Breed Revealed and a Package from Kylie!!

Yep, Toledo is a very handsome and sweet German Shepherd! Great guesses! He is also very photogenic. :) Below are a few more pictures from when Mom went over to his house to take pictures of him and Nerea.

There's sweet Nerea. As I said before, she is a Ridgeback mix that was rescued from California. She has a great ridge but her hair is longer so it stands up a bit more. It was very interesting the first time I met her. :)


This orange basketball is Toledo's favorite toy....he carries it almost everywhere he goes.

What a cutie girl!

Can you see her ridge now?

Nerea: Oh brother, stop showing off and put your tongue back in your mouth.

Nerea: Seriously, I have one too, It's not that big of a deal.

A sweet moment. Mom said it was nearly impossible to get these two in the same shot but she had lots of fun taking their pictures.

______________________

A Package From Kylie!!!!

That's right, I participtaed in her 25 Days of Christmas contest and I won something! I was soooo excited! So, Mom cut the top part of the package for me and then I went to work pulling everything out.

I had to really get way down in there to get it all. Boy, did it smell good!

Finally, my work paid off and I got all of my wonderful pressies out! THANKS Kylie!!! I love my pressies! Plus, I am soooo excited about the donation to my local shelter. You see, that was one of the prizes....a donation to a shelter of your choice so I chose the one right here in my town, :) What a pawesome idea!

YIPPEE, a bone just for me!

But the candy canes were my favorite....I never get these so it was a FURtastic treat!

Thanks again Kylie, you are a super grrrreat friend!

What Breed Am I?

We decided to change our picture for this week at the last minute. :) This is my pal, Toledo. Not pronounced like Toledo, Ohio...instead the e makes the long a sound so it is more like Tu-lay-do. He is 10 years old and he lives with Nerea (the last e also pronounced as a long a), a Ridgeback mix who will be 15 this year. Their human Mom works with my Mom. Mom went over to their place to take pictures of them for a special reason that we will tell you about later. Toledo and Nerea are my pals and they were at my first birthday but I can't play with them now because they both have bad legs and they can't get too excited and start running around. :( I tend to get very excited and playful which may cause them to do the same and I wouldn't want them to get hurt. So, now I just have to remember my pals through pictures and smells. Mom smelled like them soooo much when she came home the other day. ;) So, what breed do you think Toledo is?

Wordless Wednesday - UPDATED & with words

Well, I know this is supposed to be Wordless Wednesday but since it is sooo close to Thursday now I figured, what the heck, why not throw some words in there. BOL! My Mom couldn't decide which picture she liked best so that's why she put both in there...kind of like a before and after. :) Anyway, a few people have asked how she did that strange photo effect and Mango was wondering who that black and white doggy was. It is VERY confusing Mango and although Mom has explained that it is just MY reflection I still get confused from time to time. Anyway, I will now paw it over to Mom so she can explain.

Love,

Nala


Hi everyone, Amber here. First, I want to say that in NO WAY do I claim to know what I am doing. There are probably much better and easier ways to get this effect but this is the only way I have figured it out.

1. Open your picture file into Photoshop Elements (this is what I am most comfortable in but a different version of Photoshop or Lightroom may work better)

2. Select the lasso tool (it looks like a lasso) on the left side where all the tools are located.

3. Using the lasso, outline the area you want to keep the color in. For me, I outlined Nala on the right side of my photo. My outline is NEVER perfect as going around curves can be tricky but don't worry you can clean that up later. :)

4. Once outlined, right click and then choose Select Inverse. This will tell the computer that the next thing you do should be done to the opposite parts to what you originally outlined with your lasso. Does that make sense???

5. Then right click again and this time choose Fill.

6. From the top pull down menu, choose Background Color and from the bottom one choose Hue. Click ok and VOILA, you have a picture that is partially in color and partially in B&W.

7. Now, if you need to clean up the edges you can do that with the Clone Stamp tool. It looks like a little stamp pad. Click on it and then you can hold down ALT and click on an area and it will copy that color. Example: If someone had a blemish on their face you could use the clone stamp tool to click on an unblemished part of the skin. It will copy that part and then you can move over to the blemished part and click on it and the unblemished part will cover it. That's how I clean up the edges.

Again, this is all probably backwards but have fun playing with your photos and if anyone tries the "Color Pop" technique I would love to see the results!! :)

For a better way to do this see The Pioneer Woman Blog....she just posted about how to do this using layer masks but I'm not too great at those yet. I will have to play around with it. ;)

Tagged

My Mom was tagged by the Dughallmor beagles Mom to play a little game. Normally we don't play these games but we thought we would give it a go. Mom is changing the rules a little though. You are supposed to post the most recent picture of yourself and then list 40 things about yourself. Since this is my blog, Mom and I decided to list 20 things about me and 20 things about her. :) The pictures of me are from this morning when I went to my friend Gracie's house. Don't I look vicious up there. BOL!

Also, check out these moves by Miss Gracie! She is one flexible girl. :)

Ok, so here are my 20:

1. I was born in Washington state (still live here) and came to live with my pawrents when I was 9 weeks old.
2. I am HIGHLY motivated by food and I really don't understand those dogs who will do tricks for a chase of a ball or a tug on a toy. What's the point without the food. ;)
3. When I was a wee pup, I fell into a lake and did not attempt to doggy paddle. I sank and this man that I really don't know well grabbed me and pulled me up so now my Mom wants me to have swimming lessons and wear a lifejacket like my pal Kylie.
4. I have an unhealthy fear of flies. One time there was a fly buzzing in my room and I refused to go to bed. I was pacing until Mom and Dad figured out the problem and took care of the nasty little fly for me.
5. Recently, I had a run in with my food bowl and now I am very cautious when eating. You see, my tags got stuck in the wire part and when I lifted my head the bowls came with me and there were flying bowls and water everywhere. It was VERY scary.
6. I enjoy sunning myself and LOVE it when it is warm outside.
7. I also like to eat snow though too.
8. I am learning some new tricks: wave, twirl, and beg. Beg is very hard for me though and Mom sometimes has to help me balance.
9. I am part of a very fun dog club where I get to play fun games and see my furiends.
10. I am my Mom's shadow whenever she is home.
11. I am a bit of a whiner. ;) Whatever works, right!
12. I LOVE kids although I don't know how I would feel if there was one around all the time stealing my thunder...hmmmm.
13. I am very speedy and like to run back and forth and in circles as fast as I can.
14. One time I was running towards Mom at high speed and instead of swerving I crashed right into her and her camera went flying. She barely stayed upright.
15. I like to clean other dog's teeth....I should have been a dentist. Just ask my brother Bodhi!
16. I start out sleeping on my own bed but I end up wedged between Mom and Dad by morning.
17. I'm not really a big bone chewer. I will chew them for a short time and then I'm done.
18. When I was a puppy, I would crawl under our very low, old couch and sleep. There's no way I could fit under there now but I still like to crawl under things such as blankies. :)
19. I was chased by an evil poop-covered Yorkie at a dog park who was trying like crazy to jump up and sniff my behind. I was so disgusted by the smell of the little guy that I was literally running away from it and looking to Mom and Dad for help. When they discovered the problem we left the park.
20. I get along with most dogs but whatever you do do not come and put your head over my shoulders when we first meet like you think you are the king/queen because I DO NOT like that and I WILL let you know about it.


Now, it's Mom's turn...

Hi, Nala's Mom here. This is the most recent pic of me and it is from our hiking trip on Saturday.

Now, to see if I can come up with 20 things. :)

1. I grew up in WV which is where my family still lives. I had a bit of a southern accent but mine was never really that strong and now most people cannot even detect one. I enjoy hearing that accent though as it reminds me of home.
2. I left WV after Christmas in 2001 and drove by myself all the way to Washington state. My car was loaded, I had no apartment yet, and I knew no one here. It was a wonderful experience! I have been here ever since and I LOVE the Pacific Northwest.
3. I teach Kindergarten! :)
4. I used to be a sign language interpreter for elementary students.
5. I love tangy/sour things. Balsamic vinegar is the best. I also have an unhealthy obsession for yellow mustard...there is nothing like the tangy taste of it. :)
6. I enjoy to cooking. My favorite things to make are bread and pasta dishes.
7. I have two younger brothers who are both wonderful and generous people.
8. I'm getting married this summer to Nala's Dad. :)
9. Justin, my fiance, and I are hoping to go to France/Italy this summer but we'll see. My Mom's side of the family is Italian and it has always been a dream of mine to visit. Justin wants to go to France to watch Lance Armstrong in the Tour De France which I am excited for too but really I am all about going to Italy, trying the food, meeting the people, seeing the beauty of it all.
10. When I was a child, I wanted to live in Australia. I wrote many reports about Australia in school and even had a pen pal from Sydney. I always thought Melbourne would be a nice place. :) Hopefully, I will at least make it to visit someday.
11. I played lots of sports growing up and I even played college softball. I was a pitcher and I played shortstop.
12. When I was in high school, I traveled to about three BUSH concerts back to back. It is a bit of a blur. ;) My friends and I did manage to meet the band though and get some autographs...those poor bands having to deal with crazed teenage fans...I feel for them. :)
13. I am a huge Anne of Green Gables fan.
14. I recently joined the gym and hope to get in better shape....since I started teaching I have been pretty lazy.
15. I once ran a half marathon in Victoria, British Columbia.
16. I drink too much coffee and am trying to cut back...probably won't happen. ;)
17. It was Justin's idea to get a dog and I wasn't too keen on having an inside dog but as soon as I saw Nala it was over...I was in love and now I can't imagine my life without her. She brings me so much joy and it has opened up a whole new world to me full of wonderful people and other dogs.
18. I enjoy gardening and am excited for spring time so I can start planting.
19. I once made a road trip from WV to Alaska...nine days of driving and camping. I lived up there for a summer and really enjoyed it. It is such a beautiful place.
20. My favorite ice cream is butter pecan...I remember eating this with my grandfather and I still LOVE it.

WHOO...I made it.

Now, it is my turn to tag 3 people so I tag:

Abby - my friend and an amazing Mom who does so much fun stuff with her girls. She's also the Mom of Nala's pal, Gracie.

Heidi - Bodhi (my brother) and Sampson's human Mom because she is a great dog Mom.

Simona - Paco & Milo's Mommy because she is always so kind and thoughtful in her blog comments.

The Horrible, Terrible, No Good Moon Boots!

"Dad, what in the world are you doing to me? The jacket is bad enough!"

"Phooey on you...this is horrible, terrible, and no good. I am totally taking all of your blankets tonight so when you wake up cold don't be surprised!"

"You've got to be kidding me Mom...this better not go on my blog! How humiliating!"

As you can see, the pawrents made me wear those yucky moon boots today. Dare I say, they actually did keep my paws warm and protected from the ice and snow. Here I am being the only smart one in the family...going around the ice. :)

And with the camera in tow and everything....what was she thinking. Oh wait, clearly she wasn't! Silly Mom!

I hate to admit it but eventually I got used to the moon boots and even began to run around and have some fun.

I can still frolick like a deer so I guess they aren't too bad.

I was a little worried about my traction in the snow with these ridiculous things on but they weren't so bad.

I was able to jump logs and sticks and...

cut corners without a problem. So, all in all they were ok, I guess, but I still like no shoes better.

After getting used to the moon boots, I began to explore. "What's that up there in the tree?"

"ATTACK....the birds are bombing me with snow!"

"Run for your lives Mom and Dad...these birds are vicious!"

Just a few more pictures from our hike...click to enlarge. :)

What Breed Am I ? REVEALED

That's right....Ozzie is a Golden Retriever! He is a very light colored one but one indeed. You all had lots of good guesses! A Great Pyrenees was a pawesome guess plus a PBGV (had to look that one up;) or a spaniel are breeds I never would have thought of but considering the picture didn't have much scale to go off of then I can definitely see it. As for the black spots on his tongue Kylie, I don't know why he has those?? Nice detective work though checking out the pictures below. BOL! Next week's breed may be a bit more tricky but then again I am sure you will all surprise me with your dog knowledge.

Night night,

Nala

This is my friend, Ozzie....can you guess what breed he is? This photo was taken on our hike to the frozen waterfall. He kept walking around and sticking his head way down in the snow. The humans were laughing so hard. I guess something smelled good down there because he was certainly enjoying himself. :)

Hope everyone is having a furtastic week!

A little work...A little play

Over the long weekend I had to do a bit of work but then I got to play too! :) You are probably wondering why I am in jail up above....no, I didn't countersurf and steal any yummies although I should have. ;) Mom and I went to our canine club meeting and we did some fun stuff....well, it was fun because I got a ton of delicious treats! We did lots of crate games which help with attention and we were working on our "rock solid" stays. I am just waiting for Mom to give me the signal to come out. Once I'm out, I turn around quickly and go back in and then she gives me the good yummies! Notice the mat in my crate....that's right, it is Mom's car mat. BOL! She forgot a mat but this worked out just fine.

After all the hard work, I got to go out in the field and play with the other dogs. This was when I first arrived in the field and they were all greeting me. I was a bit overwhelmed. :) We soon started running around though. Addie and Lucie, check out the big, white Great Pyrenees. He was huge!

More work, this time at Mom's school. She had alot to do so I went to help her. First, we got some paper. Once in the classroom, I decided to attack the paper and I stepped on it and my two front paw claws went right through. I didn't think Mom would be very pleased but she just laughed and we went and got some new paper. ;)

Next, I helped her make some copies...well, if you call barking deeply and menacingly at every sound helping. I heard lots of doors opening and closing and I had to let people know that I was there to protect my Mom. ;) I would never hurt anyone though...I just sound ferocious but I'm really all about the peace and love and treats.

Once the copies were made, I decided to supervise Mom while she was making plans. Usually, I supervise from the couch but I felt she needed a little closer supervision so I went under the table by her feet. I am taller than the table so it was a bit tricky to get under but I did it.

Finally, I went for a hike in the hills with my pals and their humans. It was very icy and cold but beautiful. Mom said I really need to start wearing my boots after that hike though because I got a couple of ouchies on my feet. I guess it's because of my short hair because my furiends feet looked fine. It was fun though but now I am dreading the horrible boots....YIKES! I feel like I have moon boots on when those things are strapped to my feet.

Frosty Morn

Well, it is officially cold again! No more sunshine for at least a week as the weather forecast says we will be inundated with fog. The upside is that there is not too much snow on the ground and the frost makes everything look magical. :) Even though it is beautiful out, the place to find me for the next seven days will most likely be in front of the heater (which is where I am now as Mom types for me) or curled up under a blankey. ;) BOL!

For those of you who made a guess about what breed the cute dog muzzles below belong to, the answer is:

BEAGLE

Good guessing. Next week I will have a new What Breed Am I? challenge so stay tuned. :)

What Breed Am I?

Can you guess what breed these cute doggy faces belong to? These dogs are the loyal companions of my Mom's Dad who lives in West Virginia. Mom misses their cute faces and high-pitched barks. This breed is the reason she is able to sleep through anything...she got used to hearing them bark at all times of the day and night when she was growing up so now nothing phases her. Maybe one day I will get to meet them and they can teach me how to find fluffy creatures. :)



Also, I was honored with another award! Thank you so much Paco & Milo AND Gus & Waldo!

Ok, apparently I am supposed to choose eight friends to pass this to but I am horrible at choosing. It is hard to choose only eight...I LOVE all of my blog friends. So, if you would like this award for your blog then please feel free to take it. :) Sorry, I just can't choose. ;) All the blogs listed on the sidebar of my blog are ones that Mom and I read often and thoroughly enjoy!
We feel very lucky to have such great blog friends and never would have imagined that our dog blog would help us make so many connections with other dog lovers and their dogs! It is great to read stories and see pictures of dogs and their families from all around the world.

A Pawsitively Great Read!

If you haven't read Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote then you should go pick up a copy today! It is pawsitively fabulous. Mom read this book a while back and we have been meaning to tell you about it. It is the true story of Merle and his human, Ted Kerasote, and their journey through life together. Merle and Ted found each other by chance (or fate) and their life together was full of adventure, love, sadness, and above all friendship. All of you dog people know the kind of friendship we are talking about....the kind that can only exist between a human and their loyal canine companion/s. :)

Hope you enjoy the book.....we sure did!

Click here to see more of Ted Kerasote's books and pictures of Merle. :)

My weekend in pictures and a few words

"Ummm, you gonna share that stick or what?"

"What are you doing there little guy?"

"I'm not that kind of girl! Back off buddy!"

Here's the perpetrator: Hank ;) Don't let his cute looks fool you! BOL!

Went for a hike yesterady in the hills with my friend, Sierra, and there was a little snow left in places. :)

Mom likes the washed out look sometimes plus this picture was very dark so this was the best she could do before she got tired of tweaking it. :) The valley down below is where I live.

Do you see the Bald Eagle? We saw three or four of them yesterday! I know you can't tell what it is from the picture but take my word for it, it is a Bald Eagle.

Crossed a very small creek/field that had been flooded and there were lots of ice chunks.

WARNING:

These next few images may be disturbing but they were a part of my weekend so I felt the need to include them.

What you are seeing is really a deer leg and Sierra would not let that thing out of her sight. You see, there are alot of hunters in these parts and apparently they like to go to the same place we went hiking. Now that most of the snow is melted there were lots of treasures to be found. Sierra found all of the good stuff though and anytime I would get close for a sniff/nibble she would let me know that I needed to back off. She is very protective of her yummies. :)

Know what this is? You guessed it, the best and biggest and juiciest chocolate chips EVER! Also known as elk droppings, they are quite tasty! I was able to keep my energy up for the hike by popping a few of these bad boys in my mouth every now and then, Unfortunately, I didn't get as many as I wanted because Mom kept shooing me away! How Rude!

And here are the big herd of elk that so graciously left the treats behind for me! Thanks my elk friends! I owe ya one. BOL! They are hard to see as they ran away from us but if you click on the picture you can see them better. There were at least 40 of them all together.

Last, a picture of me and Mom when we were almost finished with our muddy hike. :) Hope all of you had BARKariffic weekends!