Today is the last day to get an item in the Dog Days of Summer Sale. Just scroll through the postings from last week to see what is available. Then email me at kwalker@doubledogdesigns.com with your desired purchase.
As I mentioned briefly last week I had family visiting for a few days. My niece, Morgan, and sister-in-law, Debbie, were here. You met Tam, the Westie in one of the posts last week – Day 5 of Dog Days of Summer Sale.
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.
It’s hard to believe that either of them were this small at one time but they were. This photo is from December 1999.
And ever since she has squeezed, and kissed, and hugged, and anything else you can do to love an old basset hound.
Truman has always been great with children and I think it is because Morgan did everything a kid possibly could to him and Jeffie when they were little and they just rolled with it. They loved it.
And Truman still loves her.
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.
He let us….
…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.
Here’s the start. I covered the entire paddle with acrylic paint making it look like a scene from the river with the sky above.
Next I sketched in the details that I wanted to paint on the paddle and started painting them in.
This is the finished detail of the paddle with the “Boys” on the front and Canoe Capital on the back.
The completed paddle and, of course, everyone’s a critic!
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….
Truman wishes you all a safe and Happy 4th of July!
The Studio 