Same old kiblets from the bag,
No enhancements added,
But the squirrel is such a nag,
Trying hard to grab it.
If I’m picky I’ll lose out,
“Get your own, you sneak,
Lucky I don’t bite your snout,
Then we’d hear you squeak.”
Category Archives: English cocker spaniel
First of December, First Snow
Evening darkens, snow clouds loom,
Heavy grayness hovers,
Every creature, filled with gloom,
Looks for extra covers.
Snowflakes drifting in the breeze,
Flutter to the ground,
Blanketing the dens with ease,
Whiteness all around.
Morning sunlight filters through,
Birds emerge from shrubs,
Now they wonder what to do,
Where are all the grubs?
“Where’s my breakfast?” they all cry,
“How will I stay warm?”
Shivering with cold, they sigh,
This is not the norm.
Robins tweet their invitations,
Gathering for flight,
Needing lower elevations,
Snow-free woods in sight.
Holly berries, mountain ash,
Worms and bugs to eat,
Having fled the winter’s lash,
Birds escape defeat.
Though it’s pretty, snow reminds,
How cold it will be,
Warm vacation, I must find,
Lovely sun and sea.
Meanwhile Emma snuggles in,
Fuzzy blanket warm,
Softly curled up to her chin,
“Now bring on the storm.”
An Omen of Change
It helicoptered from the tree,
This golden flaky leaf,
It’s happening, and I can see,
The maple is in grief.
The summer days are sadly gone,
Those romping times were fun,
But autumn’s here, we must move on
From lazing in the sun.
Without the maple’s leafy dress,
Her long arms will be bare,
No hiding places for the squirrels
Who used to scamper there.
It’s sad to see the warm days go,
And we’ll be soused with rain,
The leaves will swirl, the wind will blow,
As autumn comes again.
But as the summer weather sours,
Rambunctious days retire,
I’ll find a way to pass the hours,
Chew slippers by the fire.
Whoever Said Life Was Fair?
Look closely and what do you see hanging out of Emma’s mouth?
She had just been over to a stack of landscaping ties that she had been visiting constantly over the last few weeks, and I saw her lunge at something.
She got what she lunged for, but then stood there not knowing if she should swallow or spit.
Whoever said that life was fair?
Didn’t I catch that mouse?
Good clean catch was fair and square.
Snatched her by her house.
Meanwhile Maisie Mouse was cast into darkness. I couldn’t see what she was doing in there, but I feared the worst.
Oh my goodness! It’s so dark,
Wet and warm with slime,
That black dog is like a shark,
Got me good this time.
But Emma is so obedient. She knows that when I say, “Thank you,” she should give up what’s in her mouth.
After many, pleading “thank yous” Maisie was dropped onto the grass. I had to then protect her from another onslaught of Emma-attacks. Maisie ran up onto my shoes and then onto the cuff of my sweat pants. Luckily they are elasticized and she had no access to my bare leg (or anywhere else). I took a tissue from my jacket pocket and picked her up – not an easy task with her skittering here and there. But as soon as I got hold of her, the ungrateful girl sank her chompers into my finger.
Did I let go? You’d better believe it. I had to quickly distract Emma while Maisie made her way through the grass to the edge of the trees and disappeared.
Tiny little needle knives
Sank into my skin,
Thanks I got for saving lives,
What a fool I’ve been.
I’m glad Maisie survived, but I’m still waiting for a Thank You note from her. It could be a while. Oh – wait! Here’s Maisie.
Temptation
When apples ripen in the yard
And fall down from the tree,
If no one’s looking very hard,
I’ll steal one just for me.
But now they’re picked and in the house,
I wonder if I dare,
If I am quiet as a mouse,
You think they’ll let me share?
I’ve tasted these and even though
They’re ripe as they will get,
The taste is sour, I should know,
My cheeks are puckered yet.
I know it sounds like sour grapes,
Because they’re out of reach,
But see my tongue hang, face that gapes,
I’m very hard to teach.
In Broad Daylight
It’s nowhere near dark, but Ralph Raccoon felt safe enough to come check out our yard.
Just then, the Captain brought Emma (our English cocker spaniel) outside for a pee and in no time the barking and growling started. Luckily, Emma was on the leash because she has a pulled muscle in her leg and we don’t want her tearing around the yard just now.
With one last growl, Ralph clambered up the tree for safety.
Once Emma was out of the scene, Ralph wondered what to do.
“Should I stay here where I’m safe,” he wondered, “or should I come down while I can and get out of here before some crows find me and try to peck my eyes out?”
Turn on your sound and watch what Ralph decided to do.
Mother and Daughter
Again, I was in a rush and didn’t get wonderful, clear photos, but you’re all so good at using your imagination and that’s what I’m counting on today.
The woodpeckers were back. It was Pam and what I thought last week was her sister. I’ve had my eyes opened because I got a better look at the “sister.” Turns out, it is most probably her baby, not her sister.
Pam is near the bottom of the tree here, and Junior is above her. Junior’s topknot is not a brilliant red yet, most likely for her own protection. She won’t be such a target for her enemies.
Pam is working hard, pecking open the bark to look for bugs. Junior is still afraid of giving herself a headache so she lets Mom do all the work.
Pam stops mid-peck and looks around.
“Do you see her, Junior?” she asks.
“See who?” Jr. says.
“Whom.”
“What?”
“See whom, not who? … Oh, never mind. Do you see the crazy lady with the camera? She’s always hanging around near the back door, and I thought I heard it open. I don’t mind her, but that black cocker spaniel is always wherever she is, and that dog LOVES birds – and before you say, ‘Oh that’s good,’ let me tell you, ‘No. That mutt likes birds, but not in a good way.'”
“But don’t worry, Junior, we’re safe. Just open your beak. I’ve got a treat for you to make you forget all about that killer dog.”
“LOL! Gimme a break,” says Emma. “Me? Kill a bird? … Well, not a woodpecker, anyway … not today….”
Sharing the Yard
I’ve seen the squirrels’ hiding place,
Beneath this pile of logs,
They stash their nuts and cones in there,
While watching out for dogs.
It’s not that Emma eats their food,
She’s picky what she eats,
But squirrels are safer for the fence,
So they won’t be her treats.
I think I smell some hazelnuts,
Still buried under here,
If I could find a few of them,
I’d be a ‘coon of cheer.
But there’s that snooping dog again,
Alerting everyone,
Time for me to take a hike,
And come back later on.
You’ve heard of cowards turning tail,
They show their other end,
I’m not a chicken, but I just
Have no more time to spend.
Internet Dating
Once again, inspired by David Kanigan’s blog about Wally’s Great Adventures, I wanted to share Emma’s reaction. Please click on the link to see Wally’s pitch for a girlfriend. He’s so cute. I think he’s trying to show how tough he can be, and I must say Emma was impressed.
Emma must have thought I was looking for an Internet friend for her. When she heard Wally’s barking and saw him cavorting on the bed she naturally thought it was pillow talk.
She told me it was the best dating app she’d ever seen, and asked if I had Wally’s number.
She wouldn’t let up until I told her that Wally wasn’t interested in dating an “older woman.” He was just a baby and she was wasting her time pining for him.
It was hard on her, and I had to give her an extra treat to make her feel better.
Love, Love, Love
Because it’s February and Valentine’s month, along with my fish placemats, I plan to make some more heart placemats at the upcoming quilting retreat.
Did you see the movie with Adam Sandler where he frequently says, “Love, love, love”? He says it with a sigh, or as if people are making too big a deal of love, but really he wishes he could make the girl fall in love with him. I don’t know which of his many movies it was, but I remember him being on the beach being a bartender in a little beach bar.
Anybody know which movie I’m talking about? I just don’t remember. All I remember is that every once in a while, he’d say, “Love, love, love,” as if it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
On Valentine’s Day we like to show the special people in our life that we really do love them.
But shouldn’t we do that every day? How should we do that?
Here are a few ideas.
- Good relationships have a lot of give and take. The thing is, it’s not meant to be “one gives and the other takes.” You both have to give and take, equally.
- No good keeping score and saving up Brownie points. Just go for it, and be good to each other.
- Work towards a common goal. If you are working against each other in life’s goals, it’s not going to work. For example: If one makes the money and the other just spends it, it’s not going to work. Or if one always messes up the house and the other one always cleans it, it’s not going to work.
- Allow your partner his/her own space; time to pursue some creative hobbies or quiet time on their own.
- Say something nice to your partner every day.
Lastly, I was reminded the other day about how dogs behave when their owner returns after having been away for a while. If you’ve ever owned a dog, you might have noticed how they jump around and sometimes yip and bark and whine, or roll on their back hoping for a belly rub because they’re so happy to see you.
Wouldn’t it make your partner feel good if you showed how happy you were to see them when they come home? You don’t have to bark and yip, or roll on the floor with joy, but … well … you get the picture.
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