Puppy Photos - Just for Fun!

     I volunteer at our local animal shelter. When I applied to volunteer, my intention had been to take pretty photos of the animals, post on Facebook, and occasionally transport animals to rescue and foster homes. Unfortunately, though, the shelter is very shorthanded on volunteers and the fun stuff must often take a back seat to the dogs' and cats' basic needs.
     But, guess what?? I got a sunny day and my DSLR camera and got to take some photos! I thought it would be fun to share them here.

     This malamute mix is a big, powerful dog. He is also a giant TEDDY BEAR! When he stands on his hind legs, he is probably 5'5" in height.

Malamute mix dog

Malamute mix dog

Malamute mix dog

Malamute mix dog

     This little pit bull pup is just adorable. He came in with a german shepherd, who has since been pulled by a rescue organization. This little dude is now alone, and lonely. He seems playful and carefree in these photos but he really just wanted attention. It took me a while to get these shots. If I hadn't already reached my peak limit in pets, this guy would be home with me now.

Chocolate pit bull puppy

Chocolate pit bull puppy

Chocolate pit bull puppy

Chocolate pit bull puppy

Chocolate pit bull puppy

Chocolate pit bull puppy

     In case you are interested, these boys are available for adoption at the Los Banos Animal Shelter in Los Banos, California.

Raw Pet Food

     Since I discovered that I am gluten and dairy sensitive nine years ago, I seem to be a magnet for pets with the same issues! Currently, our Keeshond, Dixon, and our rough coat Jack Russell Terrier puppy, Phoenix, have food issues.

Dixon with a beef bone

Me and Phoenix

     I have switched both Dixon and Phoenix to raw food, grain free diets. I use a simple recipe with supplements that I found here. The diet has had a very positive effect on Phoenix and has helped his skin issues greatly. Until Phoenix steals food. Then, it's back to square one. You can see where Phoenix's neck had healed, in the above photo.

     

Phoenix and his skin problems

     The above photo shows Phoenix at right about the time we began his raw food diet. You can see the beef bone in the foreground. 

     Unfortunately, Phoenix stole a couple of cat kibbles, which contain rice, and he has flared up all over again. The poor little guy was traumatized today when I forced him into a Malaseb shampoo bath to clean the area, as well as his dirty feet that he was scratching with. I was also able to get some antifungal/antibacterial ointment on his sore area too. This puppy is sooooo high strung, I consider it a miracle that I can do anything to treat him and not be bitten in the process. It is funny for me to see this photo because he has really grown in the short three weeks that we have had him home with us. 

     I believe that one of the reasons that Phoenix is so difficult to treat is because I am his third home in three months, not including where he was born, and his couple of days in the animal shelter. He does not feel confident, is very clingy when he is not being aggressive, and does best when he has a routine. When he feels stressed, this exacerbates his scratching, causing stress for me, and pain for himself. While my life would be so much easier if I could pass this problem on to someone else (a dog rescue group, since Phoenix is still officially a foster puppy for me), I really cannot consider this because it would be so detrimental to Phoenix's mental health and recovery. The funny thing is, I NEVER wanted a Jack Russell Terrier. They are far too high strung for me. And, now, I could not imagine giving this little guy up. I need to officially adopt him very soon, lol!

     Have you ever had a "problem" pet? Tell me about it!

This is Me: Part 1

     So, I am going to tell you my story. Not the highlight reel, but the authentic story that made me who I am today. I am still an unfinished product, for sure, and I have been actively working on myself this year.

      I was born in Illinois, in a Chicago suburb and moved to California the month that I turned seven. So, I have memories of snow, tornadoes, picking rhubarb from people's yards, and of beautiful, wonderful thunderstorms. We moved in 1976, so I have been a California girl longer than many of you have been alive :)  I am a mid-western girl at heart, but cannot stand the thought of living too far from the ocean. So, I stay here on the west coast.
   

My sisters and I on Halloween in Illinois. I am the leopard!

     I am married and have two kids, plus an extra kid. My youngest is eighteen, so we live in a home with five adults! The food expenses are everything you imagine them to be.

We also have seventeen pets! We have:

• eight cats (Beethoven, Bandit, Francesca, Honey, Tobi, Ash, Bella, and Hachi)
• three dogs (Rusty, Sandy, and Dixon)
• one parrot (Geordi)
• one rabbit (Thor)
• four aquatic turtles (Kiki, Pepe, Tina, and Charlie)

You will see photos of everyone from time to time. We also had our dog, Murphy, and our cat, Autumn, cross the rainbow bridge this summer. 

Murphy

A silly photo of me and Bella

     From the time I could pick up a book, I indulged in reading as often as I could. I devoured Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series and when I was old enough, I moved on to John Steinbeck, Stephen King, and James Herriot. When we would visit family, I would raid their bookshelves. Even now, I can hear my uncle saying, "There's Chrissy, in the corner with her nose in a book!".

     Besides books, my other great love was, and remains, animals. I loved them all - cats, dogs, horses, birds, rabbits, etc. My dream was to be a veterinarian when I grew up. That didn't happen, however, I did spend 15 years in the animal care business. Eight years of this time was spent at the west coast's largest (at the time) animal shelter. Some of you may not like me after this, or will unfollow me, and that is okay. This is my history and, like I said, makes me who I am today. It is also the reason that I have so many pets. Back in the '90s is when I worked for the animal shelter. Part of my job was putting animals to sleep. For anyone who thinks "I could NEVER do this, I love animals too much!" let me say this. You DO NOT want someone who hates animals doing this job. Let that sink in for a moment. Anyway, we had a feline distemper outbreak in the community, and at the shelter. Kittens were literally dropping dead from sickness. I had the most unpleasant job of euthanizing all of the kittens. It was HORRIBLE. I still cannot tell this story without crying (hell, I can't even write it without crying), even twenty years later. It is this, and other experiences, that lead to my pet "collection". Most of our babies were found, and there will be more, I expect. I have actually never, in my life, purposely sought after, and adopted, a cat. They were all found. 

My daughter helping our late horse, Missy, take a selfie

Murphy and Ash

Sandy and Rusty

Bella

Me and Bella

     For a long time I was somewhat hiding my pets from social media. I worried that if people knew that my business is pet friendly, perhaps they would not want to buy from me. This is such a major part of who I am though, and I want to show these guys off to the world!

     This is the who I am part of my story. Tomorrow I will have the why part! Please come back and check it out!

     

Vintage Girl and Dog Embroidered Hoop

Oh, I just love getting inspiration from Graphics Fairy. Seriously, there are soooo many images there! I thought that this one would be cute for my sister's birthday gift.

Girl with Dog ~ Graphics Fairy

Isn't she cute? This tug of war with the dog is something that both my sister and I do every day with our dogs. Okay, maybe our dogs aren't so stubborn, lol! Here is what I did with this image:

Girl with dog embroidery 

I did the whole thing in a back stitch with the exception of her blue eye, where I used a french knot.

Girl with dog embroidery

Girl with dog embroidery

Girl with dog embroidery

I used this pretty floral cotton for the back of the hoop.

Girl with dog embroidery