canine guru

"a certificate of graduation is presented to shirley, for she has demonstrated the prescribed understanding, intelligence and willing companionship of the beginner's obedience course and is therefore entitled to receive this diploma"

repetition and consistency are the name of the game in this household though, so miss shirley bird is still a learning youngster




graduation photo op


proof!


doggie savant? time will tell with this homeschooled pup

simply delish

newest feat on the bread front: whole-wheat oat bread, yum!


salubriously wholesome


mmm, it pairs nicely with rosemary herb-infused olive oil for dipping

shirley's chapter: 20 weeks

this week shirley turned 5 months, and is still growing at a rapid rate. she now weighs a little over 39 pounds and has sprung up several inches in height since the last check-in (27" high from feet to head; 21" to her spine). we have been recording her growth stats since early puppyhood and documenting pictorially, so once she hits the 6 month milestone we will post an illustrated progression of her growth juxtaposed to a stationary object.


living up to her gangly rep


ah, time for the tooth fairy! you can see one little pearly white loner in front of her new choppers - the last of her puppy teeth to fall out from her bottom jowl! we felt like that warranted a special treat under her doggie blankie :)


shirley with...


...one half of her tennis ball that she sheared off herself! give her credit for the clean cut - nicely done, shirls!


ah, caught being naughty once again. shirley will deliberately taunt herself by brushing up against dangling drapes and prancing through tall grass, knowing darn well that it triggers her into spastic dashes...!


a tiny little green tree frog seems to have taken up residence in our oversized flower pot out on the deck. shirley discovered the little guy one day when her ball flew into the pot. thus began a puppy-chasing-tree frog spectacle, which turned interesting pretty quick when the frog thought it could take refuge right on shirley's back...and then on her forehead!


needless to say, mini kermit escaped onto a neighboring tree branch, but returns daily.


shirls frolicking with her pals on the beach. she is no longer the shortest pooch around!


sharing is caring...especially when there is only one fresh water dish amongst an ocean of salt water??

shackleford banks

hello again! a few weekends ago we went beach camping about an hour up our shore, on an island called shackleford banks. we have been eager to explore this nearby island because on it live feral horses, descendents of 16th century spanish mustangs. they survived a shipwreck over 400 years ago that was voyaging from hispaniola (located between cuba and puerto rico) to the outer banks of north carolina. they still survive as one of the last isolated groups of wild horses in the united states, and we got to see them!

here are a few snippets of our beach camping adventure:


captain shirley on the port side of the ferry that we took to reach the island


ferry landing!


conchs galore! there most definitely is a plethora of these beauties on the island, making for superb shelling!


wondering from where this sign washed up...obviously a result of some hurricane that swept through! some smart aleck stood the sign up. the island is completely primitive; no vehicles are allowed.


oooh, do we spy ancient ship wreckage?!?


we humped (in military jargon) a good 45 minutes along the beach before we found a nice sequestered spot to pitch our tent.


the perfect campsite.


what a view!


stunning sunset on the beach


mike's attempts to ignite a fire with scant driftwood paid off!


family photo shoot, take 6


crabs! during one point at night mike walked down to the ocean and when he peered down at the beach on the way back he was startled to discover crabs at his feet! apparently they are nocturnal little critters! hah, but they looked just as startled as he was!


yes, this is indeed a shark. we finally got to document one!


behold, the wild banker horses! we saw these guys all over the place. they fed on grass just feet away from our campsite, and on the way back we came across a larger herd.


staredown


magnificent broncos paired with a wondrous backdrop

happy memorial day

commemorating liberty: remembering those who have sacrificed to protect our freedom; the service members who are currently deployed, currently serving, have served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.


memorial day has become so much more meaningful to us since mike has been serving with the united states marine corps. from our personal experience, we have observed many people speak in a way that they take the military for granted, as if someone who chooses to join the military is opting for a degrading or undignified job instead of making millions in a cubicle. why be sorry about that? to choose to do so is one of the most selfless and honorable acts. we wouldn't have the freedoms we do if it weren't for those serving in the armed forces defending those freedoms for us. having said that, our lives have changed even in this short time of being married to eachother where we have gained so much more perspective on the military. we have close friends who have recently lost family members and loved ones serving and that is a constant reminder of how grateful we should be of our country. we ask all of you reading this to take a moment to respect the armed forces and embrace liberty!


our holiday dinner: grilled veggies and meat (and veggie burgers)


holiday dessert: strawberry cake!


holiday family photo op