a significantly less than jolly ol' elf

sends Merry Christmas wishes to all none-the-less.

the race is heating up

seems there are more folks out there making the case on behalf of retired racing Greyhounds as the perfect 1st Dog. Kira Craft put forth a very convincing argument over at the Huffington Post the other day. I couldn't agree w/her more, but then again...I may be a little biased.

blue hound

doggy diptych

portrait of a nose

life of Riley

we've found ourselves spending alot of time in the wilds of central Illinois of late. jesse's really loving the long walks around the lake, discovering all the new flora & fauna. he's been mistaken for kin by a number of deer. 1 which actually followed us at a safe distance for a number of yards before it realized that the creature at the end of the leash was a dog & not bambi. jesse takes this all in stride, though. curious but not overly excited by the unfamiliar sights, sounds & smells. I have to admit, that the walks are doing me a world of good as well. there's really nothing quite so therapeutic as a long walk w/your dog through peaceful scenery.

it's not all the Adventures of Grizzly Jesse, though. as you can see, he's taken quite nicely to the comfort of grandpa's leather sofa. it was a bit of a shock to us all the first time he lumbered up onto the couch. once he settled in, though, there was no going back to his spot on the floor. we all just simply had to adjust our seating arrangements to accommodate him. that's okay, though, as he's more than made up for this by amusing us all w/his crazy greyhound antics. he's really been a much needed distraction & comfort to us all during this very difficult time.

the choice is right under their nose

Yes We Can
put a greyhound in the White House!

lazy Saturday

portrait w/dish

oh, it is so ON!

the cat's, once simply curious about this creature that seemed to spend more time sleeping than even they could possibly imagine, are now down right indignant over this fact. they are currently in a heated battle, determined to wrestle the Crown of Laziness back from Jesse. I fear they are in for only disappointment & crushing defeat.

king of the road

careful...he's right behind you.

my biggest concern when deciding to bring Jesse home was how the cats would react to him. Sully & Ramona were both barn
kittens & at times still exhibit their strong feral instincts. instincts that have mainly been the uncontrollable urge to flee in situations they perceive as dangerous. I've been amazed at how quickly they both have adapted to Jesse's presence, though. their curiosity seems to be stronger than their fear. the cats are still wary when Jesse rises to his full height, but even then they are quick to return once they realize that he is no real threat.

prince of ennui

room w/a view

X-ray Specs

like so many greyhounds, Jesse's racing career ended w/a bad crash & a broken leg.
the specifics of the incident & his recovery have been something of a mystery to me. I know that he has had a very long recovery, spending nearly a year in foster care. yesterday I received another piece to the puzzle, though. (thanks Sharon) I was simply shocked to see the size of the plate that remains in his leg. I didn't suspect something this substantial. I have to say, he's come a long way & with barely a limp. he favors the leg only slightly, & usually right after he gets up from a long nap. he's able to walk off the stiffness in no time, though. what a trooper.

over the river...

we chose a very soggy weekend for our first foray into distance travel. Jesse did very well in his new car hammock on the way downstate this past weekend. sleeping most of the way, of course, despite having to navigate through some fairly heavy rain. the residual effects of hurricane Ike did hamper our outdoor activities somewhat, once we got to our destination. Jesse, however, found plenty to occupy his time indoors. meeting the family & making new friends, especially G-ma & G-pa. loads of new toys were presented & much romping ensued. He's quite the mama's boy, as we all watched him 1st attache himself to G-ma & then to both of my sisters as they each arrived.


the last day cleared up nicely & we were able to take some good walks around the lake & surrounding neighborhood. Jesse was mesmerized by all the new sights & smells. plants, ducks, geese, blue herons...it was nearly sensory overload for his manically twitching nose. I can see that exploring the Chicago lakefront will take top priority in the near future. all-in-all, a wonderful trip & one that I can see we will be making again very soon.

are we there yet?

X-Treme Power Napping

with each passing day I learn 1st hand something new about this creature. In my research over the past months I had read about greyhounds sleeping 12+ hours a day, but to actually observe this phenomena in action (err....inaction!?) is something to behold. we've fallen into a routine of dinner at 5pm then a walk, then Jesse curls up on his comfy bed for a nap. I was amazed at 1st to realize that this 'nap' was stretching into 3, then 4, then 7 hrs of good, quality sleep. at midnight I have to physically wake him up, (I've found jiggling his leash produces the best results) wherein he bolts from his slumber to the back door in mere seconds. then it's out for a walk & his business, & then back to bed for another 7 or 8 hours of sleep through the night.
My God, such effortless discipline, such stamina... this hound is my buddha.

best. question. EVER!

posed by a boy tonight on our walk through the hood:

"hey mister...is that a horsedog?"

horsedog!? kids, Gawd love 'em.

portrait w/kong

test drive

took Jesse for a quick spin today to test out those navigation skills.
he blocked the rear view mirror & drooled in my ear, before settling in
to his responsibilities. all-in-all, a fine showing for a novice.

jesse's 1st day

well, after weeks of anticipation, Jesse finally came to his new home today. it's a brave new world for him, but he seems to be settling in fine. meeting the neighbor dogs & being completely mesmerized by the squirrels stealing pears from the tree next door. he was a complete champ when it came to conquering the stairs, too. as you can tell from this picture, he's a pretty chill fellow. which explains why the cats are still trying to figure out if the new addition to the home is animal or furniture.