Four races down...

   ... And clearly, they have affected my brain. ;)

   Aki & Taylor representing the four races I've done in two weeks: warrior dash, trolley run, corporate challenge 5K, and Cinco de Mayo 5-que. 

What all Warriors are wearing for Derby Day/Cinco de Mayo: the Viking sombrero!

More cuteness:

THIS... IS... SPARTA!!!

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:

Everyone knows it's windy

   It is super duper crazy windy outside. And the wind is driving them crazy. So they're paying it forward by driving me crazy.

   Sing it with me:🎵 Who's sitting down right by my bedside, snapping her jaws & whining at me? Who wants outside though she JUST came inside? Everyone knows it's Aki! 🎵

   An intensely-alert dog can be surprisingly irritating. Cute, but definitely irritating. ;)  She's hearing the wind howl and is doing a little howling of her own.

   I peeked out back and my barbecue grill cover is missing… not sure if it was the wind, or Taylor. Chow Hound strikes again?!!!

Massive Shiba cuteness!

Chow hounds

#icanteatundertheseconditions

   But I have to say, after the meal was over, it was pretty sweet the way Taylor wanted to snuggle with me… my furry BFF. I took him to the vet tonight to check his thyroid levels, and not only did they look good, but my boy has lost 2 pounds this month! I'm ecstatic that we have found the source of his problem and he is on his way to being lean and mean again. Well, lean anyway.  This boy isn't capable of being mean!

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!

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!

Hot dog + Hot lemonade

   Sawako came over last night. She brought presents for the dogs & kitty, homemade croissants for us, and a giant cup of homemade Japanese hot lemonade for me! YUM!
   While we were sitting at the dining room table, eating and talking, all of a sudden Sawako felt something on her leg. She looked down to see this: The Hungriest Dog in the World strikes again!

"PSST! SAWAKO! Don't tell Jen, but I'm very hungry.
Please pass some food down to me."

   Sawako was kind enough to overlook Taylor's rudeness, and even kinder to share her recipe with me—in two languages!

ginger from Target; lemon juice from Whole Paycheck Foods

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.)

AU catch up: Mirrors & Metal

   Check one of the coolest pieces of artwork I've donated for sure: a wooden mirror frame with my logo in it; the annual Machine Head art work day; and the main event itself!

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!

Annual Machine Head Day

   Today Dick once again opened his fantastic metal shop up to the motley crew of volunteers to make cat & dog artwork for the annual Art Unleashed auction. As you can see, Dick, Robert, Jana, Connie, Randy, Jason, Amber, Ricky, Matt, Jared—even Aki, Taylor & their new pal Lambert!—and I, had a blast.
   We made about 40-50 pieces of metal art for donation, and this year we got extra creative. Our best collection yet! Sincere thanks to Dick Jobe for his generosity!

"You're not thinking of putting US to WORK, are you?!"

Lutes family photo

Connie & her adorable grandson

Whoa. Ricky is TALL. And I am SHORT.

Dick & Matt get down to business

Cutting begins

A tribute to my dear Gypsy

Ricky prepares the rods for garden stakes

Sandblasting

Amber's in the grind

Artwork, and the dog who inspired it

The all-important lunch order: Jimmy John's this year

Artwork piling up

Tons of yard art

Artwork almost taller than me!

Frame me up

Sitting down on the job

Look at us—we're ART!