Country Dog Gentlemen

After my previous puzzle missing piece tragedy, I felt the need to immediately redeem myself. I finished the puzzle below in almost one sitting, and I really like it. Those Van Gogh puzzles can be a bitch and a half (but I'll still do more of them), so it was nice to take this departure into a more clean cut graphic piece.

The puzzle is Roy De Forest's "Country Dog Gentleman" and the puzzle brand is Pomegranate Artpiece Puzzle.

I will definitely look for more puzzles made by Pomegranate because this one is very high quality. The pieces are made of sturdy cardboard and there is no mistaking which piece goes where (with some cheapster puzzles it's hard to tell due to poorly cut pieces). All pieces have a nice matte, yet brightly colored finish. It really is a beautiful puzzle.

Very frustrated puzzler

Here's my latest "finished" puzzle. It was a really hard one, which is why the two missing pieces are so effing frustrating!

I have no idea what could've happened to them. Did Rusty eat them off the floor? Did they fall into the trash? Were they never in the box? BOO! I really wanted to frame this one.

I might try to figure out a creative way to fill in the two small spaces, but right now I'm too darn mad.

Successful transplant

I was a little worried about my hydrangea after transplanting it last fall. It was gorgeous last year in a large planter, but over the winter it looked quite bleak. I knew it was supposed to die back, but it looked completely dead. I tested a few of the branches by bending them and they didn't snap so I left it alone and hoped for the best.

I saw leaves emerging about six weeks ago and now it appears to be flourishing in the ground. I thought that transplanting it would make it skip a blooming season, but as you can see it's going to bloom this year. I can't wait for the big pink flowers to arrive!

The puzzler

I recently became obsessed with puzzles. I believe it started when I was home for Easter and decided to break open a puzzle I gave Abby for Christmas. The one I completed Monday night is pictured below and I've already started on my next one - another Van Gogh print.

I really want this puzzle - a replication of the cover from the February 8, 2010 issue of The New Yorker. It's perfect for a dog lover like me!

Rusty's blog

I created a blog for my current foster dog, Rusty. Please read and share!

If I continue this fostering gig (which I really think I will), I plan to do this for each of my temporary pets.

Enjoy!

Beware sweet, minty balm

I bought a new eos smooth sphere last week - sweet mint. It's probably my favorite flavor thus far, though my inner sun-savvy self knows the lemon sphere is better for my lips as it's the only one that contains SPF.

The sweet mint scent is pretty strong, even when the sphere is closed - which became apparent when I left it unattended on the coffee table the other day. I came downstairs to find Rusty clutching the sphere between his paws, desperately biting at the plastic shell. He looked up at me as if to say, "What?! Do you blame me? It smells so good!" It completely reminded me of my post from May 2nd.

Mr. Rusty is lucky he couldn't breach the plastic orb because I would have been far more upset if he'd eaten my new lip balm!

Slimming down

When I brought Rusty home with me he was five to seven pounds overweight. He tipped the scale at 46.6 pounds, and he did not display any of the characteristics used to describe a dog's ideal body weight (Ribs palpable without excess fat covering; waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above; abdomen tucked up when viewed from the side).

I was told that Rusty should weigh no more than 42 pounds - he was 37 pounds on November 18, 2010. That means Rusty gained almost ten pounds in five months!

The good news is that in the two weeks I've had Rusty, we've been very active and have decreased his food intake by 2/3 of a cup and it's paying off. I took him to my regular vet's office this afternoon for a weight check and he's already down to 44 pounds!

After considering the aforementioned criteria for an ideal weight, I feel Rusty's ideal weight is likely no more than 40 pounds. I plan to check his weight every two weeks or so for as long as I have him to be sure he stays healthy and doesn't lose too much weight.

So, by the end of this month we hope to be down to 41-42 pounds. As an added benefit, I'm getting more exercise, too, so fostering Rusty is turning out well for both of us!

First bath

Rusty's - and while it might not be his actual first, it was his first under my care. I took him to Petco's self-service dog wash and I was very impressed by his willingness to be washed in a 4-foot-high bath.


I don't know that I'll go back to Petco now that I know Rusty won't completely flip out at the prospect of being shampooed. It was quite cheap ($10 includes shampoo, towels, ear cleaner if desired, and a dryer), but depending on how often your dog needs to be bathed it might not be worth it if your dog will behave in your own tub.

For one thing, you don't get to choose what type of shampoo you want to use and they don't have conditioner available either (these options are usually available at many self-service dog washes). But I must say I very much appreciated the ramp up to the tub (as opposed to stairs) and the removable door (meaning your dog doesn't have to leap over the tub edge to get in or out).

We left for Petco at 6:50 pm and made it back home by 7:30 with a clean dog in tow. He's pouting a little now, but he'll get over it.

While I didn't enjoy the downpour we experienced on our way home, I loved coming home to this...

Poop Nazis - so tired of them

In my experience, I am one of the only people in my neighborhood (and surrounding areas) who picks up my dogs' poop. In my foster dog Rusty's case, I usually leave it until we're on our way back home so that A) I don't have to carry a bag of poop for 2 miles; and B) it has a chance to harden a bit for easier pick up.

This morning as Rusty left his load (NOT in anyone's yard as I would never hesitate to immediately pick up poop deposited on someone's private property), a man yelled at me from his car, "You're not going to pick that up?!"

Despite what I wanted to say, I just showed him my bag stash (which was in plain view) and said, "I'll get it on my way back, thanks." He gave me a nod, which made me want to run into the street and sock him.

I have been blamed for piles of poop in so many places now that I can't count. I'm SO tired of it. I even pay extra for 100% biodegradable bags so that I can environmentally dispose of my animals' poop.

I guess the point here is that the next time you step in a pile of dog poo, you should think twice before you blame the nearest dog owner - even if it was in their yard.

Quote of the day

"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too."

-Samuel Butler

Treats for 9-5 craters

If you, like me, have to crate a young dog for several hours a day, I offer the following advice: Frozen Kongs.

My foster boy Rusty LOVES them and they keep him busy all day. He weighs approximately 42 pounds, so a medium or large Kong works well for him.

I've filled his Kongs with either wet dog food or a puree of banana, pumpkin, plain yogurt and flaxseed (frozen overnight).

They keep him happy and he often doesn't even get all of the filling out before I get home (leaving something for Zoe to attempt to get to while Rusty is being walked).

Kongs are cheap and can be filled with just about anything: treats, peanut butter, fruit/veggie purees, dog food (wet or dry), etc. And since the Kongs temporarily hold the flavor/scent of whatever they've been filled with, the dog (in my experience) will continue to enjoy chewing on them long after the gooey center is gone.

Highly recommended by this dog owner!

Bad Dog

I gave my dad a "Bad Dog" calendar a few years ago, and he spent hours on Christmas morning reading it and laughing so hard he cried. I bought myself the desktop version this year, and while I must say I'm disappointed overall, the attached photo makes me smile every time I see it hanging on my cubicle wall.

PURE PUPPY.

Life is the most spectacular show on earth

I saw Water for Elephants today with my favorite movie buff, Jen. We both loved the film. LOVED it. Having said that I'm quite confused by the film's low ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and somewhat negative reception from IMDB users.


Sara Gruen's novel, on which the film is based, is by far one of my favorite books of all time; and I feel the script stayed quite true to the novel, at least the most important parts. My biggest surprise was in finding Pattinson's Jacob far more believable than Witherspoon's Marlena. Waltz's portrayal of August was spot on in my opinion, and I must say that as a whole I felt the film was cast well.



There is no question that the star of the movie is Rosie. She exudes charm and ultimately proves to be the most loyal and loving character in the film. I was near tears at least three times and got extreme chills during the film's climax.

The cinematography is impeccable - a true period film that is so well done that the viewer is easily transported back to 1931. The costumes, the language, the ever-looming depression - it is all portrayed in each and every scene.
I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this movie even if they haven't read Gruen's amazing book. Therefore, I find Rotten Tomatoes' ultimate review of the film truly rotten, and perhaps biased and shallow.