The untold story of the photoshopped kiss.

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.

 

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.

 

Today we took an afternoon walk.

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.

Wish they would declare Daylight Savings Time.

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.

February 7, 2008

Yesterday.

OK, time to get back to work.

A followup to Sunday's post: "Well, this is something different." Maybe Ruffin knew something was wrong.

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.