Collages for Calendar 2009

 
I've been playing with collages to add to our 2009 Calendar. Jake always makes a good model. The next creation will be of his two favorite kids, those redheads we call Sugar and Spice.

December!

 
 

Thanksgiving, USA

 
We hope all of Jake's "adoring fans" had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Family and friends and certainly the food on our table are just some of the many things we celebrate. Each day is a gift, may we make the most of it as we look forward to the future and reflect on such a rich past.
Here's Jake in my lap on my yellow blanket. Usually a very busy, active little guy, he sometimes takes it to heart that his breed is notoriously a lapdog and goes about this seriously, particularly on cold, damp Pacific NW winter days.

Celebrating Jake's Third Birthday

We're celebrating Jake's 3rd birthday in November, so it seems fitting to enjoy a slideshow of these last 12 months!

Beautiful Fall

 
We've been enjoying a beautiful fall, taking time for three walks each day and some leisurely visits to parks. The rest of the time has been spent trouble shooting our internet and phone problems. No connection from my own workstation meant no sharing photos that were newly loaded on the hard drive. Still veeeery sloooow internet but at least I can get online, and thus only one shot for now. You'll see more of our vivid fall colors later. Jake is hoping the rains will hold off as long as possible. Weather report says starting Friday we'll have many days of rain, but they've been wrong before!

My Favorite Things

 
Here are two of my favorite things when aiming my lense! I call the two of them J 'n J, because they are rarely far apart when we're out for exercise.

Playgrounds and Parks

 
 
 
 
This has been a GR8 month so far for enjoying playgrounds and parks in the area. I do hope winter doesn't hit too soon. Jake has adopted a very unkempt, touseled hairstyle. He will visit the groomer this week, so watch for better photos coming up. His coat has beed dry and shedding, probably getting ready to put in new hair for the coming cold weather.

Crisp Autumn Afternoon

 
 
 
We went for our usual afternoon walk and found a place out of the wind just to enjoy the last bit of day before heading home.

Fall is in the air today

 
 
Windy day bringing more leaves off our trees before they've even given us a show of good fall color. Jake enjoys being out this afternoon. Gusty winds but no rain, off and on a little hint of sunshine!

Last Day of September

 
Here we are on the last day of September, late in the afternoon. It's J 'n J together, being patient while I grab a shot or two while we three are out to enjoy perfect weather and some neighbors along the way. Some of the best things in life are actually free! You can tell Jake likes this to be part of his day. So do we, but we manage to refrain from the kind of exhuberant activity Jake displays w/ wagging tail and leaping about at the sight of his own buddies.

Jake's Playground

 
Here we are in our park, but where are all the kids? It looks like Jake's private playground!

Walk, watch soccer practice, relax

Late this afternoon we went for a walk, watched a little soccer practice, walked some more and then just hung out in the park. Warm day but fall is in the air. We've just finished some days with mid 90's in the afternoons and the hot, dry summer has already had an effect on so many trees. I wonder what our fall color will be like.

Back from the groomer

Jake just came home from the groomer, and guess what he does first...finds a nice cool spot that just got watered, of course! His groomer, Mirana, is moving out of state. I don't know who will miss her the most, Jake or us. He looked so cute here I had to let him enjoy his fun times in the vinca and just shoot some photos of him before he got his coat into too much. Actually, we went for a walk right after this and he came home none the worse for his romping around. He elected to find a comfy spot in the living room and settle down for an afternoon nap.

 
Some hot summer afternoons are best spent indoors relaxing in the living room.

Thinking about CA AB 1634

This is same number but a new bill from last year's MSN (Mandatory Spay Neuter)which failed. It's a much better bill yet still leaves concerns. See the AKC News for details. To quote just a part from that "However, the American Kennel Club remains concerned that under this new bill localities are still permitted to enact mandatory spay/neuter laws, as well as the potential for abuse of enforcement."

Edited to note that CA AB 1634 "mutated" several times and now may be slipped into another bill altogether. This is an outrage. AKC for a time went from supporting their AKC membership, to supporting an altered AB 1634, sidestepped to neutral and, I think, now due to somebody actually thinking it through as Levine went back on his word, AKC is once again opposed to any bill currently up for vote with this MSN language embedded in it. The officers and baord members of AKC should be full of shame for not holding firm against this bill in the first place, supporting their good members in California.

The answer is first to enforce local laws already on the books. The second step is to address the very large problem of puppy mills. Those are regulated by Dept of Agriculture and will not be touched by this pending legislation and yet that is where the largest part of the problem lies.

Jake enjoys social time out for walks

 
These two are more of Jake's favorite buddies when we're out for walks. One of them doesn't live in the neighborhood but comes to visit when his owners are out of town. Owners are fishing up a long, long trek on the Appalachian Trail. I think they've been gone 3 or 4 months! What a hike that is!!!

Evening in the park

 
 
 

Playtime, Partytime

Here's Jake with that look we call "Let The Games Begin!" on July 4, 2008. He's two and a half but still has the heart and spirit of a puppy.
 

Getting ready for July 4

 
 
 

Good old summertime

Jake got a summer haircut. However, looking at other Cavaliers, Jake is still dripping in coat in comparison to most others. Before this cut it was touching the ground. His tail became our neighborhood street sweeper as we walked several times each day! Lovely for the carpet when the debris tangled in his coat would fall out before I could brush it out.
Attack games between these two are a frequent favorite activity!

Here's Lookin' Atcha!