What’s a girl to do when she has been moved to a new location – hours ahead of dinner time and finds herself alone in an area with lots of shopping areas to walk through?
She goes a-walkin’!!
I tried to get closer to the birds on the little pond by the hotel…but with each step I took to get closer, they took three to get farther….so I eventually stopped and shot from where I was.
Egrets? Herons?
What are these guys? They are so pretty to watch, and I loved the reflection in the water. Water reflection = cool in my book!
The sun was out---perfect for walking in a short sleeved t-shirt with a denim shirt thrown over it –PERFECT January weather!
As I crossed the street, I came across the silhouette of a live oak tree…gnarly in all its massiveness, and out came the camera again:
It's got a certain amount of Picasso-esque, doesn't it?
If I were an art quilter, I would do something with this…the swirling wisps of clouds, the radiating ball of sunlight behind the branches backlighting the twisted branches…..and can you see the one palm tree next to the oak to the right of the tree? COOL Photo!
I know you can't tell -- but this was in a Lowe's parking lot. Never know where cool photo ops will be found.
Further down the road in a plaza that held a super target, a dollar tree and some other chains….was a pet store. With a sign that said PUPPIES!!
OH BOY!
I came in to play foster-mom for a while!
Don’t you want to take me home?
What a sweet little English Bull Dog girl she is!!
Look at those feet! LOL!
Tugga-Tugga! Who’s going to win this match?
This little dachsie found himself pinned beneath a cockapoo!
Did I want to play with him? Why YES! I had time to kill and who could resist some puppy snuggles and nibbles and puppy-breath kisses!
Oh, LOVE!!!
It’s a good thing my luggage is at weight limits! This little guy is only 9 weeks old and was as sweet as could be!
Bye bye, sweetness! I’m sure you’ll find your fur-ever family soon!
Before anyone emails me and rants about puppy mills, etc etc – this is a reputable chain and they had all kinds of AKC inspections and info posted all over the place. I am not condoning the existence of puppy mills – I just know that I had a little extra love to give and a little extra time to share, and it did my heart good to go in and play with the puppies.
I’m here in Sarasota –Just returned from dinner to find a sweet featherweight had been dropped off at the front desk for my use while I’m here!
Let the evening sewing fest begin!
And just a heads up ----
You will NOT want to miss tomorrow morning’s blog post. I’ve got a special give-away to kick off, and it’s a great one!
From the way they carry themselves, those birds look like spoonbills. Do they have long pink beaks with a flat, well, spoon-shaped end? Spoonbills act very much like miniature flamingos.
ReplyDeleteSnowy egrets tend to stay up on the grass rather than wade, and they have a tassely sort of feather at the top of their tail. Egrets have long skinny dark beaks.
Oh my gosh, don't think I could have resisted that sweet little bully!
ReplyDeleteAw...nothing like puppies! Love the white and black mini schnauzers. And not up on my southern birds so can't help you there...everything looks like a stork to me when they have long legs, lol! Enjoy your evening!
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking the birds were spoonbills, or white ibis if the bills curved down a bit with no flat part. And those puppies are too cute!
ReplyDeleteThat was such a cute little puppy! I would call it Puppy Love as well!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could have left that pet store without one of those little guys! So darn sweet! Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteA bit hard to tell from that distance/angle, but they look like white ibis.
ReplyDeleteAwe what a sweet story. Thanks for sharing . Have a great evening.
ReplyDeleteThose puppies are adorable! The pups can't help where they are from, they just need to be loved. I know they enjoyed your visit and hated for you to go. Good for you for taking time for them!
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie, Looks like a grand time for all. again. Look forward to your posts each day. Have often thought about your photos in terms of an art quilt. Yes, I am into making art quilts as well as pieced quilts. Am now putting my blocks together for the king size Celtic Solstice and I love it just as I do the past ones. What I would like to ask is for permission to use your live oak photo for the basis for an art piece. I think my email is embed in this post. If not post a reply and I will get it to you. Thanks in advance. Get back to me ONLY when convenient for you.
ReplyDeleteNot going to rant at you about puppy mills, just a little education. :) AKC does not inspect puppy mills or pet stores. The USDA does (the same government organization that puts grades on your steaks -- prime, choice, select, etc. The USDA has very low standards for puppy mills. Last of all, reputable pet stores do not sell puppies.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the puppies are cute, it's easy to fall for them :)
Very few things smell better than sweet puppy breath!! Love it! Baby breath is another favorite! Glad you had a nice time in Florida!!
ReplyDeleteWell, Bonnie, I just finished putting the green edging on my Celtic Solstice Quilt. What a treat to see the entire quilt top pressed and folded nicely on the ironing table. There are a few points that don't quite meet but there are so many and I pretty much a novice. This was fun. Thank you so much. Glad you had time to stop and pet the puppies. Betsy W from Hereford AZ
ReplyDeleteAs long as those puppies get to go to a good home, I'm not too bothered where they came from. They are so darn cute. Happy sewing.
ReplyDeletePuppy watching is better than people watching in my book. They can be so funny! And regardless of the breed, it seems a puppy is adorable.
ReplyDeleteWith your busy schedule I'm surprised you don't take the time to put your feet up. I admire your stamina.
Great pics. Loved the puppies and the tree . Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeletewhat a sweet thing to wake up to this morning puppies. Adorable. Have a great day. I am off to sew with friends today.
ReplyDeleteThe waterbirds could be ibises. They are very common in Florida and look similar to egrets and small herons. I've lived in SoFla for 18 years and I can't tell the three species apart if they're white (and small in the case of the herons), so I tend to call all of them ibises. They don't seem to mind. :)
ReplyDeleteGood thing I don't live closer, that little English Bull dog with the black eye just stole my heart! I love to play with puppies and so miss my black lab/rotty mix who was onary to the core and some of her facial expressions were so comical! But, I don't miss the early morning walks in below freezing wind and snow! She always wanted to PLAY instead of taking care of business and I was freezing and she didn't care! But, I miss her all the same!
ReplyDeleteThose are cattle egrets
ReplyDeleteAll the pups looked bright eyed and bushy tailed to me, don't know how you could walk in there a not fall head over heals for one. I fostered a pair of stray dogs only for the female to present me with 6 pups. One sadly died but I got four rehomed and kept one for myself and she has us wrapped around her little paw.
ReplyDelete