Happy "WOOF" Year

Just had to put this picture in - it's my adorable grandson Elliott - signing "Peace to Ducks".



Well... Anybody still here?

What with rushing to create gifts and then traveling all over New England (or so it seemed), I haven't had any time AT ALL for bloggin'. Shame on me!!

Last weekend my son Pete and I drove to Vermont, visiting with my brother and his family - always an adventure!!
Lots of hootin', howlin,' and hecklin' during the 2008 iteration of the neighborhood "game" - which is in reality a glorified, multi-ruled version of a Yankee Swap. Played with an oversized set of stainless steel dice, under the watchful eye of my brother.














Yeah, that's me in the fur hat - being silly! (as if I didnt do this on a regular basis!!)






















In calmer moments I communed with a lovely aging golden retriever (see family photo above). He is smart, laid-back, and well able to fit in with our crazy family. This is Hudson - the pal of my niece and her husband - as seen in a portrait I painted for their wedding a couple years ago.



He reminds me very much of my old buddy Sam........ this picture is my wonder dog learning about life on a farm.... hee hee

Oh, no, he wasn't a Golden - he was half black lab and half German shepherd - the best half of each, me thinks (but then, I am prejudiced)










My dad used to raise German shepherds when I was a kid, so I became really fond of them at an early age. This shot is my dad, brother and me and two of our lovelies - probably taken in1955 or so.....










Anyhow, it took Sam about 2 years, but he finally caught on to the English language, and communicating was pretty easy after that. He was the official "shop dog" - a gentleman, and polite to all. He also loved to go camping with us - he was a 24/7 people dog!! We went to the beaches of Assateague Island in Maryland almost every year, and Sam grew to love the beach. I remember one morning when I woke up to an empty camp site, and looking around the beach, a fellow camper said to me - "if you are looking for Sam and his friend, they went that way!"







Fishing was one of his favorites - folks were AMAZED at his abilities! Yup, he learned to follow a cast and would leap into the water (if allowed) the minute a fish was on the hook. We were lucky that he never got hooked himself! He never did learn to tell a trout from a sucker, tho.......








But my favorite story of Sam is how he used to frighten people. He spent a lot of time in our big conversion van, lying on the comfy rear seat with his nose poked out the little window just at seat level. This window was maybe 6 inches high by 12 inches wide - just big enough for Sam to stick his head out (remember, he was 90-lb. BIG dog!) If the van was parked in a public area, he would hang back in the middle of the seat where no passerby would notice him, and then, when an unsuspecting person came by - WOOF! - his menacing head would appear in a fraction of a second in that little window, accompanied by a BIG bark. He scared a lot of people into gray hair, and one friend was seen trying to ride his bicycle up a brick wall.

Well, one day we went to the supermarket. I was in the store and my husband and Sam went for a walk down by the river.

A dog-shy friend of ours, who had fallen for Sam's trick more than once, happened by. He went over towards the van, accompanied by his family and two friends, telling them how this van would try to "attack him." He waited a moment for Sam to lunge out the window, but nothing happened.

He moved closer to the side of the van and I arrived in time to hear him say...
"Watch out, when I tap the side of the van, this KILLER dog will try to attack me!"

He smacked the side of the van with his palm and again nothing happened. At this moment he turned and there sat the KILLER dog - not 5 feet behind him.

Yup, my husband Bill and Sam had come back from the river just in time to witness this performance. Sam wagged his tail and was patted by all (well, except maybe the performer).

Poor guy never lived that one down. I think he was so embarrassed he went out and bought a Rottweiler. :>)

I am really sorry I dont have any pictures of that day - or of Sam playing his game.

Anyhow, to close for today, here are a couple more of my animal portraits. Enjoy!!

















Don't forget - I can be talked into doing one of these for you, if you would like!