T(r)icked

I don't know where these ticks are biting me that I can't see them.

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Here is the stupid little b*st*rd that bit me. I sent it to the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory to be tested for Lyme and other diseases. It turned out, this guy was clean. He didn’t carry a single illness.

Since my Western Blot test came back positive, that means a different tick bit me, unnoticed, and gave me a fresh dose of Lyme. What mystifies me is, I’ve seen engorged ticks on my pups. They are visibly noticeable even on a dog with shaggy fur. How can I possibly keep missing these things when they bite me?!

Out of curiosity I looked up whether it is possible to get Lyme another way, but it looks like no. A statistically significant number of people who get Lyme, though, never knew they were bitten.

The moral of my story is: ticks suck. No wait, the moral of my story is that even if you tuck your pants into your socks or have your ticks tested, you still might miss the one that “got” you.

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Why don’t you get protection like I’ve got? Then you’ll be safe!

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(As a funny side note, my blog is more popular in China than it is in the US. I wonder what they are learning by reading humble Bitey Dog?)

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Dream Our World

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Find out what Murphy’s Cairn brothers are up to when no one is looking as you travel with them to the Museum of the Imagination in Dream Our World .

Inside the museum, Geordie and Toby view the world of art from a canine perspective while enjoying a day of unsupervised fun. There are many hidden gems inside Dream Our World, and it is a joy for all ages. Treat yourself to a read that is both fun and educational!

Dream Our World, and other fine gifts, are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

Spoon Pie

Grab your gear, mom made "Spoon Pie"!  "Spoon Pie"?  Yum!

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"Spoon Pie"?  What's "Spoon Pie?"

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There's no such thing as "Spoon Pie".  I just didn't put enough thickener in with the blueberries.

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(Yup, these were the juiciest blueberries I’d ever encountered.)

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I don’t care. I’ll eat it right out of the pan if you let me.

(Just call me “Blue Beard”!)

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Dream Our World

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Find out what Murphy’s Cairn brothers are up to when no one is looking as you travel with them to the Museum of the Imagination in Dream Our World .

Inside the museum, Geordie and Toby view the world of art from a canine perspective while enjoying a day of unsupervised fun. There are many hidden gems inside Dream Our World, and it is a joy for all ages. Treat yourself to a read that is both fun and educational!

Dream Our World, and other fine gifts, are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

It’s Cooold Outside!

January 7th 2014 4:38 pm

This morning, when it was still super cold out (around -12), I asked Geordie if he wanted me to put his coat on him before we went outside. He said yes and actually stood still for me to put it on him. When I opened the door, he flew outside and pooped right away. (Trust me, that is a rarity for him!)

This evening, he came to me again, asking to go out. I asked him about wanting to wear his coat, and he said yes. (His fur still isn’t very thick after losing so much of it to his flea bite allergies. Baldie!) I took him out, and he ran across the snow to do a big pee. Afterwards, I tried to get him to come inside right away, but he said no. This usually means he has to poo, so I tried to walk him around a bit. Unfortunately, it was too cold for him, and he started to curl up into a ball. You can see the pain on his little face when this happens! I grabbed the nearest paw to see if it needed to be thawed, but it wasn’t icy like they usually are when he cringes like this. I tried to get him to run for the house again, but he kept saying that he had to poo. Oh dear! My poor guy had to go, but he couldn’t stand to be on the ground to do it!

Finally I picked him up and brought him back inside. My thought was to warm him up until he could go out quickly and take care of business. Then I remembered those boots I bought him a long time ago. I asked if he wanted “socks”, and he said yes, so I dug them out. He actually didn’t fight me when I put them on him, and when we went outside, he acted as if he were totally comfortable. He walked around a little while, then he did his business and did that scratch dance thing afterwards. He didn’t want to come in right away because he wanted to bark at a neighbor’s car. What a difference it made when my boy was warm! Thank heavens it isn’t going to be this cold again tomorrow. We should be able to go back to our normal, wardrobe routine.

Self Talk

Don't worry.  You're doing a good job.  Thanks.  I needed to hear that.  I know.

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You're pathetic.  Shut up.

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Hmm? Did you say something?

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An Armed Forces Themed Alphabet Quilt is a great way to introduce little ones to the world Mommy and/or Daddy work in, or it could be a gift to a hero who has already served.

Each picture is hand appliqued and hand embroidered. There is an incredible amount of detail in this piece, taking hundreds of hours of work. The method I use for making this type of quilt is paper-basting applique which is done entirely by hand. First I break each block down into colors, then create paper pattern pieces for each color. Then, starting from the background to the foreground, I sew each each layer with tiny stitches, then pull the paper out either from the back or the side. After this, I embroider any details by hand. Once I have assembled the quilt top, I layer it with the batting and backing, baste and quilt the entire piece. The binding is also applied by hand. The border on this quilt is quilted in a stars and stripes swag design. Quilt has not been pre-washed, so when you do wash it, it will develop that lovely, crinkled look. Each quilt I make is not only a quilt, but a work of art.

This Armed Forces Alphabet Quilt and other fine gifts are available at my shop at L Bowman Studios.

Murphy’s Discovery

There's a what?  Where?

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There's a what?  Where?

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There's a what?  Where?

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This is what had Murphy so excited:

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I don’t know what was so appealing about that lawn mower, but Murphy would not leave it alone. Since I’ve known him, he hasn’t shown an interest in toys or rabbits or birds, but he sure seems to like electronics!

Did you ever think to offer me a tablet? Or a phone?

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Dream Our World

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Find out what Murphy’s Cairn brothers are up to when no one is looking as you travel with them to the Museum of the Imagination in Dream Our World .

Inside the museum, Geordie and Toby view the world of art from a canine perspective while enjoying a day of unsupervised fun. There are many hidden gems inside Dream Our World, and it is a joy for all ages. Treat yourself to a read that is both fun and educational!

Dream Our World, and other fine gifts, are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

Resignation

Oh no, brother. What's the matter.

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Sketch of Eric Swalwell and the infamous cup.
Happy Toby flashes peace signs.

Toby and Eric Swalwell say:

Don’t own up

Blame the cup!

I don’t have to blame: I’m proud of mine!

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Dream Our World

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Find out what Murphy’s Cairn brothers are up to when no one is looking as you travel with them to the Museum of the Imagination in Dream Our World .

Inside the museum, Geordie and Toby view the world of art from a canine perspective while enjoying a day of unsupervised fun. There are many hidden gems inside Dream Our World, and it is a joy for all ages. Treat yourself to a read that is both fun and educational!

Dream Our World, and other fine gifts, are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

What To Do With The Garden During A Year Off

We are predicted to have another year with hardly any rainfall, so I’m not planning to plant a garden this year. What I’m wondering is, what do I do with the soil to keep the garden from turning back into lawn during this year off. (Covering the soil with clear plastic probably isn’t an option for me because of the cost.). Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

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Wait, what’s this about not planting a garden?

Happy Easter

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No matter what the holiday, it would appear that Jesus likes to play football to celebrate.

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I’m not much of a sports guy, but I like those little chocolate eggs that look like footballs!

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Dream Our World

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Discover what Murphy’s two Cairn brothers are up to when no one is looking as you travel with them to the Museum of the Imagination in Dream Our World .

Inside the museum, Geordie and Toby view the world of art from a canine perspective while enjoying a day of unsupervised fun. There are many hidden gems inside Dream Our World, and it is a joy for all ages. Treat yourself to a read that is both fun and educational!

Dream Our World, and other fine gifts, are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

Cattywampus (Or “When One Thing Each Day” Goes Wrong)

I started out making a baby quilt to donate, but it ended up being a full-sized quilt for my own bed…with matching shams.

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I tried again with different fabric. I wanted to make something to give away, and….it turned into an apron that I kept.

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After all that effort I didn’t end up getting rid on anything, but I lie to myself that my situation is better because my fabric is no longer in a jumble in a bag.

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Why didn’t you make a blanket for my bed? I like blankets.

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Dream Our World

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Discover what Murphy’s two Cairn brothers are up to when no one is looking as you travel with them to the Museum of the Imagination in Dream Our World .

Inside the museum, Geordie and Toby view the world of art from a canine perspective while enjoying a day of unsupervised fun. There are many hidden gems inside Dream Our World, and it is a joy for all ages. Treat yourself to a read that is both fun and educational!

Dream Our World, and other fine gifts, are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.