It's The Weekend

I am vowing not to watch the UW Huskies, but rather to find some way to enjoy the weekend (in the rain).

Two day road trip anyone?  Girls are ready!  They are in search of more tricks than treats!

Happy Halloween.

Murphy's Day.

Seattle's Dog Problem

Seattle loves to tout itself as "dog friendly."  And it is becoming seriously invested in so-called "new urbanism" which means lots of money spent on painting lines in streets for bikes and more signs for pedestrian walkways.  Our mayor constantly talks about making Seattle "walkable."

Indeed, in my neighborhood, we have been way ahead of this new trend.  One the southern end of this neck of the woods we have a small green grocer, who has been there long before the term "foodie" came about.  There is also one of the last remaining independent video rental stores, a coffee shop, barber, and restaurant.  Many neighbors love to walk their dogs to any of these shops, tie the dog outside for a minute, get coffee, or a DVD, or those darn ingredients you forgot for your pasta.  On the northern end of the neighborhood is a popular park and another coffee shop.  Again, neighbors love to walk their dogs to the park (which has an off-leash dog park) then stop for coffee.

We walk!

But Seattle government apparently doesn't want us to walk with our dogs.  While the dogs are allowed into the video store on weekdays, they can not come into the coffee shops, restaurants, or green grocer.  All of those establishments have water bowls outside for the dogs and usually give treats to them.  But Seattle's Animal Control has found an obscure ordinance which allows them to ticket dog owners if the dog is tied up and has one paw on public rights of way.  I kid you not.

Here is a link to an incident that happened at my local library.

Seattle is a very sad place to live.

Murphy's Day.

Tuned Out

As we rapidly head toward election day (although with voting by mail-in ballot, election day can be whenever you want), I realize as I continue to erase all the robo-calls ("This is the Sierra Club reminding you..."  "XXXX is a spending liberal."  "YYYY doesn't care about women...") and try to change TV channels to avoid the yelling and screaming, that the girls really couldn't care.  Certainly elections affect their lives.  Whether it's Seattle's mayor who seems determined to make our traffic congestion even worse, thus delaying their rides to parks, or an increase in taxes which may impact the number of treats they get (and there was the state legislator last year who wanted to increase taxes on pet food to pay for????), but through all the yelling and ridiculousness, the girls have remained calm.

And I am determined to adopt their attitude: "what election?"

Murphy's Day.

Playing in the Rain

Wet and windy.  Doesn't seem to deter labs, who love to play in the rain.  When we came back from our run on Sunday morning they were quite happy being totally muddy.  The only weather that gets to these two dogs is thunder.

Me?  I want to pull the covers up and go back to bed....my idea of playing in the rain!

Murphy's Day.

The Clown Turns Two

Today is Annie Oakley's second birthday.  Clowns never age.  Annie is still very much a puppy.

Happy Birthday to the dog who makes me laugh out loud every day.

Murphy's Day.

Still Minnie-Me

Annie is almost two years old and she is still a minnie-me. Anytime there is something "new" to her world, whether a new person, a new dog, a new schedule, she looks to Sage to figure out what to do.  Fortunately, Sage is perfect for the "training," because she has that "been there, done that" demeanor.  It is cute to watch Annie, though, carefully examine what  Sage is going to do.

Murphy's Day.

Out for Dinner

On Tuesday evening I went out to dinner at a friend's.  They live near-by and my role was to bring the main course.  This perplexed the girls.  It meant an earlier walk, earlier dinner, and then, I think in their minds, being abandoned.

When I returned several hours later, they were at the back door.  Annie literally was on Sage's back.  Many leaps, tail wags, kisses, it's as if I returned from battle.

"Mommie, you're alive!"

Nothing better than being greeted by a lab.

Murphy's Day.

Sage, Out Standing in A Field

Sweet Sage.  As she gets older, though, she is beginning to let me know when she has "had enough."  A young puppy on our walk gets a snip, Annie might get a growl.  Sage even growls at me if I am telling her to do something she doesn't want to do.

But she really is Sweet Sage.  She wants all the hugs, ear and belly rubs I can give her.  And she should get all of them.  She is an outstanding girl.

Murphy's Day.

How Did You Get Her to Sit?

Sunday I took the girls on a hike.  I wanted to get some nice photos of the them, so as one point I told them to sit and stay.  The problem is when I wanted them to look at the camera, they would then come to me because I was calling their names.  Duh!

But I did manage to capture this shot of Annie (the dog who never sits still).   The hunter, looking for something to chase.

It was a gorgeous fall day.  Sage and Annie had a blast, as did I.

Murphy's Day.

Submarine Dog

Annie on the Yakima River...she is a submarine.  Many dogs will put their nose in the water, but Annie goes whole body.

Murphy's Day.

No Plans

Sometimes it is nice to swing into a weekend with no plans (but for ideas on where to get the girls out to romp).

College football is sad around here (lots o' hype about the Huskies which, of course, turned out to be wrong) but the Lab Team may have to have a game on Friday night.  Then, of course, there are always runs in the morning....but really, no plans.  Hopefully we can sleep in and let the days just roll out...

Murphy's Day

Why Didn't I Think Of That?

Last summer I bought this inexpensive screen door-thing for my back door.  During the warm seasons (defined around here as every season but High Winter) I leave the back door open while I am home working.  The dogs can wander in and out and Annie can complete her total destruction plan for my garden.

So this screen isn't a door, but nylon mesh with a slit in the middle.  Magnets keep it closed, but it's really made for the dogs, who can just walk through it via the split.

Now, why didn't I think of that?

Murphy's Day

Ball Throw Brawls

Just like baseball games, our backyard ball throws frequently end up in lab brawls.  Annie is becoming quite the retriever, finally, and Sage loves to amble over, nonchalantly pick up the ball (thus starting the brawl).  Annie attacks, wrestling begins, and I become totally irrelevant.

Murphy's Day.

Columbus Day, 1962

When I was a little girl, my mother had a "night out."  Sometimes she would go downtown on the evening when stores stayed open and just "knock around."  Or sometimes she would go to a movie.  Back in the day when neighborhoods actually had a local movie theatre, she would "take in" a movie at the Magnolia Theatre.  My dad would stay home with my brother and me, tuck us in, then go pick her up.

On Columbus Day, 1962, the Pacific Northwest experienced an epic wind storm.  I think over 40 people died due to wind related injuries.

I still can not forget the sound of the wind on our home.  Lights flickered, trees crashed, and finally my father got up, telling my brother "you're in charge" (words, I am sure, my brother loved hearing!).  Dad darted out the front door and left to get Mom.  The whole time he was gone all I could think about were trees crashing on his car or hitting a live wire.

But they came home, both seeming to be nonplussed by the wind.  Calm.  And they tucked me in even while the wind was still pounding the house.

On Sunday night we had an unusual lightening and thunder storm.  One lightening bolt hit the Washington Ship Canal Locks, which is about 1.5 miles from the house.  It was the middle of the night.  Annie shook, Sage rustled.  And my job was to be nonplussed.  Calm.  It's what parents do.  I miss mine.

Murphy's Day.

Wet Weekend At Home

What's a girl to do on a wet weekend at home?  Well, we loaded up in the car on Sunday and like hundreds of other Seattlites, depressed about no football and miserable about the Husky game on Saturday, we went shopping at U Village.  Actually, bought absolutely nothing, but just "knocked around" as my mother used to call it.

I rarely shop.  But it was actually fun to just wander, look at things, try to figure out the iPad at the Apple Store, how come Restoration Hardware now seems to be a furniture store for Really Really Big People With Really Really Big Houses In Washed Out Dull Colors, and why it is stores that sell cupcakes seem to be the hit of shopping malls.

The patient girls got rewarded with a great walk underneath the Montlake Bridge to Foster Island (yes, there was some swimming in the canal and Annie now thinks she wants to try out for crew at the U Dub).

Lazy, wet weekend.

Murphy's Day.

Sleeping In

I get up pretty early on the weekdays.  Way too early.  But on the weekends, I try to sleep in for an extra hour or two.  Try is the operative word.  Around 5 AM, Annie decides she has had enough sleep and fidgets.  If she senses there is any movement from me I will get kisses and the thumping of her tail while it wags.  It's great, except I am trying to sleep.

So, tonight I will get to bed early and hopefully sleep a little late.  Unless Miss Annie has something to say about it.

Murphy's Day.

Me First!

Another aspect of the sisters is: "Me First!"  Annie always tries to get one paw ahead of Sage.  Whether it is meeting me at the door, trying to be just a little taller when it comes to treat hand-outs, or wiggling in between me when I am talking with friends and neighbors I see while out with the girls.  I think it's the job of the younger sister to always try: "Me First."

Murphy's Day.

My Team Likes Orange

For those of you who know me well, you know I love sports.  Football, college basketball, and baseball (although these days, the Seattle Mariners are in the doghouse with me).  Today, the Major League Playoffs start.  And the San Francisco Giants are in the hunt.

While I have a personal beef with the President of the Giants (it's a long story, but let's just say he jilted a number of women here in Seattle), I have very fond memories of going to a Giants game with my father and brother.  We rarely, and I mean rarely, took family vacations.  But here we were in San Francisco and my mother wanted to roam the shops, so my Dad took my brother and I to a Giants game at the old Candlestick Park.  I still remember it.  I also remember my brother got a batting helmet that I really wanted and I got a bobble-head which were not as cool back then as they are now.  But when you see those dewey-eyed MasterCard ads about the time with kids at a ball game being priceless, well indeed, it's true.  50 years later and I still remember it.

I'll be cheering for those Giants, along with my family in California.  And I'll be thinking of my Dad, taking Mark and I to a game oh-so many years ago.

Murphy's Day.

Purple Ball

Annie has been the "hand-me-down" pup.  She loves toys, absolutely loves them more than any other dog I have ever had.  But all her toys are "seconds," something that Sage didn't want or even from Murphy.  Until the purple ball.  It's a cheap toy bought at a lumber store. You know, one of those things near the cash register.  But it's all hers and she loves it.  She know exactly where it's kept, when it comes out.  She has a special place where she plays with it, and no matter how far she romps, she always can find purple ball.

Pretty amazing.

Murphy's Day.

Sisters, Sisters, There Are Nothing Like Sisters

I am absolutely convinced these two girls are so closely connected they could not imagine life without each other.  I think (and I can hear the howling all the way up here) my two nieces are like this.  Close, very close.

Sage and Annie wrestle, they nip, Sage growls at Annie (Brooke, do you growl at Megan?), but at the end of the day, there is love.

Sisters.

Murphy's Day.

Discovery

One of the things I thoroughly enjoy about raising a pup is watching the exploration.  Sage became an entomologist.  She was, and still is, totally fascinated with bugs.  I've had to watch her closely, because she sometimes gets a little too close to bees, but she can watch a beetle crawl across the backyard walk for hours.

Annie isn't at all reluctant to put her whole face in the water.  It seems she is diving for submerged sticks, but I think, like Sage, she is looking for bugs.  It's way too cute and makes me proud that they are so curious.  I feel like I have raised dogs with a sense of life.

Murphy's Day.