Category Archives: dogs

Triple Tricky

4 Replies

IMG_4226

Triple Tricky

Who knows what each new day will bring?
Three dogs wiggling outside my door–
my feeding them, them wanting more.

The world reaches out for me and more.
Those worlds imagination  brings
come whining louder at my door.

Now and always at time’s door
I offer words and ask for more
than what, I know, the years will bring.

Agape once more, that final door brings me at last to face my fears.
I bring myself to cross its sill, still hoping there will be some more.

The WordPress prompt is “Tricky” and and NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a tritina–a poetic form that involves three three-line stanzas and a final concluding line. Three “end words” are used to conclude the lines of each stanza, in a set pattern of ABC, CAB, BCA, and all three end words appear together in the final line. I cheated and used two concluding lines instead of one. This poem meets both prompts. Tricky.
http://www.napowrimo.net/day-seven-3/
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/tricky/

In Debt to the Vet

14 Replies

I guess if the building of the bodoga (formerly known as the doggie domain) didn’t prove it, the fact that I’ve been treated by a doctor twice this year and both times it was a vet will prove that my life has gone to the dogs!  Granted, Diego didn’t mean to do it, but when the vet tried to remove a drain he’d put in his side when he stitched up a 3 inch by 1 inch tear in Diego’s side, Diego reacted and how and I just happened to be the one holding him down when he decided to escape from his muzzle and take off for the door with my foot in the way.  I don’t know what his toenail cut, but I was spurting purple blood and so attention to Diego ceased for a few minutes while they gave me iodine-soaked gauze to wipe it with and bandaged it.

I think perhaps the fault for the gash in Diego’s side can be attributed to a long extension ladder left in the grass by the painters and an overzealous play session with Morrie.  The ladder has now been hidden away.  We couldn’t find any other possibility of a sharp object anywhere outside the house and within the walls.

Because I am vain when it comes to having pictures taken of me, (who isn’t?) I wish he at least had damaged my one remaining “pretty” foot, but alas, it is the one the foot surgeon “ruint.” Now I’ll never be asked to be a foot model.

Here are those wounded in battle so far this week:

(Click for an enlarged view of the damage!)

Here’s another link to the Doggie Domaine story if you didn’t catch it above:
https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/10/12/doggie-palace-day-1-share-your-world-2015-week-41/
Here’s a link to another Doggie Domaine story if you didn’t follow it from the first one: https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/10/18/doggie-domain-4-much-ado-about-nothing/

There are two more stories, but you are probably already thinking this lady is over the top if you’ve read the first two, so I’ll spare you.  I think there are links to them on the other posts, anyway.

More Pacific Blues

3 Replies

Duke and Daisy accompanied us to Tenacatita.  After the rains and high winds we’ve been having, it was too choppy to snorkel, so we all roamed the beach.  I picked up three bags of coral and shells from the beach and totally sliced open one water shoe. But, how could I be blue?  I left that to the ocean.

(Click on first picture to enlarge photos, then on arrows to view all photos. After viewing, click on X at upper left to return to this page.)

http://jennifernicholewells.com/2016/03/09/color-your-world-pacific-blue/

“No Soggy Doggies” and other Found Beach Stories

5 Replies

My rental house at the beach is no place to socialize three dogs raised behind high walls and accustomed only to their own company.  At home on Lake Chapala, their relationships with other dogs consist completely of sitting on the roof and barking at every dog who dares walk by my house.  I miss them, but they are well-cared for by Maggie, who is housesitting. The found art piece dedicated to them as well as a few others recently completed are shown below. All of these sculptures were assembled by me over the past two months from assorted plants, shells, bones, wood and other objects found on the beach during my morning walks.

(Click on first photo to enlarge.  Then click on each arrow to view other enlarged photos. After viewing all photos, click on X at top left of screen to return to this page.  A link to other found art wall sculptures recently completely is given at the bottom of this page.)

Dressed-up Detritus Bird
Vaquero (sold)
Parrot
I Miss My Dogs.
I Miss My Dogs (detail) This single flip flop found on the beach made me think of Morrie. In truth, he’s only eaten one of mine, but they were my favorite pair of Crocs.
I Miss My Dogs (detail). Any one of my three dogs, left at home with a housesitter, would have made quick work of this bone washed ashore with the tide.

Go HERE to view recently made found art sculptures shown in an earlier post.

I responded to today’s one word prompt, “Object” as a noun.  Here is the link for the prompt, in case you want to see how others responded:   https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/object/

Morrie Gets a Pedicure, and Other Burnt Orange Delights.

11 Replies

Morrie Gets a Pedicure, and Other Burnt Orange Delights.

IMG_1279IMG_1284 Version 3IMG_9553Yes, I was surprised that Morrie took so well to being pampered with an on-site bath, blow-dry, grooming and pedicure.  (This enterprising young man has started a business where he comes to your house to groom and wash your dog. He seems to be popular as he was booked solid for a week.  Fortunately, he had an appointment with a dog a block away from me so although I’m 5 km. out of town, he just worked me in after his other appointment.) Morrie was a bit rank.  Hated to leave him with the house sitter in that condition. And yes, I was proud of the boy.  And yes, he immediately went down and rolled in the dirt and the grass.  A fella’s gotta have some pride, much as he seemed to enjoy the attention.

http://jennifernicholewells.com/2016/01/18/color-your-world-burnt-orange/

Three Dog Night

12 Replies

Three Dog Night

What hath they wrought?  I returned tonight from an incredible performance of Glengarry Glen Ross (the cast was all women except for one!) to find this desecration of Leonardo’s art installation.  First, see the original:

IMG_1163 (1)Then, what Diego and Morrie (or possible just Morrie) made of it in a few hours:

IMG_1174IMG_1172Poor Leonardo. Poor me.  The canines just don’t have the same fine sensibilities about what constitutes art.  They are more performance art types!!

Frida Now and Then

20 Replies

DSC07911                                                                     Frida Now and Then

 

Found this adorable picture of Frida that I took right after I found her trotting down the shoulder of the main road that runs lakeside. The other picture was taken right after the vet said I should put the cone on her. She hyperventilated for hours until I finally had to take it off. Anyone know of something I could put on the sore on her leg to make her stop licking it?  She gets infection after infection in it because she can’t leave it alone.

Pobrecita!!!

15 Replies

IMG_1101
Pobrecita!!!

Poor little Frida. She has a place on her haunch she has been chewing and chewing at.  It has become infected and when a course of antibiotics didn’t heal it because she kept chewing on it, the doctor’s  decree was that she has to wear this cone around her head for two weeks and go through another ten day round of antibiotics.  Can you see by her worried expression and turned down ears how much she hates it, is puzzled by it, wonders if she’s being punished?

When I first put it on she went charging around the house knocking against everything, tipping over pots and little tables, ricocheting off the edges of furniture, even running into me!.  When I took her to her bed, she just put the cone down on the floor with her nose to the floor, curled her tail down between her legs, compressed her body  to the point where I feared she would implode, and just stood there as if made of stone.  She wouldn’t respond to treats, my voice, pats, hugs.  She was mortified  and so she insisted on also being ossified!

Finally, I had to remove the cone because she refused to eat even a dog biscuit, let alone her dinner.  After dinner I heard her chewing on it again, so I had to put the collar on again. Poor little girl.

A Place for Everything

12 Replies

                                                                     A Place for Everything

Disclaimer: If you haven’t been following the progress of the Doggie Domain, you may want to skip this post.  It is sorta silly, really, but I absolutely love having the means to make routine, repetitive daily tasks as easy and quickly done as possible.  With that end in mind,  it took a good deal of time and many changes in details to design the perfect dog-feeding cabinet. And, here it is–freshly installed with just two adjustments to be made tomorrow.  Chino did a great job building a  cabinet exactly to my specifications!

IMG_1109

It’s on rollers so I can move it if I need to.

IMG_1110

Top door opens to reveal the fridge needed to store opened cans of dog food. When Morrie learned to open the fridge door, it meant  moving the fridge from the bottom to the top of the cabinet.

IMG_1111

Twin doors below the fridge open to reveal a shelf big enough for all three bowls to be stored, waiting to be filled with kibble at the next feeding.  I’m having a half shelf built above them for more storage.  I’ll still have easy access to all the bowls.

IMG_1112

Next drawer down is big enough to store two large bags of dog food, side by side.  I’m having a division put in so I can store Frida’s food to the right and Morrie and Diego’s to the left.  I’ll pour bags directly into the drawers to save room.

IMG_1115

The two bottom drawers store canned food, grooming supplies and dog biscuits–in a drawer Morrie can’t open.  See him checking it out?

IMG_1117

Here it is all sealed up again, tight as a drum. The metal chest to the right will be removed as soon as the deep drawer for kibble has its divider installed tomorrow. If Chino can make another little storage container to cover up the electrical plug and cord, I will be happy.  Or perhaps a little stand to hang collars and leashes on?  What a luxury to be able to afford handmade furniture to your design in Mexico.  I’ve designed most of my furniture and love how utilitarian it is. This is the tenth piece Chino has made for me.

Okay, Bob.  Now it’s time to get revenge for the time I teased you about your post describing your new pan that you ordered on the internet.  I confess, this is much worse!  And I must admit I totally understand how exciting it is to have exactly the correct “tool” for something you need to do every day.  I just couldn’t resist ribbing you.  Now I’m having to pay the piper!!!

Bedtime in the Bodoga

9 Replies

 Bedtime in the Bodoga

Frida and Morrie both got new beds today, thanks to Morrie who ate Frida’s old one and has eaten two of his own as well as one of the cat’s beds.  He  leaves only his idol Diego’s bed alone and sleeps in it whenever he can get away with it, so I bought him one just like Diego’s. (It’s upside down for now with the plastic side up just in case he decides to have an “accident.”  (That’s not unknown to happen!) Once he’s a big boy, we’ll put the hot pink cloth side up. (Although it isn’t obvious in this picture, he does still have ears!)

IMG_9303

Frida got a big pillow that isn’t even tacky.  First one I’ve found that isn’t obnoxious colors or plaid or some other horrid print. At first Frida was suspicious and wouldn’t sleep on or even put one paw on her bed, but as you can see, she is now giving it a chance:

IMG_9298

Since Morrie is still being mean to her, Frida gets to continue sleeping in the main house.  She should have a few privileges of age.  We all should!  She now likes her new bed and I think it will be more hair-resistant than her old bed that seemed more like a hair-receiver than a bed.

Here’s Diego, in his same old bed that has made it through six months with Morrie:

IMG_9302

The carpenter came today to measure for the shelves and storage bins for kibbles.  They’ll have aluminum liners so the mice can’t get in–or the dogs!!! And, they have their own tiny fridge for opened tins of wet dog food and fresh bones, which the vet tells me I have to freeze for two weeks before giving them to them.  Do you think the Taj Mahal got this much press when it was being built????

I tried removing the cages and just had their beds in the room, but they were so restless and that was when Morrie ate Frida’s bed, so I’ve put their beds back in cages and they seem much happier.  I haven’t been shutting Diego’s door and he hasn’t reminded me to do so.  He used to want it shut and locked.  Morrie has learned how to open his cage door.  Smart little trouble-maker!!! He’s even opened the side that has two locks instead of one.

I think I mentioned before that my friend Dan of Dan and Rhonda fame has dubbed the Doggie Domain with a new name:  The Bodoga.  (A bodega is a storage room so the bodoga is of course a storage spot for dogs!)

Let me know when you are sick of Doggie Domain (Bodoga) news.  I don’t seem to be able to stop myself.  I have a cool slide series showing the entire construction process but can’t figure out how to have the last pictures I want to add go on at the end and also I don’t know how to post a video or slides on WordPress.  I just now learned how to find the Shortlink and how to post on Thursday Doors! Does the learning curve ever flatten out?????