Friday, August 21, 2015

I found some previously unposted pictures of baby Bess and Ruff


Late last August when I brought baby Bess home to meet her new Rottweiler family there was such a flurry of activity that I was snapping almost 25 pictures a day trying to capture all the excitement. i just found a sequence of photos that had not been posted here on this blog. And I think you will agree they are very funny.

Bess has never been shy when she approaches Ruff. I was convinced that Ruff was building up her self-confidence by letting the little midget think she was beating up the giant Rottweiler. Matter of fact she comes at him full of steam and bravado. In these pictures Ruff responds to one of Bessie's attacks with an explosive move that sends Bessie backwards. Then, undeterred, she starts another attack all over again.

BOOM!

These pictures were taken on September 2nd, last year, a few days after I brought Bessie home.
One more note about this. Everything you see above was happening in complete silence. I once wrote it was like looking at a silent movie. Ruff never growled or barked and neither did Bessie. It was a full two weeks before either of these two made any sound at all. And I seem to remember that Bessie was quite shocked the day she learned she had a voice.
 

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Another night at the movies.


Ruff was taking a long snooze in the hallway so I decided to put a new Blu-Ray film into the player and spend the evening with my girl Bess watching a movie. I can always depend on her to lay on the couch next to me while we're watching TV. Tonight was no different. She seemed to have that snooty look on her face again so I paused the film to get a few pictures. She poses rather nicely, doesn't she. I love the causally folded front legs.
Then back to watching some more of the movie and Bess quickly dozed off. I thought the movie was exciting but I guess even the loud sound effects couldn't keep Bessie awake. Poor little thing looks like she could barely keep her eyes open.
After awhile Bess decided to stretch out and found a convenient platform to support her head, the coffee table that I made from a slab from a tree. So I paused the movie again to take one more picture.
Bessie reminds me of how Axl used to sleep on the same couch years ago.

 

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Some really big news and a nice story, too.


Early yesterday morning I drove Ruff to the Vet’s office to have his nails clipped. He only gets this done with anesthesia so I had to come back around 3 o’clock to pick him up.
 
I was going to take Bess with him to get her nails clipped but she was acting all hyped up before we even got to the car. I didn’t want her acting that way at the Vet’s office so I put her back in the house.
 
This morning I planned on taking just Bess but she and Ruff were acting very calmly together outside so I took them both.
 
And I wished I had my camera.
 
The tandem leash hookup I made works fine and Bess and Ruff walked very nice side by side. Soon as we got inside the office they both did a simultaneous leap with their front feet onto the 4 ft. high counter to see the girls. It looked like a perfectly choreographed jump and they both hung their feet over the other side and stayed that way until they got some treats.
 
Then while the girl was checking us in the two of them repeated their trick three more times. I tell you, everyone was staring at them in amazement, with smiles on their faces. I think if someone had pulled out a cell phone to record this, I would have paid them for a picture.
 
Now for the BIG NEWS.
 
Bess weighed 91 LBS. on the Vet’s scale.
 
My little finicky eating baby girl has been secretly growing and I guess I haven't been paying attention.
 
It's times like this when I wish I had one of those small Go-Pro cameras mounted on my hat.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday kisses.


Baby Bess has been in a loving mood the past few days. She keeps climbing up on the small couch next to my wife's recliner and has been very persistent in giving her smooches. The first picture was taken yesterday.
Then I got these pictures today.
Later on at dinner time, Ruff went over and woke up old man Axl with some of his own kisses.
Ruff still treats Axl like his best friend even though Axl is too old now to play with Ruff like he used to. What I love about these Rottweilers is they are all so very close to each other. Bess also gives Axl lots of kisses in the morning when we get my wife out of bed. Must be a wonderful feeling being woken up with kisses.

 

 

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Dealing with Cabin Fever during our unusual Monsoon Season.


If you were a tree in Northern Kentucky this Summer, you would be a very happy tree. The rainfall totals for June, July and August so far seem to be twice our yearly averages. That doesn't describe the situation here very well but putting it another way, we've had some amount of rain at least 3 or 4 days out of every week for the last 3 months. In fact we have had so much rain, so often, that Ruffin actually went outside to pee the other day while it was still raining. Ruff is the one who will hold off business at the slightest look of rain. If the ground was wet outside he'd stick his nose out the door to check and more often than not, turn around and walk back inside until the Sun came out.

So more rain gets more days stuck indoors. And that leads to cabin fever. And uncut grass. Do you know how fast grass grows in cool and rainy weather?

I haven't posted much in the past two weeks. In between the rain and the drizzle the grass still had to be cut but it had to dry out first. And quite a few times my grass cutting was interrupted by storm clouds. Then there was other chores to be done. I have had the time to collect a few photos and found three taken a few days ago showing how the Rottweilers keep themselves busy.

Every once in awhile old man Axl would open his eyes from his nap on the couch and show he does not approve of the commotion. Then these two would move into my den and start the rough house all over. You can almost hear the sound effects in the last picture. Fact is, I did hear the sound effects while in the den and came in to the room with the camera.