Monthly Archive: July 2008

A Sunny July Sunday

This morning’s moonshine I love this tree! Green and yellow is a favorite combo color of mine.

Sunday morning met us and so did the lovely moonshine. Look closely. You’ll see her. And this is my Verawood tree, one of five I have. The other four are smaller. One of the smaller ones is a tree I started from a seed from this tree. This one is best known here at Fort Doberdale as “The Luigi Tree.” Yes, it is! It’s a big boy!

Taadaa! I found it. I’m Raven the best nose in town! A good peanut hiding place!

We had a peanut hunt this afternoon. I hid them all over the Fort Doberdale campus – above and below nose levels. I hid one in a planter attached to a pine tree. Raven found that one. Impressive!

Taylor found a peanut…stretch and reach! The Pippinator! She found this one. It was under the bird cage, so I moved it for her.

Taylor found one and had to get in a compromising position to pull off the finale, but she did it and munched that peanut. Then Pippin found a peanut I’d hidden under a birdcage. She tried, but needed help getting to it, so I lifted the cage up off the peanut, and she grabbed the nut fast.

Work it, Annie, work it! Annie’s sniffer is at work here. Annie’s a good hunter!

Annie, even though she’s shorter than the Dobies of Fort Doberdale, kicks arse at finding peanuts. She’s a hunter supreme. Look at this. She finds those peanuts above and below nose level! Annie rules!

Can you find the peanut in this picture? Bouchard, the Frenchmann, isn’t so swift with the sniff.

Can you find the peanut in this picture? Neither could Bouchard. But it’s there. He found others, so don’t feel bad for him, and he’s working on his peanut hunting skills. After all, he’s used to hunting those snails.

There you are! Raven’s sniffer works really well! Little Big Pants aka Raven Fence Walker

After Raven’s earlier find, she follows her nose to other above-nose hiding places. It takes her a while to pinpoint the peanut, but by Goddess, she finds it and gives it a good crunch to let the world know.

Regis O’Verten doesn’t think it’s worth his old man energy to hunt for peanuts. Lilian swiping Baby’s first and only found peanut! Baby Diva gets a hand-fed peanut

The seniors are less enthusiastic about this game. Though Baby did find a peanut on her own, as she began enjoying it, Lilian (surprisingly) took advantage of my senior Baby, and swiped most of it. So I cracked open another one for the Diva. Meanwhile, Regis stood mostly in one place. Earlier, he dropped a turd in the house by his food bowl. So when I was delivering breakfasts, I had to figure out why he wouldn’t go near his. Bingo! The egg was found, removed, and all was well for Regis to dine. He’s old and turds come out unplanned. The best part of this is how indignant he gets over finding one. As if someone else left the thing in his way. I don’t know if that’s the gramps in him or the male in him. 🙂

Luigi’s got a nose for finding things on the ground, too! Luigi’s a magnificent peanut hunter. He has the height and the nose for those in the upper level.

Luigi, he finds those peanuts upwards and downwards. He’s got the nose power and dedication to continue on until no peanut goes unfound.

Helen

Doberkids, Sky, Trees and Plants

20

Jul

2008

Mind Games by Raven

What’s been going on in Raven’s mind these days? Plenty.

I wonder what that toy tastes like. Don’t be alarmed. I only want to look at your toy. That’s all.

Here she is lusting after Annie’s rawhide. Annie gives her what for, though.

Luigis had that toy for 2 minutes. That’s long enough. I want that toy now!

Oh lookie. Here she is making plans for a take-over of Luigi’s beloved Cuz ball. This attempt didn’t work, so she made plans to get that ball later. How? By watching Luigi out of the side of her eye until the right moment came, and she grabbed ahold of that Cuz and did not let go!

Gimme your toy! Gimme my ball back, squirt! All mine. ALL OF IT! MINE! MINE! MINE!

“I’m very good at this game,” Raven states. “No one can beat me at it here at Fort Doberdale. I’d guess in the whole world, no one could beat me at the ‘Gimme The Toy Game’ because I’m the best toy player there is. I am. It’s my stubborn nature. I’m beautiful, too.”

Well lQQie here! Must be for me.

Times are, Luigi hides his toys in plain sight, yet in strategical locations. He never had a problem with this way of doing business. Who would think that anyone would have the nerve to jump up on the chest freezer for his well-placed gems? Then along came Raven. Eww boy.

Raven outsmarts a lot of us. When she does, she celebrates, and moves onto the next game she can find. She and Lilian have a rivalry. Lilian is very good at getting to toys I throw in the back yard. Raven stalks her, just as she did above with Luigi, and eventually grabs the toy. Lilian isn’t into long, drawn out tug-o-wars. She throws a hissy fit for 15 seconds, grasping, pulling and pumping out all sorts of sound affects. But Lilian eventually lets go, nips Raven a few times for good measure, and moves on. Raven gets the toy. She wins. Again.

Lilian checks out her goods Raven finds her way into Lilian’s den where she has her way with Lilian’s Nylabone.

Just so Raven keeps Lilian in her place, every so often, usually at supper time, Raven strolls into Lilian’s crate and takes over the den and all toys inside. Here she is making herself quite comfortable with one of Lilian’s prized Nylabones. Afterwards, when Lilith retakes her den, she checks to make sure all her toys are unharmed. And she adds one of Raven’s favorites to her heap. And you thought only people played mind games?

Helen

Annie, Lilian, Luigi, Raven

19

Jul

2008

Capricorn Moon

Capricorn moon rising Here I am! Capricorn Moon Lantern

We found the full moon. She is slowly, but surely rising into the night sky. Also, I found a beautiful candle lantern on sale today, so I guess I’ll call her my full moon lantern. She can remind me of the full moon when the real thing isn’t around. I love her amber colors.

Enjoy Yer Night!

Helen

Spiritual

18

Jul

2008

Moody Blues

There is going to be a full moon tonight. It’s the Capricorn Moon. We went outside to find it, but didn’t spot it yet.

What a sight! Airplane in the Fort Doberdale pines Black and White Skyscape

As dusk came, so did a huge blanket of clouds. They were magnificent. Their intensity suggested a big storm. We were at the ready to run inside, but all the sky did was sneeze on us. It may have been more intense the further upwards one traveled. The airlines re-routed right over the Fort Doberdale campus.

Lovely red hibiscus Ginger under the moody blue skies

Ginger asked to show the beautiful red hibiscus that bloomed today. “It’s lovely,” she says, “lovely and red just like I am!”

Baby watching the moody blue skies

Baby was fascinated with it all. She will sleep well tonight…on 2/3 of the bed. Meanwhile, we will all go outside to see if we can locate that Capricorn moon once again.

Helen

Baby, Ginger, Sky, Trees and Plants

18

Jul

2008

The Aussie vs The Dobie Nest

Now that I have two lovely Aussies, I can tell you that there is a definite difference in the way Aussies and Dobies keep their nests. Pictures are worth a thousand or so words in this case.

Taylor’s Nest Annie’s Nest

Here we have Taylor and Annie in their nests. I lay the blankets down flat for them, and this is how they re-arrange them. It’s as if they are putting themselves on the little thrones that they so belong upon. These little girls are the hardest working fuzzy-butts in the FDSP and deserve their thrones.
Lilian’s Nest Leissl’s Nest

On the other paw, are the Dobies, who tend to enjoy the flat bed type of blanket. There are exceptions to that rule. Ginger likes to rumple her crate blanket up, but other than that, the rest of the Dobie den dwellers like the smooth and tidy look. It’s not that they aren’t princesses and princes, because they are. But perhaps the Aussie’s are a tad more vigilent on being “on top of things.” Plus Dobies like to stretch out, and aren’t so much the curling types. Especially at 2 a.m. when they’re on my bed and I’m on the edge of that bed. Yup.

Helen

POV

18

Jul

2008