Shadowfax Watches the Westminster Agility Trials

Shadowfax has never shown any interest in watching television, but this weekend the Westminster Agility Trials were on and she was very excited. She was happy to see at least one competitor that looked like her - a spotted American Staffordshire Terrier. He didn't win, but he made at least one new fan.

She watched intently for a few minutes then returned to lounge in front of the fire. Luckily none of the pups have a tendency to watch too much TV, so we've never had to discuss limiting their screen time. 

Packed Up and Ready To Go

Dogs are smart and intuitive creatures. They know that the appearance of a suitcase is a bad sign. One or both of us is going away, and that's no good.

Alycia recently had a conference to attend. Based on experience we know to delay the presence of the suitcase for as long as possible to avoid the pups consternation. Alycia started packing for her trip and Shaak Ti tried her best to tag along.

After a few minutes Shaak Ti realized that this was going to be a lengthy and difficult vigil and it might be best to rest up for the upcoming "if you're leaving, you're taking me with you" protest.

Unfortunately Alycia's suitcase was already partially packed and she wound up with a nice coating of Shaak Ti hair on her clothes. Nothing like a light dusting of dog hair to remind you of home. 

Shadowfax Needs Attention

Shadowfax can be a bit needy at times. And she's not shy about making it known that she needs some attention. Like, right now.

It's a fairly predictable routine, morning and early afternoon is spent snoring away the hours, then about 2:00 she demands attention. I've even got the time stamp  on the lower right hand corner of my laptop to prove it. Today she was super patient and waited until 2:02.

Our Three Deaf Pups as Cartoons

You may have seen that we changed our picture on the Deaf Dogs and Benevolent Gnomes Facebook page to the following cartoon. This is indeed our pack of awesome deaf pups drawn as cartoons!

Alycia got me this as a Christmas present and had the image put onto a coffee cup and some cool stickers. It perfectly captures our pups: Shadowfax and her goofy bully pose, Tito and his cloak of simmering rage, and Shaak Ti happily upside down.

If you're interested in getting your pups drawn as cartoons or, even better, turned into stuffed animals, you should check out the website - https://sockdogs.com/ or find them on Facebook under Original Sock Dogs.

Staying Warm by the Fire

We spend a great deal of our time in the living room. Between the leeway of Alycia's academic career and John's "work" from home, there's a great deal of time spent in cozy couch computer productivity. Our purchase of a gas fireplace insert this Fall was a great decision. We can keep the living room quite cozy and the heat eventually spreads to the rest of the house.

The dogs REALLY like the gas fireplace insert. There are even rumors of Tito being caught whilst taking a relaxing nap in the dog bed in front of the fireplace. These remain just rumors...

Sadly neither Shaak Ti or Shadowfax seem to have the ability to regulate their time in front of the fireplace. Typically after an hour or so, they're overheated and panting, with bright pink tummies. We have to occasionally physically rouse them up and hustle them to another bed to cool off so they don't bake their brains. Usually moving one dog causes the other to immediately take their place in front of the fireplace and it's a constant rotating dog bed carousel.

Local Boise, Idaho Canine Celebrity

At a Holiday craft show back in December we had the good fortune to meet a local dog celebrity. Kohl has become famous nationwide for his enthusiastic retrieving of the kick-off tee during Boise State football games.

You can watch his exploits from various news outlets here and here. He's a pretty talented pooch and we got to meet him! And not only is he talented, but a multi-sport dog as well. He is also the official bat-dog for the local minor league baseball team, the Boise Hawks. He retrieves the bats as eagerly as the kick-off tees.

Merry Christmas

Shadowfax fell back asleep waiting to open presents.

All of us here at Deaf Dogs and Benevolent Gnomes wish you the Happiest of Holidays and a Merry Christmas.

Idaho Snow Snakes

Alycia spotted a snow snake yesterday, hanging from a power line. I scampered outside as fast as I could to try to snap a photo. It had snowed the night before. A few inches of the wet, heavy, sticky snow that collects on fence posts and tree branches. And power lines.

The sun appeared in the late morning and it warmed up throughout the day to the low 30's. An occasional light breeze stirred the trees which shed their accumulated snow in glorious little avalanches.

This snow snake only lasted a few more minutes after we took the picture, then it was gone. As we mentioned on Thanksgiving, there's a lot of cool things out there in the world to marvel at. Take a minute to be thankful, appreciate the little moments of brilliance the world creates for you...even if it's just a bit of snow starting melt off a power line.

Our Christmas Eve plans involve lounging around, wrapping some presents, and making some fudge as presents for our new neighbors. What better way to become part of the neighborhood than to deliver some packages of sure-fire, sugar-induced paroxysms of Holiday spirit!