Gypsy's Beach Experience

Gypsy has always liked watter.  More so than Toby.  She seeks out water to SWIM in.  Toby prefers wading.  They both LOVE the beach, but look who is out in the surf and who is on solid ground.

That's not to say that Toby won't swim...it's just that Gypsy loves to swim.

She is a water dog.

and the beach makes her happy.  look at that face!

ahh, contentment!

We love her and she is quite a lot of fun to have around.

Attack Toby

I have little to add today.  However, I believe you need to watch the video below.  This is Toby and me on the beach.  Toby, as a full-throttle-jack-russell-terror, sees play as the 4th  5th most important thing in his life.  Number one being food.  Two is water.  Three is sleep and four is his Mommy(Cora), with whom he cuddles readily, and even likes to mix both three AND four together. This is when you find him sleeping on her lap.  He is NOT spoiled, we just hate to see a puppy in need.

Which brings me to today's post.  As a puppy, he would play almost incessantly, then fall down in a pile of sleepy puppy.  He would go into what we called TURBO about five to seven times a day.  Turbo, if you are not familiar with Jack Russells, is when all the energy that has built up inside him in the time since his last turbo is released in a sudden burst of running, jumping, barking or fun-growling, and general abandon.  This often sees Toby run from one end of the house to another.  Rather than simply turn around as other dogs will do, Toby will make the next step UP to keep his kinetic energy up.  He walks on the wall...or the door...or whatever vertical object offers itself for the task.  So, instead of slowing down for a corner, Toby continues his high speed run and simply corners on the wall, a lot like the NASCAR tracks that have high banked ends.  

He used to make fifteen to 25 circuits, however, nowadays he is down to about seven.  

I took Cora's car in for a replacement part today.  As I was sitting there, trying to read my book, a lady came in with two dogs, which appeared to be over-weight basset hounds.  When she got to where the waiting area was, though, I realized that these were too short to be basset hounds, as they have longer bodies.  Then one of them began to wail, and I realized it was a REALLY FAT pair of beagles!  The lady let them move freely.  They were asthmatic and slow moving.  

She said they were born in July 2002.  I thought about that, looking at these gray-muzzled, slow-moving, lethargic, fat dogs, and realized that Toby was born on March 11, 2002...several months before these behemoths!  And MY dog is in the apparent prime of his life!  He is handsome and, although he might be better if he lost a pound or two, at least he isn't a fifty pound Beagle!

  

He's 23 pounds of pure fun!

Full speed or sleep...

I love my puppy dog.  And, really, who can call their 8 year old dog a puppy after 8 years?  No one, except Jack Russell owners...

oh, and you might be wondering what number 6 is on the Jack Russell list of things to do...well, that is easy:  Pee.  They like to pee on things.

Friends

This was taken back when the nights were long and the days were short.  I took the pictures in past few posts with my phone.  I found the card adapter the other night and have been looking through the pictures on my phone.  I thought I would share with you.

Blogging From The Back Yard

Is it Bad?  I'm sitting nursing a beer and resting after putting siding on the shed.  Here, See?  Proof!

I also took this one.  I like the reflections...

So, I did not have a sub job today.  That's ok, I have plenty of things to do around here.  For instance, fold clothes.  I did.  Does anyone know how monotonous it is to fold those horrid clothes?  I got to a place where I could see couch under the laundry and that's when I gave up.

I went out and took a bunch of garbage to the dump.  Mostly it was boxes we've been storing in the shed for years.  But it was also a ton of sheet rock that the builders left in the shed...it wasn't in the best condition and it kept my new door from opening all the way.  So, I got rid of it.

The day would have been more constructive, but my morning was fouled.

Toby was excited that I was working outside.  I opened the back gate so I could back the truck in.  He rushed past me, I assumed to pee on things.  When i turned back, he had gotten in the cab through the opened driver's side door.  I unloaded the ladders that i hauled around for a week and then began loading garbage in...he was still there.  Waiting for a ride.

I finished and we got going.  I decided he could go with me, since he obviously REALLY wanted to go for a ride.  I got within blocks of the dump and felt for my wallet...not there!  ARGH!

I turned around and went back to the house and rushed in for my wallet.  I got it and off we went again.  I got to the dump and was just getting ready to pull onto their scale when I noticed a little pink sign:  CASH ONLY.  There were some muttered expletives, which Toby kindly ignored and I made an emergency U-turn and headed for town...I arrived at the bank and realized I had a check to deposit and so i did that AND got some cash.

I made it to the dump again.  This time all went smoothly and I got rid of everything.  I came home and tried to work in the house again...it's a beautiful day here...see:

  So, I thought about what I could do outside...then I remembered the shed.  I decided that I could at least clear off the side and hammer in nails and take of pieces of wood that were in the way.  I ended up taking pieces off that would allow the neighbor hood strays direct access to the innards of my shed.  So, I decided I could get the first layer on.  Then, I decided I could get the second on and leave the rest for a time i had extra help...then I remembered there was laundry awaiting my return.  I decided I could probably get the last bit, too.

Toby, all this time, had accompanied me everywhere.  When I was in the alley, he stayed close by...only straying further afield to pee on things.  More than a few times I looked down from the ladder to see him sunbathing just a few feet away.  As far as working at home goes, it was a pretty good day!

This is the before picture:

Here are a few shots of the siding as it went up.

 Looks better already, huh?

Looks pretty darned good, I think!  I remembered a few tricks I learned from my Grandpa (and my Dad) to position out-sized things, like siding, with only one person available.  I think he'd be pretty proud to know I picked up a few things from him.

Now, I really should get up and finish that laundry and maybe get moving on dinner...

Here is proof that Toby sunbathes:

 His belly gets sunburned during the summer because he spends so much time in the sun!  He is truly a SUN DOG!

Until next time!

Happy Spring Dog!

The apple blossoms are blooming and animals are feeling a friskiness that they haven't for a while.

Specifically, Pepper.  She romped out in the front yard of my in-laws for awhile today.  She was in high spirits.  I mean, look at her eyes!

My mother-in-law's tulips were in full bloom.

Gypsy is even smiling.

I saw some beautiful apple blossoms today and couldn't help but take some pictures.

And, of course Pepper made ME smile.

It Started With Sunshine...

Dinner was in the oven.  Cora was exploring the internet with the Wii (don't ask me why, because she has a Laptop and a phone that gets the internet).  I had just finished drawing a dinosaur for one of our next coloring books.  The sun began to shine.  It was fairly mild outside.  I looked at the dogs.  They looked restless (I am sure Cora will tell you they were laying down sleeping or something).  I said something like, "Wanna go up on the hill and let the dogs run?"  but, what I really meant was, "Hey, let's get some family time out in the good old outdoors!"  Cora replied with something like, "Do I have a choice?"  Which really meant, "OH, YEE-ESSS! I love creating memories and getting out and hiking and letting the dogs run FREEEE!!"

After a little bit of driving on questionable roads...well, Cora was white knuckling it...we made it (O.K., I need new shocks and it might have felt a little more frightening than it was, O.K. I was clenching, a little too).  The weather had changed just a little:  The sun had gone.  

Still, Cora enjoyed herself!  We decided to get a family portrait...and realized Toby was staying out of the picture...

So, I held him up and Gypsy hid...figures!

The wind was blowing, but Gypsy was hot.  I like this picture.

And the camera never fires at the exact moment you need it to, still it's a dynamic photo...

Cora might as well be searching for Toby, who would run off in one direction and return from another after descending out of view.  We were on top of the hill and he would inevitably turn up from a direction we did not expect.  I doubt he ever stopped the whole time, except to mark every other sage brush and bunch grass he could find.

I enjoyed it and I think Cora did, too.

Spring is, without a doubt, here.  Below is a balsam root.  A plant the Native Americans used to travel to harvest each year.  Now they are simply a pretty spring flower.

Have I mentioned I love Macro?

Toby and Gypsy investigating a suspected Gopher Park.

Happy Easter All!  I hope you are enjoying it as much as we are!  Ham is about ready, potatoes are boiling and broccoli is almost done!  Bring on the full tummy!!

Hill Walk

Yesterday, I took the dogs for a walk.  They really enjoy going for walks.  I enjoy taking them.  We went to the top of one of the nearby hills to some public land.  It's bunch grass and sage brush.  There are sage rats for the dogs to chase and all sorts of wild critters and smells.  The dogs think it is Club Med.  I drove up higher than normal, for my regular and secondary parking spots were in use.  The first by some guys with off-road vehicles, the second buy some gentlemen with guns...black guns.  I was not worried, because all showed signs of resisting the urge to shoot me.  Well, actually, what they did was point their barrels at the ground and take out the magazines.  I smiled and wished them a good day and drove on past.   

I drove about 3/4 of a mile further and the dogs and I got out and headed away from that direction.  We could still hear the gunshots, but we worried not.  The views were magnificent (see above).  The dogs and I found an outcrop of basalt and heard the familiar whistles of sage rats warning that danger (dogs) was in the area.  The dogs did their best to find the whistler and have him out for some fun and games (games, I imagine, that included some chomping and biting[dogs aren't THAT imaginative]).  Below you can see Gypsy inspecting different holes for sage rats.  You can also make out my truck in the distance, in the upper right hand part of the photo.

I love this next photo...Gypsy looks good!

Those darned squirrels/rats were in the rock that Toby is leaning against.  The dogs simply could not get to them.

That didn't bother them, though.  The dogs enjoy this kind of thing.

Below they look as though they are paying close attention to the whistles...and, well, they were.

Toby made sure there were no entrances on top of the rock...that's my 4X4 dog.

The views were spectacular! Did I mention that?  Spring is the only time the brown hills turn green for a short time and even then the brown remains.

I thought I would throw in a self portrait.  I love the way the clouds threw shadows across the hills.

I had hoped to find some flowers, but it is still too early to find the Phlox in bloom.  I DID find these little guys.

I think the dogs and I needed to get out in the fresh air!  I hope to do this more as the spring continues.

Walking The Dogs

I took the dogs up on the hill.  Here is Gypsy waiting for a sage rat to come out of its hole.  It never did.  I will post more later.

Mornings

Mornings, so often, come too early.  Yet, sometimes, I awake with a strange and distinct feeling of being refreshed.  Today is such a morning.  I was awake at 3am, 433am, 454am, and finally at 532.  I decided to just get up the final time.  I had already let Toby come to bed with us a little early, since it is his birthday.  So, I sit, drinking my coffee surfing the internet in the quiet of the morning.  The heater coming on once in a while, or the refrigerator coming on the only sound in the house.  Soon, the crows across the street will begin cawing, or perhaps a dog will bark and the morning noise will begin, but for now it is quiet.  Ahh, peace.

About the boy.  Our little dog who thinks he's big, is eight years old today.  We got him in April or May of 2002 (Cora will have a better memory of the exact date, I do better with airplanes and ships).  He was so small and so cute back then.

This Photo was probably taken when he was about a year old.  He had boundless energy and would go into "Turbo" at any time at the drop of a hat.  ("Turbo" would seem to be a common phrase when describing Jack Russells)  He is a very smart dog, but he chooses when to use that intelligence, as he at times has great hearing and others seems to be just a tad deaf.  The latter is usually when he is outside running at Mach 3.

His "Turbo" moments, where he suddenly has to use his stored energy because if he doesn't he might explode and destroy a small city, are fewer and farther between these days, but they still happen at least two to three times a day.  I suspect they would happen more often, but he is not allowed that chance in the house.  When he DOES go "Turbo" it is difficult on both the house and us.  He zooms from one end of the house to the other.  Often, instead of turning like a normal dog, he caroms(bounces) off the door, wall, or back of the couch.  In order to make these exacting changes in course, the surface he bounces off of needs to be roughly 90 degrees from the vertical.  If there is an untethered rug in the way, assume it will be moved up against the wall.  If he hits it at the wrong angle or something is not as stable as he calculates you can bet he will smash down on his side, but this does not phase him, nor slow him down.

He enjoys hunting small animals and is ferocious and courageous and nearly unstoppable in that quest.  He has been the bane and joy of our lives...amazing what you will turn to when you don't have kids.  He is king of the house, and would tell you that if he could talk.  We have tried to explain that WE are actually in charge, since he would not eat if we did not feed him.  He rarely shows any inclination to listen to our lectures, though.  His favorite toy is his Monkey and he gets nervous and upset when it disappears into the washer.

He was the discount dog.  He has a brown nose and is not show-worthy.  I don't know about that, I think he is pretty cool as dogs go.  We have spent almost eight years with him.  I suppose I would have to be heartless to not be fond of this energetic and loving dog.  It is difficult to deny he has charm.  Sometimes, after I get home, he will crawl onto my lap and demonstrate his ability to be content.  It is the SIGH of CONTENTMENT that gives it away.  Yesterday, he bulldozered onto my lap and would not take no for an answer, of course, my efforts against it were half-hearted at best.  Happy Birthday little dog.

  
Note the grass stain on that little butt.  If you got this in an e-mail passed around on the internet, you have been looking at OUR Toby's butt...Still cute!

Wild Things

Around here you must always be prepared to play fetch late at night. And early in the morning.

Gypsy, while not as bouncy, in-your-face, play-with-me-now as Toby, does get into the act. She especially wants to look at you and chuff or whatever you call that coughing/laugh thing that she does.

Toby still loves his monkey. I put it in the wash last week, and because he had a new toy he did not notice that it was gone, but when we gave it back to him, you would have thought it had been gone forever. He was SOOO excited to have it back.

The other night he was being annoying late at night. I faked throwing his monkey and then ushered them both outside. While they were outside I put the monkey away. When he came back in he spent the next 15 minutes searching for his monkey...finally Cora said I should give it back to him. I sneaked in, put the monkey in my breast pocket, and came out again. He continued to search until Cora pointed at the monkey on my chest. You could totally see the light and recognition in his eyes when he finally realized where it was. Once he got it back he was tossing it around in the air and catching it and in general showing his extreme pleasure...dogs.