elephantine

goodbye bodhi

We had to say goodbye to Bodhi a few days ago.

He had been having health problems for months, but I didn't mention it here, because I just couldn't. I don't know – maybe I thought there was a chance he would get better. But there were too many problems, including a cancerous mass that was discovered when he mysteriously came down with pneumonia, and then there were issues with his spine, which eventually meant he could hardly stand up on his own or walk down the stairs without falling. We took care of him the best we could, but when his personality faded, and when he lost his appetite and stopped wagging his tail and stopped caring about his toys, we understood that it was time.

I'll be taking this week off from blogging, but I'll be back next week.

the boys

Sometimes it's just impossible to get them to look at the camera.

bodhi says hi

It's been a while since Bodhi made a blog appearance, so here he is. I caught him in this rare dignified pose by total chance. Most of the time he's bumping into things or sneezing or making goofy old-dog faces.

rufus on film

Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still. -Dorothea Lange

happy birthday, bodhi

Yesterday was Bodhi's birthday! Okay, not his real birthday, but since we adopted him from a shelter we don't know the real day (or how old he really is). It's been 3 years since we adopted him so that makes him 8 or 9 or so.

Last year he got a birthday monkey; this year he got an anteater. He hated the birthday hat but tolerated it long enough for me to snap a couple photos of him.

my other best friend

Unless he's sleeping, Bodhi is terribly difficult to take decent photos of, because he doesn't really understand "stay" and he seems to constantly stand beside or behind me. I move, he moves. The one trick that works is holding a treat above his head – until he jumps up and snatches it from my fingertips.

It's so strange to think that he used to be somebody else's dog. Once in a blue moon, I'll call him by his old name – Otis – to see if he remembers. But he doesn't. He only turns to look at me when I say Bodhi.

it doesn't happen very often...

...bodhi and rufus sharing the couch, that is. Yesterday, bodhi got comfy on one side...

...and rufus curled up on the other.

+

Just a couple shots of Mr. Bodhi. That's all.

bodhi brew

For Stefan's birthday this year, we went to a brew-your-own-beer place. Naturally, I had to design some labels after we bottled up the beer. I'm biased, but I think Bodhi Brew tastes pretty good.

another year older...

Happy Birthday, Bodhi.

dog days

Max is visiting this week.

This is pretty much what he & Bodhi do all day. They stare at each other for a while, and sometimes they nap on the same dog bed, and sometimes they jump around or roll on the floor.

(Music is Gone So Long by Wonderful.)

rufus the nebelung

We were flipping through channels on TV a couple nights ago and saw a cat on Animal Planet that looked just like Rufus. Not only that, but the Rufus lookalike was revealed to be a specific breed – a nebelung, which I'd never heard of before. Apparently, it's a rare breed. Who knew?

Look at all these nebelungs on Flickr! A few of them look so much like our Rufus that it's scary.

happy friday...

...hope your weekend is filled with lots of relaxation.

(Rufus has officially laid claim to that chair. He spends 22 hours every day sleeping on it.)

rufus & bodhi

(It's been a while since I posted any pet photos. These are their "feed me, it's dinner time" faces.)

au revoir, max + another year older

Today is our last day dog-sitting Max. I think Max is getting really sick of being at our house, because he'll now bark at Bodhi if they get any closer than this:

I know, Bodhi looks like a goofball. It's because he is one.

Today is also my birthday. I wanted to take a photo of me wearing a party hat, but, alas, we do not own any party hats. So pretend that I'm wearing one in this photo:

And guess what? You are all invited to my e-birthday-party. In other words, eat as much cake and ice cream as you want today :)

a tale of two dogs

The other week I mentioned that we'd be dogsitting Max soon. We actually have him for several weeks while his owner is away. A few photos from tonight...

Here's Max. He's tall, skinny, and looks like he's wearing eyeliner.

Our Bodhi rarely lifts both ears straight up. Most of the time he's like this:

Max: "Does this pose make me look skinny?"
Bodhi: "You're blocking my way."

I love the funny faces Bodhi makes when he's chasing the tennis ball.

I am bound and determined to get some good shots of the two of them together. Stay tuned for another puppy post in the next couple weeks...

the fur children.

This is one of the few shots I have of Bodhi and Rufus hanging out.

Oh, and that's Tigger. Bodhi loves him.

Rooby-Rooby-Roo!

I was taking photos of Bodhi the other day when he made the Scooby Doo "Ruh-roh!" face.

I have no idea what he was looking at.

Bodhi says...

(Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day!)

bodhi? bodhi!

I was going to describe a particularly fun, crazy mood that Bodhi gets in every once in a while, but then I realized: Oh. I'll just show you.

cool as a cucumber. from rachelchew on Vimeo.

will soon return to your regular programming

Various things have been keeping me super busy... and unfortunately, the blog gets neglected when that happens. In the meantime, here's a photo of how Rufus & Bodhi's friendship is progressing...

(Also – one of the reasons for giving our dog a new name was because his original one, Otis, seemed a little too familiar. For several days we couldn't remember why it rang a bell. And then we figured it out: the brand of elevator in our old apartment complex was 'Otis'.)

arf, arf!

Here's a couple shots of our new dog – he has been smiling almost constantly since we brought him home. His name is Otis, but we want to pick a new name for him (Bodhi is currently high in the running). He's on the bigger side (75 lbs), about 5 years old, loves squeaky toys, and is generally well-mannered (except for stealing and eating tortillas off the counter last night).

cats will be cats

For whatever reason, straddling the arm of the couch is Rufus' preferred hang-out spot. My theory is that he sits like this for maximum swiping power: once the position is assumed, he'll act like a snapping turtle even at the gentlest touch, all four limbs (and mouth) in attack mode. The best part is that from above, his flattened body becomes an unimaginably huge rectangle, and with his arms jutting out on both sides he resembles a bear skin rug.