Photography Tips

On Sunday, we went for a lovely walk on the moors with Huddersfield Town and Pin. Beanz was a bit distracted by the sheep, but all in all, there were no mishaps. I won't mention Saturday when TJam fell off the fence as she was trying to get into the nature reserve to get us out of the used barbeque in the nature reserve... Sadly, no one had a camera running, so that's another £250 that has passed us by. Anyway, back to the roundup. Here we are at the summit.

On Sunday, TJam did quite a bit of admiring of her tomatoes. It is a miracle that she has kept them alive all this time. We are all eyeing them up because we all love tomatoes and they are just my height. Whoever can stand them the greenest will be conquerer!

Now for the photography tip.

If you fanny about setting your camera to macro to take a close up photo of a tomato, be sure to set it back from whence it came, otherwise your beautiful and sunny distance shots will look like this:

Do not adjust your eyes or book yourself in at the optitians.

At best, you will get a close up of the grass and a blurry black face in the background.

Of course there is always the exception to prove the rule. This is the only half decent picture we have from about 20 taken this evening on the most beautiful light and sunny walk. TJam is still learning to get a level horizon. It's getting better, but obviously, room for improvement.

Clouds

We have seen some very interesting clouds. First, there was a poodle, begging...

... and then we saw a teddy riding on a cloud. Can you see him?

There he is.

Wordless Wednesday

Spot the Cat 2009

It's been a while since TJam played Spot the Cat. She couldn't find me anywhere. All that lovely garden and no sunbathing cat...

It's not that our decking has become a junk yard over the winter, but you may just be able to spot me.
TJam was so ashamed after seeing this photo that she has since make big inroads on clearing it up. Now there is plenty of space for me to knock out some Zs.

Sat Nav

It has been so lovely here these last few days that we have to find shady walks.

So we decided to meet up with Starter (that's her spy name)

Well wadda ya know. I just wore my paws down to the bone typing out a long (and hilarious) story in which TJam forgot the map and left her phone in the car and we walked 7km past a sewerage works. I chased a duck and all was well that ended well and the phone was still there and this is the photo, which was supposed to be ironic because it was beautiful scenery but we didn't have a camera and when we did have a camera, this was all there was to see. The irony was subtle in the first version.


Then I pressed publish and accidentally signed out and lost the whole lot. So you have been saved text and I am learning patience and that everything is temporary.

Blogging

TJam is doing our walk this morning, pondering blogging. She observes that our blog is only ever about one of 5 things:
Eating something we shouldn't
Breaking something
Chasing something
Injuring ourselves
Occasionally tips for humans like don't wash a rug with your clothes

There is a disappointingly constant source of material.

Oh and she puts in the occasional photo. Like this one.

Getting Professional

It's been a good couple of days for a professional bin raider. First TJam washed a punnet of cherry tomotoes and forgot to take them off the draining board before she went to work. When she came home, all she saw was this:

One little devil had rolled away from me and I'd missed it behind our water bowl. She put it in the compost heap. Sour grapes I say. She just wailed, "It'll never be clean again!" What a wimp. It was a vain quest for cleanliness that got her into this mess in the first place.

That was the day before yesterday. Did you know, tomatoes make you wee. In the house. You just can't help it. (I haven't googled tomatoes, kidneys or poison because we just don't want to know).

Then today, TJam came home from work, all pleased with herself that I had just taken an empty frozen pea wrapper that was in the "pre-bin" area. She gloated that there was nothing in it.

Then she gave me my tea.

Then she found a couple of mystery crumbs.

It was too late, she had already given me my tea.

I was full of tea, plus 7 moulding garlic and corriander wraps.

Here is my Chips-eye view of my handywork. See? I reached that bag all the way up there!

And here is a closeup for all appreciators of fine artistic interpretation.

It's gonna be a good weekend...

Washing Machine Maths

Washing machine

+

navy blue tracksuit pants

+

=

Pass the lint roller....

Nosy Neighbour? Moi?

I was just minding my own business, looking into next door...

... when I heard the rustle of a camera case...

... but I think it was ok and I got away with it. I just made like I was on my way down anyway and that I had finished admiring the scenery...

Tum tee tum!
It wasn't me :)

Traitor

When TJam came home, I sniffed her and turned away in horror. I could smell that she had been stroking another cat. THREE other cats in fact!

She went to Silky's house to feed Silky's two cats. She put down two bowls of food. Here are two cats eating breakfast.

But they are not Silky's two cats! One is the genuine article, and the second (black one at the front) is the neighbour's comedy cat who can open a locked cat flap. He just popped right in and helped himself to breakfast. Kudos. (The other genuine cat came in later so don't worry, she got her entitlement of food.)

Ta Da!

I am Beanz the wonder dog. Hear me roar. (or see me bark). Less that 72 hours since my life was hanging by a thread (ok, I'm exagerating for dramatic effect, I had a bit of a poorly leg, but go with it...) I am back and fine. Not even limping. Not even any more painkillers. Fine, tra la la, hoppity skippity fine :)

Here I am barking at nothing in particular during my non-walk. We are going to do on lead proper walking tomorrow. Yay. We are all going stir crazy round here.

And here is a photo of Chips, because pictures of her seem to be sorely lacking recently and because TJam says Chips she is the more photogenic of us two. It's just that my sparkling personality is not done justice in the photographic medium.


And thank you to Nern and family and Bryean and family for enquiring into my wellbeing :)

And Chips, you owe me for diverting blogging attention away from that bonio box you chewed up all over the kitchen floor. We have a visitor on Friday and now she will be greeted by chewed up carboard...

Sticks

While Beanz is out of action, I am going to reminisce about our stick games.

I know stick games are not to be encouraged because of risk of injury. True, TJam does not throw them for us, since her old dog once ran onto a stick that had landed like a javelin (say no more).

However, sometimes life just puts a stick there as a gift for you and it would be rude not to accept it, wrestle over it and run along trying to pull it off each other before claiming the stick and reasserting my position of top dog over Beanz.

Ah, happy days.

Hurry up and get your leg better Beanz.

Resting

I am doing a very good job of resting my leg and it is coming on well. I'll be glad of 10 minutes on the green later.

Fly Screen

We had a bit of a problem with flies. What with my food bowl being out and those stinking dogs and all...

So TJam decided that we needed a screen of some description. They don't make those cool screen doors like they have in the States here, so we had to go with one from the Betterware catalogue. It was only a tenner, so it's not all bad.

However. TJam did not consult with me before installation. As you know, cats do not do change. Here is my first attempt at crossing the screen:



I did a little better on my second attempt.



I'll keep practising...

Hobble hobble

My day started off uneventfully. A spot of breakfast. A nice little walk. A rabbit that couldn't see me because of the sun behind me (must try and use that again in the future) and came running RIGHT AT ME. I couldn't believe my luck but I still didn't catch it.

Then I came home and supervised while TJam started on the garden. She is at the "I can lift things if I bend my knees and keep my back perfectly straight" stage of recovery. That's the second time those stones have had their photo on this blog. I predict it won't be the last either.

It was a tough job, but I made sure that things kept moving.

This evening we went to visit Pin and Huddersfield Town and had a sit down on their decking. It was all going lovelily.

I went for a little splash in the pond. TJam carried on walking. She called me but I didn't appear. Her super sense told her something was wrong (or was she coming to reprimand me for a shoddy recall?). Then I limped over the bank of the pond and stood pathetically. TJam even broke into a run. That's how pathetic I looked.

I was quiet and I couldn't move my leg, but I was still normal. I still wanted a treat. I wasn't crying or licking. I just didn't want to move. So I sat down. I couldn't move my leg into the middle. This photo was taken straight on and my leg is not resting on anything. (Don't worry, TJam didn't prioritise art over my immediate well being. She had decided to ask our friend's opinion on what to do next. Like I said, I wasn't distressed. Just subdued.)

TJam didn't know what to do. We were about half a mile from home and I couldn't walk. So she phoned Nerospal. Nerospal and Jo (that's their spy names) came to the rescue. They drove cross country (literally) along the tiny dirt track like you can see behind me.

They jumped out of their car and galloped to my rescue! N&J you are the best!

I hobbled into my carriage and they put me in. It was quite a posh car so TJam was mortified that I had just come out of a stagnant pond. This was a real test of friendship and TJam owes them big time.

And so, because Chips and Carlsberg have all had a go at the emergency vet after the 6pm cut off point for maximum fee, and so that I could make it a complete set, I went to out of hours vet. Now I am really one of the hardcore gang.

The vet was lovely. She said I had a crunchy elbow and that it just needs plenty of drugs and rest. Maybe it popped out and in or luxated or something. She also found I had a tick so she showed TJam how to remove it. Then she said, "I'll get you an injecsheroony." I was a bit disappointed to find that it was actually just an injection, but after my injecsheroonies, she gave me a rich tea biscuit. A whole one! To myself! I am going to ask if we can change vets.

Plus she gave me a whole bottle of those lovely beef flavour tablets that I love.


And then TJam drove me home and I got back in my bed and I am ready for a lovely sleep, while TJam phones her friend Nerospal and tells her how much she appreciates what a fab friend she is. And how fab Jo is too.

Lifting and Backs

If your human throws stones into the van and then has to lean over to get them out and doesn't carry out back hygene and pulls her back, this is what your hall will look like. Probably for a few days too, til she can bend her knees and lift things PROPERLY. And no TJam, that does not mean you don't have to hoover. Although you probably won't anyway.

As you can tell by the look on my face, I am disgusted and a little indignant. And a little disbelieving. I am very subtle and complex.

TJams says she purpose put extra junk in the hall on purpose to create a lived in atmosphere. Obviously it is usually show home, but she didn't want to make you feel bad.

Loving Water

I love water! I love water! and I love lovely blue skies.

(but I only love water up to my elbows)

Balloons

At the weekend the humans abandoned the dogs to go to a sunny human birthday party.

Happy birthday cousin Xaja!

I would have liked to join you in your inflatable ball pool, bouncy castle thing, but I don't think it would have worked, what with my claws and all.

Horsey Achievement

Today I laid in the grass next to a horse.
In the old days I would have barked wildly in its face.
But not today.

In fact, once at the Dogs' Trust open day, I showed curiousity at a rescue pony, and I went up to it and when it sniffed me I barked and we both jumped out of our skins.

This horse has shown endless patience with me (in return for a few pieces of carrot) and now I choose to lie by it rather than anywhere else in the area (this was not posed).

Go me!
And go fabulous horse!

Winnie the Poo?

This weekend, TJam and the dogs went down to London town to visit the family, and they deserted me here at the homestead. I actually lounged around all day, sunbathed and ate my food in peace, but I purred and chirped when they came home so they felt suitably guilty.

On Saturday, they all went to the place where Winnie the Poo lives. They went with Piglet and Puppy (that's their spy names) and their parents. They didn't actually see Winnie, but TJam did think she saw a flash of yellow in the bushes, so who knows...

They also saw a herd of young and frisky cows (or maybe bulls as they had horns) but they managed to keep out of the way and safe.

It was lovely and sunny and at the end they all posed for a photo.

Beach Babes

Last week we all went for a little trip to the beach. It didn't start all that well for TJam as she is captured here tripping down a little hole. Great timing with the camera Bamgee!

When we got onto the beach, TJam tried to engage me in sand digging games...

... but I had a hankering for a little more canine activity...

I begged and goaded Chips to play with me, but she was only interested in that old toy...

... so in the end I had to charge up and down the beach like a nutter on my own. It was glorious and their loss that they didn't share in the joy.

When we got back onto real land, Chips and TJam sat on a bridge and had a little heart to heart.

Then there was just time for us dogs to pose with Bamgee on a log that was artistically languishing on the sand...

By the time she reads this, Bamgee will be somewhere very hot and maybe sandy. We hope it is fabulous Bamgee! We will keep raiding bins for your delight and amusement!!

Welcome Young Bob

TJam now has a new name. AUNTIE TJAM!!
Yes, baby Bob (that's his spy name) was born today weighing in at 9lb 8oz.

Welcome to the family (you poor little sod)!

Well done to TJam's brother and his partner. (Not mentioned in order of effort, sweat or tears. I'm willing to bet his partner put in most of the effort but it was more word efficient to mention them in that order)

Slacking?

What's that you say? Not enough bin-raiding recently? I hope this semolina makes you as proud of me as I am.

Resting

Today while I was out on my walk, I was moved by the joys of spring to gambol like a lamb and then throw myself on the floor and roll in the sweet grass. While I was down, I decided I was a bit tired so I had a little 40 winks. Then TJam shouted Let's Go! and I jumped up and pretended I hadn't nodded off at all. I gamboled some more just to fool them.

Limits

Well, Waddaya know. I DO have a limit to how much I can eat after all.
Our friend does not like his prescription food so his owner gave it to us for treats.
Allowing for a 20g taste to decide he didn't like it, this 700g bag now weighs 220g which means that, assuming I didn't share with Beanz, which I don't think I did, my limit is 5 and a half days worth of food in one sitting.
I was still ready for lunch 3 hours later though. One has to try.

Academia

This morning I am busy helping Bready develop her research proposal.
It is tiring work I tells ya! All this information literacy and student stuff takes its toll on a dog.
- by Beanz hon Phd

City Mutt

we are walking in a city park today. Less sheep but more litter. Suits us fine.
- by Beanz in da hood

Obsessed

you know your owner is more than healthily obsessed when her predictive text offers woof before wood.
- by Beanz in the woods