Papasan Combat (Pets)

Last stupid dog video! NDM records "puppies gone wild" in a death-lock on the papasan.

Dog Wrasslin' (Pets)

Yet more goofing around with the Flip. Here the puppies are utilizing a cheap carpet we put down for some traction -- they won't play on the hardwood floor.

Worms

Here, revealed on video for the first time, is the newest stage of NDM's mania for composting.

Exciting Ice Documentary

This is some footage I just shot with a nifty little Flip camera my parents got us for our civil anniversary. It shows my downstairs furnace exhaust and the condensation problem that tripped a pressure sensor and deprived us of heat a few weeks ago. It really builds up these huge ramps of ice! Clearly the snow-covered bucket of dirt is badly misplaced under that PVC.

Líle makes a brief guest appearance in the lower left corner of the footage. She's star material!

The Twelfth Day of Giftmas (12 of 12)

That's it! Until next year when we get to torture the puppies with costumes yet again. Ho ho ho!

The Eleventh Day of Giftmas (11 of 12)

It was an exhausting holiday for many of us -- even those of us who weren't up all night working on emergency plumbing.
Only Líle kept her energy level up the whole time. When nothing else was going on, she could always tensely point out the window at the cold-puffed squirrels.
'Dolon preferred sacking out on the visiting pillows.

The Ninth Day of Giftmas (9 of 12)

After some intense gift opening and eating, the puppies entered the squared circle for some action.
They really love the new el cheapo rug we got for them. Rough-housing isn't easy without traction.
A few hours of that and suddenly the dogs are pretty well behaved... Although, even all tuckered out, Líle is going to the trouble of standing on top of me to assert that she, not 'Dolon, is my real owner.

The Eighth Day of Giftmas (8 of 12)

While her brother was busy mowing through his own rawhide candy cane, Líle was promenading around showing hers off to everyone. It was literally the Best Thing Ever.

The Seventh Day of Giftmas (7 of 12)

We all gathered around our massive red counter for the Dawn of the Stockings. This picture was actually taken by yours truly, so doubtless has many issues of composition, lighting, and et cetera.
Líle needed help with her stocking. She's such a gentle little girl when she isn't knocking people over at the door and licking them to death.
'Dolon, on the other hand, yanked out the best part of his stocking and ran away with it in about three seconds.

The Sixth Day of Giftmas (6 of 12)

'Dolon knew exactly what to do with his gifts this year. He was so excited he was vibrating.
Líle was much more tentative, and needed a lot of encouragement to mouth the presents while 'Dolon was opening them. She never really got it. Luckily, 'Dolon was able to destroy enough wrapping paper and boxes for the both of them.
Even the voracious 'Dolon needed some help getting to the juicy stuffed bits.
I never get tired of watching 'Dolon go for a package. But it does reemphasize how we can never again puts gifts under our tree.

The First Pictures of Giftmas (1 of 12)

We got a slightly larger tree this year, and so were able to break out a significant portion of our ornaments. The puppies were both very excited about the balsam-Frasier hybrid.
Due to the tree's location, we intelligently didn't utilize it for actual gifts. Wouldn't want the dogs to accidentally, say, burst a pipe while rooting through wrapping paper. For example.
'Dolon and Líle were fantastically excited to see my parents again. Their whole week was a blur of illegal foods and excessive licking.

Flood Puppies (Pets)

EQ sent us some photos from a few weeks ago when the retention area in her back yard was flooded and we took the puppies over for a play date. Above Daisy and our dogs are in the shallows -- that water stretches another couple hundred feet and gets as deep as their withers.
Líle exuberantly speed-bunny-hopped back and forth. In order to keep up her speed in the deeper water she couldn't use a normal gait -- every move had to be a leap.
Running through water has to be pretty exhausting, but even though the north margin of the yard was above water they still preferred the flood. Here's a rare snap of Líle on moist land.

Puppy Snacks (Pets)

So today we discovered something else our puppies like to eat: DAP DryDex spackle. It is like candy, and they lick it right off of the wall. Thanks to the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, we know that dogs usually eat this stuff by the cupful, so for the teaspoon or so our crazies consumed we just had to squeeze some milk through them. Alas, no discount for having worked with PCC on their medical records and case management software!

I guess we should have been more alert after 'Dolon ate the sanding sponge on the way home.

A Ribbon Runs Through It (Pets)

Líle can make a toy out of anything. Once, anyway, as she grants it the sweet release of death. This ribbon entertained her for several days before meeting its end -- she may have been experimenting to see if each remnant would eventually grow into an adult ribbon.

The Hammock's Last Hurrah

NDM managed to get a lot of good studying done in the hammock this year. A huge amount of studying if she was dreaming about zoo boards. But the hammock isn't just about work; it is also Líle's rocking magical licking cradle and puppy gas emporium.
Until next year, hammock!

Dogorama (Pets)

Here's a mess of random puppy snaps, mostly from the last month. This lead photo, however, is from the distant past when we still had a microLíle. She's bigger than 'Dolon now.
'Dolon won't get on the hammock, although he's happy to jam his head through the ropes to get his licks in. Líle isn't worried about unstable footing at all, though -- especially if there's a person around to jam a paw into.
Here the dogs give thanks for the bounty they are about to receive.
Another puppy-Líle, sitting on her divan. She's three or four times that volume now.
Here's a current Líle -- although her hugeness is of course dwarfed in this photograph my Cylcopean might. This is her Cute Death Ray posture.
'Dolon was ecstatic to get another visit from my parents. He totally crushes on my father.
These are the kind of puppy kisses I try to avoid.
Nothing is more fun than a kong in a pool of cool, clean water...
Relaxing in their twin beds after a long day.
Farewell, puppies! Until next month!

Two Dogs In A Pod (Pets)

We've taken Líle over to play with Daisy several times now; most recently, she and Daisy beat the heat together under the picnic table.

Steak Alert (Pets)

Líle is normally a fairly quiet, polite dog during the day-to-day operation of our household. All bets are, sadly, off whenever we have guests and she goes into kangaroo-on-crack mode. So it was really surprising this 4th of July to suddenly start hearing these high-pitched yips, squeaks, and even the rarely reported actual barking. What wrung this commotion out of our puppy? NDM had set the holiday T-bone out on the counter while we were heating the grill. We don't do meat in our household very often due to my wife being made entirely from vegetable matter, so this was Líle's first encounter with a steak of any kind.

Barbarian Invasion (Pets)

Hagar's ominous shadow looms over our peaceful domicile. The turtle is the fierce water that will wash away all that has gone before!
Ah, the vicissitudes of fortune, which spare neither man nor his works...
Against Hagar's might two dogs divided cannot stand.

Bubbling Dog (Pets)

I suppose here 'Dolon is nerving himself to go after the Kong at the bottom of the deep, scary pool by blowing happy bubbles. He does the same thing in water bowls at the dog park, he's a regular mobile aerator.