Eclipse!

Feeling pretty lucky I just happened to live in the path of totality of the solar eclipse. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but having experienced it, I feel incredibly fortunate. And the difference between totality and just a sliver of sun is immense, 99.9 just doesn’t cut it – the total solar eclipse is something that just has to be experienced. So, yeah, if you get a chance, brave the traffic, travel up to totality and experience the full thing – it’s like nothing on earth.

I hadn’t planned to take any pictures, as I knew the experts out there would do a much better job, but I took a few shots during totality and I’m glad I did – such a memory! And so glad I went down to Poodletopia and got to experience it with others, it felt pretty darn special.

2 minutes goes by REALLY quickly! The stars in the sky, the dusk all the way around the horizon, the crazy colors that you never see otherwise – and the corona. It was quite spectacular!

And the crescent shadows were mesmerizing:

The dogs, of course, had no clue – not a thrilling day out for them. They also got to just come and hang out while I took pictures at the Summer Cup – I think they’re about done with this whole summer break thing. We’re all starting to look forward to getting back agility in September. We’ve made LISTS. Lists always make everything feel more productive.

My goal for the Fall is to really focus on breaking down the behaviors we’ve had issues with and taking each piece separately. You know, like a good dog trainer. Especially for Haku, we get stuck in a rut of practicing, obedience is so … repetitive. Little pieces, little tiny pieces everywhere where I’m really being clear and consistent with what I’m asking for.

In the meantime, kittens are growing by leaps and bounds. Literally, they can now leap and bound and now climb EVERYTHING. Including me. Ouch. I kind of want to cut their claws, but on the other hand I want them to be safe as they’re climbing the cat tower like little squirrels. I can’t even express how indescribably cute their antics are – and CONSTANTLY, kittens are ALWAYS doing something cute. Really glad I ended up doing this, kittens are good for the soul.

Mama cat is looking fabulous, she’s continuing to eat like a pig and she’s filling out so nicely, her coat is looking great and she’s so much more relaxed and comfortable. I moved the family into the bathroom where they now have full run of the room – they’ve made themselves at home. Lulu is a GREAT mama, she’s just sweet and playful with her kittens and they are the CUTEST little happy family. The happy calls they make to each other is just ridiculous. Lulu continues to be super sweet and snuggly as well, she’s not going to have a problem finding a home either.

Now that only a door separates the kittens from the rest of the household, Fizban likes to sit next to the door and growl – which Lulu just ignores. But she’s not a fan of the dogs that are always right there when I open the door. Haku and Navarre are HUGE fans of kittens, Bright acts all dramatic around them, naturally.  Kittens remain pretty neutral towards the dogs, they don’t really know what to make of them, so they basically just ignore them and use them as jungle gyms. Kittens are huge time wasters, though I need to take some new pictures. They grow up so fast! They are maybe around 5 weeks now?

Summer hiking continues – so much fun to meet all the LJ folks this summer!