the sheltiechick blog

Fall Leaves 2016

So many leaves.
So much time raking and mowing and mulching and bagging.
So much time dragging lawn bags to the curb for the city to pick up on yard cleanup days.
So much time wondering if that’s poop or a leaf…

But both of the boys really, really love fall, so I guess it’s okay.


Fast shutter finger got this one just in time before he moved and the leaf fell.


The happiest Payton to ever Payton.


Seriously like I cannot with how happy he is to play in the leaves. At five years old.


YEAH LEAVES


I tried to get these cute photos of KK holding a leaf and it didn’t work because he just wants to eat them.


Surprise: the tiny black dog looks really nice in fall leaves too.


I eat dis.


Meanwhile MORE HAPPY PAYTON who looks like he could just stay in the leaf pile forever.


EAT LEAVES


The amount of leaves in my dog’s coat right now.


But stiiiill happy.


Stop Kaner stop TOO CUTE


WHEEEEEEE


“I know you like this trick, especially in the leaves, because I’m super cute.”


How about… a double head-down?


*high pitched screaming*


KANER LOVES HIS PAYTON


My boys.


Happy Fall 2015

Ah, fall. Time for cold weather and lots of leaves littering my yard and hours and hours spent mulching and bagging leaves to be hauled away.
And for photos of my dogs looking stunning.


Auggie, the posing pro.


He might be an old man now, but hes still super handsome.


The most wonderful old man dog.


Brothers!


Now serious brothers.


Payton lays down and I asked Auggie to lay down and he said “mmmmmnope.”


He then came to get a cookie from me. Well okay.


Meanwhile, Payton poses.


I will never stop asking for a head down to get cute pictures now that he can do this.


Because its sooooo cute.


A nice sit.


So many years ago when Payton was a baby, I had this cute photo I set up and took. I tried to set it up again and… this happened.


Just kidding, just kidding, we got it.


Big handsome dogs.

Then Payton ran around bark-screaming while I threw leaves at him and then he flopped down and rolled in the leaf pile and I covered him up and he was super adorable.


SUPER adorable.


Sheltie Halloween 2014

So I entered an agility trial over Halloween. They were having a Halloween costume and one of the categories was best duo (or group, in my case.) I decided to go as The Justice League. This lead to many many nights working on costumes for the dogs, myself, and my mom who was attending with Georgie. Lots of looking up comic book covers and artwork and trying to decide “which version of Supergirl do I want to do?” Back and forth to make sure I was creating accurate costumes, even though my mom pointed out “No one will know.” I WILL KNOW.

Auggie, of course, was The Flash.

Auggie first of course.


Because he is the bestest.


I actually have some Flash underwear I bought years ago and I wanted to use that, but I couldn’t find any matching GL underwear so I axed that entire idea. It doesn’t really “go” with the actual Flash costume, anyway.

I went back and forth on Payton a little bit as far as who he would be (technically he is supposed to be Kid Flash because he’s Auggie’s sidekick), but I felt the most logical choice was Green Lantern, since Barry Allen-Flash and Hal Jordan-GL were great friends.


I have to admit that Payton’s is actually my favourite costume. I love the way the mask fits on his face, I love the lantern “ring” on his wrist, I just love how I worked this one out. Way better than anything I could have possibly bought.


The only thing I might have changed is to bring the nose bridge further down his nose, but I think that would have ultimately given it a weird silhouette, so I’m pretty happy with it as I made it.


The mask creeped up while we were in the costume contest and I was like “OH GOD NO, THEY’LL FIND OUT YOUR SECRET IDENTITY.”

Pepper did not go to the show with us, not being a competitor, so she didn’t get a costume of her own. But I didn’t want her let out when we took photos back at home, and I happened to have this Wonder Woman costume that I bought her many years ago, so…

Drizzy is soooo regal.


Oh wait no nevermind


I really need to make a far better lasso of truth for this costume though. That one is pathetic.


I also didn’t make her tiara, I bought that at Target a year or two ago, along with the Flash one for Auggie. It also technically needs wrist bands… (my mom’s costume totally had wrist bands. But I forgot about the lasso of truth. I literally sat in bed after we won the costume contest and went OH MY GOD, I FORGOT THE LASSO OF TRUTH. Obviously nobody else cared but DANG IT)

Miss Georgie next. I could have done a few different things with her, but Wonder Woman didn’t suit her, and I was stealing the Superman slot to be Supergirl – so Georgie got to be Batgirl. Basically we went Slightly Alternate Justice League by swapping a few male characters for female counterparts, but otherwise, pretty solid.

I would have done her bat ears a little differently I think… maybe a bit more upright… but I liked the overall shape and wasn’t sure if I could get the bat ears upright and still have the shape look correct, so I let it go.


I DID make her a cape, but I didn’t like how it turned out, so I ultimately didn’t use it. I really wish it had turned out better, or I’d had more time to work on it and make a better one…


Group photo! I have no idea what’s going on with Georgie’s mask. My mom was having malfunction issues with it trying to put it on her.


My Justice League!


All winners. Except Payton. Payton sucks.

I should note that if I HAD gotten a puppy earlier this year, he would have been Aquaman. Poor guy. So it’s a good thing I didn’t get a puppy. Because who wants Aquaman on their Justice League? I mean really.

THE END and I have no idea how I will ever top this. Avengers???


Punkin Pictures

I bought pumpkins yesterday morning. They were on mega sale so I was like “I will take all your pumpkins plz.” Actually I only bought five, but I wanted more…


Uhhhh unfortunately most of our family photos looked like this.


This was the best I got, haha. Pepper needs remedial stays again.


Just the boys <3
Auggie saw all the pumpkins and the leaf pile and was like “Oh. *strike a pose*” He just knows… he knows. What a good boy.


I told Payton his turn was next and he decided this is what he wanted to do. Also pivots using the pumpkin as his perch. I’m not sure if I should facepalm or be proud.


Since Payton started it I asked Georgie to do the same thing. SHE IS SO CUTE AHHH


Not in focus =< but it's sooooo cute.
The over-achiever, LOL. Oh Auggie.


Aaaaaand the under-achiever, haha. Poor Pep.


Leaf Pictures

I may have a good reason to re-do the family photos this weekend…


Boys! LOL at Payton with a leaf stuck to him.


All three puppers.


Excuse me while my big dog is devastatingly handsome.


Auggie is the bestest boy.


Seriously, it’s kinda ridiculous how good looking he is. Not even a show dog, Augs.


Oh? But I so pretty.


Yeah, he definitely knows he’s a handsome boy.


And then there’s this thing.


This…


…thing.


I guess he’s kinda cute. Maybe I’ll keep him.


Oh fffffffff seriously? Fine you can stay.


Yeah okay, he’s sorta handsome too sometimes.


But only sometimes.


the rest of the time… uh…


That’s okay. I pretty much like him anyway.


Girly!!


She’s actually very good at posing all by herself, but when you try and get them all together, she can’t hold still.


Yeah she’s pretty cute too.

The end… for now…


Pumpkin photo shoot!

So I was planning on doing this anyway. And I had a crazy idea that we would be able to get all three dogs (Auggie, Payton, and my mom’s Georgie) in one photo.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Anyway.

I started with Auggie because he is a) good and b) generally obedient and c) a photo whore.


I have photos from the other side but I am trying to hide his still butchered looking leg from when he had surgery… so this is his “good side” for now LOL.


Next my baby boy…


…who thinks standing still is a terrible idea…


…but will do it if you ask nicely…


…BUT


only for a second.


Wait? Wha?


CANNOT WAITS


Whoop!


DERP DERP


Auggie was mildly annoyed and kept doing his “hit your brother” trick except I wasn’t actually cuing “hit your brother.” It was totally offered behaviour. Like “DUDE, just STAY PUT. REALLY.”


He tried to protest looking in the same direction as his brother because of this annoyance.


this is as close as we got.


OMG hahahahahaha


Payton started to lay down and I wanted him to stay sitting so I said “WAIT” and he froze. Like this. *facepalm*


WHAT IS WAIT MOM


YOU HAS COOKIES?

Stupid dogs.


So then the little baby bitch came out to play and to show them boys how it’s done.


But she is so LITTLE!


LOL chewing a treat.


She looks like she’s about to fall asleep but she was just chewing, hahaha.


Look, Payton… even the baby can do it…


AND she stays put long enough to even get a few different expressions off…


Oh no wait – my mistake –


It’s only because she wants to try and eat the hay, LOL.


I just happened to click the shutter at EXACTLY the right second for this one – she was about to jump down. I was like “OMG I REALLY hope that one was in focus…” Oh yeah. <3


Mom’s hand is in this one but look at her little face! So cute!


AHHHH THE CUTENESS AHHHHHH


Aaaaand this was the last one we got before my battery died. Close! But only two dogs, LOL. We tried many times with my P&S to get all three to sit still but with Payton and Georgie together it became chaos, hahaha. Oh well… Payton then had to endure Remedial Sit-Stays for his dinner and acted like a perfect little angel. Brat.


Boys in the leaves

AKA snacks for Payton fall from the sky.


THIS IS THE BESTEST SEASON EVARRRRR


I can’t fit them all in my mouth!!! (but I can sure try!)


punchdrunk on leaves?


Oh God so happy


happy happy


joy joy


omg. I realize this would be so much cuter if his ears were set proper right now but <3 <3


oh lol auggie.


Auggie is like “What? Pose? Kay.”


What Payton was doing while I was asking Auggie to be pretty.


I don’t know why he’s so handsome but he sure is.


this amuses the Auggie.


I’m like foaming at the mouth over Auggie being photogenic by this point.


Ohhhhhh Payton


the snackies rain from the sky!!


I wants to catch it.


hahahaha all the leaf crumbs in his mouth…


Auggie’s pumpkin break

I took these when I came home for my lunch break one day…


Slightly guilty face… he was trying to sneak a nibble on the pumpkin stem.


I did the exact same thing I did last year – set up the pumpkins too far apart. Again, I apparently think I have more than one dog. Two dogs would fill that space perfectly. Two and a small puppy.


LOL


LOOOOOL


SQUIRREL????


Serious Auggie is serious.


Lookin’ at a little punkin…


Lookin’ at a big punkin…


“Pfeh” says Auggie. This is in response to me trying to make him put his paws up on the pumpkin. He says no wai.


I think this is a good photo for everybody that meets Auggie and goes “OMG, he’s SO MUCH SMALLER than I thought!” It gives an idea of scale…

That’s it! Nothing spectacular but what can you do. I only had like ten minutes before I needed to go back to work.

Also he tried to nom my knee while I was carrying the pumpkins out to the yard. Thanks Auggie.


In the leaves

It seems the new Midwest fall tradition is cold and rainy all the time. It was a struggle finding a day where it was dry, the ground/leaves were dry, and that my dad didn’t go out and mulch up all the leaves so I had none to play with for the photos. So here we go!


Auggie and pumpkins photo shoot


I took this one afternoon when I came home for lunch to sit outside with Auggie because the weather was GORGEOUS. He wasn’t very interested in the camera so this is the only one I took.


Then I attempted a photoshoot with uncarved pumpkins… and he still wasn’t very interested in the camera. So I grabbed a leaf and started twirling it at him to get his attention. He looks very untrusting here, LOL. Like “I want that leaf… but what must I do to get it?? Hmmm…”


Unfortunately a little poorly focused.


Sadly, this one is poorly focused too…


His face cracks me up in this one. He kept trying to sneak little chews on the pumpkin stems… this is his “I’m not doing anything… la la la… chew chew… la la la…” face.


Argh! More not-properly-focused!


I guess for some reason I thought I had two more dogs, and that’s why the pumpkins are spaced so far apart… either that or I was hallucinating that my dog is much bigger than he is.


Not sure what was going on here, he sort of looks like he hates the pumpkin and can’t stand to be in the photo with it, LOL.

And finally…

I don’t know what it is about this one, but I very much love it.


Caramel Apples

A while back I started a new tradition with Auggie. It started one night when I climbed onto my bed to watch TV and eat a caramel apple, and Auggie wanted to come up on the bed with me. So I ate the apple and he lay next to me watching.
Now, when I eat caramel apples, I don’t eat the entire apple. I eat the outer portion of the apple – I try to get a good balance of caramel, peanuts, and apples in each bite, so usually there’s maybe a quarter of the apple left around the core that I didn’t eat. Or maybe more like half of the apple… depending on what I think a “good balance” is that day.

So I’m sitting there, having finished my caramel apple, and Auggie is sitting next to me. And I realize – hey, there are all kinds of treats that have apples in them. Why not save the waste of the remainder of this apple?
So I held it out to Auggie and he happily bit pieces of it off the stick.

From that point on it was a tradition. I would eat the good stuff and then Auggie got the remainder of the apple when I was done.
So… this is how I share with the Auggie Doggie.

These are the best caramel apples IMO… outside of getting the gourmet expensive ones at the apple orchard.


Mmmmmmm!


Then the Auggie starts to chomp away on it.


I told him “Okay, that’s enough.” He said “Really?”


“REALLY really?”

No, not really really. I gave him the rest.


Playing in the Leaves

We were going to head out to the Farmer’s Market this morning, but didn’t get to. So instead, we played in the leaves in the backyard!


It’s lovely weather today.


Auggie is rather proud of himself. For what, I’m not sure, but he is indeed proud.


Warning: Dog Never Stops Smiling.


Pounce into leaf pile in three…


two…


one!!


Seasons Changing

Some nice fall-ish outdoor shots from today…


Auggie “stacked,” for a thread on a dog forum I belong to. Back legs are a little too far out, but a pretty nice shot anyway! He is nice and freshly bathed/groomed here, too.


I stick my tongue out at you!


WITHOUT the bratty tongue sticking out.