Leilani at 51 Weeks

Now that Leilani is almost a year old, we decided to replace a seat cushion that she chewed up when she was just a little puppy.  Well one thing leads to another.  The fabric on the rest of the cushions was looking a bit worn so we went ahead and ordered new covers.

We selected a green Sunbrella fabric that goes with the color scheme at lanikai green house.  This fabric is very durable and will not stain or fade. 

A local firm Kiri Covers Hawaiian Canvas took care of everything.  They ordered a replacement cushion and fabricated custom covers for all of the cushions.  The new covers have zippers so that we can remove them if they need to be washed. 

The new cushion covers should last for years provided that Leilani does not slip back into her puppy chewing habits!

Leilani at 50 Weeks

It is hard to believe that Leilani is going to be one year old on July 9th!  It is time for a celebration with lots of dogs and dog lovers.  Her parents Izzy and Hana Boy are hosting the party at a home in Lanikai and we have invited all of their puppies (and human companions as well).

It is easy to spot Izzy in the collage of pictures above.  She is full of puppies in the photos at the top center and on the right side.  She has a happy face in the center photo just a short time after giving birth to 5 puppies. The photo of Hana Boy is at the lower left.  He is holding a toy just like Leilani's Rag Doll.

We could not decide which of the three black puppies is Leilani but we are pretty sure she is the one on the left of the cute shot with two black dogs in the top row.

Leilani has two sisters.  One is black and the other is brindle.  The black one is named Ipo.  Izzy has a hanai sister also named Ipo.  Ipo, Hawaiian for sweetheart or lover, is the small blond dog in the top row.  The brindle sister is named Bolt.

Leilani has two brothers.  One is black and the other is brindle.  The black one is named Benji and the brindle dog is named Kalo.  Kalo is Hawaiian for taro. 

The folks at Lanikai Tea Room have promised to whip up some special dog treats for the party.  It is likely that Leilani's favorite peanut butter treat will be included.  Arf!!

Leilani at 49 Weeks

King Kamehameha I Day

This a big deal here in Hawaii.  It is a state holiday!  200 years ago, in 1810 Kamehameha the Great unified the Hawaiian Islands. There is a parade and they drape the bronze sculpture of King Kamehameha with 30 foot long floral lei.

Even our native son, (yes, he was born in Hawaii), President Barack Obama proclaims today as Kamehameha Day!

Leilani is not one to let a chance to celebrate get past her.  This morning she dressed up in her only lei.  It looks a bit worse for wear but it is very special to her.  This unique garland started with a sash from a Halekulani Hotel bath robe.  We attached various toys and most have fallen or been chewed off.  Froggy is the long time survivor.  He still has a squeak button inside if you know where to push.

Leilani's name means heavenly garland or royal child.  Today she is both!

Leilani at 48 Weeks

Playing it Safe

We were so sad to hear that just a day after we posted the story about the photo shoot for Jorge Garcia that his dog Nunu was killed by a car.

Since then Molly escaped 8 times from her yard and came over to visit Leilani.  She got to play in our safe fenced yard for a while before I took her home.  We have, with a bit of anger and frustration, told her people that they should not allow her to escape and roam the streets.  All we can do is hope for the best.

So this week we have a photo of Leilani behind a new gate that I built for the deck at lanikai green house.  It has the same "X" brace design that we used on the carport.  The opening is large enough for her to look out at the birds on the hill but not large enough for her to crawl through.

When we leave her, we make sure that either someone is here to keep her company or she is in our yard that has a 6 foot high solid fence.  It is always better to play it safe especially when it concerns your pets.