OMG.

OMG. I am a terrible mother.  A really terrible one.  What other kind of mother would forget her child's birthday???

Today is Darby's (and Buddy's and Sammy's) birthday and I nearly forgot the whole thing.

I thought about it a couple of weeks ago, but then forgot until just now when I read the birthday wish comment from Buddy's PA ("Personal Assistant.")

One of the many nice things about dogs is that they don't know when their birthdays have been forgotten!  So, Darby isn't going to hold it against me.  But, I decided to share with her the slice of coconut cream pie I brought home from dinner, just in case!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARBY, BUDDY AND SAMMY!

EB&B inspired me

So.  Erika, Bonnie and Bailey inspired me to try a walk with two dogs and one leash.

I have to admit we don't take as many walks as we should.  There are many reasons for this, most of which have to do with me being lazy.

But, maybe that's about to change. [the not walking part, not the lazy part!]

At first, the walk didn't start out too well...

But, once both girls got oriented and heading in the same direction, we were off.

Erika commented that Bonnie and Bailey would make a good sled-team.  Darby and Pumpkin would, too!

But, unlike a well-trained sled-team, they stopped frequently to check messages left by other dogs.

Darby, who is more properly leashed trained than Pumpkin, kept hanging back.  Probably thinking "I'm supposed to be walking alongside The One Who Feeds Us, not out in front of her."

Every now and then, something different would catch each of their attentions. 

We made it back home without any trouble.  Of course,  we did only stroll around our cul-de-sac!

Interestingly enough, we ended the walk in much the same way we started:

Thanks for the inspiration EB&B!

Update from Virginia

Don't worry... we're still here!  We've just been busy and haven't downloaded all the pictures from our camera.

The snow just starting to fall.  A lot of it melted before it started to stick.  The temp outside was in the high thirties so I was surprised it was even snowing to begin with.

Bonnie watching the snow that happened a few weeks ago.  They called for an inch and we had about three.  She has seen snow before, but never while it's falling.  She sat there for a half an hour watching it.  Bailey just snoozed on the couch.

Dog Love

"Until one has loved an animal
a part of one's soul remains unawakened"

Anatole France

On their level -- the Outside Edition

So, a few days ago, I showed you photographic evidence of my efforts to become "partly a dog"   by getting down on Darby's and Pumpkin's level to check out our small piece of the world from their point of view.  That was the Inside Edition. 

Here's the Outside Edition:

The compost heap.

Cilantro and the bugs growing on it.

Pepper plant and nasturtiums with rain-scarred petals.

The view into the Dogs-Allowed-Only-When-Accompanied-By-A-Human area.

A garden ornament up close.

Pumpkin's view.

The shiny round thing where balls are stored.