Artist Renee Lammers

"Pink Asters" 4x5 oil on copper 200$ Framed in gold and shipped free.

    I have been working on these pink asters for two days now.  This year I am trying to

paint more warm colors and also more textures in the paintings.  I gave up using Winsor Blue

Green Shade by Winsor Newton.  I found it created unusual blue colors.  I am still using

Cobalt Blue, Quinacridone Red, Cadmium Yellow Light, and Cadmium Red Light, with 

Titanium White.  These four colors creates such natural harmony within my paintings

without any extra effort.  The Winsor Blue Green Shade was pretty but too artificial.  

   This morning at the beach Lily gave 6 month old Ripley a run for her money.  

   Lily has learned how to get down low and prance to frighten her 'prey'.  It is fun to see

her do this.  I believe Poppy taught her this trick.

   She chased many of the dogs today!

   Next Monet had a private tour of the beach!  He loves all the individual attention.

   Luke was showing off his recent haircut I gave him a few days ago.  He was carrying

his owner's hat.

   Luke made his clown face when he was asked to give up the hat.  He growled too.

   I discovered today Luke likes to bury his owner's hat.  He will dig a hole,

put the hat in the hole, and use his nose to cover it up.  Then he will guard

the area for a few days.  What a character!

  Tonight all the pups were taken back to the beach for their evening frolic!  Lily is learning

the cold ocean is fun.

   Poppy and Monet just love to play with Lily.  They keep an eye on Lily at home.

If Lily is chewing on something she isn't suppose to chew on, Poppy or Monet,

bring her a toy and distract her!  

   I have started a campaign to help collect donations for Lily's Rescue!  If you enjoy these

daily photos and stories, this is your opportunity to donate.  Lily will be staying here.  Their

first owners need their 1250$ back.  I sent them 200$ today from the recent painting sales.

To see this fund, copy this link, and paste, then you will find the campaign.  Originally she

said payments could be made, but last night's call, was "I want my money back now so I can

buy another golden retriever puppy!"  Thank you.

     I took Lily to the vet today for a physical and her second shots.

    I thought I would find a very aggressive dog with poor behavior when

I picked her up from her first family a few days

ago.  I thought I was rescuing the people who purchased her.  I even had our friend Ted come

to assist me in driving so that I could care for a puppy "gone crazy".  Instead I have seen

only the sweetest little puppy sad from being abandoned by her first owners.  Lily is happy

here and she will be staying here.

   The vet listened to my story about Lily.  Lily was late for getting her second shots.  I asked

her to examine Lily.  She listened to her heart and lungs.  Lily was in perfect health. I

was very relieved.  She watched Lily interact with people.  She saw no aggressive behavior.

I have never seen aggressive behavior from Mrs. Hughes/Lily ever.   The vet said she is

just a puppy.  She held Lily for a long long time.  She wanted to buy her!  Lily explored the entire

vet building.  She went to the cat area, waiting room, receptionists,

surgery area,and dog kennels.  The vet watched Lily walk around.  She said she never

has seen a dog like Lily, so brave and confident!  

    I was home for a few hours when the first owners called to ask for their puppy back.  I am

genuinely sorry they miss her.   Lily will NOT be returning to their house!   They will have to live with

their decision. I will never forget her words:   "My husband doesn't want her anymore.

 He wants you to come pick her up.  She is biting us constantly and always barking. "

   I purchase a dog for it's entire life.  I will never sell or dump a dog because it is behaving badly or ill.

I just have nothing more to say about the matter.  I had to be firm.   It is very upsetting to me this

little puppy was cast off.  I am very grateful they called us to come get her.  She may have ended

up in another unhappy situation.  Lily is a beautiful golden retriever puppy.

    We will take excellent care of Lily.  We will make sure she is well fed, exercised,

and vet checked regularly.  

   Monet had a big rock in his mouth.  This is why he looks like he is talking.  

    I am still working on today's painting.  I had a few special pink asters ordered to paint.

Have a good night.  

"September In Maine" 4x5 oil on copper 200$ Framed in gold and shipped.

    I saw this scene in September while walking Daisy and Duke in Bucksport a few years ago.

Daisy and Duke were very elderly then and just needed short walks.  We had to walk slowly.

We would stop and admire the fields.  I have wonderful memories of time spent with

them.  I loved the warm colors and the depth of this landscape.  There were Queen Anne's

Lace and Golden Rod weeds growing.   There was great atmosphere.  I still miss my goldens.

At least now I can remember them without all the grief.  It takes a lot of time to get over

the loss of dogs.  

    Poppy and Lily played with Luke for a few short minutes at the beach today.  Ted

volunteered to help us change our front door lock at the house.  In exchange I cute

Luke's hair.  Cutting Luke's hair was very fun.  Ted told me to give him some love first.

So I scratched Luke's back and told him how beautiful he was.  Then I started to trim his

ears, neck, arms, legs, butt, and anything else!  All the time Ted was inspecting each cut

appreciating the precision.  He told me he had fired the Luke's last professional hair

stylist.  She was a professional dog groomer who passed Luke off to two amateurs!  Luke's

hair was all chopped up.  He fired them on the spot.  He was so grateful of Luke's hair

cut.  Luke looked handsome.  

    This is Luke before his hair cut.  Luke had a Daniel Boone's dog look...a little rough

around the edges.  Now Luke looks very refined.  I will take his photo tomorrow to show

the difference!  Lily just loves Luke.  Luke seems to give her a few growls.  He seems

to like her.

   Lily likes to see how much she can get away with Luke!

    Lily met 10 year old lovely Maggie today.  Maggie was very excited to meet her. 

She wagged her tail and tossed her head.  

  Monet loves his private field trips so he doesn't have to stress about Luke.  Fort Point

Lighthouse in Stockton Springs is a beautiful state park.

    There were 40 mph wind gusts today!  

    Lily is getting a lot of attention.  Poppy has learned how to play with Lily by mirroring

Monet!  They are both gentle and protective of her.  Poppy put her nose on the door knob

frantically today.  She wanted me to take the puppy out.  Poppy was right.  Lily needed to

go outside.  Amazing!

Tomorrow I am taking Lily to the vet for her second shots and a vet checkup!

Have a good night.

"Early Morning Riser" 4x5 oil on copper  Sold.  Thank you so much!

   I decided to paint Lily before sunrise looking out my bedroom window.  I wish

I knew what she was thinking.  The coolness of the image had a profound affect

on me.  For me the image of her gazing out the window might be something I 

will not forget.  

    She seems to be a playful energetic puppy.  She barks when Monet and Poppy

are wrestling and playing with her.  She really doesn't bark often otherwise.

   Last night before bed, I took one of my shoes out of her mouth.

She didn't seem to like this!  She defiantly barked twice as loud as she could.  I handed

her a pair of clean socks.  She stopped and studied the socks.  She laid down with

the socks and went to sleep in a little dog bed positioned right next to mine.  I let

her up on my bed very early to keep her from getting into mischief in my room.

Here she was gazing out at the view thinking of her life perhaps.  She might have

just been thinking about her breakfast.  

    We spent many hours at the beach today with all the pups.  Lily found a little stick

and mirrored her Dad Monet.  

    She likes chewing on rockweed at the beach.

   A fallen Maple tree entertained us all today.

   Lily discovered chewing on mussel shells.  We would take the shells from

her mouth, pick her up, and carry her to distract her from these shells.

   We watched two osprey birds tending to their nest.

    We really do enjoy the simple things here in Maine.

    We all have our places in the car.  Lily likes to sit on the middle console.  

"Love Nip" 4x5 oil on copper.  Sold last night.  Thank you.  

"A Little Happiness" 5x4 oil on copper  Sold.  Thank you!

Have a good night.

    "Love Nip" 4x5 oil on copper   Sold.  Thank you so much!

    Today I decided to paint Lily who is 13 weeks old now.  She is a beautiful gentle puppy

with a lot of energy.  I took many photos of her and decided to paint this image.  

    Lily had a wonderful day today with Poppy and Monet.  I took her to the beach this

morning.   She enjoys riding in the car.  She sits on my back or in between the front seats.

  The first beach trip this morning I just took Poppy and Lily.  Poppy enjoyed this one

on one time with her puppy.  

   Poppy and Monet are both a little more happy since Lily came back home.

    Poppy was very playful today.

   Lily, Poppy, and I walked for a mile or two this morning on the beach. 

Lily met all our friends and doggy friends.  She did very well meeting so

many dogs.  Her favorite dog besides Poppy was Luke.  Luke was on his

best behavior.  He still growled if he was chewing on a stick or if she

was trying to climb on his back.

   Luke seemed to enjoy Lily.  I wonder if he knew Lily was his granddaughter?

Little Gus was there too.  He did very well greeting Lily.

  Luke had a stomach rub today.  We all watched and smiled.  Luke had a wonderful

pleased look on his face.

    This is how Luke smiles when you rub his stomach.  He was so happy!

  Monet just loves his puppies.  

    A few hours later when Robert arrived home from work, we took all the dogs to the beach.

We walked another few miles.  Lily loves the beach.  She can run for miles without anyone

carrying her.  She has plenty of energy.  She is very quiet.  She just needs a lot of exercise and

attention.   She seems to be trained to go outside. She likes her chicken, sweet potato, on her dried

food!

    Where did Lily sleep last night?  She walked into my room.   She barked

very very loud once.  I lifted her into my bed.  She curled up and went to sleep.   I opened

my window just a crack for cold air.  I saw her in the dark sitting straight up admiring the view out my

window.  Lily sleeps laying on her back with her paws up in the air.  

   Have a great night!

   Today the most unexpected thing happened.  I received a call from the puppy owners

of Mrs. Hughes.  They could not care for her any longer because of her husbands failing

health.  She was working 13 hour days so the husband had full responsibility for the puppy.

He needs to sleep and is not able to care for a 10 week old puppy.  I called up my

friend Ted and Luke and asked if they could assist me with the rescue of Mrs. Hughes 

puppy.  

    We all jumped in my car to drive to Owls Head.  Luke sat on Ted's lap for a little

while.  We had to pull over to change the seating arrangements with Luke in the back!

This is how Luke rides in the car:  Passenger seat whether it is available or not!  One foot

on the front dash board as if he were steering the car!

    The woman let us take the puppy.  The man was not well enough to come to the door.

He was still recovering from open heart surgery.  No one was able to walk the dog.  The

puppy was biting him because she was teething.  She was also barking alot because she

probably wanted to be walked.  They did take excellent care of her.  Ted found a huge

tick on her head right away.  We had the tick off quickly.  I just hope she doesn't get

Lymes disease or any other disease from the tick.  

   Mrs. Hughes did fine riding in the car.  We met Robert at the beach with Monet and Poppy.

    Monet and Poppy were so excited to see their puppy.  Of course they

recognized her.  

 She did fine at the beach.  She ran all over, picked up sticks, chased her parents, tried

to swim, and wagged her tail alot.

    We will be keeping Mrs. Hughes and calling her Lily.  I am going to give her a nice

warm bath right now and put hydrogen peroxide on her tick bite.  Have a great night!

Painting will resume tomorrow.  Too excited to paint!

"A Little Happiness On A Rainy Day"  4x5 oil on copper Sold.  Thanks.

 I will take a better photo tomorrow with my Canon EOS 7D.  My fuji does not give as

 accurate colors and values or a clear enough image.  

     I placed the teddy bear on the window seal next to the flowers

.  The two together created an inspiring image to paint.

I love the window behind my still life.  The viewer can look out the window

and try to recognize shapes creating depth in the painting.  Also the viewer

might be able to distinguish a time of day.  

   I decided to take the dogs to the beach later in the day to avoid confrontation with

Luke, Monet's Father.  When we arrived Luke was at our car looking in.  Ted put Luke

in his car so we could get out.  I put Monet on a lease, said hello, and quickly walked

down the beach.  We were making good time.  I look down to see Luke starring at me

with his happy eyes.  Oh no I thought.  I could control Monet but not Luke too.  I had

to tell Luke to go back or stay back.  Ted came up.  I had to tell Ted we were going to

walk down the beach.  Ted wanted to walk with us as he always does.  He realized this

wouldn't work with Luke.  So he said he would see us later.  He showed me his hand where

Monet had bit him as he was trying to get Monet's mouth off of Luke's body during a

dog fight.  His hand was healing just fine.  I felt sorry Monet and Luke couldn't walk

down the beach anymore.  I called Ted later to let him know on Wednesdays I will

leave Monet at home.  On Wednesdays Poppy and I can walk down the beach

with Luke and him.   He was happy to hear about this idea.  I will just take Monet on a

Wednesday field trip all by himself somewhere.  I enjoy walking with Ted and our dogs.

Monet doesn't fight with any other dogs except for Luke.  

    I decided not to purchase a training collar.  I don't want to shock, vibrate, or make any

sound out of a collar around Monet's neck.  A leash is best.  

    A good walk on the beach relaxes both my dogs.  I went to the YMCA to soak

in the hot tub.  These long gray cold Maine days leaves my bones, joints, and

muscles hurting.  The hot water really helps for a few days!  

   Have a good night.  Tomorrow Lady Mary/Lux is coming over for a visit.

We will take her to the beach.  

"Yellow House in Corea, Maine" 4x5 oil on copper.  200$ Framed in gold and shipped.

   I have been working on this painting for a few days now.  I am pleased with the outcome.

Sometimes I need to add things to make a composition work and repaint entire areas too.

I don't like to give up on a painting.  It could be a gem!

"Sullivan View of Cadillac Mountain" 5x4 oil on copper.  200$ Framed in gold

and shipped free.

   I started this painting on my last trip to Schoodic.  I stopped in Sullivan at

the overlook view to paint this one.  I made a few changes back at home.  

The light was changing a lot that day from clouds.  

"Sandy Point Beach" 4x5 oil on copper.  200$ Framed in gold and shipped.

   Here is the painting I started yesterday and finished last night.  It was the glow of the distant

mountain that I wanted to capture.  

   I left Monet at home this morning.  I took Poppy to the beach.  Sunday was there!  They

played for a long time.  

  Sunday is such a cool looking dog.

    Sunday's eyes are so interesting.

    I went back home, dropped off Poppy, and picked up Monet!  He was so happy.

The coast was clear on the beach.  Luke was not there.  Monet ran all over the beach.

I took him for a long car ride too.  Robert took the dogs on a three mile hike later.  Now

they are wrestling together!

    I may paint yellow Viking Poms and Pink Freesias!

   Have a good night.

    I drove back to Sandy Point Beach after taking the dogs for their walk and swim.

I had admired the Spruce tree by the edge of the sea.  

   I might work more on this painting tonight.  

     I added a few lobster traps in between the yellow house and the boat.  I will probably

work a little more on the grass area.  

    At night Monet carries on with a few balls.  He gets them stuck under chairs.  Then

he growls and whimpers for help. One of us retrieves the balls and the whole thing starts

over again.  He can carry two balls in his mouth at the same time now!

   At the beach Poppy played with a small dog.  She was very gentle with him.  

    He was cute.

   Poppy chased after ducks today.  She also chased after a crow flying!  Monet has

no interest in birds.  He prefers sticks.  

    Monet and Poppy are back at the beach with Robert now!  They have two trips a day!

Have a good night.

"Painting Tulips" 5x4 oil on copper.  200$ Framed in gold wood and shipped.

  I had a lot of fun painting this one last night.  I painted from an image

on my lap top because the tulips were perishing.  Next time I paint my self

portrait I will paint from life.  I think it will be easier.

    Up in Vermont Mr. Moseley was resting on the last patch of snow in his yard.  

  I bet it is a joy to watch Marigold and Mr. Moseley play all day long.  They have always

been best friends.  

   I had to smile when I saw this photo of Lady Edith/Lia helping out with the

dishwasher.  I am sure she was just inspecting all the clean dishes.  I can't imagine

her actually licking any dirty dishes.  Can you?  No....!

    Mr. Bates/Chase must have his own idea of how to sweep!   I am sure he was growling.

     I saw the cutest video of Lady Cora/Elsa playing with her friend the males golden doodle. 

They were having a lot of fun together.  Lady Cora/Elsa was a ball of energy.  She bravely ran

all over her yard.  She positioned herself low to the ground and sprang up on the golden doodle.

Have a great night!  Thank you for all the photos of the puppies and videos too.  

   "Loyalty" 4x5 oil on copper   Private collection of the artist.

    I was admiring the tulips sitting on the window seal when Monet's face was reflected

in the window!  I was delighted to see his face and decided this would make a good painting.

Monet walked away after a minute.  I lured Monet back over by holding a tennis ball.  I had

to hold the tennis ball up into the air to get his face positioned in the right place!  I took a 

few photos.  Monet didn't mind.  He thought this was a fun game!  This might be one of

my favorite tulip paintings.  I may paint one more with my face in the window.  This would

be my first self portrait on copper.  We shall see if I can do it?

  Robert took Monet and Poppy to the beach.   Monet

and Luke behaved themselves.  Have a good night!

"Good Night Tulips" 5x4 oil on copper 200$ Framed in gold and shipped.

    I decided to paint a vertical painting of my purple tulips.  I love how dramatic

they look at night.  

"Tulips" 5x4 oil on copper 1=200$ Framed in gold wood and shipped.

    I decided to paint the tulips and their reflection for contrast.  I like the

abstract shapes in the window.  I decided not to paint all the highlights

on the purple antique canning jar.  I decided to capture the glowing colors.

I wanted this one to have more color.  

"Evening Purple Tulips" 4x5 oil on copper.  sold.  Thank you!

"Spruce Celebrating Spring" 4x5 oil on copper.  sold.  Thanks!

"Glow of Cadillac Mountain" 4x5 oil on copper.  sold.  Thanks.  

    I waited to take Monet and Poppy to the beach later in the day when I knew the coast would

be clear of Luke!  We love Luke, but as my Mother sweetly said on the phone, "Luke might not

be the best playmate for Monet."  She is right.  There can only be one king on the beach.

   Luke will always be the kind of the beach but we won't tell Monet.

   I kept Monet on a leash.  Poppy had no leash!  Poppy behaves herself.

I could see her saying, "Look at me Monet, I have no leash on, see me prancing

around free?  It is so great to be here without a leash.  Hee Hee Hee!"

    I called Lady Rose's new owners to see how she was doing.  They said she

is doing just fine.  She is very confident.  There are two other female golden

adults for her to play with.  She prefers the 11 year old golden over the 8 year

old golden.  She watches one golden carry a stick.  So she carries a stick too.  

She also plays by herself with a tennis ball alot.  She pushes the ball and gets

it and drops it and pushes the ball again.  The other goldens are very nice to

her.  The new owners love her to pieces.  

    The only other golden puppy I have not heard from is Lord Grantham.  They

must be busy with him.  

   Have a great night!

   Have a good night.  Thank you for the painting sales.  I really enjoy and appreciate

this!

"Evening Purple Tulips" 4x5 oil on copper Sold.  Thanks!

    I purchases these beautiful purple tulips a few days ago.  I studied them at night sitting

on my window seal.  I studied them during the day too.  I preferred how dramatic they

looked at night!  The purple tulips were in an old fashioned purple jar used for canning.

    I decided Monet and Poppy needed to relax today. Robert took them out to Wadsworth

Cove for a swim.  

    Lady Violet is doing well. She can sit and shake paws.  She takes long walks along the 

woods each morning.  She loves to play with children.  When one of the kids sits down Lady

Violet is all over them and makes them squeal.  Her new name is Sadie.  Her favorite toy is an

empty plastic bottle because it makes a lot of noise! It sounds as if Lady Violet/Sadie is very

loved.  

    Have a great night!

"Spruce Celebrating Spring" 4x5 oil on copper Sold.  Thanks.

    I always admire this spruce tree growing along Sandy Point Beach.  I was almost certain

the spruce tree was celebrating Spring.  I wonder if other artists look for perfect spruce trees

to paint?  I certainly do admire spruce trees.  I love their Christmas like smell.  I also am very

pleased to see green in the middle of Winter or Spring.  

    I am so happy to receive this photo of Lady Mary/Lux today.  She was taking a nap

at Robert's work where her new owner also works.  Robert is so lucky to visit with her

everyday.  He holds her and takes her out for walks.  Lady Mary/Lux  makes everyone

smile.  Thanks for the photo!

    Lady Cora/Elsa is doing just fine on her new horse farm home.  Elsa is from Disney's

movie Frozen.  Elsa's character powers over ice and snow to become the famous snow

queen.  Her motto is:  "Be who you are!"   She is free, alone, and liberated.  

Her new owner has never seen a puppy with so much courage and independence as Miss Elsa.

Apparently this little puppy growls, barks, and tries to chase the horses!  They really have to

keep an eye on Miss Elsa at the horse stables.  Inside her house, Miss Elsa, is the princess of

the manor.  She rules the roost!  She rules over the cats!  She rules over the male Golden Doodle.

She steals bones out of the dog's mouth, steals his toys, and steals his bed!  The Golden Doodle

is a good sport.  He must really love Miss Elsa!  

   The seating arrangement in my car seems a bit strange lately.  Poppy grabs the passenger

seat.  Monet tries to sit there too.  Monet is really getting so large!  He must be 90 pounds.

    I drive safely down the road with two big dogs in the front seat.  People laugh as

they drive by us.  

    This last year at Sandy Point Beach I was asked to hike on the Amazon Trail.  I kept

saying no.  I said no because I could hardly walk down the beach let alone walk down

a trail.  Today I saw Luke and Ted.  I said, "Let's hike the Amazon Trail!"  It was a very

pretty trail with many foot bridges.  The dogs were all enjoying themselves.

    Luke was enjoying hiking the trail.  The dogs all walked over these foot bridges.

   I looked down to see Monet and Luke biting a very small stick.  I told Ted about the stick.

He ran over.  The two dogs growled.  They growled louder and started to fight.  Monet

had Luke on his back and was biting his neck.  Ted reached down and tried to open

Monet's mouth to release Luke.  Monet bit through his hand twice.  Blood was pouring 

out of his hand.  I grabbed extra fur and skin on Luke's back and gave him a pull.  He

was by my side.  Monet was by Ted's side.  The fight was stopped.  The dogs were not

hurt.  I gave my wool scarf to Ted for his hand.  We marched back to the cars very fast.

We both leashed up our male dogs.  All of us were shaken up.  

   I told Ted to come by my house to clean his hand in hydrogen peroxide, then bactracin,

and waterproof bandages.  I fixed up his hand.  He said he was fine.  I felt so bad for Ted.

Ted was just happy the dogs were not injured.  The dogs were all he cared about.  We

talked about how to keep Monet and Luke from fighting.  Intake males with one female

seem to be a problem.  

    Monet gets along great with every other dog.  He shows no sign of aggression.

   Have a great night!

"Schoodic Spring Pink Sky at Sunset" 4x5 oil on copper 200$ Framed in gold and shipped.

     I loved this view at Schoodic in Acadia National Park. Cadillac Mountain always glows.

The sky was a beautiful pink.  I sat in my car and quickly painted.  It was low tide but 

I decided to have fun painting a few rocks in the foreground.  I am not a fan of rocks but

they can make a nice foreground.  

    The new owners of Mr. Bates/Chase have been so wonderful to share a few photos with

me and everyone who reads this blog.  He has grown so much.  He is so hansom.   They

adore him. He has a very entertaining personality.  I always knew he was a charmer.  He

would tilt his head and sometimes bark to get picked up.   I miss

the puppies very much.  I really did spend most of my time with them for 8 weeks.   The

photos make me happy!  

   Mr. Moseley and Marigold had a very gentle first bath.  They loved their bath.  They

fell  asleep together.

    I know all the puppies are in excellent homes.  I would describe my

feelings as being slightly anxious when they left.  It was confusing.  I sat around for two days

trying to figure out what to do next.  I paid off 8,000$ towards my hospital bill.  I am 

so grateful of the whole experience and to be able to pay this.  The hospital in Waldo County did

a fine job.  They deserve to be paid off quickly.  I still owe 14,000$ but I am so thrilled to pay it

down.  Thank you.

"Knotted Pine at Schoodic" 4x5 oil on copper 200$ Framed in gold and shipped.

    I worked more on this painting I started on location at Schoodic.  It is very difficult to

photograph this painting.  I have tried five times with two different cameras in five different

locations.  I will try again tomorrow.  

    I took Monet and Poppy to the beach.  Poppy is more confident now since she has had

puppies.  She takes the passenger seat now.  She always allowed Monet to take this seat before.

She sings outside my door in the morning now.  Then she lays by my bed getting petted for

an hour or so.  Sometimes we go to sleep again.  She waits for me to get ready and come

downstairs.  She didn't do this before.  She also is more affectionate.  I saw her give Ted a

quick kiss yesterday.  She gives me kisses too.  Monet is giving me kisses in the car.  He

is trying to sit in the passenger/middle console of the car.  Robert takes them to the beach every

night before sunset.  Both dogs spend a total of 3-6 hours a day at the beach.  I think this is

great for them!  They are very lucky and so are we.

    I did something different today.  I laid down on the beach, used a large log as a back

rest, and soaked up the sun.  There are still large ice cakes lining the beach.

     I will be painting with both hands tomorrow!  I am feeling so much better since my 

bad gall bladder is gone!  I can not believe how much energy I have!  It is really an incredible

difference.  I don't drag my feet anymore.  I think I can write better.  I seem to think more

clearly.  I sleep a 100% better.  I have no more back pain.  I can eat what I would like but I

 have a smaller appetite.  I can walk twice as far as I did before.  I feel more peaceful.  I am

back to being more organized.  I feel happier.  Have a good night.

   "Corea Fish Shack" 4x5 oil on copper.  200$ Framed in gold and shipped free.

    Every year I drive to Corea, Maine to paint or take photos.  I have always admired a few

fish shacks lining the harbor.  Many of these fish shacks have fallen down.  This one was

very cute.  I decided to paint it from the comfort of my car.  This seems to be a public

road now that there is a gallery inside one of these fish shacks.  Sadly, Corea, Maine does

not seem friendly to the plein air artists trying to work here.  It is very difficult to find

a safe place to paint without getting yelled at.  Maybe someday this will change.  Corea

is a beautiful place.

   Here are a few photos of Corea.  It is a working village.  There are many piers loaded

with lobster traps and buoys.  Often I see lobstermen working on their traps or doing

something with rope.  The lobstermen are always nice. 

    I have always loved this view.  Once Robert and I walked around the cove by the fish

shacks at low tide.  It was late fall so many residents were not there.  The fish shack

on the left is now gone.  There was a very long pier out to this fish shack.  

  I had dreams about living in this cottage located in the harbor of Corea, Maine a long

time ago when we first arrived in Maine.  It was 2007.  We were living in the airstream

in a campground on Mount Desert Island.  In my dreams this cabin was two story.  

   The light was incredible at Schoodic Point today.  I painted a painting before sunset.

The sky was pink.  I will post this painting tomorrow.  

    This morning at the beach Luke and Monet growled fiercely over this long stick.

We thought they were going to fight over this stick.  The growling went on for over two minutes.

I couldn't get Monet to move.  He is so strong.  Finally the stick broke in half.  Each dog

had a good portion of the stick.  They still growled for a minute and called a truce.  Poppy

just watched.  Spring weather gets the pups all fired up!

   The beach was full of Luke's offspring today!  Monet's sisters arrived from a different

Mother.  It was so much fun.

   Have a great night! 

"Katahdin Colors Of Spring" 6x6 oil on copper 350$ framed in gold.  Shipped.

    Today I drove an hour to Orono to pick up painter Teddi.  Then we drove two hours

to the Golden Road in Millinocket.   The Golden Road was full of giant pot holes so we

had to careful navigate around them until we reached a secret spot Teddi discovered

through her connections with the Baxter State Park.  The park was still closed due to so

much snow fall this Winter.  We had to hike 20 minutes to see Mount Katahdin.  I

preferred the view standing on an ice platform above water.  It was kind of a scarey place

to paint.  The view was worth the risk.  This painting above is the second painting completed

on the Abol Bridge.  

"Flying Clouds Over Mount Katahdin" 4x5 oil on copper 250$ Framed in gold and shipped.

    The clouds and light dramatically changed the whole scene within an hour or two.

It was very interesting to see.  When large clouds covered the sky the entire scene was

very dark.  Then the clouds moved.  The sun came out and there was the scene again!

The shape of the mountains seemed to change according to the cloud's shadows.  It

was so beautiful there.  No black flies!

    Here is the scene with my painting.  Clouds were moving in towards the end of our stay.

We packed up and drove home.  What a day!  Six hours of driving, 20 minutes of hiking,

10 minutes of eating, 4 hours of painting...now that is a great Spring day!

    We had to wait for a partridge to cross the road.  He was doing a beautiful dance.  I had

never seen a partridge before.  Teddi, a real Mainer, knew exactly what type of bird this

was and chuckled at my enthusiastic reaction!  

    Mount Katahdin seemed so giant at times while we drove closer.  The

mountain looked so small and disappeared behind trees at other times.

 I loved the mountain when it glowed.

   Massive cumulus clouds moved in creating a very dark foreground.

    I liked this photo of Teddi painting Mount Katahdin today.  

We had a great time.

"Schoodic Spring Spruce" 5x4 oil on copper.  200$ Framed in gold and shipped.

   Here are a few paintings I did on location at Schoodic yesterday.

"A Cove In Schoodic" 4x5 oil on copper 200$ Framed in gold and shipped free.

    Lady Edith/Lia can sit, shake hands, and stay on command with a treat.  I watched a video

of her doing her tricks more than 10 times I am afraid to admit.  She was so cute I could not

help myself.   

    Mr. Bates/Chase likes to sit on top of clean, folded clothes in the laundry basket with his alligator

toy.  He likes to steal clean socks too just like Monet.  He substitutes his toy alligator in place of the

clean socks.  No one will notice the clean socks are missing.  Very smart of Mr. Bates/Chase.  

    Mr. Moseley and Marigold know how to sit on command too.  They are such loving puppies.  Their

owners are so grateful for all the love we gave them.  

    Monet had to be in 'time out' today at the beach with Robert and Poppy.  He took another dog's

ball and wouldn't give it back.  He was growling and not using a good team spirit.  He thought the ball

was his!  (Monet owns an identical ball at home)

    Have a good night.

   Lady Mary/Lux came to visit us today!  We took her and her new owner to the beach.

We made sure Luke, the grandfather of the puppy, knew about her visit.  It was so sweet

to visit with her.  She still recognized us.  Poppy and Monet were over the moon.

   Robert showed her how to swim.  The water temperatures were 38 degrees.

Lady Mary/Lux did paddle her front feet.  

   Lady Mary/Lux said she will wait for Summer for another swim.

    It was evident Poppy and Monet had missed their puppies.  I could tell Lady Mary/Lux

had adapted well to her new owner.  She has been taking excellent care of her.  Lady Mary/Lux

knows how to sit on command and she knows her name too!  

    After her first swim, she ran to her new owner, who picked her up

to keep her warm.  Lady Mary/Lux went to sleep in her arms.  

    Here are Poppy and Monet greeting Lady Mary/Lux this morning.  They hopped around

and cleaned her.  Really was sweet.  At the beach when it was time to go home, Monet and

Poppy both went up to their puppy and gave her a few kisses to say goodbye.  Monet went

back twice for another set of kisses.  Then they dashed to the car.  The puppy went with

her new owner.  Puppy is very bonded to new owner.  Very happy.  

"Glow of Cadillac Mountain"  4x5 oil on copper.  Sold.  Thank you!

   I just loved the glow of the mountain.  I could still see some snow left on top of Cadillac

Mountain.  I sat in my car to paint in Schoodic today.  It was very nice out but the cool

breeze made me retreat to the car! 

    I have decided to start another painting marathon.  I hope to paint at least one 4x5 100$ painting

for you to see everyday.  I am going to Mount Katahdin to paint tomorrow!

 Have a great night!

   I thought I would share with you a few photo updates of the puppies!  Mr. Moseley and Marigold

kept their name.  They are looking so healthy and happy in Vermont!

    Mr. Bates is now named Chase.  He is living the life!  

   We are hoping to take Lady Mary/Lux to the beach tomorrow with her new owner.

    There was so many golden retrievers at the beach today!  Monet, Poppy, Luke saw two

of Luke's daughters.  We also met a young 6 months old male golden.  He was cute.  He

tried to nurse from Poppy!  She growled and tried to nip him.  I stayed at the beach today

for hours.  It was so warm out!  

    Luke took another golden's ball and made a clown face!  We all laughed and many

people took his photo.

   Poppy, Luke, and Monet explored the beach for three hours.  

    It was nice to just enjoy a warm sunny day at the beach.  I hope to get more serious

about painting tomorrow.  Good night.

     I took Monet and Poppy to the beach this morning.  It was nice there!  Ted and Luke

appeared.  We walked all the way down the beach around Herschey's Retreat area.

    I gave Monet a haircut.  He grew so much hair this winter.  What a pretty boy!

    Monet and his Dad, Luke, look so much alike.  They have the same growls and barks.

Their tails curl the same way.  They both have great personalities.

    Luke doesn't make Monet submit any more.  Luke knows Monet just won't do that.

They get along pretty well.  There are some growls sometimes.  I never pet Luke while Monet

is around.  Monet is a jealous boy.

   Ted and Luke showed us where a ground hog is living.  We didn't see him.  

He also showed us where a young fox stayed one winter.  Little Gus and Luke touched

noses with this young fox.  He also showed us where a bobcat lived.  I always enjoy

Ted stories.  He makes us laugh and the walk is effortless.  

    Spring is coming!

    Poppy was a little flirt with Luke.  

Poppy thinks Luke is a handsome boy!

    We were finished with our hike on the beach.  Luke decided to take a little nap.

    Monet and Poppy seem to be fine without the puppies.  Monday Lady Mary/Lux

might visit the beach to see Monet and Poppy again!

   I am preparing many 4x5 copper panels!  I think I might start another painting

marathon tomorrow!  

Have a good night.

     The big mystery to our family was, "Who was going to sleep with Lady Mary/Lux on her

last night at home?"   I think we were all wondering how this last night was going to go down.

We knew there was going to be a lot of crying, howling, and some rearranging of the sleeping

arrangements.

    First Lady Mary/Lux started out in Robert's room in a pen with newspapers.  Monet slept

in the hall way.  Poppy was next to Robert on her own bed.  I was in my room next to them sleeping.

After one minute of the lights off, Lady Mary/Lux cried out, "Let me out of here now!"   There

was a lot of noise.  Maybe more noise than any of us had imagined.  Robert must have been asleep

already.   The noise persisted.  

    I brought Lady Mary/Lux into my room  and put her in my twin bed.  She found various sleeping

positions throughout the night.  One of these positions was on my pillow with most of her body on top

of my hair.  Another favorite sleeping position of Lady Mary/Lux was on her back, along my body,

nestled under my arm.  She slept there for a good while.  Monet and Poppy were sleeping in my

room on the floor.  Lady Mary/Lux decided to leap off the bed in the middle of the night.  I heard a

thud.  She was off!

   I put her into Robert's pen.  Monet and Poppy left my room to sleep in Robert's room.  I closed my

door.  

    Robert woke up to attend to Lady Mary/Lux.  He took her out of her pen.  She tried to sleep with Poppy

on her bed.  Poppy barked and growled at her.  She found Monet in the hallway.  She curled up right under

his chest and went to sleep the rest of the night.  Robert woke up to see her cuddling with Monet both

sound asleep.  He said it was the cutest thing he had ever seen.  

   He took Lady Mary/Lux to work with him.  Her new owner works there too.  She was so surprised

to see her there.  Robert set up a pen for Lady Mary/Lux.  She did fine.  

    Back at home, Monet and Poppy and I, slept most of the day.  We were physically and mentally

exhausted.  

     I took Monet and Poppy to the beach to play with their doggy friend Sunday.

     Robert came home from work.  I knew Monet and Poppy expected to see their puppy.

The puppy was not there with him.  I am sure they wondered where all the puppies went.

Robert took them back to the beach for several more hours.  They came home and went

to sleep.  

    Have a good night.

   Lady Mary is the last puppy at our house today.  Lady Rose left with her new owners

this morning.  She gave them a lot of kisses.  She was so excited to travel back to a

farm in New Hampshire to live with another 8 year old female golden retriever, chickens,

and a horse!  She will be a therapist dog working in a retirement home with her owner who

is also a therapist!  She might even have puppies someday when the time comes.  They

were such nice people.  Lady Mary cried when she left.  We took her to the beach with 

Monet and Poppy.

    I have always thought of Lady Mary as a very brave adventurous puppy from the

first few days she was born.  She learned to climb the stairs in our house.  She climbed

on our couch and was seen leaping off frightening puppies!  She climbed

these huge ice cakes today.  She is fearless.

    Lady Mary is also the most vocal puppy of the litter.  Right after she was born she

was the loudest.  Today I heard her yoddle, howl, and bark so loud to get out of the

Downton Abbey playroom.  It was fun being in there with other puppies but not by herself!

The playroom is now dismantled.  Lady Mary is running all around our house.

    She loves riding in the car!

    Monet and Poppy really enjoyed having Lady Mary/Lux at the beach.

    She took a few steps into the ocean!  

    She is definitely a size medium now!  

   Things are not so bad here with Daddy Monet to cuddle with.  Tomorrow her new owner

will pick her up.  Right now we are deciding who will sleep with Lady Mary tonight...Robert..or

I? Have a great night!

    Lady Rose found the mirror!  She said, "Wow!  Look at that beautiful dog!"  

   Lady Rose saw me in the mirror!  

   Lady Mary/Lux loves to hide under the leather couch, lunge at dogs or people, as she

sees them pass by!  "Surprise!  Gotcha!"  

    Monet found these yellow plush eggs inside his chicken toy.  He was so

fascinated with them.  A puppy saw him and came running!

    Everyone wanted to play with the yellow toy!  I was squeaking the toy.  There was

a lot of interest!

  Lady Mary, on the left, lost self control and started to howl.  She wanted the toy now!

     This morning they played with their toys outside for hours, out on the back deck for an

hour, then inside the house for an hour, finally Lady Rose went to her Downton Abbey playroom,

opened the gate's door, and plopped down into her bed.  She went to sleep right away.  Lady

Mary followed.  They slept for a few hours.  Then they played again for a long time all together.

    I supervised to make sure the puppies were safe.  Poppy did play a little too

rough for a minute.  Lady Rose told her off good.  Lady Rose barked her head off

and stomped her feet at Poppy.  I did see Lady Rose's face wet.  Maybe Poppy nibbled

on her too hard.  She scared Poppy!  Poppy ran to me and put her front feet

in my lap.  She looked back to see if Lady Rose was going to get her.  Lady Rose

had a mad look on her face.  She walked off with a attitude.  A few minutes later

they were all playing again.

    Tomorrow Lady Rose is leaving with her new family from New Hampshire.  They

will take excellent care of her.  

   Mr. Bates/Chase's new owner wrote and said they love him.  Her daughters are learning to

take turns holding him, walking him, and loving on him.  He loves all the attention.  They were

very sad with the loss of their elderly golden retriever.  They said they do feel happiness

now with Mr. Bates/Chase.  I am so happy to hear this.

    Mrs. Hughes's new owners called me last night.  They said they love her to pieces.  She

loves all her new doggy toys.  She loves being held by the man of the house.  When the lady

comes home, the puppy follows her all over the house, and loves to see her too.  She loves

to chase after the cat.  The cat hides.  It was great to hear from them.

    I received a nice update with photos from Lady Cora/Elsa.  The

puppy loves to grab her shoe and run as fast as she can.  She thinks this

is the best thing ever!  She has taken over her owner's bed pillow.  She is

the little princess in the house.  She loves to run as fast as she can down the 

long driveway to the horse barn with her golden doodle friend named Baloo.  

I was so glad to hear this.  They hold her so the horses don't hurt her.

     Today I was sad.  I miss the puppies who have left.  It is only natural.  This too will

pass.  They have been so much fun.  Have a goodnight.

   Lady Mary and Lady Rose spent the morning escaping from their Downton Abbey playroom

so they could explore!  I heard a few little barks outside my door upstairs.  I opened the door

to see the puppies!  "Good Morning!  We would like chicken!"  They were dancing on their

back legs, panting, and wagging their tails.  I put them outside to play.  

     Monet and Poppy don't seem to mind two puppies.  I know they can

count.  They seem happy with two.  Poppy and Monet showed them how they growl at each

other.  The puppies are learning.  

    Monet still plays with the puppies.  They just love him.  Poppy chases the puppies,

tries to paw at them, and they run.  There are definitely two different parenting styles

going on.  Monet lays down and loves on them.  Poppy watches over them, protects 

them, and paws them.  I still see Monet cleaning the puppies.

   I heard from many of the puppy's new owners today.  Lady Cora's parents emailed

and called.  She wrote Lady Cora was nervous and cried on the drive home. She sang

her lullabies to quiet her down.  At home their goldendoodle named Baloo, an old cat, and

a 8 week old kitten met her.  The kitten and Lady Cora became fast friends playing around

the house.  She napped for a time.  Then at 11pm Lady Cora was ready to play.  She

went to sleep in her new owner's bed and slept great until the alarm clock went off at 

4:30am!  She likes being held.  Her new owner said she was getting ready for work and holding

her at the same time.  Her husband cooked for her.  Then she snuggled for a while.  Sounded

like she was getting ready to walk down to the horse barn for the first time.  

   Mr. Carson's new owner just called.  She said the puppy is doing great!  Mr. Carson goes

outside.  They just need to learn when he is standing by the front door he means business!

Their older golden retriever is doing well with him.  The children love him.

    Mr. Moseley and Marigold have settled into their new home in Vermont.  They look

very happy.

   I see one of the puppies biting Poppy on her leg! 

    The ladies are ganging up on Monet! 

     Have a good night!

    We had a raw carrot party after Mr. Moseley and Marigold left with their new owners. I

thought this would take their minds off siblings leaving.

   Mr. Moseley and Marigold had new harnesses put 

on them for their journey.    They had a five hour drive ahead of them.

 They had plenty of food and toys for them.  The puppies were happy to meet their

new owners.

 Poppy and Monet were at the beach.  They didn't see their puppies leaving.

     I took all the puppy's portraits today.

    Marigold sat for two photos.  She ran off

to the kitchen for a bite of Mom and Dad's dried food.

   Very early this morning all the puppies except for Mr. Bates/Chase, climbed over their

Downton Abbey playroom's walls, ran up the stairs, and scratched on my bedroom door.

I was very surprised to see them upstairs.  They were wagging their tails.  They were not

hungry and they didn't need to go outside.  They just wanted to visit me.  They are really

growing up.  

    We received a large box from Lady Rose's new parents from New Hampshire.  

Handmade fleece toys were in the box!  Thank you very much!  

I sent home one toy with each of the new owners today. They

appreciated them.  

    I had a great time making this blue velvet bow for Lord Grantham.  I slipped the 

bow around his neck while he was sleeping.  His new owners drove over 4 hours from Massachussets

to pick him up today.  They were thrilled with him.  He was very happy to meet them.

   I liked Lord Grantham's country portrait.

    Lady Mary had no time today for modeling.  One photo then

she was off!

   Here is a country portrait of Lady Mary.  She is staying with us till Friday.

 Her new owner took several days off to spend time with her.

 She will be living close by.  We might get to see Lady Mary

again.  Her new name is Lux.  

    Lady Cora was very pleased meeting her new owners today.  She was happy about

living on the horse farm.  She promisedto stay away from horses.  She will have a cat

and goldendoodle for company.  I wonder if Lady Cora will have goldendoodle/golden

puppies with this new friend?  We will see.  

    Robert took Monet and Poppy to Ted and Luke's house.  They hiked and cooked. 

This was a good way to keep away from the house today.  Robert still looks sad about

Lady Cora leaving.

    I dressed up Mr. Bates/Chase with a blue velvet bow.  His new owners came to pick him up.

He was ready!  He was so excited!  He was wagging his tail!  They promised to take very good

care of him.  He will be in a small town here in Maine.  

      He enjoyed having his photo taken.

He has grown so much in a week!  It was time the puppies were in there

new homes.  They spent most of their time running around our house or

running around outside. They have outgrown their Downton Abbey playroom.

They need training and attention now from their

new owners.  It was time.  

     Tonight there are two puppies left, Lady Mary and Lady Rose.

     Monet and Poppy were outside with these two puppies.

    Monet was sniffing Lady Mary/Lux and Lady Rose was being pawed at by Poppy.

     Lady Rose didn't like Poppy scratching her.  She barked really loud at her Mom.

 Poppy took her paw off her and backed up!  Lady Rose was brave!

Poppy was officially told off today...a first!

  Lady Rose will be here until Thursday. 

       Have a good night.

     Happy Easter!  The golden retriever puppies had three deviled eggs,

sweet potato, and boiled chicken on top of their puppy dried food for dinner tonight!  They smacked

their lips!  Hmmmmm!  There was not a speck left of their Easter dinner.

    Ted brought Luke, the grandfather of the puppies, for a puppy visit.  The puppies all

starred at him.  Luke starred back.   Luke growled. We sent Ted and Luke off with a big

Easter dinner to go.  Monet and Poppy were at the beach with Robert.  

   Lady Violet went home with her new owners today.  Lady Violet and Lord Grantham decided

to paint themselves green today.  I have no idea where they found green oil paint.  I offered

to wash Lady Violet but her new owners thought it was great having a green puppy!  They

will take great care of her.  They are home all day, taking care of their chickens, and gardens.

Many grandchildren will visit and play with Lady Violet.  She will have almost 40 acres to

roam free.  

   So far I feel like I have only made one mistake with the puppies.  Today I accidentally

left Lady Mary outside.  She was out there by herself for 15 minutes.  Monet heard her

scratching on the front door and barked very loud.  I found her sitting there wagging her

tail!  I am glad Monet knew how to rescue her!  She was hiding outside when I brought

the puppies inside.  She is fine.  She comes in quickly now!

    We had a raw carrot party today!  They just love cold carrots to chew!

     I saw Monet put his paw around this puppy's neck!  I think this is Lady Cora.

Lady Cora will be leaving us tomorrow to live on a large horse farm near Augusta, Maine.

The man will be home all day.  Lady Cora will have a 4 year old goldendoodle

to play with.  There are many acres to explore.  There is a pond to swim!  The lady of the

house sounds like such a special person.  I know Lady Cora will have a wonderful life.

It was difficult for Robert to accept.  We were going to keep Lady Cora.  Our Monet

and Poppy keep us very busy and happy.

    Monet loves his puppies!  There will be a few more puppies leaving tomorrow.  I believe

Marigold and Mr. Moseley and Lord Grantham will be leaving too. Mr. Bates/Chase's

new family are picking him up!  There will be only two puppies with us after tomorrow.  

    Marigold is in the foreground.  She is a cute girl.  She can't wait to see her new owners

again.  Mr. Moseley will be going home with Marigold to the same house in Vermont.  

    We went for a one hour drive.  Happy Easter!

   The puppies are eating 55 pounds of dried Wellborne Holistic Puppy Vantage every week now.

They also eat 8 boiled chicken breasts, organic rice, and sweet potato every day.  They are

really active and love new toys!

   Lady Cora claimed the lion toy for her own.  

    We ran out of puppy milk bones.  The puppies won't go into the pen after coming inside

without a puppy milk bone treat!  I found Lord Grantham and Lady Mary/Lux tinkering 

around with cords!  I will round up more treats for them!

    Poppy was melancholy today.  We gave her a new turtle toy.

   Lady Edith posed for a few portrait photos.  

 A nice young couple called today.  They

came to visit Lady Edith.  They decided she was perfect for their home.

They live on 150 acres.  They will be starting a family soon.  She will be

at home all day to pamper Lady Edith.  Poppy went upstairs and laid down

in her bed when they left with Lady Edith.  Robert consoled Poppy.  

     Mr. Carson/Tucker is at his new home in Durham, Maine.  He has a 11 year

old male Golden Retriever showing him around the new manor.  It is a larger

manor than the Downton Abbey manor here in Bucksport.  He will have a fenced

yard with many grandchildren to play with him.  They will be spoiling him.  He

was sound asleep in her arms as she carried him to the car.  

     Mrs. Hughes/Lucee went to her new home in Owls Head, Maine.  She is being

spoiled rotten by a retired lobsterman and his wife.  They were cooking her chicken

and rice with sweet potato...her favorites.  She also had vanilla icecream for dessert.

She will enjoy staying on her private island on the weekends, boating, hiking, and swimming.

They lost their 13 year old Golden Retriever recently.  They are so happy with their

new addition.

   Lady Edith will be feasting on boiled chicken and fish every night!

    One minute after the young couple called, another lovely lady called about a female

puppy.  She lives on a large horse farm with a pond.  She sounded like the perfect family

for our Lady Cora.   We will find out soon if Lady Cora will be living on a horse farm,

being the queen dog of the castle, running around on many acres without a leash.  

    Monet received a large long fox toy.  He loved it.  I had another dog toy for him in the bag.

I needed to take the tags off this toy.  Before I could do this, Monet found this toy, and gathered

up his new fox toy.  I found him laying with his big fox and his new yellow chicken with eggs hiding

inside.  Then he ran around the house showing off his toys to the puppies.  Mr. Bates/Chase was 

particularly interested in Monet's new toys even though there were plenty inside the 

Downton Abbey playroom.  I think Mr. Bates/Chase will be a lot like his Dad.

     Have a good night.  Happy Easter weekend.

   Mr. Carson/Tucker was a great model today.  He looks a lot like his

Mom Poppy.  He just loves to dig.  I have a few more photos him on the

private Facebook group called Monet X Poppy Puppy Group.  I will only

allow the new puppy owners in this group. 

    Here is sweet Lady Violet.  She is going to be a darker golden or red golden.

She is very gentle.  She is a deep thinker!  I hope her owners join this Facebook

group so they can see more of her portrait photos.

    It was a very warm beautiful Spring day.  I spent most of my time outside or cleaning.

I noticed Lady Cora/Lily Pad growl at a puppy who was trying to get onto my lap.  She

chased that puppy away.  Then she put her front paws on me.  She had the most

submissive look.  "Please pick me up!"  I sure did.  She wagged her tail and did circles

in my lap.  She gave me kisses.  She is a keeper.  I can't imagine life without our sweet

Lily Pad!  

   Mr. Bates climbed into my chair for his portrait.  He is looking forward to meeting his

new family again Sunday.  He will be a good boy.  He knows how to go out and come back

inside now.  He sure does like those little puppy milk bones.  He says, "As long as they

have those things I will be good.  I like boiled chicken.  I sure hope they can cook me that!

I love organic white rice and sweet potato too.  Those cold raw carrots are great.

The list goes on and on!"

    I took Monet to the vet today.  He had many little teeth marks on his ear and neck.  They

were getting infected.  They had to sedate Monet so they could shave the hair off his neck.

They also looked at his paw.  He had a new cut under his eye.  The vet asked Monet if those

puppies were getting to him?  Monet is not too tolerant of a vet shaving his neck or looking

at his feet!  I will put the medicine on Monet.  He will be fine. 

He will feel better tomorrow.  I will keep Monet safe.

    Monet was playing keep away with the puppies.  

    Monet seemed a little afraid of the puppies today!  "Are there more of them today?

They seem huge!  Help!"

    Here is Mr. Carson after Monet was sedated at the vet!  Mr. Carson behaved himself.

He didn't bite on his Daddy.  Mr. Carson was wearing a victorian dark red ribbon around

his neck until he tried to eat it!

   Mr. Carson/Tucker said, "Gee, Daddy Monet is a lot of fun when he is sedated!  I can 

ride him like a white horse!  Gitteeup Daddy!"  

   "How many fingers can you see Daddy?"

    Have a good night!

   Last week I taught the puppies how to jump out of their Downton Abbey playroom pen,

run through our house, and exit through the front door to their fenced yard.

   Today I lured each puppy inside by letting them smell a puppy milk bone.

 I had to bend down and walk backwards holding out the puppy milk bone to

get them to follow me. Lord Grantham's treat needed to be upgraded to bacon jerky before

he would follow me inside.  He has high standards!  

  Once they were by the pen's door, most of them could be lured inside of their pen,

where I closed the door!  Then I handed them two or three milk bones.

 I also gave more milk bones to any puppy in the pen who wanted more.

 Every puppy was content!  They seemed to love the new challenge.

     If  you can imagine doing this 11 times for each puppy five times today, then you would know

how my back feels right now!

     I was lifting each puppy up and carrying them 35 feet inside times

11 for six different trips inside!  I lost an entire dress size.  I was lifting 660 pounds a day!

It was all very fun.  I expect tomorrow to be so much easier.  I hope to rattle the puppy milk

bone box!  I will call out, "Time to come inside!  Here puppy puppy!"  Then I hope all the

pups coming running inside and jump back into the Downton Abbey playroom.  We shall see.

 The picture above shows most of the boys playing on top of Robert's puppy obstacle course.  

    Lady Rose looks so much like her Momma Poppy.  She was hoping

to get her Daddy's attention with a few karate chops?  What a cute puppy!

    Poppy allowed the puppies to nurse for a minute even though she has no more milk.

It is a social thing for the puppies.  I think it is healthy.  

    Mrs. Hughes/Lucee went to visit her new family today in Owls Head, Maine.  They had

never seen her before.  They loved her.  I think they will be a great family for Mrs. Hughes/Lucee.

They will be staying out on an island they own on the weekends.  Sounds like an excellent life

for her.  A nice man will be with her all day long.  The lady will cook for her.  I saw the boat Lucee

will be riding inside to go to the island.  I know Mrs. Hughes/Lucee will enjoy boat rides,

running all around her island, and don't forget swimming in the ocean!  Wow!

   I took Mrs. Hughes/Lucee's portrait today on red velvet.  She is so pretty.

   Mr. Carson spent time today digging and chewing on grass.  

Lord Grantham joined him with the digging, eating dirt, and grass.  Lord Grantham told

Mr. Carson, "You know Mr. Carson, I really enjoy your company.  You have opened my eyes

to many fun things to do!  I would never dreamed of digging, eating dirt and grass! Please don't 

tell Lady Cora about the dirt and grass."  "No problem Sir.  It will be our secret!"  Mr. Carson answered

with his mouth full of grass.  

     I was only gone for two hours driving to Owls Head.  I thought the puppies were secure

in their Downton Abbey playroom.  They escaped, ran to the front door, but it was closed!

 They made a mess.  Robert had to clean dirty paw prints off the door!  It was everywhere.

They tried to get outside to do their thing.  Robert said when he went to unlock the front door

he knew something was very different because he heard a lot of little barks, howls, scratching

on the inside of the door!  I will remember to lock their pen's gate with a real lock next time!

They are smart.  

   Have a good night.

    I decided to take Mr. Bates's photo today on red velvet.  He had the perfect Downton

Abbey pose!  

    Here is a more serious look for Mr. Bates.  He cried very loud today when

Lady Mary grabbed and bit his ear.  I wonder what my neighbors think?  I rescued

Mr. Bates.  I had to hold him for a minute to reassure him.  He was terribly

shaken up over the incident.  Lady Mary has been very good except for today's bite!

     Lady Edith really enjoyed the Easter Bunny!  The vet commented on all the puppy's

long eye lashes.  She said long eye lashes is what she looks for when she buys a Golden

Retriever.  She said they have the longest eye lashes she has ever seen.  

    I find myself chasing after Lord Grantham the most when it is time for the puppies

to come inside.  He runs, tries to hide, and is sad when carried inside.

    Monet was chewing on pine bark while Mr. Carson/Tucker gave him a few karate chops

in the face.

    I have seen Poppy karate chopping action first hand.  I have grown to like her

way of playing with me.  I even miss Poppy's ambushing of me at night!

    She hears me wake up at night as I walk down the hall.  Poppy runs into my room.  The bedroom

door closes.  She waits.  I enter my room again with all the lights off.  Poppy stands on her

hind legs and karate chops me, pushing me backwards, until she is sure I give in!  The first time

I screamed at the top of my lungs.  I had no idea what was attacking me. 

    One night I opened my bedroom door.  I made a few loud footsteps in the hall, but quietly

went back into my room, and lightly closed the door.  Poppy heard me and ran into my room.  I was

waiting for her!  I yelled out her name and playfully poked at her.  She squealed.  She danced on 

her back legs with both arms up karate chopping.  I turned on the light.   She went back to

Robert's room and went to sleep.  She never ambushed me again.  I wonder if the puppies will

ambush their new owners?  I kind of miss Poppy's nightly ambushes.

    The puppies played for an hour with two new duck toys.  It is fun watching them 

play.  

    Here is Mr. Moseley, Monet, and Lord Grantham.    The boys seem to be together often.

    Tomorrow I hope to train the puppies to come back inside.  I will tempt

them with a treat!  Have a great night!

    Lady Edith has a pretty face.