My girlfriend sent this to me and I have to share. We'll be busy with family these next few days, so probably won't write much. However, look for great photos and updates after Christmas. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday!
By the way...Ty and I are pretty much certain that this could indeed be Wally on any given day.
I'd always considered myself a single-digit kinda girl. I like the numbers 3, 6, 9...ya know...easy to remember, not hard to write, and a bit of character in and of itself. No "partner" number imposing additional influence on its appearance or meaning. Well...that all changed today, when it had been four days...count 'em...FOUR DAYS since the dogs had been outside for any exercise. None! As in nada, zilch, zero. It was today that the number 10 and anything higher became my favorite number. And please...don't put a "-" in front of it. That's just mean.
Hopefully I haven't totally confused you. Allow me to elaborate. As you gathered from my last post, we've been experiencing colder than normal temps lately. Ty and I have decided that anything below ten degrees - unless the sun is out and making itself more than known - we probably shouldn't take the dogs out into the elements. As a result, they hadn't been out since Saturday and let me tell you...the tensions were running high. The casual wrestle session between Hunter and Wally had turned from friendly to snarly. And the Rosco-Wally chase fest went from knocking one or two ornaments from the tree to an unprecedented three or four falling to their death. AND a tree skirt disturbance thrown in for good measure. It was turning desperate here at the Anderson's.
But...finally (hallelujah!!!), the temps started going up, up, up today and we crested at 14 degrees! To make it all that much more enjoyable, it's been snowing all day too! Hunter, Wally and I celebrated with a drive-way shoveling, chuck-it throwing, snow eating (the dogs) fest after work. It was grand. The dogs are now sleeping peacefully downstairs and I imagine we won't hear a peep from them 'til tomorrow.
Thank you double digits! I owe you my life.
Happy dogs, happy me!
If only I could capture the glory of the temp in this photo.
Long time, no chat! Well...my new year resolution is taking affect before the calendar switches over to 2009. I've decided it's been way too long and I've been far too negligent for this to wait. It's time I get back to it. And surprise...a new look to go with it! Hope you like the design.
Christmas is coming up fast, with lots of excitement for our clan this year. The dogs will spend most of the holidays at home this year. My brother and his fiance (a June 2009 wedding!) will travel east from Seattle for a week here in Montana. Their visit will be kinda old school style, as they'll arrive on the train to Whitefish on the morning of December 22. Maybe we can whip up a light snow to welcome them as the train rolls into town. We always have a blast when the Hanzelka's are together and I'm sure this time will be no different. The day after Christmas, we head to Moscow, ID to spend a few days with Ty's folks and his sister's family. New little Ava will get her 1st Christmas rights-of-passage. It'll be fun to have a little one around...the awe and magic of the holiday will start to creep back into our lives as the tiny tot gets to experience all the traditions for the first time.
Yeah...funny how the magic just isn't there with the mutts. There seems to be more yelling and caution that enters OUR lives when the holiday grows near. "Wally...step AWAY from the tree!", "Wally...get AWAY from the ornaments!", "Wally...quit STARING at the Christmas lights! They're not alive...promise!", and finally...facing the near-tears that I've experienced every year since 2002 when I unpack ornaments. Memories of Hunter's first Christmas flash to my mind as I delicately handle the RUINED baby's 1st Christmas ornaments he so thoughtfully picked from the tree for gnawing and munching. Thanks, HUNTER!!! I still hold on to them for the sake that 1) there's sentiment in what's left of those things and 2) I can chuckle about it when the time comes to put the ornaments away at the end of the season. Tears...chuckle...tears...chuckle...it's an emotional cycle I've come accustomed to every year.
To the more immediate happenings around the Anderson zoo, we had a crazy morning that started with the visit of the cable guy, followed by the Culligan man, followed by a visit from my Pops (with coffee...thanks, dad!!!). As you can probably guess, this also meant a morning FULL of barking as each guest came and went. We're working on it, though, and Hunter's getting a little better at controlling his announcement of each suspicious (and non) arrival to our home.
One final note...it's been FREEZING here the past couple of days. Negative 12 the other morning with a windchill that has it feeling much, much colder. The dogs voyaged out with me for a run on Saturday, but Sunday was just too darn frosty for them and I had to leave them behind. Hoping that by tomorrow we'll be back in a normal range so they can get out for some extended exercise (they're getting just a wee bit restless). However, it was pretty funny to watch Hunter literally tip-toe his way back from a potty-stop in the backyard and Wally has been wasting no time at all in the great outdoors.
And since we missed you at Thanksgiving, here's a couple of photos as evidence that we did indeed stuff ourselves...Hunter too.
Okay...I know this is supposed to be a blog about the dogs, but I absolutely CANNOT RESIST posting this. The fact that it made me laugh to the point of tears leaves me no choice but to share the entertainment value of this video. As mentioned to my bro, I think one of the primary reasons this thing made me laugh so hard is because I could see our dumb-dumb cat doing something equally as elegant. Enjoy!
We have (or had) a dog that stinks...bad. Ty and I were standing in the kitchen on Monday night going "what's that smell???". "I think it's Wally...," was Ty's response. He began sniffing at Wally's fur, which was oddly quite the role reversal - usually they sniff us. "Yep...it's him," Ty declared. I replied with "No way! Can't be." I leaned down to contribute to this sniff-fest. Huh, I thought - not bad enough to stink up the kitchen, but certainly not delightful. Right then and there we decided that Wally needed a bath.
You see...we forget that Wally doesn't swim (yeah...he regularly displays some pretty wimpy behavior when faced with the prospect of becoming FULLY SUBMERGED in a large body of water). Hunter, on the other hand, is in the water almost daily. Thus, eliminating the need to bathe him very often if at all. As a result, we've carried over this aloofness towards bathing to Wally. In a way, you could say we deserved what we got. A stinky dog.
So...last night it was time to do the deed. Ty and I debated the best place to rinse the stinker out...the bathtub or outside. Outside would save on cleanup, but the bathtub would confine him to the bathroom and give him minimal places to run. But...given just how dirty he was, we decided that cleanup would not be fun and we both envisioned splatters of dirt-laden water being sprayed across our bathroom walls with each of Wally's inevitable shakes of the body. An outside bath won out this time.
To avoid the "run away" syndrome that both Hunter and Wally exhibit when approached with a hose, I strapped Wally to my body with a leash around my waist and the other end attached to his collar. I must say, it worked pretty well. As predicted, he lunged away from me at the sight of running water, but I was able to reign him in pretty quickly. He submitted, with his head between my legs, to the "torture" that ensued. I wet him down and began to scrub. He shook the suds off pretty often, so my decision to bathe him outside was confirmed as a good choice quite quickly. Once I was done with the suds, I began the final rinse...again with his head hiding between my legs. And then...he was all done and I released him from his confinement. The second that leash was unclasped, he charged around the yard...shaking the water from his scrawny little body after every few steps. He looked at me from a distance with a confused look...afraid to come too close for fear it would happen all over again. As though he was saying "what did I do to deserve that!?!?!?!?" I turned to Hunter with hose in hand (Wally was still wandering the yard in recovery mode) and asked "want a bath Hunter?" His ears perked, as though interested. All it took was for me to turn the hose towards him and he bolted. It was pretty funny. Since Hunter had just gone for a swim 20 minutes prior, I let him go unscathed. This time...hee-hee-hee.
BEFORE
Notice how happy he is...at this point, he doesn't know what's coming.
AFTER
The trauma is over and the smile is gone. Poor dog, but lucky us!
I've decided weekends are gonna be tough to keep up on for blogging, so weekdays for sure I'll post something. The weekend was a busy one for us, and kinda boring for the dingo's. I felt bad for them, but we'll make up for it this week and over the weekend.
Ty and I participated in the Glacier Challenge this weekend and had a blast competing as a 2-person team. We had a ton of friends up in Whitefish taking part with larger teams, so in addition to exhausting ourselves while completing each leg of the race on our own, we had so much fun hanging in Riverside park with friends and taking in the beautiful day. My mom and dad came up to help us with all our gear and water/nutritional support and Danni was also there to help keep things in order and make sure we had the equipment we needed when we needed it. We couldn't have done it without Mom, Dad, and Danni, so thanks you guys!!! Shayla and Molly (my parents' dogs) got to make the trek up to Whitefish with us and got TONS of attention from spectators and participants alike. Hunter and Wally stayed home and got lots of rest and long naps ;). I'll post photos from our adventure when I get them from my parents and Danni.
Sunday involved another early morning for me, as I met up with Danni, Callie, and Iris for a 22 mile trek on the cross-country ski trails near Blacktail. It was a beautiful morning to be out. I would have loved to taken the dogs with me, but despite the obvious fact that the distance would have been too much for them, the overwhelming presence of wildlife in this area (Iris and I spotted a COUGAR out here a few weeks ago, amidst bear tracks, bear scat, and a LOT of mountain lion scat!!!), this was no place for the dogs. Maybe for a hike sometime...with leashes!
Ty and I were EXHAUSTED Sunday afternoon, so we took it easy. Watched movies and lounged. It was great. Ty took Hunter and Wally for a swim and chuck-it session while I was gone in the morning, so they did get some fun over the weekend. Ty had to sacrifice his body to the mosquito-fest in our park nearby so Hunter could swim, but I know it sure meant a lot to Hunter and he appreciated it immensely.
I took today off from work. I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck after the weekend I'd had, so I decided a sick-day was in order. Hunter and Wally snuggled in with me for a long snooze. I must have been tired...slept from 8:00 until 1:30, with a short moment of awakeness around 11:40 when I had to let our very own cougar in from outside (he was howling at the front door as though he'd been out there for days...without food or water. In reality, it had only been 3 hours.) At this point, Wally needed to go outside, so I traded Wally for Rosco as a snuggle-buddy on the bed. Hunter was in it for the long haul and probably could have happily slept until 5:00, or so, had I been up for the challenge.
I hit up the Humane Society for my hour of volunteering on Mondays. The dogs gave me the usual sniff-down when I got home. I think they feel as though I've been cheating on them. Today I helped with cats, so the "you're a traitor" sniff wasn't quite as intense as it usually is.
Ty and I went to see the movie Wanted tonight and had a glorious dinner consisting of movie theater popcorn, Reese's Pieces, and Junior Mints. When we got home we were beat and went straight up to bed. Hunter looked at us like "hey...you just got home...it's time to go to bed already????". I know...sorry Hunter...I'll do better tomorrow. A lunch-time run of 4 miles will be in order with the pups. And I'm pretty sure Hunter will get some swim time. I'll be a better mama real soon, dingos!!!!
...we were basking in the sun at a gorgeous lake cabin on Hayden Lake. Ah...I miss it. I'm pretty sure the dogs do too. We arrived early Friday with some of our best college friends. Friday afternoon involved boating, wake-boarding, and tubing. Friday night was an awesome display of fireworks that would probably put most small-town displays to shame. Saturday was more lazy and we mostly relaxed and swam. The dogs also got a turn at swimming and in Hunter's case - dock diving. He's nothing close to the dock divers you see on ESPN, but it's still fun to watch him launch himself in the water after his tennis ball. Wally was a big sissy all weekend and didn't get into the water once on his own. He wanted to soooo badly, but would chicken out every single time. He did get a few nudges from bystanders that sent him flying off the dock, but I think it did more to ease our pain from watching him lean towards the water repeatedly - in a stance that makes you say out loud "just DO IT already" - vs. doing any good in helping Wally realize he can swim and it's okay for him to get in the water. If anything, we probably scarred the little dude. Oh well, it was still fun ;). Sunday we headed home pretty early and made it back in time to get settled into being home again before the week began. Here are a few photos from the weekend. Can we do it again? Pleazzzzzzzz!!!!
This is the tram that takes you to the lake-front.
Happy to be here!!!
What's this? They're not moving?
Sunset view from one of the many decks.
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We traveled to our old stomping grounds for Memorial Day weekend - Hailey, ID. With mountain bikes and dogs in tow, we made the journey south to Idaho. I'd just gotten home from Nashville on Thursday night and we were on the road Friday afternoon. It was a beautiful drive...everything is so green this time of year and even the most desolate Challis, ID is appealing to the eye.
We had a great weekend with family and got in two awesome mountain bike rides - one muddy and rainy and one the perfect blend of sun and clouds with a spring shower that hit after we finished up. Wally tackled his longest trek ever on Sunday, with a jaunt of about 14 miles as we biked Haddy's Gulch. He did so well and had his buddy Chutney - a German wire-haired pointer - to try to keep up with, which meant...a quiet household Sunday evening! We had to leave Hunter behind, knowing that the sun and distance would have wiped him out after only a couple of miles. We left him with a rawhide chew, a cozy bed, and no Wally...pure bliss for Mister Hunter. It was hard to leave him, but the fact that it was for the best made it a little easier.
So you're probably asking...why the title? Well, as you know, on a regular basis we seem to have something random and completely inexplicable happen with Wally and Hunter (thus, the blog). And when we're traveling, the probability of those "huh?" moments seems to increase exponentially to the amount of miles we voyage away from home. This recent trip to Hailey didn't disappoint. We have a real doozy for you this time around. And instead of "huh?", this one left me exclaiming "oh s@#*!!!!".
Allow me to set the scene for you. Saturday night we were invited over to some family friends' house for dinner. These friends are experienced Europe travelers and we wanted to take advantage of our time in Hailey to pick their brains for tips and tricks that we could put towards our trip to Europe this fall. We were invited to also bring the dogs as entertainment for their little boy. Although we questioned the sanity of this offer, we ventured over to their house with Hunter, Wally, and Chutney packed into the car with us. Upon arrival, Hunter and Chutney were invited into the house as though they were part of the group. However, common dinner guest courtesies like asking to go upstairs before doing so and wiping your feet before entering were readily dismissed. Wally...well...Wally went straight to the back yard. He hasn't quite earned our trust in his ability to display decent manners, so we avoided any run-ins. Hunter and Chutney milled around for a few, but even they became too much to have inside, so we kicked them out into the great outdoors with Wally.
As dinner concluded, the little boy came up to me and Ty and asked if we'd go outside with him to throw the ball for the dogs. "Great idea!", I told him and figured that any kind of movement would do wonders for my body's ability to digest the mass quantities of food I'd just consumed. So Ty and I headed outside with the little guy, who gathered three tennis balls into his arms on the way out the door...one for each dog. We played around with the dogs for about 10 minutes and Ty headed inside. I was having fun, so I stuck it out for a bit longer. Eventually the dogs got tired and we made the decision to go inside. In an attempt for one last hoorah, the little boy was bouncing a tennis ball on the back patio, shooting the ball high into the air for Hunter to catch. First bounce didn't produce a successful catch for Hunter, so we decided to try one more. Keep in mind that during all this Wally is trying to find any way possible to get in on the action, so he's hovering pretty close to Hunter. The boy raises his arm for one last bounce of the ball, he drops his arm with a snap, sending the ball to the patio and popping back into the air upon contact with the concrete. Hunter leaps for the ball and it's looking good (I'm thinking..."yes! Hunter will make the catch and we can go inside!"). But wait...where'd Wally come from. Our "I'm still a klutzy, clumsy, not-so-coordinated" puppy makes his appearance right in front of Hunter's face...they leap at the exact same time...and their mouths go for the ball at the EXACT. SAME. TIME.
SCHMACKKKK!!!! Their jaws collide and the most horrific teeth-knocking noise presents itself to my ears. Immediately me and the little boy panic (this is where my expletives came in, which I apologized profusely for to his mom after the fact). As Wally and Hunter come down from the collision...almost as in slow motion...I see something white soar through the air and onto the patio. Oh crap (again...this wasn't my word of choice at the time), I think, one of them chipped a tooth. As I creep closer to pick up this bit of tooth from one of my dogs' mouth, my shock and awe is maxed out. Not a piece of tooth...a WHOLE FRICKIN' TOOTH!!! I rush from dog to dog, checking mouths for sign of (or lack of) tooth damage. And then I see it...Wally has a gaping hole in the front left side of his mouth.
The way he looked at me after my realization that he was the victim broke my heart. Not because he looked sad or in pain. It was the exact opposite...he gave me his goofy, happy, "what next, Ma?" look and was ready to roll. I couldn't believe it. How resilient can these dogs be? Hunter came away without damage. And luckily, the tooth that came out wasn't Wally's canine. Here's a picture of the aftermath...
So now you understand the title a little better. As we readied to leave the house from dinner, the little boy said to me..."make sure the Tooth Fairy gets that." We chuckled together (hey...I bonded with this kid...trauma can bring you close) and agreed that bones would be in order vs. the traditional monetary exchange for such calcified treasure. For now, the tooth is still in our possession. I think we'll hang onto it as proof of just how bizarre life can be sometimes.
There is one creature residing in our humble abode that never gets any face time and has only been mentioned by name up until today. We know him as "Big R", "The Cougar", "Ki-ten", "The Nator" (short for Rosco-nator), and a myriad of four-letter names that come out when he's clawing the couch, picking on Hunter, or stinking up the utility room with what seems like his fourth or fifth "dook" of the day.
Amidst all the tragedy he's brought to our house (did I mention the couch scratching?), we love him...or at least I love him. He was a shelter rescue and a seemingly mellow, loving cat when we picked him out to become part of our family. He even fell asleep in my arms his first night home. Unbeknown to us, that first night home was a result of him being quite sick...a feline upper respiratory infection. Once the vet got a few "feel good" drugs pumped into him, he turned into a completely different cat. Translation...a cat we probably wouldn't have brought home with us. He rarely snuggled, had regular fits of wildness, and ate EVERYTHING in sight...literally. See...he was a stray and was used to eating when he had the chance. To this day, he never assumes his next meal is a done deal, so he snarfs up whatever he can in the interim. The first few days we had him, he ate a tater tot that fell on the floor. Awww...how cute, you say. But no...it's not all that adorable. Especially when you catch him ripping into the plastic covering your Papa Murphy's pizza and attacking raw pizza dough and delectable toppings. Or...knocking over the Cheetos bag to devour the tastiest of fake cheese products.
There have been times I've questioned his place in this house and whether or not it was time for him to find a new home (this was probably soon after he latched onto my arm in a death grip/piranha chomp action when I'd been holding and petting him for a mere .25 seconds). However, we've stuck it out and he's turning out to be a really great cat.
As with all of our animals, we can't concentrate on the negative (ahem...couch scratching), but must focus on all the good they bring to our home and daily lives. We'd wander aimless without them. The love we indulge them with would be wasted - evaporating into the air around us without ever reaching the priceless recipients we call our pets.
And in all honesty, we'd be down-right bored without moments like these to look forward to...
I really don't think there's any way I can cover every aspect and detail of the insanity that has engulfed our "family" since the last post (really? February 25 was the last post?). Where did that time go? Well...let's see if I can give you a brief recap. I traveled to Hailey, Boise, and Chicago for work. Ty played in three hockey tournaments. We road-tripped to Seattle/Whidbey Island, where we visited my brother and his girlfriend. I ran a marathon on Whidbey Island (so cool!). And...to culminate this wild adventure, I was race director for the Great Northern 5K that took place May 10, so I was busy planning/coordinating for that. I travel one more time this spring on May 19 to Nashville, but it's a conference I'm attending ONLY, so in no way, shape or form am I in charge of any part of it. I get to sit back, relax, soak up some knowledge in my brain and great food and drink in my tummy.
Hunter and Wally are doing great. They had to go 10 whole days without me and in all honesty I had to fight my way back into their routine. Ty had them pretty well established in a schedule of going to work with him in the morning, a couple of breaks from the car for chuck-it runs/smells sniffing, and a walk or run in the evening when they all got home. The first Monday back working from home, they seemed so bored with me...why wasn't I ENTERTAINING them. They're now settled back into the routine - a morning run, all day napping, and maybe an extra outting in the evening. And for me? I think I'm finally there...but only in time to leave again! :) It's fun, though, so I can't complain.
We've had lots and lots and lots of rain the past few days and the weather is looking to warm up and be sunny in time for the weekend. In the mean time, the dogs end up caked in a water/dirt/dust film each time they go outside. We'll keep our fingers crossed for improved conditions in the next few days!
It's good to be back on the blogging scene. Stay tuned for more postings on the antics, comedy, and unbelievable happenings that make up our lives with Wally and Hunter. Until next time, a parting shot...
Can you believe how tiny this little bugar was? And note Hunter's pure annoyance, conveyed through his body language. In his world, this is the beginning of the end.
Ty and I took a little road trip this weekend to "get away from it all" with friends at a condo on Lake Couer d' Alene. Two other couples, lots of great food, and plenty to drink made for a fabulous time of doing nothing but relaxing, playing games, catching up, and of course...eating :). We're all in a fortunate time in our lives where finding care for children isn't an issue for such excursions, but we each have dogs to find lodging for. We boarded Hunter and Wally at a local doggy "camp" we've gone to several times and can rest assured the pups are well taken care of - lots of room to roam and other dogs to play with.
Ty and I always take pride in raising and owning well-behaved dogs. Aside from not always listening when we want him to, Hunter is exceptionally well-mannered. Wally...well...Wally's getting there. And in all honesty, his performance is well beyond what came out of Hunter by this age. Thus, Ty and I remain hopeful that he's going to prove to be just as amazing as Hunter. He sits, lays down, stays, comes when called, gets out of the kitchen when told and even drops the most delectable (to him) items from his mouth when asked (this is something Hunter STILL doesn't do). Needless to say, he's going to be a great dog.
By me saying "Wally's getting there" is not intended to elude to any bad behavior...at least we didn't think so until returning home from our trip and retrieving our beloved dingos. Ty and I will be the first to agree that Wally is a high energy (and we mean HIGH energy) puppy that still has some things to work on. Examples: tugging on Hunter's neck when Hunter is sick of it, barking at anything that walks, shuffles, or blows past the house, chasing Rosco endlessly, etc., etc. Oh yeah...and jumping up on house guests as they walk through the door. This one, especially, we're aware of and working with him on. He just gets so darn excited to have someone new over. The nice thing is that when the initial "hi, my name is Wally" introduction is over, he settles down.
Well, apparently the jumping behavior was cause for alarm to the owner of the dog camp (notice I'm refraining from business names and gender association to protect the involved party I'm about to get a little huffy towards in this here blog). After we had transacted payment/ paperwork/dog food/dog beds/dogs, the owner handed me a business card and said "Don't take offense to this, but...".
-----Time-out
Okay....starting a sentence with "don't take offense to this" immediately puts me and probably most people on the defensive. Especially when it comes to their dogs. This time was no different.
-----Time-in
"but...Wally could really use this." Within an instant I offered nothing but a blank stare...pause, two, three...but quickly snapped back to the situation and the card in hand. Immediately, my eyes jumped to "Behavior Modification" listed as a service on this mini-promo of a card. I calmly tried to reply with "Oh really, why?" and the owner was quick to respond with "He's really bad about jumping up and he just has so much energy. I didn't even have any dogs to pair him with for play time because he just had so much energy." The owner carried on and on, describing Wally's super-hyper-antics over the weekend and noted an instance when Wally came up behind her and jumped up, putting two paws into her back..."Oh...I can't breathe," was how the owner re-enacted her response to the incident. Meanwhile...I'm trying to keep my cool. We like being able to take our dogs here, so I refrain from hinting at any sign of irritation. We left with not much more than an "okay...well...thank you...and sorry..."
Pulling away from doggy camp, smiling on the outside was all I could do in hopes of muffling the seething, on-the-verge, rage I was close to bursting into. If I were born without a conscience (darn you Jiminy Cricket), this is what I would have said in response to the "Wally could use this" comment:
1. He's a puppy.
2. He's a dog.
3. You own a business for and about dogs - they're not humans and you sure as heck can't bank on 'em extending their paw for a handshake as a greeting every time you come into their presence.
4. He's a puppy.
5. Hunter is AMAZING. Maybe if we brought you a poorly behaved older dog that demonstrated our inability to raise a well-behaved dingo, THEN you could be suggesting "behavior modification." Why don't we wait and see how things shake out, eh? Maybe? Before we start making suggestions?
6. Cheer up...he didn't bite you, did he?
7. We're aware of the issue and working on it. Hmm...maybe that's how this conversation should have started..."Boy...Wally sure does jump up when he gets excited!" And our response would have been "Yeah...we know...we're working on it with him. It's taking a little longer for him to get the hint, but we'll get there." Instead of instantly pointing us to the crazy dog psychologist.
8. It's in his breed. You're a dog person, you should understand that. Here's a great description I found to explain this type of behavior that comes from Wally's pointer side: Bounciness. Young English Pointers (up to about two years old) romp and jump with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. Hmm...Wally's young...he's part pointer...things are starting to add up here.
9. He's a dog.
10. He's a puppy.
I'm not trying to make excuses for Wally's jumping up, but I think the doggy camp owner could have given us a little more understanding before leaping to conclusions. I'll admit, my pride was a little wounded, but I'll get over it now that I've rambled on about it for some time.
I think what really set Ty and me off is that right before we left (and after the incident) the owner told us "He looks like he has some setter in him".
Hmmm...okay.... I'm not seeing the resemblance, but maybe you'll make note of something I'm apparently missing. I'll let you be the judge:
At 4:50 Wednesday morning, Ty and I awoke to that awful, all-too-familiar sound of wretching...dog wretching. The noise is unlike any other and can wake you from the deepest sleep. It's a horrid sound that comes across as a combo of burping, chest heaving, and choking. The victim (aside from Ty and me being woken by the incident)...Hunter. Not much of a surprise here, as Hunter is regularly regurgitating items in the middle of the night. When we wake enough to figure out what's going on, we usually attempt to move Hunter to a "safe" place to deposit his middle of the night gift to us. Safe is meant to imply somewhere NOT on our carpet. Often times it's either too late or he resists our nudging towards the linoleoum or easily washed dog bed. He has an inner voice telling him that carpet must be a better landing spot for the item he's about to puke up. So...we typically have no choice but to wait...wait and see what Hunter's throwing up for us this time. Over the years it's been a myriad of things including, but not limited to:
The most recent event was equally as puzzling as many of his past consumptions. At first we didn't see anything come out...just stomach bile (a glorious smell at the pre-dawn hour). But then...when we started to clean up the goopy stuff, hidden against the brown of Hunter's dog bed was a pine cone. A lone, in-tact, soggy, stinky, PINE CONE (please reference exhibit A).
I think you get the idea. It's pretty funny to watch them interact. Today's playdate was no different. They ran, played, chased, ran, and played some more in the back yard for close to three hours. And what happened when the beagle next door happened to catch Sonja's attention? Wally put on his best show...grabbed a bone in his mouth, shook his head back and forth vigorously, and romped past her with quite a charge, saying "look here, Sonja...I'm way tougher than that dude!"
Here's to a quiet Friday night for Danni, Ted, Zeke, Ty, Leanne, and Hunter. Cheers!
If you've ever wondered what my life is like during the day - working from home with two dogs and a cat - here's a brief glimpse of what my "co-workers" are up to. And let me tell ya...not much. But oh, how I envy them...
A little snuggle time.
Fighting for a spot in the sun.
My brother, Juan -- Ok...his name isn't really Juan, but I like to call him that for fun. He's my little brother, so finding any way possible to pick on him is and has been my job for many years now. Kinda funny...I think he likes it now and even signed his name as such on our Christmas gift tag! But...I digress -- My brother, Jon (a.k.a., Juan) sent a little tid-bit for Hunter and Wally in our Christmas gift package. The goody - two "Bark-B-Que" flavored bones!!!
So...yes...Hunter, Wally, and I have been MIA for a time. Sorry about that! But...we have a good excuse...THE HOLIDAYS!!! :) We've been hustling and bustling around, making the most of our time with family and friends (and some more furry than others) during the festive season.
Allow us to give you a brief recap:
Christmas 2007
On Saturday, December 22, we loaded up the car and took off for Moscow, ID to spend Christmas with Ty's parents. It was a cold day to drive and Hunter and Wally were not shy about letting it be known that the car temp was WAY too hot for their liking. Between the endless dog-panting and Wally's stinky poo-hole...the air in our Subaru reached near toxic levels and oxygen became scarce. We were forced to subject ourselves to the frigid air with frantic window-roll-downs on several occasions. Despite the dog-induced, volatile conditions, we made it safe and sound. Upon our arrival at the Anderson Ranch (Bill and Wileen's place), we took the dogs out for a run in the full-on blizzard conditions that ensued shortly after we pulled up the driveway. We endured the needle-like snowflakes blasting our faces for the sake of peace and quiet the remainder of the evening. Luckily, our approach proved successful and the dogs settled down quite well. Now...you may remember from previous blogs that Ty's folks have the big chocolate lab named Sam. Hunter and Wally love Sam. Wally especially loves Sam, because Sam will play with Wally, as he's got just enough of the puppy left in him. Ty's Aunt and Uncle were also in town for Christmas and they have a wire-haired pointer named Chutney. Wally finally met his match with Chutney, who has boundless (and I mean boundless) energy. Chutney likes to run and by-golly...so does Wally! "Wally...let me introduce you to Chutney...Wally...why don't you follow Chutney...everywhere...k?" It was so nice taking them for a walk together. Wally did indeed follow Chutney...everywhere. Conveniently, this meant Wally would come back to us when we called Chutney in and left us without much worry that he would take off on his own. It was truly a blissful set-up. Wally would become a speck in the distance, loping behind Chutney and trying to keep pace as they'd crest the next hill. Ahhh...we knew we'd sleep good that night! :)
I could go on and on about Christmas and moments that presented themselves as great blog material, but I'll close on this note...it was wonderful. A cozy home with snow outside, being with family, great food, so much love, and all our dingos close by. It was just right.
Here are some photos to help recap Christmas:
Looking down the road we drove up to get to the Izaak Walton. So purdy!
Just finished up skate skiing (photo courtesy: Canon PowerShot and Subaru Outback roof rack)
Looking up the canyon where we'd been skiing. Sleigh rides were available with the horses pictured. A family was riding the sleigh, pulled by the horses, as we drove in. Wally's never seen a horse before...need I say more? (okay...I'll elaborate...incessant barking as we drove by).
Ty snowshoeing with what we think is a dog behind him (not sure which one, though).
New Year's Eve 2007
Another friendly game of tag has found it's way to our blog. Danni has again included us in the fun, and we're happy to join in! Unfortunately, most of the items have to do with running, but since Hunter (and now Wally) run with me...I'll try to loop them in.
1. Most memorable moment on the trails:
When we lived in Hailey, Hunter and I would often drive up past Sun Valley to a single-track trail in Adams Gulch. We'd gone up one mid-Saturday-morning to escape the summer heat (the area is a rare find...trees...shade...and water for Hunter). A creek flows alongside the entire stretch of the trail and log bridges are scattered along the way, creating a zig-zag effect from one side of the creek to the other. This day just happened to be perfect...I could have run forever. Hunter and I had a blast running across (and through, in his case) the creek. The sun was just right and the sky so blue. I'll never forget that day.
2. Best new trail I discovered in 2007:
Bear Creek, on your way down to Swan Lake (off highway 83). My dad and I explored this trail late Spring 2007. We constantly drive past the sign for this area and had been wanting to explore for quite some time. We parked at the base of the road - he rode his bike and I ran - and started the climb. The road eventually turned to Forest Service road...definitely not a single track, but just the right amount of room for two people. Creeks and waterfalls were scattered throughout our journey upward. It was so serene and beautiful. We only went three miles up, but it was definitely a trail worth exploring more. I've yet to go back for another run, but it's always on my mind. Maybe I can drag Danni down there, since she'll need those trail runs for WS! :)
3. My best performance of the year was…
Most definitely the Coeur d' Alene marathon!!! My first!!! And with a finish time of 4:06, I can't complain. It was hard...painful...maybe even excruciating at the end?...but well worth it. I couldn't have done it without my family there to support me and Danni by my side until the end. This is hopefully only the beginning of my tally for long-distance runs (not sure about ultras yet, though) ;).
4. I do not know how I previously survived without…
A Garmin! When I very first started running, I used to be so against tracking much about my runs. I would even get mad at my dad for starting the timer on his watch at the start of our outings. All I wanted to know was how far I'd run, which was tracked with the odometer ahead of time or course markers. Ha! How that's changed! Now I'm fully "in the know" and almost obsessed with it. I LOVE YOU, GARMIN!
5. The person I would most like to meet on a trail in 2008...
They're not people, but they're just as important and almost seem like people to me...my dingos!!! I look forward to many more trails runs with my constant companions (24/7, actually). Since Wally will be 1 in April, he'll get to hit the trail with us for much longer runs. I feel so safe running with these two and can't wait for new adventures with them. They always seem to find a way to make me laugh and keep me entertained on runs. And we can't forget Sonja and Danni!!! We'll also be so excited to meet up with them on the trail in '08.
Not to worry...I'll get a true dingo post here soon. Maybe even today!!!
.JPG)
