My son Mark, my grandson Jack and Henry the 3 month old Airedale Terrier, not paying any attention to me.
Reviews of the book The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete click here. Mark and Erika did a beautiful job training Murphy.
Ooops Jack jumped off and Henry noticed me.
Dear Blog Readers,
Just after midnight, WordPress notified me of the blog’s anniversary. Four years.
So today’s post is the beginning of year five!
The blogging effort got off to a slow start, I didn’t exactly know what to post and wondered if anyone would look at the posts, let alone follow the blog.
There were spaces between days of blogging.
I’d taken a Purposeful Blogging class with photographer John Craig at the Silver Eye Center for Photography and at the end of the class, I wasn’t sure what my purpose was but I plunged in anyway. A photo. A thought. Something My first post was just a photograph of my grandson Michael in “time out” and the family dog Murphy the Airedale, waiting for him to get out of the corner. You can see the very first post by clicking here. Michael’s going to be 8 next month. And Murphy passed this Spring.
Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement, your taking time to look at my photographs and leave some good words now and again, for clicking the “like” button and for understanding my not being the best replier. Being part of the WordPress Blogging Community has added much to my life.
Grateful for family, friends, fellow bloggers, guest bloggers, readers and followers. xxooxx Ruth
Anna jumps in the pool to get on her mark for the back stroke heat.
Many people have a favorite dog breed. In the list of the top ten most popular breeds in the USA, the top three are Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd and Golden Retriever. Forget the ranking, Airedales are tradition in my DIL’s family.
Henry, the 3 Month Old Airedale Puppy, is the newest member of the family. He is exuberant and happy with all the care and attention he is receiving from everyone. You’ve seen glimpses of him in a few posts.
Henry hails from Michigan (Aberdeen Airedales) and has already been in West Virginia and Virginia and resides in Ohio. He was really good on the seven hour ride to Virginia! Both ways so that racks up 14 hours in the van.
Mark was telling me about the Presidents who have had Airedales – Scott Brown of Cerebral Caffeine blog wrote “After The Great War (World War I), the Airedales’ popularity rapidly increased thanks to stories of their bravery on the battlefield and, in America, also because Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren Harding owned Airedales.”
Although Airedales are not in the top ten most popular breeds in 2013, he is one popular little guy in the family.
Can you see how big his paws are?
Learning to go down the stairs
Henry in introduced to his cousin Penny the Golden Doodle.
Puppy Portrait
Each of the kids sat on Dad’s lap to help steer.
My DIL Erika took this one on her iPhone as Mark held Henry the Navigator at Smith Mountain Lake Virginia
(Mark asked me if I remembered Toonces?)
photo credit to Erika, guest contributor
Henry and his new family.
Maura, Anna holding Henry, Michael and Jack in Hardy, Virginia.
Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia.
Michael talks to 3 month old Henry, (the Airedale Terrier puppy) on the boat.
Henry wore a life jacket and did a bit of doggy paddle with the family but was glad to get out of the water and shake off.
Henry is losing his black puppy hair on his face and as Mark said today, he is looking more “Airedaley”.
This week’s challenge is companionable
Synonyms for companionable
The seniors in sixth period finished their Digital Photography exam. And after homeroom, the seniors were allowed to go home.
One of the young women in the class and my homeroom, handed me this two tone metal dog pin and said, “Here Ms. Hendricks. This is for you.”
I was so surprised. She’d made it in Jewelry Class.
I took the highly polished pin and pinned it on my shirt collar, fastening the safety clasp, thanked her and told her how lovely it was…. but then as I thought about it, I asked her if maybe she should give it to someone in her family, it was so beautiful.
She said, “No, I want you to have it.”
My first year teaching high school is coming to a close. I’m touched when asked to sign a yearbook. They want me to bring my camera to graduation on Saturday.
I’ve learned a lot.
Thank you Jaquea. (p.s. It is really difficult to photograph highly polished metal)
This guest post is in response to Murphy the Airedale’s passing. We are grateful to so many friends and followers for their lovely email and text messages and comments on the blogpost, too. Many of you have experienced pet loss and understand how painful it is.
On Wednesday morning, my neighbor Bob (from across the hall at school) brought me a copy of this wonderful photograph with 1955 written in the margin. It touched me so. Later in the afternoon I asked if I could please share it on the blog.
Here is what Bob wrote for the blog when I asked if it would be okay to post………..
This picture of my dog Whiskers and me was taken in 1955 with an second-hand camera that had light leak. My oldest sister took this photo. He was a mixed terrier. On July 4th, 1957 my pal was attacked by a very large German Shepherd and he passed away 2 days later. I was 6 in this picture. My buddy was 5.
After 58 years, I have never forgotten what a great family member he was and I still miss him. This is on the Southside of Pittsburgh.
My face and hands and my pup were as dirty as the air we breathed back then.
There was a song on the radio that came out just about the time of my dog’s passing. It was ” I’m saving my money to buy you a rainbow“. Whenever I hear or think of that song, it takes me back to those wonderful days with my dog Whiskers, when “life was in black and white”.
Murphy Joseph McGrath. Murphy passed today. He just turned 11. He was patient, loving, loyal, humorous and adored by everyone. What a personality!
It is a very sad day for the family.
If you’ve been following the blog you’ve seen his photograph many times. I swear he smiled for the camera.
He was one of the first posts on the blog, Murphy Waits for Michael.
So many of you expressed sympathy recently on the passing of Erika’s parents Italian Greyhound, Cleo. It’s been a hard month.
Today’s tribute is for Mark and Erika’s, Anna, Michael, Jack and Maura’s dear sweet boy- Murphy!
When Mark and Erika brought each of the babies home from the hospital, Murphy was there to welcome them into the family. Murphy was a pup before M & E got married. He was a loving and well loved member of the family. ( Erika would get mad at me if I called him “dog”)
There are no words to describe the sadness, the missing. You may remember the photos from his Tenth Birthday post last year.
Anna is nine now but here she is just home from Mercy Hospital
Murphy’s favorite tree in Virginia. He represented for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful. 
Photographed by Erika
In Hardy Virginia
Rest in Peace Murphy
Sixteen in dog years is getting up there. 112. But no matter if a faithful dog is old or ill, she is going to be sorely missed. She was well loved and cared for but she got sick and just couldn’t get better.
Cleo and her sister Xena, who passed on before, came as tiny puppies many Christmases ago to live with Donald and Marlene, my daughter-in-law’s parents. I heard the story that they were about the size of mice. Cleo and Xena traveled to visit the family every visit. And they would greet us eagerly when we all drove down to Virginia for Labor Day or Thanksgiving or Memorial Day weekends.
Italian Greyhounds grace many an oil painting or tapestry in the world’s museums. This special dog, Cleo,was a much loved member of the family. It’s a sad day.
Sympathy and love to you Marlene and Donald. I know you will miss her terribly.
Xena and Cleo, sisters, in happier days
Corey is filming his cousin Michael and his brother Justin is resting up for his ride. Watched this effort for awhile. They used to skateboard. I talked to them and asked if I could put them on the blog.
And now it is Justin’s turn
E Rossi Co doesn’t have any pictures of the new pope yet, but are expecting delivery soon.
Seems everyone is on some sort of device.
The hair color (above) matches the shoes on the man below!
And a Fiat 500 but not sure what year? Anyone??
Bleecker Street West Village
On a cell phone while making a delivery.
Good thing it isn’t the Sunday Times
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