I <3 greyhounds

(Like you didn't know that.)

I took Sam and Jacey to a Garden and Patio Trade Show today. The greyhound group was invited for a second year. We take our pets to let people who've never seen a greyhound in the flesh find out what they're like...and we take adoption information to give out.

Jacey was a bit growl-y at the beginning...about the other dogs, not about the people. (The people stopping to pet dogs were hers--and not for sharing.) She doesn't bark, and she doesn't growl loudly, but I kept my hand under her chin so I could feel when she was growling. It took a couple of eyeball-to-eyeball discussions (her eyeballs and mine), but she calmed down. But she pushed out to the front of the pack when people came by, and she loved all the petting, including from the kids.

Poor Sam was nearly driven crazy by the people coming to our booth with bags of nuts in their hands. (The nuts were available at Trader Joe's booth.) Sam didn't know what they had; he just knew it was food and it was in cellophane bags that crackled so invitingly. He sat politely in front of anyone with the cellophane bags, and I'd pop a piece of kibble in his mouth. It was funny to watch him be so hopeful.

We were there about four hours. And we certainly convinced people that greyhounds are not high-strung dogs. At one point, all six dogs present were sacked out on beds (or the bare floor) snoozing...resting up for the next crowd.

A quiet day...

Daniel's blue/black afghan is through row 20; just 152+ to go. Ashley's teal/fuchsia afghan is through row 24. I'll try to get some pictures in the next week.

I'm going to give my wrist a break and go do some genealogy input. Jacey's asleep here on the couch; Sam's asleep on top of Jacey. We're all being rest-on-our-asses lazy. (Or rest-on-someone-else's ass, in one case.) It's nice.

Jacey

I'm trying very hard not to giggle. Jacey is asleep on the couch and doing a Jacey symphony: growls, snorts, hoots, whistles, humming noises. (This is the noisiest I've ever heard her.)

Sam was asleep on the couch, but he's gotten down and backed away like he thinks she's about to come after him. He keeps staring at her as if he thinks she's gone mad. He has no idea that he's just as noisy sometimes.

Sam and the Valentine's Candy

I went grocery shopping. It's awful how needing "just a bit" of stuff turns into such a big bill. The stores have Valentine's candy out already, and I bought a bag of the conversation hearts.

I got home, killed a little time, then went to the greyhound group meeting tonight. I got home to the dogs and found...

Well, remember a few months ago, when Sam covered downstairs with 15-20 pounds of dog kibble? Even though he was wearing a muzzle? With a poop guard?

A bag of conversation hearts doesn't give him quite as much ammunition, but it gives him...enough. Dining room, living room, over and under his bed, and even a few halfway up the stairs. Which prompts two questions:

1--How the hell is he getting them up the stairs? He's muzzled. With a guard. He can't put them in his mouth, and surely he's not wedging them between his toes!

2--What was he doing taking them upstairs? I'm not silly enough to think he was taking them up to Jacey in her crate. He doesn't willingly share with her--especially if he can't have any, himself. Perhaps he planned to put them down just out of her reach, to tease her. But I think he really just wanted to stash a few pieces away where I might not find them when I came home.

I've been home for about half an hour, now, and I've vacuumed up all the candy. Sam's walking around forlornly, hoping to find a piece I missed.

Dream on, boy...