Furry Ones » Two Wishes

C – A – T … Cat!!!

Feb 242011

One benefit of a baby with a Sesame Street addiction — Elsa thinks letters are spectacularly exciting. At the moment, she’s most fascinated with the Alphabet Song. Her favorite part is the big finish: Now I … knowww … A – C – DEEEEs; nest tine [mumble mumble] SING wih MEEEEEEEEE!

Yesterday she and Nana played with alphabet stickers. Elsa always demands that we draw the same crazy, overfed cat, over and over, with the same descriptive patter (“circle for the head … circle for the body … one two three four legs ….”) and always labeled C – A – T, so of course “cat” was the first word she demanded via sticker alphabet. Later in the day, I came across one of our cats asleep in the remnants of the sticker game.

C – A – T, and one photo that gives me an “awwwww” every time.

Snowmageddon is Upon Us

Furry Ones, Just Life 5 Responses »

Feb 052010

Here in the DC area, we only get a couple of snowfalls each winter. Traditionally, people freak out at the slightest chance of flurries, rushing to the grocery store to stock up on milk, bread, and toilet paper. Rarely do we get enough snow to actually keep people in the home — but doggone it, they mean to be prepared!

I grew up in Wisconsin, where they don’t close schools unless there’s at least a foot of snow. In other words, I sneer at the DC lightweights.

But this weekend will be the real deal. We’ve got 2-3 inches at the moment, but overnight the fall may hit 2-3 inches per hour. So we’re hunkered down for the next few days, except for regular Sheltie-walking forays.

We get a bit tired of suiting up like an Arctic explorer every few hours, but there are few things cuter than a Sheltie in the snow. Picture pure, unadulterated, leaping, grinning canine joy, plus this face:

(image 1 (Zoe’s doppelganger) and 2 from Sheltie Nation; image 3 from here)

Are you also snowed in this weekend? How do you plan to spend the time?

Dogs and Cats, Living Together

Furry Ones 3 Responses »

Sep 022009

Who knew the Apocalypse would be this cute?

For the record, the dog was there first.

Also, don’t look directly into Chiclet’s glowing eyes. She really can hypnotize you, you know.

Resistance is Futile

Furry Ones 2 Responses »

Jul 212009

Haven’t had much to say lately. And haven’t done much web surfing for blog inspiration. So … look! … baby animals!

(This is Chiclet. She would like ear scratches and some tuna. Look deep into her eyes and feel yourself growing powerless to resist….)

My Favorite Part of Halloween

Furry Ones 5 Responses »

Oct 312008

I’ve never been one to get excited about Halloween as an adult. (Childhood is a different story — what kid doesn’t go for costumes, candy, and the rare chance to walk around at night?) But there is one reason I eagerly await the holiday every year: Internet photos of babies and animals forced into embarrassing costumes.

Case in Point — Babies:

via Mental Floss

Case in Point — Dogs:

via Best Week Ever

And cats are even better because they have such a finely developed sense of shame:

image source

But of course a Sheltie wears anything in style. So, in closing, my 2 favorite classic Sheltie Nation costumes (to fully appreciate the genius of the last photo, you can click on the photo for a larger version):

image one, two

Do you dress your pets for the holidays?

52 Seconds of Cuteness

Furry Ones 3 Responses »

Aug 172008

Our dog has fans. Recently, in our local park late at night, Luke Wilson** paused while jogging past to say, “Hey, I caught your act the other night — your dog is awesome.”

** (Or a close approximation thereof.)

And the “act” he mentioned was just Zoe Come Here, a lazy way (on our part) to run off energy (on her part), in which we walk in different directions and she runs between us at top speed. For sheer entertainment value, Zoe Come Here doesn’t come close to her favorite game: Sheltie Soccer. Give the girl a soccer ball, and she’s in heaven.

Today, we finally got around to videotaping a game of Sheltie Soccer for posterity:

Sheltie Soccer on YouTube

Not Chronological, But….

Furry Ones, Wedding, Wedding Pics No Responses »

May 012008

OK, so this is jumping ahead in the wedding-day recap. But I couldn’t resist sharing photos of our beloved Sheltie Ring Bearer!! (Photos, as always, are by Punam Bean.)

(Zoe in the arms of the Sheltie Wrangler — a friend who kept her for the weekend, brought her to the wedding, and pointed her down the aisle when the time came.)

Thanks to suggestions from the Hive, I made Zoe a pearl necklace to pretty her up for the Big Day. It was as easy as stringing some big vintage “pearls” (already in my crafting stash) onto elastic cord and adding a red ribbon to hold the rings. The pearl collar was almost invisible in her fluffy ruff, but the ribbon stood out nicely.

(For anyone who remembers our search for a classic-but-unusual wedding band for Mr. T, we ended up with a “Love” ring from Cartier. Click the photo for a better look.)

I also made Zoe a ribbon leash, out of the wide ribbon from my bouquet handle. I just made a loop at one end the size of Zoe’s neck and a loop at the other end the size of a hand, and then secured the loops with fabric glue.

We didn’t exactly ask permission to have a dog at our ceremony venue, so the Sheltie Wrangler lurked outside till the appropriate moment, then set Zoe loose down the aisle. Zoe was a bit confused by all the people in the audience (she loooves people), but did an admirable job of trotting straight to us.

The hardest part? Untying the ribbon knots! It’s definitely best to be sure any knots are tied loosely, or you can use fake rings on the dog/pillow/etc. and keep the real ones tucked away in a pocket.

(Almost there….)