Monday, March 24, 2008

Chicks, Bunnies, Pups, and a Bird

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How many Easter chicks can you eat before your teeth rot and fall out? We didn’t have chocolate bunny ears to break off and enjoy but we had plenty of sugary marshmallows. Right now, they are hard and stale to perfection but I’d have a lot of trouble fitting two in my mouth at once. I just can’t eat another.



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This is what I get when I send Michael out for a dessert cake. I adore coconut cake, but I was thinking along the lines of strawberry cheesecake – something with a little dignity, you know?

We’re wearing coats today with an expected freeze overnight. I’m so glad the weekend weather was mild. It gave me some time to browse outdoors and think about work and budgets. Can you believe what I just said? It’s true. I’m not sure if I've been awake in the middle of the night thinking of the budget crunch or if I was dreaming about it. After Friday, I’ll sleep well. I’ll have met the deadline.



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My Mom’s roses will bloom around the two-year anniversary of her passing. I thought about her for a while,


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but I’m never alone. Bella’s eyes follow me…



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It was Mourning Dove time and I was surprised to see female Red Winged Blackbirds with them! Always seeing the males – I've never seen a female until this weekend.



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And she was there…



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Perhaps I have seen them before and thought they were large brown jobs. The males are fun to watch and hear, so I’m glad to have the females, too.



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And she waited…

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The Chinese Witch Hazel’s flaming fuchsia is the brightest spot around the house right now. I used to wear fuchsia lipstick. Awwwg.


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And she waited…
and when her patience wore thin she began her Hula hoop dance.


This is supposed to be a Nature/Bird blog, but tonight I feel a need to ramble about my pet dogs. More on birds and nature later as I strive to erase numbers from my mind. I need silliness, as I regress... ;o)



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If I sat on the deck for eight hours, Bella would sit in front of me for eight hours – her body trembling in anticipation. You see, I am the hula-hoop thrower.

She became intense.



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Hear the “Roo!”? Lips pursed, head thrown back. The girl means business.


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Chloe thinks Bella is tiring and refuses to join in Hula Hoop Feeva!



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Bella’s making me sick…



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I give in, laughing, almost every time.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bella and Chloe are such sweet girls!! I love your stories and pictures of them. It's going to be 32 degrees here tonight and freeze warning in effect....COME ON SPRING......LOL

Angie

thailandchani said...

Those fuschias are beautiful! They look different than the ones I have here. I never knew there were varieties of them.

Anonymous said...

Your pups are adorable and so funny! Fantastic red-wing shots, too. Wish you could send a few to my yard. Haven't seen any in ages. Stay warm tonight. Temps in northern NC are going up to 77 by Friday--Woohoo!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I would give in too. Bella and chloe are so cute. I wouldn't mind seeing more of them. I bet they miss you when you are working so hard.

Anonymous said...

I love the peeps and the pups! Looks like a wonderful easter and please . . . we love seeing and reading about your dogs!

Susan Gets Native said...

Ohmigod......that picture of Chloe with her tongue out SLAUGHTERED me. Pffffffttt.
One of your better ones, Mary.

Susan Gets Native said...

And that cake is definitely not dignified.

beckie said...

What a pick-me-up your post is. It has been a long hard day for us, but things went a lot better than we hoped. Seeing your girls ahs made me want a Boston again. I've even started asking around... They can make even the worst day good! Thanks for making me smile.

Carol Michel said...

I never eat the Peeps, but someone gave me a box of them last year and they are still in my office. I bet they'd be good now! Want me to send them to you?

Your dogs look so, well, like they are really wondering about you!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Mary C said...

Mary, I love your posts about Bella and Chloe. Your girls are so entertaining, and it's great you share their antics with us. It sure makes one's day complete to read about them. Thanks. Your witch hazel looks a lot like some fringe flowers I recently took photos of -- I think that's another name for witch hazel. I hope it doesn't freeze overnight. Here's to a brighter, sunnier, and warmer day tomorrow.

Alyssa said...

What a great blog! I just love those pictures of the girls and I was laughing out loud at the faces they make. Reminds me so much of Garm and Thea. You are so quick with your camera and get such neat shots. Peeps are like the crack of Easter candy - you are hooked after the first one! I think Michael has a droll sense of humor when it comes to buying cakes. He was just trying to add some whimsy to the serious goings-on! It looks happy and delicious at the same time. I'll bet it tasted great! I hope your work/budget worries will be over Friday - then you can relax. That Witch Hazel is really something and by the way, I used to wear really red, red, red lipstick. Talk about ugh! vampire!

Jayne said...

I've only seen one male Red-wing this year and no females. Good catch! Those girls are so funny Mary! Throw that hula hoop mom!

Anonymous said...

Budget time stinks everywhere. Between nature (birds) and nurture (dogs) you have the perfect antidote.

Q said...

Dear Mary,
The cake is very funny!!!
I never knew a cake could be funny but yours is!
My older sister used to love peeps!
The girls are darling.
Glad budgets will be done soon. On to April and hopefully spring showers for you.
Sherry

brucesc said...

I've just caught up on your last couple of posts. I enjoy every word and every picture too. My favorite was Bella 'rooooooing'. I could hear it clear as a bell, having grown up with a Boston.
Pooey on your neighbors. I would love to be your neighbor--you would never get rid of me!

Anonymous said...

Yours are the ONLY dogs I know who love hula hoops - and are such natural posers for your camera :-) I laughed out loud at your regret at not getting a dessert with dignity :-D

Cheryl said...

May your rose bloom well in memory of your mother Mary and may your thoughts be full of good memories.

I just love your dogs, and you write so well. lol
Its good you don't live next door to me.....I would kidnap them and spend the rest of my life throwing hoola hoops. They are gorgeous!

Easter and chocolate, my one real weakness, how many can you eat without feeling sick. TEN! They were only little ones, truly.

Richard said...

I love pictures of the puppies. They are so much fun to watch.

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

Oh, I love this post! I would love to stuff my face with jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and marshmallow peeps. They kill the diet though, so this year I was good and didn't buy any. I miss them! LOL

It's nice that you have your Mom's roses, Mary.

Love the pictures of your dogs with the hula hoops. Great shots of the birds and flowers. We have a wild witch hazel that grows here, with yellow blossoms in the springtime. It looks like spring at your house!

KGMom said...

That Chloe is a stitch--so funny how she plays catch with a hula hoop. How did that ever get started?

dguzman said...

Oh my gosh, these pups of yours! Great pics!

And that fuschia is wild!

Annie in Austin said...

Humans are part of Nature and so are Bella and Chloe - Nature R Us! Please don't follow any rules, Mary, just let your blog take its own sweet path.

I bought one package of the traditional yellow peeps and will let them dry out a little then use the grill to turn them into BBQ chicken peeps.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

BTW Chinese Witch Hazel and Chinese Fringe Flower are both nicknames for varieties of Loropetalum.

Sherry at the Zoo said...

Bella and Chloe remind me of a pug I was once madly in love with. I love when you post about them. I can just picture the hoola hoop action!

How do you keep Bella and Chloe away from the birds? Are they oblivious? Used to them? Do they chase them upon occasion? Are they buddies with the birds?

JeanMac said...

Mary, your narration of the dogs just cracks me up every time.Thanks!

Mary said...

Donna, how did the hula hoop thing start? When Bella was under six months, I took Gina's hoop (vintage '85) from the garage and threw it frizbee style in the yard. Bella latched onto it and has been hooked ever since. We buy a dozen hoops at a time from the Dollar Store.

Sherry at the zoo, my feeders are located outside the fence but still on our property. Chloe (the older one) can't see the birds anymore but if she could, she'd be a real threat to them. Bella will chase a flock of doves on the pond once in a while, but for the most part, they co-exist quite nicely.

Everyone, thanks for your sweet comments...everyone should know or own a Boston Terrier or two!

Mel said...

Love Chloe and Bella! They are sooo cute! I love reading about their adventures :)

Donna said...

Mary, I so enjoy your blog! All your pictures are beautiful (love those marshmellow peeps BTW), love your sense of humor and love your dogs. Thanks for making me smile!
Hugs,
Donna

Marvin said...

I enjoy hearing about your Chloe and Bella. They are a hoot. Evidently TGIF is going to have real meaning for you this week. Hope all goes well between now and then.

Cathy said...

Oh, honey.

I'm so glad you'll have your life back as of Friday.

Mare. Please believe me that I always startle myself when I read your blog.

I hear myself chuckling.

what a gift you are - sitting there with your mouth full of peeps - tossing hula hoop rings :0)

Big Hug,
Cathy

Texas Travelers said...

That hula dance photo with two hoops is just about the coolest thing I've seen this year. As usual, I like your blog.

And yes, enough with the Easter sweets.


Troy in Ft. Worth

Kerri Farley said...

Bella and Chloe are adorable! You always make my smile Mary!

Larry said...

I used to despise getting those little yellow marshmallow chicks in my easter basket.-I wanted everything but those.-Cutephotos-Female Red-winged Blackbirds do have really interesting plumage.

Cathy said...

Hi Mary,

Just dropping by to get my Bella and Chloe fix.

You know? You CANNOT look at those faces without smiling.

Big Hug,
Cathy