I am so Frakkin Excited!!!!

Woooowhooooo.....tonites the night!
The final episodes of Battlestar Galactica begin airing tonite!!!
The Husband suggested that i tivo it, and wait for him to come home on leave before i watch it. Um, no. I love you babe.....but, that ain't gonna happen!!

Homework

Today i am attempting to do my homework. I say "attempting" because i am having a very hard time getting excited about my latest course, which is Rangeland Ecology and Managment. I thought the class sounded SO interesting, but so far the reading has been pretty dense, and dull. We have a big assignment due in a couple of weeks, and we need to classify all of the Rangelands in the US, and list their characteristics, and where they are located. Hopefully the research process will be a little interesting. I will learn quite a lot, that is a given.

Can anyone guess what type of rangeland this is in my photo?

The pic was taken a few years ago, in Rainbow Basin, outside of Fort Irwin, CA. That is my dad, and his dog Maddie, who has since passed :o(, and of course Fred and Henry.

If it weren't around ZERO out, we would be doing this:

Or i should say that Fred and Henry would be doing this! The photo perfectly captures their favorite outdoor activity....digging for things. They could be digging for grass, critters, or critter doo. They love it all. Henry actually has a fabulous imagination, and pounces on ANYTHING, looking for critters.

It is beyond cold outside though, so the dogs have been going out in short intervals. Yesterday the sun came out for a bit, so they were out for about ten minutes. Looks like we are due a little more sun today, so we will try and enjoy it while we can.

Other than shoveling snow, i will be inside either doing homework (reading about Rangeland Management), or working on The Husbands' Aran Knit Pullover from Men In Knits. I am still on the sleeves, and i REALLY need to hustle to get this puppy completed in time for the man to wear it in a couple of weeks.

Happy Birthday Frederick!

Today Frederick turns 6!! I cannot believe it has been 6 years already since i got him. I went to South Carolina to pick him up, back when we were stationed at Fort Bragg, and The Husband was deployed to Iraq. My dear friends, Michelle and Connie, came along for the ride, as did Henry. Henry was the least enthused of the bunch! He has grown to love Fred though, and he has the tolerance of a saint!

I still keep in touch with the other puppy owners, we did the dog show circuits with each other until i moved away to California...oh how cute...as i am typing up this post, i just got an E-card from Fred's breeder! She is a wonderful friend still, and to this day, i can turn to her for advice with Fred. In fact, i just emailed her two days ago for advice on dealing with the doo eating. Anyways, the group shot above is the Santorini bunch. Fred's breeders' kennel name is Santorini Vizslas. From left to right we have Fred, Koios, Bella and Forrest. Small group, but they make up for it in personality. That shot is from the Asheville, NC shows back in '04.

Fred has been a challenge, but he has been SO worth it. He is full of personality, and i just love him to bits. He is a great little hunter, tons of drive and he is ALL ABOUT fur, feather and fin! If you have never seen a dog point fish, you have never seen Fred hang out at the beach. It is almost impossible to tire Fred out, he loves to go on long runs with The Husband, and probably puts in twice as many miles. All in all, he is just a great dog!

And today's winter activity is....

snowshoeing!! My parents surprised the heck out of me this year with a new pair of snowshoes for Christmas. What a great surprise, i felt like a kid again on Christmas morning! They knew that i was buying The Husband a pair, and they did not want me to get left behind. They lugged these things across country on The Great Train Ordeal of 2008. Bless them!!

The other photo is one taken two or three mornings ago. It was super cold, but so beautiful! There was frost on all the trees, and a trace of fresh snow.

The is Fred in the background, you can barely see Henry on the extreme right side of the photo. Fred is doing his new thing...digging around for frozen poo. This is his new winter time activity, and it just delights the heck out of me to no end. Ugh. I am not sure what to do about it, i cannot seem to call him off of it. The idea of E-collars is being tossed around, and i am waiting on word back from his breeder to get her two cents. Now, normally dogs will do this becuase of some kind of deficiency in their diet. Anyone who knows me, and knows about the dogs diet KNOW that this is NO WAY the issue with Fred. He is just disgusting. Good thing he is cute. Tomorrow is his birthday.

Gaylen said that i need to include a photo

with every blog entry. Well, after awhile, i am sure everyone will tire of snow pics. So, here is one from the stash. This is from a trip two years ago to Yosemite. Fred was fascinated with the view...or maybe the critters running around? Henry...he is just happy to be there! Of all the National Parks, Yosemite is probably the most dog-friendly. Dogs are only allowed on the paved areas, and luckily most of the areas are paved! We had a wonderful time, and it was so amazing. There are no words for Yosemite. It is something that you need to see for yourself. Preferably in the early spring or fall months, when the place is not sick with tourists. We went in October, and it was perfect.

Not much on the agenda today. Bill paying, which is always fun, and maybe a little quality time with my sewing machine. I have some amazing Amy Butler stuff that is really wanting to be made into SOMETHING. I am just not sure what. I have made a few swing bags, so i am swing bagged-out for the time being. i think maybe a few pillow cases? Maybe an apron? I bought a really cool apron pattern the last time i was in my fabric store...which, i hate to say it, but that was last summer. My checking account is happy to hear that though. As is The Husband, i am sure.

I will try and get in some skiing time, and possibly snow-shoe time...and inevitably, snow shovelling time. In three weeks, The Husband gets to take over......WOOOOOWHOOOOOOO!!!!

Just some random handsome dudes....

Actually, they aren't that random. One of them is my better half, and the other four are dear friends. See the book the one in the middle is holding? That is HIM on the cover!! That photo was taken during the very beginning of the war, and he is in his full battle rattle...a VERY cool shot, and we were all SO proud that the writer, Karl Zinsmeister, put Sean on the cover.

I was just browsing through my photos today, trying to decide what to write about, and came across this photo. I figured everyone (all three of my readers) would like a little eye candy...with the exception maybe of ONE of my readers, and he is in the photo. At the very least though, the photo will make him smile!