Getting the Christmas picture done (early)

Last year I didn't get the dogs' Christmas picture made until almost New Years.  By the time I got the cards and mailed them out it was, well, let's just say early to mid-January.  I really was embarrassed but was determined to send out a card as I had done the first year we were together.  I made a note to myself that I would not be late with the picture taking/card sending going forward.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving I realized that I had a little time that afternoon when I could try to shoot a picture.  Yes, I had many other things I should be doing but I decided that it was time to get out the tripod and have a doggie photo shoot. The day was overcast so the light was perfect.  I had wanted to take them somewhere and do the picture in a scenic area...in my dreams, right?  So I set up a little Christmas scene on the much used glider in the back yard and commenced to shoot.

I'm happy to say that in the short time I had to do this that it got done.  I ordered the pictures the next day and the cards are here, ready to be addressed and mailed.    While the project is done I have to confess that 1)  the dogs would have looked better had they been bathed but it was either bathe the dogs or take the picture that afternoon 2) I did not edit the picture.  All I did was crop.  No pulling one dog from one frame and putting together a composite shot.  This is the way they really look.  I'm not thrilled with the picture but it isn't too bad either.  At least for this year I've kept my resolution!

Blogger has decided that I've used up all my free picture space so until I figure out what to do here I have no pictures to share (boo).

I'm tired

I haven't been posting as much as I would like, haven't been reading blogs as much as I would like.  Life is busy.  Between the non-productive job, school and preparing for Thanksgiving I've been busy.   And, I'm tired, too!

I had to smile this afternoon when I saw Blossom sleeping in the crate.  She never sleeps in the crate during the day, so I knew she was really tired.

"It is not easy being cute all the time"

Sofa change

Have you ever looked under the sofa cushions for change? Tonight I moved the sofa for a much needed cleaning of the floor underneath.  I won't go into what all I found under there but let's just say there were quite a few unfinished raw hide bones!  The dogs were ecstatic!  This was their version of finding change in the sofa cushions!  They all chewed and chewed and have now passed out, probably dreaming of the next sofa cleaning!

How to get your dogs to eat

This is easy.  Your dog won't eat?  Easy solution:  feed them kitty kibble.  Yes, that's right.  Feed them kitty kibble.  That's what I did last night and the dogs chowed down.  No, it was not intentional.  It was an absent minded mistake!

This group of dogs is so different with their eating practices.  Every dog that I've ever had expected to be fed at a specific time each evening.  If I didn't fill the food bowl at precisely the appointed time the dog(s) would (a) sit by the bowl and stare at me or (b) run around me in circles until I got with the program and fed them.  Then they would begin to eat as soon as the food was in the bowl.  But not this group of dogs.  I can feed them early or late and they don't care; they never get concerned about the empty food bowls unless it is getting really late. When I do fill the bowls they don't get too excited.  Meal time is a leisurely experience.  I know it is not a good practice but I just leave the bowls down for an hour or more until they have finished. 

 

Last night I had school.  And a final exam.  Plus I was thinking about work, Thanksgiving, house cleaning, tree trimming and everything under the sun except what I was doing.  I fed the dogs before I left for school, putting yogurt and oatmeal topping on top of each bowl of kibble.  Before I left I looked in the kitchen and the bowls were almost empty.  Bently and Blossom were just gobbling down the food.  Wow, I thought, they must have been really hungry.  So I went back to re-fill one of the bowls with a little more kibble just in case one of them didn't get enough. 

 

And then I realized what I had done:  I had filled their bowls with the kibble that Lacey eats.  No wonder they were gobbling down their food.  What a treat for them!  I'm sure they were expecting the same tonight when I filled their bowls, how disappointed they were!  No more kitty kibble for you, my dears!