Peruvian samples!!!!!!

My samples finally came from Peru today! If you havent been counting, it's been 2 months since I got back, almost 3 months from when I left Peru, and 7 months since I submitted the paperwork to get the permits! Finalmente.

Previous foster loves

In September of 2005, I started volunteering with the Central California Labrador Retriever Rescue group. In November, they gave me my very first dog to foster. I would have to say, this experience has been one of the best parts of living in Davis. All the fun of dogs, without the longterm responsibility (which I can't handle with leaving the country for research and all). I've been meaning to put these pics up for a while, but never got around to it. So, here they are. Unfortunately, most of them are pics of pics from my old film camera that was definitly on its last legs. So, the quality isn't so great, but it's all I've got, so deal! ;)

October 2006
I can't remember this puppy's name, pathetic isn't it? It was right after my qualifying exam, so I have a bit of an excuse. I only had her for a very short time too. But she was sweet.

Miss Mable: August and September 2006
Miss Mable was my proper, spunky old lady. She was nine, and she made sure you knew that she earned that distinction! She knew what she deserved. She was so dainty and prim, but really knew how to play (who says she was old!?). I had her for 2 months and she kept up with me on the bike just fine, even suprised me a couple of times with her puppylike behavior.


Alex: July 2006
I only had Alex for a weekend, sort of a babysitting between fosters. He was the most beautiful yellow lab! But, he had a nasty eye infection from his eyelid turning in and it took forever to heal. I loved this little (actually huge!) guy, we had a lot of fun in our short time together. His real fosters got him healthy and fattened up, he turned out to be a wonderful dog.

Caddie: June 2006
My adventure pup. Poor Chris almost killed me for this one. She had so many escapades in her week with me, it was insane. The best/worst was an escape out of the truck. Yeah, it was a bit too much. She had figured out how to push open the canopy door, so Chris put her in the cab once while he went to do a bid for a job. The windows were rolled down slightly for air of course. Caddie managed to push her way through the 2 or 3 inch slit and get most of her body out... but not her hips. So there she hung, by her hips out the window, scratching the heck out of the truck... needless to say, Chris didnt get that job! This little one just could not handle not being more than 10 feet away from you. I couldn't handle her, so she went to a special foster that gives extra training. Phew!


Scamp: May 2006
This guy really could have used more time with me and the run to school, he was quite overweight. His name confused me, when I think of scamps I think of little scrappy mutts, not giant black labs! He did live up to his name a bit, and got me into a decent amount of trouble. Pushed the door open in my office and trapped himself outside of it with his leash caught in the closed door. Snapped and growled at people in the hallway. Including someone deathly afraid of dogs, and some important administration people. Yeah, I got a talking to there. There only reason I have been able to have more dogs is that everyone loves having them around in the department. Ouch. But, he was a sweetheart, when he wasn't trapped and scared. He went to a new foster and found a good home later.

Caesar: February and March 2006
This dog was my love. If any have ever tempted me to keep them, Caesar was it. I still regret that I couldn't, and it has been a year. So sweet and good, he loved to wrestle and play, stayed by my side off leash, and did wheelies when he got excited. Sigh, I miss that little guy.



Oso: January 2006



Oso was a giant lumbering sweetheart who absolutely loved to run on the bike. Once he discovered he could go as fast as he wanted with me at his side, he went crazy. My bike ride to school normally takes 15ish minutes, but with Oso in top form, it took 6 or 7! Starting the day sweaty, yes I was. He went to this great family who I hope can give him the speed he craves.

Cutter: 1 day in November 2005
Cutter was very cute, but way too much for me as only my 2nd dog. He was only a year old, and had entirely too much energy for my tiny house. Therefore, I only had him 24 hours. I think now I could have handled him, but at the time...

Maggie: November 2005
Maggie was my first foster, I had her for 2 weeks. She was a definite alpha, and trained me right up as a foster mom. I had been begging to get a dog from the lab rescue group for two months at that point. Then, one day as I was helping out at the farmers market booth, I overheard people discussing what in the world they were going to do with this dog since all their fosters were full. Hello! I said, I have been asking for a dog for ages! and, whoops! there you go. I have to admit I wasn't in any way actually prepared to have a dog. But, we survived, she even got rid of a lot of her middle aged flub (she was about 7ish) with all our bike rides to school. She would come into the lab with me, even the classroom where I taught. Just slept in the corner and was simply an amazingly behaved dog. Knew how to manipulate the hell out of me though! Sneeky brat.

Chase

I got a new foster dog this weekend. His name is Chase and he is a very adorable handful. We went to the American river yesterday. I wanted a good hike and he REALLY wanted to swim. I may not have known that coming, but I learned quick. He almost pulled me in when we finally got close to the water! This from a dog who may be big, but he almost never pulls on the leash, so it caught me totally by suprise. Then, he swam nonstop for the entire afternoon. I litterally had to tie him out of the water occasionally to keep him from freezing, that water is COLD. He is a recent rescue from the streets so while he has the frame of an 80 pound pup, he only weighs 60 lbs! You can see his ribs well enough to play them like a xylephone, sad. But, he is eating nonstop and we will get him fattened up, yes we will. Anyways, the point is, he has no insulation from the glacial water. I only managed to get in up to my waist, but still got wet all over, can you say shaking dog anyone? brrrr.
He did scare the crap out of some poor guy though. He got away from me once and ran upstream. I caught up with him hanging out with a guy in snorkle gear who was babbling a little, but I didnt think much of it since he was petting Chase and they seemd friendly. I finally pieced together that the guy had been snorkling in a little pool and Chase came out of nowhere and jumped off his back like he was a trampoline! (I have to admit I would have loved to see that, though I am sad that he scared the poor bugger) Scared the crap out of the poor guy, as I imagine it would. Crazy dog.

Primitas reunion, with a grandma bonus!

I haven't really had a chance to hang out with Katie since our big trip, and it's been ages since Polly and I got to really chat... so we decided to invade Grandma's house for the weekend for a chance to catch up. Tons of fun! There are lots of pictures of me in this set, alas. Other people had control over my camera for a while.

Polly and I: we were born 5 days apart and have been pals ever since.
Primita Katie and I, together again!
Grandma, with the windfall of 3 young bodies, of course put us to work. But, there might need to be a bit of clarification for those of you reading this not of my family: Grandma so kicked our butts during this work session, and when we decided to quit at noon, she was just getting started! Is is reasuring or depressing when your almost 80 year old grandmother is running circles around you?

I started cutting dead branches, and like the obsessively stubborn girl that I am, couldn't stop till there were no more that I could reach...
...and my arms felt like jello!
After our hard morning of work (and we did get a LOT done!), we went to the local swimming hole for an afternoon in the sun.
Do not be decieved by this cozy picture of beach relaxation! After the winters rain and snow, this sand was harder than a rock, and VERY uncomfortable. We didnt last so very long, but got our time in the sun.

The geese took over the dock, so even if you were brave enough to risk freezing your extremities off for some mountain swimming, you would have risked terretorial honkers!

After our eventful day, Grandma took us all out to the Snowflake Lodge for dinner. Alas, we had to go home after a very short stay, but wasn't it grand?

Cold Canyon Hike

Last Thursday I drove up to Lake Berryessa for an evening hike. The Cold Canyon trail is a UC Davis educational project, for nature lovers and students alike. Really though, it is about the best education in the various forms of poison oak that you could find! I was basically going stir crazy in Davis and needed some movement and trees. It had to be quick, to keep up with the fading light, but it was lovely.

American River hike

I took a little walk along the American River yesterday. Didn't swim too much. Thought about it, but it looked to cold. Then, listening to grown men's voices turning into little girls as they emerged shouting "*#@$ its cold!" I was convinced. Beautiful day though.

Louisiana crawfish feed

My Lovely labmate Emily threw a crawdad feed this weekend, Louisiana cajun style. Spicy! Reminded me of easter beer hunts and that old louisiana crew. Very fun.

Patiently waiting

Look at all that food!
What child can resist? crawdad wars!

Emily, showing us how to properly eat a crawfish

Yummy!

Last baby pics for a while

Sadly, I had to be a responsible graduate student and head back to the land of nutrient analysis and statistics. But, here are the last looks I got before I left
So sad to see me go!
Sunset on the drive south

Bellarose

do I really need to say anything?