My dog, Tesla, loves to sing along to music. She especially likes harmonica music. Here’s her version of Jingle Bells.
You may not be able to hear it very well in the background, but here’s who Tesla was singing along with. This talented musician plays 10 Christmas carols in 5 minutes.
May music find its way into your holiday celebrations.
Where words fail, music speaks.
Hans Christian Andersen
To help celebrate the holidays this year, I’m sharing two pieces – a sheepdog & pine basket. I painted this Old English sheepdog on a rock for a friend. Doesn’t it look comfortable? This breed’s fluffy coat makes them appear much bigger than they are.
I’m portraying this rock on a small pine needle basket that I usually display on a wall. Though I’ve made pine needle baskets before, I didn’t make this one.
This piece was in an antique store so I don’t know its history. I love the pinwheel pattern in the center. Some unknown artist put a lot of time into creating this basket. Its delicate center, surrounded by the strength of the bundled pine needles, is tied together with radiating lines of tiny stitches.
Hope you liked my sheepdog & pine basket artwork this month. Do you have artwork you would like to share? Include a First Friday Art tag on your post.
Rockridge Park, in northeast Bend, is a nice place for walks and more. Bend Park and Recreation preserved features of High Desert habitat in this 36-acre park and added a few unique activities. It’s one of 82 parks in the city.
You’ll see a “forest” of juniper tree trunks near the small parking area. This play area for kids includes black “talk tubes” that connect underground. Primitive cell phones. 😉
I’ve been keeping an eye out for fall foliage and this park had several colorful trees. The maple trees are beginning to turn red and the paper birch leaves are turning a lovely shade of gold.
The trails in this park include a paved one-mile+ trail and more than a mile of unpaved bike trails. The beginner and intermediate bike trails include boardwalks and other obstacles.
There are several comfortable benches along the trails.
The playground is located along the southern edge of the park. There’s a 9-hole disc golf course in another section.
This park also has an 11,000-square foot skatepark with a curving “lunar -landscape” design.
For those of you with canine companions, Rockridge Park is a good place for a SASS walk. Stop And Smell Stuff!
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – A Photo Walk
I saw these encouraging words while walking my dog in a local park. I shared words seen on another walk on Hopeful words seen on my walk.
These words were drawn onto a curving section of the path. In these times of uncertainty, it was nice to see that someone took the time to brighten our days.
In this last image, the cheerful yellow blossoms of the rabbitbrush, contrasting with the pink chalk heart, stand out best in color.
Monochrome Monday
Monochrome Monday
I’m treasuring Friday flowers with a friend before the weather changes. It was warm and sunny here yesterday but snow is predicted this weekend. The weather in the high desert is always interesting. 😁
Friday Flowers
This post shows peaceful pets at rest in our home. Yes, they can be very active, but these pictures focus on their time asleep.
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France
Our cat, Motor, was very happy to see I bought a new dog bed. He was the first to try it out.
In this picture, Motor is doing his best imitation of a waterfall. Kitty can’t bear to watch this cliffhanger.
She likes to sleep on top of the warm computer tower. Sometimes Kitty sleeps so soundly she rolls right off.
This is the expression she gave me when she learned I bought a new camera. I think she was less than thrilled.
Our peaceful pets get along well. Tesla and Kitty sometimes sleep on the same bed.
Kitty is a Pixie-Bob cat. This breed is known for its “dog-like personality.” She’s taking that part a little too seriously in this picture.
Kitty, like other Pixie-Bobs, loves to play fetch. Pixie-Bobs can also be trained to walk on a leash.
Tesla, the dog, gives a big smile as she rests in front of Tesla, the car. Like her namesake, she can run fast and last a long time on a charge.
Our new dog is named “Shelby.” Both of our dogs are rescue dogs. Tesla is in the process of showing Shelby how to be a dog.
After that lesson, she got the hang of it!
I think sometimes the best training is to rest.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Precious Pets
This mural is by husband and wife artists Paul Alan Bennett and Carolyn Platt. Can you see why I titled this post Dog Art+? One of those “dogs” looks a little different.
Here in Bend, we are into dogs so it only makes sense they are featured in our public art. We have many dog-friendly businesses and plenty of trails to hike with your four-footed friends.
It’s been a while since I walked one of my favorite short trails in Bend, Oregon . The flower border along the Mill A Loop trail is spectacular right now. Even my dog had to stop and smell the roses.
Friday Flowers
We adopted our dog, Tesla, a year ago and she is a sweet mutt. She was at a local Humane Society shelter as a young puppy as part of a litter of ten. Each puppy in this litter from Warm Springs, Oregon was given a temporary name that started with a “C.” A loving family adopted her and gave her a new name. Unfortunately, they had to return her due to their circumstances. We drove an hour through a snowstorm and walked into the shelter in Madras a half an hour after she was dropped off. She was stressed out and nervous when we met her but we knew she was the one for us.
She is a Heinz 57 mix of breeds with a very sweet personality. Tesla was a star student in her obedience class. As you can probably tell from the photos, she is kind of goofy. She likes to play with her toys while standing on her head. Her ears are sometimes up, sometimes down, or sometimes one is up while the other is down. Tesla still loves to chase her very long tail – even though she is almost two-years old.
I recently saw the kid’s movie “Coco” and Tesla really reminded me of the dog, Dante, featured in the film. It was a good movie with wonderful animation. In the movie, the dog ends up being more important than he first appears to be. Here’s a short video about the dog in the movie. Dante’s Lunch – A Short Tail
Why the name Tesla? One reason is she is very fast. Here’s a short video of her in action. She LOVES to play outside!
Our dog has had three names in her short life but has found her forever home with us. Please consider adopting from a shelter if you are looking for a new best friend. To find a shelter near you, go to The Shelter Project.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Sweet
Saw lots of beautiful flowers while out walking my dog this morning.
