Monday Mischief: Mud, mud, mud

We're still getting rained on here in Utah. More than usual it seems like.

It's definitely not like Washington rain or anything, but still.

Ella and Petal have been having a blast in the mud while Lassie has been avoiding it like it was the flu.

Today I almost wished Petal and Ella would avoid it as well as Lassie does.

But alas, they did not. Instead they went and found some deep (up to Ella's chest) and very, very muddy water.

And yes, they took several dips into that water.

You'll have to excuse the quality of the photos. They were taken with a cell phone. Not too bad for a cell phone though!

This picture does not do Ella's dirty-self any justice.
See how her chest appears to be a peachish color? Her neck and white feet looked the same.
She had a lovely layer of mud alll over herself.
But no one, no one, can outdo Petal.


"Do I have a little something on my face?"

Yeah.
She had to have a bath.
With shampoo and everything (Ella only needed a quick rinse).
I think she might still be a little peachy-colored here and there.

Kicking up dirt

I think I may have mentioned this before, but

have you ever had one of those moments where you think,

"Man, I wish I was a dog, so I could run around like this,"

Or am I just crazy?
(naw, you don't need to answer that. ;))
Because I find myself envying admiring their powerful four legs often.
Admiring the graceful way they move.
Until they face-plant it in the mud.
Then I don't feel so jealous anymore.

Happy Saturday, everyone! :)
Have a lovely weekend!
♥

"Wow! Look at those show dogs!"

When I take Lassie and Petal out we get a lot of "Lassie! Come home!" calls, which Lassie of course responds to and then everyone has a good laugh. Including me.

Apart from the Lassie jokes,

"What's that, Lassie?! Timmy is stuck in the well?!"

we also get the occasional "Wow! Look at those show dogs!" and I smile.

I smile because I think it's quite the compliment. I do try and work hard to keep them well groomed.

I also smile (and chuckle) because those people haven't seen them looking like this,

Adorable still, yes.
But they're not about to enter a show ring, are they?
;)

Oh, and yes, I did have to go all the way back to the winter time (early December, to be exact) to find a goofy, candid shot of Lassie. That's when he really lets his hair down; when there's snow.
He's obviously not a mud fan like Petal and Ella are.
Speaking of Ella,

Ella is 6!

Today is Ella's birthday!

Yup! It is!



Today Ella is 6 years old!

Or 42 in dog years!

To celebrate her big day she got



a new collar and a new ball!
Spoiled pup.

Ella hasn't had a new collar in two years (that's a world record for her; she ruins the usual collar within weeks, thank goodness I discovered Dublin Dog collars) and though she didn't really need a new one, I got her one anyway, because hey, it's her birthday!


The new collar.

She also got some tasty dog cookies from our local pet store/bakery.
Because no birthday is complete without cookies!


Cookie time!


Today is also Thankful Thursday.
How great is that?
Today, on Ella's birthday (and everyday, but today especially), we are thankful for Ella.
We're grateful she's so strong and healthy.
We're grateful for her kisses and snuggles.
We're grateful for her silly, wiggly dances, even if it does hurt like the dickens when you stand too close to her tail.
Yes, I did just say "hurt like the dickens"
Anyway.
We're grateful for her hilarious "roo roo roooo"s and the way she'll shimmy down a dirt hill on her back.
We're grateful for her entire sweet self.
Especially her extremely soft ears.
:)


Happy Birthday, Ella!


Thank you Cokie the Cat for hosting this blog hop!

Wordless Wednesday: Through her eyes

Doggy mud mask

When my Mom said, "Looks like Petal found the mud." this morning during our walk, I looked down and saw this:

And thought, "Ah. Not nearly as bad as yesterday."



Then I looked up and saw this,



Suddenly I couldn't breathe.
I was laughing that hard.
Words escaped me.
Oxygen escaped me.
What happened?!

I have no idea what happened.
I was busy with Lassie. There was a little bit of thunder going on (thankfully we were on our way back to the car before that started) and I was feeding him plenty of treats to distract him from the scary sound.
Thunder has very little to no effect on Petal, so she was playing.
Apparently in the mud.
And I can only guess what happened to her. I can only guess how she ended up with a face full of mud.


This is my best guess.
Seems like the most liable reason for a face full of mud.
Unless, of course, she was eating it.
But even then, Petal is a little more tidy than this when she eats.

Now I'm wondering...
How many of you would be willing to smooch this face?


;P

My life would be so dull without you, Petal.


P.S. Those adorable arrow brushes (for Photoshop) came from this great site here.

What mutts are made of

Mutts are made of giant pink tongues.



And black and white paws.


Plus a bit of dirt.

They're made of brilliant eyes.



And another dash of dirt.



Plus a few other things in between.
Like soft, velvety ears. Long necks and tails that wag constantly.
And hurt like a whip.



Oh yes, and hearts of gold.


Have a lovely weekend!
♥

Today's walk

Our morning walk today looked like this:


Well, that's what the sky looked like. It was definitely brighter than that out. ;)

It was so cool and lovely out.
The dogs were surprisingly mellow.
That's not to say that they didn't run around and have a blast though.
They just weren't as ZOOM! WHOOSH! as they usually are.
So, after they got a little running around done, our walk was pretty calm and peaceful.



Lassie was, of course, glued to my side (where the treat bag is!) after he played for his usual 2-10 seconds.

Petal and Ella, once they were done racing, hopped around, going from bush to bush, as they sniffed about.
Then we (we being me, my Mom, and Ella) came across this little guy:



Or girl.
I wouldn't really know.
Speaking of me not knowing, I'm not entirely sure what he/she is.
Anyone know?
After doing a few Google searches he looks like a tiger salamander to me.
Though I don't know what he was doing out there. There wasn't any water in sight.
A few slightly (very slightly) rainy days and suddenly the salamanders are moving in. ;P

Wordless Wednesday: Striking

Monday Mischief: Chewy flip-flop

Look at what I pulled away from a very happy pup this morning.

A flip-flop, they're those irresistibly chewy things that the humans wear on their feet in the summer time.
They're the shoes that we buy cheap because we know they won't last for long around here.
They're the shoes that many dogs have a hard time resisting.
Can't say I blame them, they are very squishy and they probably feel great to chew on.



I came out of the bathroom, dressed and ready for our early morning walk, and found Petal with dad's flip-flop in her mouth.
Uh oh.
We went straight to the dollar store to pick up another pair after our walk.
So dad will never know.
Until he reads this blog post.
Then we'll have to change our names and leave the country.
Just kidding, Dad. ;P


P.S. No pieces were swallowed. ;)

Walking in the rain

This morning when we woke for our walk, we found it was lightly raining.
But we figured, since this is Utah and all, that it would probably only rain for another five to ten minutes or so.
It wasn't too hot or too cold.
So we took advantage of that and went for our walk.
It
rained
the
entire
time.
Of course it didn't rain hard, but we got pretty wet anyway!
And oh so muddy!
It was wonderful!

At first the Collies weren't so sure about this walking in the rain business.
"Get our fur wet? You're joking, right?"
But then they realized it wasn't so bad. In fact, it was nice and cool and refreshing!
Lassie played more than he usually does with Petal. She loved that.


We came home with two muddy and soggy Collies. Our bone dry and squeaky clean Mutt sure was happy she stayed home!

With the unfamiliar weather and the slight change in our walking routine (we usually walk the trail and then turn around and go back the way we came, but today we walked the trail and then went out onto the road and walked around the block instead (to get away from the slippery mud)), Petal was much more alert and would respond to me at the drop of a dime.
It made for one of those moments where you realize all your hard work with training really paid off.


Petal kept so busy on the trail. Everything smells stronger and different when wet! She loved sniffing everything.


"Alright, time for breakfast!"


We came home, dried the Collies, fed them breakfast, washed their muddy paws, and now they're napping.
I think I might join them. ;)

Have a lovely weekend!
♥

Snuggle time

I love snuggling Collies.


These pictures were taken with Photo Booth, hence the quality. ;)

My dogs can be such snuggle bugs. I love it.
Unless they decide they're small enough to fit in my lap. Which my dogs definitely are not and bones are crushed.
(Okay, fine, I secretly love that too— sometimes— because it's funny)
The only problem is if you have to get up.
You don't want to disturb them or give up your snuggle time.
I usually wait until they move first.
Sometimes I have to wait a very long time, haha.
Do your dogs like to snuggle?

Wordless Wednesday: Another from last Thursday

7.5.2012

What's the opposite of Monday Mischief?

This is the dogs' toy box,

And this is Petal with one of their many toys,


"My FAVORITE toy, to be precise."


Today, instead of getting into mischief, Petal did something that was the very opposite of mischief.
She put the toy she is holding in the picture above in her toy box.
She put it away!


"I did NOT put it away! As I've told you a million times, I accidentally DROPPED it in there! It's not the same as putting it away!"


Could it be true?
Could Petal be turning into a good dog?
A neat freak even?


*sigh* "It—was—an—ACCIDENT! Don't listen to her, dogs! I still create plenty of mischief, believe me!"


You're a good dog, Petal.
Those words may make you cringe, but they are nevertheless true.
;)

P.S. Petal would like all you canines to know that she barked in the cat's ear this morning. She barked and barked until he got annoyed and left the couch, then she took his spot; which means she's still a mischief maker.
(With a good dog streak.)
(Don't tell her I said that.)