Tales from the Microbial Laboratory

THE DAN (and just a head's up that I haven't disappeared).

 THE DAN seems to think that since I don't post here much anymore, that it means that her handsomeness is being lost on the world (that silly DAN!) - so I thought I'd share a few miscellaneous photos of her from over the past few months.  Cell phone pics, Nikon camera pics, misbehaving pics.  Life with THE DAN.

I've spent much of the fall and winter in Virginia, close to my Father.  His vascular dementia has been progressing, although he still enjoys many things - thankfully.  I have a million things to say about dementia, but haven't yet had the energy to put it into words.

I'm teleworking for my 'day job'.  (Still with these guys).

I'd like to post more here again - but like many good intentions... nada.

I lost Handsome Stan this fall.  I need to write about that.  I miss him.

Big Bad Baby Boy Blue is on Prozac and has separation anxiety.  He's doing better - I know that this crazy traveling between SC and VA has been difficult for him, so overall he's managed it well (as long as he has his Chuck-It ball). 

Annabelle Lee, aka Bella Banana, aka B. Banana, is still as sweet as ever (unbeknownst to her, she has a dental cleaning tomorrow).  I've had her for over six years, and was told six years ago that she could be 8-10 years old, but the vet here in Virginia thinks that she might just be 10 years old now.  I liked hearing that.

The Dan is at least 9, maybe 10.  She's perfect (except when she's chewing a dog bed).

More soon.  Hope everyone is doing okay (is there still an 'everyone' out there?  I doubt it.)

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~Yes, this is Dan sitting in/on a bay window.  I did say 'get down!' but not until I took this photograph with my cell phone~

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~BBBBB and THE DAN... and a duck-taped dog bed and evidence of the destruction in the background.  THE DAN thinks that she is hiding behind BBBBB in this image, so really, you can't see her here~

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~the sweet girl ever, laying on top of Annabelle Lee's crate in the sunshine, wearing her old, and much too small, coat~

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~an action shot of BBBBB (and Kong ball) with THE DAN in her lovely new Christmas coat... these two loved the snow, while Annabelle Lee wanted me to wake her up when it was all over (although she loved the way she looked in her coat)~

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~the best ever DAN wearing her Christmas coat - snug (and warm) as a bug in a rug~

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The Pointer Sisters

 

~a living thunder shirt~

Annabelle Lee, the middle dog (of Pointer Sister fame) is terrified of thunder. So THE DAN (of Pointer Sister fame) and Baby Blue (of failed attempt at fostering fame) squeeze in around her to keep her safe each time a storm passes through. Who needs a thunder shirt when you have these two to protect you?  Their sweetness blows me away.

~a hound and a right of passage~

~Blue, aka Bluebeard, Baby Blue, Bluebird, and his favorite... Puppy~

I mentioned Blue back in February, my unsuccessful fostering attempt turned Pointer Sister accessory.  Blue is a bit over one year old, and today had a right-of-passage of any respectable hound dog - she caught a squirrel.  I don't encourage this, and have enjoyed the past year and the lack of carnage - and am somewhat frustrated at the squirrel who chose to stay put and eat his nut, knowing full well that we had just walked outside.  I hope that nut was worth it.

For any of you dog people, especially those with dogs that live for this kind of thing - once it happens there is a bit of arrogance and mightiness that your dog acquires after his first kill.  He has had a different look tonight, as if he has connected with something in his genetic heritage that he hadn't connected with before.

I have to remind myself - he is a dog.  The killing makes me sad though.

Annabelle Lee and Blue (aka Dog-with-the-Unruly-Ears)

~a rare pause in the life of a Pointer and her Coonhound Admirer~

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Many of you who have followed this blog for any length of time are familiar with Annabelle Lee, one of the infamous members of the The Pointer Sisters duo.  Annabelle Lee was a "birthday gift" from a good friend - an 8 or 9 or 10 year old English pointer who had most likely (due to her injuries) been a hunt club dog, used for breeding since she was scared of loud noises.  She is now at least 12, maybe 13 (God-forbid 14) - and in amazing running shape (and curled up beside me as I type this).

Annabelle Lee has a new admirer, the long-bodied, long-earred mostly blue tick coonhound, Blue.... aka Puppy.  Blue was my 'test' dog for whether I was capable of 'fostering' a dog.  I failed the test, needless to say (and to no surprise for those who know me).  Puppy is no longer very puppy-like:  he can outrun the Pointer Sisters and well, he adores them. Unabashedly.

I've always loved hounds - and while Blue is a lover of pointers, he is quite different from them, starting with...

...his unruly ears.

They're always in the way, almost always flipped over, and, well, goofy-looking.  His right ear is particularly goofy, and often seems to be a bit... off.

When they are not flipped over, however, Blue is quite the handsome, Pointer-Sister-admiring, three-legged-cat-pestering, ball-fetching, mostly-coonhound failed foster puppy - meaning, he fits in just fine.

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~Annabelle Lee and THE DAN, with their hound~

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~a curled up pointer~

Annabelle Lee, aka one of the infamous Pointer Sisters.  A ball of pure sweetness.

~sweet Airstream-dwelling pointer girls~

Patient wild dogs, waiting for the rain to end - surprisingly prissy for such crazy things - waiting for blue sky and sunshine to resume their usual tomfoolery.

Me?  I have a list of things to write here, updates about what is blooming that is new and fun, what looks happy and what doesn't - but here it is, again, almost midnight and I have no update prepared.  But I did manage to weed some of the vegetable garden... that's worth quite a bit, don't you think?

"Pointer Brand"

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A college friend, who moved to Charleston two weeks ago, has been having alot of fun going out to the many restaurants we have in the area.  One of the places she and her husband went to was the Market Cafe at Boone Hall Farms - and while she was there, she spotted a Pointer Brand sweet potato box.  She left after dinner, but then returned and asked for the box - which they graciously gave her and then she graciously gave to me!  How perfect.  I think it needs to be framed (and the Pointer Sisters agree). 

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~the Pointer Sisters~

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The Pointer Sisters...watching Squirrel TV.

 

surprising friends.

 
~A crazy Pointer Sister and her three-legged cat friend~