Ripley and me

Ripley and her bone!

2011-07-31T07:16:00.000-07:00

And, it's HER bone! I bought 3 rawhide bones, one for each dog. NOT! GUESS who got 2 of them? Yup. The princess herself! She's so proud that she STOLE this one from our German Shepherd! And, I was thrilled that she actually stood still for a nano-second, long enough for me to snap one photo...then she was gone! That was it...she wouldn't hold still at all after that! Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle...sigh...

Canine companions~Sunday Stills Challenge 032011

2011-03-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Two of my doggie companions. That's Atticus, the gray weimeraner, who is actually our son's dog. I believe he is focused on one of the cats down the hallway. Unfortunately, with their busy work schedules, he and Claudia just didn't have time for their two dogs, so we got Atticus. Our daughter took their small dog. And, yes, that's RIPLEY! Can you believe it? For 5 minutes, she's been konked out on hubby's chair! She's usually going through the trash or ripping something up, but I guess she wore herself out overnight! It's cloudy here anyway and nobody or nothing has any energy today! Sunday Stills Challenge for March 20, 2011.

Ssssttttrrrrreeeetttccccchhhh!

2011-03-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

I woke Daisy up and she did a LONG STRETCH and went back to sleep!

Shots updated

2011-03-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

Ripley finally got her shots! I just had to wait a couple of weeks until my Christmas break. Now, I need to take our son's dog, Atticus, in for a nail trim! Oye vei! It's always SOMETHING, isn't it? Oh, and Abby got spayed (THANK GOD!). What a difference! That's Abby and Daisy, sort of together on top of my chair! And, that's the elusive Patches on the chair with hubby. She hates all the dogs and will only come out to the living room when they are OUTT! Finally, that's Atticus, our son's dog, YES, IN MY CHAIR! All our animals seem to love my chair and I have to constantly shoo them away!

Shots? No shots...sorry

2010-11-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday morning, I bundled up Ripley to take her in to our local animal services clinic for her annual shots. Now, it is about a 12 mile drive out there. I looked them up online as they had just moved into a new building, and headed out with THE PRINCESS. She sat quietly on the passenger seat the entire way (I did not have her buckled in, but I held on to her leash with my right hand!)...next time I'll just put her in the back, but it was full of STUFF! Got there...lovely, nice new building, and they were CLOSED. Yes, CLOSED! For the ENTIRE HOLIDAY WEEKEND! Workers were busy polishing the floors. Eh? Did they even say they would be closed for the entire weekend on their website? No. Nope. Nyet! ...sigh...so next Saturday, I'll have to pack her up in the car (I'll have it cleaned out by then) and trudge back all the way across town again...

His Highness, Prince Loki~Camera Critters and Pet Pride 110610

2010-11-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Here he is in all his majesty. He THINKS he rules the place! HA! Loki has been with us now about 13 years. We adopted him from a PETCO weekend adoption. I just fell in love with his blue eyes! He's a very mellow cat who prefers to sleep all day and then get up and feed himself, then go back to sleep! Awww...what a life!

This is why I have so few photos of Ripley!!!

2010-10-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

...sigh... I give up!

Peek a boo Daisy! Camera Critters and Pet Pride 103010

2010-10-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

This is Daisy, one of our three outdoor cats. She used to be an indoor cat, but one day, I let her out years ago and she's remained outside ever since. She does come in on really hot days and really cold mornings, like this morning. Right now, she is curled up next to me on the couch, on a pile of blankets! Daisy is about 12 years old now. She's very petite, light, and she's as quick as a mouse. Speaking of mice, she is my prime hunter! She kills mice, rats, gophers, birds, and twice even caught wild baby bunnies! (I'm ashamed to say...) She's even caught hummingbirds...sigh...but, for the most part, our yard is clear of "critters", thanks to her! She like to greet me at our front gate and let me know that she's ready for her afternoon snack! Camera Critters and Pet Pride for 103010

"C" is for cat~~ABC Wednesday 080410

2010-08-03T22:14:00.001-07:00

I snapped this photo of my CAT Daisy a couple of days ago. She plunked herself down next to the water bowls for the birds. They were actually a few feet away from her and she wasn't even interested! Go figure! ABC Wednesday for August 4, 2010.

Daisy and the fence~Camera Critters 073110

2010-07-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Daisy is one of our cats. She used to stay inside, but one day years ago she went outside and she's loved it there ever since. Loki (our white cat) and our gray one are also now full-time outdoor cats. Daisy likes to take catnaps in the fences between our front yard and our neighbors'. I caught her out there napping yesterday morning. Sometimes when I'm watering, I'll accidently spray the fence and if Daisy is there, she lets me know that she does NOT appreciate that!!! Isn't she a cutie pie? Camera Critters for July 31, 2010.

Loki and macro lens~Camera Critters 060510

2010-06-05T12:58:00.001-07:00

I got a new macro lens for our anniversary this week (#38!!!) and so I wandered outside one afternoon. My old cat, Loki, was lounging on the patio table, so I tried out a couple of pics with him! He obliged and went back to sleep. Camera Critters for 060510. Now, if only Ripley would stand still!!!

Daisy on the Roof ~ Pet Pride for 052210

2010-05-23T06:25:00.001-07:00

I don't know why I'm always taking photos of the darn cats instead of Ripley! Maybe it's because THEY at least stand still! (unlike Ms. Ripley!)...anyway, here is one of my cats, Daisy, up on top of our porch overhang. She loves to go up there and spy on the birds who are feeding below. Smart kitty! We used to have coyotes run down our street and all of our cats have learned to hop up to the roof for survival's sake! Pet Pride for May 22, 2010. If Ripley would ever hold still for 2 seconds, I would take a picture of her, but that doesn't happen except when she is asleep and snoring and who wants a photo of that?

Burros at Shiloh Horse Rescue~Camera Critters and Sunday Stills Challenge 050910

2010-05-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't about Ripley. Believe me, she can't stand still long enough for me to get a non-blurry photo of her! Little bugger! Are all black labs so energetic? There was one night this past week that she jumped up on our bed (she usually sleeps on the floor right next to where I am on the bed) and curled up next to me and slept there all night. Of course, I couldn't turn over!!! But, I digress...anyway, Shiloh isn't JUST a horse rescue. There are assorted burros, pigs, a llama, an alpaca, and lots of dogs. Oh, and a brand new litter of kittens! These are some of Shiloh's BURROS. They lined up at the hospitality center gate, awaiting their BREAKFAST!

"F" ~~ABC Wednesday, 022410

2010-02-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

"F" is for face. And, this is the face of little Daisy, one of Ripley's cat friends. Daisy has lived with us longer than Ripley, but Ripley LOVES to chase little Daisy up onto the porch. And, Daisy, in turn,loves to stare down at Ripley and laugh...."Ha, ha! I'm up here and you're NOT!" Daisy only weighs 6 pounds. She has always been petite. Hubby and I brought her home from one of the weekend adoptions at PetSmart many years ago. Let's see...she must be about 12 years old by now! And, she is a good mouser! We used to have..er.."critters" all around our yard, but after Daisy settled in, I haven't seen many critters. Once in a while I find a dead mouse out front. Anyway, "F" is for Daisy's face. I mean, WHO can resist this face? ABC Wednesday for February 24, 2010.

Abby~Camera Critters 011610

2010-01-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

Abby, our little half-Oriental shorthair female cat, is now settling in and pretty much ignores the dogs. Sometimes she and Ripley will play together and Abby will take some swats at Ripley. Sometimes Ripley chases her down the hallway, but Abby always comes back for more! I cleaned out my kitchen bookshelves over the Christmas holidays and soon we will move them into the spare bedroom and set up my office there. But, on this morning, Abby moved up onto them (before they were cleaned and dusted!) and had fun swatting the dogs and investigating!

Loki and the Leaves~Camera Critters 010910

2010-01-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

The dogs found SOMETHING in our back yard last weekend and I wandered over to investigate. It was Loki! He was taking a "sun nap" in a pile of leaves under the Chinaberry tree. Or, maybe he was hoping that a bird would fall out of the tree? Camera Critters for January 9, 2010.

Almost came home with a new dog on Christmas

2009-12-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

She appeared in our daughter's back yard. At first, I saw a flash of brown and white, then I focused and saw her...a pitt bull/boxer mix. About 3 years old. Brown and white. Very clean. She obviously was somebody's pet, but all she had on her (NO TAGS!) was a gray harness. NO ID! Nothing. Not a phone number written on her harness. GOSH, DARN! WHY are people so stupid? She was a well-mannered little girl. She responded to "shake" and "sit" and was very people-oriented. So, our daughter put her in her back yard as we didn't wish to let her out and have her get hit by a car. The turkey was roasting, the prime rib was on the BBQ, and Walgreens was open, so hubby and I rushed out to buy dog food and a few toys, including a rawhide bone. She daintily chewed on the bone and wolfed down the dog food. Then, she took a nap on their back porch. Jennifer and James put up signs all around their complex and later Jennifer and I took her for a walk. Nobody seemed to know where she belonged. Then our son and family walked in and he said, "That's the same dog I gave some water to about a month ago!" NO WAY! He lives over 3 miles away, in a completely different housing development! But, he swore she was the same dog! How could that be? Turns out, YES, she was the same dog! Her actual owner lives in his development, but somebody 3 doors down from our daughter was "housesitting" with her. He left her alone in the house, to go visit family up in Yucca Valley, and "Shelby", the escape artist, clawed her way out of the front screen window! And, roamed our daughter's street for a day! Jennifer fortunately had put an ad on Craigslist and he found it and called her and the dogsitter and dog were reunited this morning with a warning to PLEASE WRITE A PHONE NUMBER ON HER COLLAR! Shelby is a very sweet dog and I would hate to see her out loose, again, wandering all over the desert!

Pets~Ripley~Sunday Stills Challenge 120609

2009-12-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

I found these pics on hubby's laptop (since my computer crashed last week). Here's Ripley as a puppy, sacked out on our couch. She just moved right in and made herself at home! Right now she's asleep on the floor, next to me. She's proven to be an intelligent, curious, and loyal little dog. She's mostly black lab. When I took her in for her yearly shots over Thanksgiving, she was very friendly to all the people, but she growled at EVERY dog in the waiting room! GO AWAY FROM MY MOM!!! Silly girl! Sunday Stills Challenge for December 6, 2009. Snow storm on the way, arriving tomorrow.

Rommel and Loki ~BFF? Camera Critters 112809

2009-11-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

Our white male (neutered) cat, Loki, has shaped every dog we've had. Let's see...that would be our second German shepherd, Maverick, our son's dog, Atticus (the Weimeraner), our current German shepherd, Rommel, and now even Ripley. I always know when he is out back because Ripley jumps against the sliding glass door in an attempt to run outside and sniff his $%TT!~ He has been very patient with her, especially when she was a puppy. I remember when she was smaller than him and would follow him around the house. I never saw him swat her, which, I think, accounts for her enthusiasm towards him! Anyway, here are Rommel and Loki sort of relaxing together, but, as you can see, Loki had his own expression for the whole experience!!! Camera Critters for Saturday, November 28, 2009.

There's a PREDATOR in the neighborhood!!!

2009-11-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, there is! And, he chases away the doves that I feed. He is a hawk. I'm guessing a Cooper's Hawk. One day, he landed on my bird bath out in the back yard. I noticed that there wasn't a dove in the yard. Then, I heard a furious flapping of wings another morning. ALL the doves disappeared in an instant. Yup. It was HIM/HER??? Now, I noticed that the birdseed isn't always gone every day. And, this morning, I heard the frantic beating of wings and ALL the doves took off. Yup. It was the hawk again...sigh...I believe he/she has taken up residence in our neighborhood and is...er... "dining" on our local birds. I know my neighbors also feed the doves and pigeons, so it has an ample supply. I did see Loki, our big white cat, run up the mesquite tree after him/her this morning. GOOD KITTY! Of course, I don't have to worry about Loki! He weighs 16 pounds! But, I do worry about little Daisy, who only weighs 5 pounds. Does anyone know... can a hawk carry a 5 pound cat? Should I be worried about Daisy disappearing???

STUPID CAT~~~

2009-10-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

Just LOOK at him~Humpppffffff! There he is, lounging in one of the chairs in the front yard... not a care in the world! I HATE this cat and slobber over him every chance I get, BUT...he likes to swat me with his claws and even though he is over 13 years old, he's pretty fast for an old guy! Mom (for some UNKNOWN reason) adores him. I'd like to chase him up a tree, but he's too FAT!!! Go figure.

Gigondas and sunset~SkyWatch Friday 100209

2009-10-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

Gigondas is a big, red thoroughbred mare that I rescued from a slaughter-bound feedlot in WA state in 2006. I rescued her the same time I rescued my Beauty. They came down together from WA state. Immediately upon her arrival, Beauty picked me as her human, while Gigondas picked my husband. That was okay with me. Gigondas needed A human, any human, to bond with. She and hubby have now formed a very special bond. He goes out and talks to her, walks her, and spends hours brushing her, until her eyes close! He took this photo of her on September 11, 2009, when she was in the arena, at sunset. SkyWatch Friday for October 2, 2009. Enjoy your weekend!

Recent events

2009-09-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

It was a long, hot summer. I don't remember a lot of it. One of my beloved horses, Beauty, died overnight and I found her dead in her corral the next morning. There was no trauma to her body and it doesn't appear she suffered. We THINK she got cast in her corral, tried to get up, and hit her head on the metal pipe railing. We believe she died instantly. This was a devastating blow to me as Beauty was trained by my cousin and I was anticipating riding her again this summer. I went into a deep depression for 6 weeks after her death, struggling to understand WHY this happened and why it happened to such a wonderful and loving animal. I rescued Beauty from a slaughter-bound feedlot up in Washington state, along with our thoroughbred, Gigondas, and had both horses brought down to Southern California. I had Beauty for 3 years before her tragic death. She was only 5 years old. Some days I could barely function. My husband took me to Flagstaff and I just went through the motions of taking photos. I was conflicted. When I was at home, I wanted to be up at the ranch with our other 4 horses. When I was there, it was actually easier to do my chores for the rest of the herd. It was actually calming to be around them. I didn't do much with them or their training and it wasn't until late August that my cousin FINALLY held me, let me cry for Beauty, and told me I needed to move on. She started training my quarter horse gelding, Sunni, and she has now ridden him.

Why am I writing this on Ripley's blog? I really don't know. I just wanted to get it out. I need some closure for Beauty and I need to think of our other animals that need me: our 5 horses (we got a new one...Quad), our 3 dogs and our cats. I'm now feeding birds in our back yard and a juvenile scrub jay visits our feeders every day. He has grown and is now quite large and I can hear him at our neighbors! Life goes on...while I deeply miss Beauty, I do have a new horse to take care of (Quad) and he needs a lot of food and reassurance. He came to us foot sore and he colicked last weekend (we nearly lost him), but he has now recovered and is demanding to be fed! I've posted some photos of Beauty (the chestnut) and Quad (the gray gelding). Quad ran in 6 races, never won, had 2 seconds and 2 thirds, and was retired from racing at age 4. He ended up at TB Friends, a horse rescue in Sacramento, and, with the loss of Beauty, Joe sent him to me. He is an absolute joy, a very sweet and calm horse...he is only 5 years old. Such is the life of a thoroughbred. He was lucky to end up with Joe. Most thoroughbreds that don't win races end up on slaughter feedlots, like Beauty and Gigondas. If you want to read Joe's daily blog about the horses he rescues, please visit: http://www.tbfriends.com/

"d' is for Daisy! ABC Wednesday, August 12, 2009

2009-08-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Daisy is our little orange and white tabby. We got her in 1998 and she had just been spayed. Hubby and I had gone to Petsmart to buy dog food and he was "coochie-cooing" with her in one of the cages where the adoptable cats were held. Of course, we adopted her on the spot! She has turned into an absolutely RUTHLESS killer! She kills mice, rats bigger than her, birds (yes...even baby hummingbirds!), lizards, and 3 baby rabbits (rolling eyes!). She is an absolutely efficient killing machine! But...just look at that innocent face! I have found her pile of "dead things" out in the garage and I periodically have to clean it out! It's interesting to watch her with our kitten, Abby, who thinks SHE is in charge. Nope! She and Daisy went nose to nose the other night and Daisy came out on top. She has always been real sensitive with her back and she can't stand too much human contact, but we've had her 11 years now. One summer she disappeared and by the 3rd day, I went around the neighborhood looking for her and putting up posters (she IS microchipped). Turns out, a neighbor 2 blocks away had her in their house! I marched up to the door and demanded that they return her. They said they wouldn't. I said, "She's MICROCHIPPED. Let's just see WHO she belongs to!" I got her back! Like one of our former cats, she spends a lot of her afternoons on our garage roof, in the shade of our palo verde. "D" is for Daisy. ABC Wednesday, August 12, 2009.

horse ball went to the dogs~Camera Critters 080809

2009-08-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

I bought a horse ball for my horses' enjoyment. While they played with it for several days, it suddenly disappeared. Gone! Poof! I never saw it again. Then, the ranch owner casually mentioned, "I think the dogs next door ran off with your horse ball." WHAT? My $17.00 horse ball? Ohhhhhh....I was mad! So, I bought another one, but the horses wouldn't play with it, so I took it home for MY dogs. They played with it...sorry for the poor quality of the pics, but they were moving so darn fast! Anyway, here they are playing with the new horse ball! Ripley and friends! Camera Critters for 080809.

Rommel update!

2009-08-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

Rommel is still with us. He kinda perked up a couple of days later and I took him in to our vet for some blood work. Actually, now he seems to be back to normal, which for him is thin (he's lost about 10 pounds), but he still plays with Ripley and chases the cats. Go figure. While he looks HORRIBLE, I took him up and visited the horses and he had an absolute blast! He loves them~ (big sigh...)

Not good news~Rommel

2009-07-27T04:13:00.000-07:00

Our German Shepherd has canine lupus. He has deteriorated since last spring. His collar is now so loose is just dangles on him. His hair is almost completely gone underneath his body. He is drinking a LOT of water, but now he has lost his bladder control. It's time to make that final call to the vet.

Rommel has been a WONDERFUL dog and companion. He has NEVER growled at anyone. He barks and protects our property, but he has never been agressive. He, too, is a gentle soul, like my horse Beauty. Why do the good always die young? He is only 6 years old. I'm going to have to call the vet today. It just isn't fair to him when he is in this position. He knows he isn't supposed to pee on the carpets or in the house, but he can't help it. His kidneys are failing.

I wanted to post some pics of him when he was younger to remember him.

WE LOVE YOU, Rommel.

Ghost-like clouds~SkyWatch Friday 071709

2009-07-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

These ghostly clouds were over the Waputki ruins in Arizona as we got there late one afternoon. SkyWatch Friday for July 17, 2009.

Aren't they unusual?

Taking a break from blogging

2009-06-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

I am taking a blogging break while I mourn the loss of my chestnut mare, Beauty, who died suddenly and tragically on June 25, 2009. I found her dead in her corral the next morning. As far as we can tell, she got cast in her corral and wasn't able to get up. What a waste of a beautiful, caring, and loving creature. Beauty was only 5 years old and the ONLY horse of mine that I have ridden so far. My cousin helped with her training and Valerie is just as devastated as I am. It is never easy to lose a faithful pet and Beauty was my faithful and loyal companion. She picked ME as her human and always whinnied to greet me when I arrived at the ranch. There are no more whinnies from the other horses now. They just ignore me. I miss her sunny and warm personality, her goofy attitude, and the white patches of hair on her butt.

I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU, Beauty! She was a feedlot rescue and at least she was given a good, loving home and was spared the horror of slaughter. Please, if you can, give to the horse rescue of your choice so that more horses like Beauty will be spared from slaughter. Thank you.

We're home, finally!

2009-06-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I took a short vacation to Northern California last week. We drove up Highway 395 through Ridgecrest, stopped at the BLM corrals there and fed the mustangs! What a bunch of goofballs! They must get fed carrots a LOT because they sure knew what carrots were! Then, up to Yosemite, over the Tioga Pass. Have you ever drive up that pass? Phew! WHAT a climb! We spent 2 nights in Merced, CA and spent the next 2 days in Yosemite, then drove BACK through Yosemite and DOWN the Tioga Pass. I know, I know...we MUST be nuts! We saw 2 bears there during our trip. Then, on to South Lake Tahoe. That driving day was another stormy day. Apparently they'd had snow just 2 weeks prior to our trip last week! It was cloudy the whole time, but we got some beautiful photos! From Lake Tahoe, we took some side trips, down to Genoa, Silver City, Virginia City, Reno, and Markleyville. Then, yesterday we drove back down 395 and stayed in Lone Pine. We took the road to the Mt. Whitney portal in the afternoon and the next morning, we arose at 5:00 a.m. to get some morning photos. Then, back home through Ridgecrest, stopping to feed the mustangs AGAIN, and home! Right now, I have Ripley asleep ON MY FEET so that I don't go anywhere EVER again!!! Here are some pics of our trip...enjoy!

Ripley has a new trick!

2009-06-03T05:02:00.001-07:00

Ripley has a new trick. I was wondering why the cat food was disappearing so quickly. I mean, I have 3 cats that I feed outdoors, on top of a table. BUT...their cat food was disappearing much too quickly. So, one afternoon, I heard scratch, scratch, scratch, crunch, crunch, crunch and YUP! Caught in the act was Ripley! She was up on the table, eating the cat food! Yikes! I don't have any photos yet, but I'll lurk around and try to get some. Silly dog!

Ripley update~~May 25, 2009

2009-05-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Ripley is doing just fine. Our newest addition, the kitten, Abby, is also growing and settling in! She now sleeps with me at night. She burrows down in the sheets and sometimes wakes me in the morning by licking my face! This morning she was down by my feet, beneath the sheets! Here is Ripley out by the newest crop of sunflowers. She is leaving them alone, thanks to me constantly yelling "GET OUTTA THERE!" It seems to be working!

Look what's up on the roof!~Sunday Stills 051709

2009-05-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's Daisy, our little female kitty. She loves to get away from the dogs and climb up on the roof and then peer down at them! She's safe from them up there. All of our cats that have survived have climbed up there, some to get away from the coyotes that used to run down our street. I don't see coyotes anymore, but the smart and survival cats still use our porch roof for safety and security. Sunday Stills for May 17, 2009.

Loki lounging in the light

2009-04-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

No words needed.

Ripley's newest family member, Abby

2009-04-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

Heeeeere's Abby...our newest family member! She's a kitten that I got from my cousin, whose purebread Oriental shorthair got out of the family van and was lost for two weeks and who ...er...bred with unknown male cats and produced 2 black kittens and 2 tabby ones. I took one of the little females and we named her Abby. Here she is!

Rommel and family~~Sunday Stills for 040509

2009-04-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

Rommel is our current German Shepherd. We purchased him from a breeder in Riverside. Turns out, he knew the breeder that we bought our first shepherd from, who also lived in Riverside 30 years ago. I've included some pics of "baby Rommel" in my front flower garden, along with a photo of his father. He looks more and more like "Caesar", his father, every year. The longer haired shepherd is his father. The bitch (top photo) is his mother. She had 6 puppies in that litter. Those puppies, like Rommel, are now 6 years old. It must have been a good pairing: he is the most calm and mellow shepherd of the three we've had. That's him in 2003 in the top photo. He's actually lighter and more light tan than either of his parents. Our first shepherd was black and tan and our second one was also black and tan, but darker. Sunday Stills for April 5, 2009.

Ripley's buddy, Loki

2009-03-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ripley's buddy, Loki, is an old, old cat. I figured out that he is now 13 years old AND he was already a year old when we adopted him! He'd been in another home and they were moving and couldn't take him with them, and I found him at PETCO, on one of their "adopt an animal" days! He trained both of our German Shepherds~ our previous one and Rommel. Ripley? He hasn't exactly trained her yet, and she often tries to take a nip at him, but he simply walks away! Hmmppfffff~~~he can't be bothered! Here he is walking on my husband's car, doing nothing (his favorite pasttime!) Camera Critters for March 29, 2009.

Bones disappear!

2009-03-20T04:14:00.001-07:00

My half-full box of dog bones almost completely disappeared last night. I like to keep a box of "Meaty Bones" around to reward good behavior. Hmmm.....it seems that the pack decided to reward itself last night! A real crime occurred. I stumbled out of bed at 4:00 a.m. today, only to discover 1 bone left in their box! I followed the trail of trash through the living room, only to find the result and wonder what went on in my living room last night!!!

Rommel

2009-03-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ripley's companion and pal is our dog, Rommel, and our son's Weimeraner, Atticus, whom we "inherited" because our son lives in a condo. Ripley gets along with both of her "uncles", but especially with Atticus. He's a year younger than Rommel. Rommel is our third German Shepherd, who is now 6 years old, and it has been painful for us to watch him deteriorate with an auto-immune "deformity" that causes him to itch and scratch until he is bleeding! He has been under our vet's care since last Thanksgiving. He's been on a steroid for the itching and also anti-histimines to control it, but last month he had a very serious outbreak and he was just covered with "hot spots". He lost a lot of hair and he also lost 5 pounds. The vet read up on his condition, which is like lupus in humans, and, while there is no cure for it, he feels like he CAN help to control it. I've also switched Rommel's food to a no-grains/salmon one (Taste of the Wild salmon) and I'm also giving him raw veggies. He's now starting to look better...his eyes are clearer, his muzzle is better looking, but he is still thin. His energy level is coming back up, too! We take him back to the vet for another medicated bath this weekend. I have some old pics of Rommel when he was about a year old. I don't wish to post any of him now, since he is such a wreck, but here he is before his own body turned on him and began to destroy it. We aren't sure how much longer we will have Rommel, and I choose to remember him like he was. I know Doc will do everything he can to save him and we will continue to pay for his medicines and his baths as long as there is hope for him. I figure a good diet should help and I love to cook for him and make him "special food". Here he is relaxing on a friend's lawn when he was about one year old. He is a purebred German Shepherd, from a breeder in Riverside, CA. He's the most mellow shepherd we've had and he's never growled at ANYONE (he's our third one) and we can't imagine life without him, so we will continue to treat his symptoms as long as we can. He loves to go out and play with Ripley and Atticus and this afternoon the three of them were out front playing and raising dust all over the place! I'm so glad he is starting to feel better again! These immune "attacks" seem to happen about 4x a year.

My friend and her dogs!

2009-03-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

I have a good friend, a fellow teacher, Barb, that I've known now for over 15 years. She and I taught together at the same school 15 years ago, then I left and she went to another school, too. But we've always kept in touch. Last summer she came over and helped me with one of my mustangs, Scout! She has a small ranch herself with 4 horses, 2 turkeys, chickens, goats, dogs, and a bearded lizard! She's quite a character and I dearly love her! Anyway, here she is with her dogs, feeding them their breakfast. Her goat, Davey, tried to grab some leftovers, too! He's quite a character!

A present from Ripley

2009-02-16T06:21:00.001-08:00

Last night I was dozing on the couch. Hubby and I visited Joshua Tree National Park and we were out all afternoon and it was COLD up there! I came back exhausted. Hubby let all 3 dogs out front in the fenced yard and they came back in. I awoke when they came in the house and saw, out of the corner of my eye, that Ripley was staring at something on the floor, by the couch. She didn't touch it, but she sat and stared at it. I asked hubby, "Is there something on the floor that Ripley is looking at?" and when he replied, "Don't MOVE!", duh...I immediately sat up and put on my glasses! Guess what it was? A DEAD RAT! Or, actually, not quite dead! Now, I'm sure Ripley didn't mangle it...that would have been Daisy's job (our little female cat...), but I'm also sure that Ripley found it outside and brought it in to...er..."play with"!!! No pics. Sorry. Hubby scooped it up and I don't know what he did with it. Ugh. Here's Daisy saying, "WHO ME??????" Just LOOK at that innocent face! Actually, it is the face of a ruthless KILLER! She's killed mice, rats (almost as big as her!), birds, gophers, hummingbirds, and even baby rabbits! She has a pile of "dead things" out in the garage (in a corner) and I have to...er...clean it out every now and then! GO DAISY!

After a day with Ripley...this....

2009-02-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

is what our German Shepherd is like. Totally EXHAUSTED! She's a HANDFUL!!! I mean, who could blame him for konking out on the couch????

Sunday morning breakfast

2009-02-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the pack didn't get sardines this morning! They did get their eggs, yogurt, and 1 chopped up hot dog with cheese. Guess what? Their dishes are all clean! Yup! Clean as a whistle! And, they are all sacked out and it's only 7:00 a.m.! They helped me go outside this morning and fill up the bird feeders. After yesterday's rain, the birds will be hungry today and I wanted to get their food out early. We have doves, sparrows, and some kind of little black and white bird visit the feeders. I have a family of mockingbirds that lives nearby. One year I found a baby mockingbird who was cornered in our front yard by our white cat, Loki. The little thing was stretching his/her wings out as much as he/she could to scare the cat away, and I guess it worked because he/she was unharmed. I brought the STUPID CAT inside and I guess he somehow got back to its nest. The parents were divebombing the STUPID CAT, so they knew where the baby was. I love to hear the mockingbirds sing. We also have a family of orioles up in our cottonwood tree, although I haven't seen them this year. Once in a while we have a visiting owl who hoots in the tree in the evenings. We have a roadrunner family that has lived in our neighborhood (we don't get much car traffic here) for years and one time, one of them was chasing our little (petite) cat, Daisy, down the street! YES! Can you believe it? She might have been after one of their babies! In the 33 years we've lived here, we've always had a family of roadrunners (HA! probably 15th generation by now)! Here's a photo of Loki (STUPID CAT, the white one) and Daisy (little hunter, the orange and white one!). Enjoy your Sunday!

Weekend breakfast

2009-02-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

When I'm home on weekends, I like to cook a nice breakfast for our three dogs. They get eggs cooked in olive oil and a can of sardines. I also add some yogurt. They LOVE the warm eggs, yogurt, and sardines! The sardines add extra oil to their coats and Ripley's is absolutely shining! They also seem to help our old German Shepherd with his dry coat. If I forget to give him his sardines, his coat gets dull and dry, but when I give him some, he perks right up and his coat shines, too! I didn't get a photo this morning, but I'll take one tomorrow. Yum, yum! Weekend breakfast! It certainly is better than a dry, old bone!

How many bones does Ripley have?

2009-02-03T05:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, when I went to visit the horses, I stopped by the feed store and bought 1 bone for each dog. Simple, right? Nah. Ripley immediately gathered two bones and then sat and protected them for the next two hours! She guarded them and kept one eye on the other sad-looking dogs! Little BUGGER!!! Well, at least it kept her busy and she took a LONG nap that afternoon! It was funny watching the other two dogs try to outwit her. Our German Shepherd finally stole one of the bones, ran down the hallway, and jumped on our bed to enjoy his catch!

Here's Ripley...."Hmmmm...now how many bones DO I have?"

Skywatch Friday January 30, 2009 Ripley's neighborhood

2009-01-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

Ripley and our other 2 big dogs LOVE to wake up early, about 5:00 a.m. for a hearty breakfast and a romp outdoors! I always go outside with my camera to check on the morning desert sunrise. This one was VERY early in the morning! You can just barely see the crescent moon. For other Skywatch Friday photos, please visit: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Something wicked this way comes!

2009-01-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

It only comes out at night. It creeps up to my trash cans and sinks its huge fangs into them. It causes chaos wherever it goes...it could only be....RIPLEY! (Pardon my kitchen floor. It is nearly 20 years old!) See what Ripley does in the middle of the night? Oh wait! I think I see the mysterious creature...????

Camera Critters: Ripley asleep at last!

2009-01-27T19:42:00.001-08:00

Ripley, as a puppy. She would crawl up on the couch to take a nap, away from the big dogs! For other camera critter photos, please visit:

http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Ripley helps with the laundry!

2009-01-25T11:04:00.001-08:00

Yes! Can you believe it? What a little helper! (NOT!!!) She got hold of a box that hubby brought in from COSTCO. You know...one of the boxes they pack stuff in? Well, at least it entertained her for about an hour, until she konked out for a LONG nap! What a little angel! (NOT!!!)

Sausage, Sausage...who's got the sausage? January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hubby fried up some sausages for dinner tonight. We put Ripley and Atticus O-U-T-T!!!!! meaning they are not allowed inside while we eat! No way. But, our German Shepherd, Rommel, who has impecable manners, gets to stay inside during meals. He doesn't beg. He just sits and waits patiently. However, when Miss Foxy Loxy came inside, she made a beeline to the table, looked around, and even went over to Rommel to see if he had "sausage breath"!!!! (which he did!) Oh, boy! She was MAD!!!! She ran around all over the kitchen and living room, looking for any sausage which might have "accidentally" slipped on the floor. None. Nope. Not a bit. She is now konked out by me, at the computer, on the floor. Guess she wore herself out (thank goodness!)

"Uncle" Rommel and the horses

2009-01-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

I have to take my German Shepherd, Rommel, up to the mountain vet about every month of so. He has had a skin condition and needs a steroid to control his constant itching. He also gets a bath. So, into my Honda CRV he goes. He absolutely LOVES it! We stop and visit the horses after his vet visit. This trip, he got to eat some of the horse beet pulp and slurp the water in the bucket! What a ham! And, he got to meet the little dachshund puppy for the first time! She's a long haired dachshund. The two mustangs, Cali and Scout, were more at ease with Rommel this visit, probably because the ranch has 4 dogs! So, they are used to them. None of them, however, are as big as Rommel. I always tie him to a tree and then he's JUST out of reach of Scout's very quick back legs. I don't want her to kick him! So, he is content to lie in the warm sun and watch all the horses! Here are some pics of our visit last Saturday.

Booster shot today!

2009-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

I took Ripley in for her booster shot this afternoon. This was the last opportunity I had before going back to school and she was due to have them on the 3rd, but the place isn't open on weekends, so it was today or NEVER! YIKES! So, I piled her into the car and away we went. Now, Ripley doesn't go in MY car very often and she was intrigued by it all! But, she behaved (believe it or not!). She was very friendly with everyone at the office, much to their annoyance! And, I met two big, black, beautiful male labs who were also there getting their shots! They were so much bigger than Ripley and they, too, were 1 1/2 years old, so she must have some mixture of a small dog in her! She was very good for her shot and didn't even move! So, back home we went and she sacked out for an entire afternoon! GOOD GIRL! I went up and worked my thoroughbred while Ripley took a L-O-N-G nap!

Ripley new year

2009-01-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

It was a warm and sunny day and Ripley and "the boys" went outside to play! THANK GOODNESS! Phew! I'm glad they went out back! Now I can have some peace and quiet!

We're HOME!!!!!!!!

2008-12-27T21:55:00.001-08:00

We're FINALLY home from our "family vacation" to Northern California to see my sister-in-law in Napa, CA!~ Our daughter and her BF went with us. We stayed in Paso Robles, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and back in Paso Robles, and then finally HOME! RIPLEY managed to loose her collar and tags while we are gone, so tomorrow I'll go outside during the daylight hours and look for her rabies tag and her name tag! Can you believe it???????

Ripley plays!

2008-12-20T03:42:00.001-08:00

It was hard to take these pics because the dogs were moving so quickly, but this is typical "play" for the three of them! Ripley in the middle, causing chaos, and her two "uncles" joining in the fun! A typical day with Ripley and me.

Ripley's been reading again!

2008-12-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

Yup. She's been at it! Reading magazines again! This time she's reading about food (see photo). Maybe she's dreaming about sandwiches? Who knows? Here she is trying to get Atticus to play with her. Obviously, he'd rather go sack out and take a nap! He never hurts her...those teeth are just for show!

Ripley has been reading!!!!

2008-12-17T05:25:00.000-08:00

I never know what kind of scene is going to greet me every morning with Ripley and the "boys". Sometimes, as I stumble out into the living room, I'm greeted with coffee grounds spread out all over my carpet. Or, maybe it's last night's broccoli. Or, empty bags which once contained loaves of bread. Of course, the bread is GONE! One time, it was my clean underwear! HA! Now I always immediately put those away! Many times it is shredded grocery bags. Guess Ripley is looking through them at night? Sometimes when I awaken at 2:30 a.m., I'll just sleep out on the couch and keep "one eye" on the dogs. Of course, they always behave then! Anyway, these are some pics of our side porch where Ripley and Atticus stay during the daytime. Do you see what I mean? Chaos. Believe it or not, before Ripley, this porch was always CLEAN! No longer!!!! See? She's reading about the best house on the block...OBVIOUSLY not ours! And, bless her little heart! SHE'S going to train my horses for me! What a sweetheart! (NOT!) See, she's been reading on her bed! WHAT NEXT? Ahhhh....life with Ripley!

Bone? Bone? Who's got the bone?

2008-12-15T04:45:00.000-08:00

When I drive up to the mountains for the horses, I always stop by the local feed store. They carry dog bones (the rawhide ones) and I like to pick up a couple. Our German Shepherd isn't too interested in them (he's MUCH too regal for that!), but Ripley and Atticus, the Weimeraner, love them and it keeps them from pouncing on the cats for a few minutes! But Saturday I bought 3. One for each dog, right? WRONG! I gave one bone to each dog (they were eagerly wagging their tails) and off they went and off I went to konk out on the couch! When I woke up, Ripley had chewed HER bone in half AND had a whole bone! Yup. She managed to get Rommel's bone away from him AND keep her two halves! HUH? Apparently all this happened while I was asleep. Atticus was barely able to keep his, but our German Shepherd had the saddest look on his face! It's a game they play...."Who can keep the bone?" or something like that. I think it is a game of who is the most devious and we ALL know who that is....RIPLEY! So, when hubby got home and Ripley and Atticus went outside to do their business, our German Shepherd quietly walked over to the whole bone and took it down the hallway. Of course, when Ripley came in, she quietly surveyed the scene and realized that 1 bone was missing! She sat down and guarded her remaining two halves and konked out, totally tired! I guess guarding 3 bones was too much for her! Meanwhile, our German Shepherd happily munched on the whole bone for an hour. He really doesn't crunch it like Ripley and Atticus...he tends to just slobber on it. But he was SO HAPPY! We locked him in the bedroom with his bone so that he wouldn't be disturbed. NOT! About two hours later, Ripley snuck in and stole it! By then it was bedtime, and since Rommel sleeps in our bedroom with us, he was out his bone for the night. This morning Ripley had chewed it in half and was jealously guarding it. Right now she's curled up on the rug outside the bedroom door (we have a baby gate at the door to keep THE MONSTER out of our bedroom) and she's chewing it right in front of our German Shepherd! LITTLE MONSTER! She won this round. Round two next weekend. Ahhhh..... peace at last!

Windstorm last night and Ripley was GONE!!!

2008-12-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

We had a storm moving into our area and yesterday it was windy. Clouds were scattered around the desert and it really was a beautiful day, although it was quite chilly. After dark, however, the winds howled through. Unbeknownst to us, a few boards popped out of our front fence and when we let the dogs out about 10:00 p.m., only the two "big boys" came back. Ripley did not. I immediately called and ran out in my pajamas. SILENCE. Twice now this has happened and each time she's always been right outside the front gate, so I ran out, threw open the gate, and yup! There she was! She might be a little chaos-causer, but she DOES always sit right by the gate if she gets out. This morning I looked and one whole board was out, so I went out with my handy dandy hammer and my bag of nails and hammered the board back in. I think I'll also reinforce the fence on the inside of the fence with some chicken wire. That way, if another board pops out, she'll have chicken wire to deal with. Not that it has ever stopped her. I have it around my vegetable garden and she just walks over it!

Why name her Ripley?

2008-12-12T02:33:00.000-08:00

Okay. I admit it. It took a while to name her. She was a bundle of joy mixed in with sheer energy. Our daughter wanted "Mocha". In fact, she bought her a dog tag with "Mocha" engraved on it. Nah. That just didn't fit her. We tried a couple other names. Finally, our son suggested "Ripley" from the aliens movies. Ripley was strong, independent, and definitely an alpha female. That fit our little bundle of joy perfectly! So, she became Ripley. The name also stuck since she LOVES to rip up ANYTHING she can get those little teeth into! Every morning I stumble out into the living room (yes, we spoil our dogs and let them sleep inside at night!) and I'm greeted by scenes from the previous night's chaos. Hmmmm.....I never hear the ruckus that must go on! She usually raids the trash can from the kitchen. I've had strawberries strewn about the living room, old broccoli, boxes of crackers (minus the crackers), stale loaves of bread (minus the bread)....anyway, you get the idea. Really, you'd think WE would learn and put up the trash can? Nah. We're too stupid! She's the smart one!

This is an early morning pic from the desert.

Little IMP!

2008-12-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

See what I mean? She is just a TEASE! You can see her shaved tummy. Yes, she is SPAYED! Good grief! Did you think I'd want another Ripley? Where's the wine? Don't worry! Our shepherd never hurts her, but he does enjoy playing with her! Isn't she ADORABLE? (not!)

Ripley settles in and has a bone

2008-12-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

I like to give HER HIGHNESS, Ripley, a bone every now and then. Maybe she won't chew up the furniture while she's eating it? Just a thought. Anyway, doesn't she look angelic? HA! Don't you believe it. Underneath that cute face is a DEVIOUS mind!

Ripley adjusts to life with the BIG BOYS!

2008-12-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

Ripley had to adjust to life with two other dogs, our son's Weimeraner, Atticus, and our German Shepherd, Rommel. Both are male neutered dogs. Rommel is very good natured and calm. Atticus, on the other hand, is very energetic. He is always below my computer desk as I update my blogs! Ripley was even smaller than our cat, Loki. Loki has "trained" every dog we currently have and no dog in their right mind would bother him. All it takes is the LOKI LOOK and they slink away! He's about the meanest cat I've ever had!

You can see how tired Ripley is after a day with the boys!

Our first day with Ripley

2008-12-11T16:33:00.001-08:00

These were the first two pics we ever took of Ripley. My husband held her in his lap the entire trip down the mountain! Ripley was free at the local swap meet. There were 4 puppies: her two brothers, who looked like German Shepherds and another little female. I picked up Ripley and never put her down! A boy came over and grabbed the other black puppy and ran off, so I was glad I had Ripley! She was the most alert of all the puppies! We didn't want the shepherd-looking ones as we already have a purebred German Shepherd, Rommel. We initially got Ripley because our daughter always wanted a black lab, but by the time we got her home, there was no way I could part with her! What's really funny is that Cathy, the lady who boards our herd, said, "Oh! I wonder if she's one of the puppies from next door?" Huh? Turns out, her next door neighbors had puppies! And, yes, Ripley was one of them. I saw her father. He wandered over to the horse corrals one day. He was a really nice dog, very friendly, very BIG! And, I've seen "brother" a few times...or "uncle"....a full grown "Ripley" even with the white star on his chest!

Welcome!

2008-12-11T06:42:00.000-08:00

I created this blog JUST for my dogs, especially Ripley, my black lab puppy. Yes, she lives up to her name! Why? Mainly she does because she RIPS everything apart. She's like Marley...loveable, but completely WITHOUT MANNERS! More to come in the next few days!