I'm Ready!

Tom: As you know, we working dogs are always ready for an outing, especially if it involves sticks, tennis balls and Frisbees. Today, I thought I would tell you a little about the pattern of my daily outings, and how I have been known to gently coax #1 when she needs encouragement.

As soon as we get up in the morning, we go out for a walk. #1 says it's the best way to wake up gently, especially if the weather is nice, as it is today, and it gives me the opportunity to channel some of the energy that has built up overnight. We start by walking up the lane, all the way to the road. I know I am supposed to stop at the last electricity pole before the road, and wait for #1 who gives me a treat. I then gallop straight into the big field (not ploughed yet!) and it's stick time!

#1 accuses me of spending almost as much time chewing on the sticks as I do running after them, but a dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do, and I do love to chew!!! So #1 always makes sure she takes several sticks

I get to go out a little after lunch, but that's just in the garden, and #1 will often do  bit of outdoor work, with which I always help. She does say she is grateful that I am not a digger, though! I just steal and chew the little plastic pots plants come in...

The next big outing is mid-afternoon in winter and late afternoon in the spring and summer, and this is the tricky one. I don't always feel from #1 the same enthusiasm and energy levels that I have. I see her sitting at her desk, working, and sometimes dreaming of naps. But I want to run and play! So, I use mental projection. I sit behind her and stare very hard at her back until she turns around, and this is what she sees:

Does she have any choice? Would you hesitate? Of course not!!! And we're off to the smaller field, the one we call "Tom's Field" for a long game of tennis ball or Frisbee.

Tama-Chan: My mental imagery is not quite the same, and occasionally (especially when the weather is not great) I win!!!

Frootbat Friday!

Tama-Chan: We had no frooty post last Friday so I told #1 she absolutely had to have one today. The weather is grey and it was very foggy this morning, so not the best for taking photos, but we had one taken on a sunny day last week which I think is just perfect!

and then Tommy insisted that he wanted a "Flying Friday" photo of himself included. Being a very sweet sister, and very, very indebted to him for a whole lot of cuddling, I graciously agreed:

That was taken this morning. You can see how foggy it is, or can you?

Thankful Thursday

Tom: We have been given a lovely award by our friend The Dutchess, and would like to say a big thank you!

The footwear is not exactly in line with my paws but the thought behind it is quite lovely: it is awarded to those who  seem to have a little bit of magic around them. We are supposed to pass it on to three magical friends, and making that selection is terribly hard as we believe all of our friends to be magical. Still, this time around, we will pass the award on to Addie and Lucie at Raising Addie, Goldie, Shade and Banshee over at Sumac Stories, and JB, Puddin' and Bear  at JB's Small world

We were also tagged by our friends Siena and Chilli for the 5th photo meme. We are pretty sure we did something similar in the past, but was it the 6th back then...? Anyway, here is what we found:

The picture is of IKKYU (the One-Who-Came-Beforest) sunning himself at our summer cottage in Prince Edward Island in the summer of 2004.

We did not want to leave you without any photos of us, so here is one taken earlier this month:

One-Word Wednesday: SUNNY!

Tama-Chan Tuesday

Tama-Chan: Today is Mardi-Gras or "Carnaval" and #1 spent quite a bit of time looking for my beads but we just could not find them. We suspect they went off to have fun on their own, and you will have to wait until next year for a photo of me all decked out in my finery.

In the meantime, I thought I would introduce one of my favourite play areas to you. It's in #1's study where we spend many hours each day, and it is a little Japanese living space, complete with tatami mats. Tommy is not allowed on the mats so the space is ALL mine! I like to hang out there, especially that my toys are safe from a certain someone...

There are Japanese wooden "Kokeshi" dolls around the edges and knocking them over is a lot of fun. They are the perfect shape!

This is also an excellent location to play with my feathers:

Except that #1 is often not fast enough to catch me in action...

Today being Tuesday, it is also "Tailsday"...

All in all, a very satisfactory environment for a little princess with a Japanese name!

Manly Monday with Tommy!

Tom: It's a pretty drab Monday here and we're not feeling very energetic right now, but we had a very nice weekend and #1 has some good action shots of me to share with you!

Flying Tommy

Catching Tommy:

Fetching Tommy:

Snuggles on Sunday and Birthday Boy Mica!

Tama-Chan: As ranking Aby in this household, I speak for all of us in wishing our Aby friend MICA in New York City a very Happy 18th Birthday! Way to go, Mica! You are an inspiration to us all!

This being Sunday, it is of course Snuggleday, and we are dedicating today's snuggles to Mica!

We also would like to thank Goma and Sachie, as well as The Furry Kids, for this beautiful award:

Even though we have received this award before, each time is special to us, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Springy Saturday!

Tama-Chan: Even though the official arrival of spring is still one whole month away, we are all beginning to get that feeling that winter may be starting to fade (paws crossed as I say this). One always feels friskier in the spring, and I have been having fun playing:

But I did spend part of the morning doing this as #1 and Tommy spent ages outside:

#1: Since so many people seemed to enjoy the crocus photos yesterday, here are a couple more:

Tommy has been getting lots of outdoor time the past couple of days as I have been working on a major endeavour: to dig up an oak sapling in the field where we usually play Frisbee and throw balls, and replant it in our garden. That field has been left fallow the last couple of years but I was terrified that the farmer would suddenly arrive with his big tractor and just raze the beautiful baby oak. Fingers crossed that it likes its new location:

Fun Friday!

Tom: Well, the fun was had on Thursday but you won't hold that against me, will you? Yesterday afternoon, #1 and I were invited to have waffles over at our neighbour Ms. N's. That is the home of my girlfriend, Damia, and her (somewhat crabby) older sister, Puce. Damia and I always have the best time together and yesterday was no exception...

This is the shot that really cracks #1 up. She says she's going to look at it every time she feels a little under the weather...

Meanwhile, back at the homestead...

Nothing like a little peace and quiet.

And in reply to Petey and Mica's enquiry about whether there were any signs of spring yet, here is a photo taken in our garden yesterday:

A Surprise Visit!

Tama-Chan: We has some very unexpected visitors last night. Uncle U was due to come to dinner but he did not come alone! He brought with him my Grandmama, Viña del Mar, and her little baby boy who is just three weeks old! 

My grandmama is famous for her lovely green eyes. We did not manage to get any good shots of her last night, so here is one from Uncle U's archives:

Needless to say, the star of the show was her baby. He is just three weeks old and already has quite a personality:

"Greetings to my people! I am now three weeks old

and ready to take over the world! I have told little

Tama-Chan that she may call me "Dear Uncle" but

the rest of you are welcome to call me "Sir" unless

you are ready to bribe me with milk."

Actually, it's clear that what he needs is a good licking...

Wordless Wednesday

Toesday!

Tom: #1 brandishes her camera at us a great deal, and we have learned to be good sports about it. Lately, however we have noticed that it has been pointing away from our faces. YES! She has been concentrating on toes!

She didn't quite manage a full set here, but the angle is certainly lovely!

And then she went for some comparative photography:

That little sister of mine certainly has cute little toes, although....

#1 just loves the "open-toed" effect!

Flowers and Manly Monday

Tama-Chan: We had a lovely surprise yesterday! A friend in New York sent us flowers! I have not had much experience with flowers so far and I was very interested in them. It was very sweet of our friend to send just the right colours for me!

Tom: Many of our kitty friends run a "Mancat Monday" feature but I have not seen a woofie equivalent of this, so I would like to offer you "Manly Monday" and a lovely shot of me, ready for action, at the entrance of the big field

We are making sure to enjoy every moment in the big field because it will soon be tilled and then I won't be able to play there again until the autumn.

Snuggles on Sunday

Tama-Chan: Well, that was a very nice Valentine's Day (or "Furlentine" as our friends over at The Amigos call it rather nicely!). And we shall stay in that spirit with this week's Snuggles on Sunday offering:

Yesterday, when #1 and Tommy were out in the field, #1 came across a really nice stone, which she thinks looks a lot like a cat, and so she is going to place it on Sen-Chan's grave, near the lilac tree:

Can you see the head on the left, looking a little bit sleepy, and the front paws tucked in?