No “yappy dogs” for Obama

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Steve Mays

One more from the Barbara Walters interview:

WALTERS: I have one final, very important question. I, Mrs. Obama, I sent you a picture of my dog, Cha Cha
MICHELLE OBAMA: Uh-huh.
WALTERS: Who is a Havanese, and a very perfect dog, and
BARACK OBAMA: Cha Cha?
WALTERS: Cha Cha. Cha Cha is a dog, he's a Havanese, he's from Havana… name is "Cha-cha-cha."
BARACK OBAMA: Cha-cha-cha.
WALTERS: Yeah. (overlap)
BARACK OBAMA What is a Havanese?
WALTERS: Oh, it's like a little.. it's like a little terrier. And they're non-allergenic, and they're the sweetest dogs in the world.
BARACK OBAMA: But, but it's a… it's like a little yappy dog.
WALTERS: Yeah, you don't want (overlap)
MICHELLE OBAMA: Don't criticize.
BARACK OBAMA: Yeah, it like sits in your lap and things?
MICHELLE OBAMA: (Overlap) Yes, it's a cute dog. (Laughs)
BARACK OBAMA: It sounds kind of like a… a girly dog.
MICHELLE OBAMA: We're girls. We have a house full of girls.
WALTERS: We know… we… what about whatever you were saying?
MICHELLE OBAMA: (Laughs)
BARACK OBAMA: Well, well, we're gonna have a big, rambunctious dog.

Found pup

Posted on November 8, 2008 by Steve Mays

Founddog450 While waiting for George to join us for our Saturday morning gab-fest at the Coffee Zone, Tom and I saw a small dog run into the street. Lots of traffic and the dog seemed to have not street-smarts. Just ran down the middle to busy intersection.

I went out to try to help get her out of the street and succeded with the old pretend-you-have-a-treat-in-your-hand trick. When I picked her up she was frantic for a bit but calmed down. I took her into the Coffee Zone thinking the owner might come looking. Didn’t happen so George drove us to the shelter. Turns out she had been picked up a week ago and returned to owners.

Who apparently let her get out again. A scan of her chip confirmed and the owners were called again. I didn’t know dogs could have blue eyes.

Hoot Owl

Posted on July 12, 2008 by Steve Mays

Owl200 I’m trying to be more aware. To see where I am and the beauty that surrounds me. Standing in the back yard, waiting for Lucy and Ripley to find that perfect spot, I spotted an owl in a big oak tree. A rarity.

I was struck by this guy/gal’s size. And when he blinked (do owls blink?), he looked… thoughtful. Very aware if his surroundings. Sorry the image isn’t better. Some shots are just beyond the little Casio.

Our Goose Family

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Steve Mays

Goose Family

Every year a pair of Canada Geese come to our neighborhood pond to nest and raise their young. I think they are Canada Geese. They have a Canadian accent. I see them most mornings and most evenings and try to snap a photo. I wish I had Henry with me to get really good shots but that would probably take a LOT longer than just sticking my Casio out the window.

I never tire of watching these critters. And seeing the goslings turn into grown-up geese is a little bit amazing. One of the adults is always "on guard." At least that’s what I imagine is going on. There are dogs in the neighborhood but I’ve never seen them chasing the geese, who stay pretty close to the pond.

I don’t know how long they’ll stay around but I’ll keep adding shots to this flicker set as I get them.

Home, Sweet Home

Posted on April 27, 2008 by Steve Mays

Home, sweet home

Spring flowers

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Steve Mays

Tulip

Barb’s really too busy with work to spend as much time with her yard as she’d like but she still manages to plant some flowers. This year she planted about 300 tulips but the deer got a bunch of them and the moles probably got their share. But the ones that survived were very fetching in the late afternoon sunlight.

I’m no kind of serious photographer (that’s my man, Henry). But I’m not bashful about taking photos and sharing them with the world. I know some very good amateur photographers that never put their work online because they don’t think it’s good enough. At least that’s the reason they give and I tend to believe them.

I snapped these photos with my little Casio and they came out "good enough." Think of all the beautiful flowers that were never shared because someone thought the photos were not "good enough."

Wet Geese

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Steve Mays

Wetgeese

We’re getting a good bit of rain in mid-Missouri and the pond at the bottom of our hill is filling up. I spotted these two on the way home. The one on the left appears to be farting. Do geese fart?