Raining dogs at Fiesta

Today was a perfect day for a walk in the rain.
The weather is a far cry from Monday's triple digits.
Today we had rain, thunder, and lightning.
I went to Fiesta Island with my friends Cindy and Renee, and their dogs.

It was Roxy's first visit to the beach!
One of my favorite things is seeing the kind of joy the beach brings to dogs--there's nothing like it


Duke


Rudy

Bella

I just finished dog sitting at a little beach cottage, for long-term friends.
The house and garden are comfortable and familiar, as are the three old dogs and the three cats.
But they have a new kid on the block too--she's almost four months old.
Isn't she sweet?

Playing with the boys

Dylan's new toy


Reese is foam boy at the beach, wind in his ears

Scenes from my life

Snapshots from the last couple of weeks

Some days are tough ;)


Fiesta Island right before the flowers bloom


Dog Beach Del Mar with the three boys


The simple joys of life (like rolling in sand)


Fireplace by the sea...
inspiration...


Cute kitchen


Stamped concrete


Leroy

More Doggies

Amigo


Mick


Brody


Rudy


Dukie and Reesie with silly faces

Salmon Cookies

I usually give my doggie clients something for Christmas.
My favorite doggies (the dogs I watch the most) get treats and toys.
Some just get treats, some just get a toy.
Sometimes I'll make up gift bags of treats and rawhide candy canes or something.

This year, to go along with my homemade rope toys, I made homemade treats--I made oatmeal cookies.
Well, kind-of.
Oat cookies with eggs and salmon.

Those of you who know me well are cocking your head right now and saying, "huh?"
You see, I loathe seafood.
I won't touch seafood.
If I go out to dinner with you, I hope and pray you don't order fish.
Seafood just grosses me out.

I once had a boyfriend cook fish sticks on my cookie sheet, and I would never use that cookie sheet again.
It was tainted.
I gave it to him.
Just sayin'.

But for the sake of my doggies, tonight I molded canned salmon into balls, flattened them with my very own hands, and baked them on my cookie sheets (okay, I used parchment paper. But still).
Pretty darned cool if you ask me.

I got the recipe from Get Some Hairapy!

This photo is about the cutest thing I've ever seen, so I had to share.

It's from White on Rice Couple.
They have a recipe for Flax Seed Dog Biscuits I plan to try (pictured).
And a Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit recipe with about the cutest doggie Christmas card ever, so go take a peek.

Two Boys

Stole this pic off their mom's Facebook, because
I love it (and them) so.
The Reesie and the Dylan.
(click image to enlarge...Flickr doesn't size them well)

Pillow Repair...aka, the dog ate my pillow

Sometimes Reese and Dylan's mom asks me to stop by when she and her husband have long work days, so the boys won't be alone, and so they can play.
Recently, I walked into their house and burst out laughing--
feathers were everywhere.
Far worse than these photos captured

Reese is about the best dog on the planet, but sometimes the temptation to chew things is just too great.
He has destroyed a brand new comforter, a remote control, pillows, etc.
On this day, he chose one of the silk pillows his parents brought back from Thailand.
Oooh, not good.

I decided to repair it for them.

Before, there were two matching pillows on this couchOn the damaged pillow, one corner was completely ripped off, the fabric a shred on the floor.
I cut the pillow down below the ripped portion, and saved any scraps.
I removed the liner pillow, dumped out all the feathers, re-stitched and refilled it
I see repeating circles often in Asian designs, so I used any scraps to cover the bite marks with two sizes of circles.
I concentrated on turning the grain lines so the light would hit the circles differently than the background.
I also concentrated on balancing the size and placement of the circles and rectangles.
Now this travel souvenir still matches its partner, it's just a bit smaller
(click on images to enlarge)

Some of the best joys in the life are the simple ones:
a hot shower after a day at the beach, yummy coffee and good conversation, laughing so hard no sound comes out.

And getting snail mail.
Especially when that mail is a surprise, and a 'thinking of you'.

Today I opened up my mailbox to find this adorable book from Cindy.
It's filled with photos of cute doggies and inspirational sayings--it's awesome.
What a treat!
Thank you so so much!

I also spent time today with this handsome boy

We frolicked at Dog Beach this afternoon.

Then I came home to find a mound of dirt where yesterday I had zinnia seedlings coming up.
Whaaattt????

Uh oh, Mr. Gopher discovered my garden.

I installed a mole chaser.
It's a tube that you bury into the ground.
It holds four D-cell batteries and chirps every 30 seconds or so.
I have no idea if it will work, but the sound is audible even to me, and it's annoying, so I figure gophers have their paws over their little ears in their new home underneath my plants.
I intend to make that home uninviting.
I hope so anyway.

Move right along little buggers.
I don't want to kill them (I just can't), but I would like to have them find weeds on the hillside or something to eat.
Last week they demolished two of my mom's green peppers, a Dalia, mums, and Babianas.
The roots/bulbs were just gone...nothing.
Little shits.

Sigh...
I full-on believe in co-existing, but it's still irritating.
Mr. Snail and Mr. Grasshopper give me enough headaches.
(the daughter of one of my clients, with a ladybug)

For the love of Reese

It's pretty normal for me to get attached to the dogs I watch.
But not like this.
I would give up my business in a heartbeat if I could call this dog my own.

This is Reese (isn't that a cute name for a chocolate and peanut butter-colored doggie?).
We took a little trip to Fiesta Island.
That's the Sea World Tower in the background.


I just love him.
He's part pit, and I think part chow (he has a blue tongue).
And he is sooo sweet, and sooo smart.


I'm not sure of his history, but I think he was in foster care.
His new owners have only had him two months.
I have never met his owners--have only talked to them on the phone.
They left their apartment open for me to get the key (that's how good my references are).

But I didn't anticipate this guy stealing my heart.
I wasn't available to sit him the entire time they needed me, as I was booked elsewhere.
So I had to drop him off at a doggie daycare/kennel.
I cried.
I called the staff an hour later to make sure he was playing (they must have thought I was nuts).
I'm secretly fantasizing his owners won't be able to keep him...

Dog Days

I love being a pet sitter.
Usually I just watch dogs, but sometimes it's also cats (once in awhile I get a rat, hermit crabs, a turtle...).
I take lots of trips to the beach, and I'm surrounded daily by smiling doggie faces.
Dogs are all about sleeping, eating, and playing--a pretty good take on life, I say.

Some of my clients:
(these are all cell phone pics
click on the images to enlarge if you want to)

Rudy and Mandy
Mandy is his grandma.


Ronnie
Part Ibithan Hound, part Great Dane.
The cuteness factor is off the scale!


Hey, where am I gonna sleep?
I had to share sleeping arrangements with three black labs and a beagle.
My pleasure.


Bella
A German Shepard mix who is smart as smart can be.
She's a character.


Rocky
Looking out the window of the vet's office while we waited our turn.
He doesn't like a lot of people, but he dances when he sees me.


And I have the most pictures of Duke because I watch him more often than any other.
Too, he's just so cute (duh).
Duke, Itchy, and Scratchy sleeping on the sofa


Swimming with Duke in the family pool (I love this photo!)


Fiesta Island


Dog Beach, Del Mar