Foster Bell Family Blog: October 2005

Yoga-Pug

Raz wants to show Bunny Princess Jessie-Mae that she can do yoga too...

Raz says... "Yoga? Piece of cake! Oh, can I have some cake?"

Hide-n-Seek

Lucy pretends we can't see her behind this weeping willow.

Inter-species love?

Moose catches sight of something interesting...

And then he gets to meet... A PIG!

Moose (and Raz and Lucy) were very fascinated with this pig we met on Southdowns Drive today. The pig was very friendly and would wag its tail, sniff the dogs, and make piggy grunts. Cute.

Lots of Legs, Lolling

The doggies sometimes amuse us with their odd positions. And sometimes, when the stars are aligned just so, they amuse us at the same time.

Is Raz flying through the air, or does the dark background of the couch just make it seem so? If one has really good eyes, one might glimpse Lucy lying just beside...

Sometimes, the comfortable bed is just not comfortable enough to satisfy a Moose. Stretching ensues, even if it results in odd contortions, pressing up against furniture, etc.

Of course, the truest comfort is using your sister as a pillow. Lucy was in the same position, more or less, in the previous picture of Raz, but Lucy tends to blend into the background...

Travels and travails...

Wow, nearly two weeks have gone by since we last visited the Menagerie. To our loyal readers (both of you): all apologies. We will try to do better in future-- which should be easier to manage, since we do not plan on doing any more traveling between now and Thanksgiving. Enough plane delays, cancelled flights, being marooned in San Francisco, etc.

Back to the dogs!

No witty comments come to mind about these.

Raz gets some love from Daniela.

And Moose looks up demurely, his legs politely crossed:

Just another day at the (home) office...

It's tough to get a picture of Raz and Lucy when they're not on the couch-- it's so much their favorite place that they rarely leave it...

Moose also spends most of his time on his new fluffy bed, though he does occasionally get up to check out what's going on.

Back Home (Again)

Mama and Dad had to go away for the weekend but when we returned everyone was quite happy to be reunited.

Raz and Lucy get some alone time with Dad.

Raz reminds us of her goofiness by showing off her John Wayne face.

Moose is happy to back out in his neighborhood and catching up on all the latest scents.

A little celebratory run for Moose, caught mid-stride.

Newest Menagerie Members

These chickies live in Outiero, Portugal across
from the Casa Pequenina and so are honorary members
of the Menagerie...

Doggies in Daylight

After Moose's walk (see two previous posts), I took the pugs out in the yard to enjoy what should be one of the last warm days of the year (we hope) and to get some natural light photos of them.

The pugs, it must be said, do not look forward to their forays in the great outdoors as much as Moose does. For Moose, walks are the most important part of the day. For Raz and Lucy, walks are to be tolerated in between naps on the couch and meals.

Lucy asks, "Why are we out here? And do you really expect me to step onto that grass with my dainty feet?"

Raz imperiously surveys her domain.

Lucy catches sight of something off in the woods and considers chasing it.

I managed to catch Lucy in mid-shake...

Raz among the weeds...

The Daily Walk, Part II

(continued from previous post)

4. I'm Being Followed By a Moose Shadow. Actually, in this picture, as on all walks, it is Eric (or his shadow) who follows Moose.

5. Happiness Is a Good Walk. The expression says it all.

6. The worst part of a walk is the end... but here one can also see the new paint job on our house.

Next up: Pugs au naturel (light, that is)...

The Daily Walk, Part One

Ingrid pointed out that I should try to take some natural light pictures of the dogs, so I decided to take my camera along on Moose's daily walk to the park and chronicle his typical walk.

1. The Beginning. "Hurry up, please..." Moose is very impatient at the beginning of a walk. He strains at the leash and does not abide delays, whining or barking if he's made to stand still for more than a moment.

2. Moose the hunter. One of life's chief pleasures for Moose is sniffing. What he's really hoping for is the scent of a squirrel, rabbit, or even a kitty. He has encountered several cats in the drainage stream that runs between two roads on our walk, so it has become an important part of the walk for Moose to search for cats in this area, including going as far into the sewer pipes as I'll let him...

It's not clear, by the way, what Moose would do if he "caught" a cat. Most likely he'd just sniff it... any kitty volunteers? Bunny princesses?

3. Grass Eating. Moose loves the taste of fresh, tender grass (who doesn't?). Here he samples the offerings on the margin of the little wooded area at the park (isn't it pretty?).

Moose is quite the connoisseur of grass and has to be dragged away before he eats enough to make himself sick...

4. Wading and Drinking. The stream continues right on into the park, and Lucy has demonstrated to Moose how much fun it is to wade through the water. Also, all dogs, it seems, have a clear preference for dirty, putrid water from any pond or stream versus the clean water bowl at home.