My sister’s Mastiff, Kuma:
My other sister’s dog, Huck:
And now the whole gang- Ginny, Guesly, Lily, and Huck:
Sorry for the lack of posts this weekend- just been super busy. Father’s birthday on Friday so we went to Pittsburgh for dinner to meet the family, then a bunch of stuff and a party for a colleague, then today the folks came into town and we went and did a bunch of stuff.
Lily outdid herself tonight on the trail, btw. I turned around just in time to see her two two shoulder lunges on each side into a pile of who knows what, and then, even at distance, when she shook and I saw piles of crap fly, I knew it was going to be bad. It was worse than I imagined. A girl was riding by on her bike and almost wrecked she was laughing so hard at me- “LILY, NO! PLEASE. NO! LILY. Oh lily, oh godamnit.” I walked her down to the place where folks put their boats in the river, and I’m surprised someone did not call the cops on me- it looked like I was trying to drown her, because she had it all over her. I was not letting her in the car like that. I’ve really never smelled anything quite that bad.
Her collar and harness are soaking in a bucket on the porch.
donnah
I think it may be time for a Lily-sized hazmat suit. Otherwise, you’re going to spend an awful lot of time hosing her off.
Paddy
VIDEO: Fox commentator encourages Taliban to kill captive U.S. soldier
Really, at this point they’re just tossing poo out there to see what kind of kerfluffle they can stir up. This guy takes the fracking cake.
Common Sense
Ginny looks adorably pathetic. And that is the cutest mastiff I have ever seen.
xyzzy
Hahaha! I love it. This is one dog who needs to come with her own hose attachment, like the Teacups ride at the amusement park.
CynDee
As my grandmother used to say to her doggie, “You don’t smell like no geranium.”
That always got me, because geraniums smell pretty pungent (though clean).
Oh, lovely Lily, oh John what you do for love of her. Goodness me.
Linkmeister
Since I’m about 5,000 miles away I think it’s safe to laugh a little about Lily and about John’s troubles with her.
You should have enlisted the girl on the bike to help. Haven’t you read the rom-com “meet cute” manual?
Gex
Great pack the Coles have assembled! John, do you travel with Tunch too? Or is he having some alone time at home?
(Really miss the mobile format for the site, BTW)
Carrie
It’s so lovely to see Lily smiling in pic #3, i look forward to seeing these pics…they really make my day.
BTW, who’s the guitar player?
jl
I wonder if Tunch is giving Lily tips on how to drive the owner mad. Something to check out?
They are already talking. Photographic evidence of Tunch-Lily interaction (coup plotting?) on the couch was recently published on this very site.
PS: Huck seems a little unnerved in pic 3.
Turgidson
It looks like Lily’s about to take a nice big bite out of Guesly’s torso, sorta. I imagine the adorable bastard might have brought it on himself. And Huck has a “why are you making me hang out with all these little psychos?” look.
Man, I need to get a dog.
linda
ahhh, look at lily right in the middle of that doggie scrum. it’s so awesome to see how happy she is.
Punchy
Underneath that Mastiff’s noggin is at least 50 mL of drool/slobber. What those dogs can secrete via their jowels is just unreal.
TX Expat
@Turgidson:
That’s the thought I have every time John posts pack pictures.
Huck looks like a dog I met last week at a friend’s house, her name is Rosie. Man, Lily is SMALL! She looks like a fox amidst hyper bundles of fur. Note to self, I do not have the requisite abilities to amuse a Jack Russel so quit longing for one (or two). ;-)
Ok, now I’m off to cruise pets on our local animal shelter website and long for what could be….(which means I am procrastinating on studying for finals on Wednesday and Thursday). John, I will hold you personally responsible if I can’t remember the difference between a 102 and a 103.1 divorce.
Steeplejack
DVR alert:
Last week I mentioned Fires on the Plain. At 2:00 a.m. EDT tonight Turner Classic Movies is running the other great Japanese movie about the end of World War II, Kon Ichikawa’s The Burmese Harp (1956). (Also sometimes translated as Harp of Burma.)
“Antiwar parable about a Japanese soldier burying his fallen comrades at the end of World War II.” Again, not the feel-good movie of the year, but it’s damn good.
misc
That is why I’m thankful I live in the high desert. All the gross stinky stuff dries out too quickly to be much of a problem.
Bad Horse's Filly
Huck: But mom I don’t want to play with my cousins. They smell funny and they always get me in trouble. Please don’t make, please.
gbear
If you had 187 cats and never cleaned the house you wouldn’t have this problem with Lily.
Huck looks like a little sad sack. A real heart-melter.
So who plays guitar?
The more I read about dogs on these threads, the more I’m glad to just have two cats.
John Cole
@gbear: Huck is actually the most amazing dog ever. And it is a banjo- my brother plays.
dlw
Huck looks like he’s rather put out by the JRT tag team going on.
And I think Lilly needs an intervention. I’ve had dogs all my life and none of them liked diving in crap as much as she does.
shelley matheis
I tell ya, Lily’s planning on launching her own line of fragrances, so she’s just scoping out the available bouquets and ‘eau de merdes.’
Man, I do love that Huck puss. What a sweetie face.
Punchy
Is that a WVU dog tag on the Huckster?
Notorious P.A.T.
Hehe, Donnah I was going to write the same thing.
gbear
Do you suppose that little tidbit will start a stream of Deliverance jokes? I sure hope not.
Huck does look like a real sweetie with loads of personality.
beabea
I love that expression on Lily’s face!! She looks like she is so happy and excited to be with all her buds.
I remember when you first got her, you said several times that she didn’t seem to know how to be a dog. If I had to guess just from looking at this picture, I would say she’s got “how to be a dog” figured out.
AhabTRuler
Real banjo (5 strings, 1 shorter) or guitar banjo (6 strings, all full-length)?
John Cole
@Punchy: Yes.
@gbear: Squeal like a pig.
@AhabTRuler: No clue.
AhabTRuler
@John Cole: I assume that you have actually seen your brother play, but no idea as to # of strings? Sigh.
GReynoldsCT00
how much dead, smelly shit can you have in one park? seriously? is that where all the local wildlife goes to die?
gbear
A five string banjo would have a tuning peg about halfway up the neck. Five string banjo is for bluegrass and four string banjo tends to be more of a dixieland music instrument.
& much more likely to ‘woof’ than to squeal. It’s a bear thing…
You Don't Say
OK, they’re all about as good looking dogs as you’ll ever find, but that Huck looks like the sweetest dog on earth.
John Cole
@You Don’t Say: He is. And the most obedient. My sister takes hom on the river and everywhere with her. When a biker or someone is coming down the trail, all she has to say is “other side” and no matter what side he is on, he goes to the other side of her so he is not near the oncoming traffic. He is absolutely amazing. And he is so good with other animals.
Really, people who do not like dogs should spend time with Huck to see what it could be like.
steve s
The way your dog seems attracted to the most repellent, horrible stuff, maybe you should name her Kristol.
Comrade Kevin
@Paddy: My, that commenter Ezekiel on that post is also a real charmer.
RedKitten
Awww…Huck looks like such a sweetheart. And happy belated birthday to your dad, John.
kid bitzer
i like huck. i get a very different read on him from bhf in #16.
more like a car mechanic saying, “i can’t fix that. it’s beyond repair. i don’t like giving you bad news. i wish i could give you good news. but i gotta be honest with you.”
and he is.
who knows what the hell he’s thinking. but i like huck.
kommrade reproductive vigor
I can practically hear the yipping and barking when I look at that picture.
@AhabTRuler: John hates banjos after a camping trip with some buddies went horribly wrong.
ScreaminginAtlanta
Love that slightly maniacal look on Lily’s face in the photo. Seeing her now does my heart good. I believe the name Kuma means bear in Japanese? My father had a big boxer named Kuma when I was a toddler that I used to ride like a horse. Huck looks like ” What the f***?!”
Anne Laurie
Well, looking at these shots, at least we all know why you consider Lilly so tiny and fine-boned.
Second weekend in a row daylily-shopping, for us. Came back with 8 more varieties to go with the 9 new plants from last weekend. Discovered that our 16lb rescue papillon Zevon is *crazy* for daylily buds… thank goddess they’re not poisonous, but it’s not making it any easier to get the new guys securely transplanted.
My tomato plants are driving me mad. They’ve still got tons of flowers, and are finally setting little green marbles, but so far the total harvest from almost 2 dozen plants has been 3 ripe cherry tomatoes. Now the weather’s gone straight from “mid-70s and rainy” to “high 80s and humid” so we’re getting the late-summer bottom-of-the-stalk leaf-drop already. Times like this, I understand why the Pilgrims were so bloody cranky… if I had to live on what I could grow here I’d be
even morecranky myself.Irony Abounds
I’m sure this isn’t much of a golf crowd here, but I still can’t over Tom Watson losing the British Open. I’m pretty much done with professional athletes in general, and I really had lost interest in golf in particular but I’ve always been a huge Watson fan. For him to have a major title in his grasp at 59 and then lose is a killer. He is such a classy guy. A staunch Republican, he had a Democratic political consultant carrying his bag for him – a long time friend. In today’s climate that is amazing.
This goes up there with Norwood’s wide right and the Yankee’s loss to the D’Backs in ’01 as just crushing moments in sports for me.
Skepticat
John, you have to find more hygienic walking venues. What kind of a place is this you’re wandering through, an abattoir?
steve s
@Anne Laurie:
Several months ago, here in North Florida, I put in 4 tomato plants. Two Brandywine, two Black Krims. The Krims are about 3 ft tall and very nearly dead, having produced nothing. The Brandywines produced one mater with Blossom End Rot so horrible it was falling apart on the vine, and one more mater, that looks like it might, might, come to fruition.
The lettuce grew half-assed, the chives didn’t sprout at all, but the one good item was the basil. I have so much basil I could make a metric shit-ton of pesto, and when I yank 75% of the leaves off the plants they’re back in force in a week.
arguingwithsignposts
UPDATE: hanging in there, barely. my snark gene still operates, but today was a bitch (no offense to the women in the audience). blue is as blue does.
it’s an open thread, so i’ll drop this here without threatening folks. thanks to all who have said something. i’d give anything to not feel like i feel. i’d give anything to not weep any time i think about things.
i’ve got 2 days before i’ve got to be at an assignment. i’ve got 2 days more to dwell on this shite. Not like i’m looking forward to it.
Elizabelle
LOL. I am getting this vision — complete with Odorama — of why Miss Lily might have found herself in the shelter, awaiting a new family.
Their loss.
What a happy little face while she’s visiting with her dog cousins.
Worth every bath.
LOL at comment 28, though.
Fern
@dlw:
An intervention, or a leash.
CynDee
@steve s
Yep it’s a good basil year in Florida. Mine is seeding itself and popping up everywhere, but the parsley won’t grow. I’ve put in two batches and it just sits there and doesn’t grown any more. Last year it was big and fast growing.
Fern
With all those pooches, you must have quite the lively family get-togethers!
Elizabelle
arguing: good to see you back. You are due for some clearer sailing. Hope life is better for you. Like, starting now. Or 5 minutes ago.
John Cole
@Skepticat: It is the rails to trails. And to be honest, Hosing off Lily every couple of days is no big deal.
She got a super workout today- 4-5 miles in the morning, all day with the other dogs, then a 3-4 mile walk tonight. I gave her a treat- I threw in a /14 can of Merrick’s canned food with 2/3 her normal kibble, right after her bath, and she has been passed out in her doggie bed (with her head on my pillow, just to let me know who is boss), since 7pm.
John Cole
OT: if someone was going to play you in a movie, who would it be? This should be interesting.
ScreaminginAtlanta
@arguingwithsignposts: I don’t always read every day and missed your original comment, so I don’t know what you’re dealing with. But I can tell it’s rough, and just want to send some psychic support your way.
RedKitten
asiangrrlMN
Awwww, look at Miss Lily, playing her little heart out. Why, she looks downright happy with her canine cuzzes!
Yes, yes, Huck is cute, but ooooooh, look at Kuma! How come nobody ever told me how adorable mastiffs are?
Fern
@John Cole:
Well, I could say a young Sigourney Weaver, but it would be a lie.
Polish the Guillotines
I swear, I’m totally a cat guy (we’re secretly allowing the next-door neighbor’s cat adopt us — they don’t seem to notice or care)… But all this dog-blogging is turnin’ me soft on the pooches. Plus our friends down the street just got a little long-haired dachshund puppy. He’s the cutest little fella.
We almost became parents of a pigeon this weekend. My wife, ever the animal rescuer, picked up a stunned, banded pigeon off a heavily traveled back-road. We happen to live very close the International Bird Rescue Resource Center (that’s where all the oiled sea-birds go, so show them some love if you can).
Long story short, she took the pigeon there and they asked if they couldn’t find the owner, would we take it. Well, with my wife that was pretty much a given. Sadly, when she called to check on him yesterday, he’d passed away. They also asked her to become a volunteer. Could be cool (when it isn’t sad).
Steeplejack
@John Cole:
Ooh, this is dicey, because (a) there is probably a big gap for all of us between who we would want to play us and who would actually be more accurate, which leads to (b)–even bad, unknown actors are much better looking than most of us are in real life. Movie stars? Forget about it.
Having said that, I would like to be played by Godzilla–not the old, bloated, drug-addled Godzilla but the young, trim Godzilla who made rampaging through Tokyo look like a walk in the park.
I am coming, Tokyo, my love . . .
More accurate? Well . . .
RedKitten
Oh, that is sweet to envision.
Right now? A beluga with a sunburn and a red wig.
Normally? I’ve been told that my voice and certain facial expressions are somewhat reminiscent of Drew Barrymore. So, I guess if you took Drew and fed her a few sandwiches, you’d be somewhere in the ballpark.
AhabTRuler
I would want Steve Buscemi, I would get Alan Ruck.
Polish the Guillotines
@John Cole:
John Cusak. Grifters Cusak, not Say Anything Cusak.
gnomedad
@John Cole:
Rick Moranis. Be cool if I could sing like him (Little Shop).
Anne Laurie
Oh, do I feel for you. I’m just north of Boston, zone 5/6. Last year the Russian-derived Black Prince tomatoes were insanely delicious, but they withered & died, despite my best efforts, as soon as the temperatures topped 80 degrees at night, around early August. But by that time, there were lots of other tasty varieties ripening, like Rose de Berne. This year I couldn’t find any Black Prince plants, even by mail order (yeah, I know Real Gardeners(tm) start their own seeds, but we’ve got exactly 2 sunny windowsills & 3 cats, so seedlings are honestly more cost-effective). On an impulse, I tried putting some Black Prince seeds in a planter when the seedlings went in at the end of May. They *did* germinate, eventually, and the sprouts are about 4″ tall now (the store-bought seedlings are between 3 & 7 feet). I’m hoping that the tiny Black Russian plants will be ready to start fruiting around Labor Day, once the temperatures start dropping again, and before the days get too short.
And (from what I hear) that’s when you’ll be able to start your ‘second crop’ of lettuce and chives. You can probably grow chives all winter in Florida — around here, they blossom in February, dry up over the summer, and rebound happily in the fall. As for the overabundance of basil… you can either freeze the leaves directly, or blenderize them with a little olive oil & freeze them in trays or baggies for year-round use.
SiubhanDuinne
Who would play me in a movie? Wow. Years ago several people (separately and independently) told me that I reminded them of Bette Davis, but I honestly never could see a resemblance. And for that matter, I never had the nerve to ask them whether they were thinking of the “Jezebel” Bette Davis or the “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” Bette Davis.
Church Lady
@John Cole:
Meryl Streep. My kids swear that she always reminds them of me. Can’t decide whether it’s a compliment or an insult.
pip
Personality-wise, Spike Lee in She’s Gotta Have It. Physical resemblance-wise, for my younger years Meryl Streep, for now Meryl Streep in one of those fat suits with heavy makeup.
Edit: Arrrrrrrguh Icepick!
PeakVT
Wolcott shreds the mouthbreathers.
I’d be played by Curtis Armstrong due to an (un)fortunate resemblance.
kommrade reproductive vigor
@John Cole: Will Smith in yellowface makeup.
John Cole
Phillip Seymour Hoffman for me.
Grumpy Code Monkey
And this is just one of the many reasons why we don’t let our dog off lead.
Svensker
@arguingwithsignposts:
I am telling you, try the IP6. No downside if it doesn’t work, except some money spent. But it’s just a vitamin. But it really has worked for some people, amazingly.
In the meantime, hang in there. Really. Really, really.
Comrade Kevin
Colm Meaney.
SiubhanDuinne
OT (if there is such a thing as off-topic in an open thread), but Frank McCourt (“Angela’s Ashes”) has died. Really liked that book, and “Teacher Man” — ” ‘Tis,” not so much. But still.
Svensker
@John Cole:
Funny, that’s exactly how I pictured you.
Me — used to be a blonde Liza Minnelli, now Meryl Streep in a fat suit.
Comrade Kevin
@SiubhanDuinne: I saw that on another site.
I never read Angela’s Ashes, but my Irish mother did, and I know she liked it as well.
Yutsano
My parents are fighting tooth and nail against the potential adoption of a border collie named Stu (it’s not short for Stuart, that’s your hint as to what his full name is) who is a pretty damn incredible dog, even if he did manage to kill off three of my chicks. The only reason they’re fighting it is Stu’s actual owner is stuck in Utah and can’t come and get him and my parents don’t want to get attached (wayyyyy too late for that) should the owner come back to claim him. Personally I think he’s theirs and he should be as he’s beyond awesome.
SiubhanDuinne
John (and Svensker) — that’s funny, that is exactly what I thought! In fact when you first posed the question, I thought of suggesting PSH as my guess for who would portray you.
mp1900
@arguingwithsignposts:
Hugs to you, I’ve been wondering how you’re feeling. @arguingwithsignposts:
Hugs to you, I’ve been reading and wondering how you’ve been. Depression is so hard…I’m pulling for you.
Adrienne
That’s a hard one. Oooh. Jennifer Hudson would probably be the best one.
Yutsano
That’s a hard one. Oooh. Jennifer Hudson would probably be the best one.
If that’s true you must be a classy lady. I will still never forget the look of absolute shock when she won the Academy award.
tim
So…how about keeping Lily on the leash, and thus out of dead things and poop?
Not an original plan, but an effective one.
gbear
Bun E. Carlos. In my band days I used to get told I looked like him all the freakin’ time. Even by Bob Stinson. Now that we’re both older, I probably look more like him than I did back then.
asiangrrlMN
@arguingwithsignposts: Yo! Keep posting, hear? You WILL make it through the next two days! (That’s a bit of tough love thrown your way. I hope you know it’s said with concern and care).
As for someone to play me in the movies, fucking Margaret Cho, y’all!
Yutsano
As for someone to play me in the movies, fucking Margaret Cho, y’all!
FOR TEH AWESOME!
JMN Is Now asiangrrlMN's Official Stalker
Kevin Spacey with no acting talent.
Fulcanelli
Sam Kineson would be auditioning for my close-up, Mr. DeMille. I got mistaken for him quite a few times when I was younger and my hair was longer. I never wore a beret though. go figure…
cliff
Waaahhhhaaaaaa!!!
Tomatoes:
out of 150 seedlings, 8 are 14″ tall , 0 are flowering or growing since being set out.
All growth was indoors, as soon as my tomatoes went outside they drowned/got eaten/drowned (90+% of my seedlings have not gotten over 2″ tall/second leaves
NH sucks this year. even the blueberries are late and unproductive. cold/wet/cold/wet/cold/wet.
Supposed to warm up next month, but this year is a bust for me.
JPK
Marlon Brando because he could play anyone and it would be interesting to see what he did with the part.
jvill
Now I want a dog again.
burnspbesq
@Turgidson:
“Man, I need to get a dog.”
First things first, Dude. Pass the bar, and then think about getting a dog.
Good luck to you. KICK ITS ASS, first time, and be done with it.
JMN Is Now asiangrrlMN's Official Stalker
I take the last part of the CPA exam on Wednesday. I have completely blown off studying for a while, so we’ll see how it goes. I passed the first three with scores high enough that I have a lot of room to give and still make it. If not, I’m going to be a full time student anyway, so it’s not the end of the world if I fail. I’ll just take it again, probably in January.
I am at least going to be awake for it, I think. A couple of weeks ago, I ran out of a couple of the medications I use to provide energy. I didn’t have any refills left, and it turns out that my psychiatrist left the practice.* The new one I’ve been assigned couldn’t see me until early next month, so I couldn’t get them reauthorized. I spent most of the last two weeks unable to stay awake. I was sleeping 12-14 hours a day, which sounds great to most people, but is very disturbing when you *have* to do it, rather than *get* to do it. Fortunately, I had an appointment with my GP on Friday, and he agreed to give me one month prescriptions for them to tide me over. I’m still tired all the time, but not to the point that I can’t function.
*It isn’t surprising that she left. I use the University of Minnesota Psychiatry clinic. Patients there get treated by residents, who leave. I’m going to have my third doctor since I started going there four years ago. That part doesn’t really bother me, because I have yet to have a psychiatrist that I thought provided any value beyond signing the prescriptions forms. They are, without question, among the least empathic individuals I have ever dealt with. All of them, in my experience. So, the only reason I have a problem with high turnover is logistical situations, like these.
My therapist, on the other hand, is fantastic.
burnspbesq
Who would play me? Bradley Whitford, but not the charismatic Bradley Whitford from The West Wing – Raul Julia’s nerdy associate in Presumed Innocent.
Mister Papercut
@Yutsano:
I’m only coming up with “Disco Stu,” myself. I’m going to go ahead and say that, while awesome, is likely wrong.
As for who would play me, that honor would go to Kate Winslet, but gone completely to seed and performing the part whilst standing in a foot-deep hole.
Anne Laurie
You’re scaring me, Cliff. I have the feeling that the notorious NE Triple H (hot, hazy, humid) season is going to hit just in time to kill my poor plants just as they finally start producing. *Sigh* Why did we want to live in New England, again?
arguingwithsignposts
John Malcovich. looks like me and seems to be in the same range.
woke up now after a few hours’ sleep. watching some west wing.
Ty Lookwell
I’m a cat – not a dog – person. Is this normal? Do dogs normally roll around in horrible smelling dead things, feces, etc? We had a dog – granted, a weird kind of dog, a basenji – as a kid, and she was always very clean, never ever did stuff like that. Is this really a common thing?
iluvsummr
Sophie Okonedo. Second pick – Thandie Newton exactly as she appeared in Beloved ;-).
Comrade Kevin
@Mister Papercut: Kate Winslet can play my mythical partner any day.
Blue Raven
To get me best, they’d have to go race-blind and use Queen Latifah. Failing that, Kathy Griffin (albeit in a fat suit) or Camryn Manheim. At my fighting weight, I’d argue for Angelina Jolie before she got depressed since the girls will not shrink with the rest of me when the weight goes down.
Turgidson
@burnspbesq:
I’m fearing the worst. I’ve been studying 8-10 hours a day minimum since barbri ended, but things don’t seem to be sticking enough. I write out essays and miss reasonably important issues and forget rules, miss more mbe questions that I should be, and I haven’t even had the time to worry about the performance tests for weeks. Sigh. If I fail, I’ll almost certainly lose the very good job that *fingers crossed* I haven’t yet been told not to show up to (my start date has been pushed back to January, but they’re paying me enough to survive while I wait and giving me insurance, which is pretty amazing)
Usually panic motivates me in a productive way, but this time it’s just making me restless and negative. I really don’t think there’s enough time for me to put it all together anymore.
Lesley
Huck’s a living doll.
kid bitzer
this already came up, and i copped to danny devito in a fat suit.
but without his elfin charm and lithe grace.
R-Jud
I am currently a bit too heavy to be played by Liv Tyler, but much too skinny to be played by her sister Mia.
Little Dreamer
Hey John, TZ and I are planning a trip back east (I think we’re looking at August), and we were wondering, if we stopped in Morgantown, would you like to spend a couple of hours with the two of us? We’re just putting the idea out there. If you don’t want to, that’s okay and we’ll just drive through Wheeling on our way to Delaware. Contact me or TZ if you are interested.
DanSmoot'sGhost
@Little Dreamer:
I think he might go for it but only as long as I wait in the car.
andrea
Huck looks like a larger version of my sister’s JRT. Love the happy and sleepy puppies.
For the movie me, probably Cybill Shepherd.
shelley matheis
2liberal
it sounds like lily needs a dog training session with a professional.
Sour Kraut
Brad Pitt, but with bigger muscles, and a much larger…
Oh, fine. Brendan Fraser.
Roq
John… dude. Seriously, keep her on a leash. The more you let her do this, the more you are reinforcing that behavior. You can make it a long one and roll it up in your hand to adjust the length like everyone else, but I suggest starting with a short leash, as that’s the first step to training her to stay closer anyway.