WHAT NOW?

What the heck is this?  It don't look like somethin' that'd taste good, to me.  Mom's at it again. Dryin' stuff. Now, I have to admit she's made some mighty tasty stuff. The steak & roast jerky turned out awesome, too goon in fact. Her & dad munch on it, too.  Then she started gettin' creative...why? couldn't tell you, 'cause I'm perfectly satisfied with the beef jerky. But she branched out, chicken jerkey (yummy!), & then came the turkey jerky..that was ok.  Next, she decided to make turkey jerky & add carrots.  I thought it was ok, too...kinda sweet paired w/the maple bacon flavor..nice.  You'd think, that'd be enough, but nooooo...she went & made turkey jerky & put a whole apple in it. I think this may be Lexie's fav...it's kinda sweet.  I like it, but you just can't beat the beef. I'm just a simple steak kinda guy...who'd turn down a good steak for ground turkey, anyway? Back to what the heck is this?

Well....mom...it does smell interesting & tastes kinda good......but there's not much on this....

Oh....so...now you're gonna suck all the juice outa it.....huh?

Mom showed her jar to dad & called it, "a jar of sunshine".   Don't know about that, but those lil' yellow crisps are sure good!  I like it much better than apples!  But once again...she makes this stuff than hoards it. Doles it out just a couple of pieces at a time, & keeps it locked up in things we can't open. Why, why, why..were we born w/out thumbs.....things sure would be different around here.

Sometimes havin' no thumbs doesn't stop some of us. Mom put that topper up high on the patio, to dry. (She says she's gonna plant it, & it'll grow another one of those strange things). Anyway, Lexie climbed up on a chair, then on the arm of the chair, had to balance against a planter & stand on her hind legs...but she got that topper & munched all the yellow off it.  I guess she's discovered a new favorite fruit.

So far, mom's experiments have all been winners....but I sure hope she notices that I'm gettin' low on my steak jerky!  Hint, hint, hint...

Earth Day 2012

Yesterday was Earth Day.  Mom & dad spent it workin' in the backyard, alllllll day!  Dad emptied his shed & then put up another one.  There was stuff spred out all over the yard.  It was just fantastic for snoopin'.  Lexie snagged a couple things...a new rope, one of dad's gloves, a paint roller & a lil' broom.   Dad went & confiscated them from her stash under the fig tree (mom, also, took back one of her lil' pillows that was under there) lol. I helped mom...she was working on the big flower bed by the pond (it's in the shade, like they say, us airedales are smart).

One of the hi-lites was Lexie findin' a lil' toad.  She decided it needed some exercise,  so she took it for a walk...once around the pecan tree!  She gets facinated by the funniest things.....

The Result!

So.......this is the result....finally.  I'd almost fogotten all about that chicken & steak. It took all nite, but this morning, dad declared it done!  Mom checked it & even tasted it, then she declared it just perfect!

 But here comes the real test!  She called me over to be the dog guinea pig, so to speak, since I was the one that had such big doubts about this whole thing.

WOW!!   After a lil' sniff...I snatched that jerky right outa her hand, takin' no time for any photos & boogied straight to my "bed central" to check it out......only it was so good, I didn't make it.  I was right back in that kitchen beggin' for another piece  (just to make sure it was as good as the first one)...it was.  Lexie approves, too. She followed me hopin' I wouldn't like it & let her have mine.  No way on this.   So....I definitely give it the "Bailey stamp of approval".  The way I've got it figured, mom...is that if you start another batch now & keep up production, we'll never have to wait so long, again.  :)

All DRIED OUT...WHY?

Wow!  Steak!  Now, this is what I'm talkin' about!  Mom spent all day cleanin' out the freezer, yesturday, and she said she was savin' some stuff for us!  Steak & Chicken...it just don't get any better than that.  She even sliced it up nice & seasoned it w/ Bacon Salt. 

Whoa...back up there, mom.  You're doin' what w/all that? What do you mean you're gonna dry it all out?  It's sittin' there all nice & juicy....just perfect.  I think we need to wait till dad gets home....I've got some serious concerns.

Yep....serious concerns........

How are you gonna explain to Lexie  (who's layin' by her bowl...waitin' for that chicken & steak)...that it's gonna be a looooonnnngggg wait?   Just look at that face.....I think you need to rethink this plan.  She's gonna be so disappointed.

Yummy, juicy chicken.......we eat raw chicken all the time, and like it just fine like that.  So, now you're gonna dry it out.....WHY???   Haven't you ever heard the sayin', "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"?  We could take care of all that right now, no waiting & no dishes for you to clean. 

How long is this gonna take?  I sure hope you know what you're doin, 'cause I just don't see the point.  

It's gonna be a long nite.............

Stone Cats can't Swim!

Whoa.....what have we here?  He is NOT supposed to be down there!!

Not only that.....he's sinkin' fast!   Obviously, he can't swim!

"HEY, YOU....get outa there!!!"...............hmmmm,  He's not movin'.......HELP!

All the bubbles have stopped....he's just sittin' down there on the bottom..w/the fishes.  Lexie was the one that pushed him in...not me. I'm worried about him.....mommmmmmm!!!!

Hmmmpphhh........well, he's safe at last.  Just like a cat...so full of themselves....he's always sittin' there with that innertube thingee...well, it obviously don't work. He sinks like a rock!

Bloom Thief Strikes Again.....

Mom's got all these projects goin' on in the backyard. She's redoin' gardens & all kind of stuff. Well, she went & bought a whole bunch of these hibiscus bushes. She even dragged dad along ('cause he had his truck & to do the "heavy liftin"). All the bushes were handpicked, by her. Only the ones that had blooms made the cut, & she wanted certain colors for certain gardens. Dad unloaded them & took them to the back, as soon as they got home. She unloaded the little stuff & took it to the house. Then she went out back.............all the bushes were there, lined up real nice like. They are all about the same size & will look great. Only one problem.......and that problem was a 43 lb, waggin' tail, lil' airedale w/a tiny piece of a peach bloom stickin' outa' the side of her mouth that she was munchin' on. Oh....and all the bushes...not a single one has a bloom on it...well, except for that last one..it kinda has a lil' piece of peach bloom still there. Mom's gonna go ahead & plant 'em...guess it'll just be a surprise what color is where. That is, if Lexie don't get to them first. lol

Airedales are professional landscapers.....

Yep, helped mom in the yard, again. Don't know what she'd do with out us.  Mom had these two lil' herb plants, she wanted to plant. Bein' the great helpers we are.....Lexie & I decided to just jump right in there & take over. A bigger hole is always better than a little hole, I always say. Lexie even had some ideas & put in her touches. Yep, I think it's ready for plantin', now......by the way, we are available for hire.

Mom's Gettin' Tricky...

Poor mom..she just keeps tryin' to trick us up.  It just don't work.  I guess she was inspired by all the easter egg huntin' everywhere, so she decided to be really sneaky. First of all, she took our chicken wings & hid them in these lil' black bowls w/lil' black lids.....and not only that..she didn't let us see what she was hidin' them in. To be even sneakier, she did the hidin' when we was in the house w/dad & even left the sprinkler on (tryin' to cover her tracks, I guess). We didn't know she was up to somethin', at all.   All of a sudden, she comes in the house...and announces, "find"!  Of course, we lose all interest in dad & zoom outside. 

 Her "hidey pots"...

 I guess she thought w/no holes we couldn't smell 'em....ha!

 Her "hidin' place"...way back against the fence in the shade....have to admit, they do blend in...but she forgot about our noses.....

 Ok...I do confess....it took us a lil' longer to find 'em.....maybe 15 seconds longer!  Lol!!

Mom.....it was a good try, but you're gonna have to do better than this, to give us a challenge.

Beware the Easter Bunny!

Easter's comin' & that means the Easter Bunny!  They always look soooo cute & cuddly.

Look!!!  I think I see one, now!!

It looks so cute & innocent, just layin' in the grass........

Hmmm...I think I'll just go over there & check it out......maybe put in my order for some marshmallow treats....

WHOA!!!    Who knew, the Easter Bunny gots teeth?

Here's wishing alll my friends a very Happy (& safe) Easter!  From me & Lexie!

Gardening with Airedales, Tip 2

Mom...this is why you need to get rid of that evil diggin' machine.  Just let me handle it, & I'll show you how a pro does it.   First of all, if you're gonna be planin' somethin'...you need a HOLE not a hill....

April Fool's Day!

 Mom convinced me that real guys can wear pink & have long hair.....I'm not sure, but since it's April Fool's Day, I'll go along with it.  :)

Now, Lexie...she says she's a spring fairy, 'cause she heard they get lots of sweet stuff.  In a sense, it worked for her...she did get a lil' marshmallow for posin'.   Then she went & celebrated the day, her way.

Lexie is takin' full advantage of today. First, she snagged a bag of sausages & took off across the yard w/'em. Mom saw her & told dad, Lexie was makin' off w/his lunch. I was followin' her..well, because she has a history of snatchin' stuff & then literally left holdin' the bag...the empty bag. She almost always picks up stuff from the bottom, leaving a trail of stolen goods. I follow her "pickin' up the pieces" so to speak. By the time she gets to where she's goin', I've taken care of all the evidence & she's got the bag. It's a great system, as far as I'm concerned. In today's case, dad started after her & was callin' her name. Lo & behold....she stopped. She gave him a big grin (still holdin' the bag of sausages) & wagged her little tail....and then, gave up the sausages. The bag wasn't even opened! He took them back to the grill to cook. She stuck right by his side. After he & mom ate, we got a sausage. So, it all worked out alright. Later, she snatched another bag, dad had left layin' out. No sausages in this one. It was a big roll of string covered in brite brite scary orange powder. (dad uses it to mark lines for stuff). Mom was horrified. Lexie was in one of her moods & thought it'd be fun to play keep away from mom. So, she's runnin' around w/it, leavin' a trail of orange powder everywhere. Then mom settles down & tells her to take it to daddy. (mom thought he was still outside & on the deck). Lexie thought this was a grand idea. She takes off makin' a beeline for her doggy door.....mom's eyes are getttin' bigger & she's runnin' after her.....dad's in the house. He's in the kitchen, as a matter of fact. Mom can be pretty fast when she wants to....but she wasn't fast enough. When she came in the door, Lexie had already made a circle around the coffee table & was headed to the kitchen. How do we know? "Cause there's a trail of brite brite scary orange powder. Mom yells for dad, (he's got his earphone thingees on & up to now, had no clue as to what's goin' on). He finally looks up as Lexie is about to run into the kitchen. He gets up, & she sits w/her prize (which is leakin' a bit). He gets her a cookie & she trades her bag for it. Well, at this point...I go in the kitchen & give dad a look.....hey, I've been good...where's my cookie? He gets the message & gets me one, too. Dad takes his bag to the garage & mom is tryin' to get the orangey powder off the rug..... I think we've got a good thing goin'. Lexie has learned that even if she don't get to eat it, all she has to do is steal it & hold it hostage. Dad'll pay a cookie ransom for just about anything. Me? I just have to follow the action & I make out like a bandit & can still claim, "I'm the Good One".