two of a kind

it's been on more than one occasion that ben or myself has offended a hard working, loving, parent; in an attempt to relate our "dog experiences" to their "kid experiences." well, now i'm a momma to both, and i can honestly attest that babies and dogs definitely have their similarities. different relationships, of course, but similarities, without a doubt. 

checking out each other's toys

missin' you

ben was in arizona all last week. and no matter how much rivers and i missed him, canberra, without a doubt, missed him the most. 

whenever james (the man who lives upstairs) comes over to do his laundry, canberra goes crazy. she starts off with her threatening bark, and finishes with lots of kisses and plenty of frisbee throws. this past week, however, things were different. . . james came over, ready for a big game of tug-a-war. but when he tried to rile canberra up, she just looked at him and sadly laid down on the porch, looking away lonely like. james kept asking "what's wrong with you? where's my buddy?" then i explained that ben was out of town and james was in awe by how much this dog loves my husband. "that's what it is! she's sad. that's right. little canberra is downright sad. if ben doesn't come home soon, before long, all of you will be moping around! i just won't know what to do with the cute family living downstairs!" 

it's true. we all love that guy. (but canberra wins the prize for missing him the most)

defecation

ben has really been encouraging me to make friends. it's not the whole "friend" thing that's requiring encouragement. it' the "making" part that i struggle with. in fact, i've always struggled in the whole "making friends" department of life. it's not that i don't like friends. i absolutely love friends. i love talking to people and doing things with people. but when it actually comes down to  calling someone up and saying "hey, let's do something" i'm completely freaked out. and then if an opportunity ever does present itself, i am soooo awkward. it's as if i don't know how to speak or at least think (at least 'think' . . . oh boy). none of my thoughts or sentences ever make sense, and once i'm alone again i replay the conversation over and over again, ending the day or week completely embarrassed. which only makes the situation that much harder. making friends seems to be an impossible task for me to ever grasp.
in an attempt to make friends, i've joined a running group. last night i went to bed already feeling the anxiety of my 5 am run. unsure of what type of runners would be in the group, how fast they would run, and most of all what they might think of me. ben had already agreed to take care of rivers when he awakened and i took canberra. finding myself arriving on the scene right on time (typically i'm late, so this time i was doing good) i found that all the runners were already there, dogs leash in hand and waiting for me (dang it, people are always waiting on me). i open the door expecting to find canberra's leash in it's normal pocket, but it's no where to be found. so i'm left with the junky retractable leash we bought at a garage sale 2 years ago (for emergency use only). i say "junky" because the darn thing won't lock unless i push the button the whole time (we both hate it, hence it has earned it's spot in our car as "emergency us only"). after the first three minutes the muscles in my left hand were aching. all of a sudden in the pitch black morning canberra decides she needs to, you know.  .  . relieve herself. so as the group traveled on, i stop to pick up my dogs poop ("thank goodness i remembered a bag,"  i think to myself as i scramble around on the pavement picking up the wet gooey globs) then canberra and i sprint ahead to catch up to the traveling runners. poop in one hand, broken retractable leash in the other hand - with an ill-behaved dog tugging at the end. with both hands full: juggling three things (poop, leash, and yes, dog), the plastic pink handle of the junky retractable leash suddenly flies out of my hand landing on the ground. (now my heart rate has jumped, and i'm grateful for the darkness so no one can see my bright red face as i try and grab that  pepto bismol colored handle and control my dog, without dropping that stupid poop. "please keep running. please keep running." i think to myself hoping no one from the group looks back to see me clamber around the ground trying to catch the handle while canberra trots along wondering what in the world i'm up to. )
after regaining the leash, and once again catching up to the group, i've given up on the whole button thing, and i've decided to just hold onto the portion of the leash that is not a flimsy string hidden inside the pink holder (sorry for my poor description, i've never studied up on the anatomy of retractable leashes, because frankly i hate them - even more so now). anyways, i'm now holding on to the thickest part of the leash, when the large handle begins to slip. the leash continues to slip all the way to the end: stupid handle dragging on the ground, dog panting on my side, and poop swinging in my hand; all the while i'm running at the fastest pace i've ran since, well, easily since last summer, before or shortly after i got pregnant, trying to keep conversation, and trying to act unsuspecting, since i've already embarrassed myself quite a few times, for only being around this group for maybe ten minutes (and keep in mind, no one else did anything strange - the whole time, only me). anyways, attempting to be unsuspecting of the plastic handle bouncing along the pavement, i begin to reel it in with the long cord-like leash attached to the handle. while doing thins, the cord manages to wrap itself around my plastic bag of poop. twisting and turning, making the kind of mess you find when a bunch of necklaces have been in a box together too long: an unimaginable knot.
after running three hard miles, the group stops for a short walk, and i race over to the nearest trash can to dispose of canberra's defecation. that's when i realize just how bad of a knot the leash had created around the bag of poop in my hand. i look over to see the anxious running group waiting for me (again). so i tug and pull with all my might, all the while canberra whining to finish our run. suddenly the flimsy plastic bag rips and poop falls out: rubbing against my hands as it tumbles to the ground.  no water in sight, no grass in sight, just rocks. i'm doomed. "what do i say" i think to myself "i already told them i would run the next loop with the group." i can't turn back now. it's just a little bit of poop (yea, you can tell, i'm a mama to a baby, poop is an everyday thing for me. . . but dog poop? on top of that i'm the only mama of a baby in the group, no one else would find poop on their hands normal - just so you all know, i don't typically find dog poop on my hands normal either. just baby poop. :) "maybe they'll think it's just dirt." i silently pray. i then toss the flimsy bag into the trash and sprint ahead to catch up to the group.
i finished the run with no one noticing any particular smell, mentioning anything about my dirty hands, and no one offering me any kind of handshake. i also finished the run with a smile. i enjoyed my early morning, talking with people, and maybe making some friends. i don't know if i will do any more then meet up once a week, half asleep, barely being able to see their face, and would never be able to pick any of them out on the street, but all the same i had a fun time talking and running with them. now i'm sitting in bed, sore hips from my out of shape body being forced into a fast 6 mile run, reminiscing what stupid things i said and did. i guess there's always tomorrow. . .

war

in our yard lives three squirrels. a mama squirrel and two baby squirrels (well maybe two adolescent squirrels, but still they remain the mama's babies). the thing about these squirrels, are, well, they are different. different, at least, from the squirrels that canberra would frequently chase through the poison ivy at academy park. the ohio squirrels are sweet, timid, shy and frankly they flatter canberra. colorado squirrels are polar opposite from ohio squirrels. when colorado squirrels see canberra enter the yard, they will run onto the lowest of tree branches or sit on top of the fence, and sometimes pounce on the roof to yell at my helpless dog. the mama is especially forward. she will squawk at canberrra for minutes on end, all the while whipping her tail back and forth in an attitude of attack. and canberra just cannot contain herself. she jumps up and down, trying her hardest to reach the top of the fence (if she entered a track meet i'm positive she would win the high jump event - hands down), or consider climbing onto ben's tools thinking that might make the extra distance to the roof top. i always said "canberra would never hurt a fly" . . . until now. i have honestly determined that if canberra could ever get ahold of just one of these teasing squirrels, she might just shake it and whip it around just as harshly and ferociously as she does her flexible frisbee (a kind of victory ceremony). violent i know. but i guess that's what you get when you drive an aussie to wits end. watch out colorado squirrels!

normal

rivers has single handily exhausted this home. every time he sleeps, we all sleep. little man shuts his eyes, and we all drop into a deep slumber. i often wonder if i will ever feel my pre-motherhood "normal" again. most likely my definition of "normal" will simply transform into visions of - night of the living dead. either way, this little guy has got a way with all three of us - we adore him.

supervisor

rivers takes his first bath!

canberra supervises every move.

it must have been the moral support. because rivers handled the shocking experience like a champ!

a dog and her boy

in both ben's family and my family, half of the siblings have dogs the other half have kids. ben and i are the first couple to merge the two together. so naturally, that is the first (or one of the first) questions we are always asked - "how is canberra handling the new competition?" canberra loves her little boy. she's always jumping up on the bed and looking over to see how he is doing. if he doesn't make much noise she runs over and tries to herd us over to his crib so we can make sure everything is okay. i catch her just standing outside the crib looking through the netting and wagging her tail. when he cries she stresses out. sometimes she worries so much, that she has to leave the room and hide under the bed until his sadness turns to happiness. while i feed little rivers, canberra always comes and sits or lies near my feet, grateful that her baby boy is being comforted. canberra is acting very different though. i've never seen her so serious in my whole life. it's me she's so nervous around. it's as though she just knows i'm the momma, and this is my baby. therefore, she is extremely submissive to me. when i say her name she just rolls onto her back. and if i ever tell her not to do something she begins shaking. i have to admit the change in her really hurts me. canberra is my very best friend. and it's hard for me to see her so different towards me. but ben is continually reminding me that this is a good thing. it's important for her to understand that she is the dog but thankfully, he thinks eventually, after the initial shock wears off, she will relax a little more around me and love me the way she always has. but despite the fact that she scarred of the momma, she absolutely loves her baby boy. i am so happy to be raising little rivers with such an incredible dog. i know they will be the best friends.

hide and seek

hunting. . .

searching . . .

seeking . . .

SURPRISE!

what is canberra going to do with two of these around?!

wild flowers

there's something about a field full of weedy dandelions . . . the quantity makes it appear more like a pasture of wild flowers. a pasture that causes you to hum tom petty as you scuffle your feet through the unusual beauty. (i guess if i belonged among the wild flowers, dandelions would probably be my flower).

comprehension

this ball first entered canberra's mouth sometime in early september. it was love at first sight. she played with it all day long, and when ben walked through the front door that evening, canberra was more then happy to grab her ball and come bounding across the room to show off her new favorite toy. yep, that's how ben found out . . . canberra told him. nine months have now passed, and it is still canberra's favorite ball to play with. i often wonder if she has any idea what that ball suggests, and if she has any comprehension of what's about to enter into her quiet world. i'm not worried though. we've prepared canberra well for this day: spoken to all the experts in the area of dogs and babies, read all the handouts on dogs and babies, trained canberra and worked with canberra. and the truth is, canberra is a great dog, i just know she's going to love our little man (even if she is a little shocked at first).

sunshine

after two months of pure cloud-cover and gloom, the sun finally broke through. the phenomenon happened last thursday and has made it a pattern to show it's smiling face every day since. canberra, knows each spot in the house and about the time the sun should be hitting there next. so she just patiently lays there and waits for the sun to crawl across the shadows and shine through her window. after a fun saturday afternoon, outside, ben and i came home to find the sun floating into our bedroom and onto our bed, with of course our little aussie soaking up every ounce of vitamin d available. without hesitation we both jumped onto the bed and joined her in a session of cuddling and napping as we all fell sound asleep to the comfort of the late afternoon sun. . . . it's true: a dog's life is definitely the life.

bliss

afternoon walks = 1 hour of blissful ecstasy

relaxing

this is the only "butt shot" ben would ever allow me to take/post (but then again, he won't even know until tonight . . . lucky for you, i maybe able to sneak a few more . . . watch out ladies!).

practice

my parents came to visit a few weeks ago, and canberra and i had a blast with them. my dad loves to read books. and a long long time ago he read a book about a midwest county fair. ever since then, he has dreamed of attending a true midwest fair. so i searched online, and luckily, we found one. the last one of the season. and let me tell you, it was exciting. at this fair, you could find pretty much any thing you can imagine (and some things you wouldn't imagine) fried, and on a stick. we also found every farm animal in the world being judged and rewarded for the large size, sleek coats, or fascinating intelligence. we discovered giant pumpkins (literally) and delicious pies. all on stage waiting to be judged. the fair was a hit, and crawling with people. canberra kind of enjoyed herself, but would have had much more fun, had we allowed her to clean up the ground every place we walked. we were constantly digging out this fry or that sweet (and some poop) from her mouth. trying to hold her head up high, because she is quick. i think her favorite part, was discovering my mom's head behind the board up there. she thought that was the funniest thing she has ever seen. as if my parents weren't shy enough, when i made them stick their heads through the farmer and the sheep, they were not expecting the crowd they would attract with canberra dancing around kissing my mom non-stop. i think they got on more cameras then they hoped for.

so, time for me to talk at you some more. ever since we got canberra (one month after we were married). people will tell us on and on about what great practice she is for parenthood. so after having this little animal to watch and teach, exercise, feed, and clean up after each day, i feel like i am already an experienced mother. clean up a dirty diaper? no problem. at least it's not pulling out a recycled plastic bag and picking up poop in the middle of a crowd of staring eyes. i think i'm so ready, baby can come now (minus the fact that baby still needs lots of cooking). but i'm sure when baby comes, there will be absolutely no surprises. because, i mean, heck, i've been a dog mom. the last few nights, i've began to have dreams about my baby. i haven't really seen what it looks like, and sometimes it's a boy other times it's a girl. i start calling it one name we like, and then another name we like. poor thing. it's going to have an identity crisis before it's first birth date. i think sometimes i've held it, but mostly i just hear it crying. so back to my parenting style. last night i had this dream, where i was driving home from our afternoon run, canberra and baby are both in the back of my car. and yes, i did have baby strapped in a car seat. (was it done correctly? probably not). it's a cold outside, but not too cold, and i remember i need to pick something up for dinner. i know exactly what i need to get and it will only take two minutes. so i decide, i'll just stop at kroger before going home. i pull up to the parking spot, roll all the windows down just a crack, and tell canberra and baby "i'll be right back." i run inside grab my ingredients, wait in line for the self check out. pay for my items, and come strolling back with a cart full of food. when i arrive at the car, canberra is looking out the window, wagging her tail as always, and baby is just hanging out, kicking it's legs and laughing. even though everyone is happy to see me, and nothing "bad" happened, it suddenly hit me: wait a second, this is so messed up. i just left baby in the car, alone. i mean, i can't do that with baby. canberra hates being left in the car. but if it's not hot out, she really is okay. but baby?! no way. baby has got to come with me. i guess my days of racing into the store are quickly winding down to a sudden halt. so moral to this story: dogs will not make you expert. my dreams have humbled my arrogant mind, and i am now grateful baby has 6.5 months to go. canberra is just too easy. yes easy. if i don't connect this realization, then before long i'll think baby is just fine hanging out at home for three hours at a time, while i go shopping, or get my nails done (well, i never get my nails done, but maybe i'll start). and poor poor baby. i'm already seeing a court trial in my future. the awful words flashing before me "neglect! neglect!" i didn't mean it, i promise! it's the dogs fault!

640 lb. pumpkin! . . . i told you ohio has the worlds biggest . . . everything!

big sister

well, canberra is going to be a big sister. no, we are not getting another dog. . . we're having a baby. yep, that's right, you did read that correctly, we are having a baby. supposively the little one is going to arrive somewhere around the end of april and beginning of may. calculators online are telling me that it should arrive on may 8th. but since i have never been one to really keep track of the first day and last day of my period, let alone how many days are in my cycle, it's all an estimation. so, even when the doctor meets with me, i will have to lie, i mean, not really lie, but give my best guess, and assume i was always on a 28 day cycle (although, i really don't think i was). i mean, who keeps track of this stuff? apparently not me. now i'm nervous, but i'll pretend i'm not, and when the doctor comes up with a similar date as the internet, i will also take his number as an estimation, since we all now know, i don't really know, when my period last occured.

i thought i would like the days when i had no period. i mean, no more nasty tampons, no more cramping stomach, no more chocolate cravings, no more mean moods. but, well, let's just say the first trimester makes up for all the other missed periods, throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. mainly because the first trimester stinks (not literally - i think that's suppose to arrive later on in my pregnancy). but i have been in this game now for approximately 2 months. and i have thrown up every single day since my sister monica left. not to mention, i'm sure she thought i was the worst hostess around. i was so tired and so nauseated while she was here, and then our food selection, wow. well, all of that was just an introduction to the remainder of the month of september (typically my favorite month).

i have become so boring. i'm perfectly fine spending our weekends just hanging out. i'm happy to snooze alot, and unhappy to get up. mainly because as soon as i step out of bed i have to throw up. and the nauseated feeling stays with me until i crash in my bed at night. the house is a mess, which only adds to my nausea, because every where i go i'm sure there is a new smell. and that particular smell is what is making me sick. so then i spend the next hour figuring out the smell, and cloroxing everything in sight. or i decide if i attack this project surely i will throw up anything left inside of me and will have to be hospitalized. so i wait for ben to come home, put him to work on the smell (cleaning out the fridge) and i leave the room until everything is back to normal. one day i like something, the next day it makes me sick. i think in the last month i have built an aversion to everything but a bowl of rice or noodles, a banana, and some saltine crackers. and this is suppose to be the most vital time for baby's production?! lets just say thankgoodness for prenantal vitamins, because i'm certainly not giving baby what it needs. talking about prenantal vitamins. . . .why in the heck are they so big? and then, on top of the large, non-slippery size, they want me to take two! goodness, i'm having a hard time putting a saltine cracker down me. it's always a miserable case when i put one of those down my throat at 10 o'clock at night, and then my well practiced gag reflexes kick in one last time before i'm finally snoozing in bliss.

many times i spend my time hanging over the toilet dry heaving, my stomach contracting and pushing anything out that i can. but since i haven't eaten for the last 12 hours and before that my meals consisted of rice and bananas, there's honestly nothing to puke but a small bit of stomach acid. so what i have been wondering is: is this suppose to give me practice for what contractions might be like somewhere around the end of april and beginning of may but before june? i mean i know the contractions will be directed in the other directions and much more painful, but honestly what do contractions feel like? all i know is, if it's anything like throwing up, i will be bawling with the first contraction.

well not only am i moody with food, but i am moody with things, ideas. that's kinda' why my blogging has gone to pot. every idea in my head will either be okay, or make me sick. yea, make me sick. weird i know. but the internet is one of those things. lately it just makes me sick. so sometimes i just avoid it. but today, it's okay, and plus i've been really kinda' wanting to announce this. i kept it a secret for 7 weeks, and couldn't hold it in anymore, so while my mom was stressing about me having swine flu, and my dad knew that these symptoms were definitely not flu symptoms (but secretly knew the truth), and me just wanting to complain to someone because i could see ben wearing down, i called and announced our news. most people suggest waiting another month. but sometimes it's nice just to get it out. and plus i'm an awful secret keeper anyways. so now 8 weeks later, here i am publishing it to the world, well not really, but if the world wants to know, here it is, right online.

it seems that when women become pregnant they begin talking about a lot of personal things. typically gross things. but they are no longer gross, because i mean, they're pregnant. and how could pregnancy be gross? it's a baby. kinda like when a women starts waddling around with her hands supporting her back, and every stranger she comes in contact with starts grabbing her stomach, because i mean, it's no longer her stomach, it's a baby. anyways, so what i'm getting at is that i apologize for the somewhat disgusting period talk. i guess it's just the beginning of a long journey for us. lot's of personal/disgusting talk. but i do promise you, dear readers, i will not be posting my dialation on facebook while i am in the hospital. you will all have to wait and assume that i either dialated to an entire 10 (10?! holy crap.) anyways, you will have to assume that i dialated to a 10 or got a c-section, because after finding out i was pregnant i've done all sorts of research on how to get this baby out of me (when it's full size), and even with all the tools, medicines, and monitors, there doesn't seem to be a simple solution. they all seem painful! yes, i do think a masive needle, with a tube stringing out of my back, and an itching sensation covering my skin also sounds painful. what i can't figure out, is why in the heck so many women, back in the day, had so many kids. my great-grandma had to do this 13 times. can you imagine doing this 13 times?! anyways, yea, so there really is no simple solution. and that is one majore concern of mine right now. so i guess instead of stressing about it for the next, i don't know 7 or 8 month, i will be spending my days doing some serious hypno practicing, trying to exercise (because apparently that's going to make everything easier, although, right now all it does it make me throw-up), and trying to cope with the idea that my uterus is going to expand to the size of a watermelon (a watermelon! they just so happen to choose one of the world's largest fruits to stick in my stomach for multiple, consecutive months). meanwhile, thank you dear readers for reading my complaints and being patient with my absurd moods. and i'm thinking before i stick one of those gadgets of my growing baby on the side of my blog i will begin the process by first, counting down to the last day of the first trimester. oh happy day.

POST SCRIPT: the calculator says the first day of my second trimest is halloween - oct. 31st. just barely over a month to go. (i'm really planning on waking up, going running, doing an abb work out and not feel nautious once). but then again, it is all an estimation. . .

closed for the season

today is a beautiful day. not a cloud in the sky. approximately 75 degress, a slight fall breeze in the air and sun has never felt warmer. on days like this day, i am immediately taken back to my childhood. it must have started before i can remember, but the most vivid memories began about the time i was in preschool and kindergarten. each day, when the school bus would drop me off by my big red mail box, i would race up the hill, pounding on the crunching leaves, as i zigzaged through the trees, until i reached the front door. there i would always be happily greeted by my mom. shortly after giving our hellos, and me dropping off my backpack filled with crayons and easy read books, was the time we would open a can of albacore tune, scrap out a few scoops of mayo and create a delicious tuna fish sandwhich. we would then grab an old blanket from the cubboards and head out to the front porch (a big round porch, hidden from the world, but open to the sunshine). there we would sit and soak up the warmth as i would blabber onto my mom about school, and friends, my inability to bounce a ball, but how much i adore my art teacher. during this time, she would watch me stuff potato chips in between the bread and the tuna fish, and i would wonder how in the world she could possibly enjoy that relish. after eating, we would often take a nap, sleeping on our old raggy blanket, in the warmth of a fall afternoon, on that round front porch. we would spend some more time petting the dogs, talking, and then going for our afternoon walks. there was always something magical in those fall afternoons. it was a time when the house was still empty (before my 5 older siblings would arrive home); so i was able to be the most important thing to my mom and my mom was the most important thing to me. on days like today, i feel the urge to grab an old blanket from the wooden cupboard, of the home i know so well, and head out to the front porch to share a lunch with my mom. only my mom lives very far away, and i have no front porch to bask in the sunlight. to ease my loneliness, i decided i would grab that book, i've been needing to finish, and head down to the pool where i can easily strip down into a bathing suit, and collect a little more vitamin d before the cold wheather sets in and forces me to spend 6 months of darkness, covered in sweaters, coats, multiple hats, gloves, boots, and still allows me to find a chill in this icy humid air. i quickly wipe some sunblock onto my body, grab my book, waterbottle, and towel. i then head down to my seculsion by the pool. as i scuff my feet through the leaves and breathe in the fresh fall air i fail to notice the big white sign covering the gated pool. as i pull my key out, i see a chain, then i notice the sign "closed for the season." there's a green cover, covering the blue pool that i spent so many days babysitting my little buddies this past summer. every loudge chair is empty (i would have had my pick today!). and the brown leaves are wisking by. sadly i turn back to go home. as i enter the house i see my little canberra sitting patiently at the door, big smile on her face, just waiting to perform her flips and twirls in celebration that i had arrived. that's when the wheels in my head began turning. so i grabbed an old blanket from the large, cardboard, computer box in our closet, hooked canberra's pink leash onto her collar, and off we went. we walked out to the cattail pond, where canberra has the chance to run and play, with few visitors and lots of excitement, she couldn't be happier. i then stretched my blanket out, drank my water, and began to read my book. after canberra had done some serious exploration she would come running back to me, sit down by my head, and look up, happily, into the blue sky - bliss! i know she was thinking. suddenly she notices that fat stick that had been sitting there all along, and begins to bounce around it, she then begs for me to throw it. we play and then read, play and then read. creating memories just me and canberra. on our way back home, i watched some more large leaves fall from the tree, thought about the pool closing, and the nice time canberra and i had out behind the cattails. that is when i came to the conclusion: how nice it is, when things can close for a season.

pet check

canberra came to cedar point too. but for some reason the ride conductors wouldn't allow her on any of the rides, so she was required to go to "pet check." there canberra stood in a large kennel all by herself, but not really. she was surrounded by other dogs too small and too harry to ride the top thrill dragster, just like herself. so she stood in a large kennel, all alone, listening to upset, hyper dogs yap all day long. during our adventures, we didn't forget about our lonely friend, so we took a long break to visit her. after playing for a long time in the grass, we thought she might enjoy going out on the marina to observe the many boats docked near cedar point. but as soon as we stepped on the dock canberra hunched over, spread her claws out, and began almost an army crawl. considering her extreme fear of docks, maybe coasters really wouldn't be her thing. all i know is canberra had a no good, terrible, awful, lonely, scarred, and unhappy day. her greatest wish is to never go to another pet check again - guess we'll have to get a yard.

fan club

canberra has a fan club. every time we go outside, canberra begins whining. when she knows she has my attention, she looks up at the table, sometimes stands on her two back feet to get a closer look, and then looks back at me whining again. on top of that table sits her bright blue frisbee. how do you resist such an enthusiastic dog (even when you do only have 10 minutest to get to class or church or whatever else might be important that day). so i grab her frisbee, and canberra begins doing jumps and twirls around in the grass (if she knew how to flip, i promise you, she would be flipping). i don't know how all the neighbors know that we're outside playing frisbee - maybe it's the strange taps on their window as the frisbee magically flies in the opposite direction of my intention, or it could be the jealous dog always on alert to announce any fellow friends, or possibly it's my very loud frustrated command to "fetch" whenever canberra gets distracted. either way, they all know. families line up on their porch to watch the show. two-year-olds are chanting her name, dad's are clapping, and mom's are laughing. meanwhile canberra is soaking it all up. she jumps high in the air and snatches that frisbee like it's standing still. while running back to the thrower, she looks around herself with pride, as she listens to the cheers that sound more like sweet music to her ears. now it's time to really show off, so she gives that floppy frisbee a good hard shake - to show the spectators how incredibly tough she is. after doing a victory lap, canberra finally drops the frisbee by my feet and begins running in the opposite direction. ready for another round.

delivery

forget that sweet carolina, mouthwatering, mustard base, bbq sauce. I WANT THE BUBBLE WRAP!

for the love of dogs

it's raining today, so i am inside organizing my external hard drive (and let me tell you, this is not an easy project!). amidst my attempts for computer orderliness, i ran across this picture of my best friend. it was -11 degrees this particular morning, but there was fresh snow blanketing the ohio valley. canberrra and i couldn't resist the white crystals. so we grabbed my xc skis (and her bare paws) and went skiing through the woods. the enthusiasm canberra has for every excursion simply intrigues me. it breaks my heart when i see dogs that don't share the same relationship that canberra shares with me.

last sunday on my drive to church, i saw this little raggedy maltese mix running crazily through the streets, dodging cars left and right. i slammed on my breaks and pulled to the side of the road and that's when she came running to me. poor thing was absolutely filthy with no tags and no collar. i couldn't bare to leave her there, running through the streets (odds of being hit approximately 98%), so i swooped her up and took her to the church. i told her that if i didn't already have a great dog, and if i didn't live in a small apartment i would take her home. but instead i was forced to call the humane society. i missed nearly all of sacrament waiting for the officer to come. but i love dogs, especially mine. and i know if canberra was ever dodging cars on a busy street i would be eternally grateful if someone picked her up and called the humane society. i hope that little mutt is now lying in a warm home watching the rain splatter on the glass.