her to drop it. You can't really see it here (just the tip of her tail), but Aki is SNARLING at Kismet, who is in the house, peeking at Aki's bird. Insolent cat!

Clinton Lake Hike

"Like a boss"... Aki seems to think she owns Renee's minivan!

"Are we there yet?"

   This morning Renee and Joe picked me up, and I loaded the Shibas into her van, along with her dog, Rosie (aka "Giant Aki") and we headed out to Lawrence, KS to meet a few others from the local Sierra club. The organizer planned a 6-mile hike through the woods and along the lake, on the blue & white trails on the north shore. The weather turned out to be perfect: cool and overcast, and only a single tick, unlike my previous experience in the area.

   After the hike, the lure coursing, and taking in a nice vista from the top of Sander's Mound...

   Renee, Joe, the dogs and I headed over to Mutt Run park to play a little more.

"Nobody here but us Hobbits."

   Joe found some seed pods which had fallen from the trees, and before long, we all were mustachioed!

"It's-a me, Mario!"

   I took this cute photo of Joe & Tay (who adores Joe). And Joe (one of the wittiest kids I know!) did a face swap:

Of Course

   At our rest stop at the halfway point of our hike today, I saw a man unloading two large Borzoi from the back of his car. It surprised me, because how often do you see Borzoi?! Then I saw an Afghan hound, a Basenji, a Rhodesian Ridgeback... what was this, a sighthound convention?? The man informed me that a group was there with their hounds practicing lure coursing. I'd heard of this sport for years and often wondered if my dogs would be into it, though I'd never had a chance to see it run in person. 
   Today's lure coursing is humane: rather than chasing an actual hare, the dogs chase a white plastic bag, zipping along on a line being pulled by a machine through a series of pulleys along the ground. There are straight sections, and quick jogs to simulate the erratic path of a real animal. The people were friendly and invited me to bring the dogs to watch, and one even suggested that we might try it. Hmm...

The best photo I was able to get, of a very fast Afghan on the course

   We gathered to watch. And the second the plastic bag moved on the line, Aki and Taylor both went berserk. They thought it WAS a real animal! They shrieked and howled and lunged on the leashes while the other dogs ran one by one. Apparently my dogs didn't realize they had just hiked 3 miles!

   One of the organizers came over and I paid the small fee and she suggested that my dogs should try a quick out & back rather than the first course, since this was their first time. I said I'd leave it up to them, but that my dogs were good runners, and would likely do more. She nodded, and showed us to the course, instructing me where to stand and how to hold the leash around their necks so that the dog could be instantly released when the pulley started.

   Aki was first, and made a valiant effort, chasing the bag to the back of the course and through a few turns. She wanted the bag, but isn't especially fast nor was she especially bloodthirsty. She returned and touched the plastic with her nose to ensure it was still. A good first attempt. 
   Taylor was a mad man. He completed the full half-mile course, relishing the chase, and even more: relishing snatching up the plastic in his mouth & shaking his head, to "kill it", much to the amusement of the group. He was my ringer. In fact, he was SO FAST that no one got ANY PHOTOS of him.  ;)
   I rejoined my group and we continued our hike back, and Aki and Taylor kept stopping and looking back in the direction of those evil plastic bags. They seemed to want more. And they continued to drag me along the trail for the entire 6+ mile hike.
   I couldn't help but think of a scene from one of my favorite films, Snatch, in which hounds coursing after a real hare is likened to a man being hunted and kidnapped by his enemies. (The coursing starts at 2:33, and there are several f*bombs. You've been warned.)

Bolt vs. Canines

   I wish I lived in Japan, if for no other reason to watch their hilarious & clever TV shows. And I love watching the Olympics (which explains why I haven't gone to sleep before midnight in 2 weeks... eek!), so what brilliance would result from combining these two? Feast your eyes on this: Jamaican sprinter, the "fastest man in the world", Usain Bolt... versus several different breeds of dogs. 

ボルトVS犬!

   And, of course, one of the competitors is a handsome Shiba, which only makes me love this more. GO, SHIBA, GO!!!

Unleashed at Machine Head!

   Once again, Dick turned us loose in his shop to make metal art out of my logo for this year's Art Unleashed. We worked for 8 hours and turned out somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 pieces of all shapes, sizes, & finishes. Plus, we had a lot of fun as usual. This year it was Dick, Robert Q, Matt, Jared, Connie, Randy, Jason, Amber, Ricky, Jana & me. Whew!
   More photos to come... I've volunteered over 22 hours this week (for HSGKC & for my friend Michele's business—in addition to working 40) & I need a nap!

Badness is the Spice of Life!

      On Sunday I went grocery shopping, and bought a bunch of ingredients to take to a friend's house for dinner Monday night. I prepped as much as I could ahead of time, leaving a bag of spices, cooking spray, & other non-perishables pushed to the back of the kitchen counter. Safe, I thought...

   Taylor is notoriously hungry (as his dog tag, "Chow Hound" professes). So I should have known better. "But he's been so GOOD lately," I thought. I left for work Monday morning.

   At 3:00 pm I was sitting in a meeting, and my phone buzzed. I was getting a call from my own home phone, which I knew meant that my pet sitter had stopped by. She only calls when it's important. She informed me that she came into my house to find the bag of food dragged into the living room, with the spices' lids chewed off... garlic, salt & pepper, onion powder blends. Ugh.

Nothing like getting a call at work about how bad your dogs are being at home!

   Taylor may be a shorty, but I figured out how he gets on my countertops, because my oven door handle is scratched: he jumps up & does a chin-up to get up there.

   My friend Susan heard about this, and sent me a photo of a collie wearing a sign stating, "I eat trash". I thought it was so funny that I had to do my own version... here's MSIR Aki & Taylor, telling it like it is!

Testing, Testing... 1, 2, 3

   These are from the first series of shots I took on my new camera. The evening light was beautiful, so the dogs obliged as my models first.

   And then Kismet came out for a quick shot. It was already starting to get dark, and I wasn't sure how to compensate for it with the camera.

   As I was trying to figure that out, some loud, deep yowls came from the other side of the fence! Kismet looked worried, then ran and hid under the deck. It was a gentleman caller from next door, Mitty Moo, who jumped right up onto my 6' fence to say hello. I took a few shots, then he gave up (because Kismet wanted nothing to do with him!) and he took off. The session was over for the night!

   It will be very interesting to look back at these months from now and notice how I've improved. I'm hoping to find a good class to take to jump-start my learning, since I've used digital cameras with automatic features for so many years. I've heard of f-stop and aperture and ISO, but am not sure how to use them to my advantage just yet...

Koo-Koo for Krazy Kismet!

   Lacey (Allyson's cat) thoughtfully sent some gifts for lil' Kismet. Kismet likes toys. Especially when they make intriguing noises like squeaking or crackling, move around, or have animal parts like feathers. So Lacey pretty much chose the best stuff ever. Judging from Kismet's reaction to the crackle tunnel, I may have my very own Maru!

   But Kismet isn't the only one who's koo-koo around here... Of course, Aki wasn't able to resist the squeaking mouse. Pretty sure she thinks it's a real, live mouse (the crazed, toothy smile gives it away), so I'll have to guard it carefully!

Prancer

   A tribute to the lil' dog who prances with her front paws when she wants your attention! Here is Zo-chan on MSIR's page, looking happy as ever!

   She loved hanging out on the deck with my pups. They really helped her adjust to being a normal dog. When she first arrived, I wasn't able to get photos of her, as she was nervous if you focused your attention on her. But look at her now, relaxed and happy!

   And speaking of "relaxed and happy", here she is in her brand-new home! Dianne reported that she was settling in very well in the first 24 hours. Sure looks like it... 9 months in a St. Louis puppy mill, 15 months in foster care, and 5 surgeries later, nothing can stop her. GO ZOEY!!!