Thursday, January 24, 2008
Absent Friend

"There (is) clearly nothing left to do but flop ... and howl."

Until we meet again, my friend.

Sunday, August 19, 2007
Nappin' in the Golden Hour

This is my friend from the other day. Like I said he was back in the evening, and the light just kept getting more and more beautiful.

Friday, August 17, 2007
After Dinner Nap

Truth be known it is more of a DURING dinner nap. He was sitting there napping and licking his chops. Then, every so often, he would wake up (almost) then lean over and take a few sips. He let me get very close, but his friend (mom?) was a little excited at one point. I don't think I freaked them out too much though because they came back later in the evening after leaving for a bit to let me clean the feeder and make fresh food. He was watching, because I barely had the feeder back up and he was on it while I was still standing there.

The last time we had a hummer do this he was staking out the back yard to raise a family. I'm not sure it is the right time of year for that, but I'll be watching.

Monday, December 4, 2006
Moosh Face

When you have a subject that is not as cooperative as you might like, sometimes bribery works.

Depending upon the subject, bribing them with a large meal of leftover Thanksgiving turkey has the added benefit of rendering the subject unconscious for hours on the sofa where, even the click of the camera inches from her face elicits no response whatsoever.

Sunday, January 23, 2005
My Muse

So as I was looking for a picture to put up this evening I was reminded that it is Saturday night and that I should be flopping on the sofa, watching a movie. Who reminded me? My muse of course.

This is Zoe, my Basset Hound. She likes to sit on the sofa and stare at the back of my head and grumble when I spend too much time in front of the computer. These pictures are a little fuzzy because she is not very fond of the flash, so I usually get her with my little digital camera. (I get grumbled at for the flash too!)

Zoe was an early birthday present for me last year. I've loved Bassets for most of my life. But, until the beginning of last year, I lived in apartments that did not allow dogs. To get my recommended daily allowance of Basset, I have been volunteering for the Basset Hound Rescue of Southern California.

Zoe didn't come from BHRSC though. My best friend was watching the Ventura shelter for hounds that might need help (my birthday was only a month away, and she knew what I wanted. :) One evening Zoe popped up on their web site, she was a stray, and no one had come for her. The day we brought her home would have been her last.

Now, I have heard many comments about shelter dogs. "I don't want to adopt someone else's problems," "I want a puppy," "They are untrained and will make a mess in my home," "I want a pure bred dog" to name a few. Well, Zoe is about the most relaxed creature you can imagine. She plays like a puppy when I want to play, and curls up quietly by my feet when I am working. She is perfectly housebroken, (much more than you can say for any puppy). And she is pure Basset from her head to her toes (and that is about how long her ears are too.)

If you are looking for a four legged friend and still not sure you want to brave the shelters you should know that there are rescues out there for almost every breed you could possibly want. A good rescue will have dogs that have been in foster homes and have been tested in different situations so you know exactly what kind of companion you are getting. A good place to start to look for an animal in your area is PetFinder.com.

By the way, I inherited my love of animals from my parents who run their own dog rescue in Indiana. They specialize in Pomeranians, but will not turn away any creature in need. I am just waiting for the day a hurt skunk wanders into their yard, The dogs will love sharing their kennels with him! (Of course, there are even rescues for them.)

Right now though, I am being paged again from the sofa. You can read more about Zoe and see more pictures at her site, ZoesDiary.com.