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A break in the weather

By Sarah Regan Snavely On December 7, 2010 In Living with Greyhounds With 6 Comments Permanent Link to A break in the weather

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After days of cold and snow, the weather warmed enough for a trip to the dog park. By warmed, I mean around 28 degrees F.

20 degrees seems to be the tipping point as far as weather warm enough for the dog park – if we get weather warmer than that with NO wind – whoo hoo! Dog park we go.

The Greyhounds love to run. They know where there going as soon as we turn north on the road to the dog park.

Sage, especially, loves the snow. Winchester and Annie pretend it doesn’t exist, but Sage rolls and rubs himself in it.

The snow doesn’t hamper their running and playing as long as it is soft and powdery. When it thaws a bit, then freezes again it gets a coat of ice on the top. The ice, not the temperature, will hamper our dog park trips. Ice slices Greyhound feet.

But till then, they run.

Until they are panting.

Then play some more.

Best part of the day!

What are they thinking?

By Sarah Regan Snavely On August 11, 2010 In Living with Greyhounds With 1 Comment Permanent Link to What are they thinking?

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I take a bunch of photos, and while I enjoy it immensely, I don’t know much beyond the basic photography class I took in college. I would like to learn more. Mostly my method is take a lot and delete many.

I keep a file for strange expressions on dog faces. Like this one:

Go, Winchester, Go! My favorite part? The exposed pink inside his ears. So Vicious! So Pretty!

How about this one?Annie bouncing for joy. The Spoo mouthing Sage’s neck – trying to get him to run so the Spoo can chase. And Sage with one eye open, one closed?

Here’s another from that same dog park session:

Spoo checking Sage’s breath? A romantic moment between Spoo and Sage with a jealous Winchester looking on?

Probably dogs playing – Spoo barking to get Sage to run. I love the strange story shots.

Waiting for the kiln

By Sarah Regan Snavely On July 6, 2010 In Art making With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Waiting for the kiln

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Up past my bed time, waiting for the kiln to shut off. The big runner coming out of the wall is in the kiln. Might head to bed and set the alarm for midnight. The kiln is computerized. Even so, I prefer to check on it. Just to make sure.

Looking around the studio — there are piles of tiles ready to glaze. Several new tile designs for Greyhounds are drying. Sculptures in various stages of finished. It feels very good.

There is a Saluki tile design on the drawing table. I worked out, then discarded, a Borzoi design. Wouldn”t it be nice to have tile designs for all the sighthounds?

I keep yawning. Think I will set the alarm. I’ll leave with a photo of Sage – he”s found a new way of relaxing on the couch. Silly boy. Isn”t he wonderful?

Chuck it part 2.

By Sarah Regan Snavely On May 25, 2010 In Living with Greyhounds With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Chuck it part 2.

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Greyhounds are creative dogs. If the Chuckit! doesn’t appeal as a tennis ball propulsion device, it may have other uses – like a back scratcher. Sage was game for this.

But Annie found new delight in this toy.

“Ahhhh…..”

Chuck it.

By Sarah Regan Snavely On May 24, 2010 In Living with Greyhounds With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Chuck it.

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One comes back from the Greyhound Gathering in Kanab, Utah with all sorts of dog-related goodies and this year was no exception. One of the gifts was a Chuckit! – an ingenious device that propels a tennis ball further than any girly-throwing human like I could do on our own. It’s cool. If I lived with a pack of retrievers I bet I’d be loving it intensely.

Greyhounds are a bit different from retrievers….

They are interested in the thing. Some will chase a ball.

“Huh… so THAT’s what that thing does…”

“Maybe I’ll go check it out.”

And Sage loped along. Not ran. Certainly not full-speed, hell-bent-for-leather running.

Until his sister, Annie, headed him off. Sage soon forgot all about the ball that had propelled so much further, and chased his sister instead.

By the way, this is what a Greyhound accustomed to hard winter does in 60 degree weather. Temperature is relative!

Going postal.

By Sarah Regan Snavely On May 5, 2010 In Buy Art Here!, Living with Greyhounds With 3 Comments Permanent Link to Going postal.

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How cool is this! Several weeks ago, a volunteer from Virginia Greyhound Adoption asked about using a photo they’d seen on this blog. Sounded like a cool idea – magnetic mailbox cover – sold to benefit Greyhound adoption! Get yours here.

Happy Thursday!

By Sarah Regan Snavely On April 29, 2010 In Living with Greyhounds With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Happy Thursday!

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Difficult, waking up each morning…

“Come on, pups! Let’s meet this beautiful day! The sun is shining and the birds are singing!”

“Yawn!”

“Winchester? How about you? Let’s go out to the studio and check the kiln…”

But not Annie – she’s up and ready to go. From her- “Human. Stop messing around and treat me like the princess that I am. I need you to prepare my food, but not before rubbing my neck and shoulders. Stop playing with these ridiculous contraptions and give me the attention I deserve.”

“Yes, Annie…”

And the beat goes on.

By Sarah Regan Snavely On April 24, 2010 In Art making, Life in North Dakota, Living with Greyhounds With 1 Comment Permanent Link to And the beat goes on.

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Life has been quiet around here lately (knock on wood). Studio work is progressing nicely – I’m just about ready for the upcoming Greyhound Gathering in Kanab, Utah on the 14-16th of May. Greyhounds have been enjoying the nice weather and trips to the dog park. Everything is greening up around here.

In the studio it’s been tile, tile, boxes, and tiles. I’m hoping to have the new 2010 tile designs ready for the Gathering. Need to retire a few designs as the carved blocks are wearing out. Best to say goodbye before the integrity of the design is compromised.

Everything seems very busy – but busy in a good way. Tomorrow I’ll fire up the kiln, then work on glazing. I’m hoping the wind will cooperate and I’ll be able to do a smoke fire or two in the upcoming weeks.

The two “puppies” have been here two years as of this week. Seems like such a short time ago they were babies – they grew up so quickly!

They’re bad and they know it.

By Sarah Regan Snavely On April 2, 2010 In Art making, Life in North Dakota With 2 Comments Permanent Link to They’re bad and they know it.

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Took the hounds to the dog park today. They were bad – playing too rough. Winchester and Sage gang up on Annie. Annie and Winchester gang up on Sage.

Don’t they look guilty?

Nobody got hurt and everybody got bathes when we returned. Annie was as dirty as I’ve seen her. Sage too.

A few minutes ago, things seemed too quiet. When I checked on the hounds they were all asleep on their beds. Good, bad dogs. Tired out.

Me too. Tired. Worked for a good portion of the day in the studio making tiles and welcome signs. My back is sore, my feet are tired, but it feels good. The kiln is full, ready to be glaze fired. That load will go on my storefront, the next will be stockpiled for the Greyhound Gathering in Kanab. Lots to do.

More photos on Facebook.

Sunlight.

By Sarah Regan Snavely On February 21, 2010 In Art making, Life in North Dakota With 4 Comments Permanent Link to Sunlight.

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The Greyhounds have been weathering the weather quite well. Better than I am it seems. They, literally, find the bright spots.

Not there yet, but I am working on it. These are the components of my angst:

Boxes. I am itching to fire them, but clay dries when it wants. I could turn on the fan and up the heat in the studio – not the best practice, however. Best let them take their time. Sigh.
Big “Frank” sculpture. He feels dry, except for his rear end. So not dry yet either….
Same for Gettysburg Dog, Same for Three Dog Night sculpture. This is North Dakota. It is DRY here… right?
Big Runner dog is not going to fit in my kiln. I need to stop making pieces that will not fit in my kiln OR buy a bigger kiln.
My etsy store is empty. This is a good thing (Everything is SOLD!) but, hello!, need to restock.
The new Sterling Silver pendant is *this* close to done. The plan is to have it ready for the American Whippet Club 2010 National Specialty in Tucson in April. Better get going.
Tiles. Have we mentioned tiles at all? Must make more tiles! (Slab roller to make said tiles are buried under drying boxes).

All of the above mean that everything is going well, that I need more exercise, that I should switch back to organic coffee (or cut out coffee entirely). The boxes and sculptures will dry. I will fire them. I will figure out what type of finish will work best for the sculptures. I will make that series of large tiles I keep thinking about. The snow will melt and the Greyhounds (and I) will be in better physical condition. I will buy a larger kiln and have it installed. The new sterling pendant will materialize. The etsy store will be stocked and restocked. And I will forget about all these things that are driving me CRAZY right now – replacing them with new “problems.”

It all means life is good.

Neighborhood watch, part 2.

By Sarah Regan Snavely On February 19, 2010 In Living with Greyhounds With No Comments Permanent Link to Neighborhood watch, part 2.

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When we last left this corner of the fence it had a gigantic snowbank behind it. Thanks to a week with some, but not enough, melting, the snowbank is still there. Turns out, Annie, Sage and Winchester aren’t the only dogs in the neighborhood with a snowbank.