How Do You Know When Spring Is Coming?
When…
Every day…
For the past week…
I open the back door…
and find THIS waiting for me.
It starts out innocently enough…
I let Miley & Howie out for their morning bathroom break and backyard patrol.
They make the rounds, thoroughly inspecting every square inch of the yard until they’ve made sure no unauthorized visitors have trespassed into their territory during the night.
But at some point… when they think I’m not looking…
They find the Swamp.
You know… that overgrown area of the yard we like to forget about from October to April.
The Swamp is like the Bermuda Triangle for dogs & their toys. It attracts them and sucks them in.
But that’s no problem for Howie.
You have to keep a close eye on the backyard to experience this rare swamp monster sighting.
Miley, of course, is more dainty and attempts to hover over the swamp.
She sticks the landing…
But she misjudged how close that fence was. Doh!
So, when they’re standing at the back door, waiting to be let in, looking post-apocalyptic…
There’s only one thing we can do.
Bath time!
Spring. It’s Miley & Howie’s favorite time of year.
I love it!! Love reading posts about your dogs and seeing the photos. They are so cute! I have a pug named Milo and know what you mean about the spring thing. He tracks little black footprints on my white kitchen floor this time of year if I don’t catch him at the door and wipe his feet.
Oh my gosh, they are just too cute. Loved the pictures !!!
I loved this post! You captured it–the essence of dogs and Spring!
These are fantastic photos! This is so my toe Shih-tzus. Raisin and Muffin do this exact same thing!!!!!!!!!! SO CUTE!
What great pictures you captured of Miley and Howie. They are so adorable. It was like watching a short movie. I have to say your pictures brightened my morning! :)
Lucky Dogs! Wonderful pictures, great narrative…….thank you! My grandparents had a “pug dog” way back in the 40’s. Now one of my granddaughters has one.
Ohhh so cute and so true.
Being the dog lover that I am, this made me laugh out loud! I love your photos…thanks for sharing :)
Soooo cute! I love it, thanks for sharing :)
Amanda, you are AWESOME!!!!!
I looooove, love, love, love this post! OMG – it is just FANTASTIC!!!!
Thank You for sharing!!!
♥Lori
Well, I can’t say it any better than everyone else! I loved this story. You captured it beautifully. Some day I would like to be just 1/2 as good of a photographer as you! Your pictures are always so amazing.
In fact, I can’t stand cooking. I’ve never liked it and never been good at it. Two or three times now, I’ve bought the ingredients and tried your recipes. I know a lot of that has to do with the incredible pictures you post to go along with the recipe.
Thanks for always posting your work and your stories!
OMG! This is hilarious! I love love love it! I even forwarded on the blog link to my sister (a dog fantatic even more so than i am). Truly priceless!
awww! I loved this post! They are so adorable!
your pictures are amazing… and they are absolutely adorable!
Love how you captured their true essence! These are great and what a wonderful scrapbook page they will make. Thanks for sharing
I laughed so hard!!!!! I love the picture of the one in mid-jump. Great picture taking. They also look so apologetic at bath time. LOL
Smiles~
Marilyn
In my experience, a dirty dog is a happy dog! So yours must be over the moon :) such cuties!
Amanda! One of the things on my *Bucket List* is to write Children’s Books! And now, I’ve taken the liberty of deciding that you TOO should! (Yes, yes… you’re welcome, haha!) This is so cute and kids would go ga-ga over it! :) PLUS, it would make M&H stars and you a famous author. It’s brilliant. :-D
And P.S. What is on YOUR bucket list?!
Those pictures are so awesome!! Great shots! Looks like they are HAPPY little dogs!! Thanks for sharing!
I adore the last picture! So cute!
OMGosh! Thank you so much for sharing your pics of those two cuties. They definitely had a good time!!! My Toonie Mae is a Boston terrier/chihuahua cross. Great dogs.
I’m not really a dog person but good grief, they’re adorable!
The first and last pictures literally made me CRY with laughter!!
I have tweeted this entry to all my friends. x
What a hoot !!! It doesn’t get any cuter than this. Thanks for sharing.
I love these pictures!! They are so cut! What a fun post! Thanks for sharing!
What incredible photos! I especially love the very first one! I can only imagine your reaction when that’s what you found waiting for you on your back stoop!
Have a blessed day!
I absolutely love this! I started out smiling and ended up laughing out loud – and more than once! The photos and narrative were PERFECT and the whole thing is just TOO TOO cute! Thank you for brightening my day! :0)
Love those photos. And can I say I wish I had your patience? How many baths do they get a day? Wow.
Lol!! I love it! We have two miniature pinschers names Bonnie and Clyde and they do the same thing. Such wonderful photos.. this made me laugh and I needed it!
Thank you so much for these! It may be Monday morning, but these pictures (and fabulous doggie personalities) are enough to lift anyone’s spirits!
Amanda, you always take the best pictures. You’re going to have to share with me some of your secrets! I have tried so hard to do some great thing with my camera but can’t figure it out. Anything would be appreciated!! Love this post on the dogs and the “swamp”…hilarious!
I am one of those people who love to see people or in this case dogs, trip, fall, or walk into things. (Only when they don’t get hurt of course) So, this post made my morning…thank you. The pictures are great!
I love it!!! That is a pair of very very happy pooches.
this is my favorite post of yours yet! so cute!! i think they could have a dog contest ‘win’ in their pockets with these pictures!!
Wow! They are the cutest! You are lucky to be able to have these moments and pictures! It will last a lifetime! Thank you so much for sharing. I LOVED the story and your pictures are AWESOME!!!
Those pictures are absolutely fantastic!
What a cute picture story! Keep them coming.
Love it!!! My dogs would LOVE your “swamp!” Right now, mine are just dirty on their feet. We have one area in our backyard that will not grow grass and of course, it’s the first and last part the dogs step in while outside (right outside our patio). I will fix it some time! Maybe your swamp could turn into a fish pond? AND a fence? :) Good luck with baths! At least your pups are small.
At least you have small fur children! They can probably go in the kitchen sink. Ours is a 90-ish pound chocolate Lab. What were we thinking?
OMGosh Thank you so much for making me laugh this morning Miley. Needed it today. :-) Poor puppy – looks like they had fun though.
that is so cute! You are a great story teller!!!!
I love those photos! They’re so funny! :D
HAHA! This was such a cute post! Seeing your two together makes me want to get my Brady a sibling :)
Oh my goodness, what awesome photos and wonderful (hilarious!) storytelling!! LOVE it!!
That is TOO funny. So glad to see that you let them play.
AHHHH! to be a KID again!!!
Cute stuff!!!
Adorable.
OHHHH my goodness Amanda, I laughed sooooo hard thought i was gonna p** my pants. LOL I especially loved the one of Miley smacking into the fence, hope she wasnt hurt but it sure was funny. Amanda I absolutely love your blog and visit it daily have used many of your ideas and recipies. Keep bloggin Donna in Minot ND
Love your website. Just found it a week or so ago while searching the web for “Fonts”. First, thanks for sharing the fonts, 2nd you make me laugh. I too have a dog, Toby, that is the morning inspector of our yard, but instead of a swamp, we have a mudhole that totally insures coverage of wet, dirty mud from Toby’s top to bottom. So when I saw your tale of the swamp dogs, it made me giggle. Keep up the great stories and photos….you bring a lot of joy to your community of visitors.
I love it! I have 3 yorkies and a Shih Tzu that like to do the same thing. They wait until I take my eyes off them for ONE MINUTE and they dig holes and roll around in the grass and mud. Now I know I’m not alone!
Love it! I have three dogs, Lady (malamute), Trek and Riley (male black labs) They are always getting into something! And when water is invloved my labs become monsters too!!! Don’t you just love life with them!!! I do!
Brooke
That was so cute! Thanks for sharing!! :)
Ahhhhhh, what adorable pics of your babies! Love them all :)
I love it! I have two boxers and they do the same thing! They come in and you can tell where they’ve been in the house…there are paw prints through-out…
That is too funny! My husband and I can relate. Seems that if it’s not the dogs… it’s the kids!
Hilarious!! Great shots, especially of the “hovering”. Thanks for the funny! ; )
Love it, love it, love it. I so enjoy it when you post Howie and Miley, they truly are adorable. We have 2 bostons, Baxter and Ebony who look a lot like Howie, Ebony can pass for his sister. Our two are so looking forward to spring here in Northern California and when we mention road trips they run to the door because they know that they will soon be running through the fields near our home smelling every bush in sight. Our two do not seem to enjoy the water like Howie and Miley, but they are ages 1 1/2 and 1 so maybe this spring they will branch out enjoy life even more.
Thank you for sharing. I know that we are not alone when it comes to pure enjoyment from having Bostons in our lives. Truly God’s gift to us for sure.
I love your posts! This is so cute…I truly enjoy reading about your puppies, especially since my sister has a Boston! I share all of the posts about your babies with my sister! Thanks for the smile today!
They are so cute….and I am so ready for SPRING and flip flops the shoe of choice EVERYDAY….
Just had to share how much I enjoy your website. I look forward to new posts- especially when I need a break from my workload. Your style is quite engaging-along with being helpful/insightful.
Thanks for the work and thought you put into this!
I can’t stand how cute these pics are! It’s too much! I so wish I had a backyard for my pug to play in. She would go nuts over that little swamp!
Glad I am not the only one!! My dog does this at least three times a week. And she doesn’t quite fit in the tub!!
haha, I LOVE the very last pic you posted! So innocent looking–and clean!
I loved this, your dogs are very lucky to have such a good mama :)
So cute! I love it :) I’m pretty new to your blog. LOVE IT!! Going to try the chicken enchiladas tomorrow. And thanks for sharing your weight loss story, you look wonderful!
~Denissa
I am just blown away by their adorableness!
I was very amused by your story. I remember very well the innocent view of my dog when she had done something wrong. Cute!
I like to read on your pages. They are very amusing.
In addition, while reading I can learn the englisch language, because I need the language skills in my job. And so I look forward to many new stories from you.
Are you kidding me? These pics are beyond adorable and brought a smile to my face today. A nice distraction from my problems. :) Thank you Amanda!
OMG, what amazing pictures of your dogs. I love that you captured every moment of them playing. My Mom’s dog does this also with water, the snow and gets his paw prints all over our white fence. I have to get out there and get those paw prints off the fence soon. lol! Her dog mis-judge our deck in the snow a few weeks ago and I captured it on my camera as well. Skid face first right onto the deck of snow. It was pretty funny….kept running too. LOL! Thanks for making me smile with your wonderful pictures. :-)
those pictures are so cute! that first one – wow! what a cute little story!
Aww they are so cute! Who can resist those muddy, messy faces?
This is hysterical! GREAT pictures and a fun post!
Ahhh… the beloved muddy spring doggies! My husband and I have two springer spaniels who are the exact same way. We too have our own personal “swamp” in our yard, and it provides us with endless dog bathing opportunities! I am already looking forward to the dry days of summer!
Aww, your doggies are so adorable! Can’t help but fall in love with them! ♥
LOVE IT! Great photo’s
oh my goodness! loved this photo story!!
This is a fantastic post!!
That made my whole day! I LOL!
Oh that is SOOO cute!! I’ll look forward to more Miley and Howie stories!! (and more fonts!? :)
I about wet myself looking at that picture of Miley running into the fence. SO cute…until about the third day in a row you have to bath your dogs I suppose!
Too cute!!
oh my gosh. the are so cute.
Hey Amanda
Awesome pics! So funny… I have two Boxers, Jetta and Bailey, and I’ve been cleaning thier paws every time they come in. Do you mind sharing what your camera settings were for the pics of them in the “swamp”.. I’ve just recently obtained a Canon Rebel Xsi and am taking a class to learn all about it! Hope I can grasp it…It’s a bit overwhelming! Thanks and happy spring!
Carrie
Wonderful pictures- they are adorable!!! What kind of camera are you shooting???
That is so great. I have a miniature Australian bulldog who is SO like your two! It doesn’t matter where we are… if there is a puddle, she will find it… and the muddier the better! Great photos, thanks!
Oh I love it!! I literally laughed at loud at Miley hitting the fence! (Not that I get a kick out of seeing dogs hit fences, I laugh at my own dogs running in to things all the time!) I dream of one day having a Boston, so seeing yours having a ball makes me smile! Keep the Miley and Howie pictures coming!! :)
There’s nothing that makes me happier than seeing 2 happy, muddy puppies just being puppies! What a good mommy you are for letting them “do their thing”! Soooo cute!! Thank you so much for sharing, they’re precious!
WOW! Love your photos! They are so funny and lovely!
I love your recent pictures of Howie & Miley! They are too cute! I love Boston’s… they are the best dogs! Mine lived til he was 17 yeard old! Your pictures bring back so many fun memories!
I’m just jealous your grass is green. Mine is still brown. I won’t see green grass for another three weeks or so.
Oh Amanda!
These pics are absolutely PRICELESS!!!!!!!
You captured their FUN so well!
Just precious!
I can tell that lens was worth every penny! ;o)
xxooxx
That is absolutely hysterical! I especially loved the fence faceplant – too funny!
Hahaha that is so precious. Amanda I look forward to your blogs and my face lights up when I look at my email and there sits the email awaiting for me to read. Give Miley and Howie a big hug!!
Amanda, you are so cute! :) I love that we get to be apart of all of your happy moments in life! It’s great that you are so generous with all of your cuteness too! :)
P.S. I’ve just recently found a love for scarves and want to wear them with everything, even my pj’s!! Thanks for sharing the tips on how to wrap them around in a stylish fashion…very helpful! :)
Your photography is amazing. Do you think you will ever teach classes?
Darling! I love your pictures (and captions) of your dogs! Especially the ‘hover dog’ and the ‘swamp monster’–great pics!!!
Just loved the photo series. Your doggies make me laugh! This was such a charming post, you have great style.
How fun and funny!! Sounds like constant entertainment : ) Thanks for sharing the great pics and story to go with them!
I think you just wrote a great book for children (and adults alike)! What great photo journalism! I’m serious – I think you should have it published! Gosh, you could do a whole series! But I guess you’ve already thought of that? I’ll be praying for a publisher for you!!! Thanks for sharing!
sooo cute!! love the action shots!!