Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions, and generally just wrap up my week.

You Make Me Laugh – February 21, 2016

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, “With Callie and Shadow it was fairly easy; but adding Ducky to the mix made it nearly impossible, and taking Callie out of the mix didn’t make it any easier. So, guess who the instigator is. 🐶”

Oh yes, I don’t think you call her the little demon dog for nothing!

Emma said, “We can do it, but rather than both looking the same direction, we prefer to have one look right and one look left. It really drives the mom mad!”

I love how you roll that way Emma, I bet your mom does too. 🙂

Jan said, “It’s a study in synchronized avoiding the camera. It’s an Olympic event.”

It should be. Maybe I’ll have to save that for the next Canine Olympics? 🙂

Monika said, “That’s a rhetorical question, right? Whenever I even try to focus a camera on him, Sam seems to cast a longing look over his shoulder in the opposite direction. Stupid dog. 😉”

Ha ha, he reminds me of Delilah, who usually walks up and shoves her face in the camera, or turns away. Sampson usually just gets the ‘let’s get this over with’ look on his face.

Taryn said, “Wilson totally “gets” the super-model thing (although going deaf makes it a tad harder), but Jimmy hates looking into the big scary eye of the camera. Sometimes HE. JUST. WON’T. LOOK. That’s why I have so many more nice photos of Wilson.”

LOL it’s frustrating, isn’t it? I treasure those good photos of Delilah, as they are fairly rare, although I have to say, as she ages she really has gotten better.

Julie said, “I can get Cocoa’s picture if she is exhausted. Or if she is sleeping. Or if I surprise her but once she sees I am trying to take pictures she will NOT look at the camera. So I have to be quick!!”

She’ll get better! Delilah used to be like that.

Misty Shores Chesapeakes said, “I get them all set up turn to walk away and the minute I stoop down to take the photo one them inevitably starts to walk toward me.”

LOL whoever said working with multiple dogs was easy, never worked with our dogs. 😉

Elaine said, “It’s hard enough to get Haley to cooperate sometimes, I can’t imagine getting two or more pups to get excited during photo shoots. I think I like this photo better though because it makes you wonder what’s happening off to the side.”

Yes, they don’t always cooperate, which makes the times they do so much sweeter. I like the way it makes you wonder too. When my grandson was 10 months old we did a photo shoot with the dogs. My grandson was in a rocking chair wearing a Santa hat and the dogs were sitting on either side of side of him. My husband opened the blind to get more light in and they all turned at the same time. It’s still on of my favorite photos.

Finding the Beauty in Nature

Hailey and Zaphod said, “I enjoy the early morning walks. I have been bummed the last 2 mornings that it has been too cold to walk. Sigh!”

We walk no matter how cold it is out. We just bundle up well and sometimes we shorten the walks, but I’ve found the dogs really need to get out. 🙂 I’m sorry you haven’t been able to get your walks in.

Emma said, “Getting out in the cold and dark in the morning is the hard part, but once you are out it is so peaceful, and best of all…no other fools are out!”

Yup, you nailed it Emma. I love the quiet beauty and the sounds of the world waking up.

All Things Collie asked, “That was a nice surprise! You probably already explained, but why are you walking them so early? Do you switch them sometimes? (So Sampson can see the sunrise and Delilah the setting moon?)”

We walk early to help avoid encounters with other dogs. Typically Sampson goes first, but if there are days that he wants to sleep in, I take Delilah. 🙂

Dachshund Nola said, ” You could not pay me enough to walk (or wake up) before the sun is out. I much prefer walking at night!”

I have walked them at night and I just prefer the mornings. 🙂 Waking up is hard, but once I’m up and going, it’s all good.

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s Mom said, “Cardinals and blue jays are usually not afraid of people and other animals, even cats. I saw a blue jay dive-bomb a cat one day when I first moved down here…I don’t remember the exact circumstances, but I remember cheering the bird on for defending itself. The cat took off like a bat out of hell! ”

Oh my! Did you record it? I recorded a cat catching a chipmunk once. 😀

Sandspring Chesapeakes said, “You are so welcome!!!! and you know it was the darn postal service wrecking that bag of treats, lol. I took the broken ones and put in a dish for gman and gave you a brand new bag. Can’t ship anything without it getting broken! I’m glad you like the leash, I too like them because they are thin and can put in your pocket.”

See, you shouldn’t have told me that! I was impressed as hell thinking how clean your floors were because there was no dog hair in there. 🙂 Yes, the leashes are awesome. Most days I have it coiled lightly and loosely in my pocket while he walks slowly beside me.

Monika said, “Magic is everywhere…we just have to look closely though sometimes that’s hard to do when our minds are running like 60 and 9 miles down the road focused the things we ‘need’ to do during the day.”

Amen sister. We’re so darn busy, we forget to stop and look.

Elaine said, “Beautiful images. I never really liked birds either but now that I’m older, I do notice them more and think some are beautiful. Does that mean I’m an old lady before my time?”

Nah, I think as we mature we learn to stop and find the beauty in things.

Where We Are – Barks and Bytes

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s Mom said, ” Both our regular vet and the surgeon told us that most dogs do end up tearing the second ACL within 12-18 months of the first one due to the imbalance of the weight distribution during the first recovery.”

I had heard that as well, but Sampson’s surgeon said he didn’t subscribe to that, but if you think about it, it makes sense. After he fully tore it, it was two weeks of walking on that leg and compensating with the other one, not to mention the recovery time after surgery.

Cupcake said, “I agree with Sampson – tests and missed meals are no way to enjoy life.”

I knew you’d understand the missed meals Cupcake. 😉

Taryn said, “The trauma of repeated vet visits isn’t how I would want my dogs to spend their golden years. I hear about dogs that are OK(even happy) at the vets but mine never have been. And surgery and all it’s pain is a very tough choice. Just love Sampson and live in the moment with him.”

Sampson LOVES our vet, when I told him where he was going, he pulled me through the gate, Even so, I’m sure being surrounded with all the sights, sounds and smells that he’s not used to, is stressful when he’s left there.

Emma said, “Health and senior dogs is a scary thing. Katie has her good days and her bad days. We have our vet check next week. We will be seeing if her heart murmur is the same or has worsened. Right now she is having not so great days again with walking and falling, but every day is a gift and a new day. We treasure each day with her.”

You are so right Emma. Treasure each and every day.

Jan K said, “We really are a lot alike, aren’t we? I would have made the exact same decisions you have.”

We are and it’s one of the reasons I LOVE your posts when you talk about decisions you make for your pets. It’s like a kindred spirit. 🙂

2 Brown Dawgs said, “I probably would have done the blood test. Even if I wasn’t going to treat, I would want to know.”

I totally get where you’re coming from. But since I’m struggling with his aging to start with, I know that I would be a wreck if I found out something bad. Three years ago, I’d probably have done the test, but I’ve been digesting this for over a month now and my gut is telling me no. 🙂

Well that’s it for me folks, thanks for joining me and for all your love and support. Have a great weekend.