Leave!!

The feeders are very busy right now as most of the readily available food sources are covered in snow.  That makes it rather easy to grab shots without having to work very hard - which is good because Jax takes up an enormous amount of my time these days!  

I just happened to have the camera focused on the female house finch when a white-throated sparrow landed on the same branch.  He's not quite on the same focal field as she is, so he's not sharp - but I like the interaction between the two birds.  The House Finches definitely have a feisty side and hold their own against similar sized species like the sparrows.  

I decided to take Jax to Pet Smart this morning since they are pet-friendly.  I thought it would be fun to pursue the toy aisle to see if anything grabbed his fancy.  Not surprisingly, he was riveted by the plush toys and I've learned my lesson on those  Most of them don't even make it through the first hour at home before being ripped up, so we did not come home with a toy.  We did however pick up some salmon training treats.  He was good in the store...until he saw a big German Shepard down the aisle who barked rather aggressively at him.  Fortunately, it was about time to leave so we made our way to the cashier where Jax got a treat after doing a nice "sit" for the cashier.  

After lunch, we headed to the park for a walk.  Although cold, it wasn't as brutal as yesterday so we lingered for over an hour.  I ran into a birder/entomologist friend there so we stood around and gabbed for awhile while Jax sniffed everything.  I let him greet several people but corrected him for trying to jump up on them.  We saw a few other dogs but I didn't let him meet them because I really wanted to keep him focused on me and on behaving.  This was something the obedience instructor suggested.  He was, overall, very well behaved and has been passed out in front of the fire since we got home.  He is still getting Hubs up around 5:30 every morning - not sure when that will stop but hoping sometime soon.  

Haven't made the Dark decision yet today ... maybe something with nuts...

xo
Debbi