• 15 minute posts,  Beach Bits,  Bug,  the dogs

    Holly’s Great Adventure to the Beach!

    We're thinking of taking Holly to the BEACH!!!

    Yesterday as we were putzing around getting ready for our weekly trip to Orange County so Bug could attend her ballet and gymnastics classes and I could do a photography shoot I have scheduled, we had a great idea. What if we brought Holly with us? Usually I take her to my mom’s because she is a spoiled rotten dog and she doesn’t like to be left alone in the backyard by herself over night even if the neighbors check on her. No. She likes to sleep with the humans in the nice cozy warm house. She’s not dumb.

    Toby is out of town but he gave us permission to stay at his place at the beach and bring Holly with us. The adventure was on! We piled her in the car with all our overnight luggage and we were off. It’s an hour-and-a-half drive so I was a tiny bit curious how she would do.

    She was such good dog. I wish she could talk so we could hear what she was thinking as she watched out the window silently. She’s never been on such a long trip I don’t think. She’s lived her whole life in my mom’s yard until she moved in with us. I imagine the freeways blew her mind but she didn’t even seem to raise an eyebrow. She’s just such a mellow dog.

    Holly in the OC!

    She stayed in the car during ballet and gymnastics with me checking on her every few minutes. She didn’t even seem to mind the airplanes flying over. They are super loud because Bug’s gym is right next to the airport.

    After gymnastics and ballet we took Holly right to the beach and caught the tail end of sunset. I didn’t get any photos though. It was too dark.

    It was so fun to watch her sniff the sand and then take off down the beach chasing a bird. She’s a funny dog. She is a labrador and labs are supposed to like water but she doesn’t! She hates water! If you turn on the hose or try to get her to take a bath she’ll run the other way. So the I was quite curious to see how she’d like the ocean. And in true Holly fashion she seemed completely indifferent. Nothing seems to ruffle her. Not even a cow-sized great dane that walked by. Funny funny Holly. How we love her mellow soul so.

    After walking up and down the beach in the dark we took her home to Toby’s to see how the cat’s would react to her. I didn’t get any photos again (because it was dark and you know how I feel about taking pictures with the automatic flash). We were worried that Pounce would freak out. He’s such a high strung cat. He didn’t like her but since Holly just stood there looking at him and showed no real reaction, Pounce got over it. Lily hid for a bit but now a day later they are all chilling in their respective spots and seem to be just fine.

    stand off

    good dog

    The next morning both Bug and I were up at the crack of dawn full of excitement to take Holly to the beach. Our old beach town is such a dog town. There are water bowls and treats out at most of the stores along the highway just waiting for patrons to walk in with their dogs. So of course we had to take Holly to the nearby doughnut shop so I could get a latte and Bug could get a bagel.

    Country dog on the city!

    Holly at Rose's

    At Roses' with Holly coffee shop dog

    She fit right in.

    Then back to the house to get bags (for poop, which we didn’t need afterall) and my camera!

    Pounce is pissed.

    Pounce was jealous.

    ready to go No, Holly, you can't have my bagel.

    “No, Holly, you can’t have my bagel.”

    walking down to the beach

    And then down to the beach. The old familiar route was fun and new again with somebody new!

    morning

    Good Morning old friend!

    century blooms

    I could do this regularly

    I could get used to this dog-walking business. Maybe we’ll have to find a place that accepts dogs when we move back…

    Bug and Holly at the beach

    taking it all in

    Doesn’t she look like a beach dog?

    Sighs of contentment all around.

    that look chowing on a bagel

    breakfast spot

    wave watching

    Bug got her feet wet but not Holly. She was perfectly content to sit with me on the sand, looking on.

    flirting with high tide

    up the stairs back home

    Then it was back home again before 10:30. Dogs are not allowed on the beach after 10:30, sadly.

    relaxing

    But that’s okay because home is where Holly loves to be anyway.

    pretend sleeping

    Wherever the people are is where she wants to be.

  • 15 minute posts,  Family Matters,  the dogs,  the sticks,  Tis the Season

    Thanksgiving 2011 in photos

    Grandma's Hands

    Just some photos from our thanksgiving this year… So much to be thankful for.

    Grandma and Bug

    Waiting for dinner…

    Bug made her own mini-pies.

    We had made pies the morning of. Bug made her own mini pies.

    checking on her pies "They're puffy!"

    cooling

    Pumkin for us.

    cherry pie for Papa

    Cherry for my Dad. He loooooves cherry pie and will rave on and on about it even if you use store-bought pie crust and canned cherries.

    Dad's home!

    Everyone was so thankful he made it home for the holiday. It was a close call. The trucking industry can be brutal sometimes.

    cozy couchless living room

    My cozy couch-less living room.

    Bug reading her sight words to Auntie Keren

    Nobody seems to mind.

    watching a documentary on Russian Ballet

    It’s television-less too so we watch documentaries on Russian Ballet on Netflicks on my laptop instead. Football Schmootball.

    discussing the finer points of Russian ballet

    Both my Aunt Keren and Bug have studied ballet. They discuss the finer points.

    poor Holly has to stay outside

    Poor Holly had to stay outside. Not because we didn’t want her in but because my mom brought her hyper crazy herding dog, Spreckles, over and the hyper crazy dog needed company so she didn’t dig a thousand holes in my backyard. They dug five together instead and chewed up my red rubber boots. Stupid crazy hyper herding dogs. But you already know how I feel about Spreckles. She is NOT Holly.

    loveable ol' Holly

    We LOVE Holly. There really is nothing better than a chilled-out seven-year-old black labrador. I wish she would live forever.

    ready to sit down!

    Dinner finally ready! Everybody come sit down!

    all together via skype

    It’s so good to be together. My brother and his family even joined us via skype.