October is Adopt a Dog Month and Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. You know how I feel about this subject. I don’t know how people exist without a dog in their lives but that’s just me. 🙂
This is Jed. He was a shelter dog in Ohio before he came to live with us in January of this year. We found him on www.petfinder.com , a terrific website that helps animals find new homes.
This beautiful white shepherd was Miss Boo. She came to us from the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter here in Front Royal several years ago. She was an old girl (12 years old) when we got her and while she didn’t live forever, we know her last two years of life were great. And that makes us feel good to know that we did something good for her.
Rosie was a rescue that we adopted from Col. Potter Cairn Rescue, www.cairnrescue.com , another great organization doing wonderful things for these babies. She was a puppymill rescue and it took her quite a long time to get used to living the good life. But once she did she was such a joy to be around.
Col Potter Rescue’s motto is “Rescuing one dog won’t change the entire world but it will chance the entire world for that one dog.” I love that!
And Jeffie was a beautiful rescue that came from Second Chance Rescue in Raleigh, NC. www.secondchancenc.com
He was the sweetest dog I have ever had and was a great buddy to Truman.
I am posting these photos because 1) I love all of these babies, and 2) I hope that someone will be inspired to rescue a dog during Adopt a Dog month.
There are so many animals out there in need of good homes. The next time you are looking to add a pet to your family I hope you will go to Petfinder and adopt an animal in need instead of going to a pet store and buying one that was bred in a puppymill. The rescue dog will repay you many times over with love, loyalty and devotion.
One of the hardest things to deal with as a pet owner is when one of the babies we love so much is frightened by thunderstorms. I’ve had a couple of dogs that have thunder fear. 
My “boys” are always thrilled when they come because Morgan has loved them forever. Especially Truman. She came to see him the first day he came to live with me when he was 5 1/2 weeks old and she was just 6 years old. 
And ever since she has squeezed, and kissed, and hugged, and anything else you can do to love an old basset hound.
Jed is learning how much fun it can be too when he sleeps in the bed with her. He knows that he is not allowed under the covers but when Morgan is here he jumps right in, knowing that it will be all right. (Look how grown up Morgan is now!)
Truman knew that he wasn’t allowed to lay on the quilts and sheets but because we had company, he took advantage.
And because Truman was so tired from doing all the things he is not suppose to do, Tam had to take up the watch out post on top of the sofa to guard us all from whatever might show up in the front yard to bother us. He did a good job!
And just because we always have, Morgan and I played dress up with Truman one night. We found a prissy rose collar that once belonged to Rosie and we decided to put it on Truman’s head. 
…But only because he was very tired. Having company really wears an old boy out.
“Bell and Geranium” is an oil on canvas measuring 10″x8″ and is on sale for 
“Daisy I” is an oil on Masonite panel measuring 7 1/4″ x 8″ and is on sale for 
Here is a sunflower for Carol Ann! It’s her birthday and sunflowers are her favorite. Happy Birthday!
Tug of war is their favorite game and Jed thinks he is as big as they are. He says, “It’s hard to be a Great Dane when your legs are this short!”
This is the view I get each time I leave my house and don’t take the “boys” with me. It is just so pitiful. 
I took a ride yesterday out to Philip Carter Winery in Hume, Virginia. It is a lovely area with the beautiful vines all green and lush and the mountains in the background. 
There will be many great scenes to paint as they have buildings, ponds, and lots of vines to paint. I can’t wait.
These paintings are available by contacting me at 
Jordan and I became friends in the short time that I was there.
Jeffie, who was the sweeting little guy that ever lived, jumped the back fence at our yard at the house and caught a skunk in his mouth.
Jed came to live with us on January 5th of this year. He was found as a stray in St. Clairsville, OH and was at the shelter there. We found him on Petfinder, a wonderful website that helps thousands of pets find homes each year. 
The vet estimated that he was about 1 1/2 years old when I got him so we decided that his birthday would be in July. Since I was also born in July and to make the celebration especially fun for both of us, it came to be that Jed has the same birthday that I do. 
One of the things I love about going over to the cabin in West Virginia is the beautiful views that we have on that gorgeous old apple orchard. This weekend I took the “boys” up to the top of the mountain and we walked each morning by the apple trees. On the first morning though, this was the view….a blanket of fog hanging in the valley with a bright sun ready to burn it off.
There wasn’t one bad vista…everywhere I looked there was beauty. The mountains peeking up on the far mountain range; the heavy fog like marshmellow creme; and the green, lush trees heavy with apples were all there for us to take in.
But this is mostly what I see when I walk. Jed leading the way out in front….
The Studio 