Double the Fun

This morning's walk was dark and rainy.  Surprisingly though it was mild and 50 degrees.  I was a little overdressed with my Winnie the Pooh winter hat but at least the hat kept my head and ears dry. When we arrived at the lake, Tahoe took off bounding up and down the nearby hills.  (For a 10+ year old dog, he's quite impressive to watch!) Ashley stayed close and walked on the dark path with me.  At one point, I heard a strange noise coming from the woods that sounded like a cross between a baby and a bird.  It was pretty spooky and it made my spine shiver. Luckily, I'm happy to report that we did not encounter any creepy monsters.

Ashley, looking towards the source of the creepy noise

Can you find Tahoe in the darkness?

This was the brightest that it got on our morning walk. Can you find Tahoe now?

Why "double the fun?"
Well, I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon which allowed me to come home early from work today.  I surprised Tahoe and Ashley with an afternoon walk at 4:45pm.  Two walks on a weekday - yay!  Unfortunately, both walks were mostly in darkness due to the rainy and overcast weather. But, that little detail didn't seem to bother Tahoe or Ashley.

Tomorrow's weather is predicted to be windy and rainier with scattered thunderstorms.  We might just have to settle for playing ball inside.... we'll see.

By the way, I just saw a great Hoya's basketball game go into overtime.
Final score: Georgetown 111 - Missouri 102
Go Hoyas!

Holiday Weekend

This weekend, in between cooking Thanksgiving dinner, attending a Georgetown basketball game, and working on dossiers for work, I was able to spend some quality time with my two favorite furry buddies.  We went on walks, played ball, played "find it" with treats, and I even gave them baths. Of course, we did have a few hiccups along the way...

During a walk on Friday, Tahoe pee'd on my dad's sneaker.  Tahoe had never done anything like that so I was laughing and teasing my dad about it for a while. Well, do you know about karma...? On Saturday, while I was walking Tahoe and Ashley, Tahoe walked between my legs and pee'd on the right leg of my jeans! Eew! My dad swears he'll get even with him someday... personally, I don't think I want to be a witness to that.

Yes... I have washed my jeans since the walk on Saturday. You may want to avoid my dad's red sneakers though.

Ashley

Ashley on the go

Tahoe on the run

 

We Are... GEORGETOWN!

Today I went to a Georgetown basketball game: Georgetown vs. UNC Asheville. During the game, I had an opportunity to get a few pictures of Jack the Bulldog. Although Tahoe and Ashley weren't present, they were happy to share today's blog posting with their friend Jack.

Jack the Bulldog

And... in case you were wondering... Georgetown won the game - 87 to 72. Go Hoyas!

Thanksgiving

Today we took a walk by the lake. It was 50 degrees, overcast and dry. Along the way, Ashley found several surprises.  The first was an apple.  The apple was sliced and sitting on a pile of leaves in the woods.  Next, she found a slice of white bread.  The bread was laying on top of a tree stump.  Then she found another piece of bread; it was half of a slice and it was on the ground.  She also found m&m's - red and green, scattered around a tree.  Unfortunately, the last item she found is the one that she swallowed... a piece of chewed green gum that had been tossed onto a pile of leaves. Yuck! Needless to say, it was a strange walk.

For dinner, I gave Tahoe and Ashley a special Thanksgiving Turducken, a canned dog food with turkey, duck, and chicken. They also received a few extra bites of the turkey breast that I cooked.  (I cooked a 3 lb turkey breast. Brian usually cooks 20+ lbs of turkey for us on Thanksgiving!)

Mr. Turkey Head

Although I can't spend this turkey day with my husband, I am thankful for my home, health, family and beautiful dogs. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tahoe and Ashley, sharing an Eskimo Kiss

Morning Routine

After about a week, I'm finally over my cold... Tahoe and Ashley are especially happy because that means that we are back to our usual morning routine.  (There were a few days last week where I was too sick to walk them). This week is a short week at work with Thanksgiving.  I'm looking forward to spending more time with my favorite pooches.

Super Tahoe!

Tahoe, sniffing at the ground

Ashley, chewing on grass

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

If I didn't have dogs... I could walk around the yard barefoot, and my house could be carpeted, instead of tiled and laminated.  All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair. When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel and I could get the door without wading through a bunch of fuzzy bodies who beat me there. I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted without taking into consideration how much space a couple of fur bodies would need to get comfortable. I wouldn't have strange presents under my Christmas tree - dog bones, stuffed animals, toys, treats; nor would I have to explain to people why I wrap them. I would have money... and no guilt to go on a real vacation. I wouldn't be on a first name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college. The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE. My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere. My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats, and an extra leash. I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, and T-R-E-A-T. I would not have as many leaves inside my house as outside. I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season, instead of dreading "mud" season. I would not have to answer the question "Why do you have so many animals?" from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.
How empty my life would be.
(Author Unknown)

Ashley

Tahoe

And then there was Ashley...

In November 2007, a friend approached me and asked me if I wanted another weimaraner.  My first reaction was "No Way!" Tahoe was already a handful... how would I be able to manage him AND another dog. I was curious though, so I asked a few questions and I learned the following:
A few weeks prior, the father of my friend's boss died.  He was 94 years old. He lived in Newcastle, Maine and he had a three year old weimaraner named Ashley. My friend's boss and his wife lived in Northern VA and they drove up to Maine and brought Ashley back to their home. They had two other weimaraners and they were not prepared to keep Ashley so they were looking for a new home for her. 

Brian and I were not necessarily prepared to welcome another dog into our household either. But, I was intrigued by the idea of another dog in the house with Tahoe.  Brian and I had been in and out of the house a lot during this time for our jobs.  I reasoned that another dog would give Tahoe some company while we were out.  It would also give him a "job" of sorts... he could be a big brother.  The more I thought about it, the more I started to like the idea - even though it seemed a little crazy.

I contacted my friend and decided that I wanted to meet Ashley. She suggested that Ashley meet Tahoe too so I picked Ashley up and I brought her home for a sleepover.  Ashley and Tahoe seemed to get along and, for the most part, Tahoe accepted her. Ashley was very shy and she stayed close to me throughout the entire stay.  She was much smaller compared to Tahoe. I must admit that I bonded with her that evening. She was very sweet and gentle.

I returned Ashley the next morning. Over the next two days Brian went back and forth about what we should do.  Deep down, I wanted to keep Ashley but we already had Tahoe... and it just seemed crazy to get a second dog.  But Brian knew that Ashley had touched my heart during her short stay. (She had touched his heart as well.) He told me to go pick her up and bring her home and that's exactly what I did. Ashley joined our family on November 16, 2007.

Ashley

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Brian!
(It's already November 19 in Guam....)

Nicknames

When Tahoe was a puppy, our friend Pat gave him his first nickname... "Taco" or as Pat likes to say, "Taco Boy!" Overtime, we've come up with several nicknames for both Tahoe and Ashley.

Tahoe's nicknames:

Ho

Mr. Ho

The Ho-ster

Taco

Tahtoes

Tahtones

Tahtonies

Ashley's nicknames:

Ashie

Assie
Asimo

Ashbones

Ashtones
Ashtonies

Ashie

The Ho-ster

The Differences Between Tahoe and Ashley

It's been raining all day and I have a cold - just what I needed!  I walked Tahoe and Ashley this morning in the rain.  It was a short walk (yet again) but they were soggy dogs nonetheless when we returned to the house.  So, instead of writing about the rain or my stuffy nose and sore throat, I thought that I would take this posting opportunity to tell you a little bit about the funny differences between Tahoe and Ashley.

Of course, there are the obvious differences... Tahoe is a boy and Ashley is a girl, Tahoe is 10 and a half and Ashley is 5 (and a half?), Tahoe is tall and slender and Ashley is shorter and stout.  But there are also much more subtle differences that I've discovered since I've been lucky enough to have them both in my life.

Tahoe and Ashley

They have different approaches when seeking attention:
Tahoe is a very energetic weimaraner.  He loves to play ball and he can be forceful (and relentless) when he wants me to understand his desire to play.  He'll take the ball, chew on it to get it all wet, and then take his cold wet nose and nudge my hand or my lap or just about any other part of my body that's convenient for him.  He's patient but up to an extent, after which he get's frustrated and voices his frustrations. Ashley is a bit more low-key.  She likes to play ball but but she'll take the ball and place it on the floor next to me or in my lap when she wants to play.  She is also very patient and she'll quietly wait ten minutes... thirty minutes... whatever it takes until I throw her the ball.

Their gaits are very different:
On walks, Tahoe bounds forward like a miniature horse - front legs reaching forward and back-end veering crooked. Ashley's walk reminds me of a cartoon. Do you remember the Fintstones? One of Fred's hobbies was bowling and he was nick-named "twinkle-toes" because he would walk on his toes. Ashley walks like Fred Flintstone... on her toes. 

They drink water differently:
When it comes to drinking water, Tahoe's big tongue usually displaces half of the water in the bowl.  He is the one responsible for the puddles of water on the floor by their water and food bowls. Ashley is much more prim and proper with her approach.  She is much neater and makes less slurping noise.

They have different eating habits:
Tahoe is finicky with his food.  He does get hungry but he is also known for not finishing his breakfast in the morning.  When he is hungry, he'll whine and cry until he's been fed. Ashley loves, loves, loves food.  She'll eat anything, anywhere, from anybody.  I've been on walks with her where she's spotted food wrappers near the sidewalk and in a split-second, she's gobbled them up.  That said, she cries for food only when she knows that I'm about to feed them.

They sleep in different places:
Tahoe likes to sleep on our sofas, beds, and floor.  When he goes to sleep for the night, he always sleeps with me.  Ashley likes to sleep on our sofas, beds and her doggy bed.  She also sleeps on the floor but she prefers the sofa. She has no problem sleeping the night away in a room by herself.

There are many more differences but, with all of that, there is one constant that remains the same for both of them: they are beautiful animals filled with unconditional love.

A Friederich Morning Mist

There was a thick mist this morning when we went out for our morning walk.  The air was a bit warmer than usual and more humid.  The pictures from this morning make it look colder than it actually was.  As we walked past the lake, for a moment, I felt like I was in a Friederich painting.

Our lake this morning

Walking in the woods

To Tahoe and Ashley's dismay, our walk was cut short because I needed to get back to the house to prepare a pot roast and get ready for work. 

The Dog Park

Today we went to the dog park.  I usually don't take Tahoe and Ashley to the dog park because there isn't much grass there and Tahoe's paws tend to get ripped up by the rocks.  But, today was a beautiful day and I wanted Ashley to have a chance to run around off-leash for a while.  So I grabbed my camera, a tennis ball, poop bags, and I loaded everyone into Brian's car for the 5 minute ride to the park.

There were about 30 other dogs at the park.  We saw a greyhound, an afghan hound, a dachshund, a pitbull, and a number of other dogs - big and small.  Tahoe and Ashley sniffed around a little bit and, for the most part, were pretty uninterested in the other dogs around them.  Tahoe played with the tennis ball and Ashley got to run around. It was a good Sunday.

Someone's checking Ashley out...

...and she dishes it right back

A Frosty Walk & Office Life

It's been getting colder over the past few days.  This morning, the cars and lawns were covered in frost. During our morning walk, Tahoe and Ashley were collecting mouthfuls of frosty blades of grass. (I have no idea why they continually try to eat something that they can't digest.)

A close-up of the frost on the grass

Tahoe & Ashley on our morning walk

After the walk, I showered and got ready for work. Today marks the end of my first week at my new job.  I have a lot to learn and it's been a bit overwhelming at times but so far, things are going well.  Tahoe and Ashley are especially happy because I'm not away from home as much as I used to be.  Below is my new office - nothing fancy but it works.

My desk greets all visitors that walk through the front door

Here's my desk from another angle.

Celebrities and Weims

It seems that I'm not the only one in love with weimaraners...
Did you know that there are a number of celebrities that also have a soft spot for the gray ghost? Grace Kelly, Dwight D. Eisenhower*, Dick Clark, Brad Pitt, Esai Morales, and Trent Reznor, just to name a few.

Brad Pitt with Purdy

Weimaraner's have also been featured in movies and on tv including: Best in Show (Beatrice); Maid in Manhattan (Rufus); Seven; Fever Pitch; Sesame Street; Honda Odyssey Commercials; and Cymbalta Commercials.

* Fun fact: The "I Like Ike" slogan helped secure Dwight D. Eisenhower's place as the 34th president of the United States, and while his dog Heidi was also definitely among his supporters, Heidi felt quite the opposite about Ike's wife Mamie. The feisty Weimaraner would jump on Mrs. Eisenhower anytime she approached the president, and went on to demonstrate its disregard by "decorating" a diplomatic reception room rug worth $20,000. Mamie and the housekeeping staff spent the entire night trying to get the stain out to no avail, so both the rug and the dog were banished – one permanently, and the other until it learned how to mind its manners. (Source: Animal Planet)

Dinner Time!

We had chicken for dinner tonight. Tahoe kept crying and pushing himself under my dad's arm to get his mouth and nose closer to the chicken.  In the end, all of his work paid off - my dad handed over half of the chicken.

Persistent Tahoe

... and the payoff

All About Weimaraners

Weimaraners are German hunting dogs known for high activity levels, loyalty to their family, and high intelligence. They are often called "Gray Ghosts" because of their gray coloring. Weimaraner coats can be light gray, gray, or blue (a dark brown with a blue sheen), and have short hair or long hair. Common health issues include hip dysplasia and stomach bloat or gastric torsion. After cancer, bloat is the second leading killer in dogs. (Our Tahoe is very lucky - with emergency surgery, he survived stomach bloat.)

Weimaraners are "people dogs" - they cannot be continually housed in a kennel, backyard or basement. They want to be with their people at all times and to be involved in their activities. To have a Weimaraner is to have a second shadow. They insist on being with you as much as possible. This is NO exaggeration. While they do not possess the aggressive personality of a guard dog, they will protect their property by loudly letting you know when a stranger is approaching.

Of course, Tahoe and Ashley are the best weims in the world.  Below are photo's that I took at home this evening. I'm no William Wegman... but they sure are beautiful.

How much do you know about Weimaraners? Take this quiz to find out.

 

Tahoe

Ashley

Good News -- Bad News

I left the house this morning at 6:45am to take Tahoe and Ashley on a walk before I headed to work.

The Good News...
We successfully avoided Mr. X with the not-so-friendly black and white dogs (see Oct. 21 post).  Just as we were walking past his house, he opened the door to take his dogs out for a walk.  Hee, hee, hee... lucky for us, we were ahead of them and we reached the lake first.  Behind me, I could hear his dogs barking at other dogs, causing havoc all the way to the lake.

Ashley looking behind as the black and white dogs approach

From the lake, I took Tahoe and Ashley into the woods. By the time we completed the trail loop in the woods, the Mr. X (and his not-so-friendly dogs) were gone.  We actually saw him speed off in his black BMW convertible as we neared home.

The Bad News...
6:45am might not be a good time to walk Tahoe and Ashley if Mr. X consistently walks his dogs at this time.  I don't think that I'll be so lucky in avoiding him next time.

Talking, Walking, and Playing with Sticks

This weekend's activities included "talking" with Brian, walking to the park, and playing with sticks - one of Tahoe's favorite pastimes.

Yesterday, I had a chance to skype with Brian for a little bit. Whenever we are able to connect via skype, I try to make sure that Tahoe and Ashley get some camera time.  It's funny though because they don't seem to respond to Brian's skype voice.  He's only gotten a reaction out of them once... when he said "greenie," of course.

 
This evening, we went for a walk to the park.  There's a field at the park where Tahoe loves to fetch sticks.  The rules of Tahoe's fetch game are as follows: 1. Throw a stick. 2. Tahoe gets the stick. 3. Chase after Tahoe to get the stick back.

Tahoe playing with a stick - catch me if you can!

Ashley playing with a stick - Mmmm, yummy!

After a long walk and running in the field chasing sticks, Tahoe and Ashley settled down for a long nap.

Ashley

Tahoe

A Play Date with Toby

Tahoe and Ashley received an invitation today to play with a new friend, Toby.  We went to Toby's house in Falls Church at lunch time.

Toby

Tahoe and Ashley had so much fun!  Toby is still a puppy so he was running around, climbing all over Ashley, digging holes, and getting into trouble. 

Tahoe playing with a stick as Toby looks on

Brave Toby... attempting to take the stick away from Tahoe

The weather was nice and both Tahoe and Ashley got a lot of exercise.  After an hour, and a delicious turkey sandwich and salad, we headed home.

My co-pilot

She's so cute!

Tahoe with his head out the window...

...and the wind in his face

A Break from the Rain

It's been raining all day.  Around 4:30pm, the rain stopped for a bit, and I took the opportunity to take Tahoe and Ashley for a walk.  They had been cooped up all day and they were excited to finally be outside. Tahoe was running around like a maniac and Ashley was eating grass.
(In total, it rained about an inch and a half today.)

It was a wet walk in the woods today

Water was flowing in the nearby creek

Tahoe, excited to be out of the house

Ashley, eating grass