Playing catch up...

Let's see... went to Vegas for Superzoo, the pet trade show. Long week -- some nice stuff there. I really only came home this time with several nice pet beds, some T-Shirts, and some very cute shampoo that has this neat 'pet freshening spray' on the bottom, and VERY nice shampoo on the top. Wouldn't use it for a show, it really softens the dog's coats, but Simon is now wafting the masculine smell of Coconut Lime. Ahhh. It's like a Cardi air freshener. ;)

So, here are my week photos...

37/52 "Luggage Inspector" (I left treats in the bag unpacking. Hahah, guess who found them!)



38/52 "Mmmmmuffins!"


Got home, have been working like a maniac. Well, got into work, turned around to let Caleb through the door and... my back went "no." So, this time went directly into the doctor and now am on muscle relaxers (still.) I will say the stim treatment though worked awesomely well, and this time it's only been a little over a week and a half and I'm nearly back to normal.

Found out that my little Arab is officially a "pasture pet" only. His knee is getting so arthritic that he's locking up a lot even loose in his pasture, and he's pitched on the ground a few times when he's got up a head of steam. Well, on a high note, he's photogenic and cute! He'll have to model and earn his living. ;) Sadly, he is nowhere as good as Simon.

Of course... getting ready for the Richland show, and I come home and my 19 year old arthritic cat's leg is swollen up like a little peg. Great. I had an appointment with my regular mobile vet (who I love. Matt and I had a mock fight and he said that if we divorce, he's taking custody of the vet. I told him no way) but he can't make it until Thursday. So I run him down to a new vet and the guy is great. He looks at it, takes fluid, tells me that the cat has cancer and without taking off his leg the cat has days to live. I pay the deposit, and take Merp home. I admit, I adopted this cat back in January... and I absolutely adore him. He's just the sweetest old cat, with everyone, including the dogs. Either that, or like some grandpas, he just doesn't care.

So, I spend a sleepless night, and decide that morning that he can't go in. He looks horrible, he's barely walking, etc... there's no way this cat can survive on three legs, none. Sigh. I call my regular vet out for Thursday... and we're all set to put him to sleep.

Well, get up this morning, his leg is way less swollen, and he's bopping around the house. Enough that he goes to get a drink of water in the other room, he lies in the sunshine and bakes himself. My mobile vet comes and we watch him happily purring and headbutting us for a while...

I've had to euthanize many of my crew over the years. You really do know when they are done; there's just something about them at that point where you realize they're ready to go. Merp decided today wasn't his day, and well... now we're sending away a test for a second opinion on the leg.

Unfortunately, my other cat walks in with his eye swollen shut last night, and he's ulcerated his eye again. Sheesh. Drops in the eye six times a day. Well, now that the cat's not in danger of dying this weekend at least, and the other one can be medicated, still preparing for Richland. Find out that a friend's dog that I've been hoping for a puppy from didn't take -- so bummed, but I'm sure not as disappointed as they are. Been looking for a pup since this spring... well, I guess that's someone's way of telling me the right one hasn't shown up! ;)

So... yeah. What does Caleb do? Cut his paw on a freshly cut branch of my Vine Maple running around after Simon in the yard... and is limping like gangbusters. It's not a bad, bad cut, but between his front toes, and bad enough for me to realize there is NO way we're going to Richland. Oh well, I'll live vicariously through everyone else, I guess, and hear how things went!

Sigh. Lovely.

Oh well! Pets happen, right? Everything's for a reason. Besides, today I can walk into the back room and the old cat purrs at me, That alone makes it all better!

Air Simon..!

Move over Jordan, for sure!



I snapped this photo when we were out playing earlier. Matt and I both were like "holy..." when he leapt into the air and did this ninja Cardigan backflip and whipped the toy into his mouth. I downloaded the camera tonight and man, I wish this background was clearer -- this is simply cool. It happened so fast I'm shocked I was still snapping and that I caught it!

For someone with short legs, holy crud... he is an athletic dog. I can't say I've had a Shepherd that was as athletic as this dog is. I still can't get over the air he got on this.

34, 35, and dogs and cats living together...

Well, it was an interesting last week. I bought a new desk for my home office. Then I cleaned out said home office this week with much help from Simon. Threw out a ton of stuff, yay, declutter!

Promptly had the laptop decide when I rebooted it last Sunday afternoon that I no longer needed photoshop or half my programs, and uh... it ate all the photos from that week, argh... then I couldn't find my disks. Anywhere. Yep, they got tossed out in the last great back room purge.

That said... I got a huge laugh out of this shot, because I darn well wasn't going to miss a week in the project when I hadn't missed a one yet! I spent the last few hours sitting here cursing bad, bad words, and pulling my hair out. So, then I managed to rig up Open Canvas to at least do a bit of photo editing, thank goodness. At least I could crop!

My workstation is a bit Simoncentric isn't it?

But hey, fast forward to this Sunday and the computer issues have somewhat been resolved, and thank goodness, my program now works once again! I think I saw little heralds with trumpets -- you don't know how much you use Photoshop until you don't have it, and then when you go look at what it costs new again, you have a nervous breakdown and swear to get it fixed somehow!

But yep, all fixed. This was this weeks shot -- Simon supervising the folks at the barn putting in the new fences. He did not like them approaching the horses and found this perch to watch them at on Thursday morning, right before I managed to convince him we should just go and take a walk, the horses would be fine. ;)

Caleb of course, never has any intention of looking very workmanlike. Instead, he happily plays with Dusty...

"Rar." "Rar!"

"Dude, what did you eat...? Ugh! No thanks, no kiss I!"

Simon and the Fluffy Ball.

What can I say. Give a striped Cardi a fluffy ball and he'll roll it around, take out the squeaker and gut it all over your house. (Ahem, Caleb.) Give Simon a fluffy ball and he'll play with it for hours and throw it for himself.

Yep. This dog is toy driven, just a bit! ;) I think if he ever discovered Flyball, he'd probably move out and go live with someone who did it on a regular basis. I know where I stand, heh!

Edit: Also, I am glad I am not the only one who has different names for toys in the house. Fluffy ball, Jolly Ball, Squirrel Ball, Football, "Don't you dare throw that in the house ball..."

32/52, 33/52 and a question...

32/52 "95 in the Shade."

Oh man, it was miserable here, whooch. Seattle is not meant to get to 95. It's against all nature. ;) So, new pool, since the dogs punched a hole in the old one, haha. Simon likes it because he can dive for his Wubba.


33/52 "Ferry Ride.."

Had to go across the water Friday for a trade show, so I dragged the dogs along with me. :) Simon and I went upstairs to shoot a few shots. As you can see, he's totally not paying attention to me hahah, he heard some people behind us stop and go "Oh! Look at the CUTE dog!" "What an adorable dog!" "EEE, I want to pet that dog!"

Yeah, he's totally not paying attention to me and hamming it up for those ladies. And their wonderful bag of potato chips. The little rotter knows instantly the "cute dog" tone and he is all ready to sit in someone else's lap and lick their face.



Running! Short little legs go!



(Also, I have to say, the fact that Simon's markings look like a map of the Americas crack me up. When he puts on a bit of weight, I go, "uh oh, buddy, your continents are drifting! Time to go jog more!")

Also, maybe someone can help me. Someone out there had a gorgeous grooming table with a Cardigan on it, and for the life of me, I can't remember who that was or if they made custom tables for folks. I actually not only wanted it for a grooming table, but for a temporary display table at work when we hold specials on products. Yep, I'm a multipurpose person, heh.

Busy, busy, busy...

Sure has been lately. I usually never bring things up like this but lately we've had a run of strange people at work. I have no idea if it's the moon, the weather, or financial issues, but I totally think I can sadly relate to the Jet Blue guy who deployed the emergency slide. Trust me this week's been one of these weeks where I just want to say, "Excuse me please," pop the slide, and scoot to freedom. I think I'd have this face on, too! ;)


I've had a lot of strange things go on in customer service, some funny, some sweet, but it's the ones like the customer who winged an unopened can of dog food at my head that give me great stories, but make me wonder if people realize in customer service, most of the time, if you say, "Please help, thank you?" most good customer service folks will bend over backwards to do just that. Common courtesy gets you a long way, really! *grin*

So, hey, have some dog photos to laugh at. Caleb gets some cute shots before I make him sad and toss him in the tub.






Oh, and a happy Riley, because he's lording it over us all as supreme Pembroke dictator. ;)

31/52 "Loungewear."

Simon and his dad watch football every single night together on the sofa. (Yep, we have NFL network here, mwahah. It's a routine they have, and it cracks me up.)

I loved that Simon's eyes and his dad's shorts were the same color, and wanted to sort of play with that a bit.

I've not done selective color before - usually my shots are straight out of the camera with minimal editing. This was sort of fun!