Little Orphan Annie

New Year's Day Hike

2012-01-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

To celebrate 2012 and the glorious 65 degree weather here in Virginia Dan, Annie and I got in our car, crossed the James River on the Surry Ferry and went to the Chippokes Plantation State Park for a nice long hike. Along our route we passed a farm - Annie always loves sniffing the farm animals. Dan and I spent Christmas in Colorado visiting our families - Ellen and Chris have a great post recounting the action at their house: http://mcgrundallness.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-with-auntie-and-uncles.html

Annie and Mary on the ferry

Our ferry, the Surry

Bridge over College Run creek feeding the James River

Pig roaming free outside the chicken coop

Alpaca

Mule

Ram and sheep

Dan and Annie outside the Chippokes Mansion

Horsey decor at the mansion

Mary and Annie in front of elaborate fruit wreath

Christmas Decorations in Colonial Williamsburg

2011-12-08T19:25:00.001-05:00

Annie has been enjoying the beautiful wreathes in Colonial Williamsburg. Although it was hard for her to choose she is photographed below with her favorite. I think she picked it because it had Granny Smith apples in it which she probably wanted to eat. The wreathes in Colonial Williamsburg are really cool because they feature all natural products, ie: real apples, pomegranates, oranges, cotton balls, etc. :-)

Annie's Favorite Wreath

Pomegranates, pears, lemons and clementines!

My favorite wreath

Dan's favorite featuring antlers, cotton and feathers

More pomegranates and apples

Thanksgiving Weekend Battlefields

2011-11-27T17:49:00.001-05:00

Dan and I spent a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with friends followed by a fantastic pie party with more friends. We were sitting fat and happy Thanksgiving evening with leftovers in the fridge (including slices of pumpkin, pecan, pear and apple pies). Wowzer! How could we possibly make it up to Annie that she wasn't invited along to these feasts?!?!

We asked Annie how she'd like to spend the rest of the long Thanksgiving weekend and she suggested a trip to Fredericksburg to visit with good friends, the Firsts, and tour the battlefield. Additionally she suggested a walk through the Yorktown battlefield. Sadly we forgot to bring our camera to Fredericksburg so we only captured photos in Yorktown.

Dan and Annie in front of cannon

Annie and Dan at British redoubt 9

Mary and Annie with Chesapeake Bay in background

Yorktown Victory Monument

Sticks and Trees

2011-11-20T22:52:00.001-05:00

Annie loves the autumn leaves. One of her favorite trees is the beautiful ginkgo biloba - she once tried to eat a ginkgo seed (perhaps trying to improve her awful short term memory) and spit it out. Apparently those seeds are pretty nasty tasting! There's an especially stunning ginkgo tree that sits in the Bruton Parish cemetary.

In addition to trees Annie also loves sticks, as evidenced by her poem, "An Ode to Sticks and Leaves".

Veteran's Day

2011-11-20T22:21:00.001-05:00

On Veterans Day Annie and I were on a walk through Colonial Williamsburg when we spotted a large crowd up ahead of us:

We were both curious what the crowd was looking at so we hustled over and happened upon a most excellent Veterans Day parade led by the Colonial Fife and Drum Corp and following behind were the true heroes, the Veterans of all branches of the military.

As an added bonus Patrick Henry and George Washington made guest appearances and gave riveting speeches - Annie was so taken by part of GW's speech that she chimed in with a couple barks of her own. And that, my friends, I took as a signal that it was time for us to mosey on and continue our walk.

Fall at William and Mary

2011-11-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Annie and I recently discovered a great new hiking path. It's through the William and Mary woods along Lake Matoaka. The trees have been changing their colors and this hike is a breathtaking walk through the forest. Annie loves this path because it is overrun with squirrels and we even saw a family of deer on our most recent hike!

Fossil Beach at York River State Park

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Dan is currently in England on a two week long research trip. His days are now cold and dreary but we are still enjoying a beautiful, warm fall here in Virginia - temperatures have been in the sixties and sunny for the past week. So Annie and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather with a trip back to York River State Park. This time we took a hike along the York River and went to the Fossil Beach.

The Fossil Beach is a really cool place where there are a ton of washed up fossilized shells and rocks. We saw some cool fossils and enjoyed being on the water.

Exploring Colonial Williamsburg

2011-11-08T16:40:00.000-05:00

One of Annie's favorite places to walk is through Colonial Williamsburg and down Duke of Glouscester street which is called DOG street by the locals partially because of the constant stream of dogs that parade down the street which is conveniently closed to car traffic. There aren't cars but there are lots of horses. On a recent walk Annie was watching the horses then decided that if hay was a good food for a horse then maybe she would like it too (she didn't).

Another favorite thing to do on our walks through Colonial Williamsburg is watch the fife and drum corps march through the streets:

Autumn Fun

2011-11-01T21:13:00.002-04:00

This weekend Annie was looking a little bored:

So Dan and I took her to the York River State Park where we enjoyed the fall colors and had a nice long hike through the woods and along the river.

As an added bonus part of our hike was decorated for a haunted Halloween hayride that would be taking place in the evening. Annie climbed the haunted ship to chase ghosts:

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T19:09:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from Annie. To celebrate she helped Dan and me carve pumpkins (really just ate any pumpkin bits that hit the ground while we were outside doing our carving). Dan's pumpkin was really mean and ate my little pumpkin.

After carving pumpkins we took Annie to a Halloween dog parade. Some of our favorites are below:

Scottie Banana

King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Skeleton and Fairy

Pirate Dog

Happy Halloween to you and yours :-)

Homeward Bound

2011-06-28T07:09:00.000-04:00

Annie was rescued from Homeward Bound rescue on Christmas Eve Eve of 2009. She moved in with Dan and I that night. The next day Dan and I flew to Colorado for Christmas and Annie stayed with my little brother Alex. She was so cute as a puppy.

I took her in to work at Pure Visibility on Christmas Eve to meet the only other employee working that day, Patrick Francis. As I exited the elevator with the pup in my arms Annie mewed at Patrick like a little kitten - it was the most adorable thing ever. Patrick and I joked that Annie was more cat than dog at that point in her little animal life :-).

Annie will be heading back to Ann Arbor on July 15 at 2:30 EST. Dan and I will leave the 'Burg and be "Homeward Bound". We'll listen to a lot of John Denver as we drive through West Virginia heading home on those country roads.

Annie plans to see her brother, Iggy and her old friends at Pure Visibility. Are there any other suggestions for places/people that Annie shouldn't miss while home in A2 for a brief visit?

Take your Dog to Work Day

2011-06-23T19:19:00.000-04:00

Chasing Bella

Today was "Take your Dog to Work Day" observed at Madigan Pratt & Associates. Mary told me that it was changed it to Take Your Pet to Work Day so that Bella, Catherine's cat could come in to the office too. I was grateful for the change - Bella was great fun to chase around the office. I really wanted to play with Bella but I think Bella was more interested in not playing and looking beautiful. Pictured here I've successfully chased Bella into the boss's office and she's hiding behind his laptop hissing at me. I'm not sure she's used to playing chase at home but I definitely am happy to chase her anytime!

Conference Call

The day started early at 9 am with the humans talking into a technical device to other people who I could hear but not see. Bella got to participate in the call, sitting at the Boss's feet no less! I was an avid observer. Mary got a good shot of me peering into the conference room taking mental notes about business and watching Bella's every move. I think we're gonna be real good friends soon.

Lounging around the MP&A office

To make me more at home Mary brought in my sheepskin rug for me to bed down on. I enjoyed lounging near the MP&A entrance where I could watch the comings and goings of the building. One particular exciting visitor was the water delivery man, Troy. I took my role as guardian of the office very seriously and when Troy came round to replenish our water I told him I was the new guard dog. Troy seemed impressed at first but then bribed me into submission with a peanut butter flavored treat (what can I say, I'm a sucker for peanut butter?!?) I sat, laid and shook for Troy and he gave me a treat. I'd say I got the better end of the deal on that one. I was glad to make another friend.

The MP&A team

Watching Bella

At one point we got everyone together for a MP&A take your pet to work day picture. I was really excited for this picture because it meant that I would get to be near Bella again. Catherine picked up Bella to take her in to the conference room for our team photos so that Bella couldn't run and hide from me. Here's a shot Mary got of Catherine and Bella. I was following them around to make sure they didn't try to hide from me (Bella found a great hiding spot later in the day behind Catherine's computer where I couldn't reach or find her).

Hard at work

Bella's hiding spot

All in all it was a great day at the office. I wrote a blog post and learned so much from Kelly on how to be an awesome office pet. Mary insisted on documenting the day. This photo shows me hard at work at the computer working on my latest blog post and this other shot shows Bella the kitten looking beautiful and hiding from me behind Catherine's computer (can't believe I couldn't find her up there!)

Will you be taking your pet to work with you tomorrow? You should! Please leave me a comment - I love having Mary read my comments to me after I post. Ruff!

Out of Town Visitors

2011-06-21T21:56:00.009-04:00

We recently had friends visiting from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Annie was excited to see her old Michigan friends. On Sunday she went with us to Colonial Williamsburg in the heat. She witnessed George Washington on horseback inspiring a revolution. Other highlights included fife and drummers and other dogs to sniff.

On Monday she accompanied Matt, Dan and Diana to Jamestown. Although she wasn't allowed in the museum dogs are welcome at Jamestown National Park. It may have been our nation's FIRST English permanent settlement but it's the LAST place you want to miss on the MIDDLE peninsula. Pictured are (l to r) Matt, Pocahontas and Diana at Jamestown. Sorry we don't have any pictures of Annie at the National Park - she was a bit camera shy that day (something about a bad hairday).

Below are Annie and Matt on our futon. Highlights of the trip for Matt and Diana included a Colonial Ghost Tour (we had to leave Annie at home because she's petrified of ghosts) and soft-shell crab at Berret's Seafood (I wanted to bring Annie along but Dan wanted a night out with adults only). Did you know that soft-shell is the blue crab in its molted state? The molting process means an abundant supply of soft crabs from late spring to early fall, with May through September ranking as the most productive months - here in Virginia we're spoiled to be so close to such excellent seafood. I had no idea about soft-shell crabs so thanks to Matt and Diana for educating me about this Chesapeake Bay delicacy! V.v.V

Next time you're in Williamsburg, Virginia please do let us know and I will arrange for Annie to give you a tour of all the local hot-spots. Whether your passion is kayaking, history, food, shopping, ghost tours or playing Clue the card game Annie would love to bark at you when you enter the Livesay premises and then be your best friend about 10 - 20 minutes later. :-)

Mary's new job

2011-06-07T07:06:00.002-04:00

Annie here. Ruff. Master Mary has started a new job. She seems to love it so far and the exciting part of all this?!?! They have a take your pet to work day on June 23rd so I'll be able to supervise and sit in her lap for one day at the office. I can't wait. Her company's website is: madiganpratt.com feel free to check it out. Mary says she's an account executive there . . . whatever that means! Her largest client is the nisbetplantation.com - I wonder if they're a pet-friendly hotel? ;-) arf!

Annie in Rodanthe

2011-06-04T16:24:00.003-04:00

Annie spent a great weekend at the beach in Rodanthe, NC in the Outerbanks. We stayed at a dog-friendly house where she laid around with Dan and danced in the kitchen. The beaches and salt water were very good to Annie - she loves the waves and running in the surf.

Announcement from Annie Pup herself . . .

2011-05-02T04:44:00.004-04:00

I have a boyfriend!!! It's puppy love. He lives downstairs, and he's tall, blonde, and handsome. He's a bit of a mixed breed (like me) - they say he's a golden-doodle. Alls I know is that he's might f-wine :-). Please tell me what you think of him. Here's KaKuma's photo:
Oh, did I mention that we're neighbors? It's a bit of a secret because our masters don't know all the snuggling we do in the backyard . . . please don't tell mastah Dan or Mary :-D

Royal Wedding watching with Master Mary

2011-04-29T05:03:00.002-04:00

Today is a very exciting day for me! As I am half King Charles Cavalier Spaniel this royal wedding is of special interest to me due to my (mixed) royal blood line. I was up promptly at 4:30 am to watch coverage of these fabulous hats, parades, pomp and circumstance. I wonder how many Royal pups have been invited to the affair? I see Elton John and Posh spice in the crowd, but no pooches as of yet . . .

Annie & Thomas Jefferson

2011-04-28T18:08:00.002-04:00

One of Annie's favorite people in Williamsburg is Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson is an alumni of William and Mary College (for those of you who don't know).
There are a couple statues of TJ in Billyburg that Annie likes to visit on her walks around town. Here she is pictured with Master Dan with a seated TJ in Colonial Williamsburg's Merchant Square. Merchant Square is where we go on Saturdays for the weekly Farmers' Market.

Stuck in Williamsburg Prison

2011-04-28T08:07:00.003-04:00

Annie has been locked up in Williamsburg! Her offenses are almost too many to list! There's the constant public urination, barking at bicyclists and probably most egregious was the diamond earring incident . . .

What's that?

You didn't hear about Annie eating my diamond earring? Well, let's just say that we're glad it wasn't my engagement ring and that we searched but never recovered it on the other end . . .

She put in her plea and she has been branded a diamond thief and put in the barracks for public shaming and now she's a free pup again, albeit one who's been labeled a petty thief.

DC Cherry Blossoms

2011-04-26T12:11:00.004-04:00

When Dan and I went to DC in late March for his conference and the cherry blossom festival we had to leave Annie at home. But, not to worry, I did make a new canine friend while exploring the capital with Cara and Alyssa. That is FDR's pup at the FDR memorial on the National Mall. We explored the cherry blossoms at the National Cathedral and had a wonderful visit with old friends, Cara and Alyssa.

Master Mary's Birthday in Richmond

2011-04-25T09:14:00.003-04:00

For my birthday we had a roller skating party in Newport News on my birthday observed then on my actual birthday Dan, Annie and I went to the big city of Richmond. First we checked out the VMFA sculpture garden. The VMFA was recently renovated and it is a beautiful, free, art museum with wonderful visiting exhibits, like the Musee National Picasso from Paris. Dan and I went to see that exhibit with good friends a couple weekends ago - Annie is not a modern art fan so we left her at home for that trip to Richmond.
After the art museum we went to a fabulous vegetarian bistro, Fresca, where we shared a pizza and sammy and polished off the meal with an Elvis dessert pizza: chocolate, banana, peanut butter pizza - it was divine!
After that we wandered through Richmond's Carytown (that's not Kerrytown for you astute Ann Arbor readers). Carytown is a trendy shopping area on Cary Street near the VCU campus.

Spring in Billyburg

2011-04-25T09:07:00.005-04:00

Annie is pictured here with Master Dan and Thomas Jefferson on Duke of Gloucester Street (or D.O.G. street). This is part of Merchant Square in Colonial Williamsburg. DOG street is a mile long - it runs from the edge of campus all the way to the Colonial capital and there are no cars allowed so it is a very pedestrian (and dog) friendly street. On Saturdays there is a farmer's market here that some like to consider more of a dog show. They let Annie enjoy the market even though she's nothing but a lil orphan mutt :-).

Out and about in Williamsburg

2010-10-09T19:44:00.002-04:00

Annie is lying on the futon licking her wounds after a devastating loss to the Michigan State Spartans. Besides the depressing Michigan football game Annie was able to enjoy a nice morning walk to historic Colonial Williamsburg. While on our walk Annie became quite upset with me because I didn't have our camera with us. You see, Annie is an extremely big fan of failblog.org and when a man in full colonial garb including a three cornered hat whizzed by on his segway Annie yipped under her breath: "colonial reenactment fail". We shared a good laugh over that one. Other highlights of the walk included hearing General George Washington declare battle against the British - what an exciting day! Lowlights included Annie barking at two Colonial officers on horseback and unsuccessfully chasing a squirrel . . . one of these days she hopes to catch one . . . but until then she's content to dream about catching them in her sleep.

Writer's Block

2010-07-21T18:42:00.002-04:00

Annie has had a severe case of writer's block. As you can see from this photo, it's not for lack of trying. She sits in front of her iMac . . . thinking . . . typing . . . erasing . . . Annie claims she's been busy. Something about her master receiving his PhD, staying out of her masters way as they prepare their condo to be put on sale, vacations, BBQs. "Excuses, excuses" I tell her.

What's my excuse? About the same as Annie's excuses. Dan celebrated his graduation in May with a visit from his siblings, Angie & David, President Barack Obama, and Gabrielle. We now have our condo on the market after cleaning, organizing and many donations to the Salvation Army. Last week we vacationed up North at the Kelly Family Reunion. We also enjoyed a long weekend to visit our future hometown, Williamsburg, in June. In fairness to Annie
I've also posted a photo of Annie and me collaboratively trying to write something. Dear readers, the writer's block hit The Livesay household hard and we apologize profusely to those of you who have been checking here on a daily basis for your Annie fix ;-).

Out of town guests

2010-05-10T12:43:00.008-04:00

Our good friend Betsy Crouch was in town visiting in March. Annie and Betsy LOVE each other! They had lots of fun playing tug of war and snuggling. While Betsy worked from the Livesay home office on Tuesday Annie watched her with rapt attention.

Addendum to dog-friendly spots in Ann Arbor

2010-04-27T16:46:00.003-04:00

Recently I wrote a post about places in Ann Arbor that welcome doggies. I left a few off the list that deserve mention. Iggy, a rescue dog, is master of the house at Serendipity Salon on S. Ashley St. Renay adopted Iggy from near certain death and now Iggy enjoys the high life trotting around the salon and having other pups over to play with him. Last time I was in to get my hair done Annie accompanied and happily spent her time running around the salon chasing Iggy and stealing his toys. A great day to be a dog.

Iggy Pup, Annie's littler mate, is often treated to a trip to Copernicus, a Polish market and deli in the South Main Market. Iggy has learned Polish from Voychek and the Polish ladies who work in Copernicus always dote on little Iggy and give him bits of meat from the deli as a treat. Annie has not yet been over to Copernicus but is anxious to go there soon.

A Trip to the Diag

2010-04-07T17:30:00.002-04:00

My parents and I recently went to a wonderful piano concert featuring Bright Sheng in the UMMA apse. My god-daughter, Maya, Anne and Zully joined us for part of the performance. Afterwards we went to the Diag where we met Dan and Annie. Maya and Annie were both thrilled by the squirrels running wild in the Diag. Annie was a little shy around Maya - she's still a bit weird around children.

A birthday party

2010-04-06T14:13:00.004-04:00

Annie was recently invited to a birthday party in Tecumseh, Michigan. Samantha, a german shepherd mix, and Annie met for the first time and they got along swimmingly. Samantha lives out in the woods along the River Raisin - she and Annie had quite a nice time tromping along the river.
Maybe next time Annie is there for a visit she can have a swim! It was rumored that Schrodinger (aka Schrody), the resident feline companin, was somewhere in the house but Annie got nowhere near her . . . probably for the best!

A Weiner Dinner Party

2010-03-25T15:11:00.006-04:00

A couple weekends ago Annie was invited to a dinner party with two, count them two, dachshunds! Geyser and Lucius (aka Luc) were the dogs of the house. Geyser, a nine-year old dachshund, had just welcomed Lucius, a two-year old dachshund, into his family. Sadly I brought the malfunctioning camera to the soiree and captured no pictures of the doggie romp. Geyser and Annie played chase around the dining table. All in all it was a good night except for Annie's one small set back (an accident of the #1 variety); guess she just wanted to make sure the weiner boys don't forget her anytime soon.

There's another weiner in Annie's life . . . Rebel her dog-cousin in Alaska. Rebel moved from Colorado to Alaska over a year ago and Annie has heard all sorts of stories of Rebel's adventures and can't wait to meet him!

Just the other day Betsy and I ran into another adorable weiner, Clio. Clio is a miniature dach and is so friendly. :-)

Planned Visit with Iggy Pup

2010-03-22T17:51:00.009-04:00

On Sunday Annie was lucky enough to have a lunch date with Rebecca and Iggy Pup at Wurster Park. Iggy and Annie are spoiled by living in the same neighborhood as one another. At the park Annie and Iggy chased each other in leaf piles and made friends with other dogs.

We met two nice ladies, Jane and Trista, who were at the park with their nine-month old pup, Pojke. "Pojke" means "good dog" in Swedish. Pojke is a mix; part Australian cattle dog, a herder, he could run and run and run and run. He ran circles around our puppies.

We also met a Law student who had a four month old beagle mix, June. June was quite shy but very adept at hiding under the bench from the bigger dogs. She showed off her newest trick of high-fiving :-).

The dogs enjoyed their time together immensely. Rebecca and I often couldn't tell the puppies apart, especially when they were in their heap of wriggly puppy battle royales!

It was a fun visit for all dogs involved. Annie went home, found a sunny spot on the floor and took a well-deserved nap . . .

Surprise Visit with Iggy Pup

2010-03-22T17:44:00.003-04:00

On Friday Annie and I went on a walk to the Washtenaw Dairy. When we were walking past the Dairy we ran into Rebecca and Iggy Pup! Annie and Iggy were so excited to see each other. They wrestled and wrestled and basically ignored the rest of the world.

Iggy's neighbor, Amanda, happened to walk by with her dog, Odin, so Odin got in on the doggy sniffing and exploring. All in all it was a great day to be a dog and out on a walk.

Annie's First Vacation

2010-03-13T17:10:00.006-05:00

Annie is on vacation right now. She's in Miami! Miami of Ohio, that is. We're visiting friends, the Firsts, who are professors at the University of Miami.

Allison, Dan, Annie, and I arrived on Friday afternoon and Annie quickly ran around the house sniffing about and trying (unsuccessfully) to play with Tom and Midnight, the First cats. Starting on Friday night it rained cats and dogs all weekend long. Annie had previously experienced snow and ice in her little doggie life but this was her first encounter with rain . . . she was not fond of that “wet dog” smell. The plus side to all the rain for Annie was that it softened her furry coat.

Her Saturday consisted of chasing Samuel, making Samuel cry (by chasing him), chasing the cats, and making the cats hiss (by chasing them). Annie was included in the Wii action when Sara created a doggie mii profile for her. Annie weighed in at 13 lbs but then wasn’t actually allowed to play the video game. Instead she had to entertain herself attacking feathered cat toys to no end.

On Sunday we went to the Hueston State Park and Nature Center. The Nature Center had a 210 lb cougar, Cougie, who had been rescued from a man in Ohio who was keeping him as an exotic pet. Cougie had been declawed by its owner so he couldn’t be released into the wild. Cougie had a pretty sweet set up and when we walked by his massive den he was taking shelter in his wooden house. Annie wasn’t interested in this large cat but she was very keen on the birds of prey and the owls that were being rehabilitated. She was quite curious when she heard her master crowing “whoo whoo” at the great horned owls, but alas our feathered friends did not respond to Dan’s calls.

Annie behaved quite nicely during the four hour road trip. She alternated between sitting on Allison’s lap in the front seat watching the road go by, napping in Allison’s lap, and dozing off in her den in the backseat.

Annie loved Oxford and was supremely thankful to her gracious hosts; Josh, Sara and Samuel!

Dog-Friendly Downtown Ann Arbor

2010-03-13T16:29:00.004-05:00

Annie loves walking through downtown Ann Arbor. She and Dan walk me to work every morning at Pure Visibility. When we're out on the town we look for places that are dog-friendly and we've found quite a few awesome spots. Dogma and Catmantoo on Fourth Avenue is, of course, extremely welcoming to our four-legged friend. Another spot where we've made friends is the new Pot and Box gardening shop on Felch Street. Megan, Annie and I went for their Grand Opening and were told that the owner, Lisa, has a friendly black lab. Annie looks forward to going back soon! Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams' Three Chairs Co and their signature store on Ashley are both pet-friendly. We have fun going in and looking at the beautiful furniture while Annie sniffs around. The best spot we've found so far is the AnnArbor.com meeting place on Liberty and Fifth Avenue. Not only are pups welcome but they also have free wireless and a comfy space to hang out, read or relax in.

The coolest thing that we've done on walks with Annie is when we go to the parks around the Old West Side. We go to Wurster Park on Madison and if no kids are on the playground then we'll let Annie go on the playground equipment and we'll have her run through it as though it's an obstacle course. It's awesome to see how quickly Annie got over her fear of running across the bridge and up the metal stairs. Dan and I were thrilled when Annie went down the slide. What a brave puppy!

Annie at the Movies

2010-03-04T14:07:00.004-05:00

It’s that time of year again. Time for winter’s icy grip to loosen for the spring thaw, as we indulge in our most debauched and ribald fantasies, slaves to nature’s immortal code.

It’s also Oscar time! I thought I’d rundown my picks in the Best Picture category, for those of you who weren’t able to make it to the theaters.

First up is Joel and Ethan Coen’s "A Serious Man." A semi-autobiographical tale of the brothers’ childhood growing up Jewish in suburban Minnesota, the film is one of their best in years. I was confused at first by its title, as the ticket boy told me that it was a comedy, but then I remembered that the Coens’ sense of humor is less like "The Big Bang Theory," and more like "The Big Bang Theory Without a Laugh Track." Wanting everyone sitting next to me to know that I was "hip" to the subtle comedy, and "in on the gag," I made sure to laugh at everything remotely approximating a joke. I howled with laughter every time the actors made a dry delivery of innocuous dialogue. The rest of the audience was right there with me, with some people shouting, "Shhhhhhh," and "Quiet down" at the hysterical dead-pan. That’s what’s great about living in a liberal college-town like Ann Arbor: we are all finely-attuned to anti-humor, and able to appreciate its hilarity the instant we see it. When we left the theater, everyone seemed abuzz about what they had just watched. I heard one woman proclaim, "That howling dog really ruined the movie." Someone else said, "I don’t think the dog got it," to which his friend responded, "Her strained laughter came across as vaguely anti-Semitic." I wasn’t exactly sure what part of the movie they were referencing, but I did take a brief nap mid-way through, so maybe I missed something. For the most part, though, the movie did a great job of keeping my attention. I was only distracted twice by garbage on the floor, and spent no more than six minutes gnawing on my paws. "A Serious Man," is a serious contender for best picture, but it is devoid of the most basic components of dramatic plot. Couldn’t the Coens have thrown in even a token reference to squirrels running up trees, leaves blowing across the street, or other dogs’ rear-ends? Better luck next time, guys.

Next is James Cameron’s "Avatar." This film has received a lot of press, mostly about its expense, coming in at nearly $500 million. With no conception of human money, I asked my masters to explain that sum. They said that for the same price, I could eat 456,621 rawhide bones each day for a year. You can imagine how excited I was to see it! Avatar is a visual masterpiece, but as many of you know, it’s very long. I took five naps during it, spent three minutes growling at a carton of "Milk Duds," and licked myself throughout most of the film’s second act. Needless to say, I was a bit distracted. From what I could pick up, though, the movie is about a race of blue people called the Na’zi. The Na’zis are very connected with the earth, and can fly on pterodactyls. I was so excited watching them swoop around, that I yelled out "I LOVE THE NA’ZIS!" during the final fight sequence. Apparently the theater is very strict about staying quiet, as I was immediately escorted out. Licking my proverbial wounds outside the theater, I received ovations of support by a pack of Samoyeds who gave me some pamphlets to read about "mongrels." Cameron’s use of animals gives him a leg up over the Coens in the Oscar hunt, but a similar lack of concern for wagging tails and dirty underwear plagued the movie. I won’t "Avatarnish" the film’s reputation, but it is not this year’s best.

Quentin Tarantino also examines Na’zis in his movie, "Inglourious Basterds." As a "basterd" myself – I got your stinkin’ "papers" right here AKC! – I was itching to see Tarantino’s new offering. Unlike in Cameron’s film, these Na’zis aren’t blue – but red…with blood. It was a highly visceral movie, which many of my animal companions will enjoy, punctuated with a number of scenes containing milk – a nod to all feline friends. I liked this film a lot, particularly because it reminded me of a German Shepherd I once dated back in college. The interracial couple at the movie’s end brought me back to those wild days. However, I left the film more confused than ever; these Na’zis are a complex bunch. When I remarked to a stranger as we cleared the aisles, "I guess the Na’zis weren’t so good after all," I was met with only an awkward silence. However, I would still recommend this film to my doggy comrades, and it’s my pick for Best Picture.

Kathryn Bigelow’s "The Hurt Locker," keeps things real by letting us not forget about the Iraq War (thank God that whole mess is finally over). Focusing on a bomb-disposal squad being replaced by robotic diffusers, "The Hurt Locker" is a middle-class fantasy about blue-collar specialization, and the longing for a prelapsarian world of manual labor in the face of increasing industrial technology and business outsourcing…or something. For the purposes of full disclosure, I must admit that I have a personal history with such issues. The army turned me away from its bomb-disposal unit, due to my inability to distinguish color. I tried joining the less-prestigious "sniffer squad," but routine squabbles with a hot-shot Weimaraner sank my career. Nevertheless, the chaps in the 172nd's "Ole-Factory Fighters" division shouldn’t be forgotten. Shame on you Ms. Bigelow for failing to include them in your story.

Many people stop me in the street to talk about Pixar’s animated movie "Up," certain that I loved it. Unlike the other films reviewed here, "Up" contains many scenes with dogs. While I appreciate the effort, I must take umbrage at the depictions. "Up" can only be described as canine minstrelsy, seeking to portray us as either villainous attackers, or comical dupes. I noticed, when reading the credits, that not a single dog was consulted in the making of the picture. We’ve come a long way, but we have much further to go.

I didn’t see any of the rest of the movies nominated for Best Picture, so I’ll give you a rundown of what some of the other blogs are saying.

"An Education" received low marks from an ocelot’s blog. The ocelot complained that the film did not portray enough fur that resembled that of a Clouded Leopard or Jaguar.

A marmoset’s blog panned "Up in the Air" for not addressing family groups of 3 to 15, consisting of one to two breeding females, an unrelated male, their offspring and occasionally extended family members and unrelated individuals.

Wilfrid Priest gave a "thumbs down" to "Precious" for not including any characters who were Honorary Fellows of Queen's College, University of Melbourne.

Flaxton Railway Station criticized "The Blind Side" for its utter lack of mentioning the York to Scarborough Line, but praised "District 9" for its fair treatment of the York and North Midland Railway.

I hope you enjoyed my guide to this year’s Best Picture Nominees. Until next time, see you at the movies!!!

An Ode to Sticks and Leaves

2010-02-25T11:08:00.000-05:00

by Annie

O sticks and leaves
Thy earthiness and crunch
With fresh snow weaves
A delectable lunch
No flower shall be spared
No bush left unchewed
By my nibbling jaws
All for myself; nothing shared
Though I hate to be rude
These treats are for only my paws

Annie the Sledding Dog

2010-02-23T12:06:00.004-05:00

Annie has been enjoying the Vancouver Olympics at home with Dan and me. Last night she wanted to get back out in the snow (a fresh 8 inches of pow) and try her paw at more winter activities.

She's already proven herself at skating and hockey so we thought she might like to try out luge or "sledding at Slauson Hill".

Dan, Annie Pup and I met up with Megan, Craig, and Brent for some serious night-time sledding. Annie was hesitant to get on a sled with anyone but she loved chasing after the sledders up and down the hill, up and down the hill, she even made new friends running after the local kids racing down the hill.

Dan took Annie down for a ride and let's just say that Annie probably won't be the best Luge teammate . . . so don't expect to see her in Sochi, Russia in 2014. Unless there's an opening on an ice-dancing team for a puppy skating mascot . . .

New Annie Photos

2010-02-20T13:28:00.001-05:00

Annie capturing the light
Annie's out of breath from chasing her tail
"Yawn . . . I'll catch you one day tail!"

must . . . nap . . . in . . . the . . . sunny . . . spot . . . now . . .

"Finding" our dog . . .

2010-02-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

I've wanted a dog my whole life. I dog-sit, I pet strangers' dogs, I drool over puppies and I read dog books all in the name of my canine love.

Dan and I have been discussing adding a dog to our family for a while, so I would often surf the Humane Society of Huron Valley's site looking at dogs seeking for a "forever" home. This past December I was admiring a friend's FaceBook photos of her adorable new pup, Iggy. Rebecca referred me to Petfinder where I could see Iggy's sister Jessy (aka Annie).

I went to the link to check out little Jessy and from the moment I saw her little puppy face, puppy paws and floppy ears I knew I wanted to our home to be her "forever" home . . .

The adoption process has been amazing and the rescue center, Homeward Bound Rescue, does a terrific job.

Annie and Friends

2010-02-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Thursday is "A day in the life of Annie" so I'll let her take over now . . .

Thanks Mary. Wittgenstein once wrote that "if a lion could talk, we could not understand him." Yet the great philosopher remained silent on the issue of dogs, and blog posts. So if you're confused about my internet intelligence, then mouse here to have your mind blown.

I thought I would take you on a brief tour of my daily eating routine. Much like the French, I live to eat. In fact, I'm known as a bit of a gourmand in the neighborhood. Consequently, I'm not immune to the hottest fads in the culinary world. Everyone knows that bacon IS IN!!! Now, Daniel Boulud may insist that this is only a recent trend, but everyone knows that dogs founded the bacon craze. Hoping to nosh on some retro tastes, I asked my parents to buy me Beggin' Strips. Turns out that Wittgenstein was on to something. So instead, I'm resigned to kibble. To paraphrase Q-Tip: "Kibble for lunch; kibble for dinner; kibble, kibble, kibble, I'm a paw-lickin' winner." However, I am occasionally allowed to indulge in a bull's dried nether-regions, so it's all good.

Annie the Hockey Dog

2010-02-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

Dan, Annie and I are house-sitting right now for BB and Oreo. BB and Oreo have a frozen pond in their backyard that their owners clear for skating! Score for Dan and his skates and double-score for watching Annie biff it on the ice. She looks like Bambi out there.

Dan invented a fun game for Annie on the ice. He makes snowballs then throws them on the ice for her to run after, leap on, and generally attack until they no longer exist. He made a little YouTube video of Annie the Hockey Dog in action!

Annie's First night at home

2010-02-13T09:37:00.000-05:00

As we drove off with Annie in my arms Dan and I realized we needed "stuff" for her . . .

We didn't have anything for her!

We stopped at the Petco in Canton and bought food, bully sticks, a leash, a collar, a toy and a kennel.

Our friends Erika, Tim and Gracie the pug gave us all sorts of cool doggie gifts that we didn't know we needed but now can't live without!

When we finally got her home we played and then Dan and Annie fell asleep in snuggle mode on the couch while I packed for our trip the next day to Colorado . . .

Annie and her Littermates

2010-02-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

Annie was in a litter of three that was rescued from a puppy mill in Kentucky. She and the other pups were "accidents" their mother was a Miniature Schnauzer that got impregnated by a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel . . . oops!

Puppy mills usually like to only produce pure bred pups to sell in pet shops. So these mutts were of no use to them. That's where Homeward Bound Rescue in Canton, MI came in. Homeward Bound rescued the three puppies.

Our friend, Rebecca Carol, adopted "Louie" aka Iggy Pup and then told us about little "Jessy" aka Annie. Annie was being fostered in Canton with Anne and 3 other puppies! Wow-ee! There were a lot of cute pups running around that house when we first arrived.

Annie was the sweetest though and an amazing mix of my favorite (Cavalier) and Dan's favorite (Schnauzer) breeds - it was fate!

So we took Annie home on December 23rd.

About our dog

2010-02-13T09:24:00.001-05:00

My husband and I adopted our puppy, Annie, on December 23rd, 2009. She's a mutt: part Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and part Miniature Schnauzer. She was born on October 14th, 2009. This blog is about raising a puppy in Ann Arbor, MI.