I set out today to take some photos of an animal OTHER than a dog or cat for this week's 52 Snapshots challenge; topic: ANIMAL
The only "animal" I found on my walk was a FISH:
There was a really large banjo catfish nearby, but he skee-daddled when I moved :(
So, I got this kivver instead.
"But wait," I thought, "That's not exactly an ANIMAL."
No squirrels in sight? Not a one. No skunks, possum, deer or bunnies, either.
Then, I got a little help from a rather unlikely source.
I decided to stop at the cemetery to visit G's grave, where I had recently put mums and pumpkins. I wanted to see how they were doing after last night's monsoon rain.
The mums are great.
The pumpkins? Not so much! An ANIMAL apparently had decided to make breakfast, lunch and dinner of them!
And that, is how, I got a slightly different idea for the topic: ANIMAL.
The mums look great, but here's all that's left of three pumpkins
Pumpkin seeds!
Expanded view: ANIMAL with TEETH!
Looks like the ANIMAL had a PARTY!
Special thanks to my beloved, G for leading me to the ANIMAL; and to our blog hop hosts at The Lazy Pit Bull.
Week FORTY??! That means there are only twelve posts remaining in this themed photo-blogging challenge, 52 Snapshots of life, hosted by our buddies at The Lazy Pit Bull. How the heck did that happen? A whole year (almost) gone by. Phew. So many photos, so little time.
This week's theme is FRAMED.
Here is a picture from a couple years ago. I was spying on Charlie, while he was outside, from inside the house. The windows are six-over-six sash windows, and I used one of the six squares to frame the dog. The window was dirty, and the window screen took most of the focus of the picture. It was a cute idea, but not the best quality photograph I've ever taken!
The k2k9 crew has been spending September attending the various dog/cat festivals in and around our area.
These are local events that support local pet-related charities and businesses. A valuable part of attending these events is not just spending money making donations or buying products from local folks, you also get to socialize your dog(s). [Cats are usually not invited, although we did see Spike and his dad, and his famous cat brother (sister?) that their dad wears like a mink stole around his neck. Yes, a real, live cat! At a doggie event! These folks actually attend a few of these events, and I've seen them a few times. Spike is a wonderful, black senior dog who is SO friendly. The cat is very docile. I tell their dad that he is VERY brave!]
The weekend after Labor Day, Charlie and I attended Pet Rock Festival. Now in its 17th year, Pet Rock was inspired by a news report of a horrific animal cruelty case -- a Worcester-area woman had a band named Pet Rock, and she wanted to do something to help animals. Pet Rock Festival was named after her band, and over the years has become a fun gathering of music, vegetarian food, and all things dog, cat, pet. This year the event was held at Becker College, in Leicester. This was a great venue because of size, and a perfect fit since the college offers a popular veterinary/animal program.
Charlie Brown at Pet Rock
A week later, was New England Pet Expo. This is a nationwide organization (may include Canada, as well?) that does Pet Expos in various cities each year. There are usually two in our area: New England Pet Expo, and South Shore Pet Expo. But this year, there was no South Shore Pet Expo. Pet Expo is a bit like a home show with dog/cat products. Ferrets, reptiles, birds and horses, are featured, too. Shorty Rossi (The Pit Boss) usually makes an appearance at each Expo, and there are other well-known animal trainers, agility courses, police k-9 demos, and other activities.
Me, and Shorty Rossi in 2012 at NE Pet Expo
I brought Cooper to Pet Expo -- it was Cooper's very first event like this. He did quite well. He only has three legs, so walking from the parking lot to the venue can be an issue. I thought about taking advantage of handicapped parking, but I didn't think that'd go over well!! Anyway, he did ok, but he got a little "testy" with a couple of dogs after being over-stimulated for a few hours, so we were soon outta there. I was very proud of both of us. No one got bitten, unless you count me. (Trying to entice him out of the building with a tennis ball in my hand! Ow!)
Cooper at Pet Expo
Yesterday was festival number three, of several: Woofstock! Similar to Pet Rock, this is a music and food fest with booths from the usual suspects. I should point out that many pet companies attend ALL of these conferences; but some only attend one or two. So, you don't always see the same people twice, but when you do, it just reinforces the networking. Networking locally is SO important!
Posing at the Woofstock/Buddy Dog table, while I added to my impossibly unmanageable t-shirt collection.
Coming up: Oct 3 & 4:Animal Weekend -- hosted by Second Chance Animal Shelter and Wellness Center.
(our pals at Second Chance are going to be exhausted, because they have been at EVERY one of the aforementioned conferences, AND they're doing their own full weekend next week. I'm tired just thinking about it!)
Cooling off at Second Chance's booth during Woofstock-- see you next weekend!
Oct 3: Great Dog Rescue Meet & Greet. Harvard Farmers' Market, 27 Mass Ave in gorgeous Harvard, Mass. (Great Dog Rescue is the place I adopted Charlie and Cooper from!) If you're looking for a great dog, you might just meet her or him here.
Oct 11: Pug Rescue of New England (PRoNE) Pug Social -- right here in beautiful downtown Spencer (at the fairgrounds). If you love Pugs (and who doesn't?) this is a can't-miss event.
(Can you tell how excited I am that all of these things are right here in SPENCER!!!? Have I used enough exclamation marks?)
November 7: Goodness Gracious Run for Rescue 5K. This 5K is being held in dog-friendly Marblehead. If you've ever been to Marblehead, you will notice.... dogs! It seems like everyone who lives there has a dog. What a wonderful community! Our friends at Great Dog Rescue have a team participating in the race, so if you want to donate to the Great Dog team, here is the link.
Ok, this just freaked me out.... I was hunting through my photos for an appropriate picture for this week's 52 Snapshots challenge, and my cursor randomly landed on this photo and highlighted it automatically!!! Weird!!
Therefore, here is this week's photo! The theme is SHADOW
Charlie Brown at last year's PetRock Fest (2014) !!
Which is also freaky, since PetRock 2015 was just the other day!
When Hobie was a puppy, I liked to smell his feet. I know other dog parents will understand this. We've talked about it! Back in those days, dog food had corn as a primary ingredient (maybe it still does, but I don't buy that stuff anymore). I am not positive, but I think this is why dogs' feet smelled like Fritos. Frito Feet! Or, more generically-correct: Corn Chip Feet!
Anyway, I sang a little song to Hobie: "Puppy feet, puppy feet, I love puppy feet!" and then I'd grab his foot and SMELL it!! Yeah, we pet parents are sick ha ha.
I regularly take pictures of my pets' feet. Yes, yes, I do.
Here is a small collection of Pet Feet Photos from my archives. The first picture here was just taken a few days ago while Cooper was sleeping!
Cooper foot! This could make a good logo.
Cats have paws, too.
Footprint in the sand
Not a "sole" on the beach
We did a nail trim right afterwards!
Hobie loved to sleep with his back legs crossed.
Hobie's feet. I did a whole photo session of Hobie's feet on his last birthday.
52 Snapshots of Life is a blog hop hosted by our friends over at The Lazy Pit Bull.
After losing a beloved pet, for whatever reason,
whether he or she was old and sick, or whether the pet ran away and you're still hoping for her safe return; or whether the little furry friend was killed in an accident; we can
often feel so empty, sad and even guilty. Grief can overtake us. One grieving pet parent put it this way: "There is a huge hole in my heart."
Losing a pet is a
unique kind of loss. Our relationship with a beloved pet can be a stronger
bond than any we have known with a human. Many people say that's because
pets love us unconditionally, and while that is certainly true, I tend to think
that my relationship with my pets is more like a kinship that transcends any kind of
brain knowledge or explanation. It is a more intuitive friendship, on a
very spiritual and natural level -- communing with, and an actual kinship with,
nature. Humans can't emulate that because they are normally too busy with
their own agendas.
In honor of my beloved pets, both past and current, I created this
website. I wrote about each pet (or, am in the process of doing so) and
posted as many photos of them as possible here, and on my various social media
accounts. For the dogs and cats who are no longer with me, I remember their birthdates and the dates of their passing, and try to re-post an old photo, or maybe even go to a place where we used to hang out, and remember them on those meaningful (to me) dates.
We had a memorial "headstone" made for our garden, in memory of Hector.
Our "new" dog (at the time), Charlie, checking out the Hector memorial
Have you recently lost a pet, or are you
continuing to grieve a pet you lost a while ago, and can't seem to get past the grief and sadness? Please know that this is
normal, and I speak from experience only. I still mourn my dear, sweet
Timba who died 14 years ago! And her successor, Hector, who died in 2011.
I can't say it enough: there is no timeline for grief. Your
grief timeline is your own, and no one can or should dictate to you when you're
supposed to "get over" it. You may never (get over it), and
that is okay!
Here are five free (or
inexpensive) activities you can do to remember and honor your pet on an anniversary, on their birthday, on YOUR birthday, or just because:
Hobie's urn (left) and DogFather's urn (right). I took them on a trip to Cape Cod!
Bring your pet's ashes on a road
trip. After
Hobie died, I brought his ashes in the car with me and Charlie and Cooper,
every time we went to Cape Cod on weekends, for an entire summer. I
told a friend about it, and we chuckled. A few months later, that same friend unfortunately had to put her dog to sleep due to a sudden and incurable
illness. On a family trip to Maine, she brought her dog's ashes
along for the ride! Don't have time for a vacation or trip?
Bring your pet's ashes in the car on errands. I put the urn
right next to me on the passenger seat, and look over at "him"
and smile. I also bought a small stuffed dog that has the same
coloring as Hobie (tan with a black snout), I put a doggie necklace around
its neck (really, it’s a keychain!) and now “the new Hobie” rides in the
car with me at all times.I may
even tuck him into my suitcase the next time I have to travel by air! Now
you try:Come up with other
creative ways to "bring your dog along".
Set up a web page, social media
page, or other online tribute to your pet's memory. These days, there are too many of
these online platforms to list. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Packdog.com, DogChannel.com , CatChannel.com, DogBook (which is part of Facebook), your own website, or blog, and more. There are tons of possibilities are
out there. Find one and post a few words about your pet, with photos
and their dates of birth and death.Not interested in an online platform, or not computer savvy
enough?Grab a notebook or piece of
paper, and write about your pet; find favorite photos and glue them into a
scrapbook.Share your similar ideas
in the comments – we’d love to hear from you.
Attend an afternoon pet festival.
Autumn
is the time of year for pet-charity festivals in most areas of the U.S.
For example, if I want to, I can attend one every weekend between
Labor Day and Halloween in my area of Massachusetts! Admission to some
of these events is free, while others charge a small fee ($12 - $15 or
thereabouts for adults, kids usually free, and well-behaved, leashed
dogs are usually welcome -- make sure you have proof of vaccinations if your state requires pets to be vaccinated). Ask local veterinarians or pet sitters if
they know of any events in your city, or just hunt around online via
search engines, you can usually find the various events easily. For those
who don't know what a pet festival is: generally these are events
held at a public place where vendors (mostly non-profit) set up booths and
you are expected to visit the booths and perhaps purchase goods or
services from those booths (but are not obligated to do so). There
is usually food, beverages, entertainment by local musicians, and fun activities
like costume contests, pet pageants, a photo booth, agility or police
"k9" demos, doggie massage or reiki, etc. Proceeds benefit the organization
that is running the program, or the various non-profit pet charities
involved. This is a great way to honor your pet, and get some "animal time" in with no strings attached. Be forewarned: there are pets for adoption at these events, so go slow, don't jump into anything hastily. "Just looking" is a good response, and then take the organization's business card if you want to visit them under less pressure at their facility. If you want more info on pet festivals, send me an email
at k2k9dogs@gmail.com, and mention your location and I'll try to find out if there
are any events near you.
Charlie at the Sweetpea Howl-oween event 2015
Charlie at a vendor's booth at Woofstock, 2015
Charlie and me at PetRock, 2015
Spend quality time with your
existing pets. Almost
anyone I've ever talked to who has lost a pet has "The Regret List".
This can be anything from "I should have had her euthanized
sooner, she suffered so much", to "I wish I had taken her on
that trip to the mountains two years ago when I had that
opportunity." To (my personal regret) "I wish I had been
able to stay home with him more often throughout his lifetime." There is no time like
the present. Without getting yourself into trouble (spending too
much money, or playing hooky from work!!) build in that time NOW with your
existing pet or pets. Bring Fido to that mountain retreat you wish
you had brought Rover to "back in the day". Now's your chance!
Cuddle with your cat, Fluffy, on your lap and a good book or movie,
because you wish you had "one more day" with Pookie. You do have that "one more day", and it's today, with your current pet(s).
Help out a friend or relative with
their pet. No pets at home, and you're not ready
(maybe you will never be) to adopt a new companion? If your parent,
sibling, or other relative, a friend, or a neighbor has a pet you enjoy
spending time with, offer to hang out with the pet to help out, or just
because you need some "animal time". This is a great way
to resolve the "I need help getting through the loss of Max" problem without actually SAYING those words (because sometimes people do not understand).
The finished product: The Hector garden memorial!
Do you have other
ideas or suggestions for ways to honor and remember your late pets? Tell
me about it in comments, or drop me a few lines at k2k9dogs@gmail.com -- I’d love to hear
from you!
Thanks for reading!
You are appreciated!
Disclaimer: The suggestions on this website are not intended to be a substitute for therapy or professional advice. The contents of this website are solely the opinion of the website owner, and are not a substitute for therapy, advice, diagnosis, treatment of any kind, whether spiritual, medical, mental health, or other. If you are experiencing a mental health issue due to the loss of your pet (or for any other reason), please obtain the services of a professional. The owner of this website assumes no responsibility or liability on behalf of any purchaser or reader of the materials herein.
I have terrible bathroom countertops, and not a lot of dough to replace them, and not a lot of time or patience. I also am a little inept at DIY-type stuff, and am certainly do not have an artsy-craftsy bone in my body! What a conundrum. Having to constantly rely on others to get things like this done can often be disconcerting -- or, quite simply, a pain in the... !
A couple weeks ago, I saw a video online where a young woman did a tutorial on how to put contact paper on a kitchen countertop. It looked like something even I could handle, and inexpensive, and it couldn't be worse than the 1972 countertops I have in place already. Sure, it probably won't stand up to water for more than a few months, but it's only me here, and I'm not sitting here pouring water onto the counters or anything like that. If worst comes to worst, just do it again -- I still have a whole roll of the stuff left over!
So, I gave it a try. If I do say so myself, I think they came out pretty good!! Each one took less than a half hour!
The fruits of my labor:
MAIN BATHROOM:
Before
After
2nd BATHROOM:
Before
After
52 Snapshots of Life is a themed photo challenge hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull. This week's topic is LABOR.
Today, I want to write about how I spy on my pets (and my house) when I'm not home. Actually, the cameras are running all the time, even when I am home! There are a number of cameras at various locations throughout the house. I installed them after my house was broken into. I also had the house armed with an alarm system.
I use two programs for my cameras. I set the whole thing up myself because I am a nerdy geeky person. It's the only "DIY" project I am capable of doing from start-to-finish without hiring someone! I also have a camera connected to the alarm system itself. Because, if you know me, you know that I am a little obsessive and over-the-top when it comes to technology, video and photography! One camera is never enough!
To inform the bad guys that they are being watched, there are signs on the doors and windows, and yard signs posted outside; including one that looks like this:
The fun part, for me, is spying on the pets when I'm not home. They basically do nothing but sleep all day, and they don't act up at all!! They save all the acting up for me!!! Now I am on to them, and realize it's something *I* am doing wrong that makes them get all amped up. They are perfectly normal animals until I come into the picture (ooo, see what I did there?).
I capture videos quite often, for various reasons. The computer programs have a feature that allows for video capture, and both programs also automatically save x-number of videos for x-number of days, so I can go back and look at them if I want to, or save them to my hard drive later on.
I captured this video as a download the other day because Charlie was looking right AT the camera!! I was spying on him from work, after the alert system sent me a text message indicating movement at this specific location.
If you'd like information on the technology I use to monitor my home and pets, here are the two products I use. I am not getting paid to promote these two products, I simply use them, and thought I would share the information if others are interested. So far, I've had no problems or down-time with either product. I did drop a camera on the floor and it broke, but that was totally my fault!
The first product "Presence" is free, and can be used via any mobile phone or tablet that includes a camera. You have to keep the phone or tablet plugged in, which is sort of a pain. The app sends you text alerts and you can do a whole bunch of other things with it as well. Check out the PresencePro website for more info.
The other product is VueZone. They are owned by NetGear, the company best known for wi-fi routers. The VueZone cameras are pricey, even if you buy them from Amazon instead of VueZone (which I have done). The batteries are also pricey, and they smell awful (the batteries). But the batteries do last a long time. There are no cords, and you can get night-vision cameras or regular ones; you can get motion-activated cameras, or stand-alone cameras. This system does require a separate VueZone router attached to your internet modem. There is a monthly fee for VueZone's monitoring.
With both products, you can see the monitoring either on your phone (you have to download an app for each one); or on your computer by logging into your Presence or VueZone account.
Another product which I have not tried is the Butterfleye Cam. I tried to win one the other night during BlogPaws' Twitter Chat ha ha but no such luck! Anyway, I hear it's a great product. Not sure about pricing or any technical details, except it looks really cool.
Again, I am not getting paid to give out these recommendations, just doing it out of the kindness of my heart!!
Sometimes I'll take a break at work and scroll through the captures from the various cameras, and I sit there giggling, looking at what my pets are doing throughout the day. I also am able to see my caretaker and pet-sitters, deliveries being made to the house, and a whole host of other stuff. The cameras can be easily moved to other locations within the house any time I want to set it up differently.
Any questions or comments about pet-cam and security monitoring? Tell me about it below!
This post is part of the 52 Snapshots of Life photo challenge, sponsored by our buddies at The Lazy Pit Bull.
As I was typing the title of this post, I accidentally started to type "Napshots" instead of "Snapshots". The theme this week is: SLEEPY
So, without further ado, here is this week's NAP-shot!
Dog and cat on un-made bed
Of all 35 weeks for this challenge so far, I have only used "old" photos a few times. This picture was actually taken earlier this week! Right on target!
Yes, we have "paw-themed" human bedding.
52 Snapshots of Life is a weekly themed photo challenge, hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull. There's still not quite half a year to join in on the fun. Just use the hashtag #52Snapshots and #PBSG on your blog or social media platform. You don't have to be a pet blogger OR a photographer to join in!
School, school, school. I sat here all day trying to think of what photo to take for this week's 52 Snapshots photo challenge. The topic? School.
Well, DUH!! School, (more specifically, teachers, parents and students) is responsible for my amazing career in educational travel that I don't write about very much on this blog. That's because this blog is normally reserved for my avocation: my writing, photography and love of my dogs and cats. But my real job and career, for the past 30 years, has been in the American outbound educational group travel industry. My main function at work, as the company's CFO, is left-brained: accounting, bookkeeping, HR, payroll, legalities, insurance, database management and always one foot in sales (though lately, it's been more like a toe!!).
What is student travel? I simplify it this way: "The French class goes to Paris with their teacher for a week."
What is it NOT? The exchange student who stayed with your family for a year when you were a kid; the semester abroad your cousin took part in during junior year.
As schools open across the U.S. every August, we publish and send out our new annual brochure to high school teachers around the country. The archivist and collector in me means I have at least one copy of ALL of the brochures we've ever printed. So, today, I put a selection of the most recent several years' worth of brochures on the desk, and took a picture.
Voila!!
Have you, or your kids, ever gone on an educational group tour? Tell me about it in the comments.
Back to #school !!
52 Snapshots of Life, a weekly themed photo challenge, is hosted by our pals at The Lazy Pit Bull
Written and created by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD. Though you should reach out to others as you journey through grief, you should
not feel obligated to accept the unhelpful responses you may receive from some people.
You are the one who is grieving, and as such, you have certain “rights” no one should try
to take away from you.
The following list is intended both to empower you to heal and to decide how
others can and cannot help. This is not to discourage you from reaching out to others for
help, but rather to assist you in distinguishing useful responses from hurtful ones. 1. You have the right to grieve the death of a pet. You loved your pet. Your pet loved you. You
had a strong and profound relationship. You have every right to grieve this death. You need to grieve
this death. You also need to mourn this death (express your grief outside yourself). 2. You have the right to talk about your grief. Talking about your grief will help you heal. Seek
out others who will allow you to talk about your grief. Other pet lovers who have experienced the
death of a pet often make good listeners at this time. If at times you don’t feel like talking, you also
have the right to be silent. 3. You have the right to feel a variety of emotions. Confusion, anger, guilt, and relief are just a few
of the emotions you might feel as part of your grief journey after the death of a pet. Feelings aren’t
right or wrong; they just are. 4. You have the right to be tolerant of your physical and emotional limits. After the death of a
pet, your feelings of loss and sadness will probably leave you feeling fatigued. Respect what your
body and mind are telling you. Get daily rest. Eat balanced meals. And don’t allow others to push
you into doing things you don’t feel like doing. 5. You have the right to experience “griefbursts.” Sometimes, out of nowhere, a powerful surge of
grief may overcome you. This can be frightening, but it is normal and natural. 6. You have the right to make use of ritual. After a pet dies, you can harness the power of ritual to
help you heal. Plan a ceremony that includes everyone who loved your pet. 7. You have the right to embrace your spirituality. At times of loss, it is natural to turn to your
faith or spirituality. Engaging your spirituality by attending church or other place of worship, praying,
or spending time alone in nature may help you better understand and reconcile your loss. 8. You have the right to search for meaning. You may find yourself asking, “Why did my pet die?
Why this way? Why now?” Some of your questions may have answers, but some may not. Ask them
anyway. 9. You have the right to treasure your memories. Memories are one of the best legacies that exist
after the death of a special companion animal. Instead of ignoring your memories, find ways to
capture them and treasure them always. 10. You have the right to move toward your grief and heal. Reconciling your grief after the death
of a pet may not happen quickly. Remember, grief is best experienced in “doses.” Be patient and
tolerant with yourself and avoid people who are impatient and intolerant with you. Neither you nor
those around you must forget that the death of a beloved pet changes your life forever.
Note from k2k9: I would only add that these same "rights" apply to the loss of a human, as well. There is no such thing as "getting over it". Grief has no timeline. There is nothing wrong with you if you grieve for a long time, or a short time. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Take as much, or as little, time as you want.
k2k9 presents: What color is this loveseat? This is like that stupid thing that went around social media last year: what color is the dress? Blue? or silver? -- remember that?
Without a flash, it's brown.
(Leave me alone, I'm tryin' to sleep.)
With flash photography, it's black.
(You're using a flash, when I'm tryin' to sleep. Seriously?!)
The real answer? Brown. Charlie Brown.
( Mom!! I SAID... I'm tryin' to sleep!)
52 Snapshots of life is hosted by our pals over at The Lazy Pit Bull. Read their post from Week 33- Black here -- bringing awareness to the plight of black cats in shelters (who are often overlooked and take longer to adopt out than cats of other hues).
