I have come to the conclusion that our two Westie dogs, Wolfie and Bella, have taken over our household. How could this have happened? I know the answer but I don't want to admit it...we let them! Why? Because they're so darn cute and make us laugh a lot!

In the upper pic, they've made a nest on the top of our sectional sofa where they can perch during the day and peer out the window and survey the street. In the bottom pic they are on my outdoors lounge chair...sunning themselves in the warm California sun on a beautiful Fall day (if I posted this pic previously, my apologies). They've taken over our bed at night too. We barely have enough room to move.

But we will only go so far. Bella has been pooping a lot on our carpet lately. No excuse. The doggie door is always open to the backyard 24/7. We don't care if she's trying to make a statement...she's not going to win this one. During a recent walk, she went poop on a kid's toy shovel lying in the sand in a tot lot. Of course, I cleaned it up.

Then there's Wolfie. Sometimes his barking can get on our nerves, especially when he is outside at night. Seems like every little thing sets him off at times. I think we should rename our dogs...Lady Bella Poopzalot and Sir Wolfie Barxalot.

Beautiful, deadly, surreal, and downright scary. This disaster is still imbedded in our minds. The ash has created a real mess. It won't be gone until we have a few good rains...if and when. The dogs, Wolfie and Bella, are still getting ash on their coats and need baths more than normal. Ash is caustic since it contains potash. Their coats feel greasy and coarse at the same time. Our special thanks to all the firefighters. Here are some photos of the fires.