Pet Creek

Woof to Woof

2011-10-18T20:22:00.002+08:00

After putting much thought on the word 'Evolve', I decided to write about how Clifford has 'evolved' over time.
He started off as a puppy.

Above is a picture of Clifford I took this morning.
He is now a big dog.
I dug out his old photos to make comparisons on how much he has 'evolved'.
Hmmm....He used to be fat, now he is fatter.

The above collage consists of photos when Clifford was only 3 days of age up to 5 weeks old.
His nose was flat then.
Then it got sharper and much longer.
I am suddenly reminded of Pinocchio's Theory.
Clifford tells me that he adores me.
Should I take his word?

He used to like sleeping on his water bowl, surrounded by flower pots when he was tiny.
He still does that now but in a more acceptable posture.

Clifford looked odd with a hibiscus oh his head when he was tiny.
He still looks odd with a hibiscus on his neck today.

I enjoy watching Clifford in this cheeky position.
As I was looking at the old photos, I realized that he has been doing this all the time.
Now, what has 'evolved' apart from his nose?

If you are wondering why the title is such, well, I had initially considered writing about the Evolution of Dogs; from Wolf to Woof. Since I have never taken any photos of Wolves, I have to made do with Woof to Woof.

Let's see others' more meaningful take on the words 'Evolve' or 'Evolution' at GardenWalkGardenTalk.

Linking up with :
Watery Wednesady

Happy Pets

2011-10-01T12:01:00.000+08:00

When are your pets happy?

Pichu is happy to view the garden.

Goldee is happy to feel the garden.

Clifford is happy regardless...

Linking up with :

First of the Month
Camera Critters

Dressing up the Boys for National Day

2011-08-30T15:04:00.000+08:00

Since tomorrow is our National Day, we got ready by Dressing Up the Boys with our National Flower.

Clifford watched Pichu paraded with a bunch of national flowers...a little nervously.

I bet Clifford was relieved that it was finally his turn...

...and that he quickly get over with the ordeal.

My intention was to capture all 3 dogs with our national flower.

I wanted to show that all races celebrate this great day regardless of colours of their skin or fur.

However, Goldee got carried away chasing a squirrel so she is not in the picture.

Yes, the squirrels have arrived in the garden.

Selamat Hari Merdeka!

Check out
Getting Ready for National Day
to see what was behind the scenes.

If you have not seen the Photo Caption for the week, come by to Caption - Fall Colors to leave your caption. Selected captions will be posted next Monday with a link to your respective blogs.

Linking up with :

Flaunt your Flowers

Fabulous Friday

First of the Month with Murrieta365
Live Every Moment

The goal of First of the month is to capture one thing repeatedly on the first of each month.
Over here the one thing or more are my little darlings.

Dog-Tired

2011-08-01T22:07:00.002+08:00

According to Wiktionary, Dog tired is an old English phrase usually hyphenated to dog-tired. An adjectival phrase meaning to be physically exhausted, it derives from an old tale of Alfred the Great who used to send his sons out with his extensive kennels of hunting dogs. Whichever of his sons, be it Athelbrod or Edwin, were able to catch more of the hounds would gain their father's right hand side at the dinner table that evening. These chases would leave them 'dog-tired yet merry at their victory.

Linking up with:
Murrieta 365
ABC Wednesday
C is for Charming Clifford.

W for Wet Watchdog

2011-06-21T23:02:00.004+08:00

The weather was extremely hot and windless.

Too much warmth was trapped in Clifford's black & white woolly fur that he wears daily.

My poor watchdog got weaker with the heat.

He wished and waited for cool water.

Well, his wish was granted under the weeping willow tree!

Watering is a wonderful way to keep my watchdog and the wildlife happy on such warm days.

Clifford wagged and went wild with the water droplets.

Warning

Word of Caution

Be careful what you wish for, it just might come true.

Woof!

The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog.
-Ambrose Bierce

Smiles

2011-06-17T12:21:00.004+08:00

Pichu is a very happy Pomeranian.

Unfortunately, he isn't even aware that he is a dog.

Not only does he thinks he is one of us, he loves to have the last word.

When my 2 kids argued recently, he intercepted and had an entire last paragraph!!!

No one remembered what the argument was about.

Loyal Companion

2011-06-14T18:27:00.009+08:00

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. ~Roger Caras

My dog is giving Onenezz all his support in a Top LOL contest which is ending soon.

Thank you for all the votes.
Kindly continue to vote once a day till June 20, 2011.

Procedure of voting:

1. Click here.

2. Click on 'Login with Facebook' and log in.

3. Word Verify.
4. Click Vote.

We truly appreciate your continuous support.

If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat. ~Author Unknown

Affection

2011-06-10T14:06:00.003+08:00

I imagine all dogs to be affectionate but I was told that it is not the case.

I guess I am just very fortunate to have 3 affectionate dogs.

Nice, Warm Bath

2011-06-08T08:39:00.000+08:00

A good scrub and a nice warm bath...

... is a sure cure for insomnia.

Linking up with Watery Wednesday.

A hair cut usually follows a warm bath.

Is Pichu about to cry?

If you wish to participate in some Caption Game, click on the last photo to join.

Selected captions will be posted on June 13, 2011 with a link to your blog.

Unusual Dog Food

2011-06-03T20:57:00.004+08:00

My dog helps in the weeding by consuming them.

He enjoys soft coconut flesh and juice.

He doesn't mind the husk too.

Croak!

Getting Ready to Travel

2011-05-28T22:07:00.001+08:00

For a dog who loves to hop in the car, seeing a travelling bag on the floor raises hope.

He packs up...

... puts on an adorable smile and says, "I'm ready!"

Tough as a Nail

2011-05-02T07:00:00.005+08:00

The first time I saw my precious Goldee girl foaming at her mouth, I panicked.

I quickly checked the Internet for the possible causes.

I suspected the toad had poisoned her.

We washed Goldee thoroughly and brought the toad to somewhere unreachable.

We watched her closely in case we need to bring her to the veterinarian.

After 3 years of foaming, we could see that she is in no danger.

She enjoys her toad game.

My daughter has rescued many toads but has given up on rescuing them.

They keep coming back.

Maybe the toads enjoy the dog game.

Who knows?

I know some toads can be very poisonous but perhaps not the ones in my garden.

Goldee probably salivate to get rid of the bad toad taste.

I have been worried for nothing.

Goldee is actually as tough as a nail.

This tough Mom has trained her son well so that he could take over her hunting skills.

Come to think of it, the toad is even tougher than a nail.

I have never seen a dead toad in my garden.

This post is dedicated to Rosie whom has given me a mission to capture a photo of 'as tough as a nail'.

It is a game that we are playing; giving out missions to one another.

Murrieta365

Take Me Home

2010-10-11T18:45:00.002+08:00

I was at a dog adoption drive yesterday.

What led me there?

A very kind lady wanted to bring some stray puppies to an adoption drive and we offered to help.

As we approached the puppies, they ran and hid inside a crevice.

Obviously, I wasn't of much help as I was holding a camera on one hand and dog food on the other.

It wasn't easy to get near them as they were afraid of human.

This is their Mom who is definitely way underweight.
You can even see her bones.

Eventually, this lady managed to bring home all four puppies, bathed and blow dry them before bringing them to the adoption venue.
The puppies were exhausted with the ordeal.

Another kind lady, brought many stray kittens which she found on the road.

As she was transferring the kittens from several boxes to a cage, one of the kittens escaped.

She chased after it and even climbed and walked on a narrow wall to catch the kitten back.

She seem very agile for her age.

I salute her for what she does and am grateful there are people like that around to ensure that there is one less stray on the road.

This is a Tibetan Terrier who observed every stray puppy and kitten at the adoption drive.

It seem grateful.

Shouldn't we?

Red Eared Slider Turtle

2010-10-07T16:18:00.003+08:00

Exactly one year ago, we had a lot fun with a Malayan Box Turtle that was brought over by a friend.

My daughter enjoyed stroking the turtle's head.

I warned her that not all turtles are this friendly. Some might bite.

That turtle has been released near a pond.

Three days ago, the same friend brought over another turtle.

It seems that turtles like to wander around during rainy seasons.

When we put it on the lawn, it looked around and decided on a direction to head.

As usual, Clifford was curious but he did not harm the Red Eared Slider Turtle.

Like Clifford, we were all also curious to see where the turtle was heading to.

Despite the uphill task, it moved very fast.

Believe me, it is not slow at all.

I didn't even have enough time to snap another photo of it climbing.

Maybe I was slow.

Within seconds, the Red Eared Slider was out of the premise and hid under the car.

When my daughter tried to lure it out, it 'hissed'.

Yes, it 'hissed' and tried to bite!

Of course, the turtle was just trying to protect itself.

Anyway, my daughter got worried and brought it to a friend who adores turtles.

This young lady already has 5 Red Eared Slider Turtles and is planning to build a pond for them.

This particular photo of a Malayan Box Turtle was taken last September.

Wonder if another turtle will turn up during the rainy season next year.

Dog Championship Show

2010-10-03T23:23:00.005+08:00

Max is 2 1/2 years old.

He migrated from Canada to Malaysia recently.

Today Max emerged as the Champion in the Pomeranian Category, in the (Malaysia Kernel Association) MKA All Breed Championship Show.

He also emerged as the first runner up when competing with the Champions of many other breeds.

An Alsatian won the Championship Award in the All Breed Category.

We attended the last part of the show and got to see most of the finalists.

All the dogs were on leash but look at this golden...

He walked around holding on to his own leash!

These 2 are attracted towards each other.

"See you in the next show".

There were many dogs who didn't make it to the show because they were here.

Lost or Abandoned

2010-09-19T18:58:00.002+08:00

This little white Shih Tzu was found hanging in front of our house.

Unlike some of the previous animals that were brought here by our neighbours, this one came on its own.

The dog willingly allowed my daughter to cuddle her.

She has been roaming happily in our garden.

She seems very thirsty.

Must have been lost for a while.

I believe she is heavily pregnant.

We wonder if she would give birth before we find her owner.

Gosh! Help!!!

Chweet!

2010-09-16T18:01:00.003+08:00

What is your name, little one?

"Chweet!"

That's what this bird says whenever we ask for its name.

I guess Chweet stands for Chirpily Sweet.

A pair of tweezers is used at feeding time as it resembles its mother's beak ... we imagine.

Chweet eats the whole day long and is growing very fast.

No matter how much Chweet has grown, it is still extremely tiny compared to Clifford.

Chweet is having its meal again ... while Clifford looks on.

Now that Chweet is strong, it is learning to fly ... while Clifford looks on.

Chweet perches on my finger.

Chweet perches on my daughter's shoulder and poops on her.
Love is blind.
She doesn't mind.

Chweet did it again.
See the poop stain near the bird's foot?

Snapshots are taken now as we know very soon, Chweet will be taking off with birds of the same feather.

Rescued Animals

2010-09-13T14:25:00.002+08:00

This little baby bird with yellow beak has been with us for 3 days.

Our neighbour, Mr and Mrs Lim found it deserted in their car porch.

They brought it over because they will be overseas for the entire week.

We bring it out for some morning sunshine daily.

At other times, it stays in the study room.

We suspect it is a sparrow.

So far, we have been feeding it every half an hour with moisten cat food.

It poops after every meal.

That's what all babies do right?

Sleep, eat and poop.

In May 2009, Mr Cheah found this puppy running dangerously on the road.

Being a kind-hearted man, he rescued it and brought it over.

In Sept 2009, Mr and Mrs Tai brought this darling turtle over.

It was also crossing the road dangerously.

Perhaps there is an invisible sign somewhere that says, 'Rescued Animals Are Welcomed'.

K9 Visits

2010-09-10T14:28:00.004+08:00

Mdm Chia and family have been very nice to bring K9 over for his first visit since it was his birthday yesterday.

K9 still loves to smell the flowers.

Did everything smell familiar, K9?

It has been almost 9 months since they parted during last Christmas. I guess, in dogs' time, 9 months is an awfully long time. They don't seem to recognize one another.

K9 meets 'Tiger', our neighbourhood stray cat that lives up to its name.

To Autumn Belle and all those who are interested to know why he was named K9, here is the story.

When Goldee gave birth to just one pup, neighbours advised us to keep him. We were told that it is a belief that the birth of a single pup is rare and would bring lots of wealth to the family. We call such a dog 'Kau Wong' in Cantonese, meaning King of Dogs. Hence K stands for King.

The number 9 on his name was from the date he was born; 09.09.09. He is also Goldee's 9th pup. She had 8 pups before K9 came along.

In addition, K9 meant canine.

All too soon, it was time to say good bye to K9.

See you again!

Happy Birthday!

2010-09-08T23:19:00.000+08:00

What do you see in the picture below?

Do you see a No.9? In a short while, it will be 9 Sept.

The first time I took a close-up shot of a new Bird's Nest Fern leaf uncurling was exactly one year ago.
How can I remember such a trivial matter?
(One guy told me that women remember everything whereas men remember only the important stuff.)
Anyway, I remember the date because 9.09.09 was printed on the picture below.

I realized the uncurling frond resemble the number 9 when I attempted to crop the photo. At that time I thought the date were in the way until I saw all the 9s.

Something else happened that day; 09.09.09.

An adorable white puppy with 9 black patches was born on 9.09.09. Do you want to guess his name?

Goldee adores her baby, allowing the little one to chew on her ear.

Clifford was delighted to have a baby brother.

Pichu, our Pomeranian was glad that he was no longer the smallest in size.

The two brothers always had a lot to share.

Running in a mushroom farm was one of his favourite pastimes.

Occasionally, he would smell the flowers.
Isn't he adorable?
Of course, he could just be smelling the scent left by other dogs on those flowers.

Today, he is exactly ONE year old. I am sure he is a Happy Boy.
He was adopted by a loving family last Christmas.

This post is dedicated to Mdm Chia and family.
Thank you for your love and care for this cutie pie.
Happy Birthday K9!!!

Freedom for Batu

2009-11-02T11:11:00.000+08:00

I had the intention to let Batu go if he ever attempts to escape. An escape attempt may mean that he wants to move on. However, if he doesn't make any attempts to escape, it may mean that he's quite comfortable here and I am more than happy with his presence. Many a times, when I thought he has left, I found him again inside the compost pile. I checked on him daily and noticed that he enjoyed tomato and even pomegranate apart from the usual banana, water spinach and water lettuce that were served. He usually appears only at dusk or dawn to have his meal.

On Haloween morning, Batu was no where to be found. Shortly later, he was discovered by a security officer who brought him back to me. I was glad to see him because I had not said my good-byes yet.

On the same day itself, together with the the couple who rescued Batu from the dangerous road, we released him at a pond. It was not the cleanest pond but the environment should be a whole lot more ideal than a garden with a 'pond' too-tiny and dogs too-many.

We had expected Batu to rush into the pond but he walked and walked on land instead.

He headed toward a mangrove area which was not the least swampy that day.

We said good-bye but somehow it didn't feel quite right.

Thankfully, Batu's rescuer came along. He wasn't satisfied with Batu's hide-out and looked for a better home for Batu. With some effort, he found a spot with water spinach growing and a small pool which Batu happily dived in.

Later I found out that Malayan Box Turtles are known to be clumsy swimmers and prefer shallow water. Maybe that was why Batu preferred a small pool than a vast pond. Batu has moss growing on his shell. It looked a little ugly but I read that the moss is supposed to be a good camouflage for him against predators. The strange thing is that the photo I took of him in the compost pile just a few days ago didn't show any moss. The first time I saw the moss was when he was handed to me by the security officer. I had my doubts if it was Batu. The size was the same. The face and the tail looked the same too. However, the carapace and plastron were definitely different. Then again looks can change over time. Maybe I didn't notice the transformation since he remained mostly in the compost pile and only appeared in the dark.

Batu had stayed with us from 15 Sept to 31 Oct 2009. We hope Batu is having a good time out there and sure hope to see him again.

Introduction to the Pet Team

2009-10-15T15:32:00.018+08:00

Let's start with K9. He was born on 09.09.09. He is our beloved Goldee's 9th baby. He was born with 9 black patches. Hence, his name, K9. Below is K9's frontview.

This is K9's hind view.

K9 reminds me of a Friesian Cow. Compare above with below.

Below is Clifford. He was born on 13 Jan 09. He is only 9 months old. K9 adores Clifford and vice versa. They are brothers. Doesn't Clifford resemble a sheep dog?

Goldee is K9 and Clifford's Mom. She communicates with her gorgeous eyes. One wonders how it is possible for such a beautiful girl to produce a Friesian Cow and a Sheep Dog when she looks very much like a Golden Retriever herself. She adopted us last year and this is not a typo error.

Pichu is not a Pokemon but he did look like one when he was a baby. He is a 1 1/2 year-old Pomeranian who does not see any reason why anyone wants to own other pets apart from him. Pichu loves to sit on the swing during the weekends.

Finally, we have Batu, a Malayan Box Turtle. It was brought to us by this sweet couple who rescued it from the streets on 15 Sept 09. It has been roaming freely in the 'creek' since then. He is called Batu which means rock in the local language. Sometimes, he remains as still as a rock for 1-2 days. At other times, he gobbles up water spinach like he has been starving for days. Err..well, it make sense too.

Petting A Turtle

2009-10-11T14:21:00.000+08:00

How To Pet A Malayan Box Turtle?

Things You Need

1. A Hand

2. A Turtle

3. A Table (Optional)

4. Patience

5. Loads Of Metta

Steps To Petting A Turtle

1. Put The Turtle On A Table.

2. Be At Eye Level With The Turtle's Eyes.

3. Rub Its Carapace Gently.

4. Focus On The Area Above The Head.

5. Smile And Exude Metta.

6. Do Not Drink Turtle Soup At The Same Time.

The Turtle Enjoying A Good Massage

Warning: Do Not Do This With A Snapping Turtle!

Clifford Looking Fondly At Batu

"Can I pet Batu too?"

Creating a Turtle's Habitat

2009-09-25T14:17:00.000+08:00

Batu's Home.

Effort is being made to recreate its natural habitat.

Cooling water, various types of plants & bugs are available at all times.

It's home is non-gated nor guarded so that visitors are free to visit and more importantly, Batu is free to leave if he wishes to.

Batu's Dining Room

Batu devouring his favourite kangkung. He loves banana peels and water lettuce too but does not fancy cucumber.

Batu's Bedroom

A quiet place that allows Batu to camoulage. Soft bedding complete with optimised temperature and humidity. Batu resigns to the messy compost behind the dining area after meals. Sometimes he enjoys his dessert in the bedroom. Fruits and bugs are available here.

Turtle Symbolism

2009-09-24T14:13:00.000+08:00

Turtle means different things to different cultures at different period of times. Some see it as Heaven, some look at it as Devilish. I like this one below:

Turtles remind us that the way to heaven is through the earth. In Mother Earth is all that we need. She will care for us, protect us, and nurture us, as long as we do the same for her. For that to happen, we must slow down and heighten our sensibilities. We must see the connection to all things. Just as the turtle cannot separate itself from its shell, neither can we separate ourselves from what we do to the earth.

It is believed that turtles will often leave a pool or pond before a draught arrives. This may be a warning of a change in climate.