A merry Moose mess.

It took me 20 minutes to call in our dog, Moose, this morning. 20 minutes! He never goes far, and is usually in before Mark leaves for work, but not today.

I called and called, and called. Finally he came bounding in the house from the front porch. Tail wagging, smiling, and soaked from the rain.

Then I noticed it, we all noticed it. How could you not?

It was putrid, vile. The most wretched stench I've ever come across.

What was it?

Who knows, we may never know, but oh the fun it was about to begin.

First, we have no bath tub. We haven't for about 2.5 years now. The upstairs bathroom needed a new floor, which turned into new beams, which means, anyway...we have no bathtub.

So, naturally, I put him in the stand up shower downstairs. Ha! Have you ever tried to put a 95 lb claustrophobic dog in a stand up shower. 

Don't. It's not worth it.

I got three buckets of water on him, and some soap before he figured out he could open the door while I was in the kitchen refilling the bucket, and shake. And boy, did he shake. All over the floor, walls, ceiling, clothes, everywhere! The blue bathroom was literally dripping with this brown, gelatinous, vile smelling substance, that came from our fluffy little friend.

Why do these things happen when there is no time for them? And how come Mark is, conveniently, not home? Hm....

So I decide, I've done ok. I'll dry him off and see how it goes.

So he shakes, and he shimmies, and I notice there's still soap bubbles on his back. But at this point, both him and I know he's not going back in there.

I let him out of the bathroom, into the kitchen, where I'm hoping he'll smell better. But nope! Still awful!

The stench in the bathroom is so bad, I Lysol everything in reach, and pray for the best. 10 minutes later, I go back in. Ugh! Still rancid. What is that?

The collar, of course! It was still in the shower. I grab that out, and after three very close calls with hurling, decide it's time to toss it. Moose is getting a new collar today.

And he still stinks. Now I start calling...the Laundromutt, closed on Monday. (Yes, there really is a laundromutt :) I get "nope we're booked" more times then I want to count. Finally success! Petco, here we come! I have 50 minutes to get myself bathed, Jared dressed, and the, still very stinky, and now collarless dog, into the car for the 20 minute drive to Petco. 

9:35, doing good. We're off. 

Holy stinky dog! We drove 60mph in 30 degree weather and the driving rain with the windows down. Did I say he stunk?

9:58 we arrive, cold, and safely at the store. 

Jared, Moose and I walk in and are greeted with a cheerful, "Hi, this must be Moose." She then makes the mistake of bending over to his face to greet him. 

She gags. LOL! I warned her, it's that bad.

This is getting long, so lets conclude quickly.

She takes him back, and as soon as the door closes and he realizes he's not in Kansas anymore, the howling and barking ensues. 2.5 hours later when we came back to pick him up...we heard the same noises as when we left. Poor Moose.

Thankfully, our fluffy bunny Moose is back. Clean, soft and rain forest fresh. Ahhhhh....

We shall see what tomorrow morning brings :)

I am not a writer

I am not a writer. I try.

I used to be.

I could write papers with my eyes closed in school-fly through them.

Now, nothing.

I am a photographer. 

I can tell a story with my images, or one image.

I can see stories, I can't write them.

But I'll try.

Nolan, the good friend

Nolan and I were chatting after school today that his fried Grant had been out sick with a stomach bug.

He suddenly turned to me, with those big eyes, and that excited light bulb look on his face. "Mom!"

"What?!"

Nolan-"Do you know what happened the other day in the line to get on the bus?"

"No, buddy, what happened?"

And, talking at a HIGH rate of speed, he explained...

"I saw Grant, and he was by himself, all away from everybody else, and he was all sad."

"Why was he sad?" I asked.

"Well, Aidan, in his class, he was not very nice to Grant. I asked Grant what was wrong, and he told me that Aidan said that he was the dumbest boy. And Grant's not dumb. And that made Grant sad. So you know what I did mom?"

"No Nolan, what did you do?"

"I said, come with me Grant, I'm your friend."

"Wow, Nolan that was very nice of you. You're a great friend."

"I know mom, I take care of my friends."

Sometimes they just make you proud.

Allie

Another great storyteller, and wise above her years. Allie came into the studio with the statement "I am not cute." By the end of the session she was telling me about her lemonade stand that she wants to have this summer, and the bow and arrow set she's been holding out for.