Scallion Didn't Put You to Sleep? Try Reading This!

Greetings!

It's always virtually impossible to pick photos for The Scallion. Vic takes so many gorgeous shots during the year that I want to put them all in. Plus, our foster dogs were so cute that we have literally hundreds of additional photos and videos of them. And our Bella—so many pictures and videos of her.

So I'm putting them all here. All. And I think this post will be even longer than last year's! So without further ado, more pictures with my sparkling running commentary!

First, let's add more pictures of the fosters.

Fiona

Bella tolerated Fi at first.

  

Fi really liked Vic ...

   

... and this made Bella like him more.

One of our favorite things about Fiona was the way one ear would be up and the other one down, as if she were two different dogs. So cute!

And here are a couple of videos of our little Fiona.

Andy

Bella tolerated Andy at first.

   

Andy loved getting petted by Vic ....

   

... and held by Patty.

   

And when we took him back to the Humane Society, I popped him in the car and then had to go back into the house for something. When I came out, this is what I found. Andy was so stinkin' cute!

Now on to some Andy videos. He was always trying to play with Bella—he loved her so much! She finally realized she was faster than he was.

Andy loved squeaky toys—until you looked at him. Then he just looked at you as if to say "What? It's not me making that noise!"

Cupcake

Bella tolerated Cupcake at first.

   

Cupcake really liked Vic.

   

She was very helpful when Vic was trying to work.

And Cupcake really liked walks ... until she got tired.

   

She was just super lovable and adorable.

   

And here are a couple of cute videos of Cupcake.

This is the one referenced in The Scallion—the one of her barking. Her bark ... well, you really just have to play this video.

Chloe

Bella tolerated Chloe the whole time she was here. We're not sure whether she just started getting used to having another dog in the house or whether it's because, as Bella's cousin, Chloe had visited on many occasions and Bella was more used to her.

Chloe spent the first several days looking for her mom and dad to come home.

But eventually, she settled in. Mostly with Vic.

   

And she was also very helpful while he was working.

And contrary to this look on her face, she also really liked going for walks.

Bella

And last (but certainly not least), our Bella.

Bella learned the joy of the dog park this year. (Not that this shows her joy—I just thought it was a cute picture.)

Bella loves her mom. There is no doubt—Bella is a momma's girl.

   

But Bella also hangs with Vic from time to time.

   

One of my favorite things about Bella is the way she plays with Vic—usually when he's giving her a treat—so here are a few videos of our Bella getting treats.

More Snapchats from the Aging Photographer

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Six hundred pictures and videos of the dogs weren't enough?" But are you really telling me that you didn't want to see more pictures of Vic using Snapchat filters? I didn't think so.

   

   

Patty and Bella also get in on the act sometimes.

   

(OK, no, Bella didn't really take a Snapchat. I Photoshopped her in. And yes, I deliberately selected my best Snapchat photo. It's one of the perks of being the editor-in-chief.)

These *Are* the Costumes You're Looking For

Vic took a lot of wonderful photos at the Star Wars exhibit. Here are a few more.

   

Miscellaneous Pix

I promise, this is the last section ... but it's still super long. I can't help it. I love Vic's pictures.

One of the reasons we didn't do much in the way of vacation this year (besides traveling all the way to the driveway to view the eclipse) is that our fence practically blew away during one of Colorado's famous windstorms.

Before ...

... and after.

Speaking of the eclipse, before ...

... and during.

And have you heard about the cool effect the eclipse has on shadows? Here's what it looks like:

I always love seeing flowers and hummingbirds in Vic's garden.

   

   

We even grew one tiny ear of corn!

   

This is my favorite bird picture Vic took this year:

We also had a few visitors this year: our mallard couple (they come back every year) and a sharp-shinned hawk.

Vic is famous for his full moonsets, but he takes other moon pictures. The first one is the moon and Jupiter. The second one is the moon in the clouds.

He also takes brilliant sunsets.

We did visit my dad this year, and on the way home, we stopped in York to visit my Grandma and Grandpa's house. I spent many a summer at this house, baking bread with Grandma (I doubt we were much help), sliding down the attic stairs, playing Go Fish with Grandpa, and jumping through the hose right in this front yard. The leaded glass window to the right of the front door—that window has been there for at least 50 years. I would be remiss at this moment if I didn't tell you how much I loved my Grandma and Grandpa. I couldn't imagine a better pair of grandparents.

What blog post would be complete without a health round-up?

Vic had two surgeries this year—another ablation on his heart, and a "green-light laser surgery" on his football-sized prostate. On his heart surgery day, his heart surgeon told him about this great T-shirt he should get. I found it online and ordered two of them, and he wore one to his first follow-up visit.

This is Vic with his heart surgeon in "our" examination room, so named because of the stitchery I donated (partially visible on the right). It's one of my favorite pieces I ever stitched.

He wore his other shirt on his prostate surgery day.

This guy is a jokester—and that's why I've kept him around for 29 years. (That, and he does dishes.) Here we are on our anniversary.

And finally (yes—finally!), here is a great photo of our Christmas tree, since you can't really see it in the photo in The Scallion. This is another thing Vic does. He doesn't really enjoy doing it (although he does enjoy it when it's done)—he really only does it because he knows I love it. (He's a jokester and a romantic.)

That's it for this year! By the time you get here (if you even did), it should be time for the 2018 Scallion. Have a very, Merry Christmas or a happy "whatever holiday you celebrate," and we send our love and our best wishes for a splendid 2018.