Pic of the Day

Taken at the Dallas Arboretum with Canon Rebel XTi, 300 mm zoom lens. No post processing - straight from camera.

LSU Lakes

These are some of my favorite photos taken last month in Baton Rouge at the LSU Lakes around sunset.

Happy Birthday Chance!

Seven years ago today, I adopted Chance from a pet rescue organization in Lewisville, TX. He was one year old at the time; a scrawny, timid, worm-infested mess of a dog. They said he was part Finnish Spitz and part Golden Retriever. I had never heard of a Finnish Spitz, but I figured I'd study the breed and learn. I think he also has some Chow because his tongue has black markings on it.

Chance spent most of the first year of his life roaming the streets with another wild dog, who, it turns out, was not adoptable. But Chance (Rudy then) had something special that the rescuers felt would make him a good companion animal. And they were right. I'm so glad they took the time to get to know him because he is the sweetest dog I've ever had.

When I first brought him home, he had no manners. In fact, the first day in our house, he stood up to our kitchen counter and nabbed the sandwich Double D had just made for himself. Knowing this was probably a carryover from his life on the streets, we gave a gentle correction right away, and he never did it again. Same for potty training: he lifted his leg on our exercise bike (I felt the same way anyway about that machine), and after only one correction, he was trained.

Double D says Chance is co-dependent, but he actually has sheparding qualities. If one of us is upstairs and one is downstairs, he will get somewhere in the middle so he can keep watch. If one of the other dogs leaves the house, he whimpers, whines, and mopes until they return. He's also the house informant, keeping diligent watch at our window for any possible intruders. If a stranger is nearby, he alerts the rest of the pack with a high pitched bark, then an enthusiastic bite to get their attention. I guess he doesn't feel the bark is adequate enough.

I used to think that animals at rescue organizations were troubled mutts. This experience changed my views completely, and oh how glad I am to be wrong. I have rescued 3 dogs since Chance and they are ALL wonderful, life-enriching companions. Please adopt and give a shelter animal a chance!

Proud

Tonight I walked ONE MILE! Honestly, I couldn't believe I made it. Not only that, I was thoroughly enjoying it. Well, until I developed blisters on my heels 1/2 mile into it. If it hadn't been for the blisters, it would have been perfect. New shoes are in order.

Double D had Spenser and Chance on a two-lead leash and I had Sparky. The dogs had big smiles on their faces. It's true; my dogs smile when they get to explore the neighborhood. It truly made me happy that we were all doing something so healthy. And I didn't die. At first, when I got to the end of our street, I thought to myself, 'I'll never make it'. It really pissed me off that I was already struggling so soon. Then that other voice I've heard before told the negative voice to suck it up and DO IT. Suddenly, I hit my stride and forgot about dying.

Also tonight I tried to duplicate Chick-fil-A's Chargrilled Fruit Salad and I came pretty close. I left out the cheese, granola, and mandarin slices, but other than that, my version was awesome. Double D even remarked several times how good it was. If you know Double D, you know that some of his previous comments about my cooking caused me to go on strike for nine months.

If you'd like to try it, mix together the following (enough for 2):

4 Chicken breast tenders, browned with salt, pepper and basil, thinly sliced
Strawberries
Red grapes
Diced apples
Mixture of baby spinach greens, radicchio, carrots
Sunflower seeds
Croutons
Low fat raspberry vinaigrette

Chick-fil-A's dressing is called Berry Balsamic. The balsamic really has a nice punch, working very well with the fruit. The raspberry vinaigrette was okay, but didn't deliver the same wow factor. At any rate, it felt so good eating this for dinner. I wasn't weighed down at all, which is why I was able to walk a mile.

I'm really going to walk at least a few times a week and fix a healthy meal every night. My tuna lunch is ready to go in the morning, so no more fast food! With a little preparation, I should be successful. Wish me luck!

Quivering Tongue

As you all know, Izzy has an enormous tongue that dangles from her petite mouth. I inadvertently discovered a trick for her abnormality, and it was like I found a new toy. Yeah, I’m a dork and have no life. :-p

Last night, as I was reclining and smacking unladylike on my gum, she climbed on the chair and settled on my chest. Paws perfectly, genteelly placed in front of her, she watched intently, exuding an animated, hopeful expression. She knows I don't normally chew food for that long, so I think she may have been intrigued, especially since there was no plate or bowl in front of me. In any case, she was patiently waiting for some sort of handout, whatever it may be.

I blew a big bubble and then popped the gum, thinking it might scare her off my chest. Instead, as soon as it popped, her tongue seemed to flicker. At first, I thought I was seeing things. I wasn’t.

I spent a good part of Sunday evening trying to see if she would ever NOT do it. Every single time I popped the gum, her tongue quivered. Or maybe flutter would be a better description. I couldn’t stop laughing. She just sat there staring with that serious face. I swear it was like pushing buttons: Blow. Pop. Quiver.

Maybe you had to be there. :)