Thursday, June 17, 2010

Patio Cat




Morty likes hanging out on the patio, and the shady spot underneath the dwarf Japanese Maple is one of his favorite places to nap. The problem is that he rarely gets a decent snooze going before Zoe starts to pester him.














He then leaps onto the hot tub for some peace, only to be accosted by the hummingbirds who have no fear of him. They know that under the best of circumstances they are far faster than he and enjoy dive-bombing him after they have had their fill of sugar-water.


Sunday, June 13, 2010

Zoe at Eleven Months...

Zoe turns eleven months old this month, and she is still undersized. I think I caught Oscar whispering "GROW" in her ear while she slept recently... What she lacks in size she makes up for in personality, or at least raw spunk. She pushes Claris, easily double Zoe's weight, around like a little tyrant. She does not beg for but demands and commands attention and treats from her people, walks into every room like she owns it and insists on the most comfortable spots, pillows and blankets wherever she decides to lay down. Don't get me wrong, though; she is not a bad puppy, just a handful.

The day I brought her home she walked into the house as if she were the Queen of Sheba herself. She never had the period of adjustment that the other dogs did; she just knew her place and settled in immediately.

She is also loving, funny and playful. Her favorite place to be is wherever you are, usually leaning or sleeping against you. As I type this, she is asleep at my feet, with her head resting on my toes... Although she eats as if she were starving, she never growls if you get near her or touch her bowl. She is quick to offer her belly to rub if she thinks you need a little pick-me-up, and even shares the sock she has been carrying around all day, in case you need a little gnaw, too.

Zoe is very much a puppy, and her energy feels almost boundless at times. She is more agile than any other Lab I have known, and faster, too. She easily catches butterflies, bees and the occasional fowl that has foolishly crossed the fence into the "Doggy Danger Zone". She loves to stalk all manner of creatures, from the goats against the fence to poor Claris who is only trying to take a nap in a shady spot. Even if she did not get the usual Labrador size, she did get their love of the hunt!

So Zoe is about to crest the one year mark. She still has a little growing to do on the outside, and a lot to do on the inside. It is so interesting to watch a puppy grow and to see what sort of dog they will become.