Monday, September 2, 2013

Another Busy Week In Which Many Photos Were Taken

This is a total shocker, I know, but Mom sort of went crazy with the camera this week.  She's been playing around with some of the 'sports' settings on her camera, and took about 87 bazillion frisbee photos.  While frisbee photos are all well and good, do you really need a sports setting to capture this?


I thought not.  But apparently Mom thinks the rest of the world should be able to experience the grace and "poetry in motion" that is my sister going after a frisbee.


Ooops!  Wrong photo.  No poetry in motion there.  Lemme try again.


Um, wait.  There's got to be a photo where Abby is all graceful-like.

 
Graceful?  Maybe not, but flexible, for sure!

Flexible and lighter-than-air, apparently!

I don't know WHAT this is.  I do know that it is not the picture-definition of graceful!

Holy Flying Hippobottomi, Batman!


She's twisty, that's for sure!
I could go on and on with these photos - Mom has terrabytes of photos Just Like these.  Apparently Abby really does have springs in her legs.

Oh!  Wait!  I do have one photo of Abby being graceful - this was as she was continuing to rehearse for that famous ballet, Doodle Lake (to go on tour this winter, dates not to interfere with the Frisbee International Winter Championships).

Pretty cool, huh?

But don't think that I just sit on the sidelines while my sister is off doing her frisbee acrobatics.

Frisbee Happy Dance!


Yep, I've got the classic 'doodle extension!
Heheheh.  Seriously, there are about a zillion cool frisbee photos.  But we didn't spend our entire week chasing frisbees.

We actually had an entire hour this week where we were expected to behave (also known as doggie class).   After some playful antics to make sure Jessi (the turkey hotdog lady) had really missed us, we settled down for some good behavior.

"Who?  Us?  You want us to do what?"

"Oh yeah.  Just wave those turkey hotdog bits and we are All Yours!"

"Hey Abs - do we look attentive?"  "Yeah, sure.  Keep your eye on the treats!"
We soon got down to the important business of posing for photos in stores.

"Look attentive - we get more treats that way!"

Flower girls for hire!

"Hey Mom and Dad - this is one for you!"

"Ahh.... Relaxing in the shade!"
After our one-hour period of good behavior we were whisked home so we could get back up to our usual shenanigans. 

For the record, I am a Real Dog.  I like sticking my head out the window.  However, I only actually stick my head out the window when the car is moving, so don't blame Mom for the quality of this photo, as she was driving while taking this photo (given the number of near misses with mailboxes, I don't recommend trying this at home!  Just kidding - no mailboxes were harmed in the taking of this photo!).


We had a most totally pawsome weekend!

Oh, and Mom is thinking she should have a bronze statue of this in the yard since she's got So Many versions of this Exact Photo...

Heehee!

Have a great week!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

Sunday, August 25, 2013

New Looks, New Friends, and the Same Old Frisbee Stuff

Where to start?  We've had all sorts of excitement this week!  I guess I'll start with the new looks.  I'm not talking about haircuts, this time, but all of our new accessories.  If we're not careful, we're going to end up being fashionistas like our little poodle friends Mollie Jo and Bobo!  Not that that is a bad thing, mind you, but I'm not sure our Mom has the organizational skills to keep hundreds of collars and tags and dresses and shirts and things organized!  But I digress....

I'll start with the accessories we could probably do without...

Mom took Jessie (the Turkey Hot-Dog Lady) to the airport last week, and as a thank-you, Jessi gave Mom a goodie bag that included, among other things, Yoda ears.  Really.  As in, "When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not."  That Yoda.

"My schnozz look big do these ears make, hmm?"

"Work on me your Jedi mind tricks will not."
Yeah, so, um, thanks for that, Jessi...

However, our Granny and Grandpa made some Really Cool accessories for us.  Noting our utter intolerance slight dislike of ears and antlers and whatnot, Mom asked our Granny and Grandpa if they would mind making us a couple of bandanas with clever sayings - perfect for photo ops, but not quite as humiliating as, well, Yoda ears, for example.  Apparently making sewing requests in August is absolutely perfect timing, as it's too hot and humid in North Carolina for Granny and Grandpa to venture outside, so they can instead spend hours and hours slaving over sewing machines.  Is it a sweatshop if they are choosing to do it, and they aren't getting paid?  Anyway, our Granny and Grandpa VASTLY exceeded our expectations and we got this ginormous box filled with Super Cool bandanas. 

I'm only giving you a small glimpse of the variety here, as Mom wants to get some 'action' photos (i.e. walking around town) with some of the other bandanas.   But check out How Seriously Cool these are!!!

One of Mom's favorite sayings - she even has it on her "Road-Kill ID"!

What can I say?  They look like such fun!

Very appropriate for Abby, as she has been known to watch mice cavort in our kibble dish and do nothing about it.  (Not that I do anything about the mice either.... They may be on good terms with our moose!)

Abby will even tolerate Yoda ears for treats!

While we are very tolerant of mice, tree rats are a Totally Different issue.
These are SO COOL!!!!  Thank you so much, Granny and Grandpa!  You guys clearly put a ton of work into all these bandanas, and we can't wait to show them off when we go out in public!

Speaking of going out in public, we ALMOST got to meet two bloggie friends of ours.  If you haven't met Murphy and Stanley, you definitely need to go check out their bloggie - they are two mini Goldendoodle doods who live in Ogden and frequently cavort with the likes of Bert.   Murphy and Stanley and their parents were coming to Park City for some hiking and dog park time, as well as to hit some outlet stores.  Abby and I were really looking forward to meeting the little doods at the dog park, but due to unforeseen circumstances (Mom and Dad went on bike ride, during which it started raining and Dad subsequently crashed on a slick corner - Dad is a bit bruised and "left some skin on the ground", but his bike is ok), Abby and I were not able to meet Murphy and Stanley this time.  However, Mom met up with the doods and their parents at the outlet stores.  And we have photographic proof of Mom Cavorting With Other Doods.  (Is this allowed?  Should we shun her?)

Photo courtesy of Murphy and Stanley's Mom!
Mom even Got Smoochies from the Doods (check out their bloggie post to see shocking smoochie photos!)  Ordinarily we'd be a little miffed with Mom for smooching other doggies, but since they are Doods, and Utah Doods at that, we really can't complain.  And they appreciate Mom's scratchie skills, so I guess we'll let Mom off the hook this time.

Murphy, totally getting into our Mom's belly scratchies!

Stanley, patiently waiting his turn for scratchies!

But we can't wait to actually meet Murphy and Stanley ourselves - they are such fun-loving doods!

And speaking of being fun-loving doods, we, of course, have More Frisbee Photos.  Before you just blast through these, certain they are just More of The Same, you have to check out this photo of Abby, working hard to be ready for the opening of the famous ballet, Doodle Lake.  Unfortunately this picture isn't in great focus, but there must be some surprises left for the opening of the ballet!  Heehee!

A Flying Hippobottomus!  Go figure!
Once the Doodle Lake rehearsals had ended, Abby and I got down to the serious business of frisbee time.


A very nice demonstration of a full-extension over-the-shoulder catch with a quarter twist!
Here I am, demonstrating how to keep your eyes on the frisbee!

Maybe not one of my more graceful catches, but hey, I caught it!

The Levitating Hippobottomus.  My crazy sister clearly has springs in her legs!

Abby, ready to take out Tokyo.  Heheheh.
Now that our weather is cooling at bit (at least for now), Abby and I actually got in a little bitey-face, as well.

"Gimme that leg, Abs!  I KNOW it takes like bacon!"
Heehee!

Since we didn't get to meet Murphy and Stanley in person, here's a picture of us so you know what we look like without Yoda ears or frisbees!


Have a great week!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Another busy week!

We've had an exciting week - some bits a little more exciting than we would have preferred, but what can you do?

First, a big wildfire was started on Tuesday by a lightning strike.  It was never close enough for us to be in any danger (there was a lot of land and a freeway between us and the fire), but our air was quite smoky, and Mom and Dad were prompted to come up with a few evacuation plans, based on the amount of time they had to evacuate (the 15-second evacuation plan consisted of: "Get the girls, get the bully sticks, get the hell out of Dodge").

This was about 2 hours after the fire started - it was much farther away than it looks in this picture.
The fire is now 70% contained, although for a while there were planes and helicopters and all sorts of fire fighting teams working to put it out.  While there has been some property damage, there have been no fatalities, and it sounds as though all domestic and domesticated animals were brought to safety, too.

In good excitement, the last of our tags came in this week.  (If you recall, when Mom was looking for tags for our 'working' collars, she couldn't decide between a few different ones on Etsy, and since they were all so extremely reasonably priced, she got a few tags.)

This is Abby's.  And yes, our Mom really is that much of a geek.

And this is mine.  Because I like giving kisses.  And I like cuddling.
The rest of the week was much more typical.  There was much frisbee funballs excitement!

Look at that intensity! That focus! That crazed look in her eyes!

Abby, the Levitating Hippobottomus

Abby, Gumby Dog.


Fiona (me), Frisbee Maven!
More of Me, the Frisbee Maven!

My sister is frisbee-crazy.  Or possibly just crazy!

But she loves her frisbees!

"Hey, Mom!  Could you throw my frisbee while Abby is occupied with hers?"

"C'mon Mom!  Throw the frisbees!"
Yep.  Frisbee funballs NEVER get old!  Of course, harassing Abby about her ginormous snooter never gets old, either.

"Does this picture make my schnozz look big?"

Heehee! 
And since I'm on a roll harassing my sister, I'll post one of the photos from her 'blooper' roll.


In Abby's defense, Mom is not always a champion-level frisbee thrower, so some of these 'bloopers' are not necessarily Abby's fault.   And Abby does make some spectacular catches even when Mom gives her less-than-optimal throws!

Nice save, Abs!

Way to draw in an errant frisbee with your front paws and securing it with the Jaws of Doom!

And a final comment about our week: we are Happy Dogs!


Have a great week!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus