Chihuahuas, Kohlrabi, New Orchid, Cartoon, Friends and Family Meet During Covid

 

Bounce looks like the pup on the fourth step from the bottom, on the far left. I have been thinking about adopting a Chihuahua friend for Mr. B., and like the looks of long haired Chihuahuas. This photo has a wonderful diversity of pups, but no long haired ones.  When my energy level is high I am inspired to adopt a second dog, when my energy is low I think oh no, two dogs to walk and one person! Two to feed plus my cat, and take to the vet, and I am 77, so my age is a consideration. I am happy with my Bouncey so maybe he will remain my only pup. We shall see.

Who else likes kohlrabi? That and parsnips are two of my favorite root vegetables. I peeled these, sliced them, and ate them raw and sprinkled with salt. Delicious.

Above is my newest orchid, quite a splashy beauty. They are easy care if you have an east facing window. Just feed and water them every two weeks. Usually the flowers last six weeks so that is an economical way for me to keep flowers in my kitchen. I have 10 orchids which bloom at different times.

My sons and Bounce and I had fun recently, we met at my house and walked to a new favorite restaurant for dinner to celebrate my oldest son's birthday. We ate on their spacious covered deck and dogs are welcome. They have a limited menu with delicious food and this is our second visit there. 

Yesterday I had our bi-monthly Zoom meeting with two colleagues from the university. We are all retired now and keep up our tradition of meeting via Zoom and in person for lunches. Each Thursday I meet another friend for tea and a treat at my favorite coffee shop, the one on church grounds with a patio surrounded by huge gardens and a view of the ocean. Because of Covid we prefer to meet outdoors, whether for coffee or for lunch at restaurants with outdoor seating. How is your week going?

Best Dog in the World?

Ok, ok, I had to put the question mark in the blog post title, cuz we all think our dog is the best and the cutest in the world, right?
This is Bounce's favorite spot, on the back of our sofa, in the sun where he can look out the window and watch people walking past, some with dogs. Our street is a popular one for walking as it leads straight to the bay. Today Bounce brought his little squeaky toy to sit with him. I will try to get more photos of him with more light, but you get the idea. I think it is extra cute he brought his toy friend with him.
Bounce is a Chihuahua terrier mix, found on the streets in a nearby city and brought to the animal shelter. He weighed 7.8 pounds when brought in and was underweight. I adopted him in November last year and now he weighs 11 pounds which the vet says is ideal for him. I try not to overfeed so he stays at 11 pounds. He is so cute and food oriented so of course I give him treats like milk bone and Greenies.

My new dog companion Bounce

My sons and I visited five times to three places to pick out an ideal dog companion for me, and we found him. In the shelter he bounced up and down, meaning "pick me, pick me." He still does that.

Above is a Christmas time photo of us, and below Bounce in a favorite spot, looking outside.

At the animal shelter they pulled two of his teeth and neutered him. He is a Chihuahua Terrier mix and was found as a stray and weighed only 7.8 pounds. After a month at my house he weighs 10.4 pounds which the veterinarian says is the ideal weight for him. She said he must have been skin and bones when they picked him up. He looks a lot like my childhood dog, Chili Rey of Martini, a Chihuahua.
He is very Bouncy now and deserving of his name. I love this little guy and so do my sons and he loves us right back. My cat is fine with him, thank goodness.

Chihuahua Christmas

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Originally uploaded by patriotworld
I learned that California's dog shelters have a glut of Chihuahuas and east coast dog lovers are clamoring for more Chihuahuas to adopt.
I am happy to read today that animal rescue groups, including an actress, are paying the airline tickets for many of these great dogs to be sent to the east coast for adoption.
The first flight of about 25 dogs were all adopted with a waiting list of 100 people wanting to adopt.
I love all of God's creations, and Chihuahuas are special to me, because my family dog as a child was Chili Rey of Martini, a wonderful Chihuahua.
We drove from Wisconsin to the Florida Everglades many years ago, for a camping trip at Christmas, and Chili went with us, as protection. Ok, he did not charge at an alligator to protect us, but he did love us bunches.
I wrote about this camping trip in the book I co-authored, "Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts", and he was a dear little dog, so I am very happy about the new program to match Chihuahuas with families.