Therapy Dog in Training

We recently got a Pomeranian. His name is Kirby. He turned 3 months old yesterday (April 9th 2008).
He is SO good. He doesn't whine, complain, yap, or carry on in any way at all. He's friendly to everyone, which is probably because we take him just about everywhere we go! He's started training to become a therapy dog (Therapy Dog International) and will take the place of the 17 year old dog, Bailey, we recently lost 2 weeks ago.
I had taken her to Stonebridge (an over 55 community which also has an Assisted Living section where they house advanced Alzheimers patients.) Bailey was the resident therapy dog there until about a year ago when she became deaf and could no longer her commands. She lived a great, long life and we miss her terribly!
I think she'd be proud of this little guy following in her footsteps.
Kirby will be the resident Therapy dog for the Montgomery Senior Center! His training has started and he's just such an 'eager to please' kinda boy!
If you are unfamiliar with the work of Therapy dogs, I can explain it a bit and you can check out the website for more info! You may have a dog who could change lives!!
Therapy dogs are friendly dogs with excellent behavior that visit hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers etc and bring a bit of joy to the residents and patients who live there. They are excellent dogs to help people without them even knowing it!!
People who have had strokes reach out to touch/pat the dogs making strides where they didn't THINK they could!
There was a man who had a stroke and hadn't spoken in 3 months but when he saw my dog (Bailey) he said "Well hello there little dog!" . The nurse just about fainted because this man hadn't said a word since his stroke and the dog made it effortless for him.
Kids recovering from trauma and childhood diseases brighten up when the therapy dogs come in the room! Older people in nursing homes LOVE when we bring in the dogs. They always reminisce about a dog they had 'way back when' and how wonderful the dog was and how "this dog reminds me of....."
It's an excellent, excellent therapy for memory, motor skills and just plain morale. We are excited that Kirby is so compatible with the training so far and hope that he continues on the road he's on! He's gonna be a star!!!

Weather Woes!

I am tired of all the rain. ALL WINTER all we've gotten is day after day after day of RAIN, RAIN, RAIN! WHEN WILL IT END? We had one or 2 nice days in the past 2 weeks and today, once again, RAIN. *sigh*
I am drowning over here in mud, muck and RAIN!!!
We got one small snowfall in late January or early February. That was it. This was the rainiest, wettest, dreariest winter I think I've ever experienced.
Spring is here and yes, it's supposed to be a 'rainy season' for the most part but 5 of 7 days a week of RAIN is pathetic. I think I need to migrate like birds do. I'll winter in a place where it's sunny and in the 70s with VERY LITTLE RAIN and then I'll summer in a place where it's 70s, SUNNY and VERY LITTLE RAIN! lol
Can ya tell I'm all washed out by all the RAIN?
I hope your weather is better than mine has been for the past 5 months!!!

Scrapgarden's Blog Challenge for today

Do you make it a habit to do something scrappy each day?
I DO! That's not saying that I actually ACCOMPLISH it.....
More often than not, I get side tracked by laundry, scrapbooking forums online, a phone call or something good on TV. Sometimes it's something as simple as being distracted by wanting to be LAZY.
I don't get any daytime scraptime. It just doesn't work that way. My scraptime only comes after 8:30PM and honestly, MOST of the time I'm feeling kinda lazy and un-scrappy by then.
I get cattle prodded now and then by my buddy, Laura!
Going to check out the scrap blogs of my friends and the forum galleries can get me inspired too. I TRY to get SOMETHING scrappy accomplished daily but it just isn't always in the cards!

Spring

is REALLY here! How do I know this, other than the obvious calendar? Well I know it because the PEEPERS SAY SO!!

The Peepers? What's a PEEPER, you ask?

Wikipedia can give you a good idea about the Spring Peeper.

" A Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer, synonym Hyla crucifer) is a small tree frog widespread throughout the eastern USA. The spring peeper is a small frog, attaining an adult size between 0.75 and 1.5 inches (up to 40mm) long. They have a dark cross on their backs roughly in the shape of an "X", though sometimes the marking may be indistinct. The color variations of the spring peeper are mostly tan, brown, olive green, or gray. Females are lighter-colored, while males are slightly smaller and usually have dark throats."

Photo by United States Geological Survey

Are these little frogs cute or what?!

Every night at 11PM I walk the dogs for the final walk of the day. I've been listening and listening for the Peepers for about 2 weeks now, hoping that I'd hear them soon as this really IS the sign that Spring really IS here! Tonight, I walked outside and was greeted by the sound of 100s of Peepers, singing and peeping and just making my heart soar! I LOVE these little froggies and can't wait to hear them on their 1st night, every year! We're lucky enough to live near the canal and river where they breed and live so we get a concert every night through the Spring right on into the summer!!

These little frogs sing their chorus and keep me company, late at night when I am walking my dogs. For more information about the Spring Peeper, check out Wikipedia

Whoa.. I scrapped!

I got to hang out with my buddy, Laura on Friday. It had been SOOOOO long since I'd scrapped a page and having her over just jump-started my creative mojo! This page was done for our newest challenge over at Scrapdragon! Ya gotta go take a look! The challenge is amazing and our creative team rocked! The prize is a gift certificate to Crop Addict so be sure to go check out the challenge! Enter and ya never know... you just may win!!!