The triplets get a new toy

Yes, it is true. Greyhounds love to play. And our greyhounds know the minute something is different on their acre.


Take for instance the day the big life-sized toy landed in the yard. Jillian and Skirvee couldn't wait to check it out.


Since she is our toy monster, Jillian immediately claimed the life-size toy to be her very own.


She made sure she licked it and nibbled it as Slinky stood close by.


Then she snuggled in, looked straight at me and said "Thank you."

It's time to make more new friends, please join us for the Saturday Pet Blog Hop

The Pet Blog Hop hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume. Many, many thanks to the hosts, the Pet Blog Hop rocks.

Please join us, the rules are simple:

1. Follow your three hosts
2. Check out some of the our fellow bloggers, leave them a comment and tell them you are visiting from the Pet Blog hop
   
3. Add your blog to the Linky
4. Copy and paste the html code into your html editor

Sweet innocence

'nuff said.

Look into my eyes

Wordless Wednesday

Stupid weather

We were all ears this week-end when we heard that a snow storm was coming our direction.

You see, we live in Oregon and I work for the community college and when there is the slightest hint of bad weather, we get a snow day! Woo hoo, no work.

So we started doing the happy dance in anticipation of a day off, maybe two.


Then, we realized we shoulda done a snow dance. Day by day the forecast changed.

Snow was no longer in our future. Just rain. Day after day of rain.


We'll give that weatherman a piece of our mind. We'll show him.

Pet blogger challenge

1. When did you begin your blog?

My first post was December 7, 2008. I had a few unofficial posts before that.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

We had a rough year that year with the greyhounds. A few bouts of cancer, a survivor of auto immune hemolytic anemia (he's still with us), we sent two of our seniors to the rainbow bridge and vet bills over $15,000.

I remember thinking that I wanted to remember all of the wonderful stories that our dogs left us with and post a few of the millions of pictures I was always taking.

We also have some very dear friends that have a greyhound kennel that send us pets as they retire. They love to see the pictures of their hounds taking over the couch.

Blogging was the obvious answer. It is purely a personal blog.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

Yep, I am still motivated by all of the same reasons for the dog blog.

I'm taking much better photos and often see stories from the dogs that I might otherwise missed when I'm taking the photos.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

I try to post something every night. Believe me, I have a ton of pictures that I haven't posted yet.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

No income, but if someone ever adopted a greyhound from reading about mine I'd feel richer.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?

I have made some great blogging friends, from everywhere. That is such a trip. My dogs make me laugh, I hope I can make someone else laugh too with some of their crazy antics.

7. What do you like least?

Some days, I spend more time than I really have available, but overall, I really like it.

8. How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?

Probably not to much change, except encouraging more pet adoption. Greyhounds are my breed, not every body is right for a greyhound, but I would encourage pet adoption from organized groups.

Totally important job

It's Sunday, Talley has a high ranking, very important job that she must do.

You see, the girls in our family can be very, very finicky. Their kibble has to mixed in a certain way, or they will show us. They'll starve to death. They'll get skinny. They'll show their ribs.

The boys always eat, but those darn girls.


One of their favorite delicacies is the roasted chicken from Costco. They know when we go to Costco and believe me, they expect a chicken.

Karen takes some time after we get it home and picks the chicken clean.

Talley used to be a very shy girl. When she'd sneak around and peak into the kitchen, Karen would offer her a morsel hoping to bring her around.

Now, every Sunday afternoon, it is Talley's official job to taste test the chicken. She must make sure that it is safe for the other ladies.


Ever so gently she reaches up and takes the chicken from Karen's hand.

I don't think she is so shy anymore.

Follow that hound

Danny was out back when something caught his attention on the other side of the fence.


This series of photos certainly isn't my best work, but when I looked back over them...


I was amused by the fact that every time the shutter clicked,


Danny was on his back legs.


The greyhounds have a fenced acre that they call home.


And I think that is a pretty long distance to run two-legged.

Catching some air time

BZ Training, a blog with a pair of beautiful goldens stopped by the other day and asked how I got my action shots.


I wish I could pat myself on the back and say that it was talent, skill, craft, flair, expertise and that I was just one hot photographer.


But the reality is, I have playful greyhounds, take a million pictures and usually I can count on one out of that million looking good.


Here are my secrets.


Most digital cameras today have a sports setting. The camera will do whatever it has to to give you a fast shutter speed. That stops the action.


In most cases if you keep the shutter button depressed, the camera will take bursts of photos in a sequence. These seven images were all taken between 1:40:38 and 1:40:40.

Karen threw the ball, I followed Cinderella with my lens and never released the shutter for the seven images.


That is the other secret. It takes two of us, one to throw the toy and me to try and anticipate what is going to happen. Separately, most of these pictures probably wouldn't have made the cut, but as a sequence they tell the story.

Now it's time to read some other stories. Please join us for the Saturday Pet Blog Hop.

The Pet Blog Hop hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume. Many, many thanks to the hosts, the Pet Blog Hop rocks.

Please join us, the rules are simple:

1. Follow your three hosts
2. Check out some of the our fellow bloggers, leave them a comment and tell them you are visiting from the Pet Blog hop
   
3. Add your blog to the Linky
4. Copy and paste the html code into your html editor

Nuttin' but...

I'm on the run, you don't get nuttin' but...

It's happy Friday. Woo Hoo!!!!!

Me and my shadow

This dog is so light on her feet. She cracks me up. Only Cinderella could make a perfect arc.

Terri's angels

Once upon a time there were three red dogs who all went to the race track. And they ran as fast as they could, but I was the lucky one that got to adopt them and they all live with me.

My name is Terri.

Oi, Monday

Just ran over me like a freight train.

I returned to work after three weeks of vacation. Yeppers, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Enough is enough

No more of those sissy glamour shots. You know, the ones with a black background, lighting, faux fur blanket... enough is enough.


Real greyhounds play with pink bunnies.

Tip toe into the New Year

Thank you so much to everyone who dropped by the blog yesterday.

A couple of you mentioned the tulip fields and it brought back so many colorful memories.

There is a tulip farm about 20 miles from where we live.


Every spring they have a huge celebration and we always take a couple of greyhounds.

This is Maddie, she was 13 when we took her out, sadly, this was one of her last field trips. I always thought she was pretty in pink.


I'm sure you recognize my stud muffin Flocko. Since there wasn't a ball involved, he was not impressed.


This year, the twins had just arrived and this was their maiden field trip. They were so good.


Around the end of February I'll start stalking the Woodenshoe website to see when the tulips will be in full color.

You'll just have to check back then to see who gets to tip toe through the tulips this year.

Dancing in the New Year

Have fun ladies, bring in the New Year in style.

Overall, it has been a great year.


We were quite sad to say good bye to Duncan when the evil cancer monster took over.


And we where so delighted to have the twins join us. Yeppers, they make our world so colorful.

Not sure what lies ahead, but we'll make it good no matter what.

So go ahead ladies, shake your bootie and make a few new friends on the Saturday Pet Blog Hop.

The Pet Blog Hop hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume. Many, many thanks to the hosts, the Pet Blog Hop rocks.

Please join us, the rules are simple:

1. Follow your three hosts
2. Check out some of the our fellow bloggers, leave them a comment and tell them you are visiting from the Pet Blog hop
   
3. Add your blog to the Linky
4. Copy and paste the html code into your html editor

The aftermath

It was a dark and cold night. It hadn't rained for 24 hours.

What happens when you combine all of that with Flocko.


Silly humans, you still play ball!


Mud or not.

My goofball

Flocko wasn't happy playing ball in the rain just once yesterday. He had so much fun with his splash down, that he had to play twice... in the pouring rain.

We were just getting ready to settle down for the evening when we looked into the living room.

Yes, the wet dog had crawled up into the rocking chair.


He can be such a goof, but I love him so.

My splash is bigger than your splash

Neither hail nor snow nor sheet of rain can deter Flocko from playing his nightly game of Flocko ball.

It was raining bull mastiffs and and great danes today, all day. But Flocko did not care. Water was entering the garage and the basement, but Flocko had to play ball.


Crystal, our itsy bitsy 47 lb. greyhound couldn't wait to run up to Flocko, our biggest boy weighing in at 80 lbs., she had to make sure he saw the big splash she made while running.

Unimpressed, Flocko took this as a challenge.


In a very big way.



Just for the record, this little rain puddle used to be lovely green grass. The dogs lay in it's shade by summer and trance in it's branches by winter.


Quite proud of his splash, he walked right on by Crystal, snarking something about "eat my dust."

But I'm pretty sure he meant to say "have a raindrop on me."