Open Thread

Been a while since the last one. When I got home from the evening bike ride with the dog yesterday, I found our neighbor with a couple of three month old Jack Russels that his cousin is fostering. The little monsters tag-teamed Max of course. Each one would run out and collide with Max or nip at his legs and then dive under a piece of furniture to hide until the other one did the same thing and got Max turned around again. Eventually they got him stuck trying to squirrel his way under a porch coffee table and circled around to jump on his butt. I envision a long life of shouting, chasing and hair loss for their forever family.

Obligatory Max pic.

Chat about whatever.

This Is What a Feminist Looks Like

She-roic dog “Sierra” tried to keep her master from hobnobbing with the sexist knobs who bar women from the Augusta National Golf Club:

As Russ Berkman understood it, desperate times call for desperate measures.

And when your Swiss mountain dog gobbles up your Masters tickets, that means getting out the hydrogen peroxide and getting ready to sift through your canine’s vomit.

That’s the choice the Seattle resident made after a fit of panic when he realized Saturday night that his beloved canine Sierra had eaten his and his friends’ four passes to the prestigious Augusta, Georgia, golf tournament.

Sadly, Sierra’s act of feminist defiance was thwarted when her master pieced together the puke-sodden shreds of the tickets and persuaded the sexist knobs at Augusta National to reissue passes. Oh well. Nice try, Sierra!

Cat Rescue Bleg – San Diego Area

From commentor Madeleine:

I’m writing in about my foster kitty Miles, now being fostered through San Diego’s Cat Adoption Service. As the website will tell you, Miles was caught up in a trap-neuter-release program that had targeted a feral cat colony. His face was cut up enough that they kept him longer to give him a chance to heal, and at that point they discovered he was friendly. A couple of days later, I took him home. And he was certainly quick enough to acknowledge that he was inside again and show his gratitude by being friendly and affectionate, even demanding!

So now that Miles has had time to recover from his intestinal parasite (and we no longer have to go through the ordeal of pilling him twice a day), it’s about time for him to find a forever home. I haven’t personally observed him interacting with other cats, but he was running with a bunch of them for a while so I think he’d probably do well with another friendly cat. Miles will accept attention from anyone, so he’d prefer a multi-person household. He is a talker and is completely unhesitant about letting you know when he wants something, especially if that something is food.

The group won’t adopt to anyone outside of San Diego County, so locals only. He’s a really sweet boy who’s lucky to have landed in a situation where he can go to a good home, and I sincerely hope to help him to it!

If you’re interested in Miles, or know someone who might be, you can contact me at AnneLaurie @ verizon.net (click on my name in the column to the right) and I’ll pass your info on to Madeline.

Monday afternoon open thread

A pic from our usual weekend morning hike. Max got in a footrace with another herd of deer this week. He lost, of course. Being a doberman he disappeared into the trees, screeched to a halt and sprinted back to make sure I was ok. Love this dog.

God knows what he would do if he ever caught one. A couple of times he cornered a baby squirrel or a very young sparrow, and both times he just bumped noses and waited for the terrified little thing to smooch him back. Not much of a killer my Max.

Chat about whatever.

Open Thread

Picture of my dog. I call this look, “please approach the bench, counselor.”

Whatever it is, chat about it here.

Dog Rescue Bleg (Memphis Area)

From commentor MadamZorba:

I’ve seen your pet rescue posts and I was wondering if you could help this one. She’s an English bull dog mix and is currently in the Memphis Animal Emergency Center. Someone picked her up as a stray and when she came in she had been so neglected that they thought she must be a senior dog. But when they examined her, she appears to be about 2 years old.

I don’t know what it is about this dog that touches me so much, maybe it’s the resignation in her eyes that seem to say that she doesn’t expect much help from humans. Or maybe it’s the gentleness that keeps her tail wagging in spite of having been so neglected by those that should have taken care of her. But what ever it is, it seems so important to save her. She is heart worm positive, so if she goes to the shelter, there is absolutely no chance that she will be adopted. I would love to take her, but my lease specifies that I can’t have any pets over 20 pounds. I hope that someone out there is willing to give her a second chance.

Time is of the essence, since the AEC is not a shelter and can only keep her for a limited number of days. If anyone in the Memphis, or surrounding area can help, please call the Animal Emergency Center at 901-323-4563.

Dog Rescue Bleg (Cleveland/Midwest Area)

Hey, this is Paddy from the Political Carnival. My brother and his wife in Ohio work with a group callled Muttly Crue saving dogs, specializing in Pit Bulls. Wiley is six months old and saved from the Cleveland Kennel 24 hours before he was to be put down for no other reason than he was abandoned and he was a pit bull. They have two other smaller dogs and two pits that Wiley (aka Frodo) gets along marvelously with. He was just neutered today, is up on shots, crate trained, house broken and micro chipped. Love to cuddle and LOVES to play. I’d take him in a heart beat but I’m just not up to the work a young dog demands. Bro said he’d be willing to drive as far as my home (5 hours away) to get Wiley to his forever home, so if you’re within a 5 hour radius of southeast Cleveland, give this love muffin a gander.

If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, contact me at AnneLaurie @ verizon.net (or click on my name in the Contact list to the right) and I’ll pass you message along.

Or else it gets the hose again… (Open Thread)

Daisy does not like baths.

At all.

Last night I took a pack of screechy teens to see “The Hunger Games.” Meh. I had read the book, and I kept wondering how much sense it would have made to someone who hadn’t read it. Fortunately, it seems most in the packed theater had read it, so the lack of character development wasn’t an issue. Plus, there were hawttt boys.

Today I’ve got to take the kiddo to the ball field for team pictures, then to an away game, where I must keep score. I’m getting pretty good at it, though there are some who question my tentativeness about assigning errors. I say unless it’s a really boneheaded play, the kid doesn’t get an error. Those who disagree are free to keep their own scorecards.

Jesus God, Newt Gingrich is a despicable motherfucker. If I were Queen of the World, I would order him lightly scored with rusty pitchforks, dipped in sulfuric acid, rolled in a bed of broken light bulbs, stuffed into a cannon and fired into a toxic waste dump.

What are y’all up to today?

Open thread.

Quittin’ time

Almost here. Go enjoy the disturbingly good weather, drink a beer or just lie on a grassy southwest-facing hillside and feel the sunset on your face.

Open thread.

Open Thread

Before my sister drives me absolutely batshit insane, here is a picture of a dog she is fostering named Bear:

She’d like to know what breeds you think he is, and if anyone in the Pittsburgh area is interested, please let me know.

NOW STOP TEXTING ME EVERY FIVE GOD DAMNED MINUTES TO POST ABOUT BEAR OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL LOSE IT.

A day in the life

9 am: Max sees me gearing up for our usual Saturday trail walk, does everything short of writing an email to show that he is ready.

11 am: the day has warmed up more than a bit (seriously, WTF Al Gore). When we run into his buddy Duke, Max has just enough juice left for the dog equivalent of thumb wrestling.

11:30 am until Sunday:

Bamboo Boxer (Open Thread)

Buddha Belly Bamboo + Brindle Boxer! (Open thread, also. Too.)

UPDATE: Oh, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m about to follow the lead of my kinsman from the Emerald Isle, President O’Bama, and hoist a pint. Sláinte!

Just Another Day in Paradise

This evening I cut Lily’s nails, and I accidentally cut one a touch too close, and drew a little blood. Obviously, I felt bad about it, but she seemed to be in no pain, walked fine, and didn’t limp or act gimpy on the walk right afterwards.

I just walked into my bedroom, where Lily has been snoozing all night, and my bed looks like a murder scene. It seriously looks like something out of American Psycho. There are bloody stains all over the bed, all over the duvet comforter, on the pillows, and they sunk through the sheets into the down feather bed and into the pillows. I immediately freaked the fuck out, not making the connection between the toenail and the blood, and for a brief moment had this terrified belief that Lily had Parvo and that was bloody vomit/diarrhea (I’m an equal opportunity hypochondriac). How does this much blood come from one toenail?

So, basically, I saved 10 bucks cutting Lily’s nails at home and spent $300 or more on bedding. But you know what? I’d burn multiple hundred dollar bills instead of my one true love getting Parvo.

How is your night going?

(Repost) Cat Bleg – Maryland/DC Area

From commentor Laura in MD:

I am a longtime lurker (since John’s conversion) here at BJ and I am trying to help a friend rehome Snoopy the cat. My friend took Snoopy in when her neighbors moved and left him behind. Snoopy is a 12 year old neutered male. He’s very affectionate and playful and in good health. He’s also a big guy – 22lbs. Unfortunately, Snoopy doesn’t get along along with one of her cats – he does however get along with the eight others!

We live in the Maryland suburbs of D.C. If anybody is interested or has some suggestions regarding rescues please let me know.

If you want to get in touch with Laura, email me at AnneLaurie @ verizon . net (or click on my name near the top of the right-hand column).

Your Late Night Moment of Lily Zen

The backdoor is still open, because the temperature here is still so warm, and despite some lightning/thunder storms, I kept it open so the piglets and fat boy could go as they please. Lily, on the other hand, has decided I have spent entirely too much time chatting with friends, and need to come to bed or the lazyboy when I can give her the petting she needs:

Clearly, I have spent enough time on the computer and need to head to the living room and give sweets some quality lap time. I really can not accurately describe how much I love this dog. All she has to do is look at me and I just melt and do whatever she wants. I know you all talk about “the one dog,” but it is clear this is the one dog for me. God, I love me some Lily.

*** Update ***

It was meant to be. I went for a dog a couple years back, and came home with Lily.