Category Archives: Alice

October 18, 2010

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Capturing Color

Gretchen’s been playing around with black and white photos of late (not on the blog, though), but today I told her she really needs to stick with color during October.

“Why do you think so, Rubin?” she asked.

And then I pointed my nose up to a tree and she said, “Oh yeah, it’s beautiful isn’t it?”

Yeah, beautiful and imagine what it would look like in black and white…well, don’t imagine, here it is.

Big difference, eh? So we spent our weekend searching out the colors of autumn and then today, on our walks, we found even more. Color is everywhere, though it’s not always easy to capture.

We captured some color from our office window looking out at our neighbor’s dog, Oshi, who sat perched in his favorite spot in their kitchen bedecked in a blue shirt and an orange bandanna…

We captured some more on our walk with Woobie on Sunday…

…and when we walked down to the lake, we found different colors, but colors all the same…

…and then Gretchen captured some on her walk with Rosie and Tyson this morning.

She even tried to capture some while they played fetch, but the green of the tennis courts dominated.

She found more colors at the playground on her walk with Gemma, Oshi, and Perrito…

…and some really interesting play on color and light and dark with me in the backyard…

…and even more when we took Saber over to first walk Gertie…

The color made me want to roll around and then made Saber want to play with me…

but eventually, we settled down…

…and then with Alice we found color at the church we pass every day…

It was, as you can see, a colorful day and I am so very thankful Gretchen didn’t convert the color into black and white.

“I am too, Rubin!”

She knows that some days I’m a wise little pup.

“And other days?” she asks?

I’m colorful…always colorful!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

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October 11, 2010

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National Going Out Day?

Did I hear that right? When was “going out” limited to a day? Humans celebrate some really interesting holidays.

I celebrated Monday, which happens to be a whole bunch of human celebration days — though I think some don’t celebrate them all. For instance, it’s Canadian Thanksgiving and World Rainforest Day (though I think it’s actually a whole week) and Indigenous Peoples’ Day and yes, National Going Out Day…oh wait, I guess it’s National Coming Out Day (I just looked at the calendar more closely…I wonder if I need glasses?)

Regardless, that’s a lot of “Day” celebrations so I decided to ask our clients today if they could celebrate something what would they call their day. Interesting responses below:

Rosie: National Treat Day (though she wanted to know if it could be a whole year of days…interesting idea).

Tyson: National Chasing Cats Day (I, for one, would celebrate that day!)

Oshi: National Sleeping In Day (preferably on a warm, soft couch in the sun)

Perrito: National Take Me For a Walk Day (you can see why it can be a challenge to walk them together with one wanting to sleep and the other wanting to walk!)

Gertie: National Bouncing Day (which, as I get to know her, should perhaps be named National Goofball Day because she’s very goofy…and bouncy!)

Alice: National Nervous Day (we thought it would be better since she was just walking with me today, but as you can see…still nervous!)

Gemma: National Terrier-ize Saber Day (They haven’t seen each other for awhile so the entire walk, Gemma gnawed at one body part or another of Saber’s — better him than me!)

Saber: National Find a Stick Day (Yep, that’s him crouched down in the picture above between us once again looking for a stick to chew on!)

Rubin (That’s me): National It’s Time to Let Me Play Fetch Day (I’m on week three of no fetch in hopes that my body parts completely heal up and IT’S KILLING ME!)

Gretchen: National Massage Day (where she gets a massage instead of gives them!)

What day would you like?

Until Tomorrow,

Rubin

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October 4, 2010

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Chasing (De)Tails

Monday came fast and furious today. I was surprised. It seems like just a moment ago it was Sunday, but then everything sped by and now it’s Monday. Wow. It’s not that I’ve been too busy to notice, though Gretchen has. She’s trying to keep up on all the details of owning a business and holding down another job as well as finishing up her studies for her small animal massage license. When she was working this morning I had to laugh because it kind of looked like she was chasing her tail.

“Funny, Rubin,” she said, “Seeing as I don’t have a tail.”

“Ah yes,” I astutely observed, “You’re chasing your de-tail!”

She had to laugh at that. I did, too. It’s always fun to laugh at your own jokes.

My day was fairly calm, though amazingly interesting. Behind all the details of running a business and Gretchen’s hectic life, we walked only four dogs today. First up were Oshi and Perrito. They were happy to see us. Yes, even Oshi who is much more excited about the prospect of sleeping in the sun than venturing out into the natural world. Of course, today the weather was chilly but sunny so perhaps he felt that sun in the great outdoors was worth the risk.

Perrito, on the other hand, could care less about the weather. He’s a wild and woolly guy who’s willing to brave any weather. He lives to go outside and I admire him for it.

Next up was Saber who, like Perrito, is ready for just about anything life hands him. Today’s adventure was going to Alice’s house to pick her up for a walk. This may not seem like a big challenge to those who don’t know Alice, but Alice is a bit skittish about the world so one never knows how she’ll react when we come to get her. We went for an extra long walk (since we were light on dogs today) and ended up at Gretchen’s favorite photographic tree. Saber and I assumed our positions…

…but Alice just cowered below us worried out of her skin about that “clumsy, goofy Saber” above her. I did my best to reassure her.

“He won’t fall on you,” I said, “And if he does, he’ll slide off slowly. Trust me, I’ve seen him do it a couple of times already.”

I don’t think she felt reassured.

I thought that was that, but then Gretchen loaded me into the car with my collapsible dog crate. “Agility class?” I asked excitedly.

“Sorry buddy, I wish that were so, but you’re coming to work with me at the pool today,” she informed me.

Say what? It’s not that I haven’t been at the pool. It’s one of the perks, you know, that I get to swim whenever the schedule allows, but to just go to work and not swim, well that’s a whole new idea. I’m not a big fan of my crate, but Gretchen says I have to get used to it or mellow out while hanging out at the pool office. You see, I don’t like to be left alone in strange places and I guess she figures the crate isn’t strange at all so I’ll quietly wait for her to finish work without making much fuss.

She has high hopes for me.

I did okay, but it was much more fun to walk around the office or the backyard. I just wish Paige (the boss’s dog) had been there. I know we could have hung out on the couch together. That would have mellowed me out. But eventually my other mom, Ann, came and picked me up. The crate stayed at the office (I think I’m going back again to the pool on Tuesday) and Gretchen told me later that when Paige did arrive, she walked right into the crate, curled up on my bed, and fell fast asleep. How cute is that? Too bad there aren’t any photos of it! Maybe next time.

There are photos of this, though…

That’s Monty and his Mom helping fold all the pool towels Gretchen uses when she’s at work. Monty says he looks like a handsome pool boy. I think so too.

Whoosh, there went Monday. While I’m not one to chase my tail, it kind of felt like it a bit today. Oh well, life could be worse — like boring and slow!

Until tomorrow!

Rubin

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September 13, 2010

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Sporting Events

This weekend we all sat on the couch and watched a human game they call basketball. All these people ran around with a big orange ball and threw it a lot — at each other, up in the air, and sometimes into a crowd of people. It was so weird. Meanwhile, Gretchen jumped up and down and booed and moaned and the whooped it up right at the end of the game when a Bird threw the ball and made everyone in the crowd stand up and cheer really loud.

I was so confused. “That person looks like a person. Why do they call her Bird?” I asked.

“Her name is Sue Bird,” Gretchen said, “And she just made the winning shot with seconds to go.”

“But why do they throw the ball away?” I asked still confused “Why don’t they keep it like I do and walk around proudly?”

I never got an answer. So I did some research. Turns out that humans have lots of sporting events — many that involve balls — and some humans are kind of obsessed with these events. At our house, sporting events like tennis and basketball are big on the list and we’ll spend a couple of hours watching them on the weekends. Not all the time, but when some big sporting event happens (like the basketball game on Sunday) we clear our calendar so we can watch.

Rosie and Tyson, I guess, watch as well because whenever Gretchen goes to pick them up, the TV is on with one sport playing or another. At their house, the big game appears to be football, which makes a bit more sense to me because when one guy gets the ball he keeps it and rarely gives it away. That’s much more canine than tennis where they bat the ball back and forth. That just seems silly.

Rosie and Tyson got to play with my ball today as they went on a nice long walk and then ended up at the tennis courts. Well, Tyson plays with the ball and Rosie waits for Gretchen to throw treats that she can chase.

Landing at the tennis courts is a sport in and of itself, I suppose. During the warmer months, we don’t visit them as much because humans are there swatting at balls and never catching them in their slobbery mouths. But even though today was nice (in terms of the weather), no one was at either of the courts so not only did Rosie and Tyson get to play at one court, Gemma, Oshi, and Perrito got to play at the other.

And there they met up with Modoc, a friendly neighbor dog who is obsessed with his glow in the dark ball…only yesterday, he was obsessed with the ball in Gretchen’s backpack — MY BALL!

At least Modoc has the right idea — get the ball and don’t give it up. Now that’s a sport.

For Gemma, the ball is secondary. Her joy is in chasing the dog who has the ball and even though Perrito loves the ball too, he ends up chasing Gemma who chases Modoc. I think it has to do with the fact that his legs are a fraction of the length of Gemma and Modoc’s, but that little guy can move when he wants to!

Chase –now there’s a complicated and appealing sport. Of course, it’s only fun if one dog has a hold of something the other dogs want like a stick or, in my favorite case, a ball. Since Modoc and I prefer a ball over any other item, we become the chased and I can tell that Modoc enjoys that part as much as I do. Sure wish I could have joined them for their romp!

Oshi has no use for any kind of sport except perhaps sleeping or playing spectator.

For Saber, every adventure is a sport whether there’s a ball involved or not. Alice’s sport is hunting. She just wants to find a bird or a squirrel and then point out it quietly. We didn’t get to play any sports on our walk yesterday, though I tried my hardest to bust a move with Saber while Gretchen was trying to pose us.

Alice just stayed as far away as she could…

…and after a scolding, I tried to behave…really, I tried.

I did better at our next stop…

I’m trying desperately to appreciate human sporting events, but it’s taking every fiber of my being to grasp the joys of throwing a ball away. I know we’ll be watching more basketball in the next few weeks, so I’ll really focus on the intricacies of the game and see if my acceptance of human sport changes at all. Meanwhile, I just want to hang with my friends, play some fetch, all the while holding onto my ball as tightly as I can.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

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August 16, 2010

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"Feels like another hot one, Gretchen!"

Going Slowly

There’s record-breaking heat all across the country and while everyone seems to be focused on the East Coast, Seattle is getting its fair share of hot, hot weather. So hot that the only way to survive as a dog dog walker is to go slowly.

That’s exactly what we did today though we also employed some other strategies. For instance, on my own personal walk this morning, Gretchen got up early so we could walk in the relatively cool air of the morning. We’ve also been heading to the lake where we both take a swim, which is the most refreshing way to begin a hot day that I can think of!

But our schedule doesn’t always allow early morning walks or trips to the lake. Some dogs have to be walked later in the day and unfortunately, in the heat, but we do what we can to keep them cool. First up today were Rosie and Tyson. Luckily, they were first on the docket so they didn’t have to walk in the real heat. Still, it was warm so Gretchen took a route that guaranteed nice patches of shade and rests under big trees. Rosie and Tyson really appreciated it!

With Gemma we had enough time to head to the lake, which I really appreciated and while I think Gemma liked it, she’s kind of funny about the water. When we arrive, she walks right in and refuses to come out, but she doesn’t ever swim. Well, that’s not exactly true — she wades out until all of the sudden she’s floating and then she panics a bit and splashes back to shore.

Meanwhile, I swim out and fetch the ball that she has no interest in retrieving and Gemma watches in awe.

Since I had a play date with my friend Ben and his cousin, Bailey at their outdoor pool later in the afaternoon, I didn’t go on the next walk with Saber and Alice.

Yep, Saber and Alice walked together without me. Gretchen said it all went well though Alice was a tad bit hesitant to walk anywhere near jolly Saber until about halfway through the walk.

Of course during the photo time, it was almost impossible to get Alice to sit next to Saber because, as you know, Saber has a hard time sitting or lying in one place for very long. His fidgeting makes her kind of nervous…

But then they met a nice young man, who loved petting Saber…

…and who helped them pose for their “lie down” photo!

Alice didn’t seem to notice the heat much, but Saber drank a bowl of water at the end of the walk and when he got home, flopped onto the cool floor panting heavily. I may have to take him to the lake tomorrow!

Until then…hope you all survive the heat!

Rubin

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August 11, 2010

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Social Mathematics

Every day I get to practice my math skills. Six dogs plus four hours with three dogs at a half hour and three for an hour. “Hm,” I say to myself measuring the day out on my toes, “That means eight miles of walking in four sessions.” But the math gets complicated at times and it’s not the numbers that stump me, but rather the combinations of dogs I must walk when, where, and with whom. There are nights when I have a hard time falling asleep because I’m trying to figure out the possible configurations. “Gemma can’t walk with Alice, Gretchen can’t walk too many other dogs with Zoe, Monty loves everyone, but he gets tired, and Oshi and Perrito always cross leashes.”

Gretchen’s made the calculations more difficult now that she has a job in the evenings at the pool, but I guess it’s an added challenge for me — a way to stretch my mathematical mind throwing in the social conflicts of our clients.

Don’t get me wrong — all our dogs are sweet, but sometimes their personalities don’t mesh nor do their geographical locations so I’m left with moving the schedule around like a Rubik’s Cube…or perhaps that’s a Rubin’s Cube! Luckily, today wasn’t so complicated because Gretchen didn’t have to work at the pool and Saber wasn’t on the schedule (he usually is with us daily, but he had a vet appointment — hope you’re doing okay, buddy!)

The day started with Monty and as usual, we took a nice long walk all around the neighborhood to limber us up and energize our appetites. Well, mine got energized — his doesn’t need much help! I asked Gretchen not to take photos because this is my special time with my good friend and we like to stroll along without worries about posing or smiling. She was kind enough to oblige.

While Monty and I brunched on yummy goodies at home, Gretchen took Oshi and Perrito out for stroll. Now Oshi and Perrito pretty much get along with everyone, though they aren’t very fond of barking dogs behind fences. This is exactly how Gemma feels, too, so walking the three of them together is kind of a nice fit only all three of them are pretty unruly on the leash.

Unlike me, they don’t really know how to walk right next to Gretchen so even though it’s a lot of work for her, there are times when Gretchen is cursing the decision to walk them all together.

Today, though, they were pretty could though Gretchen always thinks she’ll need to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor after a walk with these three!

Oshi and Perrito are half-hour clients, while Gemma is with us for an hour, which means that Gemma got to walk with Monty and me, too. She liked that very much, but she really liked it when I rolled around on the ground and she could jump on me!

Once we walked Gemma with Alice and that didn’t work at all. Alice is kind of nervous with new dogs and Gemma, being the confident and outgoing-type made Alice really nervous so we’ve avoided that social combination since the first time.

Today, though, we decided to try Zoe with Alice because 1) they live in the same neighborhood, 2) Alice got moved this week from Monday to Wednesday, which is also a Zoe day and 3) while Zoe is energetic and bubbles with happiness, she is a pretty mellow gal and would most likely not make Alice very nervous.

It worked! The two got along famously, which means that that social equation can happen again IF all the factors (day, time, location) align again.

So yes, today was pretty easy in terms of the math. In the end, we walked about seven miles in four walks and everyone seemed very pleased. Let’s hope tomorrow provides us with such easy calculations, but I won’t worry about that now…I’ll worry about that tonight before I fall asleep.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

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August 2, 2010

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We’re Back!!!

Some would call our week off a vacation. I’d call it torture. But we’re back and I, for one, am not going to live in the past, thank you very much!

I shouldn’t complain. I got to go on long walks in the morning and sometimes we’d play fetch. Then I’d go swimming or more long walks with my other mother, Ann. In the evening, when Gretchen returned from her day at massage class, she’d practice what she learned on me, which I enjoyed very much, but still…not working is something I can’t handle very well.

And I missed my friends (aka: clients). Gretchen told me she missed them too and so last night, when we finally went to bed (after a wonderful day with the grandparents) we had a hard time falling asleep thinking about how much fun we’re going to have getting back to work today. Of course, it didn’t help that this morning, our smoke detectors ran themselves through a series of tests — beeping loudly every half hour or so — waking us up way too early.

Still, I was excited to get to work even though our first walk of the day was one I didn’t go on. Yep, Gretchen walked Rosie and Tyson and the “greeting” and “welcome back” for all involved was lively! I know, it’s hard to tell from the photos, but really, they were both very happy to be out walking with Gretchen…they were just distracted by all the crows!

As you can see, Tyson is still wearing a thundershirt to help him with his anxiety. It seems to be working. He also got some acupuncture and I’m hearing rumors that I might have to see the same doctor that he’s seeing. I wonder why? Do they think I have anxiety issues?

Hmmmmm…

Next up was Gemma who first got to walk with Oshi and Perrito…

And then she came over to our house to try and play with me…instead we hung out in the backyard! It was very nice!

We took Gemma home and then picked up Saber and the two of us rode along in the car to Alice’s house. She was happy to see me, but she wasn’t so pleased that silly Saber came along. I’d forgotten how silly he is and kind of ADD. Every time we tried to take the photo, he kept getting distracted by all the smells and Alice did her best to get as far away from Saber as she could and therefore wouldn’t look at the camera very much! Oy! I’d forgotten all the social dynamic situations, too!

In fact, after looking at these photos, you’d never know the three of us were all sitting within five feet of each other! Luckily Gretchen took a photo to prove that yes, we all were on the same walk!

It’s funny though because halfway through the walk, Alice is walking side by side with Saber, her tail up, her ears happy, and an actual smile on her face. It’s hard for Gretchen to get that photo, though seeing as how she has to control three leashes!

After our walk, Saber came over and we played hard in the backyard! So hard, even Saber got kind of tired!

Well, he might not look too tired here, but when he piled back in the car to head home, Gretchen says he flopped down in the back of the car, draped his big paw in between the front seats, and let out a big, happy sigh. I was doing the same (sans big paw) at home.

Yep, not only did we go back to work today, but Gretchen went back to work at the pool again too. She said she really missed it and while her hands are tired from massaging dogs and my paws are sore from hitting the pavement again, both of us are happy and content.

Very happy and very content.

I sure hope we don’t go on vacation again any time soon…

…truly, it’s torture for me!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

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July 26, 2010

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What Will I Do?

The weather reports predict that this will be one of the best weeks all summer, which consider the summer we’ve had is either saying a lot or not saying much. I was looking forward to a week’s worth of dog walking in predictable summer weather knowing that it would include trips to the lake and perhaps even a trip to my friend Ben’s swimming pool.

What I didn’t foresee was that I would not really be working this week because Gretchen is in school from Tuesday through Saturday on her way to earning her small animal massage license. When she first told me, I cringed and my jaw dropped. Then I cocked my head and asked, “What will I do?” And then I thought of all the things that won’t happen: I will have all this time on my paws. I won’t be able to see all my friends (as in clients). I probably won’t go to the lake and even though there’s a slim chance I’ll go to Ben’s pool, I still won’t be pounding the pavement helping to earn my kibble (well, it’s actually homemade food with a bit of kibble thrown in).

And when will Gretchen and I hang out?

She tried to soothe my worried brow and she even took me away this weekend to the river where I got to play in cold water, hangout with my little kid friends, and go leash free for miles and miles.

But when she told me that today was going to be our only day of work for the rest of the week, a mournful moan came from my belly and filled the house with such sorrow I know I made Gretchen feel bad.

“I’m so sorry, buddy,” she said. “I think I shall go crazy, too. I have to be inside all week, on the best week of summer, and I won’t be able to go on long walks or play fetch with you or go swimming. I promise though that when I come home, I’ll take you out in the evenings and we can do whatever you want to do okay?”

I didn’t answer her. I was pouting. I think I’m still pouting even though I had work to do today. Still. I feel bad not only for myself, but for all our clients. I think they will miss us as much as we will miss them.

Gretchen says I should focus on today because, despite the outlook for the rest of the week, it was a good day.

It started with Rosie and Tyson and while I don’t walk with them, I love seeing their beautiful faces when the photos return…and the beautiful flowers popping out of their heads!

Then we walked Gemma with Oshi and Perrito. Ann came with us and I suppose now is the time to focus on what really matters — Happy Birthday, Ann! Of course, I think we gave her a bit of a headache — I rolled around…Oshi rolled around…nobody would sit where they were supposed to…and Perrito just wanted the ball out of Gretchen’s backpack.

Surprisingly, Gemma was the only dog who would cooperate!

Gemma played with me at the house for awhile, but mostly we just hung out in the shade. Then we picked up Saber and joy of joys we went to the off leash park where Saber dove right in, stole another dog’s toy, and then spent the rest of the afternoon stealing mine!

And we met a really sweet dog who posed beautifully for her photo!

After we were thoroughly wet, Saber and I walked with Alice and despite Alice’s nervousness about the “walrus” (Saber’s nickname) she seemed happy to see us today though she still wouldn’t sit too close. Of course, if you look closely, I was kind of rolling around again!

And I really shouldn’t complain because after we dropped Saber off, I got to go to Ben’s house and swim in his refreshing pool. It was kind of a surprising trip because Gretchen gave me a bath yesterday and then combed me out this morning and I didn’t think she’d want me to get messed up so soon, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Me either!

So normally I’d say, “Until Tomorrow” but that wouldn’t be the truth. The truth is “Until Next Week” and it pains me to write it…in fact, it pains me so much I think I’ll just say…

…Until Next Time,

Rubin

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July 23, 2010

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Wrong Impressions

You can’t judge a book by its cover nor can you judge a dog by its breed (or breeds). A picture may be worth a 1000 words, but sometimes those words don’t tell the whole story.

These are the lessons I’ve learned today and it started this morning when we went for a long walk with Oshi and Perrito. Oshi thinks he’s a cat and when we are out walking he is always lagging behind (hoping to turn around and go back home where he can lie in the sun) or pulling ahead once we’ve started our route back home. This has always been my assumption — Oshi doesn’t know he’s a dog — but then I started to notice that whenever we pass another dog or see another dog (especially one behind a fence) Oshi gets all huffy puffy and stands tall like a dog, not like a cat.

Man, did he have me fooled all these years. Here I thought he wasn’t really a dog because he never really wanted to go for a walk and he never really seemed to enjoy himself. (Whereas Perrito always thought being a dog was the best thing to be in the world!)

As for Rosie and Tyson, I’ve always thought they were big, tough dogs. I’ve seen so many photos of their strong, regal faces I thought for sure they were tough cookies. I mean, even their breed name (Boxer) sounds gnarly! But Gretchen tells me that while they may have some issues with fear and anxiety, they really are incredibly sweet. Another lesson learned.

I had to think twice today — did I learn anything from Gemma? Oh yeah, she’s really matured. I thought she’d stay a puppy forever and while she still has her moments…

…that she can stand in a stay position for photos and not race off after the squirrels is truly a picture worth a thousand words!

Of course, I can be good, too!

Alice’s pictures, though, do kind of tell a truthful story.

I know, I know, I know…she always looks like she’s going to crawl out of her skin with nervousness and while she’s nervous when we first pick her up — especially when we bring big, goofy Saber along — she really does settle into the walk and calms down quite a bit.

But still, she sits as far away from Saber whenever we pose for pictures because she’s not quite certain about his big, goofy energy.

And big and goofy he is! After we walked Alice, Saber came over to the house and we played towel games. Yep, he snagged a towel and I took it from him and then shoved it back in his face whereupon we play tug for awhile and then he barks at me.

It’s a lot more fun than it sounds especially when Saber barks to get it back. Now these photos is one where the picture doesn’t tell the whole story…

…he looks pretty mean, doesn’t he? There’s not a mean bone in this guy’s body! He’s a enormous clown and I, for one, love to joke with him. Goofball!

So those are my lessons for today. Thankfully it’s Friday so I can give myself a bit of a break in the lessons learned department. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Until Monday,

Rubin

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July 12, 2010

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Mostly Cloudy

Most mornings when we get up, we turn on the radio to listen to the news. Lately, though, we’ve listened to music. Gretchen says we need a break from all the negativity and that music gives us time to reflect and relax before we begin work. But this morning, the radio was turned on long enough for me to hear the announcer say, “Mostly cloudy all day.”

You might think that this would make me depressed, but in actuality, it made me dance a bit. It’s been hot. Not as hot as where my Aunt lives (in Virginia) where the temperatures have been over 100 degrees of late, but hot enough to make me want to just lie around on the cool bamboo floor right in front of the fan. But last night, when we went to bed, the fan wasn’t turned on, the windows weren’t open as wide, and a cool, brisk breeze blew the curtains around.

It was heaven.

And this morning, evidence of rain tickled my toes as I went out in the yard to take my first constitutional stroll. Blissful (the tickling mostly, but also the constitutional). I knew today was going to be a relaxing day even though it was the beginning of our work week. But I was ready after my nice weekend for something less hot than last week.

The weekend was active with visitors. First, Quillette came to stay with us for part of the weekend. It’s always nice to hang out with her. She teaches me how to make sad faces so I can get more treats!

Then the girls came over and we practiced dancing in the backyard. Well, they practiced and I watched on the lawn. Even then the weather was starting to change!

When our work started this morning with Rosie and Tyson, they were happy to see the change in weather, too because neither of them are big fans of the heat. They were hoping to go to the tennis courts for a romp, but the cooler weather didn’t stop the tennis players. So they posed in front of beautiful flowers…well, they posed pretty well until Tyson saw a large plane fly overhead! Then they looked longingly at Gretchen for their reward!

Gemma had to be told that it was colder. Nothing fazes her, though I did notice her desire to lie in my pool was mighty strong last week. This week she was bouncy and full of her typical terrier energy — much to Oshi’s dismay. Since Ann is off for the summer, she decided to help us out with Gemma, Oshi, and Perrito.

All of us went on our bouncy, tangled-leash stroll and headed to the tennis courts to see if they were free. Lo and behold they were and Perrito was particularly joyful about it all!

Oshi was his typical Eeyore self — slightly complaining that it was too cold to be away from his house, his family, and the new baby in their lives.

I was happy and Gemma, never one to let a little rain or a grumpy friend (Oshi) get her down, nosed us all into action.

The final walk of the day was with Alice who, despite her nervous barking when we first arrived, was happy to see us. She loved the cooler temperatures, too and we took off on a nice, long walk through the amazingly-gardened neighborhoods around her house.

Alice has two poses…the “What is that?” pose and the “I don’t see you taking my picture” pose. One day we’ll get a photo of her running. I have a feeling then she’d look a bit more relaxed!

I barely had time to say goodbye to Gretchen before she was out the door to her job at the pool. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with Ann and we completed some chores around the house including taking a nap in the living room — one of our favorite things to do together.

Hope you all enjoyed the cooler temperatures. We’ll see what tomorrow brings!

Until then,

Rubin

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