Two Very Muddy Puppies

We had a big rainstorm today which meant that we also had two VERY muddy puppies. The morning began with me pushing Hank and Dagny out the door into the rain (much to their dismay, as neither Hank nor Dagny like getting their dainty little feet wet). Once they were outside, however, it became clear that there would be no coming back in until the rain stopped. It is obvious from the red Georgia clay all over them that they must have been having some fun outside in the rain, but we still felt bad about leaving them outside for so long, so they did get to come into the laundry room for a little while. I also went and bought them a new toy to play with: a wonderful squeaky hamburger (which is a big hit and a prized possession for whoever happens to have it). Here are our pictures from today . . .

BEFORE
Hank and Dagny on the back step


Hank outside on the back steps


Dagny in the laundry room waiting patiently to come into the house


A fight over the new toy

After the rain stopped, the baths began! After three shampoos for Dagny and two for Hank, they were still not clean, so Patrick sprayed them with the hose. They were very unhappy little puppies, but after cuddling up together in their blanket and napping for a little while, everything was okay again. We then took our two clean puppies to Cali-n-Tito’s for an early dinner and tried to stay clean for the rest of the day.

AFTER

. . . Modeling in the backyard . . .

Dagny Playing With Patrick

Here is Dagny playing Chase the Feet with Patrick.

Dagny, Hank, and the Frisbee II

It took them a little while to catch on to the idea of the Frisbee . . .

Dagny, Hank, and the Frisbee

Frisbees are VERY difficult to pick up.

Hank Loves Football

Hank loves Mardi Gras Footballs, maybe more than he loves Dagny, not really, but it's close . . .

Dagny Playing Fetch

Here's Dagny at about 10 weeks old playing fetch in the backyard.

Dagny and Hank's Favorite Activities

Dagny and Hank’s Favorite Activities:

Digging in the Flower Pots!
Both Dagny and Hank love playing in (and eating) the dirt in the planters (luckily the psychotic Georgia squirrels had already eaten all the flowers)! Notice the spoils of their fun in this picture . . .

Attack the Feet!
Dagny’s favorite game is Attack the Feet, also known as “Dancing.”

Eating Rocks!
Okay, so this isn’t a game and isn’t good, but it is a favorite activity of Hank’s. Here is Patrick trying to get them out of his mouth.

The Rope!
Chewing on, chasing after, or fighting over the rope, the ball, the football, the ribbon, or now the hamburger (more pictures coming later) is always BIG FUN for everyone!

Paper, Sticks, & Leaves!
Hank and Dagny both love chewing on anything paper-like, be it leaves, paper towels, undergrad tests, or big ol’ sticks! Here is Hank having a fabulous Friday afternoon.


Chasing After Rodents!
Something (chipmunks, we think) has dug a labyrinth of tunnels under the hill in our backyard, and Hank and Dagny have decided to excavate. Apparently we got terriers instead of Border Collies.

The Frisbee!
I tried and tried to catch toys for the puppies at Mardi Gras, and I finally got them two footballs and this little Frisbee. Dagny and Hank love the Frisbee but don’t really “get it” yet. Right now it is just something to chase after. Hopefully the idea of catching it in the air will catch on soon. Dagny is usually better at fetch than Hank because she is faster and more agile, but Hank was the star at Frisbee.

But Dagny finally won a few times . . .

Catching Up - The Honeymoon

January 1st – 6th, 2007

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Here is the plane we took between Belize City and San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. On the way there it was dark and stormy, and I had to sit at the back without Patrick to “balance out the weight on the plane” (kind of scary). On the plus side, we did meet our new friends (a lovely, middle aged Jewish couple from Jersey).

Here we are at the top of a Mayan Pyramid at Lamanai . . .

It was a long way back down!

Relaxing in a beach lounger made for two . . .

With a very pretty view.

This is our fishing guide, Alberto Bradley (yeah, Bradley) cleaning the fish we caught and then ate for lunch and dinner. Yummy!

Sunset cruise – very pretty.

Here we are relaxing in our hammock before leaving for the airport. The night before we’d met our other Belize friend: a drunk Irish guy from Texas who came down to Belize once a month or so. He bought us a $150 bottle of champagne and then told us that he didn’t like champagne, so the two of us drank the whole thing in about an hour. He later poked his head into the restaurant and yelled to us across the dining room, “I can’t find my room! Don’t worry, I’m gonna get them to help me!” He was a riot, and we wished he had arrived earlier in the week.

Two New Family Members

We would like to introduce the two newest members of the Rhamey family:
Hank and Dagny!
(Most couples wait at least nine months after the wedding to bring a new baby home, but we only waited two weeks AND brought home two!)

Here are Dagny and Hank at 6 ½ weeks old on the day we brought them home. They were very cautious and obedient at first but very soon became more comfortable (and rebellious).

This is Dagny.
She is the “cute one” (and the smart one). She was the runt of the litter, is very spunky, and is extremely independent. She loves to cuddle and is significantly calmer than Hank.

And this is Hank.
He is the “handsome one.” He is very social and cannot stand being alone. He is quite sensitive, very sweet, and extremely hyper! He is also very fond of pooping in the house.

Dagny napping in her pink blanket . . .
and . . . Hank napping in his green blanket.

Dagny is a little more “chill” than Hank but quite the smart-ass! Here she is with Sheapy, their first toy. Take notice of that look in her eye: “Don’t mess with me. I’m busy.”

Here are Hank and Patrick “playing rough,” which Hank loves!

Naptime – too cute, huh?

Play, play, play! The life of a puppy is tough!

Dagny and Hank with a new favorite toy: a Crate and Barrel ribbon . . . go figure.

Naptime . . . again.



The laundry room is now Hank and Dagny’s room, as it is the only room with floors that can survive the poop-monsters unsupervised!

Typical to her character, Dagny was quite defiant to the lease. The only thing that broke her of this hilarious habit was actually going outside on the lease where sliding on your booty is a little harder to do (except on wet leaves of course).

The puppies’ first bath went much smoother than we’d anticipated. They were more distressed at the situation than anything else, and there were only a few half hearted escape attempts.

A moment of peace: Katie, Dagny, and Hank taking a nap on Saturday afternoon.

These pictures capture the day Dagny and Hank’s world was shattered: aka the day we put up the electric fence. Here Patrick is teaching Hank where the magic “don’t cross me” line is. Hank got three little shocks before finally figuring it out but Dagny picked it up a little faster. They were quite upset with the situation but now get to play outside as long as they want to!

Here are Dagny and Hank with their “special” new collars.

This pink sweater was a Christmas gift from Grandma Rhamey. It looks fabulous on Dagny but a little silly on the more “curvaceous” Hank.

Today Hank and Dagny discovered mirrors. Dagny was somewhat interested, but Hank was truly mystified! He sat at stared at the handsome young puppy in front of him, pawed at the glass, and then looked behind the mirror trying to find the other dog! Now he’ll run back into our room just to sit there and admire.