Liam is bursting!

THIS IS ABOUT ME BURSTING? REALLY?

They are called bursts. They occur on your iPhone when taking a photo.You touch and hold. You hear clicking. You are bursting. It may be intentional or accidental. And you may have captured a change in position. Like the person who always closes his/her eyes. The burst might catch the eyes open. Or the person who is wetting his/her lips and gets caught with the tongue hanging out. The burst gives such people a chance to have their eyes open and tongues back in place.
The following is a Liam burst. It is a successful burst because each pose is a bit of a change. With an ending shot that is appropriate to the sequential changes in the burst.

The next burst is a bad burst. One head change...

This is the worst burst. almost undetectable movement; it is there if you are looking

and then Google helped and got Liam's head bursting in two photos. Thank You! An unexpected surprise when uploading the burst.

Woof Woof

Here we go! Another Birthday

BIRTHDAY BOY

I will be 8 on this Saturday, DOGust 1. I am stronger and run faster than I ever have. The DNA of my four mixed breed ancestors must be evolving into some sort of superdog. Chronologically I have reached a new level in canine classification. I am designated as a senior dog now. I was surprised to hear that I had vaulted to a new category. I found this out when my Mom entered my story (upon invitation) to the Animal League family Mutt-i-Gree gallery. A doggie profile was required. Ages 7 and up were classified as senior dogs. I even think there was another category, maybe ancient dog. Here is the link where you may see me and read my story. 

Key in Liam and my pic with Carol and Liam annotated will show up. Click, tap or whatever on it and our story will come up.

http://www.animalleague.org/family-album/

Here are some senior dog poses. Mom says there is no discernible difference in my activity level. But I know folks think senior dogs lay about and amble around. So I am obliging by showing how we play at being senior.

LAYING ABOUT

HEAD REST

SNUGGLING

WRAP AROUND

WATCHING COOKING SHOWS WITH DAD

And this year I am also on the wall of fame in Best in Show Pet Resort.
http://www.bestinshowpetresort.com/
In the screenshot below, that is me, third row down on the right. Pinch on your mobiles to enlarge, or click on your desktops.  I assume you want to see me close up. Right?

How does a senior doggie make it to the wall. Have a mom like mine who always is looking for a way to join in with the pack.

PORTRAITS, LIAM END OF THIRD ROW 

And my birthday is the official designated birthday of all rescue and shelter dogs! Happy Birthday to all my precious rescue and shelter friends.

MUTT-I-GREES MAKE PRECIOUS FRIENDS

DOGust the first. Yes, for real. This is the seventh year of its celebration. And it falls on a weekend this year!

Last year's blog story DOGust 1

http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/2014_07_27_archive.html?m=1

Enjoy the dog days of DOGust.
I 'll be watching some indoor painting and trying to snag some hot dogs

See you in three weeks 

Woof, Woof

Yoga Room vacated

WHERE TO NOW MOM?

Towards the end of last summer I created a home yoga room.  I had researched and found that people were re-purposing an existing room into a yoga room. Or even a space within a room, I really got into it. And I made my converted dining room special. With art, flameless candies, pillows, inspirational quotes, trees and plants, treasured photos...you get the picture.

Here is the blog story for a quick refresher.

http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/2014_10_12_archive.html

I also set up a Pinterest board and pinned photos...examples to aid in my room's transformation. 

Here is the board. People have created such tranquil spaces.

http://pinterest.com/cbiz50/yoga-rooms-at-home/

Mine did not work. 

Why?

My converted yoga room has a chandelier.

I had to be careful to avoid it when doing warrior poses. I sometimes did not, smashing it with my hand as I lunged and then again as I retreated.

Paul's head
Grazed the chandelier whenever he walked across the room. This head on encounter produced an unexpected jarring jangle and a slight hair disturbance. 

Not enough horizontal room.
Even pushed against the wall, the dining room table did not allow enough space for floor positions. Any swinging to either side resulted in a connection to a table or chair leg. I had to compromise each pose into a less effective move. 

On the floor
Paul periodically would forget that this former dining room/guest room/bedroom was now a yoga room. He narrowly missed stepping on me several times. 

We tried it for almost a year.
Pilot over. 

And so the yoga room is mobile. I strike a pose anywhere.
Off mat.
On mat.
And the mats are ready to roll all over and anywhere.

Freedom.
 

We now have a mat upstairs. One downstairs. One in the car.
Liam tries all.

ONE OF THE MOBILE MATS

Liam likes all the mobile mats. He seldom used the primary yoga mat in the designated temporary room yet he claims all the traveling mats.

A PEACEFUL WARRIOR

GEARING UP FOR DOWNWARD FACING DOG

WELL, MAYBE NOT

Woof, Woof

What are you saying Liam?

A BARKING LIAM IN MOTION

It is incessant. And loud. And directed at me. And passersby. And human, animal and inanimate moving objects. And sounds, both distant and near.
It is excessive barking.

BARKING WITH STATIONARY HEAD

Is it more frequent and louder and longer because of the weather and length of days?
Or is Liam (who retains his puppy look) getting cranky and intolerant and needy with age? Or am I?
Probably all of the above. More folks out, more often, starting earlier and staying later.

Excessive barking

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/how_to_stop_barking.html
The article begins with the situation of a dog barking at passersby. Yes, from a window.

LIAM LOOKING

Liam has an assist from the couch which provides a perch. We have posted Liam looking from this spot before.

COME ON, TRY TO PASS ME BY

What to do? Make the barking location inaccessible in some way.

Daddy Paul took action. 

Fake Liam was installed.

Liam did not like it and barked and howled and groaned. He tried to edge fake Liam out

MOVE OVER

Tried being his friend

Tried ignoring him

Got angry and threw a tantrum

TAKE THAT!

And finally gave him the heave ho.

NOT A PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE

We will keep trying.
Woof, Woof

Tale of Two Hydrants

LIAM AND HIS HYDRANT

Liam has a favorite fire hydrant. It has to be as it is the only one he passes on his walks. It is in front of the corner house that is adjacent to ours. He tries to add his DNA to it but I hurry him along. Not wanting to be part of the clichéd dog lifting his leg on the hydrant routine. Here is why dogs do it.
http://animalfair.com/truth-territorial-marking/

TAKING SOME SNIFFS

I now have an unfavorite hydrant. It is in Manhasset. This aggressive hydrant reached out and pulled the bumper off my Ford Focus. Never heard of such an interaction? I am sure you all have heard of drivers backing into a hydrant. Well this would be the tale of a proactive hydrant. Possibly practicing "the best defense is a good offense." It saw me coming and took the initiative to strike first. Or maybe it is sick of dogs stopping by.

Here is the story of the "Hydrant Attack" night

Date: Tuesday June 2, 2015.
Time:  7:30 PM.
Place: North Hempstead Town Hall, Manhasset.
http://www.northhempstead.com/
Mission Show support for the resolution to allows dogs on leash in several North Hempstead Parks. Tully Park is ours.

We arrive on a side street. Town Hall at the end of the block. I know how to get there as I had learned from a previous "lost" episode see blog story http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/2015/03/lost-late-last.html
that I must be sure where my destination is; this time I am. The day before, guided by my iPhone GPS, I have done a test run. What I am not sure of are the parking rules. The lot behind the Town Hall has scary signs threatening all parkers who do not work for the "Town" with everything short of life imprisonment. And on the opposite side is another lot where only commuters are welcome. Many parking spaces but I do not fit any category of parking eligibility. Weather is miserable. We have had little rain this spring but this night we have torrents. And the temp has plummeted to 53 degrees after a high of 88 two days before. I see a spot on the street but pass it by. Minutes later, with no other options, I decide to back up into it. At some point there is a clicking sound.
(I do not hear it) but my alert passenger says "I think you are attached to the fire hydrant." Or something like that. I pull forward to get away. Oh my. My bumper is detached from my car. Yikes. Let's get out of here! I escape into the forbidden lot. The extent of my bumper damage is amazing.
But we have business. Our resolution about allowing Dogs on Leash in our Tully Park is up for a vote and we have to get into the Town Hall. I have to put my jumbled feelings away. I do.

Transgender Resolution
I am helped to "get in the moment" by a passionate vocal contingent of petitioners wanting the transgender category added to the Town's anti-discrimination law. There are empty seats around us and they fill in with transgender petitioners. Their resolution is first. The anti-discrimination measure passes unanimously. The petitioners exhort those in the room to support the cause and stand. I stand. I observe we are being filmed by many iPhones. Videos, panoramics, photo bursts. Steve Jobs would be proud. I expect we will end up in a You Tube somewhere. This is the day after Caitlyn Jenner's announcement. The group then exits, hands raised in victory. I have never attended a town meeting and now understand that after one's resolution is addressed and acted on that you may leave. And are expected to.

Dogs on Leash Resolution
We are next up. Our committee leader speaks as do others. Our resolution passes. We are not filmed and do not cheer, but we too march out in a victorious manner.

I then have to face my hanging bumper and drive by the giant fire hydrant. I wonder if it has chewed on any other vehicles while we are at the meeting.

I have to get the bumper fixed. And that is the Claims part.

Part of the procedure of filing an insurance claim is filling out the accident report for the Motor Vehicle Department. There are 8 choices for accident descriptions. See pic below. None fit mine.

THE ACCIDENT POSSIBILITIES NONE OF WHICH FIT MINE

There is an option offered where you may draw your incident. So I do. I believe the proportions are accurate. That is the way I remember it. I am vehicle #1.

MY DRAWING OF THE HYDRANT ON STEROIDS

You see how the hydrant is menacing my tiny car as I carefully and slowly back up. It is leaning into the street. We were lucky we were not impaled by its appendage. My bumper did its duty and sacrificed itself for the greater good. I am tempted to go back to see it in daylight but fear another attack. And it may have grown larger, feasting as it does on unsuspecting parkers. 

I have a 2015 Dodge Dart rental. I adore it. It has the new car smell. Liam is not allowed to ride in it. Part of the renter's agreement. No pets.

MY DODGE DART 2015 RENTAL

My Focus has 2170.90 worth of damage. It is recovering in Great Neck. I did not take a photo. I could not bear to record it. Use your imaginations. Look at that hydrant. You can visualize the dismemberment.

It was all worth it though to see two measures passed. The park you see in the Liam hydrant pix is our Tully Park. We will be in there soon.

Later On
It is now Thursday, June 18, 2015
We still have no "dog" access to Tully Park.
I got my fixed car back yesterday.
I miss my rental.
Oh and it was legal to park in all the lots that night. After 7PM the day rules do not apply. Next time I will have to add "find out about parking rules" to my trip prep.

If anyone comes across me in a You Tube let me know.  

LIAM LOOKING AT HIS HYDRANT AND TULLY PARK BEYOND

Woof Woof