Today we took a break from the drama going on in Russia and a break from work and we drove up to the Hudson Valley to go apple picking. It was a beautiful day, Wonderdog got to come, and Boo had a great time running through the trees, picking one "perfect" apple after another, eating the best fresh mozzarella we've ever had and freshly cooked, still-hot donuts, and drinking "butter beer" (disguised as Boylans Cream Soda so Muggles wouldn't recognize it), listening to the band and playing with the bunnies.
It was awesome. I love being on a working farm. I love the Hudson Valley, which is where I went to college. And I was pleased that this farm is working toward becoming organic. They also have chickens who are allowed to graze under the apple trees, where they eat pests and (I imagine) enjoy themselves immensely. (They weren't out under the trees today, with the hundreds of city people flooding the orchard.) So we bought eggs, too, and they're blue on the inside!
Apple recipe #1 was apple/cheddar omelets that Hopper made for dinner. Apple recipe #2 is an apple crisp that I threw together after dinner. We're going to throw it into the oven while we watch Voyager, and when the episode is over, the crisp should be ready to come out of the oven. I have some heavy cream we can pour over it, too.
Tomorrow we're making baked apples (me), apple pie (Hopper) and probably I'll make at least one batch of applesauce since we have a bushel of apples and the apple peeler/corer/slicer is very easy to use, but hard to clean, so once it's out we like to process as many apples as we can. And I can probably send some applesauce home with my parents, who are coming over in the afternoon.
Apple picking is one of the reasons I love seasons.
Showing posts with label Wonderdog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wonderdog. Show all posts
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Conversations with Wonderdog
Wonderdog: Watcha doin'?
Me: I'm listening to the radio.
Wonderdog: You're in the car.
Me: Yup.
Wonderdog: You know what would make you really happy? If you came inside and pet the dog.
Me: I'm listening to the radio.
Wonderdog: You're in the car.
Me: Yup.
Wonderdog: You know what would make you really happy? If you came inside and pet the dog.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Rescue pets, part 2: Wonderdog
Anne Wheaton has inspired me to write my pets' adoption stories. Yesterday I wrote about Cat. You can check out Anne's tumblr, Rescue Pets Are Awesome, and you can donate to the Pasadena Humane Society through the Team Wheaton Page.
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Our sweet Darwin (pictured during a walk for BARC, where we adopted both him and Henrietta) Passed away less suddenly in 2010 after a long decline. When he passed, I was relieved that his suffering was at an end, but I missed having a dog terribly. I missed him specifically, but I also missed
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Our sweet Darwin (pictured during a walk for BARC, where we adopted both him and Henrietta) Passed away less suddenly in 2010 after a long decline. When he passed, I was relieved that his suffering was at an end, but I missed having a dog terribly. I missed him specifically, but I also missed
the routines of having a dog--walks, giving a biscuit when you walk out the door, having someone sleep on your feet while you watch TV. It wasn't like Henrietta's death, where I was so devastated that I couldn't imagine having another pet. I needed another pet.
I thought I'd start researching on Petfinder and give myself a few weeks to find the perfect dog. See, I had found out a year or so before Darwin passed that I'm mildly allergic to dogs and majorly allergic to dust mites, so we thought it would be good to get a dog that doesn't shed. Poodles and Doodles are popular, which means both that they're hard to get from rescues and always present at rescues.
But just a few days into my search I happened upon a litter of puppies at a foster care in Westchester, NY who appeared to be partially wirehair. There were eight of them, and I liked the idea of choosing a puppy from a litter so that I could choose the friendliest and calmest pup. However, we couldn't get to the rescue fair that weekend, and by the time our application was processed by the rescue organization, there were only two puppies left. I took a chance and called the foster.
This was the perfect foster mom, because she specialized in puppies. She had had about a hundred litters go through her house over the years, sometimes whelping the puppies there, sometimes taking in pups that were rescued elsewhere. These pups, she said, were unusually smart, already taking to house training at only eleven or twelve weeks old. And one of the two pups left, she said, was the friendliest and most laid back of the litter. Pretzel was the kind of pup you could do anything to. He didn't care as long as he was getting attention.
That sounded good to me, so we made an appointment to meet them. The rescue was over an hour from home, so we decided we'd all go. When we got there, I watched the pups play and I thought they were too energetic and aggressive. The foster dad said they were puppies. Hopper didn't see a problem. Boo said, "Please can we take one home?!" (Never bring your kid to look at puppies. Just don't do it.)
Sure enough, Pretzel came home with us.
Don't get me wrong, I love Wonderdog to death. He's just as smart and sweet as the foster lady said he was. And it's because of him that I've gotten into Obedience and joined a dog club. But he's just as assertive and energetic as I thought he was, and he's not the dog we wanted. Too bouncy by far. Very much a terrier.
But he couldn't be sweeter and we love having him around. I've never really bonded with a dog the way I've bonded with him. He's my buddy who would follow me everywhere if he could.
Rescue pets are awesome.
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| Wonderdog took first in his category, got a Companion Dog title, and was Highest Scoring Mixed Breed. Cat is unimpressed. |
Monday, September 16, 2013
Rescue pets, part 1: Cat
I've been really enjoying the new Tumblr by Anne Wheaton called Rescue Pets are Awesome. (If you keep your eyes peeled you might get to see Cat and Wonderdog one of these days.) It's inspired me to share my pets' adoption stories here. Cat gets to go first, because she's older.
It was the spring of 2006 and with the thaw came mice. As it turns out, this happens every year--the mice migrate or something and they appear for a couple of weeks and then move outside. But this was our first year without a cat in the house, so we were noticing it for the first time. My beloved Henrietta had died rather suddenly of liver cancer a year before, and although we briefly had a foster cat named Gary, the idea of adopting a new cat hadn't even entered my mind.
We tried everything humane that we could find. A live trap that I would set every night and Hopper would check every morning. If there were mice, he'd wake me up and I'd drive them to a nearby park and release them. One day we caught four! But after a while, the mice learned to avoid it, or we had caught all the dumb ones, or all the mice that liked oatmeal mixed with peanut butter.
We tried a sonar emitter, and that did nothing. One night, Hopper saw a mouse standing on the kitchen counter right in front of the device, not bothered at all. We didn't want to use poison because Boo was only three and we were afraid she'd get into it. I won't use kill traps, and those sticky traps give me the heebie-jeebies. We were at our wits' end.
"We should get a python," I said one evening. This has been a long-standing theory of mine. I think all offices should have pythons. They can fit in the walls, people aren't allergic to them, and they're not poisonous. They could humanely keep the rodent population down without using any kind of pollutant.
But Hopper pointed out that his mother is terrified of snakes, and he didn't really want to live with a loose python anyway. I stood in my kitchen and tried to think of another animal that eats mice. I thought and I thought.
When it finally occurred to me that cats make nice pets, I was shocked to realize what my brain had done to protect me from my grief over the loss of Henrietta. She had been my pet from the time I graduated college, and my bond with her was deep. For a long time, she was my immediate family, and getting over her death was hard. But surely it was ridiculous to let my house be infested with mice when the answer to the problem was so obvious.
So I proposed that we get a cat, and began to do my research.
This was a tricky problem, because we had a three year old child and a dog (Darwin) who was afraid of cats. Darwin had come to us from my parents because when they rescued him, they found that their cat wouldn't let him into their house. Hopper and I were planning to get a dog anyway and Henrietta loved dogs so we took Darwin in. But not every cat is as wise in the ways of dogs as Henrietta was. Henrietta had lived in a pet store and learned a great deal about dealing with dogs.
So it was important that I find a good foster rescue that would know their animals well. I found Angels of Animals and had several long e-mail exchanges with their director. She advised me to adopt a kitten, but I had sworn never to do that, so she found an adult cat that I could come visit.
When I got there, the cat in question hid under a cat tree. I sat down on the floor to wait her out, and a black kitten climbed into my lap. This kitten was so happy to see me, and so friendly, I couldn't believe it.
But, true to my word, I made arrangements to foster the older cat to see if she'd fit in at our house.
In the middle of the night, I woke Hopper up.
"I think we should adopt that kitten," I said. He was confused. "She's so friendly, she's just a mush. And that other cat will take a lot of work. I just don't have it in my heart right now. I need a cat that's going to MAKE me love her."
So we went and picked up the black kitten. She had lived in the foster home with a four year old boy, so she was undaunted by Boo. She was terrified of Darwin at first, and he of her. They lived parallel lives for the first few months: Cat on top of the bed, Darwin under it.
Eventually, they made peace with each other and even seemed to enjoy one another's company.
It took me a while to stop resenting Cat for not being Henrietta, but I got over it. Now, she's still a mush, loving human contact above all else, riding on our shoulders, sleeping on our bellies, and even tolerating Boo's magic tricks and costumes and whatever else she dreams up.
Anne Wheaton is right: rescue pets ARE awesome!
It was the spring of 2006 and with the thaw came mice. As it turns out, this happens every year--the mice migrate or something and they appear for a couple of weeks and then move outside. But this was our first year without a cat in the house, so we were noticing it for the first time. My beloved Henrietta had died rather suddenly of liver cancer a year before, and although we briefly had a foster cat named Gary, the idea of adopting a new cat hadn't even entered my mind.
We tried everything humane that we could find. A live trap that I would set every night and Hopper would check every morning. If there were mice, he'd wake me up and I'd drive them to a nearby park and release them. One day we caught four! But after a while, the mice learned to avoid it, or we had caught all the dumb ones, or all the mice that liked oatmeal mixed with peanut butter.
We tried a sonar emitter, and that did nothing. One night, Hopper saw a mouse standing on the kitchen counter right in front of the device, not bothered at all. We didn't want to use poison because Boo was only three and we were afraid she'd get into it. I won't use kill traps, and those sticky traps give me the heebie-jeebies. We were at our wits' end.
"We should get a python," I said one evening. This has been a long-standing theory of mine. I think all offices should have pythons. They can fit in the walls, people aren't allergic to them, and they're not poisonous. They could humanely keep the rodent population down without using any kind of pollutant.
But Hopper pointed out that his mother is terrified of snakes, and he didn't really want to live with a loose python anyway. I stood in my kitchen and tried to think of another animal that eats mice. I thought and I thought.
When it finally occurred to me that cats make nice pets, I was shocked to realize what my brain had done to protect me from my grief over the loss of Henrietta. She had been my pet from the time I graduated college, and my bond with her was deep. For a long time, she was my immediate family, and getting over her death was hard. But surely it was ridiculous to let my house be infested with mice when the answer to the problem was so obvious.
So I proposed that we get a cat, and began to do my research.
This was a tricky problem, because we had a three year old child and a dog (Darwin) who was afraid of cats. Darwin had come to us from my parents because when they rescued him, they found that their cat wouldn't let him into their house. Hopper and I were planning to get a dog anyway and Henrietta loved dogs so we took Darwin in. But not every cat is as wise in the ways of dogs as Henrietta was. Henrietta had lived in a pet store and learned a great deal about dealing with dogs.
So it was important that I find a good foster rescue that would know their animals well. I found Angels of Animals and had several long e-mail exchanges with their director. She advised me to adopt a kitten, but I had sworn never to do that, so she found an adult cat that I could come visit.
When I got there, the cat in question hid under a cat tree. I sat down on the floor to wait her out, and a black kitten climbed into my lap. This kitten was so happy to see me, and so friendly, I couldn't believe it.
But, true to my word, I made arrangements to foster the older cat to see if she'd fit in at our house.
In the middle of the night, I woke Hopper up.
"I think we should adopt that kitten," I said. He was confused. "She's so friendly, she's just a mush. And that other cat will take a lot of work. I just don't have it in my heart right now. I need a cat that's going to MAKE me love her."
So we went and picked up the black kitten. She had lived in the foster home with a four year old boy, so she was undaunted by Boo. She was terrified of Darwin at first, and he of her. They lived parallel lives for the first few months: Cat on top of the bed, Darwin under it.
Eventually, they made peace with each other and even seemed to enjoy one another's company.
It took me a while to stop resenting Cat for not being Henrietta, but I got over it. Now, she's still a mush, loving human contact above all else, riding on our shoulders, sleeping on our bellies, and even tolerating Boo's magic tricks and costumes and whatever else she dreams up.
Anne Wheaton is right: rescue pets ARE awesome!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Pets are the best
This morning I walked out of the rental house carrying Wonderdog's crate. Hopper followed carrying a suitcase, and Wonderdog squeezed through the door before anyone could stop him. He followed us and stood, pathetically, watching us put things into the car.
"Do you want to get packed?" I asked him. "You can be packed now." I opened the door to the back seat just as Hopper was closing the trunk. Wonderdog made an Indiana Jones leap, aiming to get into the trunk, and bounced off the tailgate. Then he figured out the plan and got into the back seat to wait for us to finish packing.
When we got back to our house, I crashed on the couch. The rental house evidently had a bad case of dust mites (based on my allergic reaction) and I'm pumped full of Claritin which hasn't done much for my mental state. As soon as I hit the couch, Cat climbed on my chest and settled down on my neck to purr. She had been alone all weekend, after all, except for the gerbil. Cat's been following us around ever since.
There's nobody in this world who's as happy to see me as my pets.
"Do you want to get packed?" I asked him. "You can be packed now." I opened the door to the back seat just as Hopper was closing the trunk. Wonderdog made an Indiana Jones leap, aiming to get into the trunk, and bounced off the tailgate. Then he figured out the plan and got into the back seat to wait for us to finish packing.
When we got back to our house, I crashed on the couch. The rental house evidently had a bad case of dust mites (based on my allergic reaction) and I'm pumped full of Claritin which hasn't done much for my mental state. As soon as I hit the couch, Cat climbed on my chest and settled down on my neck to purr. She had been alone all weekend, after all, except for the gerbil. Cat's been following us around ever since.
There's nobody in this world who's as happy to see me as my pets.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Shade Walk
I've been trying to exercise more recently, and this heat is making it hard. So this morning I took Wonderdog on a Shade Walk.
Rules for a Shade Walk
1. Get your dog and go for a walk.
2. When you come to an intersection, choose the shadier route.
Exceptions
*If you are carrying a bag of dog poop, you may choose the route that takes you to the nearest public trash can. (Always clean up after your pets!)
*When you're done, just plan the shadiest route home you can think of and take it.
Wonderdog and I used this method and took about a 40-minute walk. That's a lot more than either of us has had recently (well, since Thursday) and it was already pretty roasty by the time we dropped Boo off at camp. At least this way he'll be able to get by with just two little "business" walks in the afternoon and evening. We don't want our Wonderdog to get heat stroke.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Ten Reasons Dogs are Better Than Children
1. They are always happy to see you.
2. They never talk back.
3. They enjoy being trained.
4. They sleep through the night by 3 months old, and are potty trained by 6 months old.
5. You can leave them alone in the house.
6. Or put them in a crate.
7. They never complain about the food you made them.
8. You can smother them all you want without worrying they'll grow up emotionally stunted.
9. They clean up food you spill.
10. They don't go to camp.
I miss Boo. Hopefully she's having a great time. Hopper and I are watching obscene amounts of Doctor Who already. It doesn't bode well for our productivity this week.
2. They never talk back.
3. They enjoy being trained.
4. They sleep through the night by 3 months old, and are potty trained by 6 months old.
5. You can leave them alone in the house.
6. Or put them in a crate.
7. They never complain about the food you made them.
8. You can smother them all you want without worrying they'll grow up emotionally stunted.
9. They clean up food you spill.
10. They don't go to camp.
I miss Boo. Hopefully she's having a great time. Hopper and I are watching obscene amounts of Doctor Who already. It doesn't bode well for our productivity this week.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
A long day of hoeing
Chalk up another active day with Boo and Wonderdog for me! We prepared the garden today (mostly) and we're trying living mulch this year. Basically, we're planting a carpet of lettuce, arugula, mesclun and basil all over the garden.
Preparing the garden is always a lot of work, but it was fun today. Boo was building fairy houses, Hopper was destroying the roots of weeds, and I was planting the living mulch. Meanwhile, Wonderdog was enjoying just being outside with the family. He didn't even get a walk today and yet he's sacked out on the couch, totally exhausted from all the fun he had.
I'm really excited to see what grows from all the seeds I planted today, if anything. It's a risk--the planting date around here is May 15th--but it's a small risk. We spent about $9 on seeds today.
Tomorrow when I finish the job I'll take some "before" pictures so that you can enjoy my garden along with us!
Preparing the garden is always a lot of work, but it was fun today. Boo was building fairy houses, Hopper was destroying the roots of weeds, and I was planting the living mulch. Meanwhile, Wonderdog was enjoying just being outside with the family. He didn't even get a walk today and yet he's sacked out on the couch, totally exhausted from all the fun he had.
I'm really excited to see what grows from all the seeds I planted today, if anything. It's a risk--the planting date around here is May 15th--but it's a small risk. We spent about $9 on seeds today.
Tomorrow when I finish the job I'll take some "before" pictures so that you can enjoy my garden along with us!
Monday, April 8, 2013
Update
I took Wonderdog on a nice, long walk with Hopper today AND I played in the park (frisbee and soccer) with Boo today.
And this is my second blog post.
Take THAT, resolutions!
Also--beautiful spring day today. Huzzah!
And this is my second blog post.
Take THAT, resolutions!
Also--beautiful spring day today. Huzzah!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Hiking with Wonderdog!
I've just been checking out Frogman's website and I've decided my page will be more successful if I include more pictures of Wonderdog. And so, without further ado, here are some pictures from our hike last week:
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| King of the mountain! |
 |
| What? |
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| Why are we stopping? I don't like stopping. |
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| We had to portage him over some of the streams. |
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| That's not Wonderdog--that's a bear! |
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Conversations With Cat and Wonderdog
Cat: Hi.
Me: Hi, Cat!
Cat: Whatcha doin'?
Me: I'm framing Wonderdog's awards. It's kind of tricky work because if I don't do it exactly right the certificate won't fit in the frame, so I'm being VERY CAREFUL.
Cat: I'll help by walking on them!
Me: Aaaaaaaaargh!
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Me: Look, Wonderdog! I'm hanging up our award certificates that we got because you're such a smart dog!
Wonderdog: I like to be around when you do stuff.
Me: See, first I hold up the frame to see where I want to put the nail.
Me: Then I hold up the nail and hammer it in.
Wonderdog: Alert! Alert! I hear knocking! Someone's at the door! Guard dog on the case! Alert!
Me: SUCH a smart dog. [sigh]
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Cat: Whatcha doing now?
Me: I'm knitting.
Cat: How 'bout I sit on your face?
Me: Murmur murmur can't see.
Cat: No good? I'll sit on your shoulder!
Me: What are you, a parrot?
Cat: Purrrrrrr.....
Me: Hi, Cat!
Cat: Whatcha doin'?
Me: I'm framing Wonderdog's awards. It's kind of tricky work because if I don't do it exactly right the certificate won't fit in the frame, so I'm being VERY CAREFUL.
Cat: I'll help by walking on them!
Me: Aaaaaaaaargh!
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Me: Look, Wonderdog! I'm hanging up our award certificates that we got because you're such a smart dog!
Wonderdog: I like to be around when you do stuff.
Me: See, first I hold up the frame to see where I want to put the nail.
Me: Then I hold up the nail and hammer it in.
Wonderdog: Alert! Alert! I hear knocking! Someone's at the door! Guard dog on the case! Alert!
Me: SUCH a smart dog. [sigh]
----------------------------
Cat: Whatcha doing now?
Me: I'm knitting.
Cat: How 'bout I sit on your face?
Me: Murmur murmur can't see.
Cat: No good? I'll sit on your shoulder!
Me: What are you, a parrot?
Cat: Purrrrrrr.....
Sunday, March 31, 2013
The day is looking up!
I'm always hearing jokes about New Jersey being one long highway, or full of pollution, or only good for malls and diners. To the people who make those jokes, I'd just like to say:
We had an amazing hike today at Norvin Green State Forest. I had never been there before, but I found it online, it's only 35 minutes from our house and the description looked good. It was better than good. Boo kept saying it was the best hike we'd ever been on, and she's been hiking quite a bit for a suburban nine-year-old. There were rocks to climb, views, streams to rock-hop across, and places where Boo and Wonderdog could run. We had a picnic lunch in a big rocky place surrounded by trees, and a snack with this view:
We did have to portage Wonderdog across a couple of streams, but it was worth it:
On our way back to our car, we saw a black bear, but we weren't able to get a good picture. We were just as interested in staying away from it as it was interested in staying away from us.
When I said I wanted to do more active things with Boo and Wonderdog, this is just what I meant. Here's to many more!
We had an amazing hike today at Norvin Green State Forest. I had never been there before, but I found it online, it's only 35 minutes from our house and the description looked good. It was better than good. Boo kept saying it was the best hike we'd ever been on, and she's been hiking quite a bit for a suburban nine-year-old. There were rocks to climb, views, streams to rock-hop across, and places where Boo and Wonderdog could run. We had a picnic lunch in a big rocky place surrounded by trees, and a snack with this view:
We did have to portage Wonderdog across a couple of streams, but it was worth it:
On our way back to our car, we saw a black bear, but we weren't able to get a good picture. We were just as interested in staying away from it as it was interested in staying away from us.
When I said I wanted to do more active things with Boo and Wonderdog, this is just what I meant. Here's to many more!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Highs and Lows
Today, Wonderdog and I had our first AKC Rally Trial. Since I've never done Rally before, I entered Rally Novice A. I was nervous all day, partly because it was new, partly because there are variables out of my control in any Trial (like the course set by the judge or some dog getting loose and running into the ring while I'm in it), and partly because this was my club's show and I was also Stewarding in another ring and there were lots of logistics that had to work out.
In the end, I got to the show on time, Hopper arrived with Wonderdog and Boo before the Rally judge came back from her lunch break, and there was only one spot in the course that looked tricky to me. I worked with Wonderdog on a few of the signs I thought might confuse him, and I was ready to go.
A friend who was watching said that I looked really nervous until we got into the ring, and then both of us relaxed and performed just like we do in class. The judge said, "I hope you were happy with that performance!" I was.
When it was time to hand out the ribbons, I found out that I had not only the highest score of the day (98/100) but also the fastest time. Both my teachers were watching (and they told me what my two mistakes were) Boo was so proud of Wonderdog, and we got a BIG bowl of biscuits to give to him along with a beautiful first place rosette.
A while later after Hopper had taken Wonderdog and Boo home, I was helping with cleanup and I saw my judge.
"I wanted to say thank you," I told her. "It meant a lot to do well for you because Wonderdog failed to qualify under you in Obedience last summer."
"It was my pleasure," she replied.
And then....
"Do you have an Obedience title?"
"Yes. Wonderdog has his CD."
"Oh. That will invalidate today's result. If you have an Obedience title, you should compete in the B group, not the A group."
I felt like I had fallen into a hole. The judge was so kind--she was just disappointed for me, not angry or critical. But Wonderdog did so well today, and the thought of it being invalidated...
"People register in the wrong class all the time," said an onlooker. "Lots of times the AKC doesn't even notice."
"True," said the judge. "But you may get a letter and then you'll have to send your ribbon back. At least you'll know for next time. Some good will come of this."
And she was gone.
I still have my beautiful rosette and huge bowl of biscuits. I'm not sure if anyone will ask for them back. I don't really want the score to count, because it isn't fair to the other competitors.
Also, I feel like an idiot.
In the end, I got to the show on time, Hopper arrived with Wonderdog and Boo before the Rally judge came back from her lunch break, and there was only one spot in the course that looked tricky to me. I worked with Wonderdog on a few of the signs I thought might confuse him, and I was ready to go.
A friend who was watching said that I looked really nervous until we got into the ring, and then both of us relaxed and performed just like we do in class. The judge said, "I hope you were happy with that performance!" I was.
When it was time to hand out the ribbons, I found out that I had not only the highest score of the day (98/100) but also the fastest time. Both my teachers were watching (and they told me what my two mistakes were) Boo was so proud of Wonderdog, and we got a BIG bowl of biscuits to give to him along with a beautiful first place rosette.
A while later after Hopper had taken Wonderdog and Boo home, I was helping with cleanup and I saw my judge.
"I wanted to say thank you," I told her. "It meant a lot to do well for you because Wonderdog failed to qualify under you in Obedience last summer."
"It was my pleasure," she replied.
And then....
"Do you have an Obedience title?"
"Yes. Wonderdog has his CD."
"Oh. That will invalidate today's result. If you have an Obedience title, you should compete in the B group, not the A group."
I felt like I had fallen into a hole. The judge was so kind--she was just disappointed for me, not angry or critical. But Wonderdog did so well today, and the thought of it being invalidated...
"People register in the wrong class all the time," said an onlooker. "Lots of times the AKC doesn't even notice."
"True," said the judge. "But you may get a letter and then you'll have to send your ribbon back. At least you'll know for next time. Some good will come of this."
And she was gone.
I still have my beautiful rosette and huge bowl of biscuits. I'm not sure if anyone will ask for them back. I don't really want the score to count, because it isn't fair to the other competitors.
Also, I feel like an idiot.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Settling in
I cannot believe how tired I still am from the move this weekend. I don't know if it's the physical work, because I'm so out of shape, or the stress of causing disorder in my house, but either way I'm SO TIRED.
On the plus side, Boo is still incredibly happy. She gleefully took her homework up to her room to use her "desk" this afternoon. At bedtime, Cat curled up on Boo's bed, and Boo requested that we leave her there when we turned off the light. Cat will need to be moved in a few minutes when we bring Wonderdog up for the night because Boo has a gerbil in her room, and Wonderdog cannot contain his excitement when he encounters the gerbil. We're not sure whether Wonderdog wants to eat the gerbil or play with him, but either way, I don't feel like dealing with a howling, dancing dog in the middle of the night. It's easier to close Boo's door to keep Wonderdog away from the gerbil, and Cat won't appreciate being locked in all night, so we'll let her out of Boo's room before we close the door.
*The gerbil is safely contained in a fish tank. Wonderdog cannot get into the tank to hurt the gerbil, and the gerbil seems to know this--although he used to be afraid of Wonderdog, he is not bothered by him anymore. So no harm will come to the gerbil.
Getting to fall asleep with not one, but two pets in her room is a new treat for Boo and she seems to be enjoying it.
Hopper and I still have a lot of work to do on the new family room, but we made some more progress today. I have learned over many moves that the secret of success is to do something every day, even if it's only to empty one box. Momentum is key.
As our friend Wilkinson used to say, "Onward!"
On the plus side, Boo is still incredibly happy. She gleefully took her homework up to her room to use her "desk" this afternoon. At bedtime, Cat curled up on Boo's bed, and Boo requested that we leave her there when we turned off the light. Cat will need to be moved in a few minutes when we bring Wonderdog up for the night because Boo has a gerbil in her room, and Wonderdog cannot contain his excitement when he encounters the gerbil. We're not sure whether Wonderdog wants to eat the gerbil or play with him, but either way, I don't feel like dealing with a howling, dancing dog in the middle of the night. It's easier to close Boo's door to keep Wonderdog away from the gerbil, and Cat won't appreciate being locked in all night, so we'll let her out of Boo's room before we close the door.
*The gerbil is safely contained in a fish tank. Wonderdog cannot get into the tank to hurt the gerbil, and the gerbil seems to know this--although he used to be afraid of Wonderdog, he is not bothered by him anymore. So no harm will come to the gerbil.
Getting to fall asleep with not one, but two pets in her room is a new treat for Boo and she seems to be enjoying it.
Hopper and I still have a lot of work to do on the new family room, but we made some more progress today. I have learned over many moves that the secret of success is to do something every day, even if it's only to empty one box. Momentum is key.
As our friend Wilkinson used to say, "Onward!"
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wonderdog's Origin Story
My neighbor just adopted a puppy and it got me thinking of Wonderdog and his origin story.
Our previous dog died on a Wednesday in July. By Friday, I couldn't take the quiet in the house, and I had done the math and realized that we either had to get a dog right away or wait until September or so. And I found myself on Petfinder.com constantly.
It was Saturday morning that I found the litter: 8 puppies in Westchester, with various degrees of wirehair. I applied to meet the puppies and continued my search.
Over the next few days, I found (and met) several eligible dogs and puppies. We went to an ill-fated rescue fair where none of the dogs seemed to be really available. My mom and I met some adorable Cockapoos who were in an odd rescue situation where a woman seemed to be enabling a puppy mill. And I had long talks with volunteers from various rescue groups.
Then we got the call: there were still 3 puppies available from the wirehair litter, and we had been approved. I called the woman who was fostering the pups, and she said that Pretzel was the one for us: he was friendly, adaptable, and smart, and the kind of dog that just loved attention and didn't care what you did to him.
Like a fool, I decided that the three of us should go look at the puppies. When we got there, the woman I had spoken to was out and her husband seemed to know very little about the dogs in his care. But he let us play with them. Pretzel was adorable, but a bit assertive for my taste, and way too energetic. Hopper saw no problem. Boo saw only puppies. Pretzel became Wonderdog.
He's a great dog, and I love him to death and have bonded with him thoroughly. But he has way too much energy and is too assertive. (He also will do anything for attention and will let you do anything to him.) Because he was so smart, it became clear that he would need a job or he would find his own occupation and it would be destroying our house. I signed him up for a class at a dog club that offered training for therapy dogs--I thought it would be good to combine occupying the dog with a little volunteer work for me.
We never got to therapy. Honestly, Wonderdog is still too bouncy to be trusted around people in nursing homes. Maybe someday. In the meantime, we found Obedience and Wonderdog has earned two titles. Although we're still working on the bouncing, he is the best-trained dog I've ever had.
But my next dog is going to be super mellow. The kind of dog that never moves off the couch.
Yeah--that'll happen.
Our previous dog died on a Wednesday in July. By Friday, I couldn't take the quiet in the house, and I had done the math and realized that we either had to get a dog right away or wait until September or so. And I found myself on Petfinder.com constantly.
It was Saturday morning that I found the litter: 8 puppies in Westchester, with various degrees of wirehair. I applied to meet the puppies and continued my search.
Over the next few days, I found (and met) several eligible dogs and puppies. We went to an ill-fated rescue fair where none of the dogs seemed to be really available. My mom and I met some adorable Cockapoos who were in an odd rescue situation where a woman seemed to be enabling a puppy mill. And I had long talks with volunteers from various rescue groups.
Then we got the call: there were still 3 puppies available from the wirehair litter, and we had been approved. I called the woman who was fostering the pups, and she said that Pretzel was the one for us: he was friendly, adaptable, and smart, and the kind of dog that just loved attention and didn't care what you did to him.
Like a fool, I decided that the three of us should go look at the puppies. When we got there, the woman I had spoken to was out and her husband seemed to know very little about the dogs in his care. But he let us play with them. Pretzel was adorable, but a bit assertive for my taste, and way too energetic. Hopper saw no problem. Boo saw only puppies. Pretzel became Wonderdog.
He's a great dog, and I love him to death and have bonded with him thoroughly. But he has way too much energy and is too assertive. (He also will do anything for attention and will let you do anything to him.) Because he was so smart, it became clear that he would need a job or he would find his own occupation and it would be destroying our house. I signed him up for a class at a dog club that offered training for therapy dogs--I thought it would be good to combine occupying the dog with a little volunteer work for me.
We never got to therapy. Honestly, Wonderdog is still too bouncy to be trusted around people in nursing homes. Maybe someday. In the meantime, we found Obedience and Wonderdog has earned two titles. Although we're still working on the bouncing, he is the best-trained dog I've ever had.
But my next dog is going to be super mellow. The kind of dog that never moves off the couch.
Yeah--that'll happen.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Conversations with Cat and Wonderdog
Cat: Hi!
Me: I was writing in that.
Cat: Can I help?
Me: I can't actually see the checkbook when you sit on it.
Cat: I'm helping!
Me: But...
Cat: HELPING!
(Later)
Me: What's wrong with my yarn? It's stuck. Almost like someone's pulling on it.
Cat: I'm helping!
Me: Wonderdog, why are you biting Cat's head...while you're both on top of me...while I'm trying to knit?
Wonderdog: I'm helping too!
Me: I was writing in that.
Cat: Can I help?
Me: I can't actually see the checkbook when you sit on it.
Cat: I'm helping!
Me: But...
Cat: HELPING!
(Later)
Me: What's wrong with my yarn? It's stuck. Almost like someone's pulling on it.
Cat: I'm helping!
Me: Wonderdog, why are you biting Cat's head...while you're both on top of me...while I'm trying to knit?
Wonderdog: I'm helping too!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Observations
Cat is on my right, curled into a ball with her head upside down and tucked on top of her feet and tail. I can just see her tongue peeking out between her teeth. Then she squeezes more tightly, shudders and pulls a paw over her face to shut out the light.
Wonderdog is on my left, four paws stretched out in a bunch like a Wookiee being carried by Ewoks, yet totally relaxed, his chest moving up and down with each breath, his ear flopped over his eye, and his nose dropping down into the blanket he's lying on.
Hopper, on the other hand, is scrunched up in his recliner with his laptop perched on his lap, his hands curled up to work the keyboard, his shoulders hunched: the picture of tension.
Animals win.
Wonderdog is on my left, four paws stretched out in a bunch like a Wookiee being carried by Ewoks, yet totally relaxed, his chest moving up and down with each breath, his ear flopped over his eye, and his nose dropping down into the blanket he's lying on.
Hopper, on the other hand, is scrunched up in his recliner with his laptop perched on his lap, his hands curled up to work the keyboard, his shoulders hunched: the picture of tension.
Animals win.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Dog School
Dog school re-opened yesterday after being closed by damage from Hurricane Sandy. Wonderdog and I do AKC Obedience together. At present, we're training in Rally, which is a separate discipline, but related to Obedience. You can read about it here.
From the time I took out the treat bag to fill it, Wonderdog knew where we were going. He perked up and followed my every motion to make sure he didn't miss anything. I put on his harness, strapped him into his seatbelt, and we were on our way.
When we got there, he wanted to sniff every inch of the property (it's a small property--the work is done indoors) and when we got inside he was literally vibrating with excitement. Being a terrier, he squealed and wimpered, too. It reached the point that I had to hold him on my lap to keep him quiet and calm. At 23 pounds, Wonderdog does fit on my lap, but he looks pretty funny when he's there.
Our Obedience classes usually began with group heeling, so all the dogs were on the floor together and walking, so they had a chance to calm down a bit, but Rally doesn't work that way. Rally basically consists of a dog and handler team heeling through an obstacle course of sorts. It's not like Agility, which you've probably seen on TV. Agility is the one where the dogs go up a ramp, through a tunnel and over a teeter-totter. The Rally course is all on the floor, but the dog needs to heel (walk beside the handler) while the handler walks around in circles, in figure 8's, and stops and starts. It's all about whether the dog can pay attention to the handler and stick with her no matter what she does.
Wonderdog wanted to smell the floor.
We were the second class of the day, and people had dropped treats. Of course, no dog would leave a whole treat on the floor, but sometimes they forget a crumb or two. And Wonderdog's nose can find every crumb in the place. All I had to do was get his attention.
So goes the challenge of dog school. I work hard through the whole class to keep Wonderdog's attention. Wonderdog works hard through the whole class to contain his excitement. After all, in addition to the occasional treat crumb, there are five other dogs in the room, and two in the office waiting for the teachers.
Boy are we glad to be back!
From the time I took out the treat bag to fill it, Wonderdog knew where we were going. He perked up and followed my every motion to make sure he didn't miss anything. I put on his harness, strapped him into his seatbelt, and we were on our way.
When we got there, he wanted to sniff every inch of the property (it's a small property--the work is done indoors) and when we got inside he was literally vibrating with excitement. Being a terrier, he squealed and wimpered, too. It reached the point that I had to hold him on my lap to keep him quiet and calm. At 23 pounds, Wonderdog does fit on my lap, but he looks pretty funny when he's there.
Our Obedience classes usually began with group heeling, so all the dogs were on the floor together and walking, so they had a chance to calm down a bit, but Rally doesn't work that way. Rally basically consists of a dog and handler team heeling through an obstacle course of sorts. It's not like Agility, which you've probably seen on TV. Agility is the one where the dogs go up a ramp, through a tunnel and over a teeter-totter. The Rally course is all on the floor, but the dog needs to heel (walk beside the handler) while the handler walks around in circles, in figure 8's, and stops and starts. It's all about whether the dog can pay attention to the handler and stick with her no matter what she does.
Wonderdog wanted to smell the floor.
We were the second class of the day, and people had dropped treats. Of course, no dog would leave a whole treat on the floor, but sometimes they forget a crumb or two. And Wonderdog's nose can find every crumb in the place. All I had to do was get his attention.
So goes the challenge of dog school. I work hard through the whole class to keep Wonderdog's attention. Wonderdog works hard through the whole class to contain his excitement. After all, in addition to the occasional treat crumb, there are five other dogs in the room, and two in the office waiting for the teachers.
Boy are we glad to be back!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Resolutions, 'cause what did you expect?
Here are my New Year's Resolutions:
1) Write every day, even if it's just a short piece, or a conversation with my pets. I'm not promising it will always be good, but I'm really going to try to write every day, because it makes me feel good, and sometimes, like with the adoption pieces I wrote this week, it helps me sort out some important stuff. Please check in often, and tell your friends because it's a lot more fun to write when you feel like someone is reading what you've written.
2) Fight for what's important. For me, that's women's rights, especially sexual freedom, and the rights of children, which this year I think will focus on gun control and education. And, of course, Russian adoption. Not only are these things that mean a lot to me, they are things I might be able to impact through my writing. I hope you'll fight with me.
3) Take care of myself. We all need to exercise more and eat better. I'll try to do that, but I'm specifically going to try to do more fun, active things that involve Boo and Wonderdog. The only way I'll keep exercising is if it's fun, and having Boo and/or Wonderdog along makes most things more fun. Plus, I'll feel extra-good if I'm taking good care of my dog and teaching Boo good habits. And hopefully, doing fun and interesting things will provide me with fun, interesting things to write about. Bonus!
I think that's enough for one year, and soon Hopper will be home with our New Year's Eve sushi. Happy New Year, everyone! May 2013 be a productive, peaceful and healthy year for us all.
1) Write every day, even if it's just a short piece, or a conversation with my pets. I'm not promising it will always be good, but I'm really going to try to write every day, because it makes me feel good, and sometimes, like with the adoption pieces I wrote this week, it helps me sort out some important stuff. Please check in often, and tell your friends because it's a lot more fun to write when you feel like someone is reading what you've written.
2) Fight for what's important. For me, that's women's rights, especially sexual freedom, and the rights of children, which this year I think will focus on gun control and education. And, of course, Russian adoption. Not only are these things that mean a lot to me, they are things I might be able to impact through my writing. I hope you'll fight with me.
3) Take care of myself. We all need to exercise more and eat better. I'll try to do that, but I'm specifically going to try to do more fun, active things that involve Boo and Wonderdog. The only way I'll keep exercising is if it's fun, and having Boo and/or Wonderdog along makes most things more fun. Plus, I'll feel extra-good if I'm taking good care of my dog and teaching Boo good habits. And hopefully, doing fun and interesting things will provide me with fun, interesting things to write about. Bonus!
I think that's enough for one year, and soon Hopper will be home with our New Year's Eve sushi. Happy New Year, everyone! May 2013 be a productive, peaceful and healthy year for us all.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Working...
I'm working on a piece that isn't done. In the meantime, here's a picture of Cat and Wonderdog:
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