When you live in the country......

You usually get to adopt some new pets, even if you weren't searching for them, when you live in the country. This golden cat is a full fledged male, apparently a lover and a fighter. He mostly stays with us although I am fairly sure he belongs to a neighbor. He is the loudest cat I've ever been around. He is sweet. He is always hungry and he is always loud. He is very friendly and tame around us but I've heard him with other wild cats. A few times he has appeared at our house with major wounds. Once I thought his throat was opened up so much that he needed stitches but he just took things easy for a few days and healed right up. This week, he is missing at least one toe and has a huge chunk of his face ripped away-right by his right eye. Well, we will continue to feed him and love him when he is around. Mike has named him Alphonse. My cat, Anderson, seems to like him too.
Soon, I will tell you about the other neighbors little dog who sleeps in a chair on our front porch.

Comfy on the Couch

Sometimes you just have to find yourself a comfortable spot to lie down and observe the world.

Lee's new puppy

This is Cole. My son and a group of police officers found him and his 5 siblings on the road near the Law Enforcement Center. They were covered with fleas and hungry. My son brought this one home and added him to the 2 other dogs he adopted. Cole is growing, and he is fiesty, and he is one of the family now.

Pets! Friday's Challenge (Foto Friday)

I have 4 pets and I really enjoy them. I'll have to figure out how to photograph my two fish. Last week, I featured my cat Anderson and all of his sleeping positions. He came up with a new one this week and he was very lucky that I hadn't cleaned off that table yet.  He looks very comfortable here and why shouldn't he be? He has fruit, books, a bottle of water, and if you look right by his tail-a movie that just came in the mail.

But I don't want to neglect featuring my little dog, Amos. He took a walk out in the grass, can you tell?

And after a dip out in the tank, he cleverly rolled in all the dry, powdered clay and turned his face to the wind to dry off. He looks very satisfied with himself.

I've shown Amos in these photos before, but I smile everytime I look at them. I thought maybe they would make you smile as well.

Nine Lives (for Foto Friday)

He is Anderson. You know how they say cats have 9 lives? He does. Here they are:

1. sleeping on the living room couch

2. sleeping in the office chair

3. sleeping in a basket on the porch

4. sleeping on the sunroom couch

5. sleeping on the sunroom floor

6. yawning to try to wake up

7. eating

8. eating again

 9. eating some more

He wants to stay out all night (yes he is fixed!). I think he has more lives that I don't know about....


Thanks to our host, Rebecca

Amos and the sunny spot

It is windy and cold today. I discovered Amos in a sunny spot...one where he is not supposed to be. I sneak in with my camera.

 I've never caught him on my cedar chest before. I don't know what he was thinking.

 He looks sweet lying here with the warm sunshine showing through his hair.

 Yep, I caught you!

 He decides to play innocent.

He lies back down but keeps his eyes open and his ears perked....just in case I might be mad.

My Big Lee and his Big Tucker

I visited my son recently. Early one morning, he "cuddled" with his young puppy. As you can see, this puppy is over 70 lbs. already. Lee is a big guy, and so is Tucker, who is half Great Dane. And....he is only 7 months old.

Tucker is a very gentle, calm puppy. He is going to be awesome when he is grown. Huge....but awesome.
Just like Lee.

Nice and Cozy

My dog and cat shared a warm, cozy spot for their nap. There was still a little room for me! The trick is drinking coffee and trying to use the computer at the same time. They were so calm and peaceful, I didn't want to disturb the moment. The cat is actually a little bigger than Amos now. The two of them are more likely to be wrestling than resting together. It was great while it lasted.

Anderson Ambush

My cat, Anderson, has such a hard life!

Cats Sleep Anywhere

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.

Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.

Open draw, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.

Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.

Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere.

Eleanor Farjeon (1881 - 1965)

Traveling buddies

Our little dog Amos is our most loyal friend.Wherever we go, he goes most of the time. If he can't go, it hurts him. He doesn't understand why he can't go with his group. When he does get to go, his behavior is excellent, especially in the car. I took some pictures of him while we were traveling. Here, he already has figured out that we are on our way to see "Aunt Pam".

We put a large, black cushion on the seat so that he can see out of the window. Occasionally, he stands on the cushion and rests his head on Mike's shoulder. That way they can both watch the  road.

He is patient at this point but as soon as we arrive in Pam's town, he gets very excited and starts looking out of the windows and groaning occasionally as if to say "aren't we there yet?" And when we arrive, he is the first one out of the car.He is our little traveling buddy (and Mike isn't bad either).

Early morning peace

The morning was so pretty and cool. I grabbed my camera before Amos and I headed out for a walk. It was one of those serene, unhurried times that I cherish. Amos led the way because every walk is an adventure for him. 46 degrees and sunny, it was my idea of perfect.

The Griffins love the lake

Are these photos self explanatory?  It was really nice to be on the lake considering it was 106 degrees yesterday. Thank you to my brother-in-law for taking us out on his boat.

Little house guest-Annie

This is Annie, as in "Little Orphan".

She's tiny but is still 10 pounds heavier than my dog Amos.

She's black, but you can't tell because she is lying in the brightest sun.

She's silky, but you can't tell because she's covered with burrs, sticks, mud and leaves.

She has an abundance of energy but she's winding down after hours of play.

She's well groomed, but not this weekend because she's staying with us.

Annie is a country girl this weekend, enjoying all the open air, pasture land and water. Annie's owner is visiting her daughter over the Mother's Day weekend and wanted Annie to stay here with us. Come Monday morning, Annie will get a good bath and some major grooming so our friend won't faint when she sees her dainty little dog.

Oh, to be so comfortable

I'd like to be able to sleep in any position..like Amos does.  He can be practically upside down with his neck extremely bent and he will be perfectly comfortable.

He senses me moving around but he doesn't care.

But, I guess it is a little annoying to have a camera flash go off while you are sleeping.

He looked at me and then went back to sleep. He has no worries.

The Clinging Vine

There is a unique plant that comes out here in the Spring. It is light green, very sticky, and apparently very tasty to dogs. It is called a cleaver vine because it "cleaves" to your clothes, skin or the hair of your pets.I've noticed Amos eating the smaller, tender leaves. This is how he came back from his walk with Mike today. He must have found a good patch of cleaver vines. It took a little work to get them out of his hair but he looks cute.

Joy in the snow

Mike, Ky and Amos love the snow from Kerrie Griffin on Vimeo.



Here's my family having a little fun in the snow.

faithful friend

Lee visits us before he returns to school, then he and Amos take a nap together.

Patches finds a hole

When our neighbor's little dog Patches joined us on our walk the other day, she found a hole, a tunnel actually, at the cemetery. She went in out out of it several times, and once she disappeared completely and I could hear her barking way back under the ground.



She's contemplating the hole, sniffing and digging a bit.

She decides to go in....

Amos investigates, Patches is almost all the way in.

She goes as far as she can and the hole is so narrow, she has to back her way out.

She digs some more, kicking up leaves and dirt as she inches her way out.

She's out! And she looks very pleased.

As I sat down beside her to take pictures, I was very thankful that she made it out safely, that Amos didn't follow her in, AND...that nothing else came out of the hole after she did!

I have a new friend

Mike and the troopers had a get together last night at the beautiful home of one of the secretaries. As I sat there with my feet in the swimming pool, one of her 4 very large dogs walked very slowly and gracefully up next to me. He gently put his head (which, I noticed, was bigger than my entire 10 pound dog, Amos) next to mine to be petted, then casually pushed closer-intending to get into my lap. I convinced all 100 pounds of him to just lie beside me and put his head into my lap instead. He took a cozy little nap and then moved on to visit some of the other guests. Spike is a very sweet, gentle, friendly boy.

Baby Charli

Remember my son's new Daschund mix puppy, Andre? He has really grown and is almost as big as my dog, Amos. This is Andre during their visit last night, and he had a surprise for us...








Another puppy! My son thought that Andre needed a playmate because he is so super active that nobody can wear him out. He just keeps going and going. This new puppy is Charli. She is also a daschund mix. She is so tiny, and so meek-for now.

Charli got very comfortable lying on Mike's chest.

Amos was very fascinated by Charli. In between chasing Andre and then hiding from him, Amos would jump up on the couch, sniff Charli all over, and wag his tail. I think he likes this little friend.