The Westchester View » Just for Pets

Siberian Huskies in White Plains NY Winter Wonderland…

Ruthmarie Hicks — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:13:39 +0000

For many on the East coast Friday was a snow day. White Plains NY was no exception. Let’s put it this way – people were not exactly calling me for showings on Friday. It took several hours for me to dig out – my walkways were covered with the white stuff. I actually spent about an hour cutting back branches that were hanging so low, they were in danger of pulling down a couple of small trees.

When I finally finished, I found that my Siberain Huskies (Jade, Tundra, & Buddy) were eager to play in the yard with me. I grabbed the camera and decided to create a video from some of the photos. Siberian Huskies and snow go together like ham and eggs. They were having a ball and I think it shows.

Enjoy the video, I put it together rather quickly, but I still think its fun

To see the still photos that helped make up this video go to my Flickr account:

Let it snow…at least that’s what my Siberian Huskies say!

Ruthmarie Hicks — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:39:12 +0000

January was a quiet month for snow. Westchester NY weather was cold, but after months when I thought it would never stop raining – we had a reprieve on the amount precipitation. The result was a calm January. A lot of residents had their fingers crossed for February – but it was not to be. And although we all grumbled about digging out, my pups were as pleased as punch to have some quality time with the white stuff. I was out with them this afternoon watching the cavort and play like they had never seen snow before and it was a lot of fun to see. I took a few pictures with the idea of making a new video, but this time, they didn’t come out the way I anticipated. So I’m settling for a remix of the video I prepared in December of them playing in the first snow of the season. The picture above, however was from today’s snow…

Tundra is Toonces….my Siberian Husky can drive a car…

Ruthmarie Hicks — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:34:56 +0000

Ok, so one of the advantages of having a pet-friendly real estate practice is that my dogs can sometimes accompany me on my outings. They add something to the mix by actually calming my buyers during times of stress. Many like to pet them and play with them in between showings.

But Tundra has taken to wanting to be in the driver’s seat. I’ve told her that she needs to be at least 16 for a learners permit, but she just doesn’t want to listen. So when I get back to the car – it really looks like she’s driving the vehicle.

It reminds me of one of my favorite SNL skits from the late 80s. “Toonces the Driving Cat.” For those who are too young to remember – enjoy the clip. For those of us who were watching SNL in the late 80s and early 90s – this should bring back memories.

Keep Coffee Labs of Tarrytown NY Pet-Friendly…

Ruthmarie Hicks — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:01:35 +0000

Over the past couple of years, I’ve written several blogs about local businesses. One of my favorite haunts has been Coffee Labs of Tarrytown NY. Coffee Labs was established in 2002 and for seven years has roasted and served wonderful coffee drinks and freshly roasted coffee to brew at home. Coffee Labs was named for the owner’s chocolate Labrador Retrievers. During tht time, Mike and Alicia have established Coffee Labs as a eco-friendly and pet-friendly coffee shop. Since they don’t prepare food on-site, they had an arrangement with the health department that allowed patrons to bring their dogs into the shop. The dogs had to be properly leashed and be well-behaved. I even wrote a blog about how Jade and I often spent mornings at Coffee Labs while I completed correspondence and some work realted activities – including market reports and blog articles.

But it only takes one complaint to ruin something that has worked well for years. Apparently one person complained to the health department and that has put the entire pet-friendly nature of the coffee shop “on hold.” The coffee shop is applying for a variance so that the patrons can bring their pets back. But positive public opinion on this matter can only be helpful. So I ask all pet-owners everywhere to feel free to comment on this blog and add your support by joining the discussion on Facebook. As one dog-owner and patron said to me last evening – “If you don’t like the fact that dogs area allowed – go somewhere else! There are plenty of coffee shops in Westchester if you don’t like dogs.”

First Snow with my Snow Dogs….

Ruthmarie Hicks — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:07:42 +0000

We had our first snow yesterday. As usual we were told to expect the storm of the century, so I did what everyone else in Westchester was doing…got groceries, hoarded salt, made sure I had a good shovel and hunkered down. Seriously, the way we treat snow storms around here one would think that no one had ever heard of snow plows and other modern marvels that actually make it possible for you to be back in the real world within 24 hours. Nevertheless, the storm and subsequent dig-out gave me some quiet time with my canine family. I have two Siberain Huskies and a husky mix who for obvious reasons LOVE the snow. The colder the better and the heavier the snow fall, the happier they are. So after spending quality time with my shovel and salt, I spent some time outside with Buddy, Jade & Tundra. They had a great time tearing up the yard. To get good pictures however they had to stand still…I got a few shots of them running, but most of that passed by my camera in a blur!

For the stills here is a link to Siberians in the Snow on Flickr.

Enjoy the video and Happy Holidays.

Bark and Meow of Tarrytown make sure that pets get their Valentine wishes granted….

Ruthmarie Hicks — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 01:18:47 +0000

Bark and Meow of Tarrytown is one of my favorite haunts for pets. It has everything you could possibly imagine for the upscale New York canine or feline in your life. My own dogs, Jade, Tundra and Buddy sport bandannas and collars from Bark and Meow and are the better looking for it! Today – the owner – Laura Haupt outdid herself with “street art.” Using sidewalk chalk – she created her own version of street art for this special day NY style! Many of the offerings in the store are very New York, including subway line sweatshirts. There is plenty to see and enjoy in that store. Even if you aren’t in the mood to buy, you’ll want to stop by and meet the store’s mascots Juno and Satchi. Juno, the Korean Jindo is the official welcoming committee for humans and canines alike.