Sore

After an extremely long day on Long Island, I was glad to pull into our driveway. Otis jumped out of the 4Runner and raced for the house. When Jeff called to Coop, he refused to jump out of the car. Jeff picked Coop up and placed him on the ground.

We then noticed that Coop did not want to put any weight on his right hind leg. Cooper has back problems and I think that too much running around may have aggravated his condition.

Coop barely ate any dinner. I made sure to give him a pain pill. In the morning, Coop was still limping. We previously discussed this with our vet and were told to try pain medication for a few days. If that does not work, we will bring Coop in for a checkup.

We Like Peas

I was surprised to discover that Cooper and Otis like peas!

I cooked too many green peas for dinner. We were clearing the table and Otis gave me his sad eyed, "can I please have something to eat look".

I poured some peas in Oti's bowl and he gobbled them up. Coop saw Oti eating and headed to his bowl. I gave Coop some peas and he also ate them.

Begonia

I try to always have fresh flowers in the house. I especially enjoy their beauty on dreary winter days.

When we were at Costco, I spotted this bright begonia. I decided to bring it home in the hopes that the blooms will last longer than fresh cut flowers.

Crazy Weather

After a day of rain and today's 50° temperature, most of the snow has melted.

The only snowy patches that remain are along the edges of the driveway, where the snow blower threw the snow and along the walkway where I piled it when I shoveled.

Above the Rim

The amaryllis leaves are now taller than the glass vase.

Real Snow

Wilton received the first significant snow of 2012, about 4 inches.

I have greatly enjoyed the lack of snow. Snow makes walking Coop and Otis much more difficult. Cleaning wet, sandy paws is not fun.

We are supposed to have a warm up next week. Perhaps some of this snow will melt soon.

First Winter Snow

The first snow of 2012 was really more of a dusting.


I read that historically Feb is the month for the most snowfall. We may not be out of the woods yet!

Getting Taller

The amaryllis is slowly getting bigger.

Why Coop & Otis love Grandma's house

We were at my Mom's house on Long Island. The yard is fenced and Cooper and Otis love to run in it.

Jeff was downstairs when Coop started barking at a cat, slowly walking across the yard. Jeff gave the cat a head start and then opened the back door. Otis took off like a shot (he is NOT a cat lover). Cooper followed behind.

With the distance between them closing, the cat realized he could not out run Otis. The cat jumped up into the closest tree and started climbing.

Otis was not sure where the cat went, but Coop went into a point as he stared up at the tree.

Once the dogs were inside, the cat exited the yard.

Pretty Boy

How can you not love a face like this!

No Snow -Yet

It is hard to believe that it is the second week of January. The grass is still green, but the pond has frozen.

Jeff says that he thinks we will have a major snow storm to balance out the mild winter we are enjoying. I hope he is wrong. I saw enough snow last year to last me 5 snowless winters.

Going Green

The amaryllis is starting to turn green. I take this as a positive sign.

Cyclamen

I purchased a cyclamen January 2011. Over the summer, the leaves started to die off. I  read that when all the leaves die, you can store the cyclamen in a cool, dark place for several weeks and  it should grow back.

I waited for all of the leaves to die, but this never happened. Suddenly, the cyclamen began to flower again. The plant does not have many leaves, but it is full of blooms.

Irresistible

I loved  the beautiful pinks in this bouquet.

Happy New Year

Wishing all our friends and family a very happy 2012!

Here We Go Again

I couldn't resist picking up this amaryllis bulb at Walmart's after Christmas 50% off sale. I am hoping with some water and sunlight it will green up.

The amaryllis from last year is still hibernating in the garage. The plant spent the summer outside. I did not stop watering it until Oct. Its leaves recently died back. With some luck,  it should be ready to bloom in a few weeks.

Angels & Ornaments

While walking the dogs, I stopped at the mailbox. When I peered inside, I found it stuffed with two packages. One was addressed to Otis and the other to Cooper. The dogs must have smelled what was inside, because their tails started wagging.

We hurried home and immediately opened the gifts - homemade dog treats from Bobbi (Otis' Mom). The treats are in the shapes of angels, snowmen, bells, and ornaments. Coop and Oti love these delicious cookies.

A big thank you to Bobbi for thinking of us!

We're trying to sleep

After a few days spent visiting family, Cooper and Otis returned home and promptly settled in for a 4 hour nap.These calm creatures in no way resemble the hellions that woke everyone up at 5:00 am on Christmas morning.

There was not a single kitchen towel that Otis did not grab and race around the house with. Cooper barked and whined at the light being reflected off the outdoor decorations. When the dogs were loaded into the car for the trip home, I think there was a collective sigh of relief.

Dec 26

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa brought you everything you wished for. Cooper and Otis have a pile of new toys to destroy.

This is the first year that Jeff and I did not exchange gifts. This is not at terrible as it may sound. There were several reasons why: we already have a house full of beautiful things, we had little time to shop and we decided to donate to those in need instead of spending on ourselves.

I told Jeff that we must be getting old. There was a time when I lived to shop and could melt a credit card. Now we seem to want fewer possessions and more time for fun.

Merry Christmas

We wish you a very merry Christmas!
May your stocking be filled with presents and your home be filled with family and friends.

Cooper is hoping that Santa will help all the homeless dogs find loving families.