Our friend Ghillie the border collie decided to come stay with us over the Christmas Holidays while her human jet-setted off to the exotic land of … Iowa. hey man, I dunno, I’m just the dog sitter.
Pretty Ghillie Long Legs:
Ghillie is the star which orbits around the gravity of Dexter. If you’re looking for Ghillie, just spy Dex.
Oh look, there she is.
Oh look, there she is again.
Dexter, as you can see, is thrilled with the arrangement.
Such a gracious host, Dexter is.
Don’t let his sourpuss countenance fool you; he is actually very fond of Ghillie.
She is the only one who plays the Mad Teeth(tm) Frantic “Angry” Chase game that Tweed used to play with Dexter. Despite the look on his face, he is actually having a glorious time.
Easy doesn’t cut it – he’s too dopey-slow to keep up and I don’t think Easy has ever made Mad Teeth(tm) in his whole short life. He tends to gallump alongside the two whackos for a bit, caught up in their excitement, but he really doesn’t understand the game. And forgets what was happening in the first place.
What we were doing again, exactly?
And Piper, of course, is too dangerous to play with. She gets the Mad Teeth(tm) part, but that’s just because she’s mad. She usually ends up biting Dexter, which is only fun for her. Plus, she can’t keep up … she is 13 years old after all, and her back end is shot. Which might be why she’s so mad in the first place.
I’m angry. About everything.
She falls down a lot these days. And I have to be very careful when the lunatic hooligans are racing around because sometimes they crash into her and knock her over. They hit her so hard yesterday that she just collapsed on to me and cried. Breaks my heart. In the house, she navigates carefully from area rug to dog bed, as her feet tend to slide out from under her on the laminate. But then outside she will run so hard that she can scarcely walk after play time. Her knees, which have always been bad, are pretty well toast. She never did recover well from her one ACL surgery, and the other one has gone as well, but her repaired leg isn’t 100% and has trouble supporting her super bad leg. The blind leading the blind. I think it might be time to start acclimating her to her wheelchair, and build a ramp off the deck for her. Because she still thinks she is a puppy, and won’t tone it down for a second, and I don’t have the heart to tell her otherwise.
Anyway. Ghillie is here for 3 more days and then she ships out back to her real life, and Dexter will be lonely again. The only thing he doesn’t like about having her around is that she often beats him to his beloved, won’t-drop-it-for-love-nor-money, ball.
Or the less-exciting-but-still-super-valuable frisbee.
And yes, that is a pokey branch stuck to Ghillie’s oblivious face.
It is currently bright, sunny and freezing cold outside. This is excellent because it means the disgusting-everywhere never ending mud is all frozen, and I have been relieved of the endless paw wiping duties. And silly Miguel, who is not a fan of the cold but prefers it to rain, will come outside with us again. When it was peeing rain for days on end, we would all suit up to go out and play; he would look out the front door and then run away and curl up under my desk, where the space heater lives. He really hates the rain.
Now that it’s sunny he will join us. And teach the no-good grasses a lesson.
Addy is completely miserable – she hates the rain, and she hates the cold too. There are not enough dog sweaters in the world to unmiserablefy her.
I hate you and your cold country.
And Easy is, well … easy. Rain, no rain, cold, hot, whatever. He’s fine with everything. When the weather was *really* rainy and bad, I amused myself by photographing the dogs indoors rather than going outside. Easy fell asleep mid-photoshoot, which sums him up in a nutshell.
And speaking of shooting indoors – I have strobes, I have backdrops – I can travel and do studio style photography on location if your house has the room to set it up. So if you are interested, contact me :)
So it’s, like, New Year’s Eve, That’s CRAZY. Where did the year go?? I expect we will ring in 2016 the way we do every year … cuddled on the sofa with the tv turned up loud in case someone sets off fireworks somewhere nearby.
The best company I could ask for, really.
Here’s wishing you and your loved ones much happiness in 2016 and beyond. Thanks for letting us (hopefully) entertain you for the last ten(!!) years!
Take a lesson from your dogs, and rush into the new year with joy friends!
riosmom says
Ah! I get to be the first one to wish you and the gang a very Happy and Healthy New Year. May you continue to post and entertain and educate us! The only thing wrong with this post was the lack of a Wootie picture. But I loved the mad teeth pictures. Thanks as always!
stef says
Happy new year! I can’t believe I have been reading your website for 10 years! Love your stories and photos. :-)
susan says
It’s been 10 years?!? Time does fly when we’re having fun reading your blog posts. Sure wish I lived closer – I think only you could do justice to my dear old boy. He’s pushing 16 and I want a very special portrait. I’m heartened to see that you have leather furniture with dogs – I always thought they’d shred it. A very Happy New Year to you and your marvelous furry gang!
Lola-Dawn says
I’ve been reading your posts for several years now, and want to say THANK YOU so much for sharing your canine companions and friends with everyone! Your posts are always enjoyable, and I often feel like I really know your 4-legged buddies. Wish we were closer so you could take some photos of my 4-legged buddy … don’t tell your gang, but she’s a … cat! Looking forward to reading about your adventures in the coming year(s)! Happy New Year to you and yours!
Liz says
Ten years??!! All the best to you and your madly entertaining crew for 2016…may all the fosters find the finest of homes and the home gang stay happy and healthy (two legger included).
Monique says
Loving another year of terrific posts and photos (the photo of Ghillie and Dexter in the chair is brilliant). Wishing you and your entire gang a year full of happiness, good health, and loads of fun times!
Philiane says
I don’t comment but here I am. I love your blog and hope you keep doing it for a long time.
Love the dogs and your observations. Since I’m here, please add my condolences for Tweed. I
would have commented then but I couldn’t see the computer for crying. Let me add my wish
for you and your four legged family a happy healthy 2016!
Kt , Mitzi, sage, and pickles says
Holy guacamole!!!!! Ten years!?!?!? Sending happy joint prayers to piper, extra speed to Dexter, alpaca sweaters to the igh, and cuddles to everyone else! Ps love the size discrepancy in the second to last photo with easy :)
janet says
Wishing you and your gang a wonderful New Year! We love your posts, please don’t ever stop. :-)
Puppy loves from: Cutter, Spur, Copper, Rip and Emma!
Susan Bassett says
Thank you so much for your wonderfulwriting and amazing pictures!! Especially love frozen not1mud. Happy New Year!
Susan
Stephanie says
Happy New Year and thank you for the wonderful year of photos and posts. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for you and your gang in the new year.
springahead says
Happy New Year!
Maria Shanley says
Thanks for all the years of funny posts and photos! Happy New Year and much fun to all in 2016.
Rebeca says
Happy New Year to you, Food Lady, and your wonderful, gorgeous, and very lucky gang!
Sylv says
Okay, the strobe of Dexter’s Mad Teeth ™ had me laughing out loud. Thanks for making my day this cold Monday morning.
Jeff says
Happy new year to you Food Lady, and all of the Woo-crew.
The photo of Dexter and Ghillie together on the chair is wonderful! Print it big and hang it on the wall!
The Green Dogs says
Happy New Year to you all! I love that photo of Dexter staring at his ball. :)
LY says
Addy needs a sweater with large pockets where you could put hot water bottles to keep her warm outside!