Tag: dog

Air Conditioned

A close-up of our dog Ellie covered in snow

We’re in the midst of a long heat wave where it isn’t cooling off much at night, but yesterday we had air conditioning installed so now we have a delightfully cool house. I may have overdone it though when I looked over and saw the pup covered in frost. Although I suppose the trees in the background are a dead giveaway that Ellie is actually outside, this is not from the big snow we had in January but a much smaller one in December. The wind was blowing the snow horizontally in little pellets so I didn’t make her pose long as the dog park is exposed at the top of the hill and the surrounding neighborhood was a more pleasant place to be. She was having a great time despite the expression, she was bored that I stopped our walk for pictures and waited patiently for the fun to resume.

Chilling

Our dog Ellie rests on the kitchen floor

Ellie has a dog bed in every room on this floor except the bathroom and the kitchen, where she is here, but sometimes she likes the harder surfaces like the tile of the kitchen or the hardwood everywhere else, I suppose because they are cooler. In fact one of the dog beds is a few feet behind her on the other side of the wall (and there were no cats in it at the time, which is not always the case). She may also be playing the odds and hoping a pizza will accidentally fall off the counter, more likely to happen in the kitchen than anywhere else. Smart thinking pup.

We had air conditioning installed today so the house will be cooler for her during the summer from now on, although these pictures are from March.

Our dog Ellie rests on the kitchen floor

Good Morning America

Our dog Ellie stands in the dog park at Portland's Irving Park

Ellie and I enjoyed a warm but peaceful morning on the 4th of July in the dog park at Irving Park before heading out into the neighborhood. The headlines are a daily reminder that there is a vast difference between what as a country we believe and what we say we believe, and always has been, but there is much to love about America too.

It Is Defended

Our dog Ellie lies on the hardwood while our cat Trixie watches from my office

You might think you can sneak into my office, past the guard dog whose old bones are loathe to move unless food is in the offing, whose old ears can no longer hear footsteps. But that’s when you fall into my trap! For waiting around the corner in my office is young little Trixie, who will eagerly snuggle up into your lap and … I think my office defenses need a re-think.

Spring Comes to Irving Park

Our dog Ellie sits in front of blossoming trees in the dog park section of Irving Park in the Irvington neighborhood of Portland, Oregon in April 2017

A picture of Ellie from April in front of blossoming trees at the edge of the dog park section of Irving Park. As much as I love the rain even I was ready for such a glorious sunny day after a wet winter and a wet start to the spring. But then the spring got unusually hot and dry for a while and I was longing for the rain again. I was standing in line at the cafeteria the other day when we had a lovely warm day after a stretch of miserable hot days, and the cashier asked me if this weather was more to my liking since he knows I hate the heat. I said it was just about perfect but I’d love some rain and a colleague in line looked like she was about to have a heart attack and made me repeat what I had just said, her eyes wide in disbelief.

I post this as evidence that I do like the sun in addition to the rain, just give me the warm days, you can keep the hot ones.

Insert Food Here

Our dog Ellie yawns in front of a blossoming tree

After studying the feeding techniques of the alligator snapping turtle, a large turtle that often sits and waits with its mouth open, using its tongue to lure in prey, Ellie decided to give it a go on our walks. She can charm treats out of just about anyone. She’s been on a bland diet for a while after some brief digestive issues but started normal food yesterday and, much to her great relief, was given her white dental bone treat this morning.

Summer & Winter

Our dog Ellie stands next to a tree in Irving Park in the morning light of summer

I got up early this morning to walk Ellie as we are in the midst of a heat wave with back-to-back days near or over 100˚, and it only cooled off to 70˚ overnight (and even then only for a short while), so I wanted to get her out before sun and temperature rose high. The early light was beautiful and since I had my camera with me I made Ellie pose in front of the same tree near the dog park as the picture below (which I’ve posted before). The two pictures are taken in the same spot and the same year, separated by six months, one on one of our hottest days, the other on our snowiest. Two different cameras too. Same great pup.

On that winter day she gave me an epic walk but a rather short one this morning, although she cut it short because of hunger not heat. Her stomach was upset overnight so she’s on a bland diet of chicken and rice for a few days until we’re sure she’s feeling well again, and she hadn’t had even that for breakfast yet. She kept reminding me all day that I ‘forgot’ to give her a dental bone this morning, her favorite treat. My pup keeps careful track of her treats. It’s going to be a long few days, but thankfully at least cooler weather returns tomorrow.

Black in White