But, really, the dog comes first
Posts tagged Not Knitting
Catch up: Sam
Oct 13th
Here’s all the update I can think of with respect to Sam*
1. The Contest ends next week. (That means that Diane, Liz, Linda, Bekah and Barb have all ready lost.)
x
He still gets dirty. (Like, every day.) (Sometimes twice.)
x He is really fun to watch romp in the woods. He has an awareness, self-awareness, that there’s a log or a ledge that he hasn’t been able to “do” (jump over or high enough) before. And he’ll wait for everyone to leave or give him space, then he’ll line up to attempt it. He ducks his head and stares at the obstacle. Then he flies through the air. When he gets it, he’ll give a little leap and a spin and looks at me (probably because I’m cheering for him) and then he takes off to romp again.**
But he cleans up well.
xToday, he ran 8 miles (plus). He’ll be 6 months old tomorrow.
He’s learning to catch treats and he can almost get onto the bed by himself.
He squeaks when he yawns. He barks at the neighbors.
*He’s perfect
**When he misses, he’ll usually try one or two more times. Deliberately, lining himself up for his the trick, waiting for no interference. But after a few tries, I can see him get tired. He’ll pick himself up, give his body a shake, and go off to play some more. I am unable to catalog all the places/logs/ledges/gullies he thinks he should be capable of flying over/on. I just see it when he’s trying a new trick.
And just like that
Sep 12th
Summer is over.***
For some people, it’s the start of school (which should be in the fine New England tradition of after Labor Day. The August 20 start is just weird.)
For others, it is Labor Day itself which signifies the End of Summer.
For me:
Pooooooch Plunge!! That annual last-day-of summer when they let the dogs in the community pool with their humans.
I know I haven’t been posting much lately, so here’s a few pix to make up for lack of frequency.
O.k. Kids! Listen up and watch Reese demonstrate proper form!
Sam demonstrates excellent form!
But he's a little weak in the push off.
His entry is off-vertical but he makes no splash.
Poor Sam - the pool edge is so slippery, he can't get a good lift!
Sam's enormous paws give him quite a speed advantage in the pool.
Do I have to swim back there to get out?
Keep it up Sam! Soon you'll be a big dog!
Yes, I am lieing on her dry clothes. What's your point?
*** Also, today is one year from the onset of my Month of Chaos. Here’s hoping I’m coming out of my recent funk.
p.s. Sam is almost 5 months old and he weighs 40 pounds.
No joy in Mudville
Aug 20th
There is no joy in Mudville – little Sammie has grown out
There is an air vent behind/beside the toilet. Given the small room and tile floor, the bathroom tends to coolness in the summer. Sam smooshed himself into the spot and hung out with his nose next to the cold air. Except now, today, he is Too Big.
And Ned is sitting on the toilet hoping someone will turn on the bathroom faucet for him. There is no toilet paper because Ned has not yet out-grown festooning the house with it. (He’s almost 4 years old; I’m not holding my breath. Toilet Paper is in the middle drawer facing you when you sit where you would need it.)
Be careful what you wish for
Aug 17th
As I was going through the photos for yesterday, I thought (to myself) “Wow, Lucky is really going to have to get his game on if a wee 14 week old puppy can get Sam dirtier than a full grown year-old yellow lab.”
And Sam and Lucky went for their normal walk romp in the woods.
x
Lucky is up to the challenge.
I’m pretty sure Lucky is laughing at me.
Sam is exhausted and I can post something
Aug 15th
Or empty the dishwasher. (Tough Choice!)
(A note on the contest:
a) not many entries, your chances of winning are good
b) I’m separating the pools – one for people who only see Sam on line and one for the cheaters who see him in real life and are waiting to guess.
c) wrt Mom: I asked why she hadn’t guessed. She said it wasn’t fair; she could have a hat any time she asked. She’s right. Mom, if she guesses, will get a special prize.
d) I’ve no idea what that will be. Onward …
Sam has a new friend; her name is Geisha. Geisha is week younger than Sam and she will be an assistance dog* when she grows up.
This is Sam and Geisha’s first play date:
So most of the photos look like this.
Geisha can’t go to work with her trainer-human till she’s 5 mo old, so she’s hanging out with Sam for a bit.
This is how Sam looked at the beginning.
And this is how Sam looked at the end.
Geisha takes Sam into the pool.
And then rolls him in the dirt strategically placed next to the pool.
And they romp ... hmmm maybe that pitch fork should be put away ...
And romp
and romp
and romp
and hide behind bushes
and chew on each other
and hide under the stairs
And then they get tired.
And they sleep. But I don’t have pictures of that. I’m exhausted too.
Geisha is a sweet little thing. Who totally takes Sam down and wears him out.
*I neglected to check anonymity issues with the human so this is all I can tell you at the moment.
Take *that*, CaseMate
Jul 11th
I have cracked my CaseMate Tank Case. /sigh
Military grade, shatter resistant, polycarbonate hard shell succumbs to middle-aged woman walking dogs and gardening. And she knits too.
It has taken some extreme falls* but I’ve no idea what happened this time. Not clue.
I don’t have any new bruises. I don’t even remember dropping it.
If this is the best out there, what is going to save my phone now?
Anybody know anyone who’ll let me do some product testing???
I am a good dog!
*In all probability, previous falls probably did it in. Previous falls which, by the way, have resulted in injury (bruises, scratches, sprains) to the human, not the phone.
O.M.G. It’s crochet.
Jul 8th
While there are some things I can see knitting in this weather … tossing the stash for proper yarn is not an easy activity. (Open bin. Remove Ned from bin. Retrieve skein of yarn from Sam. Remove Ned from bin, retrieve skein of yarn from Sam …)
So I’ve been knitting whatever is handy. And small.
The yarn was stashed for a bathmat. I think it will morph into a kitchen floor mat.
And tossing toys for the puppy. (Oh the hardship!)
Oh look - I made a leash too. My big leather leashes were too heavy for the wee one.
And Dude wants Sam to be a Frisbee dog – he’s a natural at 11 weeks and in triple digit heat. He hasn’t quite got the whole flight trajectory thing down – he’s better with rolled toys – but it’s impressive.
And we looked at real Frisbees (6,183 on Amazon) and dog Frisbees (670 on Amazon) and soft Frisbees (243 on Amazon) and we don’t even know if he’ll be Frisbee dog. I’ve been looking at pet toys – and how to upcycle or make them. (i.e. cut slices into a tennis ball – load treats.) (Reason to DIY: a) it’s upcycling b) he’ll destroy them anyway c) he needs a bunch of different toys to stay away from the furniture. And the shoes. And the trashcans… d) because I can)
It slowly dawned on me to make/knit a Frisbee (2 on Amazon). (Those are crocheted.)
Reasons to use a soft one: a) it won’t hurt his wittle puppy teeth b) he can chew it c) I can wash it d)it won’t go too far (See young/flight trajectory issues above and it’s too hot to chase anything.) e) it fits in a pocket when he’s tired of catching or carrying it. (Some day, ask me to rant on the lack of useful pockets in women’s pants, o.k.?)
A wee bit of research yielded two patterns: here and here. (I read both and then winged it because I didn’t want to find a stitch marker to mark the beginning of row.) (If I move, Sam will move. If Sam moves, Ned will move. If Ned moves, Sam will chase Ned. If Sam chases Ned, Nickie will run away. If Nickie runs away, chaos ensues. And what was I looking for again?)
Easy Peasy. It took an afternoon and the recipient loved it.
