Storm Clouds

Usually when you see a green sky and storm clouds, you expect a nasty little storm brewing. These aren't those kinds of storm clouds, these are Storm clouds - she sheds her undercoat constantly year-round. With this heat her brushing sessions yield a small dog a day. This week has been rather breezy, though, and I can't quite catch all the fur from the brush right after I brush her. Occasionally a batch will form from smaller strands and lift in the wind to carry itself past the window and land in the grass.

 They make such interesting formations when they finally finish twisting and turning in the air and land. We're hoping for some actual rain this weekend to help a new patch of grass grow...yes, the patch where these particular Storm clouds landed. It's her favorite place to lay these days - lots of shade, long and cool grass, generally kept damp to help it grow. The tough part is that I can't exactly vacuum the grass like I do the carpet areas she loves best.

A good deshedding brush is vital to living with a GSD. She has a thick undercoat to protect her from weather, but it also tends to trap heat - great for a snow dog, but not so great for a hot Missouri summer. Water play is essential. Today she got to play in the hose before she got brushed. Unfortunately, that helped in the formation of the Storm clouds today because the grass and the hair were both damp. I had more stuck to my hands, too...and my pants...and my feet...