Meg M

Two yellow labs are asleep in a leather armchair. Kestrel (bottom) was there first and is positioned comfortably. Wigeon (top) arrived second and positioned herself on top of Kes, but her rear wouldn’t fit properly so it’s hanging off the side of one arm. NB: there is an empty, available armchair in the background of the picture. Widge declined.

Sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to stay close to your sibling.

All five yellowish retrievers insist on lying on the same elevated dog bed instead of using the empty one *right* next to them. Wigeon (lab, middle left) has her head up and looks like she might be reconsidering her life choices. Merlin (lab, top right) is also staring at the camera but appears fine with the current arrangement.

Even Wigeon seems to be questioning the retriever logic of cuddling > comfort.

Please note the clean, empty, blanketed bed RIGHT NEXT TO THEM. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Yayyyyy…thank you!!

@clairewillett.bsky.social please please please do another Christmas playlist thread! You made our December audio sitch *so much better* last year and the whole family is hoping you’ll introduce us to more bangers this year!! 🙏🙏🙏

Three yellow Labradors are lying on the floor in the kitchen hoping for some dropped/discarded Thanksgiving goodies. They were not disappointed.

[turkey] hope springs eternal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Raven, a white English cream retriever, is lying on her back on a gray floor, with her paws over her eyes.

Avert your eyes!!

Egret, a large, half white, half muddy livestock guardian dog is curled up in a ball against the hay bales. She is sound asleep.

Those autumnal night shifts are *rough*

My kids devise elaborate, multi-step plans to get the adults in their lives to say it and the celebrations when they’re successful are…something. If we could just harness that energy and ingenuity and direct it towards [insert almost anything else here]

Two yellow labs (Merlin & Wigeon) are lying on the kitchen floor watching meal prep with intense focus. Both dogs have their front legs crossed all fancy-like.

ANTICIPATION. But do it politely.

Monday chomps.

Five white dogs are waiting on the back deck looking through a sliding glass door, hoping to be let in.

They think* if they manage make eye contact with me I’ll remember to let them in.

*know

Wigeon, a yellow lab, sits alone in a large pile of autumn leaves. She’s watching her siblings frolic but doesn’t deign to join in the fun.

Even Widgy’s. But she keeps her appreciation to herself.

Autumn is *everyone’s* favorite.

With the time change, on our evening hikes I just see bobbing lights in the distance.

Always. Who could resist those faces?!?

Five dogs (three yellow labs and two cream retrievers) are sitting on the kitchen floor hoping to help clean up after dinner. Raven (middle) has her tongue out in extra preparation.

Five dogs (three yellow labs and two cream retrievers) are sitting on the kitchen floor hoping to help clean up after dinner.

Ready!!

Five white(ish) dogs are all curled up, asleep, on one elevated dog bed. They are ignoring the whole second empty dog bed immediately next to occupied one. Difficult to tell where one dug end and another begins. I’m fairly certain we’ve exceeded the weight rating.

Seems like in this configuration they could actually fit a 6th.

This is by choice. There are copious (extra, empty) beds and lots of blankets.

…thank you for all the once and future joy, tears, laughter, and shivers all your books have inspired. We are more grateful than I can say. 🙏🙏🙏

A hand is holding a (beautiful) hardback copy of the Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow up against the steering wheel of a car.

@alixeharrow.bsky.social My son and I *just* finished reading 10,000 Doors of January last night (a beloved rite of passage in our house for all three children - “mom! you’re crying about Bad AGAIN?!”) and my bookstore called this morning to tell me the Everlasting had arrived…

Five white/yellow dogs are lying on two elevated dog beds. Four (Pipit, Raven, Wigeon, and Merlin) are all piled up on one bed (to be fair, the larger of the two, but still) while Kestrel is flying solo on her bed.

It’s okay to not want to be part of the crowd.

Tuna, a tortoiseshell cat sits (very well-disguised) in the crook of a large maple tree whose leaves are just starting to turn.

Autumnal forest cat (zoomed)

Tuna, a tortoiseshell cat sits (very well-disguised) in the crook of a large maple tree whose leaves are just starting to turn.

Autumnal forest cat.

*this is the absolute limit of my ability to stomach anything political right now. Happy weekend everyone.

L-R: Kestrel (lab), Raven (cream retriever), Pipit (cream retriever), and Merlin (lab) are all sitting on a gravel road with ferns and green trees behind them. All four are smiling with tongues out.

Four dogs who thought their afternoon hike had been vetoed only to discover there were enough votes for an override.*

Laundry: always a joint (ad)venture.

She especially loves when I put produce items in the basket for her to haul but we’ve learned the hard way her siblings tend to help themselves while she’s carrying it and that interferes with her joy.

A tisket, a tasket…

Five white/yellow dogs are lying on the kitchen floor. They are making moving about the kitchen nearly impossible but at least I am well-supervised. Bottom to top: Pipit, Raven, Merlin, Kestrel, and Wigeon.

Sunday night meal prep with my retriever overlords.

Aye, that’d do.

Egret (left) and Heron are two large, white livestock guardian dogs. Egret is sitting and Heron is lying in the dirt but both are looking up at the camera with expectation.

Ready for action. Or dinner. Really, both.