Thunder and Lightning

Along about 1:30 this morning I was awoken by the sound of Papa's frantic barking. Usually he will bark in the middle of the night because he heard something outside the bedroom window, or because he heard Mariah barking at a possum out in the backyard someplace. When he wakes me in this manner my first thought is that he heard Mariah, so I turn an ear towards the back window to see if I can hear Mariah barking. Last night, however, I was surprised to hear the distant rumblings of a lightning strike.

Electrical storms are right up there among my absolute favorite things in this world, and a little later when my bedroom briefly lit up with a great bluish-white light, and then moments after that a sharp "CRACK-BOOM" echoed across the sky, I knew I wouldn't sleep again until either the storm passed, or morning broke. Such storms are a rarity around here, so I have to take them as they come.

Papa, however, doesn't share my enthusiasm for nature's light and sound show, and when he saw the flash through the window I guess he decided whomever was out there shining their light in at us needed to be reminded of what time of the morning it was, and so he started sounding off with his usual warning. When the thunder from that first strike finally caught up with us, the noise hardly made a difference to Papa. He wasn't about to take any lip from that silly light, and so he barked even more urgently, determined I imagine to show this prankster just who is the boss.

As the lightning and thunder continued in the distance, I was able to calm Angel down rather quickly, and while Jacqueline had done some barking herself, hers was more of a supportive voice for her brother more than anything else, so once Papa stopped barking at every little noise, so did sister Jackie.

As I became more lucid I realized this was an unusually powerful electrical storm. The lightning was approaching, as proven by the tried and true counting of seconds between the flash and boom. As that count decreased, the intensity of the lightning and thunder dramatically increased. The flash of some of the closer strikes was incredibly bright, and the blast from the shock wave as the air was literally ripped apart was strong enough to send vibrations I could feel even though I was in bed.

I knew I was fully awake when I thought of what might happen to my precious electronics should just one well placed strike hit the power lines out back. The storm had arrived, and the strikes were coming a lot more frequently. Quick as a flash I sprung from my bed and made my way through the hall towards the living room as the lightning struck again and again, and the thunder violently cracked and reverberated against the mountains. I turned off my computer, and pulled the plug of the surge protector. I also unplugged the surge protectors for the television and the Official Angel and Jacqueline Webcam. However, I guess without the security of me being in the room with him set Papa off again, and he began barking after each strike, so I hurried back down the hall so I could calm him down all over again.

As I made my way back it dawned on me that Angel's barks weren't all that loud, and in fact sounded somewhat muffled. When I got back to the room I immediately discovered why...

Of course I didn't take this picture of Angel last night, but it illustrates quite well what I found when I got back to my room... Papa under the covers, barking at that mean old prankster with the light and the noise.

And what of Jackie, my sweet little eight pounds of little girl doggie? The baby of the family who is nearly two and a half years younger than her big brother Angel?

As with the previous picture, this one wasn't taken during the storm, but it is quite representative of Jackie's state of mind during the whole affair. She primarily primped and preened while her brother occasionally lost his mind, and her daddy went on and on about how "cool" the storm was. She probably wondered if Angel and I had ever even seen an electrical storm before.

Want more great pictures of pets or animals? Then head on over to the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Picture Perfect Papa

Since I lost Athena I have taken literally hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of my pets. I wish I had more pictures of Athena, so I suppose that's why I take so many of Angel, Jackie, Thalia, and the rest of my small zoo. Few are really any good, and less, a LOT less, are very good. This one I just now took of Angel is very good. At least in my eyes...

I know that overall it's not a great picture, but my heart recognizes him in this picture, and that's what makes it great.

Want more great pictures of pets like Papa Then head on over to the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Before and After

Amazig what shorter hair can do for a person....

Before...

After...

Jackie and Angel

What with all the time I have on my hands these days, I sometimes burn a litle of it by playing with whatever bit of technology that happens to be within arm's length of me. As luck would have it, just the other day the camera was right next to my chair in my living room, so I grabbed it, and took a few pictures of..... guess who?

Yup... that's Papa. He's all shaggy again, and is need of a trip to the groomer, but I am lazy, and he hates going, so we just laze about all day on the weekends and watch movies. And who do you think loves to watch those movies with us?

Yup... Jackie. She likes movies, but she LOVES chew toys. Kinda like doggie popcorn at the theater I imagine.

Angel likes his chew toys as well, and here he is attacking one with great vigor.

It is Thalia, however, that grabs the front row seat. We call her "Front Row Thali", and she either sits smack-dap in front of the screen, or on daddy's lap. Usually she doesn't stay long on my lap because not one of my pets has learned how to grab dady a snack from the fridge, and get it back to me unharmed. Such an unruley bunch.

It has been quite a while since we have boarded the Friday Ark over at The Modulator. Let's all hope Steve has saved us our old spot!

Jackie & Angel Visit Their Old Stomping Grounds

We had quite a day, Jackie, Angel, and I.

It sort of started yesterday when Jackie let me know she wasn't feeling very well. Unlike Papa, Jackie will actually tell me in her own little doggy way when she is sickie, or hurt. She accomplishes this by following me around, and pawing at me when I am in my chair so I will pick her up. What she was trying to tell me yesterday was that her little foot hurt, or more specifically, her toe.

I took a look at it for her, and I immediately saw she did indeed have a problem. Her toe nail was about 45 degrees from where it should be, and right away I suspected she had a broken toe. I felt her foot gently with my fingers, and when I got to the toe in question she yelped and pulled her paw back. Still, while it looked broken, other than when I but a small amount of pressure on her toe directly, she didn't seem to be in much pain, nor was she limping, but I thought it would be a good idea to have a professional look at it so I called a vet.

Our regular vet doesn't work weekends, so I called one that does, our secondary vet that we use when our regular vet isn't available. Unfortunately they couldn't see us yesterday, but gave us an appointment for first thing in the morning. Because Jackie wasn't showing any signs of discomfort or pain, I decided we could wait until the morning and forgo a trip to the pet emergency hospital.

As it turned out, Jackie's toe wasn't broken at all. Jackie's biggest problem with her foot this morning was a broken toenail. I am not sure how that caused her to yelp when I felt it before, but all that the vet did was to give her a pedicure. A $65.00 pedicure. But, at least my precious baby was OK.

After we got home, I got a call from not one, but two different Realtors who each wanted to show my house to some prospective buyers. One said they wanted to come by at around 1:30, and the other by 2:30. While we were at the vet we discovered that Jackie has gained one pound over the past year, and I figured that was partially due to my no longer taking her and Angel on walks like I had before we moved. The Realtors needing to show my house provided me with the proper motivation to take my two little dogs on a walk, so guess where I took them?

Yep... that's the park just across the street from where we used to live. It's a short drive from my new house, and I thought the dogs would enjoy a walk they are familiar with.

Jackie remembered the place well. Right away she started looking for her favorite flowers. Dandelions. She just forgot what sort of plant dandelions come from is all.

Papa found his favorite flowers as well, only he doesn't eat the flowers her likes, he uses them for other things.

The other plant my little man enjoys is grass. He loves a roll in the grass.

After the walk we had to wait for the last Realtor to leave the house, so we kicked back in the back of the truck.

All in all, we had a very good day, as you can tell by that big goofy smile on my Papa's face.

Now that my wife has left, Jackie, Angel and I feel more and more like our own little pack. Today really brought that home for me. We went out for the first time without her, and I honestly felt like I was going forward and living my new life as a single man. A single man, with two little doggies. (Doesn't that sound like it would make a great name for a blog?)

Before I close this post, I would like to thank all the regulars that drop by for your continuing words of encouragement during these rough times. I appreciate it, and so does Jackie and Angel. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Jackie Finds a Moth

Jackie loves her backyard. Even after I come home from work, and she and Angel have spent the entire day there, Jackie's daily evening routine is to have her supper, play a rousing came of fetch-and-tug-o'-war with her brother and daddy, and then return to the backyard for a little nap.

When she has decided to come back inside, Jackie typically scratches at the back door.

But what this?

Jackie spies a new friend who accompanies her by the door...

Why, it's Mothra! Jackie spotted this rather large moth sitting my the door, but she didn't know what to make of it. She just stared at it for a while, and then carefully stepped around it when I let her in.

A tender heart has she. Should the poor, hapless creature had been unfortunate enough to cross paths with Thalia, you can bet your bottom dollar that it would have never lived to see that night's moon.

Motherless Dogs

I have hinted around about the decline of my marriage here on good ol' Athenamama, but haven't spoken directly about it much. That's mainly because there isn't much to tell, and because I don't feel it would be all that interesting to anyone outside of our marriage.

However, two weeks ago my former wife moved out of our house, and so now Jackie, Angel and I are all on our own, (well, not exactly on our own. Mariah, Thalia, Salem, and Ebby are still in the house with me as is my eldest stepson, but other than that it's pretty desolate around here,) and I thought of this great title for a post so I decided to run with it.

We're getting along fine. I have taken the break-up of my marriage in stride; things like this happen, and the way I see it you can either role with the punches, or make your own life, and that of everyone around you, miserable. I have no animosity towards my former wife, and wish her no ill at all, and that not only makes her happy, but it makes me happy as well. It also makes for a smooth transition in the dynamics of our household.

As for Jackie and Angel, and the question of who will enjoy primary custody, I am happy to announce they will remain with their daddy. My former wife and I talked about it several months ago, and we decided that despite the fact that both of them came into our lives as pets for my wife, I have taken care of them, and bonded with them ever since they came to live with us, so our pack will remain intact. That also means the Official Angel and Jackie Webcam will continue to be on the air for many years to come.

In addition to Jackie and Angel, I also will be keeping Thalia and Ebby. Ebby came to us one night long ago as a stray, and she and Athena became very close. After Athena died, Ebby went into a sort of permanent state of grouchiness, but she still likes to occasionally spend time with me, so I haven't the heart to send her off to live with anyone else. Thalia of course is mine to begin with. Although I wasn't looking for another cat after Athena died, I did find Thali, and I love her dearly. I couldn't let her go anymore than I could Jackie and Angel, so she will stay with us as well, wherever we all end up.

Mariah and Salem belong to my stepson and stepdaughter respectively, and they will be responsible for where those two will live. It truly breaks my heart that I cannot take Mariah and Salem along with the rest of the pets, but I will have a hard enough time finding someone who will rent to a person with four animals already, much less six.

At some point my little menagerie and I will be moving into smaller digs, but for now we are having a great time adjusting to our new environment.

Please also check out all the other critters at Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Pictures From the Official Angel & Jackie Webcam

One of the advantages of the Official Angel and Jackie Webcam, is that you can capture images from the camera. Every once in a while when I personally tune in to see what those two little rascals of mine are up to, I press the little camera icon above the video and save whatever is on the screen at that moment. What follows is a collection of some of those images.

First, let me show you the webcam itself. Well, it is actually the rear of the webcam, but still the webcam nonetheless...

Yup, there she is, folks. The Official Angel and Jackie Webcam perched atop my tripod, and pointed out towards my two favorite pups, (plus one, of course,) in the world. That's where all the action takes place, and what with the neighbors painting there house lately, there's been a LOT of action believe you me.

Anyway, lets move on...

It rained here the other day, and the crew just lazed around on the back patio and waited for daddy to come home. You can get a little perspective of how little Jackie is next to Mariah. Little or not, Jackie rules that backyard. The neighbors have been painting their house, and so it's sheer bedlam whenever the dogs see any member of the painting crew. Papa is the worst of the bunch, and he gets himself so worked up that his normal bark quickly turns into short, high pitched yips and yelps, and then to a full on braying sound that would wake the dead. I honestly wish I had a way to set up a microphone here at work, and some speakers in the backyard at home so that I could calm him down, but at least these episodes don't last long, and none of the neighbors have yet to complain. Jacqueline is a pretty tough little cookie. She keeps ALL of her siblings in line, and she isn't about to let some pesky painter just think he can look over the fence into our her backyard willy-nilly. You look over her fence, and you are in for a good talking to! A very common sight around our house, Jackie and Angel dozing together on a pillow. Why can't people get along more like this? Papa sort of blends in with his surroundings in this picture, so I labeled it "Camouflaged Papa" at Flickr. Jacqueline typically likes the big pillow for herself, but if you look closely in the background you will see her snoozing away on a small scrap of carpet while Mariah sleeps on the large pillow. Jackie's benevolent that way. I captured this frame because I liked how the sun was shining on Jackie that morning. I pointed the camera a little higher so I could get more of the sun in the shot. Another shot of Jackie and Mariah sharing a different large pillow that I had out back. Mariah made short work of that pillow one day, and while she didn't completely destroy it, I am still going to have a hell of a time sewing it back up. And finally, one last shot of Papa sounding the alarm. Why those painters don't understand that they have no right being up high enough to be seen over the wall, Jackie, Angel, and Mariah will never know.

So there ya have it, another rousing bunch of pictures of Jackie, Angel, and their big sister Mariah. If you wold like to see this little pack of dogs in their natural environment, just click on the webcam icon over on the side bar to your right, or simply click here, and you will be taken straight to the camera itself.

Have a nice weekend, and we'll see ya when we see ya.

Oh, and don't forget to tear yourself away from the high drama you will be seeing on the webcam long enough to check out the other lively critters over at the Friday Ark at The Modulator. It's just animals, animals, animals.

Happy Birthday, Jacqueline

The 24th of February will be Jacqueline's forth birthday, but I wanted to celebrate it a little early here on Athenamama so that this entry would be eligible for inclusion in this week's Friday Ark at The Modulator.

The birthday tradition around here mandates an entry dedicated to the birthday girl, (or in Angel's case, birthday boy,) that is comprised mainly of pictures documenting their life thus far. After you finished with all the great pictures of my little baby, be sure to go wish her a happy birthday in person by using the Official Angel and Jackie Webcam.

So, without further ado, I give you Jacqueline...

Let's begin with my baby's very first picture. She was so tiny, (less than one and a half pounds,) that I feared Thalia would kill her thinking she was a mouse. Thalia pounces on poor unsuspecting baby Jackie. Jackie chose her daddy before we even paid for her, and as you can see here, once she arrive at her new home she spent every moment she could in his presence. Jacqueline's brother Angel is as dear to her as her daddy, maybe even more so. She spends every minute of every day with her big brother. She also loves her big sister Thalia. She and Thali love to wrestle, and there is no doubt that Jackie considers Thali as a member of our pack. Jackie learned early that she needed to go for walks with her daddy and big brother. Here she is being a big girl with her new leash and collar on her very first walk. Before I knew it, my little girl had blossomed into a beautiful young lady... ...but, she she is still her daddy's little girl, and follows him no matter where he goes. She has a grand sense of adventure... ...but she also loves to just stay home, and "kick it with the crew". She takes her bath like a big girl... ...but likes the drying part the best. She is queen of the backyard.. ...but sometimes lets Mariah get to the ball first. But only sometimes.

So, there's my baby in all her glory. She's an affectionate little cuss, and I love her to death.

Waking up with Jackie and Angel

Yesterday morning I took a few pictures of Jackie and Angel when we woke up. I don't know why, maybe I was bored. But it worked out well for you because now I can post the pictures here...

That's Jackie cleaning her toes. She usually stays deep under the covers until I come out of the shower. I betcha never knew she was an under-cover dog.

Papa is usually pretty anxious to get down off the bed, and start his busy day of napping and barking. The trouble is, he's chicken. I don't like for him to jump off anyway. Ever since I found out he has some problems with his spine, I try to make sure he doesn't do anything to aggravate it. I am pretty well versed in the conditions of the spine, and I'll do whatever I can to either fully protect him from it, or at least slow it down. I am happy to say he hasn't seemed to have any more trouble with his back since that first episode over a year ago, but I know he has some mild osteophytes so I figure an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or something like that.

Once they have been outside to do what they need to do, Angel and Jackie get their breakfast, and then lounge on their big ol' bed in my living room for a while until it's time for me to go to work. Sometimes it's a little difficult to get them to go out back, but usually they just run right out the door and see who will get the choice spot first. (In case you were wondering, it's usually Jackie who gets the best spot. She will even make Mariah move out of her way if Jackie wants that particular spot.

Angel gets in one last snuggle before I head off to work. I guess he loves his daddy.

Before I go I thought I would mention my little sweetie-pie, Jackie the long hair chihuahua will be celebrating her fourth birthday this month, so look for her annual birthday post sometime around the 24th.

And go say hi to Jackie, Angel, and Mariah at the Official Angel and Jackie Webcam. It's freeeeeeeee!

So there ya go, another happy day with Jackie and Angel.
Remember more dogs can be found at the Friday Ark at The Modulator, so go check them out.

Rainy Sunday

It's Raining again this Super Bowl Sunday, and as my small menagerie and I sit around the house alone waiting for the big game, we decided to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Sort of a fitting movie for the sort of day we are having.

So here's the rain...

And here is my happy little brood...

So there ya have it, another lazy day at our little house, and frankly, I am enjoying every minute of it.

Rainy Weekend Last

Last week Southern California enjoyed a healthy gaggle of storm systems. Well, at least I enjoyed it.

On Friday night we even had a thunder storm! It isn't very often anymore that we see lightning around these here parts ever since Mr. Al Gore went and messed up the weather and all. But I suppose the rarity of it all makes it just that much more enjoyable when we do get a show from good old mother nature.

For the most part my small group of animals and e held up inside the house and watched television. Well, I worked on my computer making it faster and cooler, but the dogs loved watching "The Dog Whisperer" all weekend. (By the way, if you ever do tune in to the Official Angel and Jackie Webcam, Username Guests, Password athena, and hear a constant humming noise, that's my computer trying to keep cool. Prescott is hott.)

Well, OK, perhaps they weren't all that excited about Cesar after all. But we still had a grand time.

In between computers and televisions, I would sneak out to check on the weather from time to time. Once during a slight lull in the rain I found this little guy trying to stay dry, or keep from drowning.

Cute little bugger, ain't he?

More dogs, and maybe a snail or two, can be found at the Friday Ark at The Modulator. Go have a look see.

The Official Angel and Jackie Webcam

The usual link for The Official Angel and Jackie Webcam is down today because I forgot to check the IP address at home before I left for work. But never fear, you can access the camera directly by clicking here. Remember, to sign in you will need to use following user name and password: Username: Guests, Password: athena. Remember also that it is case sensitive.

A New Camera For the Angel and Jackie Webcam

One of my favorite Christmas presents each year is the Amazon dot com gift certificate that my brother sends me. I love few things as much as online shopping, especially when I don't have to pay for it, so I always look forward to receiving my brothers gift, settling down in my big ol' easy chair with a hot cup of coffee, and browsing through the thousands of choices over at Amazon.

I wasn't quite sure what I was going to buy this time around, but after sorting through page after page of online goodies, I finally landed on the Panasonic BL-C131A Wireless Pan/Tilt MPEG-4 PetCam Network Camera . I ordered it last weekend, and it came last night. I was so giddy with excitement that I actually stayed up late setting it up. So, you may now tune into the world famous Official Angel and Jacqueline Webcam with slightly improved graphics, and control over the direction of the camera!

You can still use the link over on the right side-bar to access the camera, and depending on which method you choose to view the camera, (Java, ActiveX, or Media Player,) you should see some directional control buttons. Using those buttons you should be able to point the camera up, down, left, or right. Don't worry about returning the camera to it's original position because it will do that itself after a few moments of inactivity.

In the past it seemed to me that selecting the Java appellet was the best way to view the camera, but the ActiveX control has been improved, and now works on Vista as well as XP. Using any of the choices with Firefox is kind of a crap shoot. I prefer Firefox for my web browsing needs, but Internet Explorer is still the best way to view The Official Angel and Jacqueline Webcam.

However, with the new camera comes a new way to view Angel and Jackie in their natural environment! By clicking this link, you will be taken directly to the webcam software. You will see a better picture, but instead of streaming video it simply refreshes the image every three seconds. The control of the camera is also different. Instead of buttons that allow you to point the camera with fluid control, you will find buttons that will point the camera at preset locations. (So, you can see my carpet, and doors if you like.) The only catch is you will need to sign in. When prompted, use the following: Username: Guests, Password: athena. It's case sensitive, so get it right!

Go ahead and give the new camera a test drive, and I hope you have as much fun watching Jackie, Angel, and Mariah sleep as you do when you watch paint dry.

As always, thanks for your patronage.

More dogs can be found at the Friday Ark at The Modulator. Please go check them out!

My Handsome Little Man

It's been a while since Angel has seen the groomer. In fact, he hasn't been since we moved into the new house a little over a year ago.

The main reason he hasn't been is because I am too sensitive. I know that he doesn't like to go, and that he gets pretty stressed out when he realizes that's where he is headed, but on the other hand I know it is in his best interest to go, so usually I end up taking him at regular intervals.

During the summer I cut Papa's hair myself. It had become rather unruly, but I didn't want to take him to the groomer's, so one day I gave him a bath, broke out some scissors, and trimmed Angel's hair as best I could. I did a half decent job, if I do say so myself, but I didn't do nearly as well as the groomer. I also couldn't trim Angel's toenails, and they were getting to be quite long.

I was contemplating taking Angel to get his hair and nails done this weekend, when out of the blue the groomer called me! She said it had been a while since Angel had been in, and would I like to make an appointment, so I did, and now we can see the results of her work...

When the groomer first got a look at Angel she said, "Angel! What happened to you!", clearly a shot at Angel's daddy, but she was right, I had let Papa go to seed, and I knew it.

The groomer went to the computer, and in the section where she puts in what kind of cut and other services she was to do she simply wrote, "Do what you can."

Three hours later, Papa came home.

Now Angel is all cleaned up and looking good. I guess I should keep the before pictures handy to remind me of how shaggy Angel gets when I don't take him to be groomed like I should.

Happy Anniversary Papa

Here's a little secret about me of which you dear reader(s) may not be fully aware; I LOVE my dogs. So much so that I remember most of the milestone's if their little lives, such as the day they joined our household.

That day for Papa was December 29th, 2001. I have told the story of how Papa came to be a member of our family before, but I enjoy telling it so much I will give a brief accounting of it again here. (Well, maybe not too "brief". I love telling this story.)

On December 29th, 2001, my wife and I drove out to a little beach town here in Southern California called Carpinteria. We went because I wanted to take one last look at the huge Santa Claus that was about to be removed from atop a shop in the tourist trap known as Santa Claus Lane. This very large, iconic piece of kitsch had been a part of the California coastline since the 1940's, and being that I had seen the thing all my life, I was a tad melancholy over the fact that it was about to be removed. (There had once been a matching snowman that had also been installed sometime after Santa first made the scene, but he melted away during the Reagan administration.) I brought my camera with me that day, and grabbed this shot of the jolly old elf.

You might be able to see by the background of the picture that it was somewhat of a dreary day, and it matched my wife's mood precisely. She was down, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't cheer her up.

When I returned to the car after I took the pictures of Santa, my wife finally confided in me that she was depressed, but she wasn't real clear as to why. She had been talking about getting a puppy for a while, and even mentioned it again on the way up to see Santa, so I thought it might help to cheer her up if we went to look at some. I mentioned this to her, and she lit up a bit over the idea, so we drove off in search of puppies.

My wife had done a bit of research concerning what sort of dog would be best suited for her, not to mention our crazy house of other animals. At first she thought a "teacup" poodle would be a good match, but after seeing a woman with a little Maltese puppy at the pet store one afternoon, she did a little reading on the breed and decided that was the dog for her. So, I found the nearest phone booth, (you remember phone booths, right?,) and called a couple few pet stores in the area. As it turns out, none had any Maltese. I asked my wife if she would still like to look at what they had anyway, but she said she really wanted to see a Maltese puppy. Somewhat defeated, I headed home.

Heading north on the 101 freeway I remembered there was a pet store at the Thousand Oaks Mall, about 40 miles north of where we were. I asked my wife if she felt up to driving out to T.O. just for the fun of it, and she agreed, so off we went.

Now, I really wasn't all that enthusiastic about getting a small, yappy, jealous little dog. In fact, I had done all I could to discourage my wife from going through with bringing one into our home. But on this day she was just plain unhappy, and I hated seeing her that way, so if looking at a few little fluffy balls of fur cheered her up then who was I to stand between her and a moment of happiness? Besides, at that time the Maltese wasn't a fantastically popular breed, so I figured the odds were probably nil that they even had one at the shop we were heading to. At least, I thought the Maltese wasn't a very popular breed.

Once we arrived at the mall, my wife practically bolted upstairs to the pet store, and pushed her way to the back where they kept the puppies. I sort of lingered at the front of the store because they had some tiny baby African Tortoises for sale. They were the cutest little buggers, and I contemplated getting one, but at the time we were living in a condo, and we really didn't have the sort of yard that a tortoise would enjoy.

I made my way back to the puppy area, and to my horror found my wife plastered up against a small glass booth the pet store used to seclude potential suckers pet owners with small furry animals for the purpose of allowing them to spend some time alone with the animal. Of course most people instantly fall in love with, and subsequently buy the critter they take into the booth. On this occasion the booth was occupied by a lady holding the cutest Maltese puppy you have ever seen.

My wife made a spectacle of herself all squished up against the glass of that booth trying to get the best view she could of the little white furball.

And then, it happened.

My wife turned to me and said, "There she is!" As the words left her mouth I saw cartoon bags with dollar signs and wings flying out of the window of my mind.

Like I said, my wife was drawing quite a bit of attention with her enthusiasm over finding a Maltese puppy, and this did not go unnoticed by the woman in the booth, or by the salesperson for that matter. The lady soon emerged from the booth, and asked my wife if she would like to hold "him". My wife was like a little girl on Christmas when the lady handed her the puppy, and she immediately held him close, and snuggled with him. She then lifted him up in the air as if he were the lion king, and said, "You were supposed to be a girl, but you're a boy!"

That cinched it, and not only did I realize this, but so had the lady who just moments ago was holding this sweet little guy, and worst of all, the salesperson did as well. But my wife, who was in her own little world at the time, momentarily forgot all about the woman who had been holding the puppy first. When it finally dawned on her that this woman had been seriously considering purchasing this pup, she returned to the real world and asked, "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you going to buy him?" The lady, who obviously could tell love at first sight when she saw it said, "Well, he is going to be bigger than I would like. I have two females at home, and wanted a male to breed with them, but they are small, and he will be a little too big. Besides, you deserve him." With that, the lady turned to the sales person who still had the contract in his hand and said, "I don't think I want to buy him after all."

You might think the salesperson would be a tiny bit peeved, but he wasn't. Most likely because he knew I was sunk, and he was going to be able to make a sale anyway.

In the end Santa wound up in a vacant lot further south on the 101. A guy who owns some property in the tiny ramshackle town of El Rio, California gave Santa his own little lot where he now looks over a different section of the same freeway, and with a trendy pair of sunglasses no less. I imagine the property owner is filled with the same sense of nostalgia that I am about that particular Santa, and just couldn't see him dumped in a landfill someplace.

And Papa, of course, went home with us that very night.

Here are a few pictures of the little scallywag that I took after we got him home...

Angel was so impossibly white when he was a puppy, and his little tail had the perfect curl to it. He was also very well behaved. Ahh what a difference six years can make!

More dogs can be found at the Friday Ark at The Modulator. Please go check them out!

The Official Jackie and Angel Cam Is Back (Sort Of)

A while back I set up a webcam so I could keep an eye on our two favorite pups, Angel and Jackie. I was using an old VHS video camera for the camera aspect of the webcam, and it worked very well, that is right up until I added a video capture device to my system that really screwed with my video capture graphics card.

The VHS camera won't work with my webcam software anymore, and I am too lazy to figure out a work-around, so for now I have set up the really crappy webcam I bought at a discount store over the summer. The upside to this is that the webcam works, and you can see Angel and Jackie in their natural habitat from time to time. The downside is that by mid-day, even though the camera is pointed out to a section of the yard that is under a covered patio, the sun is bright enough to almost completely wash out the picture.

In any case, if you like, check in on Jackie and Angel and see them sleep, drink, sleep some more, chase the occasional bird, sleep some more, and sleep.

All you have to do, is click here .

As before, I have found the Java applet to be the most reliable as far as Microsoft Vista is concerned. The ActiveX software provided by the company that I bought the webcam software from works quite well on Internet Explorer in Windows XP, but it won't load on Firefox, or on Vista. As usual, Media Player is almost completely useless.

If you run into any problems, leave me a message in the comments. It is still sort of back in the experimental stages, so any input would be helpful, and appreciated.

Sometimes the webcam connection gets dropped, and if it does you will see a rainbow test pattern. Sometimes the IP changes since I don't have a static IP at home. If that happens your computer also won't connect to the webcam server. I try to keep the IP current in the link, and as of this morning it was correct.

Good luck.

Jackie Makes a Kill

A hapless giraffe somehow found it's way into our living room this past week, but I am afraid he didn't make it very far before he was taken down by one of the most prolific hunters in our household.

Jackie and Angel constantly monitor the living room and hall for any moving object. Most often it is Angel that first spots a trespasser, and his usual course of action is to start barking. However, it depends on what the moving object is that dictates how Angel reacts. For instance, any flying stuffed animal, or other such toy, causes Papa to race after the object, grab it, and then present it to me for a rousing game of tug-o-war. Jackie, on the other hand, plays for keeps, so when she finds a toy she takes it back to her lair, and God help you should you try to take it from her.

Jackie with her fresh kill. She first scans the horizon for scavengers and other predators. She will guard that giraffe with her life if need be.

Jackie goes straight for the good stuff, the guts of the giraffe. All great hunters do this in the wild. The gut contains the tastiest, and most nutritional value of the kill.

Of course, a drumstick is also pretty good.

Turns out this particular giraffe was pretty tough, and didn't make for good eatin'. In fact, I think the giraffe was playing possum because in the end Jackie and the giraffe became good friends, and ended the day by taking a nap together. This made the giraffe very happy, as you can see by the smile on his little face.

So there ya have it, another exciting chapter in the lives of Jacqueline and Angel. Well, at least Jackie. Until next week, please see more dogs and other critters over at the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Happy Birthday, Papa

Well, another year has gone by for my little boy Angel, and that makes him another year older. It's hard to believe that six years ago today a little white fluff-ball came into this world, and then just three scant months later found his way into our home, and our hearts.

It is also my little grandson's birthday today. He is two years old today. Happy Birthday, Josiah!

Papa's story of how he came to be in our family can be found here. It's a great little story of how one day, completely by chance, we found our little boy waiting behind the glass of a pet store window for someone to bring him home. I hope you take the time to read it because I personally love that tale.

Anyway, Athenamama tradition dictates that part of our pet's birthday celebration includes their very own entry complete with both their baby pictures, and pictures of them today. So, without further ado, I give you my little Papa, Angel....

This is one of Papa's very first pictures the night we brought him home. He was so well behaved, and so quiet! The complete opposite of the boisterous little man he is today.

Well behaved and quiet, but also possessed with a love for playing. Angel's favorite playtime activity was, and still is tug-o-war. Here he is preparing to grab hold of that slipper and tug on it for all he's worth.

We brought Angel home just four days after Christmas. That little toy in the foreground is actually a stuffed penguin wearing a Santa Claus outfit. I bought it at a local convenience store that first night we had him home. It was his first ever stuffed toy. he didn't get to keep it for very long, though, because as soon as he chewed a hole in it I took it away from him and put it in one of my dresser drawers, where it sits today.

Papa at about six months old. He used to love those damn rawhide chew toys, and would lay on his back and gnaw on them like a sea otter eating an abalone. I heard somewhere that small dogs can choke on pieces of rawhide, so it's been a while since he has had one. When I do get them for Angel and Jackie I only allow them to chew on one when I am there to supervise. Even then I am like an old nervous mother, so it is a rare occasion indeed when I buy them a piece of rawhide.

Another picture of Angel at about six months. His coat was so white then, but over the years it has developed some lemon colored patches. They are very faint, but his coat is no where near as white as it once was. Right now he is pretty scruffy looking, and is in need of a bath. We had a really tough flea season, and so he and Jackie both were looking pretty bad for a while. I wasn't able to give them baths as often as I would like because I didn't want to wash off the Advantage flea medicine. The medicine never really seemed to work, though, because I found fleas on them within hours of applying the medicine. There were just so many fleas that I couldn't get the situation under control. I treated our yard, the carpet, all three dogs and their beds, but we still found fleas in each of those locations. It was horrible.

When Angel was about two years old we brought home little Jacqueline. They have been inseparable ever since. Here they are on one of the many walks we used to take when we lived in our little condo. I used to love those walks, but since we moved we haven't gone very often. There just aren't as many neat places to walk around here in the new neighborhood, but I know I shouldn't let that be an excuse for not going.

I really like this picture of Jackie and Angel walking together. It captures their love for one another. Especially the love Jackie has for her big brother.

Here's Papa just after his least favorite activity known as "Bath-time". Angel hates to take a bath, but I guess that's normal being that he is a little boy and all. When I turn on the bath water in our old fashioned bathtub, Angel hides wherever he can. I usually lure him out with a cookie, but sometimes even that won't work. Now I usually run the bath water while he is outside, then he goes straight into the water when he comes in.

According to one calculator, Papa is now the human equivalent of 37 years old! As rambunctious as he is, I never would have guessed. He still runs up and down the hallway chasing after toys, rough houses with his sister, "protects" the house, chases off the cats, and will play fetch in the backyard. For now he shows no sign of slowing down, and I hope he never does.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAPA!

Ear Baths and Pecking Orders

It's been a while since I have had a post about our two favorite pups, Jackie and Angel, but it isn't because I haven't wanted to, it's more because nothing of any real interest has happened lately. (Not that it ever does, it's just the only excuse I could come up with.)

I have also slacked off on taking pictures lately. I am not sure why, except that I am like that in some ways. I get on "kicks" where I will do some particular activity for a while, then get bored with it, pick up another activity, and sort of cycle through them as time goes on. I might be getting closer to taking pictures again, so we'll see what the future holds.

In any case, I was looking through some of my older pictures and found some of Jackie, Angel, and Thalia that I liked, so I thought I would use those today. What I like about these pictures is they sort of highlight the relationship the three of them share.

In our house we have three cats, and three dogs. Mariah is my stepson's dog, and she is pretty big so she lives in the backyard. Angel and Jackie stay back there most of the day while my wife and I work, so the three dogs get along just fine. But that relationship ends at the back door. If Mariah shows any indication that she wants to come in the house, Jackie and Angel remind her of her place. Mariah usually doesn't try to come in, though, because she knows she isn't supposed to be in the house. But on a few occasions when it has been really cold out back, and we wanted Mariah to sleep in the garage, Angel especially lost his mind as we led her through the house to the garage door.

The cats have their own pecking order, but it's hard to tell what that order is because they avoid each other. Ebby in particlular likes to keep to her self, and is usually pretty grumpy.We let her out front so that she can get some "me" time, and so she can take her frustrations out on mother nature.

Salem also likes to keep to herself, and she has plenty of hiding spots throughout the house where she can be guaranteed of some solitude, at least for a while. And should her privacy be invaded, well, she knows of another place where others won't bother her.

That leaves poor Thalia out in the cold.Younger than the other cats, and more sociable, she wants companionship, and she wants to play, but the other, older cats really don't want much to do with her. I guess because of this ongoing rejection, Thali has decided her two playmates are going to be Jackie and Angel, whether they like it or not.

Jackie and Angel are tight. They love each other, and spend their entire lives in each other's company. The only other living soul that is honestly considered a part of their pack, is me, their daddy. But they do tolerate Thalia. At least for the most part...

Sometimes I wonder if Thali is confused. I think she thinks she's a dog.

Jackie can be pretty feisty, but she also has a soft side. She sometimes barely tolerates Thalia, especially when it comes to sharing daddy's lap space, but here she clearly extends Thalia the full privileges of an ear-bath. A privilege reserved for pack members only.

And it's not just any ear bath, it's a full service, ear bath at that!

Those three bring me more joy than you know. Well, maybe you do know.

So there we have another wacky installment of The Adventures of Jackie and Angel, (and Thalia). Until next time, please see more dogs and other critters over at the Friday Ark at The Modulator

Hot Dogs and Wet Cats

Why is it that long weekends are so short?

Anyway, it was hot in SoCal this weekend, but then again we Californians live in such a narrow band of weather types that we are whine about freezing at 62°, and complain of heat stroke at 82°, so you can take what I say with a grain of salt when it comes to the heat here.

Most houses in our area don't even have central cooling. That is a good indication of how mild the weather is in Ventura. Often all we need do is open a few windows, set up a fan or two, and we're good all day. That's the beauty of living in a beach town like Ventura; the ocean is nature's swamp cooler.

So, it was hot, relatively speaking, and as humans who live in California are acclimated to the moderate temperatures here, so are our pets. Angel and Jackie were very inactive for most of the long weekend, and the cats spent their days lying on the cool, hard wood flooring.

Probably the coolest spot in the house was my living room, and that's because I am the biggest baby in the house when it comes to being hot. I hate being hot, so I grab as many fans as I can, drape dark sheets over the French doors, open all the doors and windows I can, and start circulating air. Then I grab any iced drink available, and plant my big butt in the recliner so that I can expend as little energy as possible while watching television.

Because my living room was the coolest spot in the house, Jackie and Angel found spots where they could flop down and enjoy some quality time with their daddy.

Jackie has been banned from the floor because of certain accidents she has had, so unless I want to keep track of her every movement, so to speak, then she either sits in the chair with me, or is up on the couch where she can't get down by herself. As for Angel, I am not sure if he thought he might be cooler under the shade of my recliner, or if he just liked the idea of camping out under a natural outcropping of La-Z-Boy rock, but that was his favorite spot for the day.

In the end it was Salem that stayed the coolest, but she had some help...

Yup, I gave her a bath. Salem is large and in charge, weighing in at 23 or so pounds. We have tried to lower her weight a variety of ways, but have been largely unsuccessful. As a result, she has difficulty keeping herself clean. I noticed she was starting to show a fair amount of dander on the top layer of fur on Sunday, so I started brushing her out so I could then give her a bath. We have had a big flea problem all Summer, with the dogs taking the brunt of the problem, but I surprised to find as much evidence of flea infestation on Salem as I did. The white towel I had her on as I brushed her literally turned dark with flea waste. I was at once shocked, and ashamed. I knew she might have a few fleas on her, but I wasn't too concerned because she never scratched much, or showed any other signs of discomfort, but obviously she was infested, so my grooming I am sure was welcomed by our eldest pet.

Salem, as I said, is a big cat, and she struggles with hygiene. I learned just how much once I had her in the bath water. You would have thought she was bleeding by the way her waste leached from her fur into the bath water. Right in front of our eyes we watched as the water turned brown, and our stomachs turned over. I have given Salem a bath many times before precisely because she is so big, and has such difficulty with her thick undercoat and the challenges it causes her when it comes to cleanliness, not to mention keeping cool. But I have never seen so much waste rinse off of her before.

I gave her a shampooing she will never forget, and while she did protest every now and again, she really was quite patient through the whole ordeal. I am sure it felt good to her being suds up, and rinsed off like that. Not only was she becoming cleaner by the second, but the water was cool, and that had to be a welcomed relief.

Between the heat and the fleas, it's been a rough end to our summer, but I really got after the flea situation around here by treating the yard, the dogs, the carpet, and all the dog's bedding, so we should see a marked decline in flea activity here real soon. It is also starting too cool off. This morning there were clouds when I came into work, and I haven't been using the fans as much as we were just last week.

I have been seeing Halloween decorations and candy in the stores, and with the change in weather, it is beginning to feel like autumn around here. It's my favorite time of year, but it goes by so quickly, and before you know it it will be Thanksgiving, and then Christmas, and then it starts all over again.

But, I don't want to think about all that. I just want to enjoy my upcoming weekend.

So there ya have it. Yet another exciting chapter in the lives of Jacqueline and Angel. Until next week, please see more dogs over at the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and don't forget the Friday Ark at The Modulator for all sorts of critters.

Arm Rest Jackie

Because she can't seem to understand the concept of where a young lady is supposed to go when nature calls, Jackie has been relegated to either the davenport, (I always wanted to use that word in a sentence,) the love-seat, or my recliner. She is allowed to romp and frolic with her brother on the carpet, but only under strict supervision. She is not allowed down the hall, or into another room un-escorted, and if for some reason she must be left alone in any room in the house, then she must be returned to any one of the aforementioned pieces of furniture.

For a while I wouldn't even let her play on the carpet with her brother. My stepson works for a carpet cleaning outfit and has kindly cleaned our new carpet twice since we had it installed just a few months ago. I knew Jackie would have the occasional accident, so when I bought the carpet I paid extra for padding that has a plastic barrier on the top. The plastic prevents spills and such from seeping into the padding where it will then stay forever. It has worked out very well because after my stepson cleans the carpet there is no odor left at all. Still, I cannot have Jackie just doing her business wherever and whenever she likes, so she is on permanent time out status.

Like I said before, for a while I simply wouldn't take the chance of another accident, so I kept her quarantined on the furniture. She is small enough that, for a while anyway, she wouldn't even try to get down. But, one day she was so bored, and wanted down so badly that she figured out a way off of the couches. Basically, she overcame her fear of high places, and now jumps off of the couches if left alone on one for too long, so I have had to resort to other means of keeping her up there...

My poor baby is a jail bird. Still, she has every thing she needs; her supper dish, her toys, even a big cushy pillow. But, believe it or not, it isn't enough. Jackie is not happy in her little cell, and will even cry if I go to another room and leave her alone even for a few minutes.

There are alternatives, but none are very appealing to Jackie. For instance, here she is on my recliner...

Sure, it may look like she is having fun resting on the arm-rest of my recliner, but she really isn't. Even with her favorite feline sister keeping her company, Jackie just isn't a happy little doggie.

That is one depressed little Chihuahua. Luckily for her, her daddy is a pushover for long faces, so I took her down a for a little bit and let her clean her brother's ears.

Most of the time I sit with Jackie in the recliner, and we watch The Dog Whisperer together. It's her favorite show. So, that keeps her happy for quite some time. After a while, however, she wants to play with her big brother, so I usually let her down and let them play in the room with me, or they can go out back and look for intruders, bugs, or the occasional bird. In fact, let me remind you that you can now watch Jackie and Angel throughout the day simply by clicking on the Jackie & Angel Webcam picture over on the sidebar. They are usually there all during the week, so give it a shot.

So there ya have it. Yet another exciting chapter in the lives of Jacqueline and Angel. Until next week, please see more dogs over at the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and don't forget the Friday Ark at The Modulator for all sorts of critters.

The Official Jackie and Angel Cam Goes Live

Over the years I am sure many of my readers have thought, "Gee, I wish I could go on one of Angel and Jacqueline's adventures."

Well, that's never going to happen, so get over it. However, Jackie and Angel do love their fans, and so now through the miracle of cutting edge, retro technology, our two favorite pups have allowed you, the little people, into their home!

OK, so it isn't exactly their "home", but more like a section of their back patio, but it is LIVE, and it is STREAMING, so it is BETTER THAN NOTHING.

So now you can spend a better portion of your afternoon riveted to your computer monitor as you watch Jackie and Angel sleep, drink, sleep some more, chase the occasional bird, sleep some more, and sleep.

All you have to do, is click here .

I have found the Java applet to be the most reliable as far as Microsoft Vista is concerned. The ActiveX software provided by the company that I bought the webcam software from works quite well on XP, but it won't load on Firefox, or on Vista. As usual, Media Player is almost completely useless.

If you run into any problems, leave me a message in the comments. It is still sort of in the experimental stages, so any input would be helpful, and appreciated.

So, have fun, enjoy the show, and don’t let your boss catch you!

Update: Well, it isn't even 7:30am, and it appears the camera is already offline. Sometimes it is just temporary, but you never know. If it doesn't come back online, then it will have to wait until I get home at about 4:00pm. If you don't have any luck, and you want to see the dogs, then check back after 4:00pm Pacific and hopefully I will have it fixed. Sorry.

Look for more doggies at Mickey's Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and don't forget the Friday Ark at The Modulator for even more animals of all persuasions. And lastly, please remember to hit up the Carnival of the Cats this Sunday.

The Jackie and Angel Webcam Trial

I have been thinking for a while now about setting up a webcam so that I could check in on Jackie and Angel during the day. They are such trouble makers a webcam from which I could monitor their daily activities made some sense. I also thought it would be a lot of fun.

Like a lot of things in my life, I procrastinated getting a webcam because I am cheap. Even at $29.95 I balked at buying one, but the real reason wasn't really because of the cost, the real reason was because I would have to spend valuable television time figuring out how a webcam works. But, when I happened across a cheapo webcam at Big Lots, formerly Pic-&-Save, I figured someone was trying to tell me something, so I tossed it in my cart.

First, I think I should tell you that cheap, no-name computer peripherals are NOT the way to go. The supporting software is usually written by some out of work computer science major, and upgrades com from some 486 sitting in a shack in south China some place. You usually spend more time trying to get the damn thing to work than is worth the five bucks you saved in the first place, but I view such shoddy hardware as a challenge, and so I skipped the premier of The Two Coreys the other night, and gave setting up my new webcam a go.

As was expected, getting the camera to work with the supplied software was a night mare. As soon as it was installed, it crashed, and so I went to the website printed on the outside of the box and I found a link where I could download a patch that allegedly allowed the already installed software to play nice with Microsoft Vista. I updated the software with the patch, rebooted my machine, and viola! It worked. I was stunned.

I found a little webcam hosting service called eyespyfx, and using their software I was able to broadcast from my humble little webcam. Before I left work the next morning I slung the webcam cable over the patio light mounted the webcam out back so that it over looked our patio, started the software, and went to work. When I arrived at my office I went to the website, and lo and behold, there was my back patio. The camera worked all day long, but even though our back patio is covered, and no direct sunlight ever hits the cement in the webcam target area, by 11:30am the picture was so washed the only thing I could really make out was Jackie when she would walk across the patio every now and again.

There had to be a better way.

Then it hit me. When the webcam software asked me to select a webcam from a drop down menu, it not only listed my USB webcam, but it also included my ATI X600 All-in-Wonder card, which is a video capture card as well as a graphics card. (I use it to transfer old VHS tapes onto my computer so that I can make DVD's out of them.) That gave me an idea.

I busted out the video camera I bought at the thrift store some time ago, popped it onto my tripod, plugged it into my video card, and viola! Instant, high quality webcam.

I have been fiddling around with both cameras, and have both working quite well with PY Software Active Webcam. It's the same software Laurence Simon uses for his world famous IFOC Catcams. You know if Laurence uses it, it's gotta be good.

So now I have all that I need so that I can keep an eye on those two precocious precious little roustabouts, Jackie and Angel. And, because they have such a following I thought it would be fun to publish the address so that you, too, can enjoy the antics of Jackie and Angel. However, be aware that the camera will only be on while the two dogs are in the backyard, which is typically between 6am through 4pm every weekday. I have the camera on right now for testing purposes, and I might leave it on through the night just to see if it will crash or not.

In any case, click here to access the camera. If you have any difficulties, please share them with me in the comments. I really want to see how well it works out. If it works out well, I might even make it a permanent feature!

Jackie and Angel Cause Big Trouble: Part II

I inadvertently deleted this entry while cleaning up some comment spam. I was able to retrieve it, but had to post it as a new entry, Now it appears under the categories, "The Adventures of Angel and Jackie", and "Athenamama: The Lost Entries".

We now resume with our regular blog....

When my wife and I returned home Saturday afternoon after a morning of shopping, we found a notice on our door from the Ventura County Animal Regulations Department.

The perps.

At first I thought it was our disgruntled neighbor finding new and inventive ways to express their displeasure of our dog's barking. (Angel.) But a phone call this morning to the animal control people put those fears to rest. Apparently the department is out drumming up funding enforcing the licensing laws around this town, and they targeted our house because the last owner had a dog, and they were following up on that dog's license status. Since they found an unlicensed dog on the premises, I got a citation notice to license my dog(s).

Around here, the real role of a license is to ensure current rabies shots. You cannot renew your license unless you can show proof of current rabies shots. It's a yearly affair, and I would get the feeling the level of conformance is pretty low for dogs, and probably almost nonexistent for cats.

In any case, it is the law, so I ordered up Jackie and Angel's proof of spay and neuter respectively from the wonderful place that performed that service. Now I have to contact our vet and get copies of their shot histories. (I am really lousy at keeping my own records straight.)

I am mostly relieved, however, that it wasn't a call from our neighbors that brought out animal control. That would be the last thing I need.

Bath Day For Jacqueline

Jackie is much better about taking a bath than Angel is. If Papa so much as hears the water dripping in the bath tub he crawls so far under the bed we have to get a flashlight just to see his beady little eyes.

But Jackie is much better about the whole affair. When I start the water in the tub Jackie will only hide under the coffee table in the living room, and coaxing her out isn't very hard to do. In fact, just saying the word "cookie" usually does the trick. I usually have to lasso Papa to get him out of hiding.

Anyway, let's check in on Jackie in the bath tub...

Jackie patiently waiting for the tub to fill with water. I had enough water in the tub that Jackie could almost swim laps. "This bath water tastes pretty good! Hey, wait a minute... you aren't making Jackie soup, are you?" "Can I get out now? After her bath, Jackie got to cuddle up on the sheepskin throw so she could dry off. She loves it up there. While Jackie was having her pictures taken there was a distraction just outside of the camera's view. This distraction kept trying to steal the spotlight, and become the center of attention. What was this distraction? Papa.

Another week, and another exciting chapter in the lives of Jacqueline and Angel. Until next week, please check out the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and don't forget the Friday Ark at The Modulator for even a greater variety of animals, and don't forget the Carnival of the Cats this Sunday.

4th of JulyPast and Present

Well, another 4th of July has come and gone, and now it is all downhill to Halloween.

When I was a kid my parents would take my brother, sister and me to this house in Azusa...

That is my grandparent's old house, which they moved out of way back in 1972. My wife and I drove out to Azusa one Saturday afternoon in 2004 to take a look at the old place. It was an amazing experience for me because so many memories came flooding back to me when I got out of the car, and walked along the sidewalk in front of the house. Even this depression in the cement made by something way back when the sidewalk was poured brought back memories of my cousins and me riding our skateboards up and down this sidewalk, and of my granddad, my dad, and us kids lighting fireworks on the Forth of July.

I am not sure about today, but back in the late 1960s and early 1970s you could buy and set off fireworks in Azusa. My dad would buy a big package of the stuff,and we would light them off right there on the side walk. We couldn't wait for it to get dark outside on the Forth, and I can still smell that acrid stench of spent fireworks soaking in a large bucket of water. It's a horrible smell, but I love it.

My mother and grandmother would sit on that porch and watch the whole show. I can still see them sitting there smiling, and drinking iced-tea.

Fast-Forward July 4, 2007...

Angel and Jackie do not share my affinity for fireworks. I think over the course of their lives, having lived no where else other than the condo, they simply had no idea what a Forth of July celebration in the suburban streets of California can be like. Although it is nothing like it was when I was a kid at my grandparent's house in Azusa, people still light off fireworks on the streets around here. Back at the condo there are so many people around you didn't dare light so much as a sparkler for fear of being hit with an immediate $100.00 fine by the, (gag,) homeowner's association. At our new home the risk is considerably smaller that a person might get caught with illegal fireworks, and while I did not engage in any illegal festivities, I could see that other residents of our neighborhood were. The lights and sounds of those small explosives, combined with the resonance of the greater firework exhibits that were booming around the county sent Jackie and Angel into a tizzy. I kept them as calm as I could, but they still weren't feeling the excitement of the holiday. At least from the point of view as the rest of us.

Papa resting the day after all those explosions.

Ah well, it is over and forgotten as far as they are concerned, and save for the obnoxious BAM! we heard last night when one of the neighbors discovered an errant firecracker they had evidently misplaced the night before, we can all rest easy knowing there will be no more explosions of this sort to scare the poor doggies. At least until the New Year.

So we conclude yet another exciting chapter in the lives of Jacqueline and Angel. Until next week, please stop by the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings for more interesting dogs, and don't forget the Friday Ark at The Modulator which is just filled to the rafters with all sorts of animals.

Papa's Afternoon Bath

Angel is starting to look pretty shabby. He hasn't been to see the groomer in quite a while. On top of that, while he and Jackie enjoy their big backyard full of grass, bushes, trees, and places to explore, they have also encountered this Summer far more fleas than we ever had at our condo. Papa's lack of maintenance, and combined with those nasty little fleas have made for a dirty, messy, matted little furball we once knew as Angel.

Angel will see the groomer, of course, but I decided to start cleaning Papa up before he goes. The first thing I wanted to do was to give him his flea medicine. Once the fleas start biting the poor little guy, he begins scratching and biting at himself, and will even pull out his own hair. All that stops once the fleas are dead, so it was imperative that I get the medicine for him as soon as possible.

I bought some Advantage for dogs between 11 and 20 pounds on my way home from work, but when I got home I decided to give Papa a bath before I put the medicine on him. Advantage is applied to the skin of the animal, usually between the shoulder blades so that they can't lick it. It spreads out over their body, and kills the fleas and their eggs. It is really effective. I have used it on all of our pets for years and I can tell you it kills fleas dead! The only draw back is the expense. It can be very expensive, but if you buy it from 1800petmeds.com, you can get it at a reasonable price.

Papa hates baths. Or perhaps a bit more accurately, he hates the idea of a bath. Once he hears the water running in our bathtub he heads for the hills, and if I don't get him before he crawls under something large enough that I cannot get to him, then I might as well turn off the water and read War and Peace because it will be a looooong time before he comes back out again. But, if I can fool him, or distract him long enough to get a fair amount of water in the tub before he knows what's going on, then I have it made, and Angel will get his bath.

This is Papa taking his very first bath. We made it as pleasant as possible because we knew it would set the standard. The look on his face tells it all; he ain't diggin' it. But he was good about taking his bath until he got to be about a year old.

Once in the water Papa is fine. I guess he just hates getting in is all. As I gave him his bath I could see the little buggers crawling around on my poor boy's back. I knew that just a simple bath wouldn't rid him of the fleas, but I am always amazed by how tenacious they are. They were able to hold on even after I dumped an entire pitcher of water directly onto them. They also held on despite my rubbing soap into Papa's hair. I didn't waste too much time on the bath because I wanted to get the flea medicine on him so that he could find some relief, so I rinsed him off throughly and got a towel to dry him off with.

Drying off is Angel's favorite part of the bath. (Based on my experience with other dogs, I bet it is every dog's favorite part of a bath.) If I don't hold him down on the bathroom rug, and wrap him up in his towel, he takes off like a shot down the hallway, and will rub himself all over the living room carpet. I usually never give him the chance, though, because I wrap the towel around him while he is still in the tub, and then I lift him out, towel and all onto my lap. There I can get him fairly dry before he runs out of patience, and wriggles so much that he wears me out, and I am forced to put him down.

Then he zooms down the hallway like a bat out of hell, and rubs himself all over the living room carpet.

He and Jackie always get treats because daddy is a big ol' softy, and figures every time a doggy gets a bath they should also get a treat so as to make them, (or me,) feel better about the whole traumatizing event. Both dogs get a treat because you can never just give one dog a treat in front of another dog. It just isn't fair, and the treatless dog will follow you around putting a guilt trip on you that would make a Jewish mother blush until you give one up anyway. The way I figure it, you might as well give up the treat right up front, that way you won't have a little dog following you around as if you were a mother goose or something.

Angel fresh out of his bath. You can see by the look on his face that he is happier than all get out, because he just got outof the bath.

It makes absolutely no difference to him that I got a towel for him to dry off on. He likes for me to hold the towel up, and then drop it on him so that it completely covers him up. Then he can rub his face on the towel while I dry off his body with the rest of it. Then he likes to roll on the towel, but it gets away from him, so he just rolls on the carpet instead. This reminds me of how my mother used to wrap a towel around her hair when she would get out of the shower. Papa made a burrito out of himself!

Jackie helps her big brother dry off. When Angel gets a bath, Jackie is right there at the bath tub watching the whole thing. I don't know if she does it because she likes to watch him be tortured, (like a little human sister would do with her brother,) or if she is there for moral support. Probably the latter. In any case, if I close the bathroom door with her outside of the bathroom, then she will paw and scratch and whine at the door until I let her in. Papa, on the other hand, is such a big chicken about baths that he will hide while Jackie gets her's.

Well, he is sort of dried off. After his bath he and Jackie had dinner. Then, once he was