Theo the Great

The sun finally emerged today. It didn't do much drying out, but at least things didn't get any wetter today, although I'm not sure that would have been possible anyway. It was warm as well as sunny, so it was a decent day to have some dogs outdoors and they enjoyed it. I didn't let Theo go to the dog yard though, because he gets himself soaked and caked in mud in a matter of minutes. To make up for the indoor day, I took Theo and Maya up to Pleasant Grove this afternoon for a five mile hike.

All three of us enjoyed it, but Theo was especially excited about it. He doesn't pull on the leash, but he was always out front and he showed no signs of slowing down even when we reached the five mile mark.

Theo is one of those dogs, like some people, who just can not take a bad picture. I got the defective battery in my iphone replaced last week so it didn't shut down on me like it has been doing on our hikes. Consequently, I got a lot of pictures, most of them are of Theo.

Foster girls

I've had my current fosters, Abby and Xochi, longer than I should have. They are both young, attractive dogs. The truth is that I've been neglecting them. I take care of them and they've had each other as company, so they aren't really suffering, but I haven't been doing what I should to get them adopted. Partly it's the season (holidays, lousy weather), and partly it's me (preoccupation with the house projects). But that needs to change.

I took Abby to a Promises Adoption event on Sunday. She was actually pretty good there. She loves people, loves attention, and will sit and look very cute if she even thinks you might have a treat. Abby and I don't always get along. She looks cute and sweet, but she can be a real bitch with other dogs. Theo won't go into the dog yard with her any more and I don't ask him to after the way I've seen her go after him. She's not overtly aggressive towards other dogs, but she is very dominant and possessive when it comes to resources, be it food or attention.

She will need an assertive owner who is prepared to do some training and she would be best as an only dog. She will not be a dog park dog. She appears to be a shepherd/hound mix of some sort, but there's no laid back hound personality there. The female shepherd force is strong in this one. She's smart though, and very food motivated, so she should be a faster learner, the problem is that I haven't been teaching her anything.
























I didn't take Xochi on Sunday because someone had come to the house on Friday who wanted to adopt her. They came back on Monday afternoon and took her home.

I had been neglecting Xochi's education too, and Abby was taking up the slack, which wasn't really good for Xochi. Xochi is pure puppy, loves everything and everyone. She's good with other dogs but her energy level and enthusiasm wasn't always welcome around some of our older dogs around here.

She went to a home with just one other dog, old enough to teach her but still young enough to play with her. She's a great dog with a lot of potential, but she also needed someone to work with her and I just haven't been doing that. I wish her the best in her new home.

I really need to stick to taking fosters that are a bit older, and I really think I'm going to lay off the shepherds for a while. Even nice ones are rather high maintenance dogs and we have enough of them around here without taking in more. My bad attitude is due in part to the mud and rainy weather, I know, but we won't know how much until spring.

Our day in the sun

It's been cloudy and rainy here for so long I almost forgot what the sun looked like. It was a pleasant surprise to look out the window and see blue sky and sunshine today. I haven't been out to hike in forever, between the kitchen project and the weather, but I was determined to do so today.

Abby wasn't great on a leash, but she wasn't the worst.

It was late afternoon by the time I finished work, but I loaded up Maya and Abby and we did a quick four miles at Pleasant Grove. I stuck to trails that I knew wouldn't be too muddy and we had a fine time. It was Abby's first hike and she loved it, she had her nose to the ground the entire time.

When we got back I did a quick feeding and shuffled some dogs around and then took Theo, Xochi, and Max out to the pasture for some twilight ball. New tennis balls show up well even as it was getting dark, so the three of them got in some good exercise.

I took advantage of the nice weather and filled up the outdoor water tanks. It was dark by the time I was finished, but it was a great way to finish the day. I feel the best I have since the last time I walked. I just have to get out there and do it even when I don't have time and even when the weather sucks. I don't have to do that much, but if I don't do anything, I feel like shit.

I love Maya's tail.

This was the most time Maya and Abby have
spent alone together. It's a good way to bond.

Xochi with tennis ball

Max got one ball and then ran off on his own. Theo and
Xochi played fetch with me until we couldn't see the balls.

Too dark for pictures, but they never missed a ball.

A flock of geese flying overhead. I heard them honking and looked up.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have seen them.

No dogs allowed

When our kitchen improvement project moved to the tile phase, it became "no dogs allowed" for a few days. Actually for a couple days it was pretty much off limits to everyone, dogs and humans alike. I brought the microwave upstairs to the bathroom and set it up along with Clay's Keurig coffee maker. We pretty much lived out of there for a couple days. It's all finished now, though, and I'm very happy with the results.

The reason Maya isn't in these pics is because she's on the
same side of the gate that I am. She just hops over the gate,
disregarding the "no dogs allowed" rule.

I'd still prefer the dogs not walk on it, but I'm getting over that. After all, the reason for the tile was to have a floor that would stand up to the dogs and be easy to clean.

It is taking a while to get everything back in order, mostly because everything needs to be cleaned before moving and I'm thinning out a lot of stuff we just don't need. Cool, wet days are good for that sort of thing, but it does get old, both for me and the dogs.




x

The beams were salvaged from an old tobacco
warehouse in Danville, VA.

Gigi, Theo, Samantha (in rear), Trooper, and then Vince.

The shelves above the windows will hold pewter mugs and
plates. The brackets may hold curtains some day.

Just one dog bed in here, and I'm not putting any crates in the kitchen.

Mostly indoor days

The last couple days have been spent mostly indoors due to the cold, although I have gotten out for a hike or two. The next few days are supposed to warmer, but rainy, which will keep us indoors even more. The dogs don't mind it for the most part; it helps that several of them are older.

Trooper and Maya will always take the prize for cutest
couple in our house. 

Trooper often takes the spot at the foot of the bed during the
day because Gigi is up on the pillows.

Maya will share this bed with any other dog because she wants
to be closest to me, but I'm sure that Trooper is the only dog
who can sleep with his paw across her back.

Maya and Max did a 3.5 mile walk with me on Monday.

Maya and Gigi were playing with each other on the bed.

Such a cute, sweet little girl, but we left her in the house on
Sunday when we went to town to see a movie and returned
home to find she had once again opened the door to the front
room where she rummaged through Christmas presents and
ate cookies.

Maya, curled up on a cold day.

Vince still moves at fast pace everywhere he goes and
he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.