MaggieMoose: Raining Sunshine & Flowers & Twigs

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."

Hans Christian Andersen

  Our world has been under heavy dew drops. It has R-A-I-N-E-D for days. When the sunshine decided to sparkle its rays we went outside and soaked it up! We had one moment under the sun before the cloud cover returned. It was all we needed. A little freedom to look up and smile at the sunshine & flowers. Today's weather alerts are for heavy fog. Yes, we could barely see each other in the fog on our walk. We asked ourselves; this is California, right? Not London? Maggie's always the optimist rain or shine so, every day's a good day for her. Rain & wintry weather bring twigs a plenty. A big S-C-O-R-E  for a twig lover! After Maggie's morning walk she decided to burrow in for the remainder of winter to live life on a horizontal angle. Her sign is posted: Wakes up for twigs or sun. Flowers a bonus. 

MaggieMoose: A Whole Lot of Being... Herself

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"I really think that being yourself, being original, being outside the box is starting to be appealing to people."

Miranda Lambert

  Maggie tried to pull a fast one. Fast food twig to go? I called it her twig Take-In instead of her let's get a twig for Take-Out. If Maggie had her way the twig goes inside. Sorry girl. I appreciate you being yourself, thinking outside the box, being original, and all that, but you're great as you are- sans twig. I read her mind when I said that. Her reply "More originality coming up Mum!"

MaggieMoose: Twig In The Dark

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows."

Ralph Marston

  It's the Monday morning Maggie show. OMD! (Oh my dog.) I turned the corner and there's Maggie chillin' in the dark with a little, fragile twig hanging out of her mouth. I crack up. There's no words for how funny I find her twig madness, but her happiness is my happiness. It's twig season. Maggie's jaws of steel tenderly cradled her twig with love. It continues to astound me. What a great way to start a Monday morning. It's still dark outside yet Maggie knows how to light up the room with her subtle humor. Thanks for the twig in the dark Maggie! I can't wait for tomorrow's surprise. chuckle chuckle

MaggieMoose: Twig Girl

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"Every corny thing that's said about living with nature - being in harmony with the earth, feeling the cycle of seasons - happens to be true."

Susan Orlean

MaggieMoose: Summer Fling

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

 "Mysterious love, uncertain treasure, hast thou more of pain or pleasure! Endless torments dwell about thee; Yet who would live, and live without thee!

Joseph Addison

  My phone rang. I started chatting with a friend. Of course, Maggie requests to go outside when I'm on the phone. She predictably does this only when this one friend calls. Maybe I talk too long? In stealth motion she's back inside with a twig in her mouth. The difference with this twig is that Maggie has been in a summer induced twig drought. To those who know Maggie, they know she LOVES TWIGS. I have many, many photos of her with her favorite twigs-coffee table material. The origin of the word moose is loosely translated into 'twig eater'. Hence, MaggieMoose. This one twig is likened to a summer fling for Maggie, after all who would live without thee! 

MaggieMoose: Twigless Faith

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies."

Mother Teresa

Twigless, but keeping the faith....

Overnight wind gusts blew...TWIGS! Joy.

MaggieMoose: Shiver Me Twigs (Shark Week or TWIG Week?)

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."

Marianne Williamson

  The other day Maggie's human Julie was talking about names for groups of things in the animal kingdom. On the list was the word 'shiver' for meaning a group of sharks. The word 'shiver' is fitting for Maggie's bevy of twigs she found. Today is the last day of TWIG week or is that shark week? It's fitting that Maggie's week ends with a POW like in the comics! Eeeny meeny mighty mo, which twigs will get to go? It took me some strong convincing, but Maggie agreed to let the twigs be. We have plenty more twigs in our yard. Probably a few shivers. Arrgh says the human. Maggie and I walked back home without her precious shiver of twigs. I should've have known Maggie had more twigs up her sleeve. Back home she goes outside. Then she walks inside with a 'wishbone' twig. Really Maggie?

I bet she is wishing for shivers of twigs forever! Speaking of joy, that Maggie knows how to recognize how good things are.... The wishbone twig is hanging out her mouth.  

Make a wish! 

MaggieMoose: Shark Week or TWIG Week?

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day: 

“Live every week like it's shark week.”

Tracy Morgan

  There's an American custom called Shark Week on television. People of all walks of life stop their lives to watch it or set their DVRs to record. It's on the Discovery Channel. This year it's on the tele in August 2013. There's an unofficial official countdown web site called Shark Week Countdown. The show doesn't air till 125 days, but right here in Northern CA we are having TWIG WEEK! Maggie thanks Mother Nature for providing her with all the twigs she could ever imagine. We had a storm the other night while we slept. I woke up and felt like I was surrounded by a shiver of sharks. TWIGS everywhere. Knowing Maggie, I was in for it. Maggie, the collector of twigs, the muncher of twigs, the twig aficionado! Need I say more. Like in the movie Jaws I heard the Jaws theme song playing in my head; duuun dun duuun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun BOM BOM dun dun dun dun dun dun doo dedoo doo dedoo dede doo dede doo dededoo....and there it was-the Great White of all twigs! So big was this great white of all twigs it wouldn't fit in the camera's lens. We are living like it's shark week, but with twigs. Stick around this week, Maggie has more twigs coming....duuun dun duuun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun BOM BOM dun dun dun dun dun dun doo dedoo doo dedoo dede doo dede doo dededoo...

CLICK YOUTUBE: Jaws Theme Song

MaggieMoose: Spring-teen Party

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

Robin Williams

  Daylight is longer. Maggie's feeling the friskies. Yesterday she wanted to go outside a million times. Her trips weren't to stay outside and play, but to gather twigs of every shape and size, then bring them inside. Sunshine came in through the windows. Her look was of a teenager with that almost daring me with the twig in her mouth. Yes, I have a twig. What are you going to do about it? Tough look for a softy. A tiny treat exchange and the twig was mine.

Oh, the change in seasons is upon us. Flowers are starting to bloom. It's like Maggie and I have to re-calibrate our inner clocks to fit the outer clocks of longer days, sunshine and warmer weather. After our cold winter I almost feel like one of the mole people walking outside blinking my eyes towards the bright light. Shock aside, we're happy about the change in seasons. We'll be taking longer walks, and more walks. There will be less twigs as soon as I clean up the yard after our last storm. It all kind of reminds me of when my girls were younger. The credo back during their teen years was "keep 'em busy" to stay out of trouble. Sports was always good to be involved in. I think I'll sign Miss Maggie up for an Obedience refresher class. Until then, she'll be partying with all the Spring-teen twigs she can get her mouth on. 

MaggieMoose: Laughter A Day Keeps The Serious Away

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

The laughs mean more to me than the adoration. If two girls walk up to me and one says 'you're cute', I'll say thank you, but I appreciate it much more when the other one says 'you make me laugh so much'.

Michael J. Fox

  Oh boy. I can hardly stand it. The twigs are out of control. Every time I turn around I'm surprised by Maggie with a twig hanging out of her mouth. It's so ridiculous, yet she's so serious I die laughing. She just sits there or stands there looking at me as if she's communicating a novel's worth of information. Secret twig code? Maggie tickles my funny bone. I start chuckling again and again. Twigs all shapes and sizes. 

I keep telling her 'you are so funny'. Maybe like a true comedian she knows she's hit her sweet spot of twig jokes? As a cute dog Maggie gets a lot of compliments about her looks. I think she prefers the notoriety of being a comedian instead of for her cuteness factor. I'm sure she appreciates the comedic side so much more! Knock Knock, What did the one dog holding the twig say to the human? I don't know, but I'll drop it if you give me a treat? Oh Maggie, you are so funny. chuckle chuckle

 

MaggieMoose: Wishful Twigs & Thoughts

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thought we wish to dominate our lives."

Henry David Thoreau

  Maggie has a stellar mind. She sets her focus on something and badda badda boom it's done. Single minded purpose. I'm amazed at how quickly she snatches a leaf as we walk inside from the outdoors. In a nanosecond swoop-it's in her mouth incognito. Practicing this swoop over and over again has given her master skills. It doesn't stop there for Maggie. Twigs too. Right now we have the season of the multiplied twigs. One breeze here or there and the twigs are everywhere, including in our house.

Lately I have seen lots of wishbone shaped twigs. Is this a sign? I'm not sure if this has a higher meaning or not. Maybe Maggie wants to make a wish with me holding the other end of the twig? Kind of like how us humans use to do with the wishbone from the chicken or turkey. I remember as kids my brother and I were really into doing this wish making with the dried poultry bones. Serious business. Where did this tradition come from? No clue. We just believed in it, because we did it over and over again. Better yet, how does Maggie know about it? Well, Maggie drops the wishbone twig at her paws waiting for me to pick it up. What's the dominating thought here Maggie? Moose size pawsabilities? Whatever the answer, I'm game-let's make a wish Maggie! I still believe. WOOF WOOF

Back On-Exchange Program for Fall

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."

George Washington Carver 

Maggie and the twig

 I was diligently working at my computer. I looked up. Maggie was just sitting there with a 10" twig hanging out of her mouth looking at me. A twig? Really? I chuckled to myself. I haven't seen Maggie bring in a twig for awhile. Fall is approaching, maybe that's why the sudden appearance of the twig. I reflected on her confidence of walking in the house twig in mouth, and planting herself right in front of me. How could I miss not seeing her? What a bold move executed in a quiet way. She commanded my attention. OK, we're back to the "exchange program". That's where I go get a little treat, ask her to "drop it" and she releases the twig. More like she throws the twig out of her mouth. Oh Maggie. How can I not smile? Maggie does common things (is this common?) in an uncommon way, grabbing my attention every time. I'm a lucky girl.

My Little Nut

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

Every oak tree started out as a couple of nuts who decided to stand their ground.

Unknown

Mighty Oak tree

(see trunk in below photo)

  My dog Maggie is a nut. Since her diet seems to be part "twigs" I think she's from the tree family. She'll firmly stand her ground with a twig in her mouth unless I give her a trade like a treat. She's a little nutty that way. Could she be an acorn in the making of a mighty oak? Maybe. I'll get concerned if Maggie starts growing roots from where her paw pad hair is, and leaves sprout from her velvety head. Until then, I'll enjoy my job of "twig barterer" with my nuttiest acorn. 

trunk of above Oak tree with the nuttiest acorn standing her ground


PS. This tree reminded me of  imagining Bilbo Baggins walk by it as in the book The Hobbit by J. R.R. Tolkien. 

Maggie Mooseology

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?” 

A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh 

photo credit

  My dog Maggie is constantly nibbling on sticks, leaves, and twigs. It likens her to the herbivore Moose family. If I take her out for a walk, especially on an early overcast morning the dewy grass has a strong pull for her. Like today, gray as gray gets. Sorry Maggie-no grass. The only bright spot visible on this gray walk was the white blossoms on a tree along our walk.

As I shot the photo of the tree filled with white blossoms Maggie found herself some nice little twigs for a breakfast starter. The real deal (dog food) was at home. Maggie's favorite conversations with me originate with food (the only exception being the word BALL). She knows the words EAT & TREAT very well. Her little Springer spaniel tail wags back and forth upon hearing them. Our friendship grows with few words and some good times together. Winnie-the-Pooh's; "What about lunch?" just about sums it up with a walk tossed in to toast to our health! 

Maggie grazing as a little Mooselet.. he he