K is for

Kicking my fuzzy feets in the air!

To those who don't know, this provides momentum to propel me around so I can do my own backscratching.

J is for

JOY

Joy is visiting my "sister's" house for Thanksgiving and meeting a new friend who lets me share his water bowl....even though he is big enough to EAT me up with one gulp if he wanted to.

Alphabet Suspension Saturday

Awards? Oh boy! We've gotten 2 awards so the Alphabet has been suspended for today. Last week we got an award from Dory and Bilbo's Mama who also has a blog called Thru My Looking Glass. (Bilbo is a lot like Giz I think. Small and a little cranky-pants) Our friend, Kit, over at Dog Daze just gave us one too. I'd like to take the time to thank them for being our friends. After I started reading Kit's blog, I came to Blogspot and used the template to write a couple of pages "just to see if I could" but I didn't publish them. I was just about finished with chemo when I wrote the first page about the bear's visit to our backyard. It's because of Kit's encouragement (and her little push) that I actually put my blog online. Some days I'm still not sure of my direction but I know that I am enjoying this .. even tho "The Giz" is not always cooperative. Having to take pictures has given me the incentive to get out and "do something" on days when I wasn't sure I really wanted to exert that much energy.

Thanks to Dory and Bilbo's Mom, Beth, over at Thru My Looking Glass for the first award.

Here are the Rules for this award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.

7 Things you may not know about me:
1. I go to an antiques auction every weekend.
2. I am a cancer survivor.
3. I love the movie "Sixteen Candles" and don't care that it's a teen flick.
4. I am always waiting for Diana Gabaldon's next book. I get the "next one" as soon as it's out and since it usually takes her a while to complete "the next one", I do a lot of waiting.
5. I have never been to Hawaii.
6. I hate cold weather but would love to go to the Iditarod.
7. I like crafts but I am more the "jack of all trades and master of none" kind of crafter.

Now...I need to nominate seven other Kreativ Bloggers....some of them may have the award already. If I name someone who does have this award, I'd just like them to know I think they are ARE very creative bloggers.

1. Guinness and Sage at The 'splorin Wolfies from Nova Scotia. I check in every day to see where they have been. Sometimes their friend Groucho shows up. He is handsome too.
2. Martha and Bailey who are Bassets in Scotland. They remind me of a Basset named Axelrod who lived in my house 24 years ago.
3. Riley and Star - My Maltese Kids who have danced their way into my heart. I wish they could teach Giz a few moves.
4. Madi at Potpourri in NC. That cat is a DIVA and her Mom makes me chuckle!
5. Tank of Tank's Two Cents - Tank is the founder of Operation Whack a Squirrel and is truly an inspiration to those dedicated to squirrel control.
6. Jack of Daily Dose of Jack - I know TG needs vacations but I dunno, I think he should take you too. It would be VERY interesting.
7. Billy at Hood's Happenings - he is just a cutie and I love his shirts.

This next award was given to us by our friends Sassy, Zack, and Buddy over at Dog Daze. Their friendship has meant the world to us. I am passing this award to the seven friends - furry and otherwise - listed above. (Not all of them have known they were my friend but having discovered their blogs, I feel friendly towards them.)

Here are the rules:

1. Publish it on your blog, referring to the furiend(s) who passed it on to you.
2. Share five things you like to do.
3. Pass it along to keep the circle growing.

Five things Gizzy likes to do:

1. Help Dad drive the car.
2. Eat Chicken.
3. Walk in the park with Mom or Dad. (Preferably Dad)
4. Protect Dad from the nefarious designs of the woman who lives with us.
5. Sleep.

I is for

The Iris that grows along the brick walk in the springtime.

H is for

The holly bush full of berries in the front yard.

G is for

GIZMO
I think this may be my favorite picture.

F is for

Fantastical and .. really .. kinda freaky!
The rose out back by the arbor is still blooming.
It's almost December.

E is for...

What? You thought I might actually HAVE an "E" picture. I guess I do .. sort of.

E is for Energetically flowing stream in my backyard after the recent rains.

D is for Dog

A dog with an Agenda

And.....the agenda

C is for Chipmunk

If one is good.............

Two is better.

B is for Beggar

I know there is cookies up on this table. I just need for you to give me one Mom. Mom? Are you listening? I see them. Look! Look over there...in the back...that's them! Mom?

A is for Apple

The apple tree across the street is bare .. except for a few apples still clinging to the branches.

(I tried very hard to make the red apples visible but I just couldn't do it without magnifying the picture. It looked SOOOO much better in my photo editor.)

And something for a winter's day

Someone has been storing acorns in a safe and dry(?) place for the winter.

This is the cover for the well and it's starting to sprout little "access" doors around the base where the wood has rotted. Apparently, teeny rodents can go inside with their stash.

A dog's work is .....

never done. Pawpa is planting bulbs over by the road

and .... I'M HELPING.

Welcome Back Mr. Sun

The rain is done. Thank You Madi for sending Mr. Sun my way.

100 years ago today

This is my father and an unknown playmate. He looks a little young to be playing with a gun. He was born on November 15, 1909, 100 years ago today. Sadly, he passed away in 1967.

The Tracker

One of the chipmunks lives in that wall over there. I think I can find his front door if I can follow his tracks.

Last but not least

Just as Mom was thinking she needed to go out to take some pictures, it happened. She went over to Dory's Backyard and read that JD and Max were having a contest featuring "tushy" shots. Mom eagerly went to their website, Schnauzer and Schnauzer, to read more since it would save her from having to motivate herself further today. Oh, it was perfect since the ONLY good shot she had left from Sunday's river walk was .... a butt shot of yours truly. I hope there is a category for perfect paw placement.

I'm a travelin' man

Left..Right...Left...Right. Always keep 2 feets
on the ground at the same time and you'll be OK.

Power No More

This is a retired hydropower plant on the Farmington River. This wasn't the picture I tried to take but I like this one better than what I thought my eye was focused on.

Pssst: Click on it. It looks better magnified.

Busy Gizzy

Yesterday was a rare day for November in CT. The temperature rose to almost 70 degrees and the sun was shining. We all took a walk on the trail along the Farmington River. It was VERY crowded. Gizzy was very busy doing the scratching digging dance in the dirt to cover up all the smells left by other puppies.

Mom wanted to take a picture of a duck that may be a hooded merganser but it was too small and too far away to tell for sure. Magnifying helps but not much. She tried but she just couldn't get close enough. (Mom says: "Oh for a papparazzi's camera's telephoto lens.")

Guard Duty ala Gizzy

Guarding Pawpa's feet is so exhausting, I do believe I need a nap.

The Visitor

We've had another visitor but this one was unseen. It's been about a year since the visitor was here last. I wrote about him (or her) when I was setting up my blog for the first time. It came again in the dark of night but, this time, I was too lazy to run to the window to turn on the light to see what caused the noise I heard out in the yard. We found the broken .. and empty .. feeder on the ground this morning. Giz wanted to leave a warning on it but Pawpa successfully discouraged that.

There were a few diners out there who wondered where breakfast went.

Last Rose(s) of Summer

It is November 7. The leaves have left the trees. The branches on the rose bushes are pretty much bare.


And yet...here they are....blooming on the bush that refused to bloom all summer.

Friday Favorites #7: Alaska

Backyard is secure now

I'm telling you. The squirrel's are gone. Can I come back in now??

Autumn Leaves

It's a sea of leaves and somebody is going to have to rake them.
(oh please, please, please.....let it not be me)

The chipmunk that lives in the stone wall catches some rays.

It is NOT time to get up yet

C’mon, I was sleeping good and this bed is comfy. I don't care what YOU do, I am NOT getting out of bed just yet.

Monday Memory

This is a slightly "different" Monday memory. This memory has been good for a few chuckles since July. On our trip to Florida, we stopped at a rest area in Gainesville. As I was exiting the car, my husband said he would get out to stretch his legs. I was looking around as I closed the car door when I saw a sign by the sidewalk and started to stutter. Finally, I was able to say "I hope you aren't planning on waiting on the grass" as I pointed at the sign. I didn't see any snakes but, frankly, I was no longer as eager to stretch my legs as I had been and wondered exactly how many miles it was until the next rest stop.

(Just click on the picture to enlarge it.)

Trick or Treat

This is Rue. She is a rescue dog who likes to go to the antiques auction on Saturday night with her "Grandma". She thought maybe I had a treat for her.

She didn't mind wearing her Halloween costume but she was less pleased about sitting still long enough for me to get a picture with my IPhone. She certainly deserved a few treats after dressing like that.