terrier

Kitties and Terrier Screams

Watercolor painting of cat

Image not stolen.  I made it myself!

 

Frantic looking Cairn terrier

The kitties!  The kitties!  Can’t you see the kitties?

This picture was taken at a Halloween party at the pet store.  For some reason they decided to stage the photos in front of the kitty adoption section.  Geordie can’t hold in his excitement when a feline is around.  As you can see, his is not a happy look but a frantic one.

Some terriers have the “terrier scream” and my boy is one of them.  It is a very human sounding noise, as if a person were yelling, “Aaaaagh!  Aaaaagh!  Aaaaaagh!” at the top of their lungs.  Trust me, you get awfully strange looks when your dog starts belting out some of those.

Even now when Geordie is a very mature pup and has lost a lot of lung capacity to cancer, he can still shout out a terrier scream loud enough to break windows.

Kitties beware.

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Don’t forget to pick up a copy of Poopiter!  It tells the illustrated story of Bitey and Toby’s first year together.  (You’ll want to catch up on things before their next book is published.)

Bitey Dog and Toby in POOPITER

Poopiter is available from Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Landscapes and Memories

Hillside landscape in Autumn colors

As a painter it is my nature is to create pictures that are meticulous and  exact.  While studying the works of artists such as Van Gogh and Chagall though, I found myself swept away by the freedom expressiveness of their artwork, and I loved it.  I want some of those feelings for myself!

I decided to explore the area around me and see what I could find to inspire me.  Then I want to see what I can create – more creating a mood than a replica of the place, however. This was my first attempt at quickly capturing a scene from the neighborhood.

This particular location holds a special memory for me.  When Geordie was a tiny pup, only a few months old, we were sitting at this same place.  Suddenly Geordie jumped up and began growling and pulling as if he wanted to catch something.  I checked all around and couldn’t find any rabbit or deer or anything.  When I followed where his nose was pointing, I found a car driving on one of the roads on the facing hillside.  From where we were sitting, it looked no larger than a beetle.

I hadn’t realized until then that my puppy didn’t understand perspective.  The only way I could think to explain it to him was to pick him up and reach one arm out as far as I could toward the car.  When he saw that even I couldn’t touch it, he finally settled down.

 I still have a lot of work to do before I am comfortable with a more abstract style of painting.  This one is driving me batty because I want to go back and make it right.  Except, I don’t want “right” I want “mood”.

It’s a good thing I have a lot of paper because I’m pretty sure I am going to need it!

Oil painting of male Goldfinch
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Watch Out, Peppermint!

 

Toby and new stuffed girlfriend looking off into the distance.Isn’t this cute?  The two of them are even starting to look like each other!

Watch out, Peppermint.  Someone new is after your man.

This is Toby’s new “girlfriend”.  You may recall from Poopiter that my boy has a particular fondness for his toy peppermint.  Now, though, there is a new lady in his life.  This little gal doesn’t have a name yet, but I think she needs one.  Any suggestions?

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Peek-a-Boo!

 

Peek-a-boo!

Aah, this is such a rare moment – Toby looking at the camera instead of away from it.  I must have taken a dozen shots with my uncooperative little guy beating the shutter every time.   I am thinking of starting a folder with just blurry, back of head shots.

Toby got shortchanged on baby pictures since things were so chaotic when he was young.  (It is nearly impossible to take pictures when you have a puppy with a UTI.) I am trying to make up for that a little by getting some nice photos now.

 

Boy's Navy and Copper Suspenders, handmade.

June brings with it a variety of formal events.  Make sure your young man is prepared to look his best with something from the Boys’ Shop at Needful Things of Salem.  With these Navy and Copper Brocade Silk Suspenders your youngster will be ready to conquer any social occasion.

 

 

 

 

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Formaldehyde in Wrinkle Resistant Fabrics

Two Cairn terriers sitting in the grass.

This year for Mother’s Day, my boys very thoughtfully got me a pretty, new set of sheets for the bed.  As I opened the plastic to remove the sheets, I quickly had to set them down because of the itchy red rash I got from touching them.  Not only did they cause redness and itching, but they had a very strong chemical odor to them.

Not sure of what was going on, I checked the packaging and saw that these were “wrinkle resistant” sheets.  I Googled the term and found that what makes a fabric, in this case cotton, wrinkle resistant isn’t the way it is woven (as I had thought) but that the fibers are infused with formaldehyde to cause them to swell and not bend as easily.

I know that formaldehyde can be used in the sizing on fabrics to make them appear crisp when displayed, but I hadn’t known it was bonded to the fibers over something as unimportant as wrinkling.  Formaldehyde can cause skin irritation, breathing difficulties and of course it is a carcinogen.  Since formaldehyde is absorbed through the skin, every time you lie on treated sheets or wear wrinkle resistant clothing, you are exposing yourself to this poison.  Sadly, there is no government regulation requiring disclosure for formaldehyde use.

A big concern should be our children and grandchildren being exposed this chemical.  As a parent, I would not have given a second thought to the term “wrinkle resistant” on my child’s sheets – I would have chosen a print he/she would enjoy.  I would be horrified to find that I had exposed someone I love to something so dangerous.  And don’t forget our furkids.  If your pup or kitty sleeps in the bed with you, they are also breathing and touching carcinogens.

Fortunately there are a number of companies who still sell regular cotton sheets at pretty reasonable prices.  Cotton can be treated with a lot of pesticides as it is grown, so if this a concern look for organic sheets manufactured in the US.  Organic regulations are more strictly enforced for domestic products than foreign ones.

So, if you are making a purchase of bedding or clothing, please be aware of what might be coming home with you uninvited.

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The Spirit of Cooperation

Two Cairn terriers refuse to look at the camera for their portraits.

Two Cairn terrier brothers turn their backs to the camera as Mom tries to take a picture.

As you can see, my two are nothing if not cooperative when it comes to having their pictures taken.  I just gave the two little monsters a very itchy pair of fur cuts, but neither of them would look at me so that I could capture their new do’s.  Thanks guys.  I’ll remember this next time.

 

Pick up a copy of A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy which deals with time B.T. (Before Toby).

Cover 8 (800x778)

Both are available from Amazon.

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Hand painted Chihuahua dog handkerchief

Looking for a special gift?  Hand painted handkerchiefs are not only thoughtful but eco-friendly.  Show someone you love that you care about them as well as the planet!

This and many unique handmade gifts are available at my shop L Bowman Studios.

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Life Gold

Go away.

For some reason, my favorite pictures are the bad ones.

When Geordie got sick, a  neighbor told us about Life Gold – Dog Cancer Support .  Her dog had been diagnosed several months before and has been taking it ever since.  At his latest check up, the vet said that the dog is doing great and to keep doing whatever it is the family has been doing.

I started Geordie on Life Gold as soon as I could have it delivered.  At this point, I can’t testify to it altering the length of his life yet, but I feel confident in saying that it has significantly improved his quality of life.

Before his diagnosis, Geordie had been kind of laid back with lots of napping.  The clue we had that something was wrong was that he would cough from time to time.  Since giving him Life Gold, though, it is as if he is 5 years younger!  He has taken up playing with toys again, and he even invites me to play chase with him.  In the evenings, after Toby has gone to sleep,  he drags his little brother out of bed and insists Toby play with him.  This goes on every night!  Plus, he barely coughs now.

I realize that Geordie’s cancer isn’t cured, but it is wonderful to see him living such a full and happy life.  I wanted to share this in case someone reading has had a pet diagnosed with the dreaded “C” word. Life Gold isn’t expensive, and it might just help your dog to feel better and you both to be happier.

Picture of Life Gold herbal supplement for dog caner.I forgot to mention one other thing I noticed about Geordie and Life Gold.  Whenever he went for his chest X ray, the vet was a tiny bit concerned that he had lost 3/4 of a pound.  For a while, he simply hadn’t been very interested in his food.  After starting Life Gold, however, he developed a healthy appetite and has gained enough weight that he looks like a healthy terrier again.

Pick up a copy of A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy which tells of Bitey’s life before Toby.

Cover 8 (800x778)

Available from Amazon.

 

 

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Watch Your Step

Watch your step. Huge hole in the garden!

I keep hoping a deer will fall in the hole and never want to come back to the garden!

It’s tough to get a decent picture of a hole: they are not particularly photogenic.  I hope this picture does justice to the huge hole that Toby dug this afternoon.

More than Geordie, Toby really enjoys being a dog.  He loves digging holes and playing in mud.  He likes chasing birds and catching tennis balls.  Geordie has always been fussy about his demeanor and appearance.  I’ve often said that if life were the TV show Frasier, Geordie would be Frasier and Toby would be Eddie.

Until recently, Toby has been able to get away with being the goofy puppy.  Geordie was more practiced at everything and always led.  Toby could afford to slack off and be the little clown.  Once he realized that the humans knew that Geordie had a problem, though, he immediately stepped up to be such a wonderful, helpful boy.  He pays attention to my moods now.  He is much more patient with things like being groomed.  I hug him often and tell him how much I appreciate all his help, but I don’t want him to stop being my goofy little puppy yet.  As life gets back to normal, I want him to keep misbehaving.

I think today was a good start.

Cairn terrier pup looks between railing.

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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.

Bitey Dog and Toby in POOPITER

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