Feb 7, 2010

Before the cuddling

Duke and Wilma had to work a few things out.

Harmless Doberman fun.




Snarls.

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Duke




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Duke and Wilma and the Green Octopus

Feb 6, 2010

Duke and Wilma Morning Romp




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Feb 4, 2010

Sofi

Showing the Green Bone who's boss.

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Feb 3, 2010

How Ruby Drinks

Ruby drinks with gusto.



She's always done it this way.



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Dobes in the office

Everyone wanted to crowd into my messy, over-crowded office this morning.



Duke and Wilma took turns with the green smooshy biped ball.



Of course Duke has to taunt me with the ball. As if I want the spit-filled thing.



Wilma thinks it's probably her turn again.

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Feb 1, 2010

Ruby's Dare

She's throwing the ball around to lure someone in.
When they go for the ball, she gives them a what-for.

Let's see if Birthday Boy falls for it...


A little closer, c'mon.


Oop. Better grab it!

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Happy Birthday Duke!

Duke is a year old today.

Just a few quick shots of him enjoying the backyard.

Camera was set to the wrong white balance, so everything is blue...

Walking on the pool's waterfall. He loves it up there.

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Jan 17, 2010

Hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve

Wilma is ready to go!


We just met Vader today. He's a great Doberman!


Antonio and Tri - Our second hike together.


Duke taking a much-needed water break.

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Jan 10, 2010

Ruby Today

She's moving just fine today.







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Ruby Playing and Feeling Better

If Ruby has a neck problem, she's not showing it here, shaking the dog bed around.


She took it away from Wilma and Duke


Now she's thinking about breaking up their fun.


Chasing Sofi who made off with the bed when no one was looking!

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More Sunday Fun







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Sunday Morning Fun







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Jan 2, 2010

Duke B&W

Love his whiskers in this photo

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Wilma







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Jan 1, 2010

Duke

Smoosh


If only you could taste how good this is.





num num num

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Dec 31, 2009

Desert Botanical Garden

or some reason, Picasa opened to my photos of the Chihuly Glass exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens earlier this year. So here they are:








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Dec 26, 2009

Hawk Collage

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Just found this one of Sofi from July

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Dec 22, 2009

Duke in the car Part 1

click for larger version


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Duke in the car




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Dec 20, 2009

Our Crazy LilaBird Talking

This is a sound-only video of Lila at her best. She sounds like two different birds when she changes her voice right in the middle. 
***CLICK HERE***

Dec 17, 2009

Good Conduct - inspired by Burner of Taylor, Texas

Good Conduct - inspired by Burner of Taylor, Texas

Dec 16, 2009

Remembering Sterling

Six months after losing him.



Words from the musical Wicked.

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Dec 6, 2009

Wilma at sunrise

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Dec 5, 2009

One more Wilma

Wilma with the Kong before she fell asleep with it.

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Wilma

Wilma wrestled the Kong away from Duke, then crashed for a nap on the couch.






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Nov 29, 2009

More photos from Ruby's Ranch

Duke enjoying a morning sunrise.


Duke and Sofi. She loves sharing her pillow with someone again.
I love how Duke curls his lip under. Haven't had a dog who does that in a long time.

Don't ask. Only a few people on Dobermantalk.com would appreciate it.


Duke has the face-Wilma has the neck. Everything is fine, because 5 seconds later, Sofi had Duke's face in her mouth.


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Recent Photos

Everyone asks how Windsor manages, while being surrounded by such large dogs.
I just noticed that he is in this photo with Sofi and Wilma. He has no fear, and does just fine!


The sniffers


Duke learned "down" last week. He took it to heart and got all the way down. The next photo showed him flat on his side.


Who? Me?

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Nov 22, 2009

Duke and Ruby??!

Ruby will not usually allow this to happen. So she either
has a soft spot for Mr. Duke, or she's just too tired to care.


Duke had me pinned on the couch while watching a movie,
so I know how Ruby feels about it.


Thinking about letting him have it...


I am allowed to snap at him aren't I?
But she didn't!

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Nov 17, 2009

Sterling


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Nov 16, 2009

Duke at Westworld

Duke and I went to Westworld for the Cynosport agility games.
We signed up for dock jumping, but Duke wasn't quite ready to "take the plunge."
Instead he used the dock as an observation deck. This picture was taken while he as getting a good look around, and ignoring the toy in the water.
Maybe next time, Duke.

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Nov 9, 2009

Duke getting comfortable

He was napping in his chair, and I noticed his tongue was sticking out, so I ran to get the camera.
Thinking he sucked it back in, I decided to take a couple photos anyhow.
Then I noticed it was still sticking out, and he was still pretty drowsy.


I thought he was going to fall off the chair, he was so sleepy.


Sleepy enough that he still didn't realize that his tongue was hanging out.


What a pup.
He finally pulled himself back up on the chair, and fixed his tongue.

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Nov 6, 2009

Happy Birthday Sterling

Sterling's Birthday. He would have been 10 today.
We miss that majestic presence.
Duke is doing his best to help, but no one will ever replace Sterling.

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Nov 5, 2009

Laying around outside

Not too much stress in their day.
I left Duke and Wilma outside to play and 20 minutes later they decided to take a break.


If they are bored, they could clean the windows!


Naw.


I think Duke is settled in.

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Nov 2, 2009

Sunday's Lazy Dogs

What a life. Too tired to even stay awake for football.


Duke is trying new sleep positions.



He likes this one a lot!

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Nov 1, 2009

Wilma

Oh, hi. Gotta keep moving.

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4 Dobes Sniffing

Just sniffing around after a good run in the front yard.
One of them thought there was something interesting on the ground, so everyone had to check it out.


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Oct 31, 2009

Duke found his chair

Duke went in his crate for a while and then discovered that the recliner chair was more to his liking.



Oh Yeah. Can't stay awake in this chair.


Poor Wilma. That was her chair. Somehow being on the couch isn't as good.

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Oct 29, 2009

Our Dogs - Past and Present

Ruby, Sofi, Wilma, Duke, Sterling and Finley



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Oct 26, 2009

More Sunday Fun

The look-alikes:



Duke close-up



Wilma sniffing for pods to eat


Big Duke just looking around...

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Sunday Fun

Duke and Sofi running together. She's happy to have found someone who will run with her and not pester her!


Ears Up!




Pack of four

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Oct 21, 2009

Zoomies

What do dogs do once they are soaked from a swim?
Zoom!









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Duke's first day home

We adopted Duke today. He is 8 months old and needed a new home.
Here is how we introduced him to everyone else.

He was introduced first to Ruby.


Play posture is a good thing, so I gave them a few minutes to sniff.


Sniffing


Ruby getting really crazy and running around Duke's crate.

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Next!


Where did everybody go?


A few minutes to sniff and get over the excitement of seeing each other.




Windsor's first close-up.







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Into the yard

After just a few minutes of sniffing, they all settled down, so it was time to open the crate and let them run.






There was more sniffing, and then they all ran around the yard.



Ruby, Sofi and Wilma chased Duke, then they all just ran together.

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Running, Chasing and Marking




That's Ruby, lifting her leg and marking on top of Duke's previous mark.
Yup, She lifts her leg.

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Fun with Water

Next stop was the backyard.
Sofi had already seen enough of Duke and was more interested in letting him know that this was her pillow, not his.

He wanted to paw at the water bowl like Ruby was doing.

Duke fell in the pool, and easily swam to the shallow end, where he walked around drinking water.


He jumped out and back in several times, and seemed to like the idea that he was the only one who would go in.


Good water for swimming and drinking.

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Oct 20, 2009

Today's Sunrise and Dobes


Interesting light/cloud combo today.


Wilma has taken to drinking from the pool.


Four Peaks


Sofi. Wondering why Wilma is always picking on her.
We went for a nice 1 mile walk today, and that cheered her up a little.

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Oct 15, 2009

Duke

We met Mr. Duke yesterday. He will be visiting us on Saturday, and if all goes well, he'll have a new home!


Why you grabbing my face?



Standing here and thinking for a moment...


Wild look


The goofy look

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Oct 10, 2009

Happy Birthday Barcode


Was wondering why the Google logo was a barcode. They were recognizing 57 years of barcodes. So am I.

Sep 30, 2009

Sofi and Wilma

Wima is standing guard to make sure Sofi can chew the bone in peace.


No one approaching from the south.


North is clear.


Now the only one Sofi needs to worry about is Wilma.

And she is very aware of being watched by Wilma. These two are constantly grabbing toys from one another.

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Sofi and Windsor

Windsor is pretending not to care about Sofi's bone.


The temptation is too great and he can't resist checking to see if she needs any help with it...



Sofi is so nice to him. Even while guarding the coveted bone, I know she won't hurt him.



He knows it too! They get along just fine.

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Sofi Updates

Sofi at Sunrise. I noticed for the first time today that Sofi is showing some gray hair on her nose!
Our former foster girl and Little Sprite will be 6 (I think) on Halloween!



Sofi, like the others, never looks relaxed when I have the camera stuck in her face.


But she tries!


Oh oh! Heard a noise. End of photo shoot!

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Wilma

We had a great sunrise this morning, following a brief rain.
Wilma reluctantly agreed to sit for a few photos.


I was trying to capture the sunrise and Wilma, but it wasn't easy due to the difference in light levels. So I had to resort to using the flash. She wasn't happy about that!


One more and I'm outta here.



A few minutes later on the pool deck.

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Sep 20, 2009

Lila's Shower

Lila was outside today for a little sunshine and a shower.
Her colors fade when she isn't out as often as she should be.



There were hawks flying around, so she never lost that stressed look.



Then she got too warm, so it was time to go back inside.


One shot with the tree as a background

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Sep 6, 2009

Wilma's first trip to the dog park






Not the big intimidator that she is at home!

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Wilma at the dog park


Getting used to this place.


Wait! Was that a Borzoi?


Yup.


This is a good friend. He ignores me.

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Aug 28, 2009

Lazy Dog with Smooshy Ball

Wilma. She loves to just lay around with a toy stuck in her mouth.

Aug 26, 2009

Another Redders up north weekend - Doberman Talk Forums


Great shots of a super Dobe and his family.

Another Redders up north weekend [pics & video] - Doberman Talk Forums

Aug 12, 2009

How Long before Dinner?

I don't know what Sofi was doing. Just laying around, keeping cool on the tile floor.

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Aug 5, 2009

An Urn for Sterling


My dad just finished this urn. Sterling now has a place next to Finley and Blanca in the living room.

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Jul 30, 2009

Sofi being goofy.

No stress in her life.


Jul 16, 2009

Puppy Sterling

Thank you Renee and Chris for sending puppy pics of Boy Sterling!
Look at those ears.

This must be one of the first pictures of the classic "Bet you can't get this outta my mouth", for which he was so famous.





Those pillows just got larger and larger over the years!


(((We miss you Sterling)))

It seems impossible that he's been gone a month, or that he could be gone at all...

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Jun 23, 2009

Sterling Collage








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Tibetan Prayer Flag for Sterling

It's been one week since he died.

Dr. Tom gave us this flag for Sterling. We have it hung on the patio.
Very colorful and a nice gift.


Nice poem.


www.prayersonthewind.com

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Jun 16, 2009

Our Boy Sterling 1999-2009

Our regal, majestic, goofy, Noodle Head left us today.

He was suffering from a mass pressing on his heart, and for a few weeks he was having increasing difficulty in breathing. He was checked by three Vets at two different hospitals, and after review of x-rays and ultrasound, all agreed that his prognosis was poor and declining.

I took him home one last time, and scheduled our Vet to arrive at the house in the afternoon.

We spent the day together in the backyard and then the front yard. He was able to sniff all his favorite places, and boom at people passing by (it was more than a bark). He stood proud on the back patio, and walked along the waterfall to the pool.
On the surface he looked good, and by outward appearances, it could be just any other day. But inside he was tired and the temporary bounce in energy he was enjoying would soon be gone as the fluid once again filled his chest.

So, together with Dr. Tom we helped him to slip away peacefully. He died here at home on his newest favorite round pillow. Pam and I held him close as he drifted away. Ruby and Wilma were at his side the entire time. Windsor and Sofi were nearby, but not too close, and Lila was in the other room providing comic relief, making sounds like someone was killing her.

If the amount of pain one feels when another dies is any measurement of love, then Sterling was loved by us more than any words can say.

As I've whispered so many nights before as you cuddle under the covers against my leg,
Goodnight Mr. Sterling.

His last day: Proud, Alert and Protective.

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

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Jun 14, 2009

Sofi Rolling in the Dirt

Must be something stinky on the ground.


Now for a good shake...

And some more.

Almost done.

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Sofi and Sterling taking a break from playing








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Patriotic Wilma

A little late for Memorial Day, and a little early for 4th of July.

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Ruby

Ruby

Sofi

Sofi

Wilma

Wilma

Duke

Duke

Windsor

Windsor

TinyCat

TinyCat