RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography, R.J. Bennett
This is Fuzzy Molly. She’s a Cocker Spaniel/Schnauzer cross. She’s getting old now, but holds her own with rambunctious Amber. (94-pound yellow lab ‘puppy’, plus our two cats, Smoke and Abby.) She doesn’t communicate much with our four fish in the aquarium.
In the winter we let her hair grow. It’s kind of a mess, particularly when the weather is wet, because Molly comes in covered in mud, having stuck her nose way down deep into some hole or other she’s found in the yard. We got her some 13 years ago now, to be a sweet little lap dog for me. What we actually GOT was a fun-loving 25 pound dog who thinks she’s a mastiff. I put her in the kitchen sink to get her clean and fluffy, at least until she goes out again…
I’ve told you that we live on top of a ridge line outside of the town of Greenwood, Arkansas. We have about 8 acres of scrubby woods where we live close enough to town to go every day, but enjoy our privacy, pretending we own all we can see. :0) With this comes the ‘perks’ of lots of burrs, fleas and ticks – as well as other critters like raccoons, possums, deer, skunks, rabbits, and more.
Wednesday we took Molly to our vet’s office to be sheared like a sheep and get her annual shots.
The groomer would like to give her a mustache, beard, long eyebrows, and other stuff, but we ask for ‘short all over.’ SHE isn’t the one who has to deal with Molly after she’s gone out for a run with a face full of little bitty burrs tangled in all the cutesy-pie long hair on her face. Poor Molly HATES having me comb them out. I know it hurts her, so ‘short all over’ allows her to run through the brush as she likes without bringing it all home with her. It also makes it easy to see any ticks walking on her, and treat her for any fleas easily and quickly.
I look at it this way – we get TWO Mollys for the price of one – Fuzzy Molly and Sleek Molly. I love them both to pieces.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
We got some Vermiculite for the Mel’s Mix in the garden this morning. I took things inside, and then came out to help my husband with the two large bags that were going out to the garden. My hoodie zipper was messed up, so I was looking down, trying to fix it.
Amber (our 94-pound two-year-old ‘puppy’ hit me at top speed, having run from the shop to where I was, half way between our house and shop. Usually, I turn to the side, move, or brace for impact. This time I was completely vulnerable.
I was knocked backwards onto the gravel and grass-covered ground. I fell flat whapping the back of my head hard and having the wind knocked out of me. My hands got stuck by some small gravel, particularly on one hand, but also on the back of the other. I’ll probably have some great-looking bruises soon. The back of my other hand hit the ground so hard the strap of my watch broke. As I got up, I retrieved my watch and Amber’s collar, which somehow had come off.
I’ve taken some Tylenol now and am having a cup of coffee as I type this. My hands are stinging, but I’ve washed them and put on some antibiotic ointment. My backside is sore on the right side, the side of my left calf, and my right shoulder. (Makes you wonder what in the world I did as I fell!)
Falls are no fun any time, but can be worse as you get older. I lucked out this time, mainly injuring my dignity, and reminding me AGAIN that no matter what is happening with my hoodie (or anything else), I need to pay more attention to my surroundings!
I’m going to rest awhile, and then I’ll go out and empty the bag of Vermiculite into the lidded trash can where it will live.
The rest of this day HAS to be better!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family, stupidity, taking care of yourself
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Getty Images via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography
G-Eternity via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Elena Schumilova via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
“Bella” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Oscar” -Niki Firmin – LinkedIn
“RPD Axel” -Niki Firmin – LinkedIn
“Treacle” -Niki Firmin – LinkedIn
If you’d like to contact Niki about a portrait, go to NikiFirmin.com
Filed under Amazing Animals, drawings, Niki Firmin - Pet Portraits
Amber was officially two years old on the 7th of March. We have been told that lab puppies are essentially maniacs until they are two. Others have said, “At LEAST two.” And others have laughed, saying, “Well….”
We have been watching for signs that Amber is maturing and inching her way to ‘doghood,’ rather than ‘puppyhood,’ but so far, no dice.
Recently, she tried to bring two new toys into the house: a broken turtle shell with the remains of the poor turtle still inside, and most of a deer head, essentially clean, thank goodness.
She presented herself at the door after her morning run with cow excrement all over the right side of her chest and face, having joyously rolled in it ‘somewhere.’
Not so recently, but still very fresh in our memory, she got skunked, resulting in a bath in our master bedroom tub after midnight, using hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dishwashing detergent, then trying to get her rinsed off. Our bedroom still has a slight waft of ‘skunk’ as we enter….
One of the things I really enjoy is trying to play ball with her. I say, TRYING, because she doesn’t really get the idea of fetching the ball, bringing it back to us and letting us throw it again. She wants to get it the first time, then run around the house in a victory lap or six, then play tug of war. I was trying to get a picture of her with a ball in her mouth, but the minute she sees the camera, she drops it.
We’ll continue to look for signs she is taming down some, but it may be that the people who said, “Well….” were the ones who really knew of what they spoke.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
WildcatSantuary.org via RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Catherine Lee – LinkedIn
Pamela Hope Deluca-Price
Foto Fan – Vidar Bakker via Jeff Jett – Linkedin
Australian Shepherd – Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Lon Lauger Photography
This isn’t Amber, but it’s very close to how she looked this morning after her morning run and taking care of business. She found some incredible awful-smelling ‘stuff’ and had it all over the right side of her chest and face.
I let her eat her breakfast and then had her sit beside the kitchen sink while I cleaned her over and over and over with a soapy cloth and then rinsed her. (She weighs 94 pounds, and it’s too cold outside for an outside full bath.) I then took her collar – which was also coated – off and scrubbed it. Then I soaped her again and rinsed her off.
I think I may have gotten her cleaned up enough now. Her collar is drying on top of a heat register in the living room. I took Amber in there and asked my husband if he could smell her now. I honestly couldn’t tell if I had done some good or if my nose had given up and died!
We both pronounced her ‘good enough,’ and I sprayed some fresh-smelling stuff around to capture any lingering odors.
I will take a shower and change my clothes in case “I” am now smelling like her!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Minden Pictures via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
*Many talented photographers have taken these wonderful photos. Jeff Jett, RJ Bennett and others (including me) post them to share our love of wildlife and our wish to save them and their habitats.
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Daniela Capdepon MD, PhD – LinkedIn
Elena (Livia) D. – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Ntsevu – Lion-Cubs -James Tyrell – Londolozi Blog via RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
*Great appreciation to all the talented photographers who took these photos, plus the people who shared them so that we could enjoy.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography, Family
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Elena Schumilova via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
GreatDaneChronicles via Jeff Jett
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
“A fox should not be on the jury at a goose’s trial.” ~ Thomas Fuller
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
“The sleeping fox catches no poultry.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
“Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat.” ~ Erin Hunter
RJ Bennett – Linkedin
“A fox is a wolf who sends flowers.” ~ Ruth Brown
*These photos are taken by several talented photographers and posted by RJ Bennett and Jeff Jett on LinkedIn, all in an effort to save foxes and their habitat.
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Suzi Eszterhas via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
*These photos are taken by several different talented photographers and posted in an effort to preserve tigers and their habitats.
“Toucan” – Alina Ciuciu – LinkedIn
Hedy Fischer – LinkedIn
Filed under Acrylic Paintings I Love, Amazing Animals
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
vk.com/inspiration cards via RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
“A wise old owl sat on an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?”
Author Unknown.
Filed under Amazing Animals
“Flight Over the Frozen Lake” – Paul Militaru Photography
Discover Romania – Linkedin
Elena (Livia) D. – LinkedIn
Elena (Livia) D. – LinkedIn
“Diamonds and Birds” – Paul Militaru Photography
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Kelly Mizell – LinkedIn
*These photos are the work of several talented photographers. They are posted in an effort to preserve elephants and their habitat.
Carla Stafford – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Philippe Haelters SPN – LinkedIn
Tejas Soni via Jeff Jett – Linkedin
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
* Jeff Jett gathers wonderful photographs from various talented photographers from all over the world, all united in an effort to save the lions and their habitat.
I changed the water, cleaned the tank, and put in different decorations for the goldfish today. They have tripled in size since I got them, and goldfish are notorious for dirtying their water quickly. It’s a good thing I really like them because they’re a lot of work for pets that don’t show affection, do tricks, speak or anything. They DO, however, gather in the corner and wriggle their little bodies and blow bubbles at me when it’s feeding time twice a day.
Of course, I don’t give THEM affection, as such, other than to take care of them. I don’t do any tricks, though I DO speak to them. Maybe they hold me at arm’s length because I didn’t name them. (There are three regular-looking gold fish and one that is essentially white.)
“Very few of us have any idea whatsoever of what life is like living in a goldfish bowl, except, of course, for those of us who are goldfish.” ~ Graham Taylor
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Jeff Jett – Linkedin
Jeff Jett – Linkedin
srbijatrade.club
This is Amber, a 94-pound yellow lab ‘puppy’ who will be 2-years-old March 7th. We were told that labs are puppies until they are two years old. I think this may have been a vast understatement.
Amber is a very sweet, affectionate dog. She regularly comes to me or my husband while we are in our recliners in the living room, putting her head down at our feet and doing a somersault so we’ll laugh and rub her tummy. She has her foibles, such as continuing to take ONE piece of trash out of the can beside my chair. Only one – I think just to show us she knows she is not supposed to do it, but wants to anyway. She regularly checks in the pantry to see if Molly’s bowl is still on the floor to lick. It never is, but she still checks every morning and every evening, like clockwork. She regularly reminds us WHY we spent the money and went to the work of putting up doggie gates that she can’t open in almost every doorway on the first floor.
She is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever known. She LOVES going in the car – anywhere – anytime – and never knows a stranger.
For example, we had three errands to run this morning. It took me a bit of time in the post office, and my husband said that SEVERAL people had come over to the truck to say “Hi” to her and pet her. She LOVES it. When I was in the drug store, the people inside with me could hear her crying. I told them she wanted to come in and see everyone. My husband said that everyone who came out came over and talked to her. I got into the truck and the pharmacist came out, saying she HAD to meet the dog! Amber leaned as far out of the car as she possibly could, covering the sweet lady with kisses. She went back into the drug store, laughing, to wash her face. :0)
We have worked really hard to train Amber. She is so big and she has no clue that she is able to mow you down while you’re standing there, or that she can hurt you in any way. She minds really well when we’re home, inside the house. When someone comes over, though, all bets are off. She has never met us before and becomes ‘deaf’ ignoring our commands, just like a kid when you HOPE they’ll behave when company comes….
She is a challenge – particularly since we’re long in the tooth around here – but a joy.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Challenges, Family
“Profile of a Seagull” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Why do birds sing in the morning? It’s the triumphant shout: “We got through another night!” ~ Enid Bagnold
Elena (Livia) D. – LinkedIn
“Each bird must sing with his own throat.” ~ Henrik Ibsen
“Agile Stroll on Ice” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Use the talents you possess – for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best.” ~ Henry Van Dyke
Tony Novak – LinkedIn
“Seagulls… slim yachts of the element.” ~ Robinson Jeffers
Yvonne Wilder – LinkedIn
“Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” ~ Langston Hughes
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
*Photos represent the work of many talented photographers united in the common goal of preserving habitat and wildlife.
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
*Photographs are taken by many talented photographers all united in an effort to preserve habitat and our wildlife.
Jacob Dingel – WildlifeHelp.org
I put our 94-pound yellow lab puppy, Amber, out right before we were going to go to bed, about 11:30 last night.
When I let her in, she didn’t come in alone! She had been skunked! She was all upset, spitting and swallowing, and simply reeking! And it was COLD and dark outside, so we couldn’t take her back outside to hose her off.
We took her upstairs to our tub. My husband JUST missed being pulled into the tub with Amber. (She is really strong and has little concern over the frailties of her humans.) He managed to run warm water in the tub while I mixed up our deskunking stuff: hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and Dawn dishwashing liquid. I grabbed a plastic pan we use when we’re sick and poured a whole bottle of hydrogen peroxide in it, then dumped in what was left in a box of baking soda and then squirted some dishwashing liquid in.
I ran out into the hall for washcloths. We got as much of this stuff as we could on the areas that needed it most – the side of her face, her left chest and her muzzle. Then I poured what was left over her head as my husband shielded her eyes.
Then we spent a LONG time trying to get her rinsed. I rushed back out into the hall to grab two large bath sheets. Two of them were just enough to get her dry enough to go back downstairs with my husband while I tried to mop up the bathtub area.
When I got back downstairs, we both stripped – putting our clothes right into the washing machine, since now WE were skunked, too, then took long showers trying to get the smell off. Febreeze is no match for skunk!
We thought we had done as well as we could to get the smell off. Just in case, I took several clothes pins to distribute to our friends at Lunch Bunch, plus the two long-time good buddy waitresses who bring us our food. Everyone got a laugh out of us and our story of washing the dog at midnight.
I’ve done three loads of wash trying to get things back under control today.
Amber seems to be her normal, doofus puppy self today, smiling and laughing her way through the day.
Tonight we will take the dogs out on a leash one at a time. My husband will be armed with a 22 just in case the skunk has decided to make a return visit.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Challenges, Family, Funny Signs - Humor
Elena (Livia) D. – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
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