The rest of #31

Summer laziness has hit.  I thought maybe it was only Winter that laziness hit, but the truth may be that I'm just lazy 24/7, no matter what season it is.

It was a beautiful weekend here. Canada Day we just stayed home and did a few things around the yard. Ryan fixed the lawnmower, which I had managed to pull the cord right out of last time I went to start it. RAWR. I need to watch my super strength. The kids and I mowed the lawn, (punishment for breaking the mower to begin with I think) and Ryan pulled the front door off and got to painting.

I'm going to show you the pictures, just don't hurt yourself squinting at them, trying to see the differences...

The Befores and Afters: 

Ha! Could you tell which is which?? (side note: I also like how the front light is crooked in BOTH pictures!)
How about in this one?

So shocking I know!
How about now?

Let's just say no one is stopping us in the streets telling us how big of a change it is! Although we did manage to fix and hide a wee measuring and drilling mistake made when putting in the new door handle and the door actually looks clean now! Yay for us. Taking the front door off for about 4 hours also called for some creative dog coralling.

Nothing Rodeo loves more than to run down the street as fast as possible at any given opportunity!

Speaking of Rodeo, he's been declared officially overweight. Poor guy. Maybe I should let him run free willy down the street more often??

What 'chu talking about Willis??

Changes

Four years ago, we finally made a decision and planted some trees in the backyard. We picked out some Columnar Swedish Aspens. Something that would fill in, eventually, and make a visual block from the sidewalk into the yard over our measly little five foot fence.


Four years later, I'm slightly in awe at them. This morning I went to go through the last two on the end to get to my bike that was leaning up against the fence, and I literally almost couldn't get through! They are looking amazing!

We planted a row of them along the other fence too, between our nosy neighbor and us. The trees are supposed to get 25-30 feet tall and 3 feet around, so we planted them approximately 3 feet apart. The hope was that eventually she wouldn't be able to see us, and hence, talk to us, from her deck after they filled in. As were planting them, she asked if we were trying to tell her something....

They weren't much to look at, but they were a start! Of course as luck would have it, they haven't gotten as big as the ones near the sidewalk, but they do a decent job of blocking her ever curious eye.

The huge railing we put on the deck I think has maybe driven home the point that I don't really wish for her to comment on every going-ons in my backyard.

Four years ago we also got the cutest little addition as well.

My, how time changes things.

Happy Fourth Birthday Rodeo!

A Dog's Life

Ever feel like you got scammed?

He started out so adorable.  He lured us in with his antics, his softness, his ability to sit on my lap without squashing me!

I should note it was adorable when he sat surrounded by my flowers....

It was a little less adorable when he started digging them all up and leaving massive holes and bones in my flowers.

He slept on all our stuff.  And we took pictures and smiled.

He laid around, looking so innocent.  Well, he still does this.  Butter wouldn't melt in that mouth most days.

He made friends with the kittens.  Look at the smile!

He does stupid stuff that has us wondering if he has any brains left in that head as he grows.

Sometimes, he's just so damn amusing.

Most of the time, he farts, stinks, runs away, sleeps, sheds ALL over the place, worse than any cat could ever.  He barks at every dog who dares to walk past his window.  He watches old ladies and growls at them the most (you can't trust those little old ladies!!!).  He pulls at his leash, until you remind him that he's supposed to walk nicely, and then only until he catches a new scent or spies another dog.  He howls and won't stop barking or whining when he's not allowed to visit with any dog he sees on the walk.  If he hurts himself, he yelps and carries on so badly that I'm sure the entire neighborhood thought I was commiting some sort of horrible crime on him, when really he had stepped on something that hurt, and then after I carried him home, he stopped yelping.  I think I got scammed.  Someone probably just wanted to get carried home.

He also makes friends with every dog he actually gets to come into contact with.  He loves cats.  He doesn't chew anymore (HURRAY!).  He lays on his mat while we eat.  He's totally house trained.  And 90% of the time he looks like this.

I tried to get him to put his head up for this picture, but he gave me the blurry death stare for waking up his nap.  He's also claimed the tiniest dog bed that actually belongs to the MIL's dog  for his own.  Sorry Lucy! She left it behind and he claimed it!

And why this post about my dog who drives me nuts 90% of the time that he's awake?  Because I've found his long lost brother on the web.

Meet Brutus, from Frou-FruGal.

Except for that white leg, he looks a LOT like our own dear Rodeo!  You can read about Brutus here.