Only one problem

Since we got him in early 2007, The Biz had taken what was once a pretty serviceable and low-maintenance backyard and converted it into a series of mulch piles. Einstein and Newton would be proud of the irresistible force that is Bizzy who, at only 15 pounds, managed to shift several cubic yards of very expensive pine mulch from an even 3-inch surface to a 3-foot slope against our neighbor’s fence. The rest of the yard pretty much looked like a moonscape.

We ended up working with a really great landscape architect from Redbud Design who came up with a beautiful plan designed to be beautiful and durable. The solution:  fescue turf grass (virtually indestructible), some architectural amendments and cool Asian statuary we found at a great store in Berkeley.

The result is a peaceful little space with lots of durable turf for Bizzy to play on — not to mention a cool little guardian for all the little critters that visit us. Check it out…

New Arbor on the deck and, nope, it didn’t rain. That’s San Francisco summer fog

The Biz and his ever-present ball

Stop and smell the succulents

Oh give me a home with lots of room to roam…

My favorite part…the new Jizo statue. Jizo is traditionally a protector of kids, expectant mothers, firemen, & travelers. But I’ve decided to make him an honorary overseerer of pets as well.

Fairly classic Bizzy stance. You typically see this when he’s tossed all available toys in some impossible-to-reach place and he wants you to get them for him. I see this probably 100-200 times a day. Oy…terriers

But, honestly, how can you not get the toy out from under the desk when he looks at you like this. By the way, this is where I discovered the autofocus was off on the new lens

Ahh, that’s better. Focus back on. I’d better get cracking on finding the toys, though.

No matter how many times I see it, The Biz’s underbite continues to slay me.

Ok. Toys retreived and back to the kitchen. Wow, this wide-angle is really cool but it picks up absolutely everything — including the paint swatches I’ve had up on the breakfast nook for the last 3 years.

Bizzy and his favorite game — kill the stack. By the way, for anyone who has an active dog and needs a new food puzzle to keep them challenged, I can’t recommend Canine Genius enough (the pink and blue bowling-pin shaped doo-hickies) You can put treats inside and plug the end with string cheese and you’re set for the next hour. Once they figure that out you can actually interlock two or three of the toys together so the treats move around between them. Dogs love it.

Have you ever seen cuter ears?

Yes, he’s a dog and that’s what they do but I always find these times comfortably grounding