I’m just not feeling the motivation to pick up the camera these days, never mind blog.
A little birdie told me that it is, allegedly, Spring.
But I’m not feelin’ it. Even if the grass is getting greener (and apparently tastier) by the day.
Even the dogs are skeptical about the supposed change of seasons.
They’ve been looking for it everywhere.
Maybe they’ll find my motivation whilst they are searching.
I found a piece of wood, does that help?
And speaking of searching, Phinn remains resolutely “at large.” I think most of you suspected I’ve not been blogging because I’ve been out searching for the missing dog, but that’s just not true. I’ve not been searching because Phinn is not actually missing – we know where he is, people see him all the darn time. It’s catching him that is proving to be difficult. I don’t know what kind of dog he was before he was transferred to rescue, but he’s had exactly zero trouble adapting to life on the lam, so perhaps he is a career criminal or something. I’m going to extradite him straight back to the US for sentencing if we ever do catch him!
We hired the professional tracking service who has employed a liberal use of motion sensitive cameras and live traps without much success. The former foster home traveled up from Oregon and couldn’t convince him to come home either, and by all accounts, Phinn adored her. At this point, I’m not sure what else to do. What I’d LIKE to do is get a whole bunch of things off my chest, but am reluctant to provide fodder for anyone. But I will say this – I didn’t lose the dog, so I’m not going to eat shit for it. And I’m not going to be party to any shitting on the foster home who did lose the dog, because he already feels badly enough. And I’m going to let the tracker do his job because I don’t actually know shit about tracking recalcitrant canines.
After all, I only lost one foster dog for a couple of hours once. And then I found him. And then I found him a really awesome home!
Here he is all sacked out with his new brother George.
Nothing shitty about that!
Too bad I can’t same the same about this lousy weather.
I’m not moving a muscle until I find some sunshine!
We’re not moving until we find this mole!
You know what is exciting though? Yesterday was Dexter’s 20 month birthday.
I measured him at class last week and he is 22″ on the nose at the shoulder. And I don’t think he’s quite finished growing yet! What a monster – but what a FUN monster he is :)
I’ll see ya’ll when I see ya. I’m going back to my blogcation and may come out of hibernation when the sun does.
kristy says
You and your furry friends will be truly missed! Enjoy your blogcation, come back soon!!
Vicky says
We miss you!!
Ann says
I will miss the blog. Come back when you’re ready, though (hope it’s soon).
BTW – stuff like Phin happens. There are too many armchair critics in the world – ignore them.
Janet Elliott says
Hey, we all need a break from the usual now and then. Please take it, enjoy it, and come back when you feel refreshed! We’ll miss ya.
paula says
Who’s giving you shit? You want I kick their ass?
Enjoy your hiatus!
Alice says
FL, you work like a trojan with your dogs and with the rescue. Enjoy your blogcation; I look forward to reading about your adventures upon your return. Also–Dex is a big, gorgeous boy. I love seeing his orangey eyes trying to track the camera (or the toy/treat in your hand) each time I read. Go enjoy your hounds, and don’t take no crap from no one–you certainly don’t deserve it. Your efforts regarding all aspects of dog-detection, training, photographing, and, I’m sure, loving, are superhuman.
Best from the East,
Alice
Liza Lundell says
Have a great vacation, Food Lady. And ignore the critics–it’s a lot easier to be perfect when you’re sitting on your ass on the other side of the country rather than actually dealing with actual problems. The basenjis will be eagerly awaiting your return!
Samantha says
Enjoy your blog break. I think that same lying bird said spring was here in northern West Virginia. Lies.
Wonderful people who are wonderful dog homes (foster or permanent) can have tragic things happen. It’s freaking life. Let the people running their mouths get off their perfect asses and come save the day.
Katharine Swan says
What was Phin’s foster family supposed to do, keep him in total lockdown? Walk him from the car to the house in chains? If he wanted to get loose this bad, it would have happened regardless. Just gotta hope that the tracker will catch him eventually. Either that, or the neighborhood will have a new mascot!
Leslie Ems-Walker says
I hear ya on the lack of motivation. Feelin’ the same thing these days.
Rebecca C says
Enjoy your break, and tune out the drama llamas!
Sage says
Have a great blogcation, but you know you’ll be missed.
rosali(ta) says
I think you need a real vacation, and not just a blogcation. I am trying to take solace in the fact that the leaves (the leaves!) are finally starting to appear. We suffer through rain in Vancouver so we can get leaves in March dammit, not friggin the end of April!
Robin says
I’ll miss your updates. I check your blog and Facebook page every day. But, the creativity doesn’t flow sometimes and you need to recharge your batteries from time to time. Please ignore the criticizers. Dogs do escape once in a while no matter what we do.
Robin Layton
Amy says
I totally understand your lethargy. This spring on the lower mainland has been very drizzly, dark and frankly, rather depressing. We had a day of sun on Saturday and I swear it was like the entire town came out and rejoiced. Walking their dogs, cutting lawns, gardening and playing at the river. Then it rained again today…
No one should feel they have to take any ‘blame’ for the missing Phinn. Everyone had nothing but the best intentions for this fellow. Shit happens.
riosmom says
I’ll be original and tell you that you will be missed but if anyone deserves a blogcation and/or a real vacation it is you. Hope you will pop in with a “Huzzah Huzzah” if Finn is found, excuse me, caught. It must be so frustrating to know where he is and not be able to catch him. Enjoy your time off and I hope spring comes your way. Hell, I hope spring comes my way.
bonnie says
there are a lot worse things that could have happened to phinn than going off to live in the forrest. and getting to play cat and mouse with all the folks who have been looking for him, and thereby letting him know that they care. he will be ‘caught’ when he is ready.
enjoy your break, and your dogs.
Carol says
Please enjoy your blogcation, Food Lady! Well deserved! We’ll enjoy you and the kiddos when you are back.
RachelB says
Wishing you some peace and quiet and some good weather, Food Lady– have a good break.
Um, mystery woman. says
NOooOoooOoo Blogcation!
wE wANt BAnaNa rAbBit!!!
GiVe uS BAnaNa rAbbit pHotOs
pretty please?
cinnamondog says
Oh yeah, here in Chicago it’s the same “spring, my @ss” thing going on. With rain, lots of rain.
I love pictures of WooTWoo, they crack me up every time even after I hear the weather forecast for another inch of rain today!
Michelle says
Hope you enjoy your break, but don’t forget us! I know I check back all the time hoping for some of your awesome photos to brighten my day. Take care!
Jamie says
Well enjoy your vacation! You deserve it. As for all the haters who apparently have never made a mistake in their whole life and enjoy the smell of their own farts. Screw them! They obviously don’t know jack.
We will miss you! Come back to us.
Carmi says
Food Lady – take good care of yourself – we will miss you and will be here when you are ready to come back.
Laura in California says
It’s not sunny or spring like here in Northern California either, bleh. Have a wonderful break! I’ll still be compulsively checking your blog.
Ailsa says
My neighbour down the street (can you say ‘Bobby’ with a very heavy Scottish accent?) acquired his Skipper, a classic b+w border collie, last year when all through the spring and summer months he played hide and seek in the woods around their farm. But no matter what they did, he would not be caught.
Then one day in the fall, his son was outside playing soccer with himself and the dog decided not only did he want to play too but he wanted to be theirs. Hence the name Skipper of the team. That being said, hope Phinn doesn’t take *that long* to make up his mind and that you can be like a duck. You know – let all the criticism roll right off your back. Everyone has an opinion and the internetz is full of mistakes needing to be fixed.
Come back when you’re good and ready — but be merciful and don’t take too long! We need you!
Robin says
I still check every day and probably will for a long time. There’s not much else to do here in this perpetual winter anyway.
Nothing can compare to the woman here who lost one of the Wibaux MT hoarder’s dogs. We had two different people lose two dogs from the 5 that came here. I don’t mean to make light of the situation at all. It just happens and I was devastated by both losses and I wasn’t the one who lost them. Once it is done there’s not much to do except try to get them back.
Dianna says
Good for you. Will miss your posts and photography of course.
I have a new foster-rescue beagle who is beautiful, well-mannered, affectionate, but she loves an adventure.
I can tell, she used to have a perfectly fine family who loved her and treated her well, but then her nose for a squirrel chase took her off, off away and beyond. I worry for me, her and her one-day forever family cause I think she can’t help herself. But does the little Beagle worry? Nope.
dp says
Haha…the Skipper that Ailsa is talking about is David’s parents’ dog. I emailed you a picture when they found him, as I recall. He is a super nice dog, very soft and eager to please. I think he took so long to come forward because he is so soft, so maybe it was the same with Phinn. Skip certainly cared for himself well enough while in the wild…was just a bit thin and tangled when he finally decided to choose human company.
julie says
Enjoy your vacation, make it a real vacation if you can (you sure as hell deserve it), and make this blogbreak as long as you need…
We will miss you, of course, but there’s nothing so sweet as really missing something and then to have it back all of a sudden. :)
By the way, after many tries I finally let someone else order your book for me. I received it a while back, first finished it as quick as I could, and then read it again, savouring every sentence and picture. Can’t wait for your next publication. :) Not to put any pressure on you, lol.
Get some rest and take care!
Debra says
Nooooooooo! Okay, get some rest, refresh yourself and I will be here when you get back.
Olga says
1. It’s not your fault Phinn run away
2. It’s not your fault Phinn run away
3. It’s not your fault Phinn run away
A rescue dog is dog with issues and what it’s happened with him is nothing more than his issues coming out. It’s not even the foster family fault. You don’t know what’s happened to them before and that quite likely, was what triggered the “Great Escape”. Hopefully it will be similar (and shorter) to what happened to Skipper and things will end up well. I’m absolutely sure you know this already and it’s the weather talking bad and making you not trust your memory.
Another thing, you should never, ever trust what either Twoo and Woo think when they are hutting moles, seriously. They will say anything to continue hutting moles. You can only trust them indoors and with treats in your hands, that makes them honest and I’m pretty sure you already know this and only need to be reminded. ;)
But you can trust Dexter, Tweed, Pipper and everyone else they are already eating grass, that’s a good sign for Spring LOL
Enjoy your blogcation, relax, take care of yourself and think that May is around the corner and the weather is going to be great. :)
Take care and best wishes.
clairesmum says
everyone needs vacations, and blogcations certainly count! relax, rest, play with your dogs, leave the camera and the computer alone until YOU want to return. in the meanwhile, i’ll make do with my copy of your great book, and all the wonderful photos and stories in the archives. take good care, FL.
Patricia says
Banny, Liam & Jake and myself here in Edmonton will miss your blog, always enjoy them, have a great blogcation