"No man can be condemed for owning a dog.As long as he has a dog, he has a friend;
and the poorer he gets, the better friend he has."
- Will Rogers
Monday, March 30, 2009
A Willy Macro Monday: 3-30
"No man can be condemed for owning a dog.As long as he has a dog, he has a friend;
and the poorer he gets, the better friend he has."
- Will Rogers
Thursday, March 26, 2009
SkyWatch Friday: 3-27
Sky looks more like a Fall October sky than that of nearly April. It's a cold rainy day. Ugh!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
A Murphy Macro Monday: 3-23
"In a perfect world every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog."join in @ Macro Monday.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
SkyWatch Friday: 3-20
The sky above the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, is clear, sunny and blue. A sure sign Spring isn't far away.
view others @ Sky Watch Friday.Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Top O' the Morning:
In my world, today, we're celebrating the "wearing of the green".May the luck of the Irish be with you.
join in @ My World Tuesday.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Camera Critters: 3-14
After a long day at work and a game of tennis; Clipper, my friend's Seeing Eye Dog, is having himself a nap.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
SkyWatch Friday: 3-13
From the porch of the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. Mohonk, a Victorian style hotel, was built in the 1800s. It was the original location of the United Nations and in it's 140 years has been visited by several US Presidents and is among a favorite resting place of celebrities. It is the hotel in which Stephen King's, "The Shining" was based and was actually written during one of his winter time stays.
My family and I are lucky to live close by, enabling us to make visits to this wonderfully relaxing resort. (to view other photos from Mohonk click the label tab)
view others @ Sky Watch Friday.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
A Snowy Macro Monday:
Some marco shots from the recent snow storm. You, too, can join in on Macro Monday over at Lisa's Chaos.
join in @ Macro Monday.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Camera Critters: Snow Pups
15 inches of snow on Monday and now the weather forecast, for this weekend, calls for temps in the 60s. Wooohoooo! Get out the bathing suits!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Skywatch 3-5:
Usually a site for summertime fun, the boardwalk is being covered in snow as the Nor’easter’s winds blow. Not leaving much of a sky shot this week.
view others @ Sky Watch Friday.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Good Bye & Hello:
I don't often post details of my puppy raising on this blog as "B" has a blog dedicated to all those adventures; however, recently we had a puppy cross over from Seeing Eye duty to the "civilian" world.
To date, we have raised 12 puppies for The Seeing Eye, nine of which have gone on to the breeding station or to become dog guides. The third puppy raised, was my beloved Orlando. He was very head strong and was quite the handful, to say the least. At times, I would leash him to me which enabled quick-correction for any undesired behavior such as jumping on the kitchen counter (as well as any and everyone), grabbing trash, bolting though any opened door. You get the idea.
With the passage of time, Orlando matured into a beautiful, well-behaved yet still obstinate boy. During my "watch" I taught him what I called the "stay on the porch trick;" he was to remain on the front porch of the house until I released him. Once he understood this allowed him to lay for long periods of time in the outdoor sun watching all the neighborhood activities, it became one of his favorite things to do. He began lurking at the front door, waiting for it to be opened, so he can bask in the warmth summer sunlight. (if unattended, he was leashed) After spending long hours each day, for over a year ,working with him; he was one of the most difficult puppies to send back for his formal training.
Five months passed before I received the official call that he was too "head strong" to continue with The Seeing Eye program. It seems Orlando decided he wanted to come home. I wondered if he would remember me, would he still have the strong attachment? On the day of his release, and upon seeing me, he did a happy dance. But don't all labs do this dance? Did he remember, or was he just a happy lab? As we got closer to home, he became more alert looking around, was he remembering? Upon our arrival, I opened the hatch door and he took off like a bullet, for what was only a few seconds but felt like minutes. Rounding the corner to the front of the house I looked up ,and there he was! Orlando was sitting on the front porch wagging his tail. He was home!
Orlando, (aka Sweet "Pee"), spent his remaining years (just over 11) with me as my companion. He was a source of comfort thru many difficult times; he was with me when my son left for boot camp and later when he departed for the War in Iraq. He was there with me through my divorce and when my younger son moved out. He was a pillow to lay on when my Nana passed and more recently when B's Dad passed. He, also, shared in the life's joys, the developing relationship with B, the birth of our first grandchild, and the return from War party for my son. No matter how crazy my world became, I knew Orlando would be waiting at the door for my return or sleeping next my bed during the long nights. But one of his most important jobs was to help me raise 8 puppies all of which went on to be successful Seeing Eye dogs. He was the very definition of man's best friend.
Time quickly passed and all-too-soon his last days were at hand. They were spent enjoying the comfort of his bed while wrapped in a blanket. He slowly became thin and cold . His appetite dwindled and assistance was required in getting him to his feet. At this point, it was evident his time had come. Orlando's passing was at 3:30 on a cold February afternoon and hopefully, for my dear friend and companion, was quick and painless. The trip home afterward was unusually long and sullen. Upon arrival, and to help take my mind off of the emptiness, I turned on the computer and opened my email. There, time stamped just 1 hour after Orlando's passing, was an email from The Seeing Eye; Willow, our last puppy raised for The Seeing Eye had developed ear infections and was being released from the program. The irony overwhelmed me. Even in death, Orlando is still watching over me. He sent Willow to take his place. Since Orlando's return, Willow is the only pup I've raised who didn't make the program. A sign? Mere coincidence? You decide!
As for me, I'm betting that somewhere in heaven lays a black dog sunning himself on a porch. His tail wags as he realizes once again that he is home.
To date, we have raised 12 puppies for The Seeing Eye, nine of which have gone on to the breeding station or to become dog guides. The third puppy raised, was my beloved Orlando. He was very head strong and was quite the handful, to say the least. At times, I would leash him to me which enabled quick-correction for any undesired behavior such as jumping on the kitchen counter (as well as any and everyone), grabbing trash, bolting though any opened door. You get the idea.
With the passage of time, Orlando matured into a beautiful, well-behaved yet still obstinate boy. During my "watch" I taught him what I called the "stay on the porch trick;" he was to remain on the front porch of the house until I released him. Once he understood this allowed him to lay for long periods of time in the outdoor sun watching all the neighborhood activities, it became one of his favorite things to do. He began lurking at the front door, waiting for it to be opened, so he can bask in the warmth summer sunlight. (if unattended, he was leashed) After spending long hours each day, for over a year ,working with him; he was one of the most difficult puppies to send back for his formal training.
Five months passed before I received the official call that he was too "head strong" to continue with The Seeing Eye program. It seems Orlando decided he wanted to come home. I wondered if he would remember me, would he still have the strong attachment? On the day of his release, and upon seeing me, he did a happy dance. But don't all labs do this dance? Did he remember, or was he just a happy lab? As we got closer to home, he became more alert looking around, was he remembering? Upon our arrival, I opened the hatch door and he took off like a bullet, for what was only a few seconds but felt like minutes. Rounding the corner to the front of the house I looked up ,and there he was! Orlando was sitting on the front porch wagging his tail. He was home!
Orlando, (aka Sweet "Pee"), spent his remaining years (just over 11) with me as my companion. He was a source of comfort thru many difficult times; he was with me when my son left for boot camp and later when he departed for the War in Iraq. He was there with me through my divorce and when my younger son moved out. He was a pillow to lay on when my Nana passed and more recently when B's Dad passed. He, also, shared in the life's joys, the developing relationship with B, the birth of our first grandchild, and the return from War party for my son. No matter how crazy my world became, I knew Orlando would be waiting at the door for my return or sleeping next my bed during the long nights. But one of his most important jobs was to help me raise 8 puppies all of which went on to be successful Seeing Eye dogs. He was the very definition of man's best friend.
Time quickly passed and all-too-soon his last days were at hand. They were spent enjoying the comfort of his bed while wrapped in a blanket. He slowly became thin and cold . His appetite dwindled and assistance was required in getting him to his feet. At this point, it was evident his time had come. Orlando's passing was at 3:30 on a cold February afternoon and hopefully, for my dear friend and companion, was quick and painless. The trip home afterward was unusually long and sullen. Upon arrival, and to help take my mind off of the emptiness, I turned on the computer and opened my email. There, time stamped just 1 hour after Orlando's passing, was an email from The Seeing Eye; Willow, our last puppy raised for The Seeing Eye had developed ear infections and was being released from the program. The irony overwhelmed me. Even in death, Orlando is still watching over me. He sent Willow to take his place. Since Orlando's return, Willow is the only pup I've raised who didn't make the program. A sign? Mere coincidence? You decide!
As for me, I'm betting that somewhere in heaven lays a black dog sunning himself on a porch. His tail wags as he realizes once again that he is home.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Not the best day for the Beach:
Ok, so heading over to the beach during a winter Nor'easter may not be the best of ideas. B and I packed up all the outside winter essentials; sweatshirts, coats, hats, scarves, mittens, ear muffs and of course our two four legged friends (to provide additional warmth if needed).The closer to the fogged in ocean we g0t the winder and colder it became, making our stay brief. Even the ponies were too cold to run around in circles but I did manage to take a few very quick shots.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Isn't it always this way?
Right when I am most ready for Spring, along comes a major snow storm. Last night while we were fast asleep, the March Lion tip toed in and dropped 15 inches of the beautiful white stuff all around the area. That's it, I'm heading over to the beach!
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