Sunset/Moonrise

Remember how I was saying just the other day that you need to find some thing that brings you joy every day? Well, in the past 24 hours, I feel my cup has been overflowing with joy. From Petey's first adventures in Agility Class (he loved it and worked so hard!) to kicking off the new Heroes on Horseback session with close to 30 kids just today, it has been a day filled with so much love and hope and joy. Since Petey had spent so much of the day inside today and the sun had finally emerged from the clouds, I decided to take him to the beach around 5:00 p.m.

This is fast becoming our favorite time (and place) of the day here, as the setting sun turns the eastern sky lilac and the waves take on a pinkish hue. But this evening was even more magical. Big froths of foam were floating in on the waves like mounds of whipped cream and over that lavender sky was an enormous pearl of a full moon. It literally took my breath away.

Naturally, I did not have my new camera with me so had to make due with my iPhone camera and it's insistent "Low Battery" message. And while these photos don't show the enormity of the moon, they do have a wonderful, soft watercolor feeling to them.



In contrast to this meltingly pastel seascape was a blazing orange and purple sunset over the loblolly pines and palmettos.

Again, these photos don't capture the neon pinks and hot purples of the sky, but I do love how you can see the fog moving in onshore, further down the beach.


Oh it's a marvelous night for a moondance...


...or a moon doggie.

Snowbirds and polar bears

I have to begin this post by telling you how often we are asked if Petey is "the dog in the commercial?" He seems much smaller than the real star, but I can see the resemblance...

Can you?
We also get asked if Petey is a mixed breed or a West Highland Terrier (do they think he's dirty?). So for once and for all, no, he's an AKC registered Cairn terrier. Yes he's big for the breed —too much personality to fit into the standard size—and yes, they come in lots of colors, not just Toto gray. In fact, for the first four years of their lives, Cairns can change their haircolor entirely. No big deal, I've done the same thing over 4 years!

The past week has been unseasonably cold, resulting in lots of things washing up onshore. Summer beachcombers would be delighted with the treasure trove they'd find on the winter beach. Lots of clam shells and starfish and horseshoe crabs. And loads of seabirds. They'll fly out over the ocean in clouds of white wings, perfectly synchronized. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

We usually walk down to the tall, lone tree, but lately, Petey finds some willing "victim" to play ball with him and we end up talking more than walking!

I'm sure these people were wondering why I was aiming my telephoto lens at their house, but I've always loved these brilliant turquoise chairs, how they stand out among the gray and beiges of the beachscape.

Petey is the same color as the beach. He's a natural there. His coat is way overdue for a stripping, but since it's winter, I'd rather he has a thicker coat for warmth. He is scruffy as can be!

Now, keep in mind, when I shot these photos yesterday, it was about 50 degrees on the beach and the ocean temperature is about the same if not a bit cooler. I shiver just watching him run in for a belly dunk.

Shake, shake, shake!

These orange rubber Chukka balls are just the best. They're the same size as tennis balls but they don't get soggy, can be washed off and can be spotted on the sand. They still bounce like crazy and they're not too heavy. And...they're terrier-proof and approved!

Off goes "Disregard" to check out the birds.

Eh, not that interested! He's a ball dog, not a bird dog after all.

The Piping Plovers and Peeps seem just fine ignoring Petey!

Even a ball-chasing boy needs to take a break now and then. Nothing finer than a bellyful of wet sand.

Muzzer was asking about our local bird life so I thought I'd take some photos just for her. I just got a new camera and was trying it out on the beach. It was so bright, I really couldn't see the LCD screen too well, so I was delighted when I downloaded my shots when I got home and found this fellow wading in the surf.

Then we made this happy face for our pals Sorcha, Murray and Clive—Hilton Head is sending then a big smile!

Ahhh, now this is one contented dog. Life is indeed good. I read a quote where you should purposefully try to find at least one thing that brings you joy each day. With Petey, those opportunities for joy are countless.

We also met this handsome fellow named Barney. I think he might be the perfect Southern gentleman for Aunties Martha and Bailey.

Just check out the size of those soup bowl paws! He wasn't interested in chasing Petey or the ball, just having his velvety head and ears scratched by me as he thumped that big tail in the sand.
Another gull for Muzzer...

And one more with those beautiful yellow legs. (I knew there was a reason I like to wear my yellow pumps with my gray pants!)

We didn't catch the name of this soggy doggie, but she was very cute with her damp curls and happy to chase Petey.

You've gotta be awfully fast to get to the ball ahead of my scruffy dog! Wish I had a better shot of some of his airborne catches.

This Sheltie gal was determined to herd Petey up and down the beach. He figured out that she didn't really like the water, so he'd head into the ocean to shake her off. We should find a polar bear club for him to join! While the weather was bright and sunny, it wasn't particularly hot but that didn't stop the weekend visitors from putting on their shorts and flipflops and pretending they weren't cold.

Look at that sandy, weary yet very contented face! Time to hit the hose before we head home for a bowl of water and a nice long nap on a soft sofa in the late afternoon sunshine.

Petey's got it made. No doubt about it.

Horseplay

This could also be called the "By Request" post! First off some more photos of Petey racing around on the beach. This is the definition of pure joy, from the moment I put Petey in the backseat of the car and mention "wanna go to the beach?" As we get closer, his excitement turns into a frenzy as he can't wait to leap out of the car and race from the parking lot to the boardwalk. Once on the beach, he dances in a huge circle of happiness, engaging every person on the beach. He really couldn't care less about any other dogs there, beyond the "howdoyado?" sniff. He spots someone and heads over, dropping the ball at their feet, and more often than not, pouncing on it mischievously seconds before they can pick it up. It's his game, I can't explain it!

I always say that his name changes when we get to the beach to that old Southern name...Disregard (like Beauregard!) And yesterday, he absolutely lived up to it, following a man down the beach a good half mile while I whistled and yelled for him to no avail. Clearly, we were operating on Petey/Disregard time!

As you know, I am very involved in volunteering with Heroes on Horseback down here and this week has been busy with volunteer orientation and putting together a curriculum for ground school. Very exciting!

Murray has requested some photos of our horses and since I was unable to capture the three dolphins Petey and I watched playing off shore, I felt obligated to deliver!

First is our little pony, Blue Eyes, a great favorite of the little girls. He's a cute little fellow, who looks like a stuffed animal with his wooly winter coat.

Hee! I had to include a shot of this persnickety, slightly barrel-shaped mare. She doesn't really get along well with the other horses so we have be careful to keep our distance from her when we're in the ring. And she's been known to nip, only can be put in the pasture with a few tolerant horses. And her name?

LACIE! Okay, so she actually spells it "LACEY" but still...what's up with girls with that name?

This handsome fellow is named Cisco and he's one of my favorites. He's that pony that you can call by name and he'll come trotting over to the fence. He's a love.

This little mare is named Little Bit and she's a sweetheart. Whenever I'm horseleading her, she'll generally head-butt me to scratch her behind the ears, under the chin. She'll follow you around like a puppy. However, as horses are herd animals, she was very unhappy to be left alone in the pasture, kept whinnying like crazy, and racing around the field when some of the other horses went off for a trail ride. She was actually cantering right up to me in this shot, veering off at the last moment.

"Will someone please come play with me?"

This handsome fellow is one of the newest members of our herd. His name is Crackers and he's a really sweet pony.

Finally we have Mister Ed, another new horse to our herd who is slowly getting used to his new surroundings. He's half Clydesdale and HUGE - he's over 17 hands for you horse people. I rode him yesterday and he's quite slow as he has to lift those big hooves and I felt as if I could see over the barn, I was so high up when I was riding him. He's like a big baby whose intimidated by the ponies, who totally boss him around!

He is so sweet, a real gentle giant who just loves to be cuddled, scratched under the chin and behind the ears. After I dismounted, I felt like I could walk underneath him!

So there you go, Murray, here are many of the horses and ponies I'll be working with on Tuesday and Friday mornings for the next six weeks!

We're back. Kinda.

Okay, so my goal of writing daily on my own blog flopped miserably! I think I made it about three days. So, new year, new goals. Maybe something a bit more moderate, a bit more doable.

Petey has generously welcomed me back to his blog, but with a few changes. I'll be writing in my own voice, not Petey's. He'll save his witty remarks for the occasional aside and of course, for commenting on the outrageous behavior of Lacie. So we're going to open the window instead on our dual lives on two islands of approximately the same size but not much else in common — Hilton Head Island SC and Manhattan.

We're back at the beach for the winter. And why we know many of you have been up to your tails in snow, we really can't complain. For the most part, the weather is a comfortable 50 degrees or so, with lots of sunshine and those winter skies in this part of the country that have coined the description "Carolina blue." We've become fond of sunset walks on the beach, when the water turns the most amazing color of pale pink pearl beneath a lilac sky, while an orange fireball dips behind the pines and palms.

We'll try to post with some regularity - I'm going to be working with Heroes on Horseback again, starting next week, so there may be some photos of horses posted here. In fact, I can't promise that all posts will feature Petey, though he does have his own way of working himself into a lot of situations.

And we'll try to get around to visiting our friends - we have missed you and have visited most of you, even if we haven't always left a comment.

Happy New (blog) Year!

Time off for good behavior

First off, I wanted to show you my prize-winning costume from the Dog Run Halloween Party! This little white dog named Spike was also dressed as Sherlock Holmes (though once his Mom got a load of my hat and pipe, she thought Spike should be Dr. Watson!) and I shared the "Best Small Dog" prize for our costumes. Mine was hand-made by the incredibly talented Mrs. 2-Legged who lives with my besty beasty Eric Square Dog. Mom says it's nicer than anything she owns and I have to agree. I always give her a look -- "Couldn't you have dressed up a bit?" -- whenever she takes me out when I'm wearing my authentic Harris Tweed coat with real leather buttons. I think I cut quite a dashing figure....

Anyhow, you've probably noticed that I haven't been around much later. We were in South Carolina for most of October and Mom went to Mexico for a glorious week (don't feel sorry for me, I got spoilt rotten by my good friend Gayle and her sister). Knock wood, Mom's had lots of work lately (always a good thing for a freelance writer!) and she's also made a brand-new commitment to her own blog. She's trying to write every day, just for the sake of writing about non-work related topics. Not too many photos, mostly words. But do drop by.

So my blog is going on hiatus for awhile. That doesn't mean I won't be dropping in on my friends from time to time, just probably not quite as often. What can I say? Mom's put in alot of hours on my blog, it's only fair I let her do the same thing for her own blog.

We've sure had a lot of fun and Mom and I are so grateful for all the wonderful friends we've met in blogland. Hope to see you all SOON!

Your pal,

Petey

Lyle passed away this afternoon. Sleep well liitle friend.

Prayers for Lyle

I'm down here in South Carolina, but I just heard that my dog run pal Lyle has had 17 seizures and is in a coma. He's a sweet, funny little fellow, a hearty rescue and the real boss of the dog run. Please send him (and his family) some prayers and the power of the paw!