Dog Days of Summer

I'm not sure exactly what the phrase means "dogs days of summer" (I'm sure I could look it up on the 'net). I believe it's something about the heat, of which we've had a few days of some hot weather again. Luckily my downstairs stays fairly cool, and the wrap-around porch helps alot. My dogs seem to sleep 20 of the 24 hours in a day and I get to listen to them moan and grown, toss and turn, and one who even snores. When one barks or whines in their sleep, the others come to attention to see if they need to bark at something. So to that tune...I took some pics over a couple days to show my funny dogs sleeping. (Yes, I do love my dogs)

A Trip to the Zoo

A huge weird flower

A couple weeks ago I was having a bad time, so I took a little trip to stay with my oldest DD and grand D. I had to put down one of my jack russell terriers so I just had to “run away” so to speak, and not be in the house where I knew it would be tough. I wanted to go to the San Francisco Zoo with them as I hadn’t been there in many years. In fact my youngest DD and son were tiny the last time we went, maybe 12-14 yrs ago? I was a little dismayed as alot of the exhibits were closed and areas of construction were evident. But there were many new exhibits/enclosures that were modern and soo much better for the animals. I'm sure it will be really nice once they finish.


The giraffes had a 1 yr old and a 5 mo. old baby. We watched them at feeding time and talked to the keepers while we watched.



These were all juvenile gorillas, doing much of nothing. They had a nice enclosure with a viewing window.



The last flamingo was doing this dance in the water where he/she stompped his feet each in turn and then spun around while doing it. I told the grandbaby that the flamingo was dancing for her!


This prairie dog sat at the viewing window for the longest time, like it was in a trance. Then all of a sudden just turned and ran away. Cute!



I could watch the meerkats for hours, they're such characters.







I don't remember this "island" with birds of prey from before, everyone rushed to the edge when they saw this bald eagle emerge to drink. I had to wait until it was clear of people to get a decent pic.





The female lioness was down in the corner of the "moat" grooming! (because she can!)


I had the best time with my granddaughter!

"Slimmin' Poo"

The grandbaby was here overnight Fri/Sat and I decided to take her to get a little swimming pool or "slimmin' poo" as she calls it. I never thought that I could love a child more than my very own, but she comes pretty darn close. She seems to be growing overnight and her vocabulary just amazes me, and soo precocious. Last week when I was staying at her house, she and I were in her bedroom and we were having a conversation and then she kind of looked around the room and ceiling with her eyes like she was trying to think of something and I asked her "what?" and she replied "hold on" with this air of exhasperation. I had to say OMG and we both starting laughing, she obviously knew she was using a phrase she heard from mom or dad.

She has also been begging to go to the library or "lyberry" as she says. When I was visiting last week she asked her mom to go and I couldn't believe that she remembered me taking her months ago for the first time. Unfortunately, we didn't have time, so while she was here I asked her if she wanted to go. She was so excited and I couldn't get enough of how she says library, so I kept asking her where we going? tell them where you're going, etc. She probably thought I'm a little senile. We have a good childrens section and of course she goes from one thing to another so fast and won't sit still long enough to even look at a book with me. But when we said it was time to go, she ran to a shelf and grabbed a stack of books she said she wanted to take with her. I managed to put them back in the right place and directed her to the more 2 year old friendly board books and helped her get two. She grabbed a barbie princess (of course) and one that had cute childish hand drawn pictures of a baby. I didn't know what it was about, but in the car she wanted me to read it, so i glanced through quickly and told her it was about a little baby with a smelly diaper. She thought that was the greatest thing. She kept asking me to tell her more. Then out of the blue she "inserted herself into the character of the book taking the place of the baby David in the story. She kept saying "my....name.....is.....K----" like she was actually reading, and she asked me several times "do I have stinky diapers?" to which I aswered the positive! (she's potty trained, except she's refusing to #2 in the toilet, she still asks to put on a diaper when he has to go #2, go figure?)



I have such a good time with her, but like that saying goes, it's nice to send them home. I'm exhausted....