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I Am Shiba.

Dedicated to momentary thoughts and musings of A Shiba Inu.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Julie

It had been a miserable Connecticut summer.

The rains stopped in July, and everything was dying. Every morning was spent praying for any droplet of water to fall from the sky, and yet, every morning was spent watering whatever thriving green existed within the confines of my marginal yard.

My kingdom was raided by raccoons, possums, deer, and thankfully one fox that cleared out a few squirrels which had decided to consume a few of The Woman's precious tulip bulbs. The People fought several species of wasps, a horde of grasshoppers, and the Japanese Beetles from my neighbor's yard. Little grew or survived except for one misshapen eggplant and their precious cherry tomatoes. Everything else was destroyed as each day, the sun and heat bore down upon the innocent greenery and sucked the moisture out of the ground.

And then Julie arrived.

Taking it upon herself to make her home amongst the lights of the garage, she was politely moved to wooded forest behind the house. Within forty-eight hours, she returned, only to weave her web again near the garage, but using the wall of the house and a neighboring shrub rather than the lights themselves. This arrangement was more suitable for the both of everyone.

It was large, circular, perfect shape and Julie could be found every morning and afternoon, sitting in its center, waiting for her next meal. As August wore on, Julie rebuilt her web three times, and maintained constant vigilance over her corner of the yard. When September arrived and I return from my consitutionals, we exchanged greetings as I went to and fro, and she remained ever alert to the happenings of the garden.

October came and Julie vanished.

Her web, nothing but a few strands of silk, she faded overnight as the intense heat ended and the Harvest moon quickly chilled the overheated soil. Autumn had finally arrived and with the season, came the rains so desperately needed two months before. Green returned to the grass and the leaves of the more delicate plants unfolded as moisture became available.

But with Fall, the garden's custodian disappeared. No longer searching for slow flies or a lost ant, Julie's post remained empty. One of the few pleasures through such a difficult summer had now moved on along with the plants that disintegrated in the heat. I still leave every morning and every evening for my constitutionals, and look to see if she has returned. I am always disappointed.

The garden, and its guardian, has officially passed until next year.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

And so it comes . . .

Leaves are falling down
Shibas are getting fluffy
I like autumn chill

With the autumn, came "The Mummy" as she was referred. She is not the same as "The Maman" because "The Mummy" follows the rules and did not once ever feed me from the table.

I go to airport
Chaos, misinformation
Running makes me tired

I got to run all over the airport as "The Woman" parked in the wrong place and had the wrong airline. I saw two other dogs working while I was running back and forth but we were all too busy to talk. I also got to ride in an elevator and on a escalator.

Visitor comes in
She sleeps in The Woman's Room
Change makes Shiba bark

We went to a Farmer's Market and there was this plate of Feta cheese for everyone to sample, and I must say, it was quite tasty. Alas, I was only given a few small samples and the plate was too high for me to steal.

Many admire
The essence of Shiba-ness
I look good in Fall


I Am Shiba. Today we return to the Market with the Plate of Cheese.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Soboku

"Country girl beauty is the literal meaning of the term soboku. The Shiba is beautiful in a manner that is natural, not contrived or artificial. She has a beauty that is simple, yet elegant, unsophisticated, yet poised. The Shiba is "the girl next door" of the dog world. She is always present, loyal and faithful with natural beauty; she does not push herself forward with a beauty that is cosmetic or artificial. "What you see is what you get" typifies the Shiba and the term Soboku." Shiba Inus: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual by Laura Payton.


Frontier's Calypso- Stand, 8 weeks


Frontier's Calypso- Face Shot, 8 weeks

As you can see, our beauty is natural, not contrived or artificial.
Hence, clipping our claws violates Soboku and thusly, we can (and will) scream loudly when forced into such an unnatural state.


I Am Shiba. I Make Sure the Neighbors Know when You are Violating my Soboku.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Ryosei

"Good-natured is the literal meaning of the term "ryosei." The Shiba should be obedient, faithful, loyal, and under the control of her owner to have good nature. The Shiba is respectful of her owner and obeys commands when given while being true to her own nature." Shiba Inus: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual, by Laura Payton.

This video recently appeared on You-Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3lnBB3HtVw

As you can see, this dog is *very* well behaved- but only because there are treats being given at regular intervals and frequently.

I give paw better than him, though.


I Am Shiba. I Work For Treats.