#1,210 So Fresh and So Clean Clean. @ Automotive World

Baker got a bath today.

It was sort of... difficult. His fur is so insanely thick in the wintertime, like a triple pile rug. I think I made that term up, but if you felt his fur you'd know what I mean. He's losing that winter coat and he's been rolling in those oak tree things that look like worms and its given him dreadlocks. Which is pretty cool, I guess, but gross too. So. He stood there stone still, but pouted as much as a dog can pout.

Good boy.

Chevy got a brushing and that's all he requires as far as fur maintenance goes. Thank goodness.

Then we had PDI to celebrate our success. The end.

#1,186 Who's Walking Who? @ Automotive World

"Who's walking who?"

At least 3 people will yell this question to me from their car windows and front porches each morning between 8 and 9 am.

This is how Baker drags me to the studio as if I were a sled and his mission is to mush:

That would be easy.  This is how we actually do it every single day, with Chevy backing him up with some extra horsepower:

That's me back there, trying not to fall down while running like Flo Jo and doing the Truffle Shuffle on mildewed sidewalks.

They used to take it slow and easy, trotting beside me. Then once I run a little faster, they do too. And the next time we go for a walk, our calm and mild mannered dogs only recall SPRINT mode. Which isn't my mode. Baker now weighs almost 140 lbs. and Chevy is 85 lbs., and together they can do whatever they please. So I did some Googling and heard about the Easy Walk harness. And I went directly to PetSense after our walk and spent $50 getting these things that will supposedly make walking less like the Indy 500.

We'll see how that goes.

Help me, Jesus.

#1,169 Sunday Sunshine. @ Automotive World

This was today. Walked to church in the most beautiful weather we've had in 2013: 

Confirmation Sunday, welcoming 3 of the best 6th graders in the world into our church family officially, so Ben and Mickey sat for a formal portrait to honor the occasion:

Naptime. Reading time.

Visitors:

Our regular flower delivery from Anne, the darlingest 6 year old in the neighborhood:

And Baker met the love of his life tonight at church. Alex is the only girl for him.

Beautiful days happen so often lately. I'm sorta glad we missed winter again this year.

#1,166 Staring. @ Automotive World

You know why I love our great pyrenees? Because they're as big as me and even though they're still really young they're never rambunctious. They act like very old dogs, on watch or constantly looking for someone to lean on and nuzzle. My favorite thing is at night when I go out to feed them and Baker gets out of bed and walks over to me all sloth-like slowly and he gets right up against me and just stares at me. It's terribly endearing. I scratch his chin and pull his ears and he just stares at me right in the eyes. I used to think it wasn't love, that he just knew I put the food in his bowl. But I put the food in the bowl and he ignores it. Instead, while his fancy kibble with chewy pieces that look like t-bone steaks sits in his bowl, he does this for as long as I'll look back at him:

If I stop petting him, he pets my knee. If I hold his paw, the staring game is back on.

Chevy watches all of this from his dog house, half asleep, half watching the yard for intruders. I go over to him, Baker glued to my side and crouch down to give Chevy a scratch too. He whimpers a little like when he was a puppy. Baker rubs his face against my hair and neck then tries to get in the house with Chevy so we can all be as close as possible but he's too fat.

And that. Is what I love most about our dogs.