Mowing the Mountain

To hear her talk (whine really) you would think she lived on top of a mountain. She does not live on a mountain, or even a hill, it is really just a slope. Mind you it is a fairly steep slope that is along the front and all-l-l-l-l-l-l one side of the house, but it ain't no mountain.

She doesn't have a 'front yard' and a 'back yard' like most people (if you hadn't noticed by now, the artist isn't like most people). It is more like an up-yard, a steep-yard and an out-yard. The up-yard is the space right around the house, fairly small and flat. The steep-yard speaks for itself, and the out-yard is the four foot wide space between the sidewalk and the curb, also fairly flat.

The artist was complaining about how hard it was to mow the yard and how by the time she finished with the up-yard and the out-yard, she was too tired to do the steep-yard. Oh you poor dear!

Did it ever occur to you to do the hard part first? No? Well the yard is like any other problem, if you do the hard part first, by the time you are tired, you only have the easy part left.

Start with the most difficult part of the steep-yard, mow a little, then for a diversion and something a little easier, mow a some of the out-yard. When you are finished with those, and only then, start on the up-yard. Rest if you have to then get your butt back in gear and get it finished. If you don't get it all done in one day, that's okay as long as you don't give up on the plan.

And just a note to those of you with problems (and you know who you are): Problems are like weeds. You can cut them short so they blend in with the grass, but you aren't fooling anybody, they are still weeds no matter how green they may appear.

Love,
Buddy

The Defiant Dandilion

Daffy-down-dandy
Has come to town

With a green petticoat
And a yellow crown.

Did I mention it is Spring? Did I mention that when Spring arrives, the lawn is green, is instantly in need of mowing and weeds abound, especially dandilions?

One day there was snow on the ground, the next day there they were, deceptively pretty, pretending to welcome Spring with a plethora of yellow flowers. Oh sure, we are all happy to see some color, any color, after a very long, cold, gray winter.

I, for one, like to see the yellow petals turn to the downy white powder puff of seeds. It is fun to run through the yard, jumping over and through the clusters of dandilions and watch the seeds waft in the wind.

However, the artist isn't so fond of the sight. In fact she has had an on-going battle with one particular cluster of dandilions.

It all started innocent enough. Just a tiny yellow flower peaking through the long grass. The artist didn't have a lot of time, so the first weekend she figured that mowing and cutting the head off should be a temporary fix.

But no, that little sucker ducked down as the mower passed by and popped right back up, sticking out its tongue (phbtttttttt) as she made the next pass. The following morning the weed was four inches taller and two inches wider.

The following Saturday the artist decided to try Weed-B-Gone to take care of the weed. But no-o, Weed-B-Gone only made it angry. The next morning the dandilion was six inches taller, five inches wider and defiant.

Another week goes by and the artist figures *now* the mower will work. But no-o-o, the sneaky pest decided to bloom right next to the ground where the blades of the mower couldn't reach. There it stood the following morning, a foot tall, eight inches wide, eleven stalks topped with white seeds threatening to be released at the slightest hint of a breeze.

What to do? There is now a behemoth dandilion growing in the yard and it is going to replicate until the whole yard is assimilated. The artist has a plan, the ultimate weapon against a strong opponent, a shovel and a little elbow grease. Die daffy down dandy, die! Until next Spring that is.

Love,
Buddy

Happy Dog

It is Spring.
The sun is finally out.
The Humans are happy.
All is well in my world.

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone, have a Fiesta to celebrate!

Love,
Buddy

My apologies

I find that I have to apologize for my humans.

This is for the person in the car behind us on I35 this past Saturday.

I am so sorry that my humans did not understand that you are so much more important than they are.

I apologize that they were going the speed limit, which was not fast enough for you, and they didn't speed up or pull over so you could get to where you needed to go. That was extremely rude of them.

I appreciate that you did honk (several times) to let them know of your importance and am sorry they didn't respond in a manner that was satisfactory for you.

I also appreciate the nice wave you gave us as you sped past. However, I would like to say that it would have been so much prettier if you had used all of your digits instead of just the one.

Love,
Buddy

...and the beat goes on

If you can't get enough of Susan Boyle give a listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8r9lRJ6yHY

Love,
Buddy

Dreams do come true

There is a piece of cardboard in the studio that has little multi-colored pieces of paper taped to it.
Each piece of paper has something encouraging written on it. Tomorrow, a new piece of paper is going up. It will say "don't be afraid to dream because dreams do come true."

Go to YouTube at this URL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

Make sure your sound is on and watch this video. It is a good thing I have long ears so the humans couldn't see the tears in my eyes.

Love,
Buddy

A song for Scuttle

Hey! Someone really cool, Pete Dowan, wrote to me after reading my blog about Jenny.

Once upon a time Pete was the human for a dog named Scuttle. Don't you think that a dog named Scuttle would have to be just about the coolest dog in town? I am betting that Scuttle had so much personality that it just oozed.

Anyway, Pete wrote a song for Scuttle and asked me if I would like to give a listen.
Of course I had to figure out how to fit those ear thingys (that is a very technical term don'cha know) over my floppy down ears, but it was well worth the effort.

The song is sweet and so is the story behind it. Not only that, Pete did a pretty good job of singing and recording it (even though I think a couple of good ole' hound dog howls would have made it better, but that is just me).

Pete, his story, and the song for Scuttle can be found on Pete's MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/petedowan).

Thanks Pete, you and Scuttle are a real inspiration.

Love,
Buddy

Jenny

Jenny was a princess on Earth but now she is an angel in Heaven.

When I found my humans, Jenny was already living with them.
She lovingly made room in her heart and her home for me.

She set an example for me on how to be a well behaved dog. She played with me for hours on end, even though she probably didn't want to. I didn't know she was too old for me to play so rough with, but she played anyway.

In the past year, Jenny became blind. She would wander into a corner or behind a chair and not be able to find her way out. I would bark and bark until one of the humans came to get her unstuck.

Today she is no longer blind, she has no problems eating, and she can run and play like a pup.
Today Jenny is free.

Twas the day of Christmas
And all through the Casa
Waft the smell of tamales
With homemade salsa.

In the Nativity
Baby Jesus is laying.
Mary, Joseph, and Wise Men,
With shepherds are praying.

A tree in the corner
Its lights blinking bright
While an angel with star
Look down with delight

Santa must have come
Taking such care,
The family in dreamland,
Scarce knew he was there.

Boxes and wrappings
Are scattered about.
Of the success of Christmas
There is no doubt.

Enjoy the day
Savor the season,
Tell the ones you hold dear
Love is the reason.

The Photographer, the Artist
And Puppy Dog too,
Wish a Merry Christmas
To each and every one of you.

Love,
Buddy


PS
Kisses to Aunt Marsha

Ho Ho Ho...

should be sHOp sHOp sHOp.

Tis the season for shopping for most people, but then the artist and the photographer aren't "most people".

I have a theory about shopping as opposed to buying.

Shopping is what women do. Women are the gatherers, so they wonder through shopping malls and department stores, oohing and aahing over whatever catches their eye. They are discerning about what items they will take home to the family cave. They must touch, smell, hold up, try on before a decision is made. Much of the time cost has little to do with a purchase. If it is the right color or shape, it is a "must have".

Men, on the other hand, are hunters. They have studied their prey. They know its habits and where it hangs out. Men know where they will be hunting before dawn breaks. Men walk into one store, determine in a glance which direction to move, spy the desired item on the shelf. Men don't need to try anything on, they rely on instinct not sizes. They are much less discerning than women. If it is close, it will do.

(I have a theory about television and remote controls that is similar to this hunter/gatherer; man/woman; shopping/buying stuff)

Now we come to my humans. Neither fit the typical scenario. They artist doesn't like to shop, at all, ever. And while the photographer doesn't really like to shop in the traditional sense, he does like to eBay, and spends a lot of time looking (very similar to shopping if you ask me) on eBay or the internet in general and is always delighted when he is able to snipe his prey.

Which leads me to my next shopping point. Do you realize how many different ways there are to shop/buy? You can go the traditional route at a brick and mortar store. You can shop from a catalog that came by traditional mail. You can shop on the internet in a variety of ways; Google something, go to a business website, view a business catalog on-line, eBay or a multitude of like-minded sites.

OR you can shop/buy in the comfort of your easy chair while watching television. All you need is a telephone and a credit card. Just link back into all those channels you blocked when you first set up the TV. There are all sorts of shopping channels out there just waiting for the shopper/buyer.

Not only do they offer you the "best deal ever" on things "you absolutely must have", but they often have a celebrity guest who created it right there and you might be the lucky person who calls in and gets to talk with them live on the air! Oh, and let us not forget flex or value pay, which is something akin to lay-away only you don't have to wait to get your stuff. What could be more fun than that?

Will this lead to the blurring of the shopping/buying lines? I don't think so.

A man will see three seconds of a shopping channel, his eyes will glaze over, his brain will dis-engage, and of he has the zapper, will immediately change channels in search of more interesting prey.

Love,
Buddy