Wow? I saw this on youtube.com and thought I was watching the lovely Ava?! Serious case of mistaken identity if not for the black spots in place of Ava's lone gray dot. Enjoy!

If you have any trouble watching it... here is the direct link/address to it on the youtube site. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAZD3wWwctU

I tell people we have don't really have TWOOOOO Great Danes... Just one upstairs dog and one downstairs dog.


Ava can't see depth and will not... I repeat- WILL NOT, do more than 3 or 4 stairs at a time so she has yet to go down into the basement on her own, (we have carried her down once or twice but then she doesn't / won't even go UP on her own...). Let me tell you, I have tried to make this happen. I have put black tape on the stairs to make them more visable... I have tried coaxing her with treats, I have tried to leash her and have one person standing directly behind her and "usher" her down one step at a time... slowly.

NADA... Nil, zilch, forget it, aint happenin, can't make me, sorry Charlie, nope not me...


One time during college break (less students) I brought the team to work with me and walked them across campus on my lunch hour. Only, I couldn't take the routes I usually take, I had to find each and every handicap accessible ramp from east bank to west bank because she treats all stairs equally with the same distain and won't give them the time of day if there are more than 3-4 in the crowd?! My lunch hour turned into an hour and a half and spare change. I had a new appreciation for students bound to chairs or scooters and what they do on a daily basis to get to their classes.

Some of you might be thinking "this is no big deal" right? Wrong. True, most dogs are happy to be alone at times without the constant company of people, but danes WANT to be with their people. They are affectionately referred to as velcro-dogs. For the most part, Danes are not the type of dog you tie to a kennel in the backyard and go out to visit during meal time. Most of them have a strong pack urge and that includes humans, so that meant for a long time Ava would cry and cry at the top step until she could see us again. Eventually she understood we would always come back from the depths of the stairwell, but it wasn't an easy road for her, especially when Luna was with us watching a movie or with me in the studio. She does much better now... she waits at the top of the stairs for a while and when she realizes it is not a laundry run or some other quick trip, she heads to one of her favorite couches to catch a nap.

Ahhhh, the life of an upstairs dog.

My cat has a fetish.

He loves straws?...
Or hates them?
I am not sure which feeling is stronger.

Just the sound of a straw being adjusted in the fast food lid will bring him out from the nether regions of the house to sit nearby and plot his capture.

Friends, family, children... have all been warned of the thieving and that there is nothing to do but be vigilant and hold thy cup CLOSE!

There are those that fail to believe the fetish is real, until it is too late and Numa has made off with the goods. But NOW... I have proof. The blog community will be my witness and the doubters will be silenced once and for all! Tonight... I have a rare sight for all of you. Never before caught on video! Numa, filmed live on location in his natural habitat, decided to stay in plain sight and allowed this footage to be taken of him during his most euphoric moments alone with his new captive. Typically we only see the remains left at his food bowl, so here he is...

Parental Warning for those straw-lovers out there...

Soooo, Ava gets to be in pictures... then so does Luna.



This afternoon Luna and Numa happened upon a trapped fly in the house and were literally entertained for hours. The outcome for the fly was bleak but wow... I'm thinking of rounding up four or five more just to let loose in the house while I am away next week. I have a feeling I'll be back before they even know I'm gone. The video is classic Luna. Luna believes if he sits, he will be awarded any treat his heart desires, and apparently that wish list includes flies. Numa turned into Ninja-Kitty and almost took out a screen during the hunt (he is out of frame waiting in his camo fatigues for the outside chance Luna will scare the fly into a low flight where he is ready to pounce). To my surprise, they worked well as a team, with Luna reaching high spots and Numa hunting low. The fly eventually waved her little white hanky and cried for mercy, but there was none to be had.
Luna ate her for an appetizer late in the afternoon... so I guess we are once again back down to Defcon-yellow and the area known as my house is "no-fly" zone as far as the eye can see.

The voices in the video are me (whispers and giggles) and my son (shocked and delighted with Luna's antics once again). Ava is wandering in and out of frame wondering what all the fuss is about, while Luna eyes her suspiciously as if she is going to steal his prize fly. No chance there... Numa didn't even get leftovers and HE was part of the hunt. Tough pack to run with if you ask me!


He literally does not take his eyes off the fly and stayed in that position for 10 minutes just waiting for it to make a move. Hardly a fair fight.

WARNING!!! Mute your computer before watching it. The terrible buzz from the air conditioning unit is disturbing. Not a great quality video, but as promised here she is moving and it is good enough to get that across.