Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The continued battle of the Strawberries....

My strawberries are having a lovely growing season on the front step. I harvested maybe a dozen lovely berries this morning, intending them for my lunch today after class. I however left them too close to the edge of the counter and could hear suspicious noises as I stopped to check my emails. By the time I yelled and got to the kitchen, this is what was left....



The guilty party??  Well, Sophie of course! 


She's trying to look innocent here, but a few minutes later, she knocked the container on the floor where she and Murphy ate the rest. Sigh, so much for my strawberries today!!

Monday, July 26, 2010

A little studying...

...bores Murphy to sleep!!


Ok, so it's not a little study, it's a lot. But still! You'd think Murphy would want to be awake for my readings on Black Feminist Epistomology. On second thought, I'm not sure I want to be awake. 

Ah well, for the most part, Grad School is pretty darn good. Except when I have to miss Murphy's agility class to complete 8 chapters of reading for tomorrow. Clearly, she's surviving by napping on the back of the couch, right by me as I hunker down for what could be a very long evening. Things could be much, much worse.... she could be frantically running around the living room, barking at me still. :)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Adventures in lawn cutting

My lawn was bad. There's no question that my lawn was part jungle and had really gotten out of control. With all the rain we've had this summer, my lawn has grown and grown and I should have cut it before I left for my few days away but sadly I didn't. So, I set out to tackle it today and lucky for you, I have pictures of the adventure, complete with my helpers!  I use a reel mower, in an effort to be eco-concious but I have to admit that it doesn't cut the lawn that well at the best of times, but when it's this long it's a horrible amount of effort and the result is spotty at best. I'll likely have to redo it tomorrow or Tuesday, but such is life.


This photo doesn't really do it justice, but in places the lawn was above that jump height, which just for the record is 6".  The lawn is so long, I couldn't even spot the extra jump bars, hiding.


Little Murphy, who is really not that little. Yikes, long enough she has to bounce through the grass, and all you can see in places are those crazy ears.



Yum, yum... sometimes I think Sophie is part cow!



"I think this blade tastes good! Erm, not sure. Get that camera outta my face, woman!"



Such a cute little midget!!



Almost a great doggy shake photo! Ah well, Sophie loves her pool, after grass eating duties are over!



"Really, we're helping, Ma!"  My girls, snacking on the lawn.



Spike does not like to get in the way, so he tends to hide whereever he can, when the lawnmower comes out. This time, he is standing in the doorway of the garage.



Ah, that's better.  A shady spot out of the way. Believe it or not, that lawn was cut already. 



Spike and Murphy. Yup, I think he's finally come to accept the fact that she's staying.



Sophie and Spike. Spike's reaching for a bone here, and Sophie is sitting very akwardly. It's a sign that her hip is hurting a bit today, post trip to Rebecca's. However, she's not limping, just a little "sway backed" when she walks so it's not as bad as it could have been!




And for good measure, Murphy with those truly absurd ears!


Home Sweet Home!

I am back from a weekend in Alberta!  I took Murphy off to meet my parents and their dogs for the weekend, and left Spike and Sophie behind. Murphy wasn't as much of a hit as I would have liked her to be; she was suspicious of my dad, barking and growling at him at times, and poor Buster and Lucy were reluctant to share their home or their favourite people's laps! But, by the end, they were starting to play and work out their issues. Good thing Miss Murph is SO submissive; no fighting for her!! There are pictures to follow, as soon as my mom emails me the pictures (hint, hint mom!).

Spike and Sophie clearly had a great weekend! Sophie limped around abit at the kennel, but she is doing so much better than she did all winter; it gives me great optimism that she just can't handle the cold but will feel better in the summer. So, come fall, I'll take her back to the Vet and get her pain medication relooked at to make sure we are helping her the best we can.  Spike didn't want to come home after potentially killing two gophers (he's being implicated in their sudden and untimely deaths at least). But, once in the car, he was happy enough to be on the way home. Once again, pictures to follow, once I get photos off Facebook. Lucky for me, Rebecca at The Poop Guys takes photos for me so I can see how great my dogs are, without me! Ha!  It's a huge relief to have such a great kennel actually and to know my dogs are doing well, when I am not around.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

So,I wonder why....

my peas and beans didn't make it.



Yes, that is Murphy. And, yes, that is where my beans were previous to Murphy. And, yes, she is eating a piece of raw chicken.


Perfect spot for a Baby Jack to have a snack!  Funny, funny girl!

Ah well, at least my flowers out front are looking good.




My Bagonia plant! I have never had luck with these before since I tend to overwater. But, somehow despite all the rain and hail, it's blooming like crazy and looking lovely on my front step.




And, I need to show off my pansies, just because they are my favourites.



Even my strawberries have bounced back, post thieving Sophie!! So, I might not have beans or peas, but  at least I have some garden surviving in the front yard!!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Why we love walkies....

I love taking the dogs for walks for lots of reasons... solitude and quiet out there on my walk route out of town, a chance to burn some energy and calories for all of us, fresh air. But, the best reason is simply because I have learned lately that a good Jack Russell is an exhausted Jack Russell, so here she is, post walk....


Normally Murphy can at least manage to look up and glare, but not this morning!  It's hard work keeping up with the big dogs, after all!

And, of course, a shot of my Sophie, looking sweet and charming on my bed.


Tired girl!! :) Yup, we love our walkies. And, yes, for the record I CAN walk all three dogs at once, I just have to watch the leashes is all.