Thursday, August 20, 2015

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

Thursday, July 30, 2015

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

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

Thursday, July 16, 2015

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.
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.
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

Thursday, July 2, 2015

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