In memoriam.

I'll only do this once: that is post a picture of my dearly missed old girl who would have turned 17 years old today.
Vinodog 1 would do anything to please me, which included letting me dress her up in silly costumes, she was so patient.  And here she is posing as Bacchus, (sporting real grape leaves along with plastic grapes), in a photograph that went along with a wine lot at an auction (the proceeds benefited the SPCA).  She was a great dog.
I have enough photographs of V1 that I could probably post a different one each day for a good few years.  This is the last one.
Vinogirl misses you, Miss Pinion.

Happy St. David's Day: 2015.

Happy St. David's Day!
The daffodils are nearly finished blooming in Vinoland, it's been a very mild winter.  The daffodil in the photograph has grown from a bulb, one of many, that I planted around Vinodog 1's grave last November.  I love that the vetch tendril is grasping the blade of grass, a weedy-embrace in remembrance of my old girl.
Bore da!

Vinodog 1.

“I have sometimes thought of the final cause of dogs having such short lives and I am quite satisfied it is in compassion to the human race; for if we suffer so much in losing a dog after an acquaintance of ten or twelve years, what would it be if they were to live double that time? The misery of keeping a dog is his dying so soon. But, to be sure, if he lived for fifty years and then died, what would become of me?”
Sir Walter Scott.

Vinomaker greeted me as I arrived home from work today with the news that V1 had died in her sleep.  What a wonderful way to pass on,  I just wish I'd been with her.  She was a great dog. 
Godspeed Mya.

Sweet Sixteen.

My birthday princess, V1, is celebrating her 16th birthday today.  Old Brownie is not the dog she once was, but at 112 in people years she's doing relatively fine.  Well, V1 now totters about like some old dear in ill-fitting high heels; her bark, of late, resembles that of a hoarse, demented sealion; and her rear caboose is a bit loose (get my drift?) in that it can't be trusted for any longer than 3 hours in the house.  But all in all, she is doing great for a dog of her age - her appetite is still good, she continues to be irritated by a certain neighbour when they drive past Vinoland and, most importantly, she's been right there alongside me as I prune my way through the grapevines.  She's a great dog.
Happy birthday V1!

Happy Halloween.

My faithful old pal, V1, has decided to get into the spirit of things and has donned a seasonal-themed calabasa-chapeau for the occassion.  Isn't she cute?  Just love her.
Happy Halloween everybody!

My Little Chickadee.

With Vinomaker's help, I finished tying down the last of the Cabernet Sauvignon canes this morning.  That's 'Pruning Season 2013' at an end.  Whoo hoo!  So in celebration I decided to partake of a relatively leisurely lunch. 
The rain, that had been forecast for Wednesday past, decided to finally appear and put an end to my alfresco dining plans.  Just as well really, as if I'd stayed outside I would have disturbed the fur-gathering, nest-building acrobatics of this Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens).  It was very entertaining to see this industrious, little bird go about the business of feathering, or rather dog-furring, his nest.  I brushed V1 three more times during the day and each time my little chickadee cleaned out the dog-brush entirely.  Recycling at its finest!                 

V1 is 15 years old today!

My old girl turns 15 today.  With each passing month she slows down just that little bit more, but she's not exactly what you'd call decrepid.
Vinodog 1 still has her 'funny half-hours' when she springs about like a dog half her age, zipping through the shrubbery and glancing back at me now and again, as if she is challenging me to chase her. Of course, she is exhausted afterwards.  Sometimes, she forgets what she began barking about and just keeps barking until I distract her with a dog biscuit.  And I didn't think it was possible, but she has become even more attached to me: she'll pace about, in a panic and wide-eyed, looking for me if I leave the room.  She is a great companion.
Happy birthday V1!

I woof Christmas!

Father Christmas, that's Santa to my colonial cousins, is not the only person who sports a red kit!
Merry Christmas from Vinodog 1.

Happy Birthday V1!

My old brownie is 14 years old today.  Isn't she gorgeous?
V1 spends most of her time snoozing these days; of late she can only really hear me when I whistle to her, the clicking noise of the cookie jar being opened, and the whir of a neighbour's Volvo as it speeds past Vinoland (which still sends her tearing down the driveway in hot pursuit).  But, she watches my every move and was my constant companion over the weekend as I pruned the vines.

Whilst posing in her birthday finery, a turkey vulture flew overhead and distracted her, but it actually made for a cute photograph.  She's a great dog.
Happy Birthday V1!

Many happy returns V1!

Vinodog 1 is 13 years old today - that's 91 in human years. My old girl is doing great despite her advancing age. Yes, her energy level is waning (understandable at this point in her life), she is a little slower nowadays (until she spots a cat), and she is in need of a new prescription for her gopher-hunting/cat-chasing spectacles. But, what isn't diminishing is her sheer and utter devotion to me: the feeling is mutual V1 - my fluffy, chocolate brown pal.

Happy Birthday V1!

A quick word from the Vinobunny.

A very Happy Easter to all.
Celebrate! Eat chocolate! Drink wine!

Happy birthday to you V1.

Vinodog 1 is 12 years old today. She is a little more arthritic than last year, likes to sleep more during the day and her hearing is not what it once was, but she still is as faithful a companion as ever. I treated her to some alphabet shaped dog biscuits and a couple of new squeaky toys. One of the toys is a winsome, furry fox. Of course I think Vinodog 1 looks much foxier than any plush toy decked out in her birthday regalia. Boom! Boom!
Happy birthday V1!

Happy Birthday V1.

Yes, Vinodog 1 is celebrating today. She is 11 years old...or 77 in human years. The old girl is getting a little slower these days...and of course she now needs reading glasses.
Happy Birthday V1!

Speaking of hoity toity...

...Vinodog 1 sometimes gets ideas above her station, but I love my little mustard queen anyway :)

Not more grapes.

Here she is, Vinodog 1, acting as usual in her supervisory capacity.  She is never too far away, (unlike Vinodog 2 who is usually off somewhere doing her own thing), she is always just close enough to keep an eye on me.  At one point though, when they were both nearby, I do think I heard them discussing why the bi-ped wasn't grafting the rootstocks over to something useful like dog biscuits instead of stupid grapes.  I'd better watch my back whilst I'm bending over, there may be a 'Canine Mutiny'.

Give a dog a Rhone.

Here is the QC queen performing an invaluable task during the pressing off of a batch of Viognier today. Her job was to make sure that Vinomaker wasn't overly pressing the grapes, extracting unwanted green and bitter tannins. She seemed pretty pleased with the results...until she got distracted by a wasp and chased after it, (which isn't in her job description).
And where is Vinodog 1 whilst all this activity is going on? Sunning herself of course...somebody has to supervise the workers.