Happy Mother's Day!

    I was returning from SF today and though I left a message for Mom, I haven't been able to catch her to wish her a happy day "in person." But I did get a text from David with a cute photo of the girls. It makes me so happy to know that he & the pups are happy!!!

   My own pups had spa day today (bath, nail trim, brushing) and enjoyed hanging out in the yard all afternoon while I mowed, though it was nearly 90 degrees. Ugh. A huge change from SF, which was in the 50s all day yesterday, and cold this morning. Too much of a change for me; I nearly passed out from hypothermia when I deplaned in KC. Between the mowing, taking care of the animals, doing two loads of laundry, and, oh yeah, getting up at 4 am to go to the airport... it has been a long (but good) day!

Taylor hates being brushed... can't you tell?!

Dog hair explosion!

   I'm fortunate that Dave was able to fix my gazebo for me (after the snow caved it in), as it was nice to be able to put the laundry outside to dry.

   I was also fortunate that I had a bunch of really good pizza toppings in the fridge & freezer, so I was able to cook at home without venturing to the grocery store: sausage, turkey pepperoni, red peppers, yellow heirloom tomatoes, Kalamata olives, onion, mozzarella and goat cheese crumbles.

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

Swifty + Scooter

VIDEOS: playing inside  /  playing outside

Random Hallmark Moments: Another Match Made in Heaven!

   I don't know why it took so long to dawn on me, but this week I realized that Scooter wasn't the only mini Shiba I'd ever seen... I bumped into a fellow Hallmark employee last fall at Hallmarket, and he had the adorable Swifty with him (that's her, above). So I emailed a mutual friend, Tina, to get his name and fired off an email to David with my favorite Scooter photo and crossed my fingers...

   So we met to talk, and it sounded like an absolutely perfect match, since both girls are petite, young, active and friendly. Not to mention, both look like adorable stuffed toys conceived by a Japanese designer, rather than real life animals. If you need proof, just check out Swifty's baby photo:

   David seemed really excited, so of course I was as well. I had decided from Day 1 that Scooter would go to only the most perfect of homes, and I'd keep her until I found the right one, no matter how long it took. Well, it didn't take long! David came over with Swifty today, and as we suspected, they were fast friends. Scooter had a chance to stretch her legs and the two of them wrestled and played in the dining room, then in the backyard.

   David will most likely adopt Scooter next weekend. I'm really going to enjoy the next few days with her, knowing that she's going to a perfect home with a good buddy and an owner who will adore her as much as I do. (And from the looks of it, maybe even more.) THIS is why I volunteer!

Pipsqueak

   Scooter is getting bigger now that she's being well cared for and is getting regular meals, but the cats could still kick her butt. And they look especially menacing with those glowing yellow eyes, don't they? Despite her pint-size, she roars whenever anyone walks past her cage if she has food in there. We're shaking, Scooter. Really.
   Miss Scooter is feeling TOO good following her knee surgery on 3/11, and I'm having trouble containing her boundless energy. Despite being on a short leash in the yard, she tries to run and pounce on sticks, tennis balls, and Taylor. We're going to the vet early tomorrow to have her leg checked—it looks like she opened the wound a bit.
   The update is that her knee seems to be healing fine... I just have to control her energy for eight. more. weeks. She really is an awesome dog, with a hilarious personality. She plays like a cat: pouncing on my guys from behind, and when they spin around and roar, she hits the deck and rolls over submissively. It's all an act, though: she soon rights herself and starts smacking at their noses with her front feet. She's no Shiba: she's a Boxer!!! She knows exactly how far she can push Aki's buttons without getting herself into real trouble. Aki and Taylor ADORE her. And me? Well, I don't need a third dog.

"Tink"

"Whap! Whap! Whap!!!"