Dog Blog – Page 4 – …on the B.L.

Blog + Dog

The Struggle

April 10, 2019 RaeAnna

I’m just here. Holding fruit. Being stepped on. By my dog.

Beau and I playing tug-of-war with treats.

Me in my wellies, jammies, and sweater trying to get Beau to pose.

Beau running away in her sweater and hat/leg warmer set.

The struggle is so real.

Have you ever tried to take a picture with a dog?

I think I’m probably a lot dumber than I think I am because I keep trying to take picture with Beau. She’s drop dead cute. You can look at me without triggering your gag reflex. Getting us both cooperate at the same time is a little like trying to put a cloud in a bottle. I firmly believe Beau is the smartest and most beautiful being to ever grace this world, which is why I like sharing her through my weekly Blog + Dog posts. She makes cameos in my other posts and pictures with frequency because the light of my life must shine.

Beau can be as uncooperative as she is smart. The key to taking great pictures is taking a megabajillion. Out of the megabajillion, I usually end up with one-ish great one. The others are hilarious, but not what I had in mind. Every single time I try for a picture, I’m always far more optimistic than realistic. THIS time, it will be perfect. Spoiler alert. It’s not. I can honestly tell you, I have never gotten THE picture originally imagined. I don’t know how photographers do it. They are magicians.

Hilariously, Beau hates having her picture taken or being recorded. I can strategically place my phone to record her or take a picture while looking the other way. The moment she realizes it’s there and looking at her, she stops. She’s like a shy little kid who was born to be an actor but hates being watched. I’m relieved that she is no longer terrified of my camera. When I first bought my Nikon, Beau growled and barked at it the moment it came out of the case. She does not trust it, but she will at least be in the same room with it.

A multitude of strategically placed treats are my go to. I will hide them in my hand, under my leg, in a bowl, between pages, anywhere remotely plausible. Beau loves treats. Every picture with her in it – except the ones where we’re sleeping – I have treats hidden. I am not adverse to bribery, obviously. It works. Kind of well. I get cute pictures. She gets the nom noms. I can post dogtastic pictures for dog-lovers to adore. Win-win-win.

I’m a major perfectionist. I have had to let that go when Beau is in the photoshoot. Otherwise, I would spend hours not getting the picture I had in mind. Dog photos are pretty much an experiment in winging it with treats.

xoxo,
Beau + RaeAnna

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Late Night Dog Walks

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 RaeAnna

Trying not to get drug around in my professional pajamas, cozy man sweater, and red wellies.

Growing up, I had a fenced in backyard, so letting the dogs out to go potty was easy any time of day. Living in an apartment, it’s not quite so easy. I actually have to put on pants and leave my comfy home to take Beau potty. The responsible dog mama that I am, I take her out first thing in the morning and right before we crawl into bed at night. (Also a few other times throughout the day; I’m not a monster.)

Potty breaks first thing in the morning and last thing at night are inconvenient. I look more of a mess than I usually do, which is saying something because working from home does not inspire great fashion choices. I have come to mildly enjoy the inconvenience of our late night dog walks. It is usually very late in the evening, so everyone is asleep. I like walking around in the peace and quiet. I even break the rules and let Beau run off the leash when I’m absolutely sure no one else is around. She’s my runner. She loves the freedom to chase leaves and be free. I may mildly enjoy the walks, but Beau loves the walks.

Posing like the fashion icon I am in my red wellies.

Luckily Beau does not care how fashionable I am. I am the absolute least attractive dog walker in my apartment complex. In light of this, I have documented a few late night walk outfits because I look insane. Comfortable but a nut job. I have to wear whole shoes because I’ve been stung by scorpions on more than one occasion. I recently became the proud owner of Hunter wellies, and they are my go to. If I get stung by a scorpion in those suckers, I’m cursed. On the chillier nights I wear my flannel puppy pajamas. Obviously, they are the best jammies ever. I couldn’t find the exact pair, so I linked something equally puppy-rific (shorts, top). On warmer nights, I’m in my professional jammies. Red wellies always. I almost always wear an over-sized men’s sweater because comfy and warm. Surprisingly, I have been on the receiving end of many compliments in my hot mess outfits.

Here’s the thing. Being a dog mom isn’t all about cuddles and cuteness. It’s a lot of inconvenience. Late night dog walks kind of suck. Picking up dog poop definitely sucks. It’s all worth it because I get the unconditional love of my sweet Beau.
xoxo,
Beau + RaeAnna

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Picking up dog shit sucks. But you gotta do it. I use bags made out of quinoa because it’s good for the environment. I’m a bougie bitch.

Blog + Dog

Moving

January 16, 2019 RaeAnna

Over the past several days, my little family moved to a new apartment in Houston. Moving sucks. I don’t know anyone who says “Yay! Moving!” After several moves in the last decade, this was the most stressful and the smallest.

Why?

It’s the first time I’ve moved with an anxiety riddled dog.

Traveling with Beau has hurdles. Moving with Beau also has bigger hurdles. The moment things start to change, she gets anxious. Her biggest fear, as far as I can tell, is being left behind. She does everything in her power to be included in everything. The only way to avoid her idiosyncrasies is to hide change from her until the last minute.

Normally, I like to be very organized. Moving is chaos even for the most organized. This was the most chaotic move I’ve ever been in charge of. Chaos ensued for three reasons: 1) We didn’t get back from holiday travels until three days before moving. 2) We didn’t pack at all to help save Beau from a complete mental break. (See above paragraph.) 3) Once we moved in, we realized there was a lot of water damage that needs to be fixed in the new place.

It’s hard to avoid holiday travels.

I had no idea how Beau would do moving, so we didn’t pack anything knowing we would have several days to move. This ended up being chaotic, but a good idea. We took things a little bit at a time starting with all of Beau’s stuff. She stayed in the new apartment as we packed. It helped her get acquainted with the new as the old was being introduced. She settled down a lot once the couch and bed arrived in the new apartment. Although, she did enjoy having a huge empty apartment to run around in with nothing but her toys, which only lasted for a few minutes.

Everything is now in our new apartment in a variety of disarray. It is not sorted or put away because we have contractors coming in and out of the apartment. They’re fixing everything, which is great, but in the meantime, it’s not so great. Beau has to be kept in her crate because the contractors are kind of scared of dogs.

I’m wishing I had one of these magic wands from Sleeping Beauty that organizes, cleans, and puts away.

xoxo,
RaeAnna + Beau

Blog + Dog

2019! Off We Go

January 2, 2019 RaeAnna

Here is a series of Beau pictures. They’re all perfect and very much us.
Enjoy Beau’s stream of consciousness.

*The wretched hat is placed upon the head.*

20190102_152617(0)-02.jpeg — I said, “I. Don’t. Like.”

20190102_152642(0)-03.jpeg — I don’t like the rain. I don’t like the hat. The treats are hardly worth this.

Is this a good enough pose? I look stupid. Is my expression conveying that?

20190102_152810(0)-02.jpeg — Why did the dog cross the road? To get away from you.

Won’t you leave me along, devil woman?!?

There. We look good. Here’s my sweater | My hat/leg warmers | Mom’s hat | Mom’s Sweater | Mom’s scarf | Mom’s jeans | Mom’s boots | I’m done.

Beau and I wish you a Happy New Year!!! I can’t believe it’s 2019 already. Holy wowza!

We spent our New Year’s Eve with family in the Chicago area. A very low key night surrounded by the people we love most. My 63 pound dog was miniaturized by her 170-ish pound Great Dane cousin, Dexter. They snuggled on the couch along with a tiny, old girl, Ana, and three cats. It’s a big couch, but four people, three dogs (totalling 200+ pounds), and three cats is cozy. We celebrated with food and an Avengers movie marathon. We know how to party hard.

We said our goodbyes to family and friends in Chicago yesterday. My grandparents live directly on the way from Chicago to Texas, so we stopped in for lunch. Then, we were convinced to stay for a few days. Working from home, I can do this.

I visit my grandparents in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas often. I haven’t been since the end of May. One of the first things Grammy said when I walked in the door, “I was wondering what happened! You’ve been gone sooooo long.” For awhile, I was here almost every month. After the I love you and I missed you’s were exchanged. “You’re staying the night.” Then my grandpa, aka Poppy Walt, wanted to take us out to dinner. And Grammy said, “No, they’re staying a few days. She has nowhere to be.” I guess I’m staying for a few days. Not that I or Beau are complaining. They live in a gated golfing community, and their backyard overlooks a fairway, a lake, and some mountains. REAL shit hole, I tell you.

Since we drove over night, Beau was cozy in her backseat blanket cuddle puddle for nine and a half hours. When we arrived, she was so happy; she loves it here. There is so much space to run around in their woodsy backyard, and the big house has lots of sniffs to find. The rain dampened her high spirits, but life isn’t perfect.

I couldn’t resist taking these cute pictures. I found her sweater, hat, and leg warmers at Target. She HATES the hat. I won’t lie: she is not a fan. At least, she hasn’t transferred her hat hatred to me as the hat-putter-onner. She really likes the sweater though. It’s warm and snug. The leg warmers helped her bear the rain, surprisingly. I’m still in a festive holiday mood, so I donned one of my go-to red sweaters, my favorite red scarf (budget version here), and a white hat. I also live in my grey Aldo boots, and these jeans. Seriously, these boots are the best. For otk boots, these are an incredible deal! Beau is for sure the cuter of the two. Although, she got her beauty sleep… I drove through the night.

Not a bad start to 2019. Rang in the New Year together in Chicago. Day 2 and 3 will be in Arkansas. Day 4 will be home to Houston. Ruff life. We’ll see where else 2019 takes us on our travels!!!

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xoxo,
Beau. Mom Sucks.

I’m going inside. This was not my favorite.

Blog + Dog

Working From Home

November 28, 2018 RaeAnna

Beau staring down the mean camera! | Pajamas (I live in them) | The Nutcracker | Quilt | Throw | One Day in December | Alaskan Holiday | Christmas Camp | A Christmas Revelation | Mug

I’m a freelance literary translator, editor, and writer. People think it’s a glamorous job. It’s not, but I’m ok with that perception! In reality, it’s not even as pretty as the pictures, but they’re pretty accurate.

Beau is the best assistant and partner I could possibly ask for. When she came into my life, I was in pretty bad shape. My health wasn’t great, so working outside of my home was impossible. Even working from home was impossible some days. It became a blessing when Beau came home. She needed round the clock attention because she was in a rough spot emotionally, physically, and health wise. I was freelancing enough to get by.

After almost a year of being home with Beau, I started looking for more employment because money. I was lucky enough to find a consistent freelance project, which has allowed me to stay home with Beau. I am absolutely floored. I love being at home. I love spending my whole day with her. I love not wearing pants. I love not having to be up early in the morning or go to bed at a responsible time.

Protecting me from the demon camera! We set up the tripod and used a remote, so it was “acting of its own accord” in her eyes.

My office is my home. I work a ton. I mean a shit ton. Beau and I have a schedule, which we stick to it aggressively. We wake up whenever she wakes up. Around 9:30. Then we go outside, take a walk, make coffee, have breakfast, and settle into the couch. We work until dinner time, which is any time between 7:00 and 10:00. Beau goes has a run around fest around 11:30. She’s a night owl like her mom. Then the energy monster gives up, and the snoring ensues. I then work solo until 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning depending on when I pass out.

Usually, we work from the couch. In May, we invested in a king sized bed. I’m living in the lap of luxury, I’m aware. Now with a big enough bed to spread out, we work from there a lot more often. Especially when we’re feeling lazy or under the weather. I’m one of those people who actually makes the bed every day. I may not shower every day, but the bed is made with pillows and throws.

Beau is always by my side. Her face usually nestled into my thigh. When she gets antsy, she’ll paw my hand away from the laptop keys, so I can better pet her. Every few hours, we head out to our little dog park to run around and stretch our legs. She likes to run around and throw toys at me. I’m not kidding. She will literally throw toys at my computer. She’s even closed it once or twice. Most of the time. We just snuggle as I work. She likes to be as close to me as possible. Sometimes in my lap. Even if the whole couch is open, she wants to be squished in next to me. I love it.

I would get lonely at home all alone without her. I’ve always, always, always been a dog person. Honestly, being a stay-at-home dog mom is the best thing ever.

XOXO,
Beau + RaeAnna

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She is the most precious thing in the whole world! Happy Wednesday!!!

Blog + Dog

Packing Strategy

November 14, 2018 RaeAnna

Beau is not sure what is going on!!! Luggage || Pajamas

I love traveling. I adore it actually. Whenever I road trip, Beau comes with me because she can! It’s not so easy to take a sixty-ish pound furball of anxiety on an airplane; although, I would if I could.

In the short almost two years I’ve had Beau, she has been to more places than a lot of humans. To name a few, she’s seen Hollywood, Washington D.C., Chicago, Minnesota, Arkansas, and played in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico. I am amazed at how well she does in the car. There has never been a bad car trip for us, so she continues to accompany me to all the fun places I go. She’s so spoiled.

This trip, Beau is at home. I flew, and she can’t come with. It’s a bummer because she loves playing with the horses we see in Minnesota. Although being a Texas pooch, she’s not too keen on the cold weather of the North.

Packing is the biggest challenge for us. The moment Beau sees a suitcases open on the bed, she knows things are happening. Anxiety starts to build. Pacing happens. The shakes ensue. Whining creeps into the apartments newly tense atmosphere. Laying on clothes is inevitable. At the worst of it, climbing into suitcases may occur. I end up taking a good amount of Beau-fur with me because of this tradition.

I have found a way to curb Beau’s anxiety as much as possible. She must not know I will be doing any packing until the very last minute, whether she is coming with or not. This usually means, I will start packing an hour before I need to leave, which is frustrating to my planning-obsessed-self. If I start any earlier than absolutely necessary, Beau will be too anxious to sleep, eat, or go potty. Not healthy.

I like to pack several days in advance. This way, I don’t over pack, under pack, or forget anything vital. It puts me at ease when everything is organized and dealt with. Ha! Not anymore! Dog mom life. Now it’s a hurry, hurry, hurry. Throw everything in as quickly as you can with lots of pauses to give love to the anxiety riddled pupper. It’s complete chaos, but it works for us, I mean, her.

Anyways, that’s a teeny amount of insight into what an ordeal it can be. I haven’t seen Beau in four days, and I miss her so, so, so, so much.

xoxo
Beau + RaeAnna

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