I love to do stained glass graphics. It’s like coloring except you never go outside the lines! Here’s my stained glass hummingbird. It’s nowhere near as pretty as the ones God makes.

Chuck is our visiting hummingbird.  For the past several years I have hung a hummingbird feeder out in front of my kitchen window.  Every year, I usually get visitors.  I name my hummingbirds.  How do I know who is whom?  I just do and don’t ask questions! 

I hang my feeder out in May and usually Sylvia comes and visits regularly.  Sometimes Sylvia would chase away other hummingbirds.  If you look around on the ‘net, you will see photographs of several hummingbirds sharing a feeder.  Not mine!  I have selfish hummingbirds. 

This year I did everything late.  I didn’t do the garden until close to July and I didn’t hang the hummingbird feeder until then as well.  Sylvia must have gotten tired of waiting for me and moved on.  I had no regular visitors until just this week. 

One late afternoon, a hummingbird hovered for several seconds in front of my kitchen window.  It was wonderful.  Of course, my camera was in the other room.  This hummingbird must have seen something in the window reflection because it kept flying and hovering right in front of me.  I stood as still as I could while trying to keep Lucky Cat from scaring the bird away.  Of course, my #1 rule, which is, the cat must never ever be on my counters, was ignored as usual.  And the tiny bird left.

However Chuckie must have gotten word that my feeder had the best sugar water ever, because he showed up the next day and now he visits several times a day.  I guess he’s a male because he has the ruby throat.  He is iridescent so when he turns the right way and the light hits his throat, it’s the most gorgeous ruby red you can imagine. 

In one of the pictures in the slideshow, you can see a red blur that’s Chuck’s beautiful red throat.  That feeder is the best $20.00 I ever spent for daily entertainment.  Even my husband missed Sylvia this spring. 

I’ve seen this before but I always enjoy it.  Any of us, petlovers, can understand this one. 

Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack   Beating me to the bottom is not the object.   Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed.   I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.   Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.   It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible.  I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom.   If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open.    I must exit through the same door I entered.  Also, I have been using the bathroom for years — canine or feline attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt.  I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:  

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
1. They live here. You don’t.
2. If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That’s why they call it ‘fur’niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it’s an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn’t speak clearly.

 
Remember: In many ways, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:                             1.  Eat less
   2.   Don’t ask for money all the time
   3.   Are easier to train
   4.   Normally come when called
   5.   Never ask to drive the car
   6.   Don’t hang out with drug-using friends
   7.   Don’t smoke or drink
   8.   Don’t have to buy the latest fashions
   9.   Don’t want to wear your clothes
   10. Don’t need a ‘gazillion’ dollars for college.
And finally,
  11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Drumroll, please! Presenting InVolo You Gotta Believe, better known as Mora, bred by Donna, Michael and Gia Garofalo and co-owned with the Garofalo’s:

I get together on a monthly basis with a few other Papillon owners to give our papillons a chance to socialize with other papillons.  We have a great time.  Warren and Danielle graciously let us use their home and yard during the warm weather months.  Their property is gorgeous!  I’d give my eyeteeth to live there. 

We, humans, mostly chat and eat.  Warren makes a great avocado dip!  The Papillons play on and off.  They hang out with us on the deck and have an all around good time.  My dogs come home happy and tired. 

Here are some pictures from our last play day.   These pictures were taken by 7 year old Cassie.  She took over 260 pictures.  I didn’t know my camera could hold that many!  She’s quite a photographer and perhaps she has found one of her callings in life. 

Mora went to her first shows this weekend.  On Saturday, she won her first major!  She was BOW, Best Puppy, and BOB.  There were no specials but it was pretty exciting anyway.  She did all this from the 9-12 puppy class!  Go Mora!  If her win picture is decent and I am not sure that it will be as she is a wiggleworm, I’ll put up the picture. 

This came in my e-mail this morning. 

I haven’t stopped laughing!  We have a chihuahua and we love to dress him up.    Cooper is a good sport about it.  I think he thinks it’s as humurous as we do.   I hope you all enjoy this, it sure started my day off with a laugh.   

When Lucky first came into our home, I set some rules. Have you ever seen that poem that’s comes in e-mail about how the dog or cat takes over our homes? You know, the one where you set rules and as they get broken by the pet, another rule is made but it’s not as restrictive as the last one until the owner has lost everything (happily).

Well rule numero uno in my house is that the cat will not, I repeat NOT be on my kitchen counters. NEVER, EVER!

I kept my camera out to snap a few pictures of Lucky to record what he does throughout the day.  Around 10 o’clock, I noticed Lucky in one of his favorite poses.  I don’t know why he does this but he likes to lay around with his front legs stretched out in front of him.  He’ll nap in that position for hours. 

Later after the Papillons had their morning meal and I was doing some chores around the house, I had to step over Lucky.  He often naps wherever he happens to be and as I pass him, he’ll playfully roll over and bat at my feet.   I love his little spots! 

 Here’s Lucky after dinner.  He doesn’t enjoy being disturbed. 

As you can see, Lucky has a terribly exciting life and we give him no rest. 

 Sleep well, Lucky.  Tomorrow is another day and Mora is waiting!

Here’s a picture of Mora and Lucky. They are both about the same age. They are around 3 mos. old in this picture. Don’t they look like little angels?

Mora is the black, tan, and white puppy in the middle of the toilet paper from this post: Lucky Kitten

She’s grown up quite a bit since those pictures were taken.   We have been going to handling classes.  Mora is always happy and excited.   She’s fun to show but she makes me work as she can get too happy.  She is always interested in what’s going on around her and I have to work to keep her focused.   I took her to Bucks County Kennel Club’s match show this past Saturday.  It was terribly hot, all the dogs were panting though everyone worked diligently to keep their dogs cool.  Mora was hot but she was happy as she always is.  A match show is a practice show.  People take their dogs to them to prepare them for the real thing.  Well, Mora won the breed and went on to a group 1.  She showed nicely for best but was beaten by a very nice Aussie.  Here’s pictures of Mora from the match.  This is her second group 1 at a match.  Let’s hope she does as well at the point shows!