Windy, but not as much as yesterday that brought us some severe storms. So we had some time to explore the backyard and see if all our trees were still in Kentucky. Here is Ruff and Axl out by the Willow I planted 4 years ago. It has already gotten three times its size.
As the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun. And today we have another birthday in our humble rotten house. Ruffin, my baby Rottweiler, whom I picked out of the litter and raised him with the help of his adopted mother Mocha, is now 7 years old. I took a few pictures of Ruff this afternoon even though he will have a birthday party at dinner time. And I thought a little recap of his growth pictures would be nice to see.
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| "Someday I will be a Big Dog, too." |
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| The Rottie Mom holding a meeting. |
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| August 2012 |
The dam has broken, the moon, the planets and the Sun aligned, NO, really, just the weatherman gave us a beautiful day and made us an offer we couldn't refuse. We escaped from the clutches of hibernation. We left the cozy warmth of our home and went for a walk with the boys. Geez, the way they acted you would think they've been cooped up in the house for a week. Actually, they have - the humans were getting adjusted to the cold. Anyway, here are the pictures. The first thing Axl did was trot over to the far side of the property and he didn't come back to have his picture taken until he had checked out all the trees. As soon as Ruff posed with his mom he picked up a stick a ran off with it.
And the weatherman says we have a chance for our first snow next week. That should be exciting. It always makes our Rottweilers act a little more crazy when the go outside.
I just unloaded some photos from my Nikon that were taken over a week ago. This is something I almost never do as most pictures are put into the computer the day I take them. The reason was the fault of the weather. We suddenly had a span of chilly weather that contrasted with the 60+ degrees we were having. I went out and spent an hours on the tractor cutting the grass and was chilled to the bone when I came inside. One thing quickly led to another and I just finished taking the last pills the doctor prescribed. But now my wife has come down with a cold.
So this is what it looks like when we begin to hibernate. Humans and Rottweilers sleeping all day long. And the weatherman predicts a cold and snowy Winter. I think we will be acclimated to it in a few months.
They are very good company and don't complain too much except when I'm late with their dinner.
Many years ago when I had just started this blog I was invited to post my pictures of my Rottweilers on a Canadian bulletin board dedicated to Rottweilers. Many of the people who frequented this board fell in love with our baby Rottweiler, Ruffin, who was only 2 years old at the time. Even as young as he was, Ruff had already gotten used to the camera and almost struck a pose whenever I came in the room with the camera in my hand. He had a distinctive way of staring straight into the camera that caught everyone's attention. When I posted this picture two days ago one of his fans made a comment on about it. She said it was absolutely stunning. I get that a lot.
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| December 25-2008 |
This reminded me of the story I am telling now. One of the women on the Canadian bulletin board was particularly envious of a photo I posted of Ruff giving his Mom a kiss. This is the photo.
For several days she wrote me saying how much she wished she could have Ruff give her a kiss like that. One day it dawned on me to offer her a solution. I asked her to send me a head shot photo of herself and I would try to work it into this picture. I sent her this picture as an example.
Out of respect for the lady's privacy I cannot show you the actual results, so I obscured her face in the image below, but it did come out very well.
I have been using similar techniques to clear up some of the clutter in the photos I post here. It's basically just a cut and paste. If you are interested, the clutter are called photobombs. Look it up on Google images search.
Well, Ruff and Axl are happy, now. Or maybe we're just adjusting to the cold weather. Finally got to take the boys out back for a run.
And got the Mom all bundled up to keep her warm.
Yeah, me too. I had on my winter coat, as well.
If you live in the United States you know that by this time of year the Sun begins to set fairly early each day and gets earlier as we go. Today, for instance, it is setting at 6:49 PM. The humans here usually eat dinner around 6:30 PM and have been taking the Rottweilers out back for their walk after dinner. But with the early sunset it is getting too dark to go for the walk and this change does not go well in the dog world. So we have been patiently waiting for Daylight Saving Time to kick in and the clocks get set back an hour so there is still daylight after dinner. By the way, we happen to live on the Western edge of the Eastern Time Zone. In the Summertime we still have daylight here at 9PM at night but we pay for it in the Fall and Winter.
That isn't our only problem. The weather is changing. Some people out here in Northern Kentucky are still walking around in t-shirts and shorts while we are putting on heavy jackets and sweaters. One day it is warm and sunny the next day it is uncomfortably cold, then warm, then cold. Until there are no more warm days until next Spring. This is not good for us old folks. It makes us go into hibernation. And it causes long gaps in my blog entries until we get used to the changes.
Thanks to an email comment from an Anonymous reader today, who inquired if everything was OK because it has been too quiet, I have been nudged out of my rut. Yes, we are OK, in spite of the above complaints.
Baby Ruff, who will be 7-years old next month, has been my biggest complainer. He misses his daily walks more than any of them. He loves to run around in the wide open spaces of his back yard.
Ruff has grown quite big over the years but he still has that sweet, adorable face that people love when we go to Petsmart.
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| February 7, 2008 |
OK, time to get back to work.
Apparently, Ruffin had a reason for checking on his best buddy Axl. Axl was getting sick. Yesterday (the day after Ruffin went to extremes licking Axl's face, head and ears) Axl woke up with a very upset stomach and didn't eat any breakfast or dinner. (they are fed two small meals a day) He then spent the day having a bad case of heaves and diarrhea that lasted even after we all went to bed. I had to take him outside at 1:30 AM after he vomited twice more in the house. After I brought him back in he slept outside his Mom's bedroom door all night long and then this morning he went in her room and took a nap by her bed while she was still sleeping. This morning Axl seemed to feel a little better. I don't know if it is a fact but this morning his nose was cold and yesterday his nose was warm. I boiled up a chicken breast and a cup of rice and Axl ate the whole thing so at least he has his appetite back and he hasn't thrown up so far today.
Its now just past Midnight and everyone is in bed sleeping and I am happy to write that everything went well today. Axl ate another meal at dinner time - I boiled up another chicken breast and mixed it with some rice and he had a hardy appetite. No more throw up or diarrhea so it looks like it was just a 24-hour virus, like we humans sometimes get.
I think the next time Ruff acts a little out of character I will pay better attention. He really was showing concern over his buddy on Sunday because he knew something was wrong.
I've been living with Rottweilers and taking photos of them for 18 years and I have seen all kinds of different personalities. They are all clowns to some extent and seem to just want to entertain us. My baby Rottweiler Ruff wasn't the first Goofus Rottus we ever had. But he sure isn't like the others. I was sitting in the family room watching TV tonight and Axl was laying on the couch when all of a sudden Ruff climbed on top of the hassock and stepped onto the couch right next to Axl and, while standing over him, started to give him a tongue bath on his face, his head and his ears. And as you can see, Axl never objected. Ruff and Axl have best friends since the day we adopted Axl four years ago. I liked to think Axl was a sort of father figure to Ruff. Ruff frequently washes Axl's ears but this is a new one. I quickly retrieved the camera and managed to capture the last few minutes of this crazy act. These photos are in the sequence I took them.
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| Click the pictures for a larger view. |
At the start of the movie (Star Trek - Into Darkness) there was a lot of traffic in our living room. The usual kind, one Rottie on my couch the other Rottie on the other couch. Then they switch. Then they take turns going for a nap on the floor. Then the movie was over and I saw an opportunity to grab the camera. We had a pile of Riottweilers on the floor.
Sometimes it takes two to get the job done.
Mom taking a nap on the deck. And so are her constant companions Axl in the foreground and Ruffin under the table.
If I had taken the time to clean the glass on the storm door they may have woken up. So in spite of the nose prints and sneezes and reflected sunlight - I shot the picture as I saw it.
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| Click to enlarge. |
We had workers fixing a problem with the new pool liner this afternoon so it was an occasion to sit outside in the beautiful sunshine and watch them work. And even our little girl Sassy came out with us and acted like a sidewalk superintendent. That's a slang expression from New York to describe people who watch other people working. Mom sat on the deck with both her protectors Ruff and Axl close by. And I was roving around with the camera taking pictures.
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| Just had to take a little stretch. |
He can no longer jump up on his Mom’s bed but Axl still never leaves her side when she is awake. He spend the night sleeping outside her bedroom door and snores the night away. His face is getting covered with gray hairs and the more Axl gets the more dignified he looks. He sleeps more like a baby now, but old men do so as well. He is, by far, the most loveable, most gentle, most handsome, sweetest and most devoted Rottweiler I have ever known. And I am so glad he seems to be in good health and I hope he stays that way for a few more years. I need him and so does his Mom. He had a checkup at the vet’s office a few months ago and he was fine.
Axl was 12 years old this month. I took these pictures today.
In case you didn't know, Axl came to us four years ago. We adopted him when he was almost 8-years old from a rescue group in Ohio and by chance, I happened to know the woman who first owned him when he was a puppy and she was instrumental in helping us get him. Axl was and is the best rescued Rottweiler we have ever had. He ranks way up at the top of those Thief of Hearts that have given us so much happiness.I think Axl may get a steak for dinner tonight.
Happy Birthday, old man. May you have many more to come.
Before our evening walk we sat down to watch Ruff's favorite TV show, Wheel of Fortune. And it is fun to watch Ruffin watching the TV, especially when his favorite star Vanna White is on the screen. Well I've been lucky before capturing his stare and I did it again. Got this photo of both Vanna on the screen and Ruff intently watching.
I've often mentioned that my two Rottweilers, Axl and Ruff, seem to take turns babysitting their mom. One or the other (or both at the same time) always seems to be around her, either in the house or out on the deck. If I am wrong then it is the mom who is babysitting the Rottweilers because they do not like being left alone.
