Showing posts with label Shelite Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shelite Blog. Show all posts

Monday, June 22, 2020

Look Who Learned about the Front Yard


It has bothered Mom for years that bunnies don't seem to learn. There is plentiful clover in the front lawn that they seem to love and the front lawn is not fenced for dogs so we can't play with them. Certainly there are hazards for wild animals everywhere but the front yard offers more hiding places than the back where bunnies seem to see it as some kind of American Ninja Bunny course. You get clover if you win and potential death or bodily harm if you don't make the safe zone with your amazing leap. Some have paid the ultimate price for being too slow, not making the right obstacle choice, etc. This brings us back to why Mom gets so frustrated that they won't stay either in the front yard or in the yards that don't have pets.

So, she happily took this picture to show one with at least a moment of sense. It decided to go for the easy clover. No ninja practice today.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Wordless Wednesday: Sharing a Private Moment



These days Katy and I can't even cuddle without Mom thinking she has to catch a picture. She thought I'd just sit quietly but I gave her the dirty look.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Not Our Latest Storm



This actually happened on April 6th but Mom never got around to downloading the pictures so she could put them on our blog.  We actually had ice this weekend.  Not nearly as much fun as snow and we just looked wet and sad rather than happy snow dogs, so no pictures of that.


Mom loved that I just sat down like I was having a day at the beach. I was quite comfortable and she eventually had to call me in because she didn't want me out in the cold and damp for too long.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

A Delayed April Fool's Joke


Saturday I was sitting here on the last snow desperately trying to hold on to the last of our precious snow cookies. Mom thought it was cute and had to shoot pictures of my attempts to hold on to the last bit of cooling tasty snow. We had a beautiful warm day on Easter and Mom had visions of tulips, irises, and lilies coming up and blooming. Well little did she know Annie and I had other plans. Monday morning beautiful tasty snow began to fall and we have a yard of snow cookies again. Dog Dad says Spring snow doesn't last long, but he didn't expect we'd get more snow today, so we have hopes for long term Spring snow cookies.






Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Bailey's Anniversary


It is hard to believe it was a year ago that we lost Bailey. He was such an important part of our lives for 13 years and then he was gone.

My DH had never had a dog growing up and you couldn't have asked for a more perfect first dog than Bailey. It is unusual to get a purebred puppy from a breed rescue, but over the years I just came to believe Bailey was meant to be a member of our family. The route just had a couple of extra stops until he made it to us. He was gentle, sweet, kind, and his mischief was manageable especially after we all enrolled in obedience school to learn that cuteness does not excuse bad behavior.


Bailey was good with kids and dogs alike. When dogs got loose in the neighborhood, Bailey could often calm them enough that they could be captured by nervous owners and brought home. When my grandmother required nursing home care Bailey was a frequent visitor. Not only did he spend time with her, but he seemed to know which patients needed him and he had a route he visited on the way in and out to stop and comfort those who would welcome him. He seemed to sense those who were afraid or hostile to dogs and stayed away.


He loved to play ball and Frisbee and even as he got older and stiffer he would continue to try to leap up and grab both ball and disk. He also loved his stuffed animals. Annie has started sleeping with one of the teddy bears Bailey got as a puppy That's how gentle he was with his toys.

I'm not sure where Katy would be today without Bailey's love and encouragement. She was do withdrawn and scared when she came to us. I still credit Bailey's love and encouragement for the greatest progress she made in those early months. She felt safe and protected with him and she slowly came out of her shell to realize the world was nearly as scary a place as she had thought. He encouraged her to explore, but sheltered her when she was scared. At times she literally would almost hide under him when we were out in public and people approached. Today she is has confidence and the ability to handle challenging situations because he stood with her when she didn't.


One thing that truly impressed me with Bailey is the way he could read people. Family and friends who were afraid or had little interest in dogs loved Bailey. He had a way of charming them, overcoming their fears, and getting people to relax around him. It was a beautiful gift. My only regret is I didn't have the resources to train Bailey as a therapy dog. I think he had a great untapped gift that I kept to myself.

On this day I just want to thank him for the 13 amazing years he gave us. My darling angel you truly were a great blessing in our lives.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Toys are Back


Dog Dad braved the attic to bring back our Christmas toys. Mom boxes all our holiday toys after each holiday and returns them to us the next year. It's like finding old friends.



Blog Paws is hosting the Hop here.