March 8th, 2010

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.

Boston Terrier Puppies

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.

Boston Terrier Puppies

But at some point… when they think I’m not looking…

They find the Swamp.

Boston Terrier Puppies

You know… that overgrown area of the yard we like to forget about from October to April.

Boston Terrier Puppies

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.

Boston Terrier Puppies

You have to keep a close eye on the backyard to experience this rare swamp monster sighting.

Boston Terrier Puppies

Miley, of course, is more dainty and attempts to hover over the swamp.

Boston Terrier Puppies

She sticks the landing…

Boston Terrier Puppies

But she misjudged how close that fence was. Doh!

Boston Terrier Puppies

So, when they’re standing at the back door, waiting to be let in, looking post-apocalyptic…

Boston Terrier Puppies

There’s only one thing we can do.

Boston Terrier Puppies

Bath time!

Boston Terrier Puppies

Spring. It’s Miley & Howie’s favorite time of year.




Filed Under: Miley and Howie, Photography150 Comments




  1. 1
    Kim Bell says:

    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.

  2. 2
    Sherrie says:

    Oh my gosh, they are just too cute. Loved the pictures !!!

  3. 3
    Debbie Olson says:

    I loved this post! You captured it–the essence of dogs and Spring!

  4. 4
    Jacque says:

    These are fantastic photos! This is so my toe Shih-tzus. Raisin and Muffin do this exact same thing!!!!!!!!!! SO CUTE!

  5. 5
    Renée says:

    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! :)

  6. 6
    JoyceB says:

    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.

  7. 7
    tinac says:

    Ohhh so cute and so true.

  8. 8
    Andi says:

    Being the dog lover that I am, this made me laugh out loud! I love your photos…thanks for sharing :)

  9. 9
    Julie says:

    Soooo cute! I love it, thanks for sharing :)

  10. 10

    Amanda, you are AWESOME!!!!!

    I looooove, love, love, love this post! OMG – it is just FANTASTIC!!!!

    Thank You for sharing!!!

    ♥Lori

  11. 11
    Colleen Dixon says:

    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!

  12. 12
    katie Cotton says:

    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!

  13. 13
    Carrie says:

    awww! I loved this post! They are so adorable!

  14. 14
    Melissa says:

    your pictures are amazing… and they are absolutely adorable!

  15. 15
    Deneen Cook says:

    Love how you captured their true essence! These are great and what a wonderful scrapbook page they will make. Thanks for sharing

  16. 16

    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

  17. 17
    Jennie says:

    In my experience, a dirty dog is a happy dog! So yours must be over the moon :) such cuties!

  18. 18
    Alisha says:

    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?!

  19. 19
    Jessica R. says:

    Those pictures are so awesome!! Great shots! Looks like they are HAPPY little dogs!! Thanks for sharing!

  20. 20
    Amy says:

    I adore the last picture! So cute!

  21. 21
    Shawna says:

    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.

  22. 22
    Cathy says:

    I’m not really a dog person but good grief, they’re adorable!

  23. 23
    Emma says:

    The first and last pictures literally made me CRY with laughter!!
    I have tweeted this entry to all my friends. x

  24. 24
    Becky says:

    What a hoot !!! It doesn’t get any cuter than this. Thanks for sharing.

  25. 25
    Beth says:

    I love these pictures!! They are so cut! What a fun post! Thanks for sharing!

  26. 26
    Chrissy says:

    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!

  27. 27
    Carol says:

    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)

  28. 28
    Southern Gal says:

    Love those photos. And can I say I wish I had your patience? How many baths do they get a day? Wow.

  29. 29
    Abbie says:

    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!

  30. 30
    Katherine says:

    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!

  31. 31
    Tamara says:

    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!

  32. 32
    Alix Hart says:

    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!

  33. 33
    Susie says:

    I love it!!! That is a pair of very very happy pooches.

  34. 34
    Andria says:

    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!!

  35. 35
    Grace E. says:

    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!!!

  36. 36
    Courtney says:

    Those pictures are absolutely fantastic!

  37. 37
    Tracey says:

    What a cute picture story! Keep them coming.

  38. 38
    Megan says:

    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.

  39. 39
    Cheryl Newton says:

    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?

  40. 40
    Valeri says:

    OMGosh Thank you so much for making me laugh this morning Miley. Needed it today. :-) Poor puppy – looks like they had fun though.

  41. 41
    Nancy says:

    that is so cute! You are a great story teller!!!!

  42. 42
    Meg says:

    I love those photos! They’re so funny! :D

  43. 43
    Emily says:

    HAHA! This was such a cute post! Seeing your two together makes me want to get my Brady a sibling :)

  44. 44

    Oh my goodness, what awesome photos and wonderful (hilarious!) storytelling!! LOVE it!!

  45. 45
    MelodyA. says:

    That is TOO funny. So glad to see that you let them play.

  46. 46
    edy B says:

    AHHHH! to be a KID again!!!
    Cute stuff!!!

  47. 47
    Donna T. says:

    Adorable.

  48. 48
    Donna says:

    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

  49. 49
    Deanna S says:

    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.

  50. 50
    Lisa Stanton says:

    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!

  51. 51
    Brooke says:

    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

  52. 52
    Liz says:

    That was so cute! Thanks for sharing!! :)

  53. 53
    Jenny Flake says:

    Ahhhhhh, what adorable pics of your babies! Love them all :)

  54. 54
    Ruthann says:

    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…

  55. 55
    Lee McMillan says:

    That is too funny! My husband and I can relate. Seems that if it’s not the dogs… it’s the kids!

  56. 56
    PandaMom says:

    Hilarious!! Great shots, especially of the “hovering”. Thanks for the funny! ; )

  57. 57
    Geneva says:

    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.

  58. 58
    Melissa S. says:

    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!

  59. 59
    Teresa says:

    They are so cute….and I am so ready for SPRING and flip flops the shoe of choice EVERYDAY….

  60. 60
    Debbie says:

    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!

  61. 61

    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!

  62. 62
    Kara Lynn says:

    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!!

  63. 63
    Charli says:

    haha, I LOVE the very last pic you posted! So innocent looking–and clean!

  64. 64
    kami says:

    I loved this, your dogs are very lucky to have such a good mama :)

  65. 65
    Denissa says:

    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

  66. 66
    aj says:

    I am just blown away by their adorableness!

  67. 67
    Alexandra says:

    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.

  68. 68
    Sylvia says:

    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!

  69. 69
    Jen Z says:

    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. :-)

  70. 70

    those pictures are so cute! that first one – wow! what a cute little story!

  71. 71
    Jae says:

    Aww they are so cute! Who can resist those muddy, messy faces?

  72. 72
    Courtney says:

    This is hysterical! GREAT pictures and a fun post!

  73. 73
    Steph Lerch says:

    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!

  74. 74
    Alma says:

    Aww, your doggies are so adorable! Can’t help but fall in love with them! ♥

  75. 75
    Judy says:

    LOVE IT! Great photo’s

  76. 76
    peamissy says:

    oh my goodness! loved this photo story!!

  77. 77
    Elli says:

    This is a fantastic post!!

  78. 78
    Angelique says:

    That made my whole day! I LOL!

  79. 79
    tracy says:

    Oh that is SOOO cute!! I’ll look forward to more Miley and Howie stories!! (and more fonts!? :)

  80. 80
    Michelle Harden says:

    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!

  81. 81
    mjrooney says:

    Too cute!!

  82. 82
    Cynthia says:

    oh my gosh. the are so cute.

  83. 83
    Carrie Gamber says:

    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

  84. 84
    Christy Branham says:

    Wonderful pictures- they are adorable!!! What kind of camera are you shooting???

  85. 85
    Deb says:

    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!

  86. 86
    Heather says:

    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!! :)

  87. 87
    alyssa says:

    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!

  88. 88
    Jaque says:

    WOW! Love your photos! They are so funny and lovely!

  89. 89
    Melissa Pierce says:

    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!

  90. 90
    Jacinda says:

    I’m just jealous your grass is green. Mine is still brown. I won’t see green grass for another three weeks or so.

  91. 91
    teresa says:

    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

  92. 92
    Kathy says:

    That is absolutely hysterical! I especially loved the fence faceplant – too funny!

  93. 93
    Rebecca Nash says:

    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!!

  94. 94
    Elisa Schaub says:

    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! :)

  95. 95

    Your photography is amazing. Do you think you will ever teach classes?

  96. 96
    Sarah says:

    Darling! I love your pictures (and captions) of your dogs! Especially the ‘hover dog’ and the ’swamp monster’–great pics!!!

  97. 97
    Kerry says:

    Just loved the photo series. Your doggies make me laugh! This was such a charming post, you have great style.

  98. 98
    Pati says:

    How fun and funny!! Sounds like constant entertainment : ) Thanks for sharing the great pics and story to go with them!

  99. 99
    Larke says:

    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!

  100. 100
    Jacqui says:

    sooo cute!! love the action shots!!

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