NW Ridgeback

Snowy Days

2012-01-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Hi all, the snow has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest and we are buried in the stuff! I wonder how my brother, Remi, and friend, Darwin are doing, especially since they are not accustomed to this stuff on their side of the mountains? Anyway, I have enjoyed a few walks with the family and snowy playdates with my pal, Ozzie. I just hope this beautiful, fluffy snow doesn't turn icy and crunchy anytime soon because then it will not be nearly as fun.

Happy 2012 everyone!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!! I know it's early but these days I have to seize the opportunity for Mom to help me type when I can get it! Boy do I miss all of my blog pals...hope you all are wonderful, healthy, and happy this holiday season!!

I am doing great except tomorrow I have to go to the vet and have my teeth cleaned and this growth (totally harmless) cut off my leg...YUCK and DOUBLE YUCK!!! I tried to convince Mom that we should wait until after the holidays for my teeth cleaning since I will inevitably be getting and eating LOTS of treats but she didn't seem to listen. Hmmmph! Also, Mom shut my tail in the car door last week! The door didn't actually latch and shut completely and Mom opened it back up very fast. She apologized about a billion times and gave me three treats! I did yip a little and she felt pretty bad especially since she is always so careful about that but she said I was turning with my tail tucked and I whipped it around at just the wrong time. I do not recommend getting your tail shut in a door though...NOT fun! Luckily, it didn't even leave a dent and I went and romped with my pal right afterward and was just fine. Other than that, life is good and I have been enjoying some cold, frosty walks with my doggie pal, Ozzie!

See the line of drool? Hehehehe! Mom gets me to pose by putting a treat in front of me and telling me to leave it and on this day I was a little excited about my treat!

My little sister is growing like a weed these days! I have been enjoying cleaning her hands and feet for her and she seems to like it too. The other day she tried to reach her hands out and grab my muzzle. I think she wanted a kiss...she loves me!

I love her too!

I must say though that if I were this round, Mom and Dad would make me go on a diet! ;) How do babies get away with it! SHEESH! It's like she gets to eat whenever she wants...all she has to do is let out a wee whimper and dinner is served.

Mom tried to convince me that Joslyn was my only present this year, but I used my skills to discover the truth! Click here for that story!

Well, I hope you all get to do lots of relaxing and eating yummy stuff like me this holiday season!

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Howl-o-ween!!!

2011-10-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Howl-o-ween everybody!

Story Time with Baby J

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

To see me telling my baby sister the wonderful story of Little Red Riding Hood please head on over to my family's blog!

http://www.yeagerfamily.wordpress.com

Love,

Nala

Good Ol' Days

2011-09-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

These were the days when I had the couch all to myself, could stretch out, enjoy the peace and quiet, and not have to worry about some weird pillow called a Boppy getting in my way.

Also, when I had Mom all to myself....Little J was still in her tummy and granted, Mom was slower, but she was mine, ALL mine! If I only knew then I would have cherished those days a bit more. Mom says it will get easier as Joslyn grows and that she will have more time for me...I hope so because I kind of miss hanging with her like I used to. She says she misses hanging with me too. For now, I will have to be ok with the walks we take with Joslyn and the short play periods I get with her at home. At least I have Dad...he makes sure I get a walk on those days Mom can't get out with me.

Good Dog

2011-08-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Nala's Mom here...I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you to all of those who have been visiting our blog. I know I haven't returned the favor lately, and that may be the case for awhile with this new little one here but I have been thinking of all of you. :) Nala has too, of course! ;) I just feel fortunate to get a few posts in here and there. Also, I have started a family blog where I am posting photos of, well, mostly Joslyn, but the other family members get in there occasionally too. hehehe! If you are interested the address is http://www.yeagerfamily.wordpress.com.

The picture of Nala above was on a day I was taking photos of Joslyn and Nala hopped up on the bed with us. I thought she needed some good photo attention too. She proved to still be the excellent model she has always been. She has been SO amazing with Joslyn...she sniffs her alot more now and REALLY wants to lick her face although we have not allowed this as our little babe is still a little young for doggie face licks. I can't wait for the day when we are ready to allow their relationship to really blossom...I know Nala will be great. During the day, I don't have as much time to devote to Nala as before but she manages to stay close to us. She tends to follow us whereever we go...upstairs, downstairs, on the bed. I am so proud of Nala for being such a great big sister even though in the middle of the night I do think she gets a bit annoyed with the occasionally crying. :) That's to be expected right...who can blame her? Nala's Dad has been so great about getting Nala out everyday and I have even dared go out with Nala and the baby in the stroller a handful of times. So far, Nala has been awesome but soon we are due for some more exciting adventures instead of simple walks around our neighborhood. The time is coming Nala...just hang in there!

Me & my sis...

2011-08-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

enjoying one of our favorite things, snoozing! :)

Babysitting

2011-07-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

This babysitting stuff is hard work...I don't think I have ever been so exhausted. Someone's got to do it though! Actually, this is right after Mom and Dad brought Joslyn home from her 2 week check-up which went very well...she's already up to 7 lbs.! Can you say "little piggy"! ;) BOL! I won't mention the pregnancy sympathy weight I gained, but let's just say I can afford to shed a few while this little gal packs on the pounds. Anyway, Mom and Dad were surprised to see me this comfortable so close to Miss J...I just sat there and watched her sleep and listened to her interesting baby noises. Babies are quite entertaining.

Well, what can I say...I guess I better embrace the change, because it looks like this little pup is here to stay! :)

Wordless Wednesday - Baby J & Nala

2011-07-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome Joslyn!!

2011-07-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome Baby Joslyn!!!

My little sister is FINALLY here....weighing in at 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 18 1/2 inches long! She was born on Monday, which was also my pawrent's anniversary...how funny! I also got to be part of the fun as Mom's water broke when she was taking a walk with me...what can I say, I was pushing her to get things going and it worked! hehehe!

I must say though that I still don't know quite what to think about my new sister...she's cute and all but I am just not sure. For now, I try to keep my distance and sniff from afar. Let me tell ya though...she is a night owl and definitely interrupting my beauty sleep...every time she cries I have to stand alert and make sure things are ok!

Saying hello to Joslyn!

Mom and Dad bringing Joslyn home!

Anyway, wanted to take a minute to tell you about my sis...more to come, but who knows when?? ;)

Stubborn Like her Big Sister!

2011-07-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Does this face look stubborn to you?

Mom says my little sister must be stubborn like me. She apparently is not ready to emerge from her cozy little home just yet. I totally understand what that's like...it's like when you are all bundled up in a warm blankie on the couch or bed and then you stick your muzzle behind a pillow to shut out everything and just relax and you just want to stay in that spot with no interruptions...ahhh, can't say that I blame her! ;)

On the other hand...we are all ready to meet you baby girl, so please come out soon. I don't know how much longer I can take this pregnancy thing. Mom is slow, lacking energy, and can't chase me around the kitchen table quite like she used to. Trust me, it's not so bad out here and as soon as you are here I will begin instructing you on how to wrap Mom and Dad around your tiny little paw, I mean finger! :) Hope to see you soon Joslyn!

Kisses,

Nala

Waiting On My Baby Sister

2011-07-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, Mom is due to have MY baby sister next Wednesday, but I can hardly wait!! It could be any day or it could be even longer than next Wednesday...at least that's what Mom tells me. I sure am hoping it's not too much longer. I have been watching over her room diligently. I've already found a nice, cozy spot to lay in her room...right in front of her crib. I hear babies smell soooo good...I'm super excited to give baby Joslyn a good sniff when she gets home, and I'll probably attempt to give her a few kisses although Mom says my kisses need to be reserved for only her and Dad for awhile. Whatever Mom! We'll see about that! ;)

I know my days as an only child are short in number these days, but I think I am going to be ok with that! As you can see, Mom still adores ME as much as ever! I think it will be fun to have 3 girls in the house as we can gang up on Dad! BOL! Dad, if you are reading this then please know that Mom forced me to say that...please don't hold it against me and withhold my treats. :)

This was from last week...Mom was 38 1/2 weeks...now she is 39 1/2 weeks. Can you believe a little baby is in her tummy....how bizarre!

This is Joslyn's room...mostly birdies, but there are a few puppy things around too. There's a basket of puppy toys on the floor, two puppies hanging off her crib, one puppy bobble head thingy on the windowsill, and notice the painting of yours truly in the upper right hand corner! :)

Plus, 75% of the books she has are about DOGS and there's even a statue of me looking over her. Mom made it in an art education class a few years ago. :) She made me a little on the chunky side, but I'll forgive her. ;) Anyway, the countdown is on, and I can't wait to meet my little sis!

Kisses,

Nala

Father's Day

2011-06-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

I spent a wonderful Father's Day with my PAWSOME Dad yesterday! I woof my Dad! We went for a walk with Mom, played in the creek, and had a nice picnic. My favorite part was pulling a gigantic stick out of the water that Dad threw in for me...of course, I had to wait for it to circle back toward the shore as I am NOT a water dog and refused to go very far to get it! ;) Below are a few more pictures of me with my wonderful Dad!

Hehehe....I got the scent of something in the air here and lost my focus!

Kisses for my Dad! Despite what it may look like....he DOES enjoy these ear kisses! ;)

Happy Dog Father's Day Dad! You are the best!

Family Photo - Shadow Fun

2011-06-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Still Here

2011-05-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I'm still here and thinking about you as I frolic through the fields and wait for my sister to arrive. Mom and Dad have been slammed trying to get things ready for the new human pup! ;) They are very close to having things ready though, and then she will be here before we know it....only about 5 weeks left! Mom says I must know something is going on because I have been a huge "pill" lately...way more whiny and constantly trying to trick the humans that I have gone out to "potty" and then coming back in trying to get my treat. I have NO idea what she is talking about...hehehehe! I have also started (according to Mom) breaking up how I go potty. I go out and piddle and then come collect my treat and then I go back out for my morning BM and then come and collect my treat for that too! Hey, what can I say if the humans are silly enough to let me in and out and give me a treat for both then who am I to stop them!

Anyway, thinking of all of you!

Kisses,

Nala

Warm Walk

2011-05-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

Mom and I went for a nice walk today in this gorgeous meadow. It was sunny and so warm out, and the flowers were just starting to pop out. I bet in another week or two the balsam root will be out in full force. We saw some elk up on the hill, and I even found a delicious bone to chew on. ;) Ahhh, what a great life!

Mother's Day ~ 2011

2011-05-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm SOOOO happy to have my Mom back! She was gone for 2 and a half weeks visiting family and friends in Ohio & West Virginia...the longest we've ever been apart! My Dad was gone for a long time too although I did get to see him a little more than Mom. It's great having my family here with me. Luckily, Mom made it back just in time for Mother's Day! Dad and I took her to Leavenworth, WA for the day where she and Dad enjoyed brunch at this crepe restaurant they love although Mom didn't even have the crepes this time...go figure. You can never predict what a pregnant lady is gonna do! Then, we went for a walk by the river and then we went for another little walk on this mountain biking trail. Mom was really slow though...again, she blamed it on the pregnancy. Will there ever be an end to the pregnancy excuses? ;) Just teasing Mom! BOL! After that, Mom and Dad got themselves a milkshake, gave me a treat, and we headed home. It was a beautiful day spent with my family. Hope all you other dog Moms and human Moms had a furtastic Mother's Day too! Make sure all you canines give your Moms extra kisses and cuddles this week!

A few picture from my Mom's trip....this is her with her Dad, brothers, and step mom.

This is my Mom's friend, Brandy, who had her new baby boy while my Mom was visiting! His name is Wade and he has a canine sibling too that is already very protective of him. :)

I can't believe Mom had the nerve to put this one MY blog. Apparently, there were four of these rotten furballs at my Mom's Dad's house. She thought they were cute, but I beg to differ. ;) I guess I will forgive her since she also decided to post the pictures below.

Her friends got her lots of things for my new baby sister that will be here in less than two months...YIKES....that's not long. Anyway, among the items she received were some dog themed items like this wonderful book about dogs for my sis....I can't wait to read it with her.

And this adorable onesie that says, "My Puppy Loves Me!" Of course, I will love her! As you can see Mom was very excited about these gifts, as am I!

My Birthday Day & More!!

2011-04-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

My actual birthday was Friday, April 8th, and I turned a whopping 5 years old! Normally, I get a frozen peanut butter, banana, and yogurt bone for my birthday and a special dinner, but this year Mom and I were at my Nanny & Grampi's so things were a tad different. We were there because our kitchen has been gutted due to a water leak and there were these big, scary, LOUD monsters (air movers and humidifier) in our house that we wanted to escape. Luckily, Nanny & Grampi took us in for 3 nights...they are the BEST! So, instead of my usual birthday routine I got to do some different stuff like go to the Pet Market (where my brother Remi goes) and get this delicious pig ear you see me devouring above. I picked it out myself!! I even met the store dog named George. He really wanted to play but for once I was too interested in all the smells and checking out the store, so I paid him little attention. He sure seemed like a sweetie though.

Next, I got to go to my brother, Remi's, local dog park!!! I was sad that he wasn't there, but I'll catch him another time, I'm sure! Anyway, it was a gorgeous and sunny day which has been rare in this area for awhile. I met lots of nice dogs and got to play with this sweet girl named Kaya. She is a Husky/German Shepherd mix.

Kaya and I had lots of fun...can you tell? ;)

The next day after my birthday I even got to go back! What a great weekend! This time I met a Ridgeback just like me! Lucy is her name, and she is 8 years old. Mom says it was so neat to see us together and that it was like we connected and knew we were the same. She even bounced and play bowed like me although I must say it was a bit hard for her to keep up with me but then again she does have 3 years on me. ;)

Here I am meeting Lucy and asking her if she wants to play.

And of course, she did! We had a BLAST!

Next, this has nothing to do with my birthday...just an update on getting ready for my new sis. Dad and I put the crib together a week ago. Well, I didn't actually put it together, but I supervised and directed Dad on what to do...he NEVER could have done it without me!

We still have to get a mattress and some cute bedding, but that will come soon enough. In the meantime, I decided to chew on my bully stick and ponder what life will be like with a little baby in the house. Mom says she has a feeling she will find me in front of the crib like this alot watching over my new sister.

My 5th Birthday Pawty!!

2011-04-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

Wowzers...look at all these goodies!! They are all for my 5th birthday!! Can you believe I'm 5 already...well, technically, I will be 5 next Friday, but my pawty was today. :) Enjoy the pictures below...there are WAY too many so be prepared!

The basket is full of treat bags for my guests and the treats in front are prizes for games. The quiche looking thing is a Shepherd's Pie but Mom kept calling it Puppy Pizza. It has ground turkey, cheese, green and orange bell peppers, eggs, milk, and a little flour. It served as my cake this year.

Getting jiggy at my pawty!

Observing the party crowd.

Mom gives directions for the games.

Let the games begin...first up was the Water Bowl Fill Up Relay. Humans had to loop the leash around their wrist and fill up a cup of water using the leash hand and walk/run to a water bowl and fill it up before passing the cup off to their teammate. Of course, not all of the water made it from the cup to the water bowl on the other side. Can you imagine that? ;)

Katy & Marlin and Christina & Hank were up first.

Next was Ken & Brix and Julie & Ozzie.

Finally, it was Katy & Marlin against Mom & me...our team was a team of 3!

Yikes...I wanted to keep going instead of stopping at the water bowl and Ozzie and I both tried to drink from it once we were there. hehehe! Needless to say, even though we were a team of 3 we were not victorious. That's ok though...it was good fun!

The 2nd game was the Hot Dog Dunk. There were 4 small pieces of hot dog in the water bowl and each dog had to get them out as fast as they could. We thought they would float but they sank which made this challenge even harder. Anna gobbled them up in 16 seconds!

Hank wasn't sure what to do and attempted to drink the water to lower the level so he could reach the hot dogs.

Marlin pawed at the water and like Hank refused to stick his muzzle under the water. :)

Then comes Ozzie...he managed to get his 4 pieces out in 1o seconds! WOWzers!

And me...well, let's just say I was on the same team as Hank and Marlin. :) Good job Ozzie and Anna!

Marlin proudly displays his birthday hat that Julie & Ozzie brought for us.

I gobble up my birthday pizza or pie or quiche or whatever...it was gooooood!

Last but not least are the group shots!

What a fun afternoon....thanks to all my furiends for making my pawty great!

Nala on Canvas

2011-03-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

OMD...I can't believe that someone painted me!! My Mom is having two paintings done of me to hang in my baby sister's room. The painter is a woman named Jennifer Frame, and she is from the same place my Mom grew up in West Virginia. In fact, she is the best friend of my Mom's cousin and my Mom saw a painting she did of her cousin's dog and knew she had to have at least one of me. :) I think she's pretty talented but then again maybe I am biased seeing as how she made me look so lovely! ;) I can't wait to see the other painting!

This is the photo Mom sent her to paint of me. I feel like Mona Lisa...try looking at me from different angles and I think you will feel like I am still gazing directly at you. ;)

River Rompin'!

2011-03-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Mom and I enjoyed a nice romp by the river yesterday! The sun was shining, and I even found a little sandy spot to kick up my heels in. ( Click on the running series shots for a much better view. ;) )

Lazy Sunday

2011-03-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Past Few Days

2011-03-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ready to pounce on Ozzie at the lake.

Enjoying a stick.

Ozzie doing what he does.

Scratch break!

Meanwhile, Ozzie searches for beavers in the lake.

Gifts I got for my baby sister!

Dad painting the wall in my baby sister's room.

Snoozing on the couch with a funky eye. :)

Silent Saturday

2011-03-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

I'm Getting a Little...

2011-02-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

SISTER!!!!!

I can't wait to snuggle up with her and love her!

By the way, I recovered well from my tooth extraction and we are still working on the eyes...thanks for all your concern.

This & That

2011-02-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hi all...just thought I would share some of my recent adventures. But first, I must tell you that next week I have to get one of my teeth extracted because it is fractured plus I have these two filmy, gray spots on my eyes that I am going to take drops for. If the drops don't help them then I will have to go to an opthamologist. :( Please keep your paws crossed fur me.

Anyway, onto more exciting news...today I went to the Columbia River with my pawrents for a walk. It was a gorgeous day, windy but a rather warm wind for February, so it felt nice out. There was lots of nice sand for my paws too.

Here is my attempt at being a Pointer! BOL! I think I've got it down...wonder what my pals from Pointer Pandemonium would think? :)

See all the nice sand and there's Dad in the background.

Last weekend we went to my Nanny's, and Dad and I caught a little nap before Super Bowl began.

Pictures with Mom before our walk today.

Mom is trying to decide if I am sticking my tongue out at the baby or trying to give the little one a kiss. What do you think? ;)

Next week we get to find out if Mom is baking me a little sister or brother...I can't wait!

Baking

2011-01-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

While Mom is busy baking a baby...

I'm busy baking myself in the January sun and

catching up on all my rest before

the baby comes and turns life as I know it upside down! ;)

Christmas Catch Up

2011-01-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Ok already, can I open my presents??

Opening up a present from my pal, Darwin....can you tell how serious I am about presents? ;)

I got this from Darwin, but I think Mom got its use ALL wrong. Thanks for the pawesome pressies Darwin...I LOVED my homemade treats too...delish!!

Now, onto Remi's gift! Seriously, I am one focused girl when it comes to my presents!

After all the present opening, I attempted to go back to the tree for more but alas I was finished. You can see the destruction behind me. Thanks Remi for my wonderful gifts too! That lion toy is the coolest! I love shaking it and watching all the velcro body parts detach and go flying!! :)

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy Howl-i-days!

2010-12-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Howl-i-days everyone!! I hope you enjoy this time of year, and I hope all of my doggie furiends get LOTS of extra treats! See you next year! ;)

On The Naughty List

2010-12-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

I've waited four years to do this....patiently waiting, tricking Mom and Dad into believing that I could be trusted, occasionally stealing a sniff but finally today my charade has come to an end. It was SO worth it too! Muuhahahahahaaaaa! They never imagined I was capable of this as it has never happened before, but when they went shopping today I showed them that I indeed do have a naughty side.

When they walked in the door Mom quickly spotted the ripped up, shiny bag on the floor. It only took her a second to register what had happened as I sat on the couch looking ever so sweet. She immediately scanned the room for other ripped up bags but found none...when she realized I had opened the only important one under the tree (MINE) she started to laugh as did Dad. Shooo...I thought this meant I was in the clear. She noticed that I had carefully displaced the package that was in front of mine trying to hide it and then ever so gently pulled mine out and started tearing it to shreds. I don't think they realized what a superior sniffer I actually have. They thought it was amazing I was able to only pick MY present from the pile...humans they'll never get it! ;)

Mom then found my new toy by the slider where I like to lay with my toys...it was slightly chewed, one squeaker was popped but other than that it still looked good. At this point, I thought we would all break out into play and start chasing each other around the house with my new toy, but Mom (continuing to laugh) proceeds to get out a new bag, put MY toy in it, and then place it WAY out of my reach toward the back of the tree! HOW RUDE! She said it would be like a brand new surprise when I opened it again on Christmas! BAH HUMBUG, I say!

So....I will be like this until Christmas, keeping my sniffer away from any interesting smells and also keeping it warm.

My Days As The ONLY Child Are Numbered

2010-12-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

That's right...don't I look thrilled! ;) Apparently, there's going to be a crying little human invading my space this July. I must start preparing now...any of you dogs out there with these types of little humans could help me greatly by passing on your advice. Mom keeps telling me that I will always be her first baby, but I'm not finding that so reassuring right now. Hmmm....

In Memory of Mickey

2010-11-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

My cousin Mickey has gone to the Rainbow Bridge where I know he is running and chasing tennis balls to his heart's content. Mickey passed away peacefully yesterday. He was 13. Although I only really got to see Mickey during the holidays, I can tell you what a sweet-natured and loving boy he was. He also loved his family very much as they loved him. He loved chasing tennis balls too, but I guess that comes with the territory when you are a Retriever. ;) The picture above is from two winters ago when we were outside playing. Mickey was busy watching for a tennis ball to be thrown while I was busy watching for him to make a move. :) It's obvious from his face what a sweet boy he was...don't you think.

We will all miss you Mickey...you will forever be in our hearts.

Also...Ed, Alison, Dakota, & Sarah, we are thinking of you and hope your hearts will find a way to heal.

Love,

Nala & Pawrents

My Pawrents are Home from Japan!!

2010-10-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

My pawrents went to Japan for 9 days, but they are FINALLY home!!! This picture is of Mt. Fuji at sunset over Tokyo. Mom and Dad were in the Tokyo Tower and were just about to leave with no hope of seeing the famous mountain when it decided to pop out of the clouds. It was gorgeous! If you are wondering why they were there then let me tell you...it was for my Uncle Joel's wedding. Yes, he already got married once but his wife, my new auntie Etsuko, is from Japan, so they had a Japanese celebration too. How fun that my pawrents got to go. Don't worry, I had the world's BEST dog sitters here with me. ;)

Today, Mom and Dad took me for a nice walk. It was so wonderful to enjoy nature with my family close by. Enjoy the pictures.

Hi Furiends!

2010-10-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hi furiends! It has been an eternity since I have been on here, and I am sure most of you think I have fallen off the face of the earth at this point. It certainly feels like it sometimes for me too. ;) I am still here and still recovering. So far, there still have been no major improvements with my tendonitis and there have been a few minor complications along the way such as hives and weird muscle twitches. Mom thinks perhaps it is my food again causing the hives and twitches, so we are trying to figure it out. I know one thing though....being injured is the most horrible, terrible, no good thing EVER! I miss my furiends so much and my running and playing and everything I used to be able to do. Please send good vibes my way as I need all that I can get.

Mom started school again and it has been one heck of a year already for her, but I won't get into that on here. Let's just say she eats, sleeps, and breathes school at the moment. SHEESH....I'm not sure if I enjoy autumn or not...I liked summer much better when Mom was more relaxed and home more often. She and Dad get to go on a special trip to Japan soon too, but I have to stay here. I am lucky though because I have the best dog sitters in the world coming to stay with me!! :) Anyway, you are all in my thoughts even though I haven't visited in awhile. I hope you are all enjoying autumn so far and having tons of fun!

A Trip to the Beach

2010-09-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my family went on a trip to the beach! The beach is my favorite place, and as soon as my paws hit the sand I want to RUN! Unfortunately, my efforts to run were thwarted by an evil leash and my pawrents this time! I spread out all four feet in a playful move in preparation to run as soon as I felt the sand, but Mom quickly told me I couldn't run. SO....I had to settle for leashed beach walks and relaxing in the warm sand. Not so bad I guess, but the next time I go back I had better be able to run!!

We went to this place called Kalaloch which is where my Dad's family and some close family friends used to go when Dad was a kid. Every Labor Day they went and camped and participated in sandcastle building competitions and other fun stuff. This year, a friend wanted to get that tradition started again, so we went back. No more sandcastle competition, but that didn't stop them!

Check out this sandcastle...it took them hours, literally! It was mostly my Grampi, being an architect and all, he is pretty good with this kind of stuff! It was like he just designed it as he went with no plan yet somehow it turned out magical! The neat thing was how many people came down to look at it, and they even took pictures with it!

So, all the boys in the picture were the ones who came when they were kids plus my Auntie Alison, but she didn't make it this trip. Anyway, as you can see the boys have grown up and are all now married or close to it so the group of "kids" has grown. I guess when they have kids they will have to start referring to themselves as adults, so I'll let them enjoy this last "kid" moment. ;)

I hope next time I can actually be off-leash and RUN free! Good news...I have had some better days this week where I didn't seem so stiff! WOOHOO! Mom tells me not to get too excited though because I still have a LONG way to go! Oh well, baby steps! ;)

It's About Time Mom!!!

2010-09-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

SHEESH! I thought she may NEVER post again! Well, I'm still here everyone, but my Mom seems to have fallen off the face of the earth this past month so I've had no help writing my blog! She's been getting ready for school, which has her mind quite occupied. She will be teaching the Gifted and Talented program this year, so again, it's something new for her to plan for. She has 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders each one day a week, and while that doesn't seem so bad she just wants to make sure she engages the kiddos and really enriches their education. Plus, her brother, my Uncle Aaron, came to visit so she left me for a couple of days to take him on a whirlwind tour of Washington. She also has been taking pictures for some friends, and on top of all of that she has been worrying about me still.

I'm still not doing so hot! In fact, Mom talked to the vet again two days ago and he said I have tendonitis in both my back legs pretty bad. The first trip to the vet we were under the impression that it was mainly my right. Anyway, I am very stiff, especially in the mornings, and I take special precautions when sitting to position myself just right. He said it mostly just takes ALOT of time with tendonitis. Maybe by next summer, I'll be good to go! Also, Mom stopped physical therapy because that just seemed to be making me more stiff. It's NO fun having tendonitis so you active doggies PLEASE be careful not to disrupt any of your tendons...they are not so forgiving. As you can see from the picture above, I get to do alot of this type of activity...chewing things! I don't mind, especially when my chewing objects are as yummy as the yak chew my bro Remi sent me! This thing also lasted for days which never happens with me and chewies! In addition to my legs, I woke up the other morning with hives on my muzzle! Mom thinks it may be either from this new treat she gave me (so she stopped) or from the glucosamine I'm on now, but we don't know for sure. Anyway, the hives have cleared up now, and I hope they stay gone. That's about it for me now. I can't promise when I'll get to visit you next as Mom is pretty busy and her brain is inundated with school stuff right now, but I am thinking of you and miss you all greatly!

I'll leave you with a picture of when I got to go to this fun place with Mom not too long ago to help her scout out photo spots for a family photo session she did with her friend. Some of you have seen it on her photography blog already but oh well. :) She says I am her muse...I guess I can work for her as long as I get paid in treats! ;)

Big Kisses & Lots of dog blog love!

Nala

Physical Therapy

2010-08-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

I officially got my physical therapy instructions from the vets at WSU, so this morning Mom and I had our first session. She has been icing my back legs since Monday but today was a bit more intensive. First, she used a warm, damp cloth to warm up my back right leg for 10 minutes. Then, she did about 5-6 different exercises on my leg. The papers in front of me are the exercise directions. She did things like bending my toes, moving my ankle back toward my booty, straightening my legs, and other things like that. At first I was a little weirded out by all of this but once the treats started flowing I was good to go. BOL! Actually she limited my treats but they did help. She was counting to five and holding each movement of my leg as she did them. Reluctantly, I will admit it was very soothing and I slowly lowered my body down to the ground even further and Mom says she could feel me relax. She also said my eyes communicated relaxation to her as well, but I really don't think she can tell that from my eyes. After all the exercises, she then iced my leg for 10-15 minutes with a bag of CORN! Can you believe that...corn, really? The part of my back right leg that is actually the worst is my deep digital flexor tendon which runs down the inside of my right hock. That part did get iced too, but now that Mom knows its exact location she will focus on that area the most. After all that she then did the same thing to my left leg and apparently we get to do it again tonight! I may start getting used to all this pampering.

No more of this...

2010-08-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

in the near future. The good news though is that I DON'T have a bone/joint disorder like we thought. My joints looked fine on the CT scan performed at Washington State University. The doc did say that I have tendonitis in my back right hock area though...imagine that, a sports injury? Me? ;)

Clearly, as evidenced from the picture above, you can see how playful and active I have ALWAYS been in the past so it's no wonder this happened to me. Tendonitis can be caused by a one-time injury (acute) or by repeated, high-impact activity such as running and jumping (chronic). I have always been an excellent runner, and it's one thing that I totally enjoy doing, but won't be doing much of that for awhile.

Mom and Dad talked to the vet about how I like to play with other dogs too...I always go back and forth trying to get them to play with me...ya know, trying to "bait" them into a game of chase. This back and forth movement on my back legs has probably put some strain on my tendons and everything else back there, so the biggest challenge once I'm ready for doggie play again will be to prevent me from being so hard on my back legs like this. For now, I am on strict rest for 4 weeks and only leash walks which I am used to at this point. Mom has let me off-leash a couple of times though when we are by ourselves and I have maintained a calm demeanor...no tearing off to do my crazy "hot laps" where I run in circles. Probably because every time I even look like I am about to run Mom says "slow" and totally kills the mood. ;) Mom and Dad will also be icing and maybe applying heat to my legs twice daily for 10 minutes each. Right now, we are just icing and waiting for more detailed directions from the vet. I am also staying on the Rimadyl for a little longer, but Mom and Dad plan to get me off of the drugs soon, as they prefer not to have me on medications if I will be ok without it. After 4 weeks, they will slowly start building me back up to a more active level.

I must say, even though I was freaked out, the WSU vets were very thorough and nice. I had a whole team of doctors just fussing over me...that's the way it should always be. ;) They kept saying I was a good dog, but of course they also said I was a very nervous girl and they tattled on me to Mom and Dad. They told them I was not cooperative and they had to take me to a separate room to sedate me. After they sedated me I vomited too, but they said that is common. Haha...vomit is what they get for "man-handling" me and tattling! BOL! Mom and Dad do admit that I can get nervous in unfamiliar situations but mostly it's when strangers start poking and prodding me and forcing me to do things. I get uncomfortable with this just a little. I have always been a bit of a touch-me-not girl unless it's with certain people and even then I only prefer to be cuddled and touched at certain times. Plus, Mom thinks the tile floors and vibrations from concrete vet buildings spook me on top of everything else. Anyway, I suppose I could work on that a bit. ;)

Just wanted to update all of my blog buddies...thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. I will try to catch up with you all soon!

Love,

Nala

Update: Our Next Step

2010-07-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

These were taken at the beginning of the month...before my back ankles decided to go bad on me.

First, thanks again for your thoughts on the Rimadyl. It has helped me tremendously and now Mom's not in tears every time she looks at me...sheesh, that was getting old! ;) She did however ask my nice vet about doing bloodwork to test my liver and kidney functions so we will be doing that tomorrow. Mom and Dad also started giving me glucosamine too. Hopefully, I won't have to be on the Rimadyl for long or if I do need something Mom will ask about using a different medication or doing something to where I am not on the Rimadyl for an extended amount of time.

The next order of business is that the vet called us yesterday. He got the results back from the radiologist. The lump they removed from my mouth was what we thought...Canine Papiloma Virus...nothing major. He said they normally go away on their own but it can take awhile so probably good we cut it out. Second, the radiologist couldn't give any answers regarding the x-rays. He said I was definitely showing signs of arthritis but couldn't find any OCD lesions on these x-rays. He also noted some inflammation. He recommended a more extensive x-ray work-up or a CT scan. We have decided to go for the CT Scan as that should give us more info. On Monday, we are headed to WSU for an orthopedic consultation. Apparently, WSU is one of the best vet schools in our country so that is good. :) After they assess me, if they decide I need surgery then that will probably happen on Tuesday if Mom and Dad agree and then I can hopefully come home on Wednesday. It all sounds a little scary, but I will be brave! We are very appreciative to my vet for answering all of our questions and thankful the radiologist report came back so quickly. Wish me luck blog buddies...I will update you after my consultation. :)

Kisses,

Nala

Thoughts on Rimadyl & Thanks

2010-07-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Amber, Nala's Mom here. :) First, I want to say how AWESOME you dog bloggers are! It makes me tear up just thinking about how understanding and great you all are. I know you understand the love for a dog in ways people without will NEVER get and I am grateful for all of your well wishes for my sweet Nala. She brings me so much joy and it is so incredibly heart-wrenching to see her like this. Ever since Friday she has been very stiff and it is noticeably hard for her to get up on her back legs and she is very careful when laying down as well. When she goes to lay down her back leg muscles seem to me to tremble a little. As most of you who we have known for awhile are aware, Nala has always been an extremely active dog and one of the most hard-core players I know. She used to literally run laps around her friends trying to get them to play. Now, she can barely go on a short walk it seems and she just wants to lie down. She doesn't even get up and come running to the door with her tail wagging when me or her Dad get home. She just lays there looking at us and it seems there is so little we can do to help her. So, this morning I called the vet and told them this and asked if there was anything we could do to help her while waiting for the results. He told me to come down and he gave me some Rimadyl. She's had Rimadyl before and seemed to do ok with it, but I wanted to get your thoughts on this drug. There are so many bad side effects and horror stories out there, in addition to the success stories, and it's making me crazy. I want to help Nala feel better and give her some pain relief but I also don't want to give her something that will harm her in the long-term. Any thoughts or personal stories would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for caring...it really means alot to me. :)

Major Health Issues

2010-07-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Part 1
Hi blog buddies! Remember when I told you about my leg being hurt? Unfortunately, it turns out there was more to it than just a sprain. Mom first noticed my limp about 3 weeks ago. Last week she took me to the vet and he said it was likely a sprain. Mom told him she heard my leg clicking like sometimes ankles will click or pop when you walk, and he felt my ankles but said there was no inflammation or anything. He sent me home with chewable Rimadyl tablets and put me on strict rest. I was home for about a week and then Mom and Dad had their anniversary trip, and I stayed with my Nanny & Grampi. I finished all my pills while I was there, and when Mom and dad first picked me up I seemed like maybe my leg was a bit better. However, when they got me home I went back to my stiff and limpy walk. Mom was very concerned and felt like it wasn't just a sprain but was hesitant to take me back to the vet just yet as it hadn't been a full two weeks of rest for my leg. Also, when I walked she could still hear the clicking sound.

Part 2
The next day when she was brushing my teeth she found an odd growth on the inside of my upper left lip near the corner of my mouth. It looked a bit like a wart so Mom looked for it online and found that it could be some kind of viral thing. Well, she decided to call the vet again just to be sure so she took me back in that same day! Let me tell ya, I was NOT happy to go back to the vet even though they are always super nice to me. For some reason, I get all shaky and nervous in that place. The nice vet looked at the growth and said that Mom was probably right about it being viral, but said if she wanted he could certainly cut it out and send it in to the lab to find out for sure. Now, back to the leg. Mom also took this opportunity to tell the vet about my continual leg clicking sounds, so he felt my legs again and could hear the popping too. Again, he left it in Mom's hands to decide whether or not we should do x-rays. Mom, of course, said let's do leg x-rays and cut the growth out and send it in. At this point, Mom wanted more definitive answers, but was hoping she was being paranoid.

Part 3

So, my appointment to go in was just yesterday. Mom dropped me off at 7:45am. When she opened the door to leave I must admit I acted a bit like a puppy as I struggled against the most pawesome vet tech to go with her. Nothing against the vet tech, but if my Mom was leaving then I wanted to leave! My paw was curled around the nice vet tech's leg trying to push off it for leverage to get out the door but that didn't work. Anyway, they sedated me and began their work. The growth that they cut out was no problem and didn't even require stitches, so that was good. Then, the vet performed his orthopedic exam and was pushing and pulling and moving my legs all around. He heard the clicking sound in both of my back legs. He then took two x-rays of each leg. At this time, he noticed some things floating around in there at my ankles which is not normal. He called my Mom at 11:00 to ask permission to take more x-rays for better views to try and determine the problem. He told her about the floaters and said I was showing signs of arthritis. Mom was blown away as I am ONLY 4, but told him to do what he needed to do. After this, Mom was very worried about me. She kept herself busy cleaning the house and doing other things but finally just after 2:00 she still hadn't heard back from the vet, so she broke down and called to check on me. At that point, the vet said I was just waking up and Mom could come and get me, and they could discuss his findings.

Part 4
When Mom arrived, she went into the office with the vet. I was still sleeping off the sedation meds. He showed her the x-rays and the floaters. He said that he thinks this really warrants a specialist's eye, but that his thought is that this is something called Osteochondritis Dissecans, or OCD. The way we understand it is that it is basically a cartilage disorder where my cartilage and bones haven't fused properly. Instead, my cartilage has just continued to build up creating a flap underneath between it and the bone. Little pieces have then broken off and mineralized, which is what the floaters are. Mom asked if it was genetic, and he said that vets do consider it to be a genetic thing although it sounds like it is not extremely common. Mom looked it up online later and found that it can also be caused by trauma but can't think of any trauma I suffered that could have caused this. Apparently, giant and large breeds tend to be diagnosed with it more often and dogs that are prone to hip dysplasia are also more likely to be diagnosed with it. So, anyway the vet is going to send off the x-rays and the growth to the radiologist first just to check with him or her before sending me to a specialist. He told Mom that if it is the OCD that I can have a surgery that will help relieve it but that arthritis is in my future. :( Also, alot of dogs are diagnosed with this way earlier so he says that if this is what it is then for me to have the floaters means I have been dealing with this for awhile but just started to show signs. I am tough, what can I say! ;) So, now we will wait about 7 days to hear from the radiologist before proceeding. I can only go on controlled leash walks and can have absolutely NO high impact activity. That means NO crazy "hot laps", running around in crazy circles, but I haven't been able to do that for 3 weeks anyway, so I am getting used to it.

Part 5

When Mom brought me home it took me a while to get back to semi-normal. I was very groggy from the meds still and couldn't control my bladder...I know, embarrassing, but Mom reassured me it was not my fault and she didn't care if I peed all over the floor! Finally and thankfully, that went away, but I have seemed quite weak on my back legs. Mom thinks I must be sore from all the moving around of my legs during the exam in addition to my condition. She has been sticking close to me, and she even fashioned me some stairs to get up to the bed with her and Dad so I don't jump. :) For now, she used an old box with stuff inside to make it solid and a big Rubbermaid bin. She put a blanket over them and I have been using my stairs quite well. Today, Dad will try his skills out and attempt to make me a set of stairs. The vet did say short jumps should be fine as long as they don't seem to bother me, but Mom thinks their bed is too high. It is pretty high, I must say. He also said short walks would actually be good for me. So, that's where we are now....taking it easy and waiting to know more. I am handling it ok, but I do worry about Mom. I don't think Moms ever like to see their "kids" in pain.

I'll keep you posted and next time, I promise I won't write 5 chapters. ;)

Love,

Nala

My Pawrent's Anniversary

2010-07-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

On July 11th, my pawrents celebrated their first wedding anniversary. They have been celebrating for like two weeks though! On their actual wedding anniversary weekend they went to this fun little town called Leavenworth to eat at this Italian restaurant and then they went to an outdoor theatre to watch The Sound of Music. They said it was fantastic, but I wouldn't know as I stayed home. Lucky for me though, my pals and dog sitters, Mel & Emil, hung out with me. :) The next night Dad took Mom to the restaurant where they had their wedding reception dinner. Then, last weekend they went on another trip without me...I'm tellin' ya, this is NOT the summer of the dog!! It was ok though because I got to stay with my most beloved Nanny & Grampi! While I was livin' the good life with Nanny & Grampi, they went to Olympic National Park for 3 nights. They went on some cool hikes and even found themselves literally surrounded by a herd of elk on one of their hikes. I can only imagine how exciting and scary that would be. They said this was the reason they didn't take me...dogs aren't allowed on trails in National Parks! How rude! Anyway, on their actual anniversary day we all went up to the place they got married for some photos. You know my pal Ozzie, the white Golden Retriever, right? Well, his Mom Julie took the photos for us and she did a most PAWESOME job! She is great! Thanks Julie for the lovely photos! I'll stop blabbering now and let you see a few more shots from the evening. ;)

This one is one of Mom's favorites of all of us. She LOVES how I'm peeking my head in between. She says it's just like me always placing myself right in the center of things! I have no idea what she is talking about! BOL!

One of me & Mom

Check out Mom's feet...they are both off the ground! hehehe!

Of course, I have to leave you with a funny one! Can you tell that it was a tad windy up there? ;) I think I am about to take flight.

Playing Hard To Get

2010-07-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Marlin pretends he doesn't like me, but I know he really does. :)

On a side note...I went to the vet yesterday because I have been a bit limpy since I played with Marlin last. The vet just said it was probably a strain, so he gave me some chewable pills which I eat like treats for inflammation and I have to be on strict rest for 2 whole weeks! It's already hard! Wish me luck.

Tagged by Honey

2010-07-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I was tagged by my pal, Honey, to play two games. The first is to tell the origin of my name and how it came to be mine. Well, my Dad actually came up with the name Nala although he says he didn't get it from the Lion King movie which is what Mom asked him the first time he told her of the name. :) He seemed very disturbed by this Disney connection, but was willing to overlook the fact that people may associate my name with that. So, just to be CLEAR...my name was not derived from any Disney movies! ;) Anyway, so Dad picked it out and Mom agreed that it would be a very nice name for me. The origin is African which is only fitting as I am an African breed. The meaning of the name varies depending on what you read. Originally, we read that it meant 'African King' although Mom and Dad said they must of meant 'African Queen', obviously. ;) And I must say that I am the QUEEN around here! Another meaning I just read was 'successful', and I would like to think that I am successful, at getting treats that is! BOL! Anyway, that is how I came to be known as Nala.

Now onto the second game which is called All About Me.

THE BASICS

1.) Name and Age:

Nala ~ 4 years old

2.) Breed:

Rhodesian Ridgeback ~ We are famed lion hunters from Africa and have a distinct ridge on our backs that seems to be seen as a Mohawk by punk children. :) The hair really just grows in the opposite direction...we do not get our hair cut that way.

3.) Nickname(s):

Nals, Nali, Nala Wala, Sweet Pea, Baby Dog, Nalster

4.) Where’d ya come from?

I was born in a small town named Yacolt, WA at a place called ApacheRidge Ranch. It was about a four hour drive for my humans to come pick me up, and they took me home when I was 9 weeks old.

FAVORITES

1.) Toy:

I don't really have a favorite toy, but at the moment I would have to say my yellow fuzzy guy I got from my brother, Remi, for my birthday and Easter!

2.) Snack:

Cheese, peanut butter, & frozen yogurt cubes

3.) Human person:

Well, most of the time I'm a Momma's girl. I like to be close to Mom and know what she's doing. She's the one who mostly takes me to play with my doggie friends so I like to be close by in case I need to be prepared to go. :) However, at night I can't always be by Mom because she is a bit of a restless sleeper so most of the time I stick close to Dad. I know he will protect me from Mom's crazy sleeping habits. :)

FUNNY STUFF

1.) Worst habit:

Hmmmm, probably going to the back door and knocking on it with my paw to be let out when really I don't need to go out. Mom or Dad come and let me out and then I walk in a circle and come straight back to the door to be let in. Once they let me back in, I make a beeline for the treat jar because I know when I come in from going potty I get a treat. Unfortunately this little trick doesn't work if I don't go potty, but it doesn't stop me from trying! BOL!

2.) Most embarrassing moment:

Just recently when Mom and Dad's friend, Scott, was over I ran right into the screen on our back door. Scott let me out, but the light wasn't turned on so I couldn't see the black screen. This has happened once before, but Mom realized it must have been due to no light so she turns the light on for me but Scott didn't know that. It was quite embarrassing to do that in front of our friends. :) I didn't get hurt...just a bit shocked is all.

3.) Family dynamic (this is a question for those of you with more than one animal in the house. i.e. who is alpha? who is the cuddler? who is the naughty one? etc. I just want to know how you fit into the family!)

Ok, technically, we are ALL animals here so I am going to answer for Mom and Dad too. Dad would say, it's him as the Alpha, me second, and Mom third. :) BOL! Mom would say it's me first and that she and Dad take turns going between second and third. I say it's ME all the way! I mean, I have these people wrapped around my paw. Ok seriously, although I do manipulate and get my way ALOT I also can be submissive and I know the rules of the house. As far as who is the cuddler...it's definitely Mom. I only cuddle when it suits me. Naughty...me. NEVER! ;)

4.) Your humans’ FAVORITE thing about you!

My Mom and Dad both love my playful spirit. People still ask if I am a puppy which may be alarming to some doggie owners out there but Mom and Dad take it as a great compliment. :) They say it's because I'm so happy and bouncy, and they LOVE that my "puppy" spirit has lasted well past puppyhood.

Well, I have completed my two games. Thanks for tagging me Honey! :)

Red Rover, Red Rover...

2010-07-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

I dared Marlin right over, but he declined about halfway through. ;) Come on Marlin, that's as deep as it gets. I promise! Then again, I guess I can't blame him seeing as how I'm not a fan of water that goes above my chest either.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, almost wordless...this was taken back in April but I wanted to share it. Hehehehe! We are such rebels! ;) I guess that's the nice thing about living out in the country. :)

Still Here & Having Fun!

2010-06-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hello blog buddies!! I have missed you, but I assure you I am still here and having fun just like usual. I have told Mom this no blogging stuff is getting a tad out of hand, so hopefully she has heard my whines and barks. Granted, she was busy with the end of school and my Uncle Joel's wedding and all but enough is enough! That's right, my Uncle Joel is now married to my Aunt Etsuko....YIPPEE! I am very happy for them even though they did NOT invite me to the wedding. I guess I won't hold that against them. (for too long anyway ;) Actually, I ended up having a fine weekend with Emil, the E is pronounced like a long A in his name. He was my dog sitter, and we think he and his girlfriend, Mel, (she was working so didn't get to stay with me...boo-hoo) are super cool! However, despite lots going on Mom and I have still been getting out for lots of fun hikes and things. In fact, just this week we went up the mountain where Mom and Dad got married with my pal Ozzie and Julie to enjoy the beautiful wildflowers! It was a perfect, sunny day. What do you think of my silly ear up there...Mom, of course, thinks it's SO cute. :)

Ahhh, we love this picture of Julie and Ozzie, and doesn't Ozzie look handsome among the lupine.

Also, just today we went back to the same place with my pawrent's friends and their dog, Chevron. I consider Chevron my pal, but I don't know if he feels the same about me. ;) For some reason he seemed annoyed by my incessant "in your face" style. I was just trying to clean his teeth and give him kisses...what's so wrong with that? Hopefully, he didn't have too awful of a time. I do think our hike made him feel great though so hopefully that made up for my loving ways. He was so happy out there in the forest just sniffing and exploring! Anyway, his humans are Scott (my dad's best friend growing up) and his fiance, Kate. They are getting married next spring. Aren't they such a cute family!

Of course, I couldn't post without sharing a picture of my Uncle Joel and my Aunt Etsuko. They didn't let a little Seattle rain put a damper on their special day. Don't they look so happy and beautiful and handsome! Congrats Uncle Joel & Aunt Etsuko!

If You're Happy And You Know It...

2010-06-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

Jump!

Shake, Rattle, & Roll

2010-06-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

And by roll, I mean "roll out" or take off running like a crazy dog! I get this perk in my step and run for a short distance following a good shake like this. :) Ahh, it feels GOOD!

Click on the picture for better viewing. :)

Long Time

2010-05-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, but I assure you that I have not forsaken you forever. You see my Uncle Joel is getting married to my Aunt Etsuko soon, so we have been preparing and doing lots of fun stuff for that. Also, it is testing season at Mom's school so her schedule has been off, and she hasn't felt like blogging much lately. In fact, she hasn't picked up her camera much lately either...perhaps I should check her for a fever. ;) Hope to visit you all soon.

Love,

Nala

Bike Ride and Breakfast for Dinner

2010-05-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day, Dad and I took Mom out for a bike ride. It was my first time going with them for a bike ride, and they were worried I would just stop and refuse to run with them or run and stop in front of their bikes. I must say that I impressed them and shattered their preconceived notions. For the most part, I ran right along with them. I even passed up the most delicious treat available to a country dog, horse candy! (you do know what I am talking of, don't you? ;) Anyway, they were very proud of me.

We only went a total of 2 miles, and we kept a moderately slow pace as Mom and Dad didn't want to over do it on my first ride. I can sprint with the best of them, but they were concerned my endurance wouldn't hold out. Sheesh, what do they know...I could have kept going and going just like the Energizer bunny! We also stopped for water breaks and Mom let me have some of her water.

Check it out...I am beating Mom! WOOHOO...I am the CHAMPION!

I see Dad...better go over and say hello.

Oops...sorry Mom, forgot you were right there! BOL! Lucky you are good with the brakes. ;) Seriously, that was the only time I did that. I really did run along beside of them very nicely despite what this picture may indicate.

This last picture has nothing to do with Mother's Day. (Dad took Mom out to eat for Mother's Day) This is what we had for dinner tonight. Mom made some rhubarb-strawberry compote using her rhubarb from her garden this weekend and wanted to make pancakes to pour it over. Well, that didn't happen on the weekend, so Dad suggested we have breakfast for dinner, so we did! I even got a pancake with a wee bit of fresh whip cream on it...YUM! I vote for breakfast dinner every week.

Happy Dog Mom Day!

2010-05-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there....especially you dog moms! You are a special breed! ;) Dad and I took Mom out for coffee and a walk this morning and later we are going on a bike ride. This was Mom's request, and I have never been on a bike ride with my pawrents, so it is sure to be exciting.

This is my Mom as a tiny baby...hehehe! Can you believe she was that small? And that is her Mom that she is with, of course. Mom tells me stories about how special she was, and she says that she would have loved to have met me and Dad. I wish I could have met her too. :)

Dad's Back!

2010-05-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

My Dad has been in Washington D.C. all week, but he finally got home today! I am SO happy! Of course, Mom and I had a fantastic girls week, but it sure is nice to have my Dad back with us. I can't wait to cuddle up with him tonight.

Sunday Brunch & Hike

2010-05-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Mom and I hosted a brunch at our house for some of our friends. They all came over at 9am, and unfortunately we dogs got sent outside while they got to stay inside and eat something called a Sleepin' In Omelette (one of Pioneer Woman's recipes), some toast, fruit, and they got to have coffee, juice, and homemade apple cider. How rude of them not to even share with us. Oh well, we hardly noticed as we were busy playing outside. After they enjoyed their meal, they loaded us all up and we went for an incredible hike! I guessI can forgive them on the breakfast thing since they did take us out for a nice long adventure. It was a gorgeous day in the canyon but the best part was NO wind! We have had over 50 m.p.h winds here for a week straight...YUCK! I didn't even want to go outside in it, but in the canyon where we hiked we were protected from the evil wind.

Julie & Ozzie
We came across the remnants of an old house. The foundation was still there, and there were apple trees and a beautiful quince bush near it. We imagined how hard it must have been to build a home in this canyon back in the day, and that they probably had to plant all those trees and a garden to grow their own food.

Christina & Hank
Doesn't Hank look dashing! Mom loved this tree and made us pose in front of it. We obliged her, but I assure you it had nothing to do with the fact that treats were involved. ;)

Colleen & Sierra
I like to call Colleen's pose "The Running Woman". And Sierra is in her normal "Scout Out The Area" pose.

We even saw some scary Bassett Hounds. I know what you are thinking..."scary, they aren't scary, they are SO cute!" Well, TRUST me, they ARE scary....you should have heard their deep, menacing bark! It was like a roar, really. I steered clear and made sure to make a WIDE circle around them. Better safe than sorry. ;)

Julie likes to take pictures as much as my Mom, so they both enjoyed capturing us doggies in the field of lupine.

Here I am springing into action.

Taking a break from frolicking in the lupine.

And here Sierra and I are on our way home. As you can see, I pretty much was out like a light as soon as Colleen put the car into drive. Not the case with Sierra, but she did lay down which is HIGHLY unusual for her in the car, so she must have been a wee bit tired after our grand adventure. I love hiking with friends...can't wait for our next adventure.

Quick Pic of my Weekend

2010-05-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

I got to go on a PAWESOME hike yesterday. I will tell you all about it later, but for now here is a picture so you can see the gorgeous scenery! ;)

Love,

Nala

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Heck No, I Won't Go!

2010-04-23T22:44:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Peek-a-boo!

2010-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Birthday Bash - Part 2

2010-04-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

To wrap up the "tail" of my birthday, I will tell you about the games we played. After all the doggies ran around and played, Mom called everyone together for games. First, we did an egg relay race. Mom has done this before with kids and a similar thing with me when I was a puppy at Puppy Kindergarten class, but we used a glass of water then. Anyway, she also remembered that my pal Honey did it for her birthday pawty and she thought it would be so much fun, and that we should give it a go. The humans had to hold a hard boiled egg on a spoon in the same hand that they had the leash to their dog and race to Mom. If they dropped it they could pick it up, but they were disqualified if their dog ate it or it didn't resemble an egg when they got to the end due to it being squashed or something. The second game was like Simon Says where we were all walking with our humans and then Mom gave the command to sit. The last human to get their dog to sit was out and on the final two teams, the dog had to perform a down. Congrats to my pal Hank and his Mom Christina, for winning the egg relay and to my pal Sierra and her Mom Colleen, for winning the Simon Says game! They each got a very yummy bully stick as their prize. The humans got peanut butter cookies. :)

Some highlights from the egg relay....check out Sierra totally eyeballing the egg...hehehe!

And she goes in for it, but luckily she didn't know what to think of a hard boiled egg. She attempted to eat it, but decided she wasn't sure so Colleen was able to grab it.

Meanwhile, Dad and I were racing right beside of them. Dad knew he better go fast with me, and we quickly took the lead, and Dad started celebrating! Me, I was definitely checking out the egg...I know what those babies taste like, and they are GOOD!!

Here we are right as we crossed the finish line in first place in our heat. However, I am ashamed to say that we did not win! Do you know why? Right as we crossed the finish line and were feeling quite good about ourselves, the egg dropped and what do you think I did. That's right, I gobbled it up in 2 seconds flat! What can I say, it was worth it....hehehe! So, we were disqualified and Sierra and Colleen advanced to the final round where they put in an amazing effort against Hank and Christina.

After all the fun and games, it was cake time. Mom had pre-cut the cake and just plated it up there. Of course, I supervised and told her which piece I wanted. ;) After all, I was the birthday girl, so I got to choose my piece. Each of our humans spread us out and then gave us the yummy cake at the same time! Delicious! I'm already dreaming of what is to come next year! I'm so happy I have a Mom and Dad who throw birthday parties for me!

Due to all the birthday fun, I didn't get a chance to tell you about playing with my brother Remi at Easter time! We met up for a quick play date, and we even had an Easter egg hunt. Mom and Dad do this for me every year. Mom boils some eggs and then cuts them into 4 pieces and I get to hunt them. This time Remi got to join in, and my Nanny was the one who boiled the eggs this year...thanks Nanny! Remi didn't quite know what to do at first, but he ended up getting the idea and snagging a couple pieces of egg. In this picture though, Mom was distracting him and he walked right over the egg without seeing it....silly Remi. I think he is sticking his tongue out at my Mom and telling her to quit being the PUPparrazzi so he can hunt some eggs. ;)

He also gave me some really fun birthday/Easter gifts! I got a spiral chew which I devoured, 2 kinds of treats, and this super cool yellow fuzzy guy! Mom forgot him at my Nanny's though, so I have been lonely without him. I will get him back soon! Thanks Remi for my wonderful gifts...I LOVE them!

Also, I got a great gift in the mail from Darwin....some more pawtastic treats (which I tried to eat the whole bag) and a neato new toy! Mom hasn't downloaded those pictures yet though, so I will have to show them to you later. Thanks Darwin....I have been playing with my toy and enjoying my snacks...they are pawesome!! :) What a wonderful birthday...a girl can never be too spoiled, right!?! :)

Birthday Bash - Part 1

2010-04-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Turning 4 sure was GREAT! I got a birthday cake for the very first time! Yes, I always get lots of yummy food on my birthday, but I have never had an actual cake until this year. Mom made one using a recipe from the Three Dog Bakery cookbook that her friend, Katy, gave to her. Thank you Katy! Mom changed it a bit though by personalizing it with my name. :) All I can say is CREAM CHEESE FROSTING...YUM!!! We shared with all of my furiends at the pawty. Hank and Ozzie gulped their piece down in one bite, I wasn't far behind them, Sierra took hers off to the side to eat it in a safe place, and Marlin took his sweet time and savored every bite. :) It was quite funny how we all ate it so differently.

The weather turned out to be PAWtastic! Mom's cheeks even got a little rosy...she should have put some sunscreen on. It was also the first time that there was NO wind on my pawty day! It's usually very windy here in spring and the non-windy days are treasured.

We even attempted a couple of group shots! Dad was in this one...he was the only boy there. (human boy that is) What a good sport he is. I love my Dad!

This was the best one we got...hard to get a bunch of doggies and humans to look at the camera at the same time. :) It was fun and entertaining trying though.

That's it for now, next post I will tell you about the games we played and show you the special pressies I got from two of my furiends!

Food Fit For a Queen

2010-04-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Queen being me...BOL! What a feast I had on my 4th birthday! Mom made me my very own spaghetti and meatballs. It was so tasty with a little olive oil drizzled over it and some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Needless to say, I WOOFed it down. :)

Of course, she made me pose with it first. Seriously, how much torture can one girl take. ;) I made sure to lick the bowl clean a few times and then very politely looked up and asked for seconds. I was told there were no seconds because later that night I would be getting my dessert. I know, a home cooked dinner and dessert all in the same day...this was the BEST birthday EVER!

Later that night, Mom gave me my special birthday bone. I got one of these last year too, and boy are they yummy. It's just some peanut butter, yogurt, and a little mashed banana stuck inside of one of my bones and then frozen. It's like a PUPsicle! Mom got the idea from our blog buddies, Steve and Kat. Their Mom likes to make them yummy foodables and she sometimes posts the recipes.

I could spend hours with one of these babies, but Mom only let me eat half that night, and I had to save the other half for Friday. She said she didn't want me to get a tummy ache from too much food or some crazy line like that.

Other than the food, my birthday wasn't too eventful. We actually got a weird snowstorm that day. It was like a blizzard with the wind whipping the snow around in circles but thankfully none of it stuck. Mom and I went for a nice walk the next day and then this morning, Mom and Dad took me on a little adventure...we did some off trail hiking and found some cool spots by the river and saw some geese. I think there may be something going on tomorrow too as Mom has been buying what appears to be paw-ty supplies?? I normally have a birthday paw-ty so my guess is it's tomorrow. I'll let you know if my suspicions are correct. Until then, thanks for all the birthday wishes! I LOVE having so many GREAT blog pals around the world.

Love,

Nala

Birthday Baby!

2010-04-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday, and I am 4 years old! Oh, I can't wait to see what will happen today! :)

Catching Up

2010-03-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Well, my Mom starts her next long-term sub job tomorrow, so my blogging will be even more infrequent than it has been lately. I will be lucky to post once a week, but Mom promises me she will help me catch up on all your blogs this week sometime. I figured I better squeeze in one post while I can. Mom gets to teach Title I Math to kiddos who need extra help for the rest of the year. In case you are wondering....yes, she taught Kindergarten last year, but due to budget cuts in the school district and the fact that it was only her 1st year teaching, she was a casualty of the RIF. (Reduction In Force) She says it's ok though because if not for that she wouldn't have had the opportunity to spend 5 months with her wonderful 4th graders, and she would have never known that teaching upper elementary kids was SO much fun! Anyway, onto me and what I have been up to before Mom calls it a night.

I have played with my neighbor Riley some more! The funniest thing is that she likes to go underneath me and just stand! Mom tells me that will not be happening for too long though as Riley will be taller than me, but I have a feeling she may still try it.

She REALLY likes to use her paws when we play. She also immediately goes into a submissive position, and then tries to paw at me like a kitty would. :) It's quite comical to see her roll herself on the ground or face plant and then turn over and start waving her paws in the air.

Mom and I have also been celebrating lots of birthdays. (Ummm, don't forget mine's coming up Mom!;) This was from Julie's birthday. She is my pal Ozzie's Mom. All of these humans belong to one of my doggie friends, but this time there were NO dogs...can you believe it! They actually went out without us...I am sure they missed us though! They went out for pizza and then to a movie. Happy Birthday to Julie!

The next birthday is Colleen's! She's my pal Sierra's Mom. Although her birthday is not until next weekend we celebrated today with a hike, a trip to this cool nursery, and lunch. We even managed to get a somewhat decent group shot. Happy Birthday Colleen!

This is my favorite picture though!! BOL! Check out the expressions on the human's faces as they are afraid after the photoshoot we will head straight into the camera and knock it over! Silly humans, we know to go around and we did...NO cameras were hurt today. ;)

As you already know, my Nanny & Grampi came over to watch the basketball game this weekend, and we had lots of fun! By the way, WVU made it to the final four...they beat Kentucky!! WOOHOO! Anyway, I LOVE it when my Nanny & Grampi come over...ummm, Nanny, Grampi, if you read this, I do hope the unfortunate incident of me gobbling down your leftovers from the pasta restaurant doesn't keep you away for too long. :( Sorry about that, but I must say it was mighty tasty. ;)

While Nanny & Grampi were here we hiked to this really neat waterfall too called Umtanum Falls. It was very pretty! Well, that's it for now...I will try to catch up on all your happenings very soon!

Love,

Nala

Victory is Sweet!

2010-03-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, WVU pulled it off! Here I am proudly displaying my colors. ;) Underneath I have my Husky collar on but Mom thought these colors looked best on me! BOL! (Dad if you are reading this, I tried to fight it, but Mom was too persistent so I deserve a treat for trying my best, right! I mean, I am truly a "Dawg" fan, ya know!;)

Mom and I at the beginning of the game. We had a fun time watching the game but really I didn't care who won...my favorite part was getting the leftover pizza crusts! ;)

Well, Hello There!

2010-03-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, it seems like an eternity since I blogged last, but things have been kind of busy around here. I've been helping Mom garden, going on walks with friends, and visiting my Nanny and Grampi. Speaking of my Nanny and Grampi, they are coming to MY house tonight for the West Virginia University vs. the University of Washington basketball game. They figured they better "keep the peace" between Mom and Dad since Mom is from West Virginia and will be cheering for WVU and Dad is from Washington and graduated from UW and will be cheering for them. Mom has already started decorating the house...it's full of blue and gold and purple and gold. I will be wearing my Husky collar but Mom has another surprise for Dad...but I can't tell you yet what else I will be wearing in case Dad checks the blog....BOL! Anyway, the pic above is a care package my pawrents sent to my Mom's Dad in West Virginia...some Northwest treats to enjoy during the game...hehehe! Now, on to more dog related business.

This is KO...he is a foster pup my Mom's friend and my doggie friend are taking care of until he finds a good home. We think the K.O. stands for knockout since he has two dark circles around his eyes. :) Anyway, I got to go for a walk with them the other day and it was fun!

KO was so sweet, but couldn't quite keep up with us "big dogs" so I stayed behind with him. I didn't mind, I generally like to take my sweet time and stop to sniff things anyway. I had to stop a few times to make sure he was coming though and wait for the little guy to catch up.

I also spent some time playing with my pal Hank, who is helping to take care of KO. He is a good boy for letting those foster pups come into his castle...I think I would be a bit jealous. :)

We all sat for some treats, well, KO is still learning.

He'll get it eventually...look, he's already almost there.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Ours will be much happier if Mom gets over her sickness...she has been sniffling and sneezing for the past couple of days. Don't worry, I have been a most excellent nurse for her as you can see in the picture above. Whenever she needs a nap, I am right there to curl up with her and keep her warm and snug. ;)

Today, she decided that an early St. Patrick's Day dinner might make her feel better. So, she found this Irish Soda Bread Scone recipe from the Smitten Kitchen blog. If you haven't visited the Smitten Kitchen blog then you should definitely go check it out. It's one of Mom's favorite places...she says there are some tasty recipes over there! To go with the scones she made some potato leek soup...recipe courtesy of Alton Brown over at the Food Network. :)

Of course, I wouldn't know since Mom said NONE of the dishes were dog approved! She said the raisins and the leeks meant these treats were off limits to me. :( How rude...you mean, I have to just settle for a sniff??

However, when I thought Mom wasn't looking I did attempt a lick but missed.

That didn't stop me though. I decided to linger a while and wait for Mom to turn her back for a second but that didn't happen either. :(

So, I moved into my usual position at the entrance to the kitchen and carefully watched to see if any stray crumbs found their way to the floor. Unfortunately, I was out of luck today...no crumbs came my way. So, although the warm soup and bread made Mom feel a wee bit better make sure that if your humans cook up any yummy St. Patrick's Day food that it is doggie approved! You'll be much happier than I was this evening. ;) What was my Mom thinking?

An Artist's View

2010-03-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Meet Miss Savannah! She is the granddaughter of Ozzie's (my white Golden Retriever furiend) Mom. So, I guess that would make Ozzie her uncle...hehehe! Anyway, Mom and I LOVE it when she comes over because she is quite the character and she always makes us smile. She is spunky, fashionable (you should see this girl's skirts and leggings), playful, artistic, and just plain sweet! Today, I would like to focus on her most PAWesome artistic skills!

She sent this to me and Mom a few weeks ago. Apparently, she likes to go off on her own and draw all kinds of things. Her Mom helped her label the drawing, and then they sent it to Julie, her grandmother and Ozzie's Mom, to give to me. :) Isn't it PAWtastic! From the left,you will see Mom, Moi, Ozzie, and Julie, who is labeled as Grammy. There are also two cherry trees, a bird, and possibly an ant hill in between Ozzie and Julie. It immediately went up on our refrigerator as we were very honored that Miss Savannah drew this for us. Quite the talent she is! I must say that artistic genes run in her family as her grandmother is an AMAZING artist herself. She makes these beautiful glass lamps and windows among other things. She is also a wonderful photographer, and Mom has learned alot from her. One day I will post some pics of her beautiful work for you all to see.

This weekend, Savannah and her little brother got to come over again. On Saturday morning they joined us on our doggie playdate, and she gave Mom this first thing when she got out of the car. Another amazing drawing! It was very fun to notice the progression from the first one to the second one. My favorite part though is my curly tail. She said she did that because my tail is always curly like this, and she is right! What an eye for detail! Funny how kiddos notice my curly tail, and another thing they notice seems to be my gait. Several kiddos have commented about how my back hips sway when I walk...kind of prissy like. :) I am a princess, what can I say. BOL! Anyway, THANKS Savannah, we love our pictures, and they are both proudly displayed on our refrigerator! They are keepers for sure! :)

Tree Of Doom

2010-03-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

I have a story to tell you...

Last Monday, Mom and I went for a walk in one of our usual spots, but this day was different. It was the first REALLY windy day of the year, and believe me we get lots of windy days. Probably not a good idea to go for a walk in this place on the first windy day, but we didn't even think about it. As we were walking, we could see the trees swaying in the breeze, and we could hear them creaking, not uncommon. We have always seen lots of fallen trees here but never have we actually seen one fall until that day. As we were rounding the corner and had just ducked below another fallen tree, Mom saw the tree of doom start to fall. Her heart started racing as she wasn't sure which way it would come down, and she yelled at me to run. Luckily, I was behind her and very close. Her yell startled me, but I regained my composure and immediately followed her lead.

The crash was fairly loud, and Mom turned around to see the tree bounce back up after it hit the ground. Scary! We stood in shock for a moment, and then Mom said we had to get out of there, but the quickest way out was over the tree of doom that now lie in front of our path. What to do? Should we go all the way back or go over the evil tree that nearly killed us? ;) We decided to go with the quickest route, so we ran and jumped over the fallen tree, but it did not let us go easily. Right as we approached, a small branch came crashing down in front of us. We ducked and felt like we were in a war zone, but kept running and ran all the way back to the car! Well, almost all the way back. :)

Two days later, we came back for a walk with our friends, and Mom brought her camera to capture the tree of doom for you all to see which is the picture above. It may not look big now that it's on the ground, but from way up high when it was falling it seemed mammoth to us. So, while it was quite the experience, we now know NOT to go to this spot on the first windy day of the year! Lesson learned! :)

Busy As A Bee

2010-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

OMD, where to begin? I was a very busy girl last week and this weekend. First, Mom and I went on lots of short runs to try and get into better shape. ;) Then, we went on a hike to Manastash Ridge. It was kind of dull at first, but then my furiend Sierra showed up, and I got a bit more of a spring in my step. :) Sorry Mom but I see you ALL the time and Sierra is REALLY fun to play with. It was an epic adventure up a steep hillside but it felt good to get in a good workout.

Then, to my SURPRISE, I got to go and play with my long lost pal, Brix! His sister, Anna, was there too but she doesn't really play with us...she acts as the supervisor. ;) It was so great to see my buddy after such a LONG time...it had been months, literally! We tired each other out pretty quickly.

Then, I got to meet my new neighbor dog. Riley is a sweet girl, and she is a Great Dane like my pals Honey, Darwin, Sasha, Murphy, and the Danes Down Under, (which I haven't heard from in a while) so soon she will be bigger than me. Every time I would get close to her while we were chasing she would immediately roll onto her back...she was quite graceful at the rolling maneuver actually. I only rolled her into the fence a couple of times...hehehe...have to show her who's Top Dog around here, right! ;) Don't worry, she was pawfectly fine...I mean, she did it to herself really!

Next up, My Uncle Joel came over! I had missed him so much. Although I saw him lots last month, it has been a while since he has been to my house so it was a grrreat treat! We spent some quality time cuddling on the couch.

Can you guess what the adults played? Sheesh, where are the earplugs when you need them?

Mom and I went on a little hike with Dad.

I got a new collar from Ruffwear...it is so lightweight and it almost feels stretchy...very comfy!

And of course, the weekend wouldn't have been complete without a little sunbathing! Ahhh, I love soaking up the rays!

Just Because

2010-03-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Have a super fun and relaxing weekend everyone! :)

NOT For The Squeamish!!

2010-03-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

YUM....my first raw bone! Thanks Remi!

Ridgeback Rompin' Part 2 & the Rest of my Weekend!

2010-03-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

As many of you know from my last post, I got to play with my brother, Remi, again this weekend! It's like a dream come true...two times in one month! I can hardly believe my good fortune. I must admit though that the boy wore me out! I still consider myself a young and playful pup at almost 4 years old...I mean I tend to be more silly and playful than most but wowzers, a 7 month Ridgeback pup sure can make me take another look at my fitness level. ;) As you can see, I am clearly looking more exhausted than my bro...his little ears and playful expression let you know that he can get up and go at any moment. Me, I'm down for a bit longer. I even got hot enough to dig in the cool dirt and stick my muzzle in. I never do that unless I am really tired and hot. Mom and I must start training immediately as I must keep up with the little bro! ;)

I know what you are thinking, how innocent and sweet little Remi looks over there as I am carefully keeping my eye on him, but I assure you he is in predatory mode. He is silently and sneakily stalking his prey...ME! He really does do this stealth stalking thing...it's quite cute and then he pounces just like a lion!

Don't worry, I may be in need of conditioning but I am still quick enough to take off and escape with him in hot pursuit. For the most part, I can outrun him but I fear he is slowly catching up the older he gets. Mom, we MUST train now!

Eventually, I LET him catch me as I am in need of a break. Then, like a little shark, he attacks, but don't worry I do my own shark attack on him too. It's all part of the fun! ;)

After all that playing, we share a drink and then say goodbye.

Now onto the reason I was over his way in the first place. We were celebrating my Nanny & Grampi's 70th birthdays! Aren't they so cute blowing out their candles! Notice the picture in the bottom right corner...that is my Nanny and her two friends. They found this painting a long time ago and thought it was funny and cute how they resembled these ladies, so they bought it and now they take turns with it in their homes. They switch every birthday so now it is my Nanny's turn to bring it to her home. Also, you will notice the yummy cakes, red velvet and ice cream cake, that my Auntie Alison made...she's a great cake maker, at least that's what Mom says. I wouldn't know as they kept me away from the foodables. BOO! On the top right is my cousin Cody with Grampi...such a cute boy and almost ready to be driving on his own!

Mom always makes the rolls for family get togethers but she had never made this many. Luckily, they turned out great...she attributes that to the addition of sea salt and rosemary sprinkled on top. She got this little tip from Pioneer Woman.

She also made some of the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls....they were pretty tasty too and VERY sweet! One of these is plenty...no need to go back for seconds here.

And because I was such a good girl while the family celebrated, not only did I get to play with my bro, but I also got a booty rub from Mom. Ahhh, I love booty rubs! :)

Hangin' With My Bro!

2010-02-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

Guess who I got to play with this weekend? There's nothing like a little Ridgeback Romping! Thanks for a fun time Remi.

Snapshots From the Past Week

2010-02-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

I figured I should post something since it has been a few days, so you get to see what I have been up to over the course of the past week. First up, Mom and I went for a walk and she was playing around with her tripod and shutter release. We had lots of fun...even me, because I got treats for posing. ;)

Then, she got some shots of just me...in that first shot I was watching out for other doggies to arrive like my furiends Sierra and Ozzie, but on that day they were no shows. It was just me and Mom. Mom told me they weren't coming, but I still like to check. ;) So, then I gave up and ran to Mom and told her to pick up the darn tripod so we could do some walking. She did. :)

The next day, I got to go for a walk with my furiend, Sierra, and her friend, Jenny. Jenny got to stay with Sierra for 3 whole weeks while Colleen (Sierra's Mom) was in Brazil! I bet it was nice and warm there. Anyway, Jenny is really nice and she gave me and Sierra treats.

Asking Mom if it is worth my time to come downstairs? I mean if we aren't going for a walk or I'm not getting a treat then I really think I should just stay in bed, ya know. ;)

I also got to play with my pals, Ozzie and Samson! It is SO pawesome to be able to play with my furiends again. Although my toenail has not grown back yet it is doing much better. Mom still makes me wear one bootie on it though. She wants to make sure I don't injure it again. We got some new booties from Granite Gear, and they actually stay on my feet MUCH better and don't fall off nearly as much when I am running around like a mad woman. :) Click on the link and it will take you to the booties page on MPGear.com's website. Remember, they are the ones where I won the Photo Friday thingy. Just so ya know, I have won the last two as well....I mean, maybe it's because no one else has entered but I say who cares....I have millions more pics where those came from and I think I can stay on top! If you think you can beat me though then order up some good doggie gear, take a pic with it, and send it in. ;)

Enjoying the blue sky!! It's about time!

I also got in a little log jumping this week....I think they should make this an Olympic event, I mean it is much more challenging than ski jumping. ;)

And finally, I got to go on a couple of walks with the family yesterday and our friend, Jason, who came over for the weekend. It was another gorgeous day and I met a fun pup to play with. A busy week indeed!

Wonderful Weekend

2010-02-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

What a weekend!! It started out with the BEST surprise EVER! I got to have a playdate with my bro, Remi, and my blog buddy, Darwin! It was my 2nd time playing with Remi and boy had he grown although I am still a tad bigger. Probably won't last much longer though. :) It was my first time meeting Darwin and she was so fun and sweet! I can't wait to play with them again soon!

Isn't my bro a handsome boy! He's also great at the game of chase.

Thanks for the bully stick Remi...it kept me occupied while my family celebrated birthdays. :)

Two birthdays to be exact! My Nanny's and my Uncle Joel's....Happy Birthday Nanny and Uncle Joel...I WOOF you! I had so much fun hanging out with my family.

One of my all-time favorite things to do...play with my Nanny! She is one of the world's best players!! :) She chases me all around the kitchen and plays tug and gives me treats and she ROCKS!

To finish off the weekend...technically, it was Monday but I consider it the weekend since it was a holiday, (President's Day) my family went for a little hike. It was so much fun going to the mountains and running in the snow! Weekends are the best!

All Ya Need is Love

2010-02-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Love Day!

There are many different kinds of love...friend love, romantic love, brotherly love, (wink wink Remi) peanut butter love, cheese love, sleepin' on the bed love, but the one I want to focus on today is family love! Even before I met my human Mom and Dad, they knew I was the one for them. They saw my picture and Mom says it was love at first sight. I must say I am pretty loved and I love them just as much in return. It's a wonderful thing....LOVE!

Our first family photo on the day they brought me home.

A couple months later...I had grown.

A walk at the park...my first Autumn with the family.

Getting our Christmas tree.

Just because.

Our annual 4th of July hike.

And of course, the day they made our family official! They loved me so much that I got to be their ring dog.

How could they not fall in love with a face like this? ;)

I hope you all have a very Happy Valentine's Day and get to spend it with the ones you love.

Mousecapades & Other Nonsense

2010-02-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Well, the week started out ok...my toenail was healing although I kept tearing my sock off which made Mom unhappy. We went for some nice walks and even went downtown and perused some alleys for picture spots.

Then, this morning I rubbed my toenail against the carpet and it started to bleed a little so Mom said no more playing silly and she wrapped my foot again....don't worry I eventually got it off. BOL! It's ok but it is taking quite a while to heal.

The real story I wanted to tell you about though happened last night while my Mom and Dad were driving home from this trivia night thing they went to. (of course, I wasn't allowed to go....how rude!) Anyway, they were driving and all of a sudden Mom sees something pop up on the outside of the windshield where the driver's side wiper attaches. It was a MOUSE...a squirmy, teeny, tiny, icky little mouse. I apologize if some of you like mice, and personally, I have never met one, but this is what Mom thinks of them. She immediately panicked and Dad said she probably didn't really see a mouse as it disappeared before he saw it. Dad told her to pull over anyway and he checked under the hood but nothing was found. As soon as she started driving again it popped up again and this time Dad saw it. As you can imagine, Mom had a bit of an anxiety attack. ;) She made it home though but kept thinking she saw mice all night scurrying here and there. So, this morning, she worked up some bravery and went out to her car to clean it out really good. She had been needing to do this for a while anyway....it was pretty gross and inundated with my hair. So, for that I am happy the little mouse was there. Then, she proceeded to wash the outside even though it was cold out. No sign of the mouse. Dad then helped her set some peanut butter traps just in case the little bugger shows up again. Hopefully, he is gone and Mom can resume driving her car and taking me to play. :)

Super Bowl and Other Things

2010-02-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but this is what will be happening at my house today. :) I am just holding out for the good food. Mom is for the Saints as they have never been to the Super Bowl before and I think Dad is too but technically he hasn't said. Me, I am for the Saints too because if they win then Mom may feel happier and give me more yummies! ;)

Onto other things, THANKS to my pal, Darwin for this fantastic award! Darwin is a gorgeous Great Dane girl who lives in Seattle...one day I hope to meet her. My little bro, Remi may be playing with her right now. How cool!

The rules of the Sweet Friends Award:

1. Copy the image and paste it to your blog.

2. List 10 things that make you happy, do one of them today.

3. Select 10 bloggers who brighten your day.

Things that make ME happy

•Cheese

•Walks/hikes with Mom and Dad

•When Mom & Dad come home from work

•Play dates with my pals

•Cuddling on the couch with Mom and Dad and sleeping in the bed

•A warm and cozy blanket

•Getting treats from the coffee shop
•My Nanny

•Playing chase me around the table with my pawrents

•My Honest Kitchen food

10 blogs that brighten our day (in no particular order):

1. Sheba and her Mom, Esther - They live in Niger and always have great tales and adventures...we love reading their blog.

2.Clive - Clive and his human boy, Murray, make us smile with their sweet ways and hearts of gold.

3.Beaudor - He's a handsome Rhodesian Ridgeback boy and always has beautiful pictures of him and his sisters on his blog.

4.Guinness & Saige - These two Irish Wolfhounds have so many wonderful adventures and are quite imaginiative. I just love seeing pictures of them that truly show their amazing size.

5.Africa - She's a Boerboel and she even has a baby human brother she looks after. :)

6.JD & Max - These two Schnauzers always make me laugh...I love their witty banter. :)

7.Sophie, Hazel, & Scotty - This Pointer trio really know how to snuggle with one another...they have snuggling down to a science.

8.James & Alih - These two boys are so loveable and their Mom, Lina, takes beautiful photos of them. :)

9.Jana and the Papillons - Jana is a Viszla doggie who lives with a group of Papillons. Her Mom also takes very lovely photos and Jana is quite the "Tigger" of sorts.

10.Rouxby - Her Mom is a dog photographer and boy oh boy can she model...you should check out her purple wig she was sporting the other day! She is also a Rhodesian Ridgeback like me so I am a bit partial.

Next up is my trip to the pet store.

Don't let the top picture fool you, it only looks like I was pulling at my leash and trying to swipe a pig ear....pictures really can distort reality sometimes. ;) Anyway, it was a great trip...Mom normally doesn't buy me so many goodies but with me being cooped up, my owie, and the fact that we were extremely low on treats she decided to get me lots of yummies. First, she got me a bully stick that I even got to chew while in the store, then she got these dehydrated liver treats, a turkey roll, some mini Zuke's, and a toy turtle. I think you can tell what I liked the most...the bully stick. However, I have also been enjoying my yummy treats on walks. Thanks Mom!

The Zuke's went straight into my treat jar. I love the sound of falling treats and the clanging of the treat jar lid...it tells me good things are about to happen. ;)

Good things for sure....can you see the drool?

Last, is a picture from my modeling session for Mom the other day.

You see, I have alot of gear from this online gear company called Mountains Plus Gear or MPGear for short...personally, I think the P should stand for Pet but that's just me. :) Anyway, my uncle Joel works there, my Dad used to work there, and Eric, the owner, is a super cool guy. In fact, we got to know him when he would volunteer for the adventure races my Dad and uncle Joel used to produce. Even Mom has some cool gear from them. They have a ton of COOL outdoor gear. So, every Friday they have a Photo Friday Winner they select...it of course has to be a photo of someone or somedog using gear they got from them. Well, this Friday I was the winner! I know what you are thinking, I have family ties and all so it was rigged but whatever, I am still excited! WOOHOO!

Above I am pictured with my Chuckit toy, but I also have a travel pack that comes with a bowl from Mountainsmith, a travel bed from Canine Hardware, and I used to have some boots from Granite Gear until my pawrents lost them. They need to order me some more because they were much more comfy than my ones now. Anyway, to see their blog you can click here. To see 3 more pics of me modeling with my gear, check out my Mom's new photography blog. She just started it, so it is a work in progress. :)

Enjoy your Sunday and Go Saints!

Kisses,

Nala

Scenes From Around the House

2010-02-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

Recuperating - there's nothing like a snuggle on the couch with Mom to make a girl feel better. :)

Salmon Chowder
I got to lick the cream cheese packet that went into it. :) YUM!

I also got to eat some of the bacon that went on top. You are probably thinking, hmmm, cream cheese and bacon, doesn't sound very healthy. However, it was fat free cream cheese and as for the bacon, well, it was only sprinkled on top. Nevermind the heaping pile of it Mom has...only sprinkles right. ;) I also got to taste Mom's bread...it was a new recipe and she thinks it will be a keeper.

Now, onto more serious business. DON'T do this unless....

you want to wear this! That's right, the first day after my incident Mom took off work to be with me, but yesterday she decided to work as I seemed to do fine with my bandage. BOL...fooled her, didn't I. When Dad came home for lunch he found this on their bed and me with a free foot! As soon as Mom got home though she put this awful thing on me and took me back to the vet. He said my owie looked great but to keep the sock on for about one more week. YUCK! I should have just left the bandage alone.

Oh, it gets worse...when I go outside I have to put a plastic bag on top of the sock to keep it from getting wet. Mom says that today she will take me to the pet store to get me some new treats and a toy but I have to put my sock and boot on. RATS!

Here is my toenail. The only good thing is that inside the house I can take the sock off as long as Mom makes sure I don't lick it. So far, I have been a very good girl.

Here's the side view....it is healing quite nicely. :)

This is from last night...I was beckoning Mom to come and snuggle with me so we could watch some crime shows. Eventually she did. :) Now I must go beckon her to take me to the store....I can't wait for my new toy and treats!! WOOHOO! Being on the injured list sure has its benefits.

Down & Out

2010-02-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is not what I had in mind to post for today but sometimes life throws ya for a loop. Yesterday afternoon, Mom took me for a walk with my pal, Ozzie. We went to one of our normal places and I was running and having fun like I always do. Well, right before we got in the car Mom noticed my back left nail was bleeding. At first, she didn't think much of it as my paws/nails have been sensitive in the crunchy snow as of late anyway even though there was no snow where we walked. However, upon closer investigation she noticed that I split my nail completely apart somehow and it was bleeding pretty good. :(

So, she took me to the vet for them to have a look which I was NOT happy about!! As soon as I realized where we were I tried to turn and run but Mom wouldn't let me...how rude! Once trapped inside, I tried to hide under the chair which the vet thought was too small for me but I assured him we Ridgebacks can curl up into tight little balls, and space was NOT an issue. It's not that I don't like the vet...it's just that one time I went to a different vet and he wasn't so good. He didn't even greet me when he first met me and instead immediately started poking my belly which freaked me out. At least, that's what Mom attributes to my fear of the vet now, because before that I was fine. I still give kisses to my vet and the vet tech but I just don't like being there. Anyway, where was I...oh yes, trapped inside. The vet had to sedate me, which basically means give me some medicine to make me very sleepy and then he had to remove the top part of my split nail. At least, I was sleeping so I didn't realize what was happening.

Once it was over, they wrapped my foot in a pink little bandage and brought me to Mom. I was VERY stumbly and shaky. I could barely stand up and my eyes were droopy. Mom helped me get into the car and she managed to get me to lay down in the back seat. Once at home, I had to miss dinner (RUDE) in favor of sleeping it off on the couch.

Don't worry though, once I was a bit more cognizant I got my dinner and some of my special Honest Kitchen warm broth. :)

I have to keep my bandage on for three days and I can't get it wet. That means, every time I go out to potty or if Mom or Dad decide to take me for a walk I have to get a plastic bag tied around my foot....YUCK! It feels SO weird. I also have to take an anti-inflammatory medicine and an antibiotic. Mom thinks I don't know she's hiding the pills in cheese and bananas but I do....hehehe! As long as I get the good stuff then that's cool with me. ;) Also, once I get my bandage off then I have to take it easy until my nail grows back...each doggie is different so I have NO idea how long that will take. :( BOOHOO...that means no more playdates for awhile and it also means that for walks I have to put a sock on my foot or a bootie to keep it protected. Oh well, I plan to milk this time for all it's worth!!

When the Dad is Away, the Girls Will Play!

2010-02-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

And play we did! Dad went to help my Nanny and Grampi move home from Oregon this weekend which I must say I am SUPER happy about. Now they will only be two hours away instead of ten...woohoo for that! So, Mom and I had a fun girls weekend. First, we had a little photo session where I got to be the model. I will tell you about that later. Then, we went on this pawesome hike with my pal Sierra, her Mom, Colleen, and our other furry friend, Rosy. Rosy's Mom was skiing so we just kidnapped Rosy and brought her along. She is so cute and she likes to clean other dogs teeth just like me. I am thinking of asking her to start a dental practice with me. BOL!

It was quite snowy still where we went, but the sky was gorgeous and the sun was shining! Check out Rosy cleaning my teeth in the bottom left picture. Told ya! ;)

Telling Sierra how much I love her.

Here comes Sierra!

Here she comes again. Doesn't she look so happy! There's nothing like playing with furiends.

And sweet Rosy was sitting pretty for Mom. Her little ear flopped back making for a cute picture.

Rosy and I playing in the glorious sunlight. What a day...I can't wait for another hike with the girls!

Enough Torture For One Day!

2010-01-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

What a day it has been!! First, Mom gets home early, so here I am thinking life is good! She decides to take me for a walk, and now I am thinking life is even better as she snaps my collar on and gets my leash and fills her pocket with treats. Then it happens. To my horror, she pulls out the scarf that my Aunt Etsuko made me. Granted, it's pretty and all, but as you know I am not a fan of clothes and such things. She then proceeds to put it on my neck and make me walk a mile and a half wearing it. I even passed two Labs...I am sure they were laughing at me, but I didn't have time to explain that my Mom forced me to wear it against my will.

Oh, it gets worse....when we got home I settled in for a nice nap and then I heard it...the dreaded Dremel. It sounded like a horrific beast about to gobble me up. I was wondering what in the world had overcome my Mom seeing as how she NEVER trims my nails. I immediately run like my life is on the line and make a beeline to hide under the computer desk. With giant, earth shattering steps, Mom approaches and corners me. I begin to shake all over...she gives me treats but it doesn't help. Finally, she gives up on the scary sounding machine and brings in the clippers. This time she was able to do some damage but I did not make it easy on her. She says she has more in store for me later but she didn't want to totally traumatize me in one sitting. Too late Mom, damage done! She kept spouting something off about how it would feel better with shorter nails...blah, blah, blah! I need to start planning my escape route now for next time...how awful!

At least I got to go play with my pal Ozzie after the torture subsided. That was the best part of my day! He even had his Mom's little human grandkids with him. They are quite fun and exciting too.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/pet/1574214117.html

And my final note on torture for today...this is Darwin's brother. Darwin is a blog pal of mine and his Mom found his brother on Craigslist...how horrible! The humans who have him decided he was too big for their home...sheesh, how rude. Why didn't they think of that before...I will NEVER understand certain humans. So, if anyone in the Pacific Northwest wants to give a beautiful Dane boy a home then check out his ad and call.

Have a super weekend!

Kisses,

Nala

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

New Year's Traditions

2010-01-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

I know New Year's was a month ago, but I wanted to share one of our traditions with you. Every year, my pawrents get together with my Uncle Joel and now his soon to be wife, Etsuko. Every year, they always put together a puzzle. Dad and Uncle Joel can spend hours doing this. Well, this year Mom had a puzzle of moi made for them to put together. Although it was a bit simpler than the ones they normally do, it was still fun...I mean how could it not be??? It was of me after all. ;) It even came in a tin with me on the front.

While sledding is not a tradition, Mom thinks it should be. Apparently, the humans had alot of fun riding these red plastic things down the hill. I wouldn't know about that because they said it was too dangerous for me to come along. Apparently, the hill is pretty steep and you get going fast and there are sometimes lots of people. (although this time they had the hill all to themsleves) Well, Mom said the potential for me to get run over by a sled was too great, so I had to settle for a snowball fight with Mom when they returned. I love trying to catch snowballs in my mouth...it's great fun!

That's Better!

2010-01-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I gave the boots and jacket another whirl and guess what? It wasn't so bad. The jacket kept me warm and dry, and the boots kept my sensitive paws from getting scratched up in the icy, crusty snow!! Success! Of course, this walk was just with Mom and Dad, so I have not tested the boots with my furiends again yet. Mom said these boots weren't really designed for snow, but she and Dad seem to have misplaced my boots they got me last year which were better for snow. Mom thinks that snow boots should have the stretchy material that goes further up the legs to keep the cold stuff from getting inside. Oh well, these should work for now and they should be great for hiking in rough, rocky areas this summer. Thanks so much to all of those doggies who gave suggestions! I even made a new furiend because of the suggestions. Brutus the Frenchie got these cool little shoes called PAWZ...check out his blog for the details if you haven't already! Don't know if they would work for my big paws, but right now I think I will stick with these boots as they seem to do the trick as long as I can keep them on when playing with my rowdy furiends. I'm not rowdy, it's them ya know. ;)

Really, you got me THIS for Christmas??

2010-01-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

Well, when I got home from vacation I had a late Christmas gift! It was this...a JACKET! Really Mom, another jacket?? I already have one that I run from every time you bring it out! Mom did not let my "enthusiasm" deter her. Her excitement was too great, so I reluctantly let her put it on me and to my surprise it was MUCH more comfortable than my last jacket. Not that I was happy about this though!!

Mom says it is from this Canadian company called Chilly Dogs, and they had a Ridgeback on their site just like me. She said their jackets are designed for long, lean, and deep chested doggies like myself, so she thought it would be a better fit. If you notice, it goes over my head and then the bottom part that is adjustable goes below my chest and then fastens around my back. Plus, it is longer than most jackets to keep my tail feathers warm. ;) I am still not sure about all of this. Well, Mom was sooo excited she had me wear it out with my pal, Ozzie. I tried to interject and tell her what an embarrassment it would be but she insisted!

And not only do jackets give your furiends something to grab on to, but the red color also brings out their vampire side! YIKES! Did Edward get to you Ozzie? Mom, HELP! I told you this was a BAD idea!!

Well, Mom learned her lesson but not on this trip. Just this week, she took me out in my jacket with my furiend, Sierra, and this time she even put 4 new boots on my paws...how degrading!! The reason she got the boots is because every time I go out in the crunchy snow, my princess paws get cut up and bleed. I told her I was a tough princess but she didn't believe me. Unfortunately, our snow has been kind of crunchy because of the weather so when I have returned from play dates I have had bloody paws. :( Anyway, Mom figured the boots and jacket would be ok because Sierra usually does her own thing. Boy was she wrong! First of all, she decided that the boots, which are super cool, (although she doesn't think they were designed with snow in mind) are not good for playing with other doggies because the excitement levels are too high and I get a little too silly. They get snow stuck in the tops and then I lick the tops because my legs get too cold. Plus, when I am running around and playing they fly off if they are not readjusted and tightened as I am moving around. The snow probably doesn't help with this as it helps pull them off when I remove my paws from it's grasp. Also, even my furiend, Sierra, starting charging me with my jacket on. I think she was out for blood too...maybe Ozzie got to her...I don't know? I do know that next time I am with my furiends I am going au natural and maybe I can avoid their vampirish ways. Mom is in agreement but she says that the jacket and boots WILL be good for when I am out for a walk with just her and Dad. Maybe, but I am NOT a believer yet!

Update: Amber here, just got back from a play date and Nala's paws got chewed up by the snow. UGH! I am very frustrated. Maybe despite the challenges of the boots they will at least keep her feet from getting so chewed up. The jacket for sure is not for play dates (I knew that but thought for walks it may be ok) or even just walks with friends but now I am thinking she HAS to wear the boots regardless.

The arrows indicate blood. She left bloody marks all over the snow out there.

All four paws looked similar to this. :( Has anyone else had this problem with their dog before? Is it because of the short hair? I can't NOT take her out to play but I also don't want her paws to look like this every time either. I guess we will go with just boots from now on. I can't wait for the snow to be gone! Or at least melt and snow some nice fluffy snow that doesn't cut paws!! Right now, Nala is sweetly curled up on her blankie licking her injured paws. I washed them off for her with some warm water and gave her some warm broth to drink.

On the Mend

2010-01-11T21:54:00.001-08:00

Well, Mom's on the mend although she still has a slight chipmunk cheek on her right side. ;) She had to get an implant put in which is basically a little metal screw-like device. I bet she can't go through airport security anymore...BOL! Guess she will just have to stay home with me and NEVER travel! :) Can you believe she didn't even give me a treat after surgery...well, she did but not immediately. I even reminded her but I guess I won't hold it against her seeing as how she was on some meds that made her sleepy and apparently, forgetful!

Above is the picture I submitted for the Mango Minster! The one above has a faded 70's look though and the one I submitted was untweaked because of the rules. I like to call it All Four Off the Floor. As I told Mango, I chose this photo to highlight my hound dog running ability and long stride...can't you just imagine me chasing down a lion?? Plus, I do it all while still looking gorgeous! I'm not modest at all....sorry but in a competition like the Mango Minster one must exude confidence! Anyway, if you don't know about the Mango Minster then check it out by clicking the link above. Mango is a most gracious and dedicated doggie for hosting such a pawtastic event!

Dream of Me Mom!

2010-01-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Mom, while you are sleeping today and they are fixing your tooth, dream of me and our fun times on the beach! I will be waiting to give you kisses and make you feel better when you get home. Maybe slip a treat in your pocket before surgery and that way when you get home you will have one to give me. ;) Ya know, if you think about it.

My Christmas Celebration

2010-01-04T20:12:00.001-08:00

My family and I got to spend Christmas in Medford, OR with my Nanny and Grampi! It was wonderful to be with my favorite person, my Nanny! Every morning I watched her door knob until finally it would open and she would come play with me! I love her sooo much. Also, I was so happy to see my Grampi...last time I was there he was having some kind of operation on his heart and had to be stuck in the hospital while I was at his house. I am happy to report he is out of the hospital and doing grrrreat! Also, my Uncle Joel and soon to be Aunt Etsuko were there with us too. :) I was a little sad though because my Auntie Alison and her family could not be there. I missed them alot.

I got to be in the center of all the present opening action...it was pawesome!

A Christmas collage...what fun we had! Do you see what Mom got for Christmas?? Now she will be tormenting me more than ever. ;)

And here are my gifts from my sweet little bro, Remi! He sent them to me in the mail and boy oh boy does he have good taste! A cool spiral chew that I did not ever want to part with, some SUPER YUMMY dehydrated cheddar cheese, a penguin toy, and some more treats in a bag! He even put a note on the bag that said "No carrots" to make sure I didn't wonder seeing as how I am allergic to them. Maybe his Mom actually wrote it but I am sure he told her too. Oh yea, and some salmon jerky...YUM! Thanks Remi, you are one grrreat brother!

But the best part about my Christmas was just relaxing and curling up with my family!

Belated HOWLiday Greetings!!

2010-01-03T10:41:00.001-08:00

OMD....I am SO late at wishing you Happy HOWLidays, but trust me, I have been trying! We have had some major technical difficulties here with uploading anything to the blog so we have decided to fully switch to blogspot which means my address has changed. It may take a while for this to take effect so if anyone finds this then I will soon be adding a link to my old address so you can update my web address. :) Anyway, hope you all had a pawesome holiday season! I will catch up with you soon and share my holiday adventures with you as well!

Love,

Nala

Holiday Bokeh

2009-12-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

Mom has been playing with her camera again...what's new? ;) I don't mind being her model as long as she keeps the treats coming! She was trying to get the bokeh effect. Bokeh refers to the quality of the out of focus or blurred background areas in a photo and the way the lens renders these points of light. It means you have a shallow depth of field. At least that is Mom's understanding. :) Anyway, she has been hearing/seeing this term alot lately, and she kind of likes the word. :) In this case, our Christmas tree lights provide the background. Mom discovered that the further she was away from the light source, the bigger and more eye pleasing bokeh she could obtain.

This is one of our Christmas ornaments that Dad got last year. The dog is supposed to be a Ridgeback like me but it clearly has hair that is too long to belong to a Ridgeback. :) Still cute though, and we love it!

This little guy tops our tiny "dog" tree. That's right, we have a dog tree that has my ornaments, as well as, Dad's Husky football ornaments. Mom says we are getting too many ornaments though and next year we may need a Husky tree and a Nala tree. :)

And finally, Mom wanted to see the bokeh effect in black and white. We like the color ones the best but this photo lended itself better to black and white due to the fact that I was not as sharp as Mom would have liked in the color version.

Happy Holiday Photo Taking! :)

Love,

Nala

POW

2009-12-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

That's right, I have been a Prisoner Of War for the last month. I am talking about the war between my Mom, school, and the holidays. Somehow I got caught up in the battle and have been unable to get my paws on the keyboard. Mom says in about a month though she should have more time. In a month she will be finished with her long term sub position and will just be a regular sub so she will be able to focus more on ME and my blog correspondence! I don't know if I can wait that long but what choice do I have really? Anyway, my point is that I miss ALL my blog buddies terribly but hopefully I will catch up before a whole month has passed. :(

As for me, I have been holding down the fort, barking at UPS guys that deliver packages, supervising the tree decoration, and enjoying some romping in our first true snow of the season! I am looking forward to Mom's school vacation as she promises me there are sandy beaches in my future and a visit with my Nanny and Grampi!! WOOHOO! My Grampi is doing well, by the way. His heart is getting stronger everyday! :) Lots of kisses to all my blog buddies! Hope you are having a pawesome December. Miss you and I hope to bark at you soon!

Love,

Nala

I am thankful for...

2009-11-30T21:26:00.001-08:00

my Grampi!!! The doctors did a bit of work on his heart over Thanksgiving break, and he is doing better now. In fact, this was the day after surgery and he is looking as handsome as ever. Even more amazing is that he didn't let a "little thing" like heart surgery interfere with the anniversary of his marriage to my Nanny. Nope, on his second post-op day he had a dozen roses sent to her. Of course, his friend helped him order them, but he made the arrangements!
What a man! He is certainly a special Grampi, and if I could I would give him a million puppy kisses right now, but Mom says I need to wait a bit for that. ;) Anyway, we LOVE you Grampi and are so happy that you are on the mend.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2009-11-22T12:15:00.001-08:00

Hope you have a Barkarific Day!!!!

Photo Fun

2009-11-21T16:23:00.001-08:00

Mom and I went out for a walk this morning with our friends, Ozzie and Julie, and Mom enjoyed taking a few photos of us. She had some nice conditions for shooting some silhouettes so she gave it a whirl. We are always so enamored with Sheba's silhouettes that her Mom Esther takes of her in the Niger bush. Go check out their site...it's super cool. Oh, did I mention Sheba is a Ridgeback like me?? No, well, she is and she has puppies too...cute baby Ridgebacks...seven of them. :) Anyway, I know that may look like my tongue BUT it is not. It IS a big, juicy bone that I found! It was wonderful while it lasted...that is, until Ozzie took possession of it, and once he claimed it there was no going near it for me even though I was the one who found it. That's ok, it got Ozzie to chase me, and we had fun!

Next up, Mom took this picture from our walk and added texture to it. She just recently learned how to do this, and is having a bit too much fun with this technique. It doesn't work well for all pictures, but some become so much more interesting with a little texture. We couldn't decide which one of these we liked better though...no texture, texture, or neither. :) What do you think?

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

Resistance is Futile!

2009-11-13T22:56:00.001-08:00

Mom had plans to wash the bed sheets but I had other things in mind. ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T09:42:00.001-08:00

Cover Girl...Well, Almost...Kind of...Ok, Not Really

2009-11-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Although I didn't make the cover like this cutie pie, I did make it in the magazine! :) That's right...you see, my pawtastic dog blog furiend, Honey, has a Mom that is a great writer. Honey's Mom, Hsin-Yi, writes articles of all kinds and she happened to be writing about "hard to train" breeds for Dogs Today out of the UK and asked my Mom to answer some questions about training me. At first I protested because I didn't like the thought of people thinking I was "hard to train", but Mom convinced me it would be a good article that portrayed me well. She said it would educate people about how some breeds just require a bit more patience and consistency but by no means are they untrainable. Mom even told me it meant I was smarter than most because I had a mind of my own, so I decided to let her answer the questions and send a few pictures. ;) Anyway, that was a few months ago, and then about three weeks ago my furiends from Pointer Pandemonium told me they saw me and Mom in a magazine so Mom ordered up a couple of copies to show off, of course. :) We were both very excited and guess what?? The Dughallmor Beagles are in it too and another blog dog whom we are not acquainted with named Chow Chow. How cool is that? I know, I could hardly stop wagging my tail and have been shamelessly showing MY magazine to everyone who will look at it! hehehehe!

Here we are in our action shot. Thanks Hsin-Yi for writing a great article and asking us to contribute. It was lots of fun and we are thrilled and honored to be a part of it. :)