The Magical Tree

This is the story of the magical tree. My apologies if this sounds like Dr. Seuss, it is not my intention.

Trees are big and trees are tall and everyone knows that the branches on trees are way up there. Of course you all know that because you have to look up to see them. So what do you make of a tree that has a branch that comes down almost to the ground? Has the tree bent over to reach down and touch you? To pet you on the head when you walk under it or to shake your hand? Our Rotties have always asked these questions because the tree has been there for a long time but one little Rottie girl named Bessie has decided to make this magical tree something special to play with. Every time we go out front (except in the Winter when there are no leaves) she gets so excited when she walks through this branch on this tree and sometimes she grabs hold of some leaves and yanks them off like they were some new-found toys.

I am sure you will agree that any tree that can make a Rottie girl so happy has got to be a magical tree. 

Rest easy Dr. Seuss, you have nothing to worry about.

 

It must be Spring because it looks like love.

Sorry for not posting anything in the last two weeks but there was a death in the family. If it wasn't for the joy my Rottweilers bring me every day I might still be floundering in the doldrums. How can a simple thing like seeing two big dogs laying in the hallway make me think that Spring is in the air and love is all around. Well, the would-be warrior queen and her valiant champion seem to have put aside her advanced training for a little smooching. So it had to be love.

Just for clarification, that's Bessie in the foreground and Ruffin in the rear and the wide-angle lens distorted her size. She has gained a few pounds in the past month but she is definitely not as big as Ruff.

The moochers came back.

To tell the truth, these two moochers never left. They smell food and hear a package open and consider it an invitation. The kitchen is the worst place but it happens anywhere in the house. When I bring a snack in the den I always have a parade following me with these starving, hungry faces.

But I try to look on the good side. They are always willing to help me with my diet by keeping me from eating everything. And when you call them names or accuse them of begging too much, they look all around the room as if I was talking about someone else.

BTW, the flash wasn't bounced off the ceiling in the top photo. I grabbed the camera too fast to make the adjustment.

The Great Weight Race is over.

Bess and Ruff went to the Vet's office Tuesday for their booster shots and I got an opportunity to get her on the big scale there. As I was beginning to think, she hasn't gained any weight in over two months. At the age of 10-months Bessie now weighs 81 lbs. If you will recall last year I was so impressed with her growth rate that I began comparing it to Ruffin's. When Ruff was 10-months old he weighed 92 lbs. For the record, Ruff has been on a diet for over six months and he has trimmed down from 132 lbs to 120 lbs and he looks a whole lot better. His Thyroid test came in a a bit high last year and the Vet put him on 3x 0.8mg Levothyroxine pills per day.

For a while I had thought Bess would top out over 100 pounds at the rate she was going but she stopped growing a few months too early. I hope this had nothing to do with her eating disorder because I am still having trouble getting her to eat regular dog food. The Vet says she looks very good but I still think she is a bit thin. Hopefully in the months ahead I'll figure out why she won't eat like my other Rottweilers do and maybe she will put on a few more pounds.

Add one more thing to the list that Bessie hasn't seen before.

I will never forget the opportunities that I missed to record some of the wonderful sights I've seen because I didn't have my camera to take a picture. Like the first time Bessie saw a butterfly, a small white one that almost landed on her nose, and the startled look in her eyes. Or the time she noticed her first Dandelion puff ball and when she sniffed it and it blew apart. Well today was another first. A brightly painted truck came rolling down our street playing music. Bessie heard it come up the street before she saw it. It was an ice-cream vendor and it is one of the first signs of Summer. We live on a very quiet dead-end street so I knew the truck had to turn around and come back on its way out - so I had time to go fetch my camera.

As it slowly drove by our house Bessie started to trot over toward the street and after yelling at her to stop, I almost thought the driver was going to stop to sell her some ice cream. But from this angle I realized he couldn't see her but his window was open so I think he heard me say STOP.

Maybe next Spring I'll have another chance to take a picture of her and a butterfly.

The Big Guy still loves horse races.

Once again, Ruffin watched the TV this evening as American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby today. I guess you have to have a face-to-face encounter with a real live horse like Ruff had in order to have such a lasting interest them. Bess watched some of the race but I think she was more interested in finding out why Ruff was so interested. Axl was laying and the couch next to me and not paying any attention.

But Ruff decided to lay down just as the horses turned into the final stretch.