Who needs a heater when you've got a fireplace?

Sadie Fix

Here are some pictures of Sadie to get you through the day...

What do you want?

Scrunched-face

Guard Dog on Duty

Make sure you get my good side.

Where's Katie?

Sadiekinso-Ladiekinso

I performed a rousing rendition of Sadiekinso-Ladiekinso this morning. I cannot confirm the precise level of Sadie's appreciation. It was performed in a rich baritone and Sadie only looked mildly irritated. That's a win, right?

I'm Excited!

The sunset yesterday

I hurried home yesterday to get my camera and try to snap a picture of the sunset down Mission Street.  I forgot the tripod though, so the pictures came out blurry.  They still show the incredible colors though.

Brittney's Birthday Pictures

After taking about 90 photos on Saturday night and Sunday morning, these are the three photos I decided on for Brittney's birthday present.

Pasadena City Hall, view from the courtyard

Colorado Street Bridge

Front of Pasadena City Hall

I was also going to include one of the night photos I took, but I couldn't find a frame that accommodated four photos the way I wanted.  It got the axe.

Colorado Street Bridge at night, looking west

I offered to hang the picture frame for her because I know that she's rather hesitant to put holes in the walls of her house herself.  We'll see if she takes me up on my offer.

Delicious Heirlooms

I got a few heirloom tomatoes at Vons last night and they were so beautiful, I almost didn't want to eat them.  I used the one in the middle in some fresh guacamole and also in my salad.  It was so tasty.  The other two, well, I couldn't bear to cut them up just yet.  I think I might pick up some mozzarella and basil to make a caprese salad with them.  

I wonder how many more delicious tomatoes are going to be around this season.  It also made me want to replant the garden again next year.  I'll probably start working on it in the next few weeks.  I'd like to have a winter garden this year too.  And a small compost heap.  We'll see what happens with that.

Sadie and her new chew

I bought this new chew thing for Sadie at Pet's Delight the other day because I was looking for something the help keep her teeth clean.  I was going to buy Greenies, but the lady there recommended these Bully Stix instead.  I think they are basically dehydrated bull penises.  Gross, I know.  But it makes sense.  When I first gave one to Sadie she wasn't sure what to do with it and instead of chewing on it, she decided to rub her neck on it like she does when she rolls in the grass.  Sadly, I did not catch her doing it on film. By the time I thought to capture it digitally, she had figured out that it was a chew toy and not a fragrance.

Videos from Garfield Park

Sunday morning, Sadie and I walked through town and ran some errands (TJ's, post office, hair goo store).  Our our way back home, we stopped for a little while in the park across the street from the late Polar Bear Dog's house.  Sadie explored while I did some reading.

In the afternoon when we went back down to the park for the concert, she had to get in some good rolls in the grass before all the other people showed up and occupied the valuable real estate.

Sadie's Fan Club

On Sunday, Sadie and I went to the last concert in the park for the summer.  Tisha and Peyton met us there (Mike had some work to do).  While Tisha and I were talking, Sadie became dissatisfied with the lack of attention being lavished upon her, so she went searching for others to satisfy her scritching needs.  She hit the jackpot...

It's time to cut the grass

Frontier Dog in the Urban Savanna

Sitting in the grass, pensively

Laying in the grass, regretfully

Bats!

Remember when Sadie got wet from a sprinkler and acted like she was "getting hit with bats"?  I love that story.  We walked through some sprinklers today, and neither of us really cared.  Today was the first morning I took her for a walk in a t-shirt and shorts.  I've been wearing long sleeve shirts.  It's starting to get warm around here.  I think it's supposed to be in the mid-90s today at the house. BLECH.

Fetch

This is a video of Sadie and I playing fetch in the living room with the squirrel tail the other night.  At the beginning of the video, you can see her trying to dig it out of the paper bag.  She was really freaked out by the bag for some reason, but REALLY wanted the squirrel tail.

What goes on in a dog's mind?

Sadie and I took advantage of the beautiful weather after breakfast this morning and sat out on the patio for about an hour.  I, reading a book and Sadie experimenting with the best lounging location in the back yard.  I was also trying to mitigate the continued ridiculousness of the farmer's tan I cultivated in San Diego at the beginning of the month by reading sans shirt.  Yesterday's yard work was shirtless too, but with the added aesthetic bonus of a bandanna headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes.  I doubt the farmer's tan will ever disappear this season, but I figure I should try to make it a little less offensive.

I had the Spanish-English dictionary out too while I was reading because Cormac McCarthy writes a fair amount of the dialogue in Spanish.  It's frustrating because I usually understand the entire passage except for one or two words.  The problem is that those one or two words are the hinge points behind the meaning of the whole thing. As I read, and defined, Sadie napped.

Saturday Afternoon: Yardwork and a Bath

After watching the USA-Ghana World Cup game today, I cleaned up the backyard.  Picked up dog turds, cut the grass, cleaned up the leaves and grass clippings, trimmed plants, and planted the Japanese maple that Ed thought was a marijuana plant into a larger planter.  I also planted some red clover that Patti gave me when I was in Grass Valley a couple weeks ago.  After a little watering, it looked pretty nice out there again.

After that, I figured I should give Sadie a bath since we're going to the park with Mike, Tisha, and Peyton tomorrow.  A clean dog is always better than a stinky dog.  So I brushed a LOT of hair off of her and then bathed her.  I got her belly pretty clean using the fingernail brush.  Then she did her little post-shower dance.

I couldn't catch her on camera before she finished spinning in her bed.  But then she went and hid behind the couches.  Then she jumped back in her bed.  (Note your yellow t-shirt in the foreground.)

Now she's barking at something in the backyard.  I'm going to go make some dinner and have a drink.  I think we'll be having an FNL date shortly.

Thursday Morning

On our walk this morning, as we were going down the hill, Big Sadie and her owner were coming up the hill. Little Sadie fell in line behind me in some futile attempt to go unnoticed. Meanwhile, Big Sadie was walking on her hind legs while her owner struggled to hold her. They sniffed around with each other when we met and it was no big deal.

Going up the hill at the end of the walk, Wyatt was on his walk and he broke free of his owner's grip about 30 yards ahead of us and came running. Little Sadie seemed concerned, but not as much as before. Wyatt slowed down when he got to us and they did the asshole-sniff tango. I think their owner has resigned herself to the fact that she can only walk them one at a time. They are just too big for her.

Also, it was very STOOORMYY WEAAATHHuuuhhhh! this morning. I sang it to Sadie as we walked down Milan. It was very soulful, if I do say so myself. I know I probably don't do it as well as you, but who does? Lena Horne... maybe.

The first summer concert in the park is this Sunday. I'm going to see if anyone wants to join me. If not, I'll be happy to sit on the blanket with Sadie and a few beers.