I Like Thursday #94

L to R, yours truly, Diann from little Penguin quilts and Sharon Engel, award winning quiltmaker

Welcome to this week's list of likes. Let's start with meeting up with friends!
Through blogging, I have met some mighty fine and fun people, and here are two of them.
The picture was taken by Sharon's husband at the outdoor quilt show this past weekend in Berthoud, Colorado.

We three, Drew Milo and I headed north to the town of Berthoud. It was known in 1900 as a town to help one heal lung conditions, and is now known as a flower center. This show was small but nice in a shady park.

I've never been to Sisters Oregon but it was terrific to see quilts hanging in nature.
Diann blogs from littlepenguinquilts.  We met she and her husband on a trip to Boulder last Spring and have a lot in common. She's so easy to be friends with! We walked around looking at lovely work, some we'd like to try, some we just admired.
Sharon is an award winning quilter, freshly back from Paducah show where one of her recent quilts was shown. What a fun person to know! She was with her husband and daughter, and we all got along famously! Sharon has jollied me along this move, listening and making me laugh when I was closer to tears!

Milo makes a friend

Milo gave them both two paws up!

I liked this santa quilt, and several made with repro feedsacks...as well as this modern flower...

great way to use large blocks!
Tired? When we all went separate ways mid day, we continued on to town for a rest

and a bite of lunch amid lush flowers

it was cooked on this... just kidding!

cool outdoor gas stove from days gone by. I like a gas stove but....

I had fun looking thru an outdoor antique store after lunch... remind you of the 60's?

 fancy french cookware from some fancy restaurant I guess...

a few vintage gnomes...  Kind of wanted the rolling trays below

hard work for some...

a small pail with rollers attached

and playtime for others

I love looking at items from years ago, wondering what the people were like that held them
I like old homes too, especially this little house now a barber shop...

Who lived there???
look closely... think it's haunted?

 Now this seems to remind you of time gone by, repairing a clock instead of buying a new one

I love alleyways... behind old homes are cool alleys

We all liked the Italian Ices

Mine was creamsicle  YUM, my favorite flavor of popsicle growing up! Drew got Mango, and Milo had some of each, declaring, well I'll let him tell you
MILO: " is this what you've both been eating while I have kibble?!!! Wha'  the heck! And why didn't you get me one? Not one of the kid size y'all got, I mean POODLE sized? What are you thinking..."

ER, maybe we won't let Milo speak at the moment... I've heard people say they wonder what their dog is thinking... not me... from what I hear in my mind already.
I'll finish my likes with this flamingo-in-a-stump, of course!

Milo's Moment: I loved being with my pawrents and meeting new friends and Aunties! 
I like the sweet icy stuff, and watching kids at the pool...

they won't let me swim... that's profiling at it's worst. I never pee in a pool.

I like shade, and will on occasion pee on these kinds of bushes

LeeAnna's likes... sunset colored roses!!!

Gosh Mama! You had your turn... just because you forgot... okay she also loved the way this tree was trimmed...

and because I love her, I'll let her jump in my post!
Now, stay! clickety click on her links to friends also keeping it pawsitive today!



  http://sandysnowden.blogspot.co.uk/ 
  http://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
.maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com
.http://littlepenguinquilts
.https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/  

 .http://homesewnbyus
http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/
https://grammasquiltingroom.blogspot.com/
craftscaviescontras

https://tentoesinthewater.blogspot.com/
http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com/
 minousminute.blogspot.com


linking to some of these
https://comedy-plus.com/ Awe Mondays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
http://abcwednesday
Our World Tuesday
Travel_Tuesday  Our World Tuesday
Travel_Tuesday 
  http://sky watch Fridays
http://asoutherndaydreamer
Thankful Thursdays pet parade
http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/
http://shabbyartboutique.com
willy nilly Friday (random images)
habbyartboutique fridays

Colorado pet visits

On our recent trip to Colorado we had lots and lots of fun pet meetings, from puppies to dragons.
This little girl was Laila, a doodle meeting up with her peeps at puppy play sessions in Broomfield CO. I sure wish we had these controlled play sessions in MD as we are set to get our new poodlepup in a month.

We left our hotel Sat morning headed to see this group and learned a lot from the people while remembering what it's like to have a wee doggie. Better have another cup of coffee. Do you have puppy groups where you live, just for the purpose of good play in a safe place?

We landed in Denver on Friday night and headed for Monika and Sam's place for some poodle time.

They met me at the door with lots of pets,
"She really needed a poodlepet", said Sam
"I liked her" said Elsa, "She smelled like Salmon"
I forgot to pack their bones so I brought them salmon left from my dinner plate.
(I'm not above buying friends) (I know a poodle's love of fish)

Sooooooooo
"are you going to eat every last crumb of that homemade chocolate cookie Mr. Drew???"said Sam while Elsa just made herself visible to help with clean up.

These two were as loving and beautiful as you expect them to be and more. Monika and Wayne take such good care of them.




What a beautiful family and we had a great time laughing and talking.
While Drew and Wayne played guitars, Monika and I went to her studio (her tour next week!)

Huh?!?!  you ate it ALL???

Monika and the two poodle tour guides showed me the creative place where Monika paints, felts, makes glittery and papery art as well as concocts her healing salves and yummy dog treats. 

All too soon for me, it was time to go check in at our hotel and we said our farewells

 "Sigh... must you go?"

We were able to schedule one more evening together on our short 5 day visit but rain and traffic interrupted the planned dinner. Still Monika and Wayne forgave our tardiness and we spent another evening of lively conversation over dinner at their place.

On Saturday we were able to see Mary, Ben and Paul's refinished home in downtown Boulder. Lovely! It comes with their cat Fetcher who greeted us warmly.

While we stood outside getting our bearings, several neighbors walked by and asked "is that your cat? We love him!" I mean, Fetcher is so social everyone loves him. He's so social Mary and Ben ran into him at a neighbor's house up the hill when they went for a party once! The kids at that house introduced them to their own cat by saying, "and this is our cat!"

I finally got to meet Spikey who's activities I follow on Mary's blog. The unaware might not realize how connected this kind of pet can be but he followed me with his head and eyes, and I got to watch him catch dinner (crickets)
SNATCH!
GOBBLE!

and am told by Paul, he feels quite soft, the spikes feel more like feathers! He is a glorious color and incredibly interesting to me. I don't know why, but I could watch him for hours. It feels primal.

There are no lack of dogs in Downtown Boulder. I almost got my fill, if possible! I loved one musician's puppy who mostly stayed in the open guitar case while his dad played.

we even spotted this bear.... at Celestial Seasonings Factory showroom!
 Just outside the factory are large open fields of prairie dogs. There is a bit of a struggle going on between developers and nature advocates on this issue of prairie dogs.
Having no dog in this fight, ahem, just a figure of speech, I enjoyed watching them scamper freely about.

There are real bear, mountain lions, snakes, and assorted other wildlife sharing everyday life in Colorado.
People are aware and respectful of nature here.
I love that.
I'm not sure how people began to think they were the only important part of nature, but we should wake up and realize we are only a small part, and do the most damage.

We're going to miss clean air and water when it's gone.

(the quote says:
"The present never ages. Each moment is like a snowflake, unique, unspoiled, unrepeatable, and can be appreciated in it's surprisingness" Gail Sheehy

We went up into the mountains on Chautaugua and in Estes (rocky mountain national park) but did not spot wildlife as it is still a bit early for many animals. It's been warmer than usual however so we heard bears and others were already waking. I only saw horses, cows, and I pined for an alpaca.


I may have decided to find a home on 2 acres if we do move here, so I can have a small pack of two alpacas, a poodle and two persons.

linking to among others http://abcwednesday
http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/
saturdays-critters- 

It's good to have friends...

Recently while on a mini vacation in Connecticut, Cole met this little puppy.
Oh he was enthralled!
Puppy bow! Leash tangle! romping, playing, and I swear he was laughing.

My first inclination was to stop him, so he wouldn't get hurt.

Then I realized, I have to let him have fun even if he might get hurt.
Wow.

I'm mostly about "protect"  especially in these last days. I want to keep him as well as possible. But life is for living. Cole has a need to play as well as survive. I have to let go, let him do what he likes. This was a hard exercise for me.

He was sore from the bowing, but happy for having been free to play.
There is a big lesson here for me.
Ain't it grand to learn from your dog???

In our neighborhood there is a woman named Pat. Cole LOVES Pat. If there is a remote chance she's out in the yard, he senses it and nothing will do but we go to the end of her cul de sac and say hello. She drops everything to have a moment with my boy. Bless her.

On this day he got two for one as his schnoodle friend Zoey was walking by.

Cole: I KNEW she was outside, Momma!! I told you! And she needed to be petted! And maybe a stinky little kiss too

And one for Zoey because she's just cute as a button!

There! All kissed. I even went over to Zoey's dad and kissed his knee.

I have my favorite people in the 'hood. I don't get to visit every day but when I do, it's grand!
I just have some favorites. There's the woman who rides her bike and always stops to pet me. She used to have poodles. There's Miss Maria (and her guy Mike and her Mom Evelyn) that I could visit every day.
Mr. Mike and Hayley. (Mr. Mike smokes cigars and I want to smoke cigars but momma says I'm too young)

There's my friend Oliver ...

Those legs belong to his mom Bonnie. I love her.

Oliver has a great sense of humor. What a kidder, he always barks right in my face when we meet but I know he's teasing.

Man! I could tell you about our pee-ing adventures.
I always let Oliver walk ahead and pee last.




Wish I had a picture of my great friend Mr. Paul.
He has such a big heart and love for dogs. His dog Rocky is a black lab... I always wanted a black lab for my birthday.

Mr Paul is so nice. He always gives me the best pets. He doesn't mind when I jump up to "get his nose" (I could just eat him up he's so sweet) and he always tells Momma not to worry about it, he doesn't care if I get dirt on him.

Yep, there are days when I could just hang out and watch for friends. Of course you know to have friends you must be a friend. I am Very willing to be friends...
Now, everyone one reading this go out and pet a dog today in my honor!
 Love, Cole

Cole's walkabout... in Connecticut!

Cole here to tell you about my recent trip to Connecticut.
It all started when the parental units wanted to go somewhere to escape the neighborhood mosquito spraying (that happens every three weeks) Off we went for a "ride in the car" Whee! Uninterrupted time with the peeps! There are just so many stories and pictures it may take several posts to show you all the fun we had.

The picture above is of we three at the country's oldest Rose Garden Elizabeth Park.
Momma went cuckoo! Darting all around while Dad and I tried to stay to the shade.

Why look y'all! Ice cream! I could use a scoop how about you two?
Daddy brought back a dish for them and one for me.

mmmmph, lick, lick, mmmm... mine's gone! You two still have some, that means you had more!

I want more!

anyway, we rested in this cool gazebo in the middle of all the roses while Momma ran around like a puppy.
She'll show those shots later... it's my turn at the blog now heh heh.

No matter where I go the paparazzi find me.

I was cooling my jets on my blanket when a newspaper person took my picture...lots of them!

How nice! She obviously enjoyed my stories! Smart cookie!
She recognized me as a....

This nook had lots of cool titles with which to take a picture

         Sagacious Thinker
Momma read that some people think poodles are the second smartest breed. She questioned that. Border Collies who came in first, are just more obedient. They blindly obey commands so some people think they are the smartest.

 The poodle understands all the commands too, and all the other stuff their people talk about.
We just think about it, and decide if we want to obey... that makes us the smartest.

Lots more stories of the trip to come. Shopping trips. Old towns. Inspiration and art. Y'all come back, ya hear!

Cole's walkabout on Memorial Day

Hi y'all
Cole here again for this week's installment of Walks with Poodle
My peeps said, "let's do our walk this morning in Annapolis!" and I'm always up for an adventure! When we got down there, I realized it was hot so I suggested (rather strongly) that we jump on this cute pink scooter for our walk.
Great idea right? They were all, no Cole, it belongs to someone else
Like that person wouldn't be happy to see a poodle on a scooter!

I got Momma to take some "Red, white, and blue" pictures in honor of Memorial Day.

On historic homes in Annapolis they assign plaques by color according to their age. 
And the cadets just graduated so the city decorated for them. 

 

 LeeAnna here: I LOVED this wreath, don't you? A number of the historic homes have turned into bed and breakfast inns as has this one. Don't know if they allow dogs. 

When is the last time you saw an outside mailbox like this? Every time we walk around downtown I make sure to notice details in architecture, decorations, or details. Life is in the details you know.

Red curb, white street, blue mailbox...






There are always lots of flower displays around

Subtle Red White and Blue.
Cole here, now that the momma is finally done yakking...
Back to me! After we looked around, listened to guitar players on the harbor, saw lots of dogs, and did I mention it was hot? We went to Momma's fave store and while she shopped, I greeted lots of visitors.  

These girls were VERY polite. They obviously speak dog. They waited til I put my head under their hands and invited them to adore me. I knew they wanted to from their "awwwe" noises. I don't like little kids running up to my face but nice quiet girls are the best. 

You dogs out there get it right? It's challenging to train humans as they are pretty hard headed, but once they learn how to be polite they are a joy to pet.