10 Days of Zucchini…

I could have made Lasagna…maybe a few dinner rolls to go with it…a pie.

The thing is, my cousin…on the other side of the country…is going through a health crisis and I’m at a complete loss as to how to help. How I can make it better. What I can do to ease some of the burden.

I’ve forty-something first cousins and I love them all…and thankfully, we’ve not had to face a whole lot of stuff…but when we do, it scares me like nobodies business.

“How about I send you 10 days of pictures of Zucchini dressed in stupid costumes while you’re waiting for your results?” I asked.

“That’s an offer I can’t turn down,” she replied.

So…for ten days, I posed my dog and posted one pic after the next.

It wasn’t much. I mean…the dog might possibly disagree with me but from my end…it was trivial. Any more than the pie would have been if I lived closer. Or me just sitting there having a cup of tea with her. It was such a little thing in the big scheme of things but it was something. I felt…in some silly way…that I was doing something.

The following are the Ten Days of Zucchini but better yet…the outtakes that went along with them.

The first few days, I deleted the outtakes but then…realized they were funnier than the pictures themselves.

Enjoy.

Day #1 – Gangsta Zu. 

The Tall Blonde purchased this American Apparel dog hoodie a few years ago…I combined it with a crap pair of glasses, my crown necklace that I purchased at Buckingham Palace when I went a few years ago, and my rosary beads from my First Communion when I was ten.

AND THEN I APOLOGIZED TO MY MOTHER for allowing my dog to wear my rosary beads but the thing is…I didn’t have another great big cross on a chain and that’s what Gangsta’s wear!

Day #2 – Captan Jack Zu 

Bones got in on the action and painted a pirate ship for Zucchini. I was too excited to take the picture before the paint was completely dried and now I have paint on my favourite shirt…but whatever!

  

Day #3 – Princess Zuke 

There was a time when Zucchini knew that putting on her Tu-Tu meant that The Tall Blonde would be coming home from university! The wings were a new addition this Halloween and together, the outfit was a hoot!

The crown, however, proved great difficulty…balancing it on her head while trying to get the perfect shot had us in stitches. It fell. And fell. And fell about 20 times until finally…we got the shot!

    

Day #4 – Elf on a Shelf Zuke

By Day 4, Zuke was getting into it. I have 30 shots with pretty much the same pose…just some less blurry than others (I have to work on focus!)

Zuke sat there, in her elf costume, and never moved…except to turn her head towards wherever the treat was. 

A huge thanks to my friend Michelle for dropping off the Elf outfit (I think it’s my favourite picture!) and to Bones…for being the treat holder on 9 of the photos!

  

Day #5 – Zu Cow

Yeah…this went a little silly!

Zuke liked the cow hat…as in REALLY liked the cow hat so much she wanted to play with it…shaking her head until it landed in her eyes and then using her paw to rip it off her head…running around with it like a prized possession.

It’s 6 days later and still, whenever someone comes to the door, she runs to find her cow hat and presents it like a prized possession. AND…she sleeps with it.

The PhotoShopping…yup…I need a little practice!

     

 Day #6 – Jammie Zu

Believe it or not, Zuke likes these jammies…however, she wasn’t in the mood to take a photo. Part of the problem might have been that we were swamped for time and trying to get it done before Bones went to school. After a number of missed shots, I finally left it and later that morning, I took another couple in a different pose…and it turned out great.

The monkey…yeah, she loves that stupid thing and the worst part…it makes a horrific noise and scares the crap out of me! At the moment, it’s sitting in the front flower bed because she forgot it outside one day when she went to do her monkey business…and I’ve not bothered to go and retrieve it for her!

Day #7 – Choo Choo Zu

My Dad loves trains and this is his authentic Lionel Train from when he was young. So…we thought we’d get a photo with the train.

Bones was at her fathers so I gathered the dog…and headed to my folks so my Dad could help me with the shoot and…let’s just say…Bones is MUCH better at getting Zucchini to listen to commands than my father is!

Also, the hat didn’t fit!

    

 Day #8 – Hula Zu

The bathing suit is around her neck, the lei is around her belly, she kept stepping on the grass skirt and she was completely distracted by the surfer dudes in the background!

Plus…she seemed tired.

    

Day #9 – Wrangler Zu

We bought this fancy cookie treat shaped like a Christmas Tree and Zuke kept eyeing it like “that’s my treat and I want it now!”

Plus, every time she lifted her ears, the hat lifted off her head and looked hilarious.

AND…I had a crappy time cutting out the furry horse manes so I could photoshop in a background.

However, it’s one of my favourites!

    

 Day #10 – Santa Zu

And on the last day…she was DONE! D-O-N-E DONE!

She was scared of the sled for some ridiculous reason (ok, maybe because we tried to sit her in it!) and she wanted NOTHING to do with this picture!

So…I left her for a few hours…brought her favourite treat (cheese slices), sat her in place and asked her to “sit” then VERY QUICKLY…snapped the final shot where she somewhat obliged…then cuddled on the couch in her ugly sweater for the rest of the day.

   

Ten Days of Zu with all the outtakes and treats and love and cuddles one dog could possibly muster were posted on FB for all to enjoy. And no…I’m not a photo shop genius…I can’t focus for the life of me…and she didn’t always co-operate. But…we were calm…gave her lots of love and attention…and thanked her for being such a wonderful girl.

‘Cause sometimes, you’re just not there…to make a lasagna.