It Snowed!

Puppy does the backstroke in fresh snow.

Toby couldn’t wait to wake me up this morning to tell me that it snowed. He was so impatient to go out that he didn’t even ask for my breakfast. Once he got out, he Boing! Boing! Boinged! all over the place. It was so nice to see him happy and bouncy again!

The cold temperatures and 5″ of powder were all worth it to watch my puppy in the snow.

*****

If you would like to share some puppy cheer, consider sending friends and family these Waiting for Santa greeting cards. (Without the watermark, of course.) The inside is blank so you can decide if your household is a “Merry Christmas” or a “Season’s Greetings” one.

These and other great gifts are available from my shop, L Bowman Studios.

11 Comments Leave a comment

I Didn’t See It Coming

Unfortunately based on a true story:

Guess what? It snowed!

Why don't you guys have some breakfast before we go out? Puppy: No, I'm too excited to eat.

Not today, thank you/

Whee!

Puppy makes snow angels.

Puppy dives into fresh snow.

Puppy does the backstroke in fresh snow.

Puppy digs in fresh snow.

Hello...what's this? They grew back?

Here, let me help you get some of those s ow balls off of you.

Maybe you shouldn't have rubbed my tummy when I am so excited.

I had another surprise hit me that I didn’t see coming. (Ha ha) I developed a reaction to the plastic on my eyeglass frames. It has become so painful that I have stopped wearing them. The catch is that my vision is something like 20/1000 without them.

Before I begin a serious search for hypo-allergenic frames, I am starting an eye exercise program that is supposed to improve or even fix a person’s vision. It would be great if it worked so I didn’t need glasses anymore.

In the meantime, don’t worry if Bitey Dog seems a bit fuzzy or my typing is worse than usual. It is just me getting used to my natural eyes.

*********************************************

Toby innocently stands there, wondering what mommy is looking at.

Does this mean you can’t see me getting into trouble now?

*****************************************

If you haven’t spent all of your Amazon gift card money yet, consider ordering a copy of Dream Our World. In it, Bitey and Toby go on an adventure to the Museum of the Imagination and view the world of art from a canine perspective.

Dream Our World is available from Amazon…and soon at a museum!

17 Comments Leave a comment

A Late Easter Post

Snowy night scene.

Robin's egg sitting on porch step.

What a difference from last year to this year! Last Easter brought a tiny robin’s egg to our step. This year brought 6″ of snow.

I happen to love these early morning, above freezing snows, so I wasn’t disappointed to wake up to a frosted wonderland. It is so magical to be outside in the cold, damp, fresh-smelling air. I am fortunate that my pups love this kind of weather as well. (Sorry. My battery died before I could get a better picture of the snow.)

On this morning, Toby was so excited to see the snow that he practically burst through the front door to get to it. I put him on his 50′ leash and just let him run and run as much and as fast as he wanted. Scratch that. There is no such thing as enough time in the snow to Toby. Geordie wasn’t quite as thrilled as his brother, but I was happy that he got to see another snow.

It is still hard on me knowing that this will be my little boy’s last birthday and his last snowfall. It is the natural course of events, but it is still hard. I have been trying to give him everything he could possibly want, but instead of making a happy pup, I have created a tyrant. Geordie was always strong willed, but now that he realizes that I won’t push him, he is taking advantage. Will I stop? Of course not. An obnoxious pup is a small price to pay for allowing myself to feel that I’ve done everything I can for him.

I am nowhere near finished telling stories of the times we have spent together. You can catch up on what we’ve been doing with out latest book Poopiter.

1 Comment Leave a comment

The Flower Garden

A single yellow daffodil flower.

So far, this is the bounty of our flower garden. I was fortunate to snap this picture before 6″ of snow fell on the poor little flower and bent his stem. Although the flower is intact, now it looks like he is kissing the dirt.

The flowers may not be enjoying the cold, but the puppies are going nuts for it. Oh yes, and they peed on the flower.

***************************************************************************

0 Comments Leave a comment

Welcome Spring!

After the Storm

Me: Welcome Spring!

Spring: Hello! Here, I’ve brought you a present.

Me: Gee, thanks.

Geordie & Toby: Yippee!! Yippee!!

My boys are pretty excited about this recent snow. Toby loves snow and would live outside in it if he could. Geordie is thrilled because he was supposed to go to the vet this morning, but they cancelled because the staff could not get to the office.

I have a sneaking suspicion that March was weighing her options for “In like a lion, out like a lamb” and decided that lamby meant “white and fluffy”. She is just keeping her promise to us.

***************************************************************************

Or, learn what life was like before Toby’s arrival in A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy.

Available from Amazon.

0 Comments Leave a comment

A Drift of Snowbies

Snowby gazing lying on his back, gazing up at the stars.

Snowby lists to starboard.

Snowby with no head.

When I started writing this, I wondered if there happened to be a measure word for groups of snowmen like “a murder of crows” or “a tuxedo of penguins”. Most of these interesting words are terms of venery – or words used by hunters. Since no one hunts snowmen, there isn’t a ready made word for gatherings of them. Drift actually refers to groups of pigs, but I thought it was particularly appropriate for snowmen.

This drift occurred Saturday. After I walked the boys for the last time, I sneaked outside and had fun building the biggest snowballs I could manage. I had two snowbies (snowbys?) facing the road and another lying on its back gazing at the stars. By morning when I could get pictures of them, one was listing seriously to starboard, and the other had lost its head completely. (It is a shame because under its head is a lovely hydrangea hat that I had given it.)

I found out later that the neighbors had fun speculating about the supine snowby that appeared overnight. Did he fall over, or was he just lazy?

That yellow snow? Don't ask.

That yellow snow? Don’t ask.

**********************************************************************

0 Comments Leave a comment

Snowby II

Snowman shaped like a terrier.

Whee! We got lucky and had more packing snow this week. I couldn’t resist, and I built another Snowby (Snow + Toby). Note the cinnamon swirl tummy and the heart on his chest. It was actually a leaf that had been caught up in the snow – but how convenient!

When I was a kid, I didn’t get to build snowmen. Now that I am old, I take great joy in them. My boys like sharing in the activity but in more of a destructive role. I have to keep Toby far, far away from my creations because he will tear up snow balls as fast as I can roll them.

Bitey sitting next to "surrendering" snowman.

“Aack!”

Puppy Geordie used to wait until I had the snowman assembled before he would destroy it. I had to build snowmen with their arms in surrender posture so they were high enough that Geordie couldn’t reach them.

Toby attacks his snowmen by peeing on them. I am pretty sure this Snowby is disgusted with us and is going to leave for the North Pole this weekend.

******************************************************************

3 Comments Leave a comment

The Coldest I Can Remember

Thermometer readsd zero.

This is how we started our morning. I thought it was cold the day Toby arrived at 11 degrees, but we were nearly 20 degrees colder today. I was shocked to see that by 10:00 pm, it had climbed to 30 degrees. At night! We haven’t seen mercury at night in weeks!

There have been some changes in dog laws in this area to restrict the amount of time your dog can be outside in these kinds of temps. That is a great thing, but Toby has yet to get the memo. If it were up to him, he would live outside. He LOVES snow and can’t get enough of it. His favorite thing is for someone to kick snow up in the air so he can leap up and try to catch it. If the snow is too packed, he will kindly dig to loosen it so you can create a spray for him. I have indulged His Naughtiness enough that now I am gimpy from pulled muscles.

Thanks, Snow Monster, I needed another reason for people to make fun of me.

0 Comments Leave a comment

The Snowby

Cairn terrier pup standing in snow.

This is The Usurper. He has outgrown his green sweater, but he has a green flower attached to his collar so you can still recognize him. It turns out this little puppy enjoys snow more than most anything in life….except maybe tennis balls.

A Snow Toby that looks more like Winnie the Poo than intended.

Toby and I played for hours out in the snow. I tried to build a Snow Toby, but it came out looking more like Winnie the Poo or Mickey Mouse. (My audience is divided on that one.) It was a nearly impossible task because Toby tore up each snow ball as fast as I could roll it.

**************************************************************************

Folks keep writing to tell me how much they enjoy it. You can get a copy for yourself, a loved one or even to donate to your local library!

2 Comments Leave a comment

Is There Any Hope For This Puppy?

Tube of toothpaste chewed up by naughty puppy.

Yup, he got another one. (The other tube made it into an Amazon review for Petrodex.) Toby is so excited about Christmas and snow that he is going nuts. I thought there might be a chance that Santa could bring him something for the holiday, but now I just don’t know….

Yesterday he was so wound up about going out in the snow that he chewed up one of my shoes, stole a sock and tore up a throw rug while I was getting dressed to take him out. His outdoor, boinging joy is so contagious, though that I love being outside with him.

Geordie, on the other paw, could do with a little less puppy.

******************************************************************************

0 Comments Leave a comment