Cavorting Chloe

This is a tale of a young Labradoodle girl named Chloe (and me, her mama, who helps with typing). She frolics, she leaps, she bounces, she cavorts; she is graceful and goofy, with the elasticity and the enthusiasm of a large puppy. She was found south of San Diego near the Mexican border, at a parking lot, while kids were throwing rocks at her. She was picked up by animal control, rescued by the wonderful Rebecca of Four Paws Coonhound Rescue and Friends. I discovered her via Petfinder, drove to San Diego, and adopted her. We live in beautiful Tucson, AZ. This blog witnesses our daily adventures.

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We just got haircuts.  It’s the end of summer, so says the calendar, though summer heat continues in Tucson at 101F. Happy Labor Day to all. 

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Chloe settles on my yoga mat.

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It’s been a long summer. Now there’s a slight hint of fall, even if the days are hot and dry. Kaya wishes a happy September to all.

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These clowns would not let me make the bed easily, they would jump on it before I could place the sheets, playing games. So I had them stay on the mattress for a photo-op. They were very pleased with themselves.

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Painting of Chloe and Kaya, done on my iPhone, using a the app ArtRage and a Sensu brush. 

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Chloe and Kaya.  Kaya is freshly groomed and has a bandana from the groomer. Chloe went along for company while her sister got trimmed, so she got a bandana as well.  They look very innocent but as soon as a walk away, Kaya looks for things to steal in the kitchen. Chloe assists.

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Happy New year! Yes, dear internets, we have news: Chloe has a sister!  Her name is Kaya. They are sisters of different mothers. 

Kaya is a Standard Poodle from a very nice rescue group near Temecula, CA.  One weekend this past summer, we drove from Tucson to Temecula to meet Kaya.  Well it was love at first sight between Chloe and Kaya.  Read the whole story and about the fun adoption trip. 

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{ the last ones }

Last weekend, Chloe and I had the last grapefruits from our tree.  Technically they are pomelos, cousins of grapefruit.  They are enormous, succulent and naturally sweet.   Then we went to water and fertilize the tree for next year’s crop. 

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April, our wonderful dog trainer, has a dog named Quincy.  Quincy is a 3-4 year old Puli.  She brings him to training often, to showcase the behavior we are aiming for. Needless to say, Quincy is a model of good behavior…  

April told me that Quincy's sister is appearing in a Super Bowl commercial that will be aired soon.  Here it is. 

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{ Making the Bed }

Whenever Chloe and I make the bed, she loves to jump on the mattress while I try to place the sheets. When I ask her to get off the bed for a moment, she jumps right back on in a millisecond. We go back and forth like this, on and off, until I give up.  I sit with her and I place the top sheet on her. She loves this game.

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{ Fast-moving coffee thief }

Chloe barked loudly when the mailman delivered the mail.  That's normal for us (he is afraid of all dogs and she relishes his discomfort as she barks behind the gate.  I secretly enjoy the way she relishes. This is a daily silliness).

Then the barking stopped rather suddenly. I got suspicious. I looked outside. Chloe moved fast and zig-zagged across the front yard.  I knew there was trouble.

I caught my fluffy white thief inspecting the mail a little too closely. She had opened a parcel and was about to -- shall we say -- inspect it more closely. My precious freshly roasted coffee was about to be spread over the rocks. Aaahh!  Thankfully, I caught this just after the bag was punctured but before too many beans spilled.

I grabbed the coffee and went inside.  Chloe followed with her tail wagging triumphantly.   Here she is telling me that all she wanted to do was make sure the package was OK.  Thank you Chloe. 

And happy new year to all!

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Above are the Before and Before photos...

That's right, dear reader, even though you might think this is the Before and After photo.  But that's not the case when you live with a girl named Chloe. The photo on the left was the lefse I got as a special treat for Christmas Eve dinner, after it thawed.  The photo on the right is what I found about 20 minutes before I headed out to said Christmas Eve dinner.  I found it in the front yard next to a very happy dog.

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{ Remembering some of what we did this year }

As 2014 draws to a close and I wonder where it all went besides the increase in gray hair, I can recall much daily fun with Chloe and a few trips. We played, we cooked together and we traveled. 

I documented some stories via the fabulous Storehouse and each photo below links you to the corresponding story. 

Over Labor Day weekend, Chloe and I hopped in the car and drove to San Diego to meet Sully, a Golden Retriever - Standard Poodle mix that was rescued and placed for adoption. We came close to bringing him home but it was not a match made in heaven between Chloe and Sully. Still, the trip was fun and a bonding experience.

Chloe and I also made a peach galette which we documented on Storehouse and it became one of the stories they featured for 2014. Recipe included:

And we also improvised on a recipe from SAVEUR Magazine, making our own turkey meatballs, using leftover ground turkey that was set aside for doggie training classes. Recipe included:

Speaking of doggie training classes, we did a fair amount this year with the wonderful trainers April and Pam. Chloe has learned her manners well. We participated in a Canine Good Citizenship class this summer and came close to getting a CGC Certificate. Alas, we did not pass the `Down-Stay' aspect when I friendly stranger comes over. Chloe is too friendly and has a hard time not being exuberant. (Of all the trouble one can cause, I wish all of us had sheer exuberance as the top of our sins, it would be a better world.)

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Yes, we made a cake together.  Cardamom cake with coffee glaze. Chloe believes this would make a good dinner and I am telling her otherwise but she is not focusing on me apparently.

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Chloe sits with Bernie at the table, listening to NPR news and having coffee.  Well, Chloe did not have coffee.  Though she did consider it.  

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Chloe reads her Mac on Saturday morning, after Thanksgiving. This girl stays on top of her email. 

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Chloe is waiting for me to close the back door and get in the truck.  We are off to Goodwill to make a donation after sifting through to storage room. (Long overdue.)

We have been behind, dear internets, and haven't posted on this blog for a while. But all is well.  Hello again :-)