Gosh its been a LONG time!

Well it has been quite some time since I wrote...or maybe had time to write.
This Wednesday will be our 1 year anniversary of living in Chapel Hill..and Drew jokes we haven't gone bankrupt or lost the house :)
The last year has been filled with dogs, home improvement projects, but mostly dogs.

For weeks Drew has been counting down to Thanksgiving, "5 whole days of no work!" I was looking forward to having some free time with him as well, or so I thought. Monday my sister went out of town (Disney..lucky girl!) so I had to rush through all my dogs to cover for her and nanny her 2 girls she usually has every afternoon. I know them well, so it was no big deal. It was sunny and 75 and Thanksgiving break was nearing....
And then it happened, a neighbor went into labor at 3am, and another decided they needed dog help last min, and another...and it went downhill from there...The dogs were all packed up and gone Sunday at 6pm, just in time for grocery shopping and getting ready for the next week!

Well, at least I will finally get a break in Dec, going home to MA and will only have Emmitt! YAY!

Our House has gone to the DOGS!

So summer is here, people are going away, and leaving their dogs....at our house!
Yesterday we had Roma and Bentley two 6 month old lab/German shepherd mixes. They are about Emmitt's size, but probably outweigh him by 15 lbs each. They are some of my regulars, I run them together on Monday and Wednesday mornings, however, their family went away all day yesterday so they came to stay with Emmitt and I.

Emmitt took one look and decided.."OOH boy, two dogs to chase me!" It was like being at the race track, around and around he ran, while the puppies stumbled over eachother trying to catch him. After 30 minutes of this, and two bathroom walks, the puppies passed out for almost 3 hours! Boy were they TIRED! It was great, they crack me up and entertain me for hours!

Emmitt, of course, really liked Roma. He rolled on his back and started playing with her the way he and Ellie used to play. Ear nibbling, ankle biting, so cute!

I would say we should get Emmitt another dog to play with, but at this rate, we have another dog coming to stay for 3 days...we do have other dogs for him to play with, and the days inbetween are for him to rest!

Trails and tails

So Emmitt and I have been doing some trail exploring lately. There are about 15 miles of trails that are attached to the end of our little road. They wind up and around hills and streams, and are frequented by many bike clubs, neighbors, and running groups.

As the weather gets hotter and hotter many outdoor enthusiasts flock to these wooded trails (the Carolina North Forest) to keep them cool on their walks, runs or bike rides.
Once a week, on the warmest morning, I will take Emmitt. He's great off leash, he either stays at my heels or right in front of me, depending on his mood, and mine. I know the trails nearest our house the best, there are probably about 45 min of running trails, but I wanted to go further the other morning. There is a road that splits the middle of this forest, so Emmitt and I decided to explore the other side of the road yesterday. An hour into the run and Emmitt was wayy behind, and I was wayy confused. The trails aren't marked, and a few of them are small narrow switchbacks up a hill, so it can be very confusing....tho the breeze and nature, and fellow dogs for Emmitt to play with (everyone else who has a friendly dog leaves them off the leash as well) it all kept us entertained for almost 2 hrs. We probably didn't go as far as we could on the road in 2 hrs, but it was fun anyway.

He was, however, exhausted...which was my goal since this weekend is going to be HOT and HUUMID and we aren't going to be out walking and playing in the afternoons when the day is at its hottest. I wanted him to be nice and relaxed, and he was last night, and this morning, and this afternoon...and wait....yup still snoring over there on his pillow!

A typical morning for us is he goes to the bathroom, he eats, he cleans himself after breakfast while watching me make drew's lunch, he follows me up and wait for me to get dressed and brush my teeth etc. Finally, while I put on my sunscreen and hat (he doesn't like the smell so he leaves me alone for this part) He sits by the door and waits, at attention, for our (usually 30min to an hr) morning run....buuut not this morning. I finished with my sunscreen routine and went to the door...NO Emmitt....looked on his pillow, checked his food bowl....he was in his crate, wayy in back, hoping I wasn't going to take him on another long trail run...haha! Guess he learned his lesson! :)

Tomorrow is another day, I'm sure he will be ready to go run again after he gets his recharge!

Blog Slacking

Well its been a little while since I last posted.
Lets see, I have been keeping myself busy with dogs 7 days a week lately. I have a handful of dogs that are on a regular schedule, and then a few others that are random, here and there every other day or something.

Its really great, dogs are the best coworkers! They are always happy to see you, give plenty of kisses, love the food you give them, and never ever complain if you are a minute or two late!

Most of my doggie "coworkers" are mutts, only really 2 pure bread dogs. One is a gordon setter, the other is a Cavlier King Charles Spaniel (who is so tiny tiny).

He has become a regular weekend fixture at our house. He is probably the size of Emmitt's head and neck, and if he stands on his back legs, and reaches up, he can hit Emmitt on the head...and he does. They crack me up!
The king charles will run at Emmitt, bark, and run under the coffee table where he hides from Emmitt, until Emmitt turns and goes back to his pillow. Then the little King Charles will wiggle out, and run back to Emmitt, hit him in the face, and run around again. It repeats over and over and over, until they finally run around the house...up and down the stairs...they are hysterical! Best of friends!

Dogs are amazing animals

As we dog lovers know, dogs are pretty amazing animals. There are series of trails that attach to our neighborhood that Emmitt and I have been exploring lately. I tend to get nervous that I might get lost, though the likelyhood of that is so slim since its in the middle of town and eventually we will hit a road....though said road may be miles from our home..

Anyway, recently I found that it attaches to the downtown. I have only walked it once, and I was pretty lost, back tracking and taking wrong turns all over. I decided to run it with Emmitt yesterday, hoping I could remember how to get back home. Amazingly as we ran, he took every turn exactly right, he even skipped the ones we accidentally took the first time. How do they know? Is it sense of direction, memory, scent? I can't imagine its scent, he didn't really mark the first time, and it had been at least a week since we walked it. Time to do some research I think.

Either way, when I go hiking, Emmitt will always be my hiking buddy!

www.carrboroplazavet.com

Emmitts first vet check up at the Carrboro plaza vet's was today! Now when we lived in maryland we went to the vet's a few times with Emmitt, though I hated it each time. The vet was rough, he didn't really try to calm Emmitt (who is of course a bit timid of men) no treat, no petting, and he immediately muzzled Emmitt with out even asking what his temperment was like. Ugh I hated that guy!

SO, of course I was kinda putting off the Vet's this time now we are in Chapel Hill. I waited until he ran out of heart worm meds, so we had to go. Its so close I walked him there, took about 20 min, good to relax him and empty his bladder. When we got there the receptionists seemed to know everyone, he got a treat, and we got to sit in a quiet corner since the noticed he was pretty nervous We got into the room, and there was a male vet tech, I did explain Emmitt is shy when it comes to guys, so he said he would just ask questions, gave Emmitt some treats to help him relax, and went to find a female vet and vet tech. They were both so nice, made him comfortable, pet him, took it slow so he could relax.

And the great thing was we were offered services and told the price, not just assumed we wanted every test possible. I walked out paying less than $200 when usually i spend nearly $500!

I would absolutely reccommend the

Carrboro Plaza Veterinary Clinic

to anyone! They are courteous, friendly, warm, and kind, and very obviously love animals!

Doggie Sleepover!

This weekend we will not have just one cute cuddle doggie, but TWO fabulous cute cuddly doggies here! My favorite little King Charles Spaniel is coming to spend the weekend while his "parents" go away for a little while.

Emmitt met Henry today, I assumed all would go well, and it did...just wanted to make sure. Henry is barely the size of Emmitts head, and Emmitt is not a large dog, hes less than 35lbs. he's just very leggy! haha The only thing I was slightly worried about was maybe he would be too excited for Henry, or just look at Henry's teeny weeny size and assume he was a real live squirrel in our house! haha! We met outside the house, did some side by side walking, then a little butt sniffing, and then went back into the house. I kept Emmitt on the leash so Henry could sniff around uninterrupted for a bit and feel comfortable.

Anyway, should be an interesting weekend, I have always loved doggie sleepovers, though usually its with Ellie or Gatsby, I guess new place, time for a new friend!

Dog walkings in the rain..

Ahh yes, dogs and the rain. Its a funny thing, dogs who lick their privates, roll in mud, makes huge messes, are sometimes afraid of a little rain.
My dog, Emmitt, is one of those dogs...well almost. He is not quite "afraid" of the rain, but he doesn't love it. He spins with excitement every time I walk towards the front door...sits and wags his tail as I reach for the knob, and then out the door.....pause at the steps..blah its wet out. He usually turns and gives me his sad face, as if to say, "oh man, I was so excited to go WALK! but its raining...ugh" He will slog through a walk, but he won't like it, and he will usually shiver and try to turn around at every opportunity.

Now on the other hand, there was Ellie who I used to walk...rain, snow, hail, she loved it all, and the wetter and colder the better! (she was a chocolate lab, a true water dog through and through!)

Today I walked Charlie, who is a fox red lab puppy, about 9 mo or so. I assumed he would be fine. I have walked him when there was snow on the ground before, and he loved it, rolled around in in...ate it..

He excitedly greeted me, brought me his bone to say hi, and got ready for his walk...got off the porch, and SAT down! Ha, apparently much like my Emmitt, he's not impressed by the weather today. We slowly walked our route, me urging him on, Charlie pausing for lots more sniffs than usual. Finally we got to the end of the walk...phew...back inside for a towel rub down and some peanut butter!

Its one of those things, the evils of walking in the rain. Sometimes it seems that its more our attitude towards the rain that really gives these dogs the perception that its bad, sometimes they truly are cold, sometimes its the towel, lots of dogs don't like their paws wiped off...whatever the reason, life must goes on, and dogs continue to walk in the rain :)
Happy tailwagging!

Its been a little while

Ok, so its been a little while since I last posted.
Since I last wrote, lets see what has happened...we had snow, Susie visited...unfortunately when we HAD snow and our plans were foiled...drat! :)
I started a dog walking business, and it seems to be growing, slowly but steadily. For now I have a few regular dogs, and some, once and a while-ers..
My two fav regulars are Charlie and Henry.

Charlie is an adorable fox-red Lab, hes about 9 mo old. Now you ask what is fox red...its EMMITTS cousin! He is that golden color of Emmitt's back stripe, but he is that color all over. Hes smaller than most Labs I know, but much larger than Emmitt and built like a regular lab. Hes funny, his personality reminds me of a mix of Emmitt and Ellie...Hes great, we jog together, and play with his favorite stuffed animal several days a week.


Henry is the exact opposite of Charlie, he is a 3 mo old King Charles Spaniel! He is absolutely adorable! Full of puppy energy and enthusiasm! We have a pretty regular schedule, I see him 4-5 days a week for about an hour. I swear, he must be only 4-5 pounds. Hes at an apartment, and is so small I have to carry him down the steps to walk. He squeaks and squeals every time I arrive, and he is happy to go out and run around for 20 min or so...then he always wants to go back in to play fetch (can't really play outside since the grass is almost too deep for him)
I have never met a spaniel so ready to play fetch...he'll play fetch and tug of war for hours if he could! He's great.





In between walkings, I have been repainting the trim in the house, it seems as though they replaced some, or took out rugs or something, and added new trim and didnt repaint it, so I am doing that for my house project for the week.

Finally a good weekend is coming up! 50s and sunny! Not that we haven't had good weekends, but somehow we always seem to get some rain or snow either friday night into saturday or sunday evening...this one is finally 2 clear days of sun and warmth! Looks good for dog walks and hikes outside!

Yeah for Friday Night date nights

Yeah for Weaver St market!
Its Friday, that means its time for our little walk to dinner date. Drew started asking me last night if I was excited "for tomorrow"..."Whats tomorrow, I asked? " "Weaver St date night" he sighed.

Its a bit warmer than it was last time we walked to our place for friday night dinner. Its 5:40 and still light out, and at least in the mid 50s as the sun sets. Nice night for a walk with someone you love :)

Its been really nice the last few days here, the mornings have reminded me of walking to school in Arizona in Jan/Feb. Below freezing at sunrise, but by midday we were taking off our layers and quite comfortable in pants and a light shirt.

Its so funny how certain sounds or smells (like college kids barely getting the sleepys out of their eyes walking and biking to school) will take you to a place that really only exists in your head anymore. Not that Tucson doesn't exists, but that time in my life is not longer actually there. Our apartment is lived in by someone else...wonder who got our bed? hahaha!! Sometimes college is another lifetime ago, and then sometimes it seems like just yesterday. My roommate hasn't changed, we sleep on different sides of the bed now, but we still have the same habits. I always went to bed earlier, he was always up later watching tv, studying, or visiting with my other roommates...and I always got up earlier in the mornings. Though morning and night have changed a bit,..a late night is no longer 4am, and an early morning isnt 9am anymore either!

Well that was a nice little walk down memory lane. No longer on nightly walks and rambling talks with Drew in Tucson as barely 20somethings...they have grown as we have, into a special time we get to spend with one another. It used to be that we needed to walk to get off campus because neither of us had a car, we would walk down to 4th av to Bisonwich's and get a soup and 1/2 sandwich. Now in our 30s (well almost for me) we walk because we like to, no more Bisonwich's, but now Weaver St Market...I am in whole food/coop heaven, its like a little piece of my favorite parts of Tuscon, right here in NC for me.

Jan 12th

Well today all I have to say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY Drew! I love you more and more each day with all of my heart!

Many Life Changes

Sooo, get dog..check
move from Maryland...hallelujah...check
get house...check
fixing up house...check
get next art show...coming up...check
get a few job interviews lined up...check

Things seem to be falling into place, until...

...the...BIG.....30, its just lurking around the corner..waiting
to pounce

much closer to Drew, but never-the-less...its out there,
ever so close...
sayin, "hey kid...I'm comin for ya...theres no hiding from me"
(I imagine this is said in the voice of the creepy old dude from family guy, with
just the slightest hint of a whistle lisp...haha love that guy!)

Its like stepping in dog shit, you assume it will never happen to you, it happens
to everyone else instead...and then bam...you've stepped in that nasty 30. Its
all over your shoe, and it stinks!
Just watch out you young 20somethings....its waaaaiiitting!

(ok so I'm being a tad over dramatic, its what I do best hehe)

Erin, now when you tease us, you will have to pick a
new, larger number now! :)