From Flower Bed to Dog Bed

Yesterday Ringo was out on the patio and decided he was sick of sitting on the ground.  So, like the clever doggie he is, he repurposed a planter that hasn't done so well.

I had a difficult time getting him to come inside.  Not sure why he thought it was comfortable.

Wearing Ridiculous Shoes

Well, it's finally happened.  After a year of marriage to Scott, he's finally gotten me to purchase the ridiculous five finger shoes.  We spent the morning walking around Stanford, and I was wearing my usual flip-flops.  My feet hurt so bad when we got home that I could hardly walk.  I decided it was high time to give my feet some TLC (I do, after all, get regular pedicures, why wouldn't I want comfy, foot-friendly shoes?)

So, we headed off to Zombie Runner and tried on some shoes.  At first, I just tried on the regular-looking minimalist shoes, being wary of the toe shoes.  But Scott tried on a new pair of toe shoes and was raving about them so much that I figured I should at least try them.

Sure enough, they're pretty amazing.  And not actually all that offensive to the eyes (mine are pink):

So there you have it.  Scott is turning me in to a fashion disaster.  Soon I will need to go on "What Not to Wear" because I'll have forgotten that plaids and stripes actually clash.

On Squirrel Patrol

Recently, Scott started hanging a nice little bird feeder out on our patio.  Though it makes quite a mess on our driveway below, we really enjoy having the little finches, juncos, and doves in the mornings and evenings.

However, the seeds also attract squirrels.  Ringo the tiny dachshund can't stand squirrels.  He is quite convinced that during our walks, if we would just let him off his leash that he could easily catch the squirrels.  Never mind that his legs are only an inch and a half long and he can't climb trees.  Just you wait.  He'll get one someday.

Ringo happened to catch a glimpse of a squirrel through the glass patio door one day.  Ever since then, he has been on hyper squirrel alert.  Our living room windows look out on to the patio, though they are quite high in the wall.  Ringo has discovered that if he climbs up on the back of the couch and stands up, he can see out.

If he happens to see a squirrel, or small child, or any other wildlife he can't stand, he runs to the patio door and barks like a crazy person until we let him outside.  He sniffs around out there until he is content that he has scared off the offenders.  Then he can finally come back inside and snuggle in his blankie, his domain safe for another day.