Day 92 - She's Looking for a Recipe

This was the best picture I could take of #3 while she was sniffing around in my magazine collection. I think she's trying to look for a doggie biscuit recipe.

Day 87 - Spacing Out

I was lying down in one of those yoga moves, had #1 hanging on my legs and th0ught....hm....this is an interesting perspective to shoot her from but she wasn't really having it. I couldn't get a good enough of a clear shot so this will have to do.

Day 63 - Ego Busted or Not

We entered the store and approached an Asian man behind the counter who was helping an older gentleman. Most of the customers were males looking for specific items for their hobby. The Asian man curiously looked over at us and then proceeded to ask us if we had a question. I asked him if they carried the 50D. He raised his eyebrows and asked me the type of photo I was planning to take. I was taken a back by the response but I explained to him that I was interested in taking portraits and occasional landscape or action. The Asian fellow asked me if I have seen the T1i while also mentioning that the older gentleman next to me has the 50D (which was placed on the counter) and that he had to special order it. I wanted to reach out to the 50D. It was within my grasp but it was not the store's camera. I did not want to impose on the older gentleman.

The Asian fellow went on to tell me about the T1i. This is where I became timid and felt I should have done my homework before walking into such a store where too much testosterone could do harm to a female's ego. He takes out the T1i to show me. I immediately recognize that it is the younger and more technically savvy brother of the XTI. I did not mention to the gentleman that my XTI was tugged in my bag. I did not feel like I needed to but at the same time...I also felt that he thought I was either 1) One of those people who wanted to buy an expensive camera and did not know how to use it or 2) I was a small woman and the smaller Canon would fit me better. He continues to go on about why the 50D if I don't have the good lens to go with it. I mention to him that I have the 24-70 and the 50 1.4. At the mention of the 24-70, I see that he is slightly impressed and realizes that I must know a little bit about cameras but he is still not convinced. He continues to tell me the good things about the T1i while in my mind...all I wanted to do was feel the 50D and if it was compatible with me. Too bad.

Anyhoo...I thanked the gentleman who managed to stomp on my ego as an amateur photographer and quietly exited the store with the husband by my side. Luckily my ego is not easily crushed or else I wouldn't be where I am today. We went back to his parents where I managed to snap a few shots of their dog, Boba.
Don't let her size fool you. She's lovable and sweet as can be! I love how the sun was setting in this picture but as usual...pets are antsy and can never stay still for you. Oh well.

Day 49 - Cotton and Scruffy!

The husband and I had dinner plans with Metea and her hubby today. It was a lovely evening. We went to Open Sesame in Long Beach, CA. After dinner, the four of us went back to our place and played Scrabble. I kicked their butts! LOL. Just kidding! I didn't kick their butts but I did manage to win. While we were playing Scrabble, I managed to snap a few shots of their furkids falling asleep on our couch.

Meet Cotton - the Morkie. What's a Morkie? It's a Maltese Yorkie mix. Cotton whines...like #4. I think she would get along with my #4.Meet Scruffy. I remembered when Metea first got this little guy. I called him Scrappy. I dunno why I did that. Eventually I remembered his name. :) Maybe when I have my next dog, I will call him Scrappy. ;P Scruffy was a BAD BOY!! He succeeded in marking his territory on one of our plants!! Shame shame shame!

Day 47 - The Runt - #4

#4 - He's the runt of the pack. He's a brat and a major whiner. He's quite annoying. The good thing about #4 is that he gets along with most dogs.

He doesn't mind being the beta dog. Given that he has to compete with his three sisters for attention, he is an attention whore. He will run to you and look up with those doggie eyes wanting you to pet him or rub his belly. He cries bloody murder if he even thinks he's remotely in trouble! I'm not kidding when I say he cries bloody murder.

He has his moments of cuteness. It's usually when he's sleeping. :P

Day 46 - Snickers

Date of Birth: October 1, 1999
Personality: Loves balls and squeaky toys. Loves chewing on bark. Stubborn. Loves to bark.

Snickers is the original dog! It was difficult to take a picture of him as each time I pointed my camera at him, he would turn the other way. I was lucky to even get a profile shot of this guy!

Anyhoo - I was looking for a puppy in 1999. I'd been reviewing the newspaper and the Pennysaver and one day called one of those listings. The lady on the phone told me there was only one puppy left and if I was seriously considering, I should come out to take a look at the puppy.

So on that faithful day in December 1999, ECA, PJ and I treaded somewhere east to the boonies where I could smell the manure at 6ish in the evening. It was dark. We arrived at the house where the lady was going to meet us. I don't remember anything about the house.

She brought out the mommy and in waddled the little puppy. He was sooo cute!!!!! He stayed close to his mom. He wasn't really shy but he was nervous. He could smell something was in the air. His siblings were gone. He was the last. I was nervous. She brought him over to me and I petted him. He was friendly but he was still nervous. He continued to glance around for his mommy. He slipped out of my hands and waddled back to his mom.

PJ squealed, "HE'S SOOO CUTE! GET HIM!" That was one of the things that I remembered from that night.

I talked to the owner and turned over my money. She gave me his paperwork (my dog is certified) and some dog food. She left the room and came back with a small cardboard box. He was playing with his mom, licking her and maybe saying his silent farewell. The nice lady picked up the little guy and placed him in the box. In the next hour, we drove home. The little guy was in the back and was preoccupied with ECA and PJ. It wasn't until that night that he realized he was alone. His mom was not around. He could not snuggle up to her like he did only hours ago. He started to whimper in his box. He slept with me that night and for the next few days.

Eventually he forgot about his mom and adjusted to his new life.

Day 39 - What's She Staring At?

I wanted to snap some shots of the male dogs of the pack but they were not cooperating today. I did manage to snap a shot of #3 staring at something. Probably #1. Aside from reflections, I love strange framing shots. This one was taken at one of those vents that are at the bottom of the walls in my garage. Oh yes...you get to see a peek of my backyard and yes, I was semi-lying on the garage floor to get this shot. ;P

Day 25 - Kit-Kat

I'd like to introduce Kit-Kat. Who is she? Well, she's mommy doggie. Her three girls can be found here. She also has a son who's rather annoying to me. I've tried to get rid of him numerous times but no takers. J/K to the getting rid of him but not the annoying part. Anyhoo...she's eight years old. That's like...56 years old in dog years!

Kit-Kat arrived at our house when she was about 6 months old. Our gardener at the time had a litter of puppies and apparently wanted to unload her. I vaguely remembered her arrival. The gardener did not take very good care of the poor thing. She stunk! I am not even joking! I had to bathe her TWO TIMES in one sitting! The smell was horrid! That was the one thing I remembered about this gal.

What can I tell you about Kit-Kat? Well, she's got four kids and she shares her sleeping quarter with Snickers (daddy doggie who I have not formally introduced). She's kind of her own dog...an independent dog...does her own thing. While the kids play with Snickers - they don't mess with Kit-Kat. They leave her alone. I must say, it's quite amusing. It's almost as if they fear her....like how you would fear your own mom rather than your dad sometimes. :D She's a bit of an old soul. Sometimes while I am in the backyard, watching the kids play with each other, I can see out of the corner of my eyes that she's there..watching. I wondered to myself what is she watching. Oh...she sucks at walks. Out of all my dogs...I think she would rather sit at home than go jogging with us. :( OH...and I LOVE her button nose!

Day 3 - What's So Interesting?

Once a year - I torture my furkids by taking them in for their dental work. This year was no exception. It's torture for them but a total ordeal for me. What I mean by an ordeal is because they stink up my car, they do not sit still once the car is put into park and they bark at anything and everything that crosses their path. Oh and they cost me a pretty penny. Today was the worst. These dogs better appreciate all that I have done for them. ;P

I brought the first batch in yesterday. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to snap a picture of yesterday's furkids because Snickers (the dad) was all over the car. It took all my energy to subdue him. Actually - I think he subdue me. However, today I got my chance. (Oh yes, I transport my dogs in a laundry basket.) It's easy and they sit still while I am driving.

After signing in with the receptionist - I kept my dogs company and snapped this picture below. Today is day 3 of Project 365 and I like my dogs. Well, I adore my dogs. Except when they pee, poop and bark. Now let me introduce you to these three.

# 1 (Far left - in the front with her tongue hanging over.) Turning six years old in September, she is our alpha female. Almost everything is alpha about her. What I mean by alpha is she is the dominant dog. She is numero uno. She is the gangleader, the bully and the aggressor. She was the biggest out of the litter and she STILL is the biggest out of the leader. The husband thinks she is my favorite and I reluctantly will admit that there is alittle of favoritism towards her. I try to treat my dogs equally but by gosh...I am only human. She is the smartest with her wit to pick up tricks like shaking hands and sitting. Of course - it could be because food is her enticement and we use that to get her to do what we want. We have nicknames for #1 - "Oink, Oink," "Miss Piggy," and "The Bully."

# 2 (Middle - far back.) She is also turning six this year and is a middle child. I have one word for her. LAZY. I let the dogs out each morning and she always remains behind. I literally have to kick her out of the crate. And in the evening when I want the dogs to return back to the crate – I simply open the back door and call out their names – she remains behind! My parents complain that she requires them to carry her inside. I don’t believe in that. I walk outside carrying a broom and that is enough for her to run inside. :D She also has some freaking skin allergy that I’ve been trying to figure out for about two years now. :( The thing I like about #2 is that she just minds her own business and likes to do her own thing. Her nickname is "Lazy."

#3 – (Far right.) She is also turning six years old and is another middle child. I think she has the middle child syndrome. I truly believe that she instigates some of the fights that have happened between her and # 1. She’ll look at you with those innocent doggie eyes while trying to figure out how to make a run for it. She managed to break one of her paw fingers two years ago trying to escape our garage. You can actually see her screwed up finger in the picture below. It is the left paw when you are looking directly at her. You will notice the third finger from the left in is slightly tilted right. Yup…that is the screwed up finger. Her nickname is, "The Instigator."

My silly dogs....I groan when I hear them bark at the bus, the possum, the neighbor, the bird or whatever else that catches their attention yet they bring a smile to my face when I see them sleep with their bellies in the air or when they chase after each other in a game of cat and mouse.

The Kids

I have not had a chance to talk about the furkids. Here is a recent picture of them. They are all turning six years old this year and are siblings. # 1 is the alpha, # 2 is the lazy one, # 3 is the instigator and # 4 is the runt and brat. Terrible picture taken with my Blackberry.

Furbabies

It's time to introduce my furbabies. I have six dogs. (It's amazing when I tell people I have six dogs - the shock on their faces can still amaze me.) I am not sure why some people are so shocked that I have six dogs. Is it because it doesn't seem to be possible in today's society to have more than, say, three or four pets? Is that the same shock that people get when a couple has more than the "social norm" of say three or four kids? Yikes, I digress.

Anyway, I have to provide a little bit of history on my six dogs. They are a family. What does that mean? It means I have daddy, mommy and their four kids. You see....at one point in my life, I had this brilliant master plan that I could breed and make money off of my pets. (Shock factor again for some people.) Yes, yes, I really wanted to make money on my pets. Hey, they have to earn their keep too! :P There should be a purpose for every creature on this Earth! Oops...by the way, my dogs are daschund breed. That's the weiner dog for those who do not know the term "daschund." Yes, yes, it's those little hot dogs with the long bodies, short stubbly legs and floppy ears.

Many moons ago, I bought daddy doggie from somewhere out in the boonies like Hemet or Riverside. Then mommy doggie was given to us by our previous gardener. Mommy doggie happened to be the same breed as daddy doggie. After about two years of cohabitating, they had puppies on the night of September 12, 2003.

I was estastic! They had four puppies! Oh the good old days when the kids were puppies and how cute they were! Of course, they grew up and I decided to keep them all. I also decided I was not breeding material. After seeing them grow in front my very eyes, I just did not have the heart to sell or give them away. Of course I had many inquiries but I just could not part ways with the puppies. The other problem was that the people who were asking...basically, I did not see that they were fit to own pets. (Sighed) I really should not be the judge of that because I really am not that great of a pet owner as well. Do I hear double standards? Maybe but oh well....they are my dogs! :P

So in the next few weeks, I will slowly introduce my six furbabies and their personalities. Yes, really, personalities.