robeth

Cat Pillow

2009-06-29T08:32:00.001-07:00

This morning Spooky was busy grooming Lady's face, when he decided to take a break, and Lady decided to use Spooky as her pillow. This is something she does frequently. I wonder how many Australian Shepherds have their own, authentic cat pillow?

Hello...Hello....you out there Spooky????

2009-06-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

We have a doggy door on the door between our kitchen and the garage. The garage is where we keep Spooky's litter box, and the kitty comes and goes at will.

When Lady was smaller, and would have fit through the small door, she never figured it out. All she seemed to know was that Spooky would walk down the small hallway and *vanish*.

We discouraged her from hanging out by the doggy (kitty) door, as we didn't want the pup venturing out into the garage.

As time went on, Spooky would lay on the garage side of the door and bat at the door, teasing Lady, urging her to come and get him.

She finally mustered the nerve to check out the door, but now she is far too large to fit through it. These days, Lady pokes her head out the door, when we (or Spooky) are in the garage. It's as if to say "Hey guys, whatcha doing out there??"

The Nibbler....a different type of dog bite

2009-06-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

It isn't the clearest photo...but I was trying to catch Lady at her "nibbling". It is this bite-y thing she does, this fast nibble action at the surface of the skin or fabric, similar to a pinch, or when a dog is grooming. She does this to get our attention.....a bad habit, one that is both endearing and menacing. I really need to break her of it...

Spooky the Halloween Cat

2009-06-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

These days one of Spooky's favorite hang outs is the lone chair by the kitchen counter. Normally Spooky is a savvy kitty, and does not venture up, onto the kitchen counter. If he does, he does it nocturnally, when there are no witnesses. But the other day mom foolishly put Lady's treats (which smell like smoked meat) in a plastic bag and laid it on the counter. In the middle of the afternoon I found Spooky munching through the bag, after the doggy treats. He is definitely a chow hound..errrr....cat...

Snuggling in Daddy's easy chair....

2009-06-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

Spooky cat decided to take a nap in Don's chair.
Recently Lady has been climbing into the chair,
but on this day Spooky beat her.

Lady began eying the chair....wondering....couldn't they share?

Up Lady went (and no, we did NOT put her on the chair).

But Spooky did not budge. He just laid there.

And together they snuggled....Spooky cat didn't seem to mind at all.

I decided to lift Lady off the chair, least she squish my kitty.
After I moved Lady, Spooky seemed to look and me and ask
"why did you move her?"

Of dogs and cats...and other good friends...

2009-05-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Spooky cat was laying on his back, minding his own business, when Lady plop'd down next to him, and rolled over on her back.

Those teeth look scary, but Spooky doesn't seem too concerned. He reminds me of a lion tamer putting his head in the lion's mouth....but the lion is the dog...and the feline is the lion tamer.

Finally Lady settled down, and Spooky took charge...he started grooming her ears and face. She didn't seem to mind one bit.

Robeth has gone to the dogs

2009-05-14T09:16:00.001-07:00

This blog has definitely become pet focused. Last week we did the responsible pet owner thing...Lady was spayed and had a pet identification chip implanted.

The poor little girl has to wear that horrid thing on her head for two weeks, to keep her from getting at the stitches. I have to say she has been a real trooper.

One thing pet owners have to realize is that the dog cannot get to their water dish easily- so it is important to frequently offer water. The vet never mentioned this to us, and I wonder how many pet owners don't consider this?

We take the cone off, if we can be right there to monitor her. But when we put it back on, she doesn't even whimper. In fact, she has learned to "scoop" things up with it. She is using it as a tool.

Who said people were the only ones in the animal kingdom that used tools??

A Friendly Nibble

2009-04-20T17:13:00.001-07:00

It really warmed up over the weekend. Both Spooky and Lady were napping on the tile floor in the dining room. But Lady woke up and wandered over to Spooky and plopped down. Spooky wasn't in the mood to snuggle so he got up and moved a few feet away...onto the carpet.

Don't think it was quite far enough. It didn't take Lady long to discover his tail, and begin to nibble.

New grand puppy

2009-04-18T16:47:00.001-07:00

Our daughter called this afternoon to tell us they got a dog...a lab from the shelter. The grand puppy is two years old, and her previous owners had to give her up when they lost their home in foreclosure.

I think that is one of the saddest thing about the current economic problems. I can't imagine having to give up my Lady or Spooky.

Lucky for the lab, she found a good home with a nice yard. Elizabeth and Joe are animal lovers, and Elizabeth tells me the the dog is very sweet and well behaved.

After bringing Lady into our house last November (as a very young pup) I really would advise anyone considering getting a dog to get an adult dog, unless they are able to stay home with the puppy for the first year. It is impossible to properly house train a pup when you are gone to work all day. And the puppy will get lonely and into mischief.

Lady is the reason I started writing at home, instead of the office. Silly us, forgot about how much work a puppy is. But we love her...and so does Spooky.

Gottcha!

2009-04-15T22:17:00.001-07:00

Don't feel sorry for Spooky, that cat has everything under control. Lady has been fascinated with his tail since she was a small puppy. Now she is a big puppy...and she is still fascinated.

Dogs and Cats

2009-04-14T09:41:00.001-07:00

I try to keep Lady off the furniture. But she doesn't understand why the cat can get on the furniture, and she can't. Perhaps she has a point.

I am doing a lot of vacuuming of couches and such in my home office these days. The fur is flying, with the weather heating up and two shedding animals.

But when they look this cute, what am I supposed to do???

Our little Lady is growing up

2009-04-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our little Lady is no longer a baby. In a few days she will be six month's old. She is shorter than most Australian Sheppards....she was the runt of the litter (my mother hates that term) and is shorter than our beloved Patches, who was with us for 13 years. Don wanted a miniature Aussie, so she is sorta kinda like a miniature in size.

At the moment I am attempting to discourage her from chewing on the bottom of my office chair. She still loves to chew anything.

She isn't much of a barker (which is good) but she loves to "talk" in the morning. I love the way she talks, it isn't really a howl, and she manipulates it like inflections...she is quite chatty in the morning, but rarely talks the rest of the day.

I recently got a new camera, and this photo was taken on my first day trying it out.

About Dogs and Cats

2009-02-13T11:29:00.001-08:00

Don’t get me wrong, I love our new puppy. But I’ve come to believe that a cat is a more suitable companion for a writer. A cat will sleep most of the day, on the back of a nearby couch or on the window seat. He’ll occasionally stroll by your feet, letting you know he is still around and needs a bit of attention. And when he jumps on your lap and tries to climb up on the keyboard, it is his way of letting you know you need a break.

A puppy will chew on your feet, the computer wires and the cat. She’ll try to climb up on the furniture, with much less grace or finesse than the cat. The only place she will sleep is directly under your office chair, precariously near those rollers on the feet of the chair. She is ready to romp, ready to play, and really doesn’t know why you are clicking away at that annoying computer.

Of course, a kitten might be just as rambunctious as a puppy. Our cat came to us fully grown, so I’m really not sure.

I must go now….time to take the puppy out.

Where a writer works

2009-01-28T12:53:00.001-08:00

I am a writer divided. At home, where I have been spending most of my time these days, there is the laptop. At the office, where I rarely go, has my desktop computer. I need to spend more time at the office – or bring the computer home. Yet, I don’t intend to ignore the office forever.
Or, do I???

Puppy with a penchant for rockers

2009-01-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Lady has discovered the larger rocking chair in my home office/den. She reminds me of Goldilocks who went from bed to bed, searching for one that was just the right size and softness.

Yesterday she crawled into this chair, yet not from the front…from the side. Once in the chair she turned around, rested her chin on the armrest and stared at me, as I sat at the computer trying to work.

Perhaps she just needed a better bird’s eye view, to see what I was doing.

With Lady Underfoot

2009-01-26T08:18:00.000-08:00

Started the morning off with a walk around the block with Lady and hubby. Lady will be four months in two weeks. At the moment she is laying under my office chair, trying to chew on the base of the chair instead of the nice dog chew I gave her. I guess the chair tastes better. Wish she wouldn’t lay there, always afraid I will roll over her!

I’ve been invited to attend a book fair for local authors in February. I plan to go, and wish I could finish up a couple projects before then. It will depend…..if Lady will let me get my work done!

Puppies and Rocking Chairs

2009-01-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist posting another rocking chair photo of Lady, our Australian Shepard. She is a little over 3 months now, and her behavior is improving. She still likes to climb into the small child's rocking chair and sit for a while.

Silly me, thought it would be easier to write at home, rather than at the office with the phone constantly ringing and people coming and going. Yet, now I have a puppy who wants to chew on the furniture, the cat, me, my mom....everything....

While I am thankful she quickly learned to do the major business in the yard, she still has frequent piddle accidents, in spite of the fact I regularly take her outside. I guess I should be happy she targets the wood floor and tile, and not the carpet. For a while the puppy training pads worked, but now she would rather tear them up.

At the moment she is pulling books from my bookshelves, so I must go save them....was that a rip I just heard???

Yikes...gotta go, maybe I can get some real writing later during her nap time!

Our Puppy Rocks

2009-01-10T11:33:00.001-08:00

Lady did it again, climbed into the small child's rocking chair, turned around, and made herself comfy. I am amazed she doesn't freak out when the chair titters back and forth as she turns around. I am beginning to think we have a circus dog on our hands. She likes to climb on a box I have in the den, and just sit there. Or, maybe she is spending to much time with the cat. She is sorta like the cat in that she won't come to you when you call her.

Why the rocking chair??

2009-01-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

My daughter, Elizabeth, has a little antique rocking chair that was given to her by my aunt. My mother, aunt and cousin used it when they were children. Elizabeth and her new husband are living in an apartment in Sacramento, and for now I am storing many of her childhood keepsakes. The rocking chair is one of these, and it sits in my den where I do my writing during the day.

Our new puppy, Lady, an Australian Shepard, is fascinated by the chair and continually climbs into it. The above picture shows her just standing in the chair, but she has now figured out how to turn around and sit down. If my camera was here, I’d take a picture of her sitting down in the small rocker. Maybe another day.

Strange Bedfellows

2009-01-07T07:04:00.000-08:00

When we first got the puppy friends suggested we “crate her”. Crates weren’t something we even considered for our other two dogs – Pepper who was with us for 18 years, and Patches who was with us for 13 years. Crates seemed like a cage, something mean and cruel. I was wrong.

Lady’s crate is where she sleeps at night, and for time out, when she gets into that crazed puppy gone wild biting frenzy. During the day we leave the door open, and when she is tired she will wander into the crate for a nap.

Our cat also factored into our crate decision. At night, while we sleep, we can’t have our nocturnal cat leading the puppy astray, you don’t know what mischief those two could get into.

We’ve had the crate for over a month now, and Spooky eyed it, yet never went inside. That surprised me, since cats love to get into things. Yesterday I heard something in the hallway, and looked to find Lady peeking into her crate, a bit puzzled as Spooky was snuggled up inside. I was somewhat surprised, as Lady gets a little over rambunctious with the cat, and I don’t know why he would allow himself to be cornered like this. So, I gently pulled Spooky from the crate.

But then last night Spooky crawled back into the crate. This time, Lady simply trotted in after him and laid down. Instead of being rough and tumble, the two were ready for a nap. There was no drama or biting, just a cozy interlude.

We snapped a few pictures, before coaxing the two from the crate. It was cute, but I really don’t think shutting the door on the two for the night would be a terrific idea.

Working at home with kids...errr...animals...

2009-01-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of our puppy, Lady, who had her own opinion about me taking her picture. That is my camera strap between her sharp little teeth. I think we made a mistake naming her Lady. She seemed like such a little Lady when she first came to us in November. Of course, she was not quite two months old at the time. I think a better name would have been Wolfie. Wonder if Don will let me change it?

I've been working at home over the last two months. I thought it would be easier to focus on my writing from home, without the office phone ringing every ten minutes and people stopping by. I never figured in our kids....I mean cat and puppy.

Either Lady is trying to find some new way to rip the socks off my toes or Spooky (our cat) is jumping on my desk and sitting on my mouse (computer type not rodent) demanding my affection.

I am only able to write this because the two finally settled down for a nap. So I must hurry and get my writing finished before they wake up!

About Cats and Dogs

2008-12-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

It has been interesting observing the interaction between our cat, Spooky, and our new puppy, Lady. When Lady arrived a month ago, she was about a third the size of Spooky. As you can see by this photograph, she has grown!

Initially Spooky was fascinated by the puppy, and was very gentle. After a few days Lady entered the puppy biting stage, and Spooky disappeared. Not literally, figuratively. He stopped trying to interact with the puppy and slept all the time. I thought he was annoyed at the puppy and depressed. The vet warned us a cat will often get depressed when a new pet is introduced to the family.

But, after a few days, I noticed he wasn’t eating. After a trip to the vet, we learned it was not depression, but a kidney infection. Now, over a week later, Spooky is doing well, and back to his old self. Of course, now the puppy is bigger than him!

The two are still getting to know each other, and love to play. I am always afraid one will hurt the other, and for now Spooky has the upper hand. Frankly, I’d like him to establish that authority, as Lady will be twice his size before long. Plus, Spooky has no front claws.

It has been fun watching the two get to know each other, discover their boundaries and establish guidelines.

Working at Home

2008-12-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

Where have I been spending my days this month? I’ve been doing much of my writing at home since the arrival of our puppy, Lady. She is a little terror, at that wonderful bite-y stage! At the moment she is asleep at my feet, under my desk, as my beloved Spooky cat is curled up on the couch snoozing. Outside it is raining, something unusual for Lake Havasu. The picture is of my work area, and our Spooky and Lady.

Bobbi's Current eHow Index of Articles

2008-12-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

Kitchen & Cooking Tips
An Easier Way to Freeze Bananas
Quickly Separate a Dozen Eggs
Save Money Using Ice Cube Trays
About Chocolate
Adjusting for High AltitudeBaking
Substituting Recipe Ingredients
How to Measure Baking Ingredients
How to Sharpen Knives
Internal Beef Temperatures
Secret to Moist Turkey Stuffing

Recipes
Homemade Hot Fudge
Easy and Awesome Hollandaise Sauce
170 Calorie Chocolate Milk Shake
How to Smoke a Brisket
How to Make Beef Jerky
How to Make Quick Microwave Quesadillas
Fast Ham Salad
Cheese Ball for New Years
How to Make Cheese Bread
How to Cook Lobster Tail
How to Make a Homemade Sweet Potato Muffin in 5 minutes
The Secret How to Make a Flaky Pie Crust
How to Make Beef Stew that Makes its own Gravy
How to Make a Green Thing
How to Make a Swamp Thing

Home & Gardening
How to Plant a Citrus Tree in Arizona
How to Avoid Subterranean Termites
How to Put a Fire Out
How to Repair Wallpaper
How to Prepare for Winter
How to Remove Ballpoint Pen Ink From Fabric
How to Use and Decorate with Baskets
How to Get Gum and Melted Crayon from the Clothes Dryer
How to make a 8' Dining Table CHEAP
How to Clean Rain Gutters
How to Make a Rain Barrel
How to Remove Hard Water Spots from Windows

Family, Genealogy & Love
How to Use Google Earth in Genealogy Research
How to Have a Romantic Getaway at Home
How to Digital Scrapbook
How to Plan a Family Reunion T Shirt
Family Reunion Activities
Arranging a Family Reunion
How to Have a Family Reunion that Builds Lasting Memories
How to Invite Friends to your Ancestry.com Family Tree

Pets
How to Help Your Dog Live a Long Life
Easy way to Clean Dog or Cat Poop or Barf from Floor

Parenting & Education
Teaching Children the Love of Reading
Child Proof Your Home
Learn the Parts of Speech
Demonstrate a Solar Eclipse
Avoid Amusement Park Nagging
Helping a Baby Sleep All Night
Games for Substitute Teachers
How to Budget your Teenager

Math
Use an Apple Pie to teach Fractions
Backing out Sales Tax
How to Convert Percentages to Decimals
How to Convert Decimals to Percentages
Converting Decimals to Percentage 2
Converting Decimals to Percentage 3
Converting Decimals to Percentage 4
How to Add Decimals How to Calculate Percentages
How to Divide Decimals
How to Convert Fractions to Decimals

Computer & Internet
Working with Background Colors in Word
Fixing Self Publishing Picture Problems
Making a Simple Animation in PhotoShop
Positioning Images in Word
Adding Links to MySpace
How to Change your MySpace Background
How to Add Photos to MySpace
Formatting Pictures in Word
How to Set Margins in Word
Setting Portrait or Landscape in Microsoft Word
How to Remove Blemishes in PhotoShop
How to Get Free iPhone Games
How to Use your iPhone as an Egg Timer

Gift Giving
How to Give Great Gifts to Senior Citizens

Money
How to Avoid Scams
How to Raise Money with a Quilt Raffle
How to Save Money on Electricity
How to Find and Apply for a Federal Grant without Buying Anything

Real Estate
About FHA Loans
About Applying for a Home Loan
About Property Title in Arizona
How to Choose Your Dream Home
How to Get Ownership of Your Neighbor's Land, for FREE
How to Choose a Real Estate Agent
How to Buy Property Tax Liens

Gold
How to Remove Gold From Ore
How to Find Scrap Gold
How to Sell Scrap Gold
The Difference Between Karats
How to Use Gold

Weddings
How to Plan a Fantastic Wedding on a Budget

Beauty & Diet
How to Choose the Perfect Hairstyle
How to Calculate Waist to Hip Ration
How to Eliminate 500 Calories a Day

Health
How to Stop a Charlie Horse
How to Feel Younger
How to Stay Healthy When Traveling
How to Store Vitamins
How to Tell if the Sun is Dangerous
How to Prepare for your Mammogram
How to Lower your Cholesterol

Writing
How to Improve Your Writing How to Proof Your Writing

Craft and Projects
Fun Self Publishing Projects
How to Make a Miniature Room instead of a Doll House
How to Paint Your Own Store Window
How to Draw People and Animals
How to Silk Screen How to Make a Snow Globe

Holidays
How to Organize a Safe Trick or Treat
Frugal Stocking Stuffers
Saving Money Sending Holiday Cards
How to Start Christmas Traditions
How to String Popcorn and Cranberry on a Christmas Tree
How to Make a Christmas Tree out of a Phone Book
How to Christmas Shop at the Last Minute

Misc
Diving Signals
How to Rent a Backlit Projector Anywhere in the USA

Silly & Fun
How to Become a Vice Presidential Candidate
How to Read Palms
How to Make a Bomb
How to Find Famous Relatives

Making Money With Photography
How to Get Accepted as a Microstock Photographer
How to Make More Money as a Microstock Photographer

A Baby in the House

2008-11-23T10:00:00.001-08:00

It’s been about 8 years since our beloved Patches, an Australian Sheppard, died. And longer than that since our sweet Pepper, a loveable mutt, who lived with us 18 years, went off to doggie heaven. A family of animal lovers, we’ve been dog-less since Patches left us….until yesterday.

We decided it was finally time to bring another canine into this family. Born October 5, 2008, an Australian Sheppard (a runt of the litter) who we’ve named Lady is our new puppy. Don initially suggested the name, before we met her, and I wasn’t thrilled. Our daughter advised us to wait until the puppy arrived before choosing a name. We took her suggestion, and it didn’t take me long to realize she is a little Lady.

We were all curious as to how our cat, Spooky, would take to this new family member. Spooky, a male cat, who has been neutered and has his front paws de-clawed, is an indoor feline. He is extraordinarily good natured, sociable and affectionate. Spooky doesn’t like other cats and gets all hissy and makes bizarre aggressive sounds when one gets close to the window. But with dogs, he is fascinated, and wants to get closer.

Spooking is a black cat, weighing in over twenty pounds. I doubt Lady is yet five pounds.

Well, last night was rough for little Lady, it was the first night away from her mama and siblings. I had her in a comfy box in the den, as I didn’t want Spooky jumping in with her during the night. So every couple hours we were woken by a sobbing pup, missing her mama. Naturally we went to comfort the baby, Don and I taking turns.

Since cats are nocturnal, Spooky joined me in the den when I went to tend Lady. Oddly, I think he was comforting to the pup. Lady would raise her head, howling like the coyotes we have nearby, singing her heart out. And then she would notice Spooky, and stop howling. She looked at him curiously, as if wondering exactly who and what he is to her. Spooky began walking around the room, the pup in tow, following close by. I watched as Spooky led the puppy in circles. Every once in a while Lady would spy Spooky’s enticing tail, swishing back and forth, and make a failed attempt to catch it with her sharp little teeth.

At one point Spooky wanted out of the room, and I assumed he was no longer interested in keeping the youngster entertained. But, once on the other side of the door, Spooky began a new game with Lady. He teased her with a black paw reaching beneath the door. She would chase the paw, and then magically it would retreat and appear a few inches away. This game wore her out, and I wondered how Spooky could endure the times her teeth snagged his paw. But, it obviously didn’t bother him, as he kept playing the game.

I’m pretty tired today, since I got little sleep last night. But, that’s how it is with a baby in the house.