Fridays are Golden

Ellie would love to be a lap dog. She loves to lie in my lap when I'm sitting on the floor and I know she would REALLY like being on the sofa with me. Unfortunately for her and for Lucy, big shedding fluffly dogs are not allowed on the furniture in our house.

They are allowed on the outdoor furniture and their favorite spot is a wooden bench. They will sit there and watch while we are working outdoors. I often sit on the bench with them and try to read. That usually is not successful, so I listen to my iPod instead.

From the bench, they can survey the front yard.

There is always something interesting to watch.

We took the girls to the groomer for a bath yesterday. Regular readers know that we have wonderful bathing facilities for them here. So why take them elsewhere?

----------We used to trim and bathe both dogs at least once a month. Then, my husband got an injury and couldn't help me. I decided to find a groomer rather than spend two days triming nails, paw pads, legs, ears, and bathing the dogs. I found a groomer who did a really good job. She charged me $25.00 per dog! So even when my husband was better, we did some math. Hmm...we could spend several hours of our time, then clean up the grooming room, then wash a load of wet towels, then shower ourselves and wash our own clothing. OR, we could drive the girls downtown and pay $50 to have both of them bathed and groomed.

----------So, while we do use the grooming table/shower for emergency cleaning and for routine grooming, we let someone else do the bathing. Besides, it helps put more money into the local economy, right?

----------The day at the groomer exhausts the dogs. After a long walk, they spend the evening lying around. (Not much different from other evenings, actually.) Of course, Lucy must lie next to (or on top of) Ellie.

Another Friday as we head into spring. It's unseasonably chilly here. This morning a hummingbird was huddled at each feeder in the 32-degree weather, waiting for the sun to warm things up a bit. I sat cradling my coffee and waited for the same thing.

Have a wonderful weekend, whatever your plans. No matter how busy you are, take a time out to appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. Sit and listen to the birds or take a walk outside. Stay safe.

And you New River Gorge birders...better get packing. It's a little more than a week away. We're expecting some great photographs and stories. Heck, some of them might even be about birds!