A Little Cuddle Time

Sometimes, when you've been out of town, a little cuddle is necessary.  Especially when there is snow on the ground with more coming down and (thankfully) you don't have anywhere to be...

Yes, daddy?  Don't worry, I'll make sure mommy wakes up.

Belly rubs are the. best. ever.

**Disclaimer: Chloe does NOT sleep in our bed.  She has slept in her crate ever since she came home with us.  But, you would have to be a cold-hearted wretch to push her out of a people-bed when she wants to cuddle.**

Chloe, the Graduate

Chloe and I have been taking an obedience class with a great local company, It's a Dog's Life.  I say that we both have been taking the class, since I'm being trained right along with her.

Last night was her last class at the beginner level, complete with an on-command trick, and I am so proud to say that she passed with flying colors! (even despite the fact that she was high on pain-killers from her post-spay drugs)

Here are just a couple of the things that she does on command.  She has many more up her sleeve, but without a cameraman around to capture her heeling on the leash, staying and coming, this video is it for now.  (She's wearing a cone due to her getting spayed last week.)

 

So proud of you little Chloe bear!  Next, the second level of obedience and then (hopefully) on to agility training!

Right in Our Backyard

I realized last month that we have less than 5 months left here in Massachusetts, but a loooong list of things we want to see and do.  I sat down with our great tour book, Hidden New England, and made a bucket list of places to visit, activities to do and sights to see.  I'm hoping we'll get to all of them, but we crossed another item off the list yesterday.

Last fall when we successfully made it out of a corn maze, despite Chloe's distinct lack of a bloodhound nose leading us around, we passed a winery right down the road and made a mental note to come back and check it out.  Yesterday we were wanting to get out of the house, but realized that, even though it was a beautiful day, it was still only in the mid 30's temp-wise (and we also realized that we made have gotten somewhat acclimated to the climate up here since that felt distinctly warmer to us).  An indoor tour and wine tasting seemed a perfect fit.

We took back roads through beautiful countryside littered with farmhouses built in the 1700's, endless stone walls edging properties, crumbling graveyards, and horses loitering around the pastures.  About a half-hour later, we arrived at Nashoba Winery in Bolton and had enough time to tour the winery, try multiple wines and beers and get asked by the locals why people with southern accents were up in the middle of northern Massachusetts.  It was lovely and delicious and just the thing for a mid-winter's day.

Hunt had found an out-of-the-way restaurant twenty miles north of the vineyard that was a converted 1800's lumber mill.  We arrived just in time to see the last rays of sunshine lighting up the mill pond and series of waterfalls.  Old stone floors, blazing fires in the multiple fireplaces and some of the world's BEST corn fritters made us give the restaurant two thumbs up.

Checking off our bucket list one fantastic Sunday afternoon at a time...

Scratchtastic

I'm pretty sure that my eyes roll back in my head just like this little owl's do when I get my head scratched.  There are few better simple pleasures in my mind...

Monsters in the Closet

What I like: Closets that have lights operated by motion sensors.  Very practical, helpful and often found in high-end hotels like the one we are staying in for H's conference.

What I don't like: Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing that there is light streaming through the cracks around the closet door.  And wondering what in the world has moved in that closet to turn on that light.  In my fuzzy-minded state I started to think that my childhood suspicions of monsters living in the closet might not be so far-fetched....

p.s. this happened a total of 3 times last night...

Oh How You'll Grow

I realized just how much our little Chloe had grown when I took a picture of her in her crate yesterday. She's just getting so big - but still a petite ball of loving cuddles.  (Can you tell that I adore this little creature and enjoy how much she makes us laugh every single day?)  And on a related note...it may be time to get her a new crate...

On the drive home from the airport the day we got little bear back in October.

Sleepy girl who had her nap interrupted on a cold February afternoon.

How time flies!  I can't believe we will only be here in Massachusetts for another 5 months!  Where has this year gone???

A Little Birthday Bash

My wonderful husband decided that since we were traveling to D.C. for him to attend a medical conference that we might as well celebrate my birthday just a few days early and spend the first night at the incredible D.C. St. Regis.  He lavished me with gifts when we arrived; and, in the morning, ordered a pot of steaming coffee and a basket of flaky croissants.  He insisted I stay in bed, wrapped up in a fluffy robe while sipping coffee and reading the paper.

I thank the Lord that He gave me a husband that knows me well.

What's Not To Love?

Loves to cuddle...

We have been saving up for a new camera and it arrived last night!  Needless to say, we've been playing with it non-stop.  And look at what great pictures it takes...even in low light.  Of course, the subject is super-cute, but the camera is still fantastic.  I haven't edited any of these, so they could possibly become even better...

I would kill to have those lashes...

Kong toy filled with pb = quiet afternoon...

Working on our tricks...veeeery focused on the treat.

Snow, Snow, Snow!

Snow

Snow

It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow

Snow

I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow

Snow

I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow

Snow

Oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow



Where it's snowing 


All winter through


That's where I want to be


Snowball throwing


That's what I'll do


How I'm longing to ski


Through the snow-oh-oh-oh-oh



How a Puppy Prepares You

It is a bit cliche, but I'm thinking that the idea that a puppy prepares you for parenthood, in some small way, just might be true.  While babies don't come with the advantage of being put in a cage when you leave the house or when they go to sleep, they are generally immobile for the first 6 months and do all their "eliminating" in a diaper which definitely gives babies a leg up in my mind.

I realized recently that Chloe might just be preparing us in ways greater than just being responsible for another little life.  That moment crystallized when I was sitting with Hunt on the couch watching a football game.  I heard an ominous noise that every dog owner learns to know and dread.  I leaned down just in time to put my cupped hands under Chloe's little muzzle and catch what her upset stomach no longer wanted.  Hunt sat there a little shocked and then leapt into action with paper towels while preventing the pup from helping me with the cleanup efforts.

How could you not help out 
this little cuddle bunny?

I generally like to avoid having to clean up difficult messes, so this was definitely the motivating factor to act, rather than an overriding maternal instinct. Yet, I am hoping that this will come in handy when it comes to raising little humans...or at least keep our rugs in good condition for the long run!