No Holiday Break for AHS

Humph...I guess the critters thought AHS was on holiday break or somethin'. 

Last nite, Lexie & I had to chase a possum outa the yard...in the mud...at midnite. 

You shoulda seen mom's face....proud isn't a word I'd use.... when she saw Lexie come inside w/her lil' legs the same color as the saddle on her back. Lexie, of course,  had a big smile on her face, 'cause she wears that mud like a badge of honor....good work as far as she's concerned.

This mornin' (it's prime squirrel weather, cold, grey & damp)...we've been takin' turns keepin' one squirrel treed. He's huggin' the trunk on that pecan tree so hard, it's like a second skin. Oh, he got cheeky earlieer...sittin' out on a limb like one of those toy squirrels w/his tail all curled in a "S" shape, just twitchin' every now & again. But that was when Lexie was out there by herself...when I came out...he decided not to be so brave. Then...when our neighbor, Mr Hawk & his wife decided to come check out the field & woods behind us....that ol' squirrel started to really tried to pretend he's part of that tree.

So far...we're all at an impasse.. & the squirrel's in the middle pressed against that tree trunk. The hawks are ridin' the air waves & we're settled in under the tree......stay tuned....

Ho Ho Ho...Around the block we go.....

Christmas day was great!

As usual, a couple of unexpected moments..like when M'shell came over & I zipped past her for a quick zoom down the street, back to her...bypassed her & around the other block..till dad came w/his truck. He opened the door & mom yelled (from the end of the block) for me to "get in the truck".

 I heard her & went to the driver's side, where he was & hopped in. An' I wasn't the only one that heard her yellin....so did some guy who was walkin' out in his yard. He thought she was yellin' at him to get in dad's stopped truck (he didn't see me).

He did apologize for callin' her crazy after he figured out what was going on.

Then when we all get back home, the kichen had to be mopped..'cause "someone" left the water runnin' in the sink durin' all the excitement.

But after all this, we got to open all our gifts & stockin's. Lexie an' I  got new kong balls that squeak really loud, & new stuffies (Lexie's favorite is her lil' raindeer), & some kong pull toys (they squeak, too)...lots of chews & treats.

Now, about these treats..they were presents from Santa. I understand we can't have 'em all at once. (Lexie would try) But, I think we shouldn't have to "work" for them...they're ours...gifts...We should be able to get one when we want one...just like dad does his choc. covered cherries he got for Christmas. Or mom & her cookies....

Toe Job

You probably can't tell, but that white thing is my left foot. It's still hurts & I won't put my foot down. I think I broke or sprained my toe.   I'm still takin' that medicine from my dr, & I've been under house arrest...but it's still hurtin'. Mom put on her "Nurse Nancy" hat & decided to practice some of her medicine. She's had a couple of broke toes in the past (karate is tough on old ladies). What made them feel better was supportin ' em by taping them up to another toe. So, she decided to treat it like that. She bribed me w/some jerky & wrapped my foot & then put a sock on it. I let her, no biggie.  I'm patient.  

As soon as she was finished, I hopped off the couch & immediately began to remove it. Lexie had been on the coffee table observin', and she jumped down to help me. I got a piece where it was tied, Lexie got the other piece, then mom got involved...then we was goin' in circles. Mom came to her senses & stopped. Then she announced, "who wants some jerky?" Well.....we froze & beat her to the kitchen. After that, I forgot all about that stuff on my foot...I think that pill makes me sleepy zzzzzz

Fun with Cones

Fun w/cones...Lexie's to be exact....lol.

First off, mom caught her doin' a pretzel move an' managin' to scratch her face w/her back foot, so dad was sent to get a bigger cone. Then Lexie got herself stuck behind the kitchen table an' the front window...that was funny. She managed to back herself out. She's knocked all kinds of stuff off things, Mom says her legs are all bruised up. Then with the big cone, Lexie was tryin' to eat her green beans mom gave her...an' was just pushin' 'em all over the place w/her tongue....'cause she can't reach 'em w/her mouth. So, mom went to take off the cone an' between the two of 'em...they managed to knock over both our bowls of food, all over the kitchen. But the best one of all.....picture this....mom's standin' on the deck w/Lexie on her long lead. Lexie's out at the end of it, squatted down finally takin' a much needed "p" break. (She's been havin' trouble doin' it on a lead w/an audience).....I thought I heard somethin', an' ran across the yard to check.....now, really...how was I s'posed to see a thin black lead line strung across the yard..in the dark? At least I put on the breaks enough that neither mom or Lexie fell completely down. I just hope Lexie doesn't get some kind of post traumatic pee disorder from it. I can't wait to see what happens on day 3.

Wake up Call

Awwww.....(stretch)...what a great day! .  It started out foggy......Lexie an' I love foggy mornin's, an' we like to get up an' out in it...early.  

Mom was sleepin' on her left side. I'm sure she thought that would deter any early mornin' wake ups. (I usually wake her up w/a kiss). Well....when you wanna go out...you wanna go out.  .   I just gave her a big paw smack on the back of her head...that woke her up.
Oh, I know from experience that a nosey nose poke usually works in cases like this.  But most times it just results to a pat on the head an' then she'll roll back over an' snuggle deeper in the blankets.  I swear she can do this in her sleep.   Trust me....a paw slap gets instant results.   

They were everywhere.....

Good morning!!! 

Started this mornin' with a bang...literally.

After spendin' yesterday afternoon pickin' up pecans outa the yard...which is a chore in itself 'cause the ground's, also, covered in brown leaves, Mom left the bucket of pecans on a box....for some reason she thought me an' Lexie shouldn't have full access.
Well, this mornin'...she somehow knocked the entire 3 gallon bucket of pecans over,  & all gadzillion of em were rollin' all over the livingroom.   It was awesome! At one point she was usin' Lexie's frizbee to scoop 'em up...meanwhile, I was helpin' in my own way. I'd run over & check out her progress, then grab one...go eat it. Then she told me to quit that, so, I worked on the ones that had rolled way over by my bed....I thought that was only fair...save her the trouble of havin' to look for 'em.  Lexie had a stash back behind dad's chair an' was muchin' away.  

Hey, mom can't say we don't help.   

Lexie doin' her AHS duty

Have to give her props, Lexie does take her AHS duties seriously...sometimes. Yesterday, it was cold...has been cold for a couple of days. Well, another weather blew thru w/lots of wind, a lil' rain..an' it raised the temps to 80.

We stayed in the house while it rained, an' napped. So, tonite Lexie went out on patrol. I was layin' by mom when I heard Lexie soundin' off. I could tell she was needin' backup. Found her out in the back corner goin' behind mom's greenhouse an' dad's shed.

Then I picked up on what she was after. Between the two of us, we managed to chase it up on the fence.

I had it "treed" (well, fenced) an' sent Lexie in to get mom. Lexie zoomed inside, got a quick drink, went to mom an' let her know we had a situation....an' she wasn't takin' "no, I'm not goin' out in the dark" for an' answer.

Mom, finally, got her lite an' followed Lexie out back. It was still pretty overcast, so it's really dark back there in that corner. I showed mom where that critter was last seen. She shined her lite there, didn't see nothin'. I showed her again...she shined it all up an down the fence....I was still tryin' to tell her where to look.

She finally shined it up over her head, after warnin' me there better not be anythin' there. There wasn't...I finally had to stand against that fence to get her to understand where to look. Even Lexie was right there.

Mom shined her lite at the top of the fence..the kept goin'up....an' sure 'nuff...she finally saw it. A big ol' possum in the tree...problem was...it had climbed from the top of our fence to the top of the tree in Ginger's yard. Which is like gettin' a total free pass...not only was that possum the same size as Ginger...it was way up in that tree...an' since she's only got feet an' knees...hardly any legs....that possum can pretty much do what ever it wants in her yard.

Anyway....mom stated the obvious that it had gotten away (duh)....we knew that....even Lexie knew that....we just wanted mom to be informed as to what was goin' on.

In fact, Lexie an' I were waitin' in the kitchen when mom finally made it back to the house. An' yes, we were fully expectin' a reward for a job well done. Mom didn't say much...just closed Lexie's lil' door, put up her lite....came in the kitchen an' saw us sittin' there....did that thing w/her eyebrow...but got us each a cookie.

What side the biscuit is buttered on...

Well, dad.....don't laugh...but we know what side our biscuit is buttered on. We're airedales, after all. 

You wonder about things we do, & don't know why we do 'em. Well, a lot of things just come natural, like common sense, common courtesy...& no, it's not calculating..well, not all the time, anyway. Like tonite, mom saved a lil' bit of that taco soup & sprinkled a lil' cheese on it for me & Lexie. We licked those bowls so clean, she coulda' just put 'em back up in the cabinet. (Believe me, Lexie did a second check & even she couldn't detect anythin' left in 'em.). I got finished w/mine first & left my bowl for Lexie's spot check. Passed you in your chair, as I made my way directly to mom at her spot on the couch. Gave her a lil' nosepoke & lick, like I always do, after finishin' w/any special treat. Just my way of sayin' "thank you". She pets me & rubs my back & tells me, "you're very welcome!". After a couple of back scratches, I go on my way. Then it's Lexie's turn. She gives mom her thank you, usually stands up to give mom a proper kiss (depending on the condition of Lexie's beard, mom may let her, otherwise it's an "aire kiss"). Then mom, rubs her ears & tells her, "you're very welcom, sweetie". Then Lexie goes on her way, usually out her lil' door. We always do this. Been doin' it for years. Same as when we've been outside for awhile, as soon as we come in, we make a beeline for mom, just to "check in". Just usually a nosepoke or quick kiss. No big deal. 

You're still tryin' to figure out what kind of angle we're workin', aren't you? You think that we might just be checkin' to see if she's got somethin' else, nahhhh....we wouldn't do that, it'd be too obvious. We're smarter than that...remember, we're 'dales.

Fruit of our Labor----AHS

People are always wonderin' why we had to start our own security firm (AHS), an' why we're always so busy. Well, I'll tell you.....there used to be a huge huge field an' woods behind our house an' on the other side a huge field. All kinds of varmits lived there...you can imagine.

They first took away the huge field an' built a retention pond (that's behind us) an' apartment houses on the rest. That drove all the critters to the woods an' any other place they could find....the coyotes, opossums, squirrels, rabbits, rats, mice, an' even the raccoons....an' everythin' else.

Then they cleared the woods...not even leavin' a single tree. The coyotes left to go to a lil' patch of woods a few blocks from us (they still roam 'cause they're surrounded by houses). The raccoons moved to some drainage ditch areas between neighborhoods Ithey still manage to get into yards an' house attics when the mood suits 'em an' when they're lookin' for a warm place or food).

That left the field on the side of our yard.....it's pretty barren. Where did the rest of the critters an' varmits go? Well, they moved into the neighborhood, of course. Mostly...our yard.

We've got trees....pecan, citrus, fig...bunch of other kind that make great places to nest or hide...or escape us...we've even got grape vines. The grapes disappear as fast as they grow. There's even got a pond for drinkin'. Mom's had to just about give up tryin' to grow vegetables....the varmits wipe 'em out overnight just as stuff gets ripe. My M'shelle has called our yard a virtual smorgasbord for wildlife.

Right now....it's gettin' cold "er"......we've got our paws full. Mom just went out to check her citrus trees......she's appalled at the hundreds of fruit that's on the ground, picked an' eaten by varmits durin' the nights. One lil' orange tree mom was lookin' forward to tastin' it's fruit, since this was it's first year to have any...was picked clean last nite....she was only able to pick one lil' orange. She was not happy. The rest of the citrus trees are huge an' have a lot...but she's still not happy about the thievery.

We do our best..but since mom won't let us stay out all nite....well, AHS cannot be held responsible.

Here's an example of what we've got to protect.....Meyer lemons, Ponderosa lemons, three different kind of oranges (there's a fourth, but those are still green) an' two different types of Ruby red grapefruit.

Lost in the Fog

Last nite was one of them still an' foggy nites. Not much movin' around...downright spooky accordin' to mom. Naturally, one of us (me or Lexie) would be, as mom says...."outa pocket" at bedtime.

I was sleepin' on the couch, when mom started turnin' off everythin' an' puttin' stuff up for the nite. The last thing was to close Lexie's lil' doggy door....an' tell her to come inside. The nites have been cool an' Lexie loves to lay outside till the very last minute.

Mom called Lexie, as she usually does, but Lexie didn't come runnin'. Then me an' mom heard her warnin' somethin' off by the far fence. There's been a rash of possums, stray cats an' coyotes movin' about in the neighborhood w/the cool nites. So, mom grabbed her big lite an' the both of us took off towards Lexie. Of course I ran ahead to provide backup an' gave off a warnin' to whatever it was.

Mom got about halfway there, when Lexie ran up to her all excited that she was out there, too. Needless to say, mom wasn't nearly as excited. There she was standin' out in the middle of the yard w/a lite that did no good. As she tried to shine it off towards the fence...or anywhere for that matter...it just bounced off the fog, like a wall just a few feet in front of her. The only good it did was for her to see her feet.

"Enough of this"...mom declared, an' told us all to got to the house. Lexie ran ahead an' beat mom inside. Then mom turned around an' called me. I didn't come...so, she called me again. I still didn't come. She resorted to announcin' that she was lockin' me out. Then she closed the big door, turned off the outside lites....turned around........

..there was me an' Lexie standin' behind her in the house w/grins on our faces. I had beat 'em both in the house......mom's so much fun, lol

Bossy.....

I don't know what's goin' on w/Lexie..but she's gettin' downright pushy.....kinda flexin' her furry lil' muscles. First, there was the incident w/dad last nite. She had my punkin, two of mom's pillows, her big fuzzy pillow, her tiger an' her kitty all outside. Dad was sittin' in his chair when she came runnin' in, all kind of excited. Usually, she makes a beeline for mom...but mom's not feelin' too good an' was on the couch. So, Lexie went to dad...gave him the nosepoke...(now, dad don't know how our AHS communication works)...he petted her an' thought that was it. Nope...she grabbed his arm..then his leg...pawed him...finally, mom told him that Lexie had a situation outside an' needed him to go w/her.
"Ok", he said as he got up from his chair...Lexie headed for her lil' door w/a backwards glance to make sure he was followin' her. Mom reminded him to tell Lexie "to show" him. 

Out they both went, w/me behind them to make sure everythin' was bein' done right. We followed her out towards the back fence.  Whatever it was...it was gone...so, dad started pickin' up some of the stuff Lexie had taken out. Everytime he took somethin' in the house...Lexie immediately took it right back out. I think her stuffed tiger made about 6 trips in an' out, before dad gave up. She wanted 'em all out there..an' there was no misunderstandin' of her intentions, either.

This mornin'...mom went out an' got a lil' bucket of pecans an' picked some oranges, too. Lexie got on our lil' path there by the garden close to the house...an' blocked mom. She wouldn't let mom go down that path...no way, no how. Finally, mom asked her if she wanted her lil' bucket. Lexie jumped up to get it...then proceeded in the house w/it. She takes carryin' that lil' bucket very serious..an' nobody, not even mom is allowed to do it.

 I tell you, she's becomin' quiet insistent w/her damands on how she thinks things should be. I just hope she remember who is really in charge......

Left Home Alone...but with a chaperone....

Hey...I'm back...well, I never really left.  Mom & dad, did, though..they went on some big ol' boat & left us home & in charge of the house.  Then, like we couldn't handle everythin' on our own....my M'shell came & stayed with us all week.  Now.....I love my M'shell....she's probably one of my most favorite people in the whole wide world.  So, that was ok in my book...plus she's got thumbs.

Lexie & I took care of stuff while she went to work.  I think everything worked out pretty well, although we did have some scheduling conflicts.  For some reason, she didn't appreciate us wantin' to do our regular 3:30am patrolin'.  We were even polite in remindin' her...no barkin', no yellin'...I'd just go over & lay my head on the bed & stare her awake...then as soon as she had both eyes open & acknowledged me...I'd get up on the bed, give her a big kiss, then lead her to the back door.  This is where it got a little messed up...she thought we'd just go out & come right back, so, she waited on us & then closed our lil' door.  Little did she know just how long a thorough patrol takes.  There seemed to be a lot of grumblin' on her part about sleep deprivation.

Then there was the time that Lexie decided to go rogue & not "come right back" on one of our "last calls" one nite.  M'shell called & called....no Lexie.  So, she locked her out. Me & M'shell went to bed.  (I always put her to bed & stayed there till she went to sleep..then I'd get down & go place myself in the center of the hall where I could guard everybody).  About 1am, I went & woke M'shell up & told her she had to let Lexie inside the house.  She got up & sure 'nuff, there was lil' Lexie right there on the other side of the door wantin' in.  Guess, Lexie learnt her lesson, she came every time M'shell called her after that.




M'shell's tough...no extra cookies, not much food sharin', no c'mputer access & she don't even drink sweet tea, so no ice......but we got lots & lots of cuddles...& our M'shell, all to ourselves for a whole week.  I think we made out like bandits. Wonder when mom & dad can go somewheres again.....

Reapin' the rewards.....

Ha ha ha!!

Lexie did it again! Just another example of why it's great to have a lil' stister.....she stole a whole bag of pretzels, grabbed 'em by the bottom (again, she never learns) & runs out her door w/them.  Of course, she's leavin' all the pretzels behind, lol. Not sure how far she got w/her empty bag, 'cause I was too busy muchin' away on her stolen loot.

Transient Workers

Wow...I just may have to change my stance on workin' w/ outside contractors. Here I was just tryin' to help out some non- citizens of the area, refugees from the north that come down here to take advantage of the warm weather an' hospitality. Live an' let live was my motto. Figured that there was enough for everyone...no need to be greedy. After all, I've got a pretty good set up, no need to take away from anyone else.

I had just stepped out on the patio w/mom, while she was on the phone. (She likes to be outside while on the phone...not sure why, but she does. She says it's more enjoyable). There we were, both of us standin' on the edge of the patio, lookin' out on the yard. All of a sudden, her eyes got big an' she pointed at the pecan trees. Before she even got her arm up...I had launched myself off that patio, landin' almost a third of the way across the yard.

Talk about a situation....there was a squirrel on the ground b'tween the pecan trees runnin' for his life...an' not from me..yet....but from a transient hawk! Well, not on my turf is he gonna get a squirrel! If anyone is gettin' the squirrels in my yard, it's gonna be me or maybe Lexie. That hawk isn't even a local!! Obviously, he has no sense of common courtesy. There are rules an' boundaries. He has huge fields an' woods that have open huntin' .....that don't include my yard!!!

I cut in front of him just as he was about to grab that squirrel. At the last minute, he did a sharp turn an' flew off. The squirrel was last seen hidin' about 20 feet off the ground plastered flat on a pecan branch. The hawk was still flyin' off about a block away. I did a quick recon an' then trotted back to mom.

Lexie was pretty disgusted w/the whole thing...her first statement was why didn't I ignore that squirrel an' grab the hawk. She's pretty sure they taste just like chicken.

The mouse an' hole.....

The weather is gettin' cooler..especially in the mornin's.  This mornin', it was almost cold!

 The sun was shinin' all day, but cold..er. Lexie & I have been busy alllll day. We sniffed out somethin' in mom's box of garden tools & stuff that she keeps up on a sink in her green house.   We made her clean it out, as she muttered that was not what she had planned for today,  & sure 'nuff...some little vermin ran off in the bushes. 

You should have seen Lexie. Once she saw mom start takin' stuff out, she started draggin' stuff out, too...everythin' she could reach.  Then it was empty, but then she saw that lil' mouse hidin' in the corner. Lexie was determined to get it...right then...right there.  She kept tryin' to find somewheres to put her leg up, so she could climb up in there. She was hoppin' & stretchin'....finally she walked off & if there had been anything she coulda dragged over to give herself a leg up ....she would have. She looked, too!. 

Anyway, the mouse got away in the bushes. But it was sure fun while it lasted. Mom then discovered my hole...right by the patio. Now...I haven't dug a unauthorized hole...well, since the last time I dug one. It's been awhile. Funny thing, this is the same spot I dug one when I was just a lil' guy. Anyway, mom wasn't pleased. So, dad filled it all in. I watched. All was good in mom's world, again. About an hour later, she came back outside...& lo & behold, guess what she found? That hole magically came back! Same spot, same size & in mom's eyes...the same suspect...me. But there's no proof that it was me, other than the laughin' out loud smug look I gave her, when she was standin' over it. She just looked at me, then nodded & muttered "that's ok...I took care of this problem about 3 yrs ago...I can do it again". Dang it...she did. She went & got some of my poop....of all things...put it in that hole...& then covered it up. She's right...there's no way no how that anyone is gonna be diggin' up my poop. I gave her an appraising look...gotta admit, she's smart. Then I turned away & pawed at the ground about 2 feet away & gave her another look..... :)

No need for excessive Force

Goin' back thru our AHS reports...this was one really for the books. But it demonstrates why us 'dales really are smarter then he average <clearin' my throat> dog.

7:30am-the doorbell? WTHeck? Mom was still in bed...dad had left for work an' Lexie an' I were doin' our "snoozin' w/mom routine". Lexie an' I immediately jumped into action an' sounded off alarms while runnin' to the door.

By the time mom got kinda dressed an' made it to the front door... there, no one was there.

Then we heard 'em in the back. "lectric workers. Lexie & I took off out her lil' door before mom could even make it thru the livin' room. We wouldn't let them anywhere near the backdoor or patio. I was roarin'....Lexie was standin' her ground w/me an' givin' off warnin's that'd made big men quake in their boots.

Finally, Lexie knowin' I had this....went to check on mom, who was still in the house w/the big door shut. , I stayed on the guy till he went back over the fence just like he came, but a lil' faster.

Mom was so proud of us, we didn't bite anyone, but he was a believer & didn't get very far in our yard!! We did our job...protected mom an' the house. He was just a guy doin' his job...but he did not have clearance for goin' in our yard...an' he sure wasn't gonna get near the back door. If he had been puttin' off bad vibes....the story may have had a different endin'. But it just goes to show you that you don't always need excessive force just firm an' clear warnin's an' the willingness to follow thru if they don't listen or believe.

Who's the Angry Bird?

Another pourin' down rain day. Mom's about to go stir crazy....but Lexie's doin' her best to keep mom busy...washin' towels. Couldn't believe it...yesterday, while rainin'...Lexie even went swimmin' in the pond. Mom did manage to keep her door closed & keep Lexie from nappin' in it. I even had to put my paw down at one point. Me & mom were on the couch watchin' tv..& here comes Lexie runnin' in soakin' wet. (She does come inside if it starts rainin' really hard). Of course, the first thing she does is start rubbin' herself against the covers on the chairs & then the couch. When she got to rubbin' on the couch by me...I grumbled at her...hey, I didn't choose to get wet...I was nice & dry in the house. It's rainin' even more, today. Mom's got towels everywhere...including the washing machine (I think she was about to run out). She's already given us a bully stick, Lexie her kong w/peanut butter, played "find it" in the house, dried Lexie off a couple of time....it looks to be a lonnnggggg day. Mom's dug out Lexie's microfiber Angry Bird towel, hopin' she can get caught up on washin' towels. Lexie's finally settled down to nap in the big chair by the back door & watch the rain. Me? Don't tell Lexie...but mom let me nap in her bed, there's nothin' better than listenin' to the rain & bein' able to stretch out on the big bed in the middle of the day..alone...lol

Up on the Roof top......

AHS Report---Last nite, I had to interrupt mom  (she was on the c'mpute). I needed help. Me & Lexie caught a tresspasser, & although we had him trapped....he was outa reach.

I left Lexie in charge of keepin' an eye on him,  & I went inside to get mom. She's our "go to person" for nite jobs. She sensed the emergency & grabbed her trusty flashlite & followed me outback. It wasn't far (& just so you know..she was still dressed for a change).  It was right outside the back door. I showed her the tree we were tryin' to climb, & she checked it out...but didn't see anything. So, I had to show her to look past that tree  (sometimes I just have to be patient an' lead her). Me & Lexie backed off & was lookin' at the roof. She got the message & shined that lite up there...& lo & behold she saw it. It was the biggest ol' possum ever! It was sittin' up on the roof w/only one beady red shiny eye, just starin' down at us like a challenge. Then he disappeared over the top of the roof. So, we all ran in the house. I went to my front window & mom went out front. Sure 'nuff, there he was. Then he went to the back...mom came back inside & we all went to the back...
He saw us..an' ran back to the front.  Then mom went back out front...Lexie stayed in the back...I waited for mom in the house. After the third round of this...me & Lexie decided to take a snack break & watch mom  (it was kinda funny..her goin' back n' forth). She finally gave up, too, & decided that that possum could just spend the nite up there. Since it's after midnite, mom decided that we don't need to be out huntin' anymore tonite  (I didn't bother tellin' her that we had given up before she did).

Anyway,  I'm keepin' watch out the front window, just in case ..an' Lexie's sleepin' by the backdoor...so, we've got it covered.  

The Meetin'......

When dad came home for lunch...he called a meetin' w/mom...an' me.   

 I kinda knew what it was about...but, I wasn't really concerned about it....  I let him have his say....well, his complaint.

He told mom about how his mornin's go before he goes to work.   That me an' Lexie keep him company as he gets his coffee...checks his messages on the computer.....I usually lay on the couch where I can keep track of what he's up to.  Lexie lays around by the back door or the kitchen hopin' he's gonna share somethin' w/her.   That's all fine an' dandy, accordin' to him.   BUT....if he even looks like he's goin' back in the bedroom...I immediately race him (an' I always win) to the bedroom an' jump up in the bed by mom...on his pillow.   An' he's not allowed

So?......was my reply.    That's my job....no one disturbs mom.   It's not like this is new info.....she would never have recuperated if I hadn't put that rule in place when she broke her back.  I stayed watch over her for weeks....an' like I said....NO ONE disturbs mom.   I'm not changin' that rule for nothin'.    

Mom's reaction was....well, she just started laughin' at us...an' then told us to work it out.

I told dad I still loved him....an' he said he loved me....we agreed to disagree...'cause I'm not changin'....an' he's just gonna have to be faster...especially on his days off......

Mom had a lil' glint in her eye...an' I thought I heard her mutterin' somethin' about me bein' her hero....'cause she really don't like to get woken up, when she's allowed to sleep....somethin' about me an' Lexie have changed her sleep pattern for all time...have no idea what she's talkin' about.

Burgers an'......

It really was a good day around here. Mom got stuck in a parkin' lot w/a dead car. It was really hot, so we didn't get to go w/her. Good thing, too!...She called the AAA people an' dad. It's the first time she's ever had to call them an' thought it was kinda cool that when she started to tell them where she was, they already knew an' gave her the address. They tracked her phone w/GPS.

While she waited, she had the car door open to let in a lil' breeze....even w/the door open, she was in her lil' parkin' spot...but a bunch of ladies drove by givin' her bad looks as if she was keepin' 'em from parkin' in the spot next to her. One even waited a bit for her to close her door....by that time mom was in a "mood"..a "hot mood"...an' just glared back. She wasn't preventin' anyone from parkin' next to her..well, except for the incompetent drivers.

Anyway, dad got off early an' came to rescue her w/the hummer full of AC. He said she could take it home an' he'd wait for the service guy. She did, but since we only live a few minutes away, she went home an' got him a big cold icy drink an' drove it back to him....'cause she knew he has gonna be hot an' thirsty in no time. As she drove off, she saw the service guy find him.

After a lil' bit, dad came home w/the car all runnin' smooth...w/a new battery. Then mom said that since we all missed lunch, we needed to go for a ride. Well, she didn't have to tell me an' Lexie twice. We didn't even do the circus routine.....there was a lil' pullin' to the car, though..but we were a bit excited. Dad drove the long way to make the ride last. Then he got a big bag of burgers an' fries. Lexie an' I were salavatin' on that bag....you just can't imagine how good those things smell in a car.

Both of us wanted to carry that bag in the house, but for some reason, mom said she didn't trust us. An' if they thought we were pullin' when we left...you shoulda' seen us drag dad in the house...an' to the kitchen to be specific. We were positive that bag of burgers was for us.

Mom finally made it to the kitchen an' started unloadin' that bag...she got out plates...one, two......an' then two lil' ones....then laid out burgers on each one........Lexie an' I planted ourselves down in front of those two lil' ones. (mom uses those for us all the time)....(btw..you have no idea how hard it is to sit still an' not wriggle when there's burgers...right there...).Then she cute 'em up (I blame this on Lexie who'd can stuff a whole burger in her mouth an' swallow it).....finally, she put those plates down for us.

The problem w/the car was annoyin'.to mom at the time..but it worked out w/out much fuss....it's done an' over with.. It was just a "thing". Personally, I've got to tell you...there's nothin'...nothin' that makes a day better then a burger...a whole burger (even if it's cut up). It just tastes so good an' that makes us happy.....an' know what....seein' how much we enjoyed it...mom said it made her an' dad smile...an' made the whole day better. An' reminded her that it's the small things that are really the big things.......the rest....pfffttt

The Trauma of it All.......

I can't even believe what happened this mornin'.
On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 15 or 20.   I haven't quite decided how I'm going to deal with it, but I do know it'll never happen again.
It's a good thing I'm a secure confident type, or the trauma would have been too much to overcome.

As you know, dad goes to work super early....mom stays in bed.  He lets us out as he's gettin' ready an' then calls us in right before he leaves for work....this is about 3:30 am.

Usually, we're ready an' come right back inside an' then go camp out w/mom.  Not this mornin'....we caught somethin' in our backyard.  Dad finally got Lexie come inside, but not me.   I had somethin' cornered behind mom's greenhouse.  Dad had to leave...an' he was a lil' exasperated w/me...but hey...I had a job to do, too!  So, he left me out there an' went to work.   Right before he got to work...the skies opened up w/a gully washer.

Dad started panicin'....an' callin' mom...in fact..he called about 10 times....he realized that he had let us out w/the big door an' never opened Lexie's lil' door.....an' it was pourin' ...hard...a real frog straggler....an' I was locked out.   Mom never heard the phone....since he goes to bed so early, the ringer was turned off on the phone in the bedroom.

I hollered....Lexie tried addin' her voice...mom heard us...but thought we wanted outside since all the noise was comin' from the backdoor.  She told us to quiet down.   After awhile....of constant hollerin' from me...an' intermittent demands from Lexie...mom got up..

As soon as mom rounded the corner an' saw Lexie...only Lexie at the backdoor...an' Lexie began to try to explain to mom what was goin' on...mom ran to the backdoor to let me in.....at that moment she didn't know it was rainin'.

I barrelled inside....never been so glad to see mom...ever!   I rubbed against her, went between her legs...just couldn't get close enough I was so relieved.   At that moment...she realized it had been rainin'...since she was soaked.  Even Lexie was rubbin' against me an' mom...an' she was wet now, too.  

Mom turned on all the lites...grabbed towels...an' kept huggin' me an' pettin' me...w/ tears in her eyes....she was so upset for me....I had been at the backdoor in the rain for about 30 minutes w/water just pourin' down on me. In soaked jammies, she dried me off...checked me all over....gave me an' Lexie some bacon treats..then she changed clothes an' we all piled in her bed.

Later this mornin', when mom got her coffee....she went outside.....Lexie grabbed one of her stuffies an' followed......me?...I declined to go outside.  Mom was a lil' sad...but said it was ok.   After a bit of thinkin' about it, I couldn't resist goin' out there w/mom an' Lexie...the sun's shinin'....there's standin' water everywhere, which I avoid anyway.....an' it looks to be a nice day.

Mom turned on the ringer on the phone in her bedroom, dad even agreed..he said he can just ignore it if it rings when he's tryin' to sleep.  She, also, said that she'll never ignore us no matter how annoyin' we might sound when we're makin' a racket at the doors....she'll go see an' tell us to quiet down in person, lol.   Dad says he'll always leave Lexie's door open if he has to leave one of us out.....so, it's all good.....an' in the meantime...I'm gonna milk this for dayssssss.....while the folks are still in a vulnerable state.

Eyebrows an' vacation

Well....I figured it out.  We got baths, mom an' dad got out suitcases...an' I heard dad confirmin' our resort reservations.  We're all goin' on vacation for a week!

Now...mom's been packin' all day....why all day?...Cause she has to try on every single thing...an' hates it all.  She even bought new clothes...an' now wonders what kind of mind set was she in?  Maybe that store had some kind of magic circus mirrors 'cause she sure don't like how they look in our mirrors.  She's got a huge pile (literally) thrown in a suitcase, now she's takin' it all out an' cullin' it 'cause she don't need that many clothes, there's not that many hours in a day or that many days.   On top of it all, she wonderin' why packin' is such a big deal.  Why can't she just grab what she wears everyday here an' just go?  Heck she don't know any of them people in Vegas...if it's good enough for here where people may know her..it should be good enough for there.

Oh....an' you know the story of me losin' an' eyebrow....well, ....she hasn't been wearin' her contacts for awhile...just her glasses.  An' she just didn't get around to gettin' her eyebrows shaped up.  So, she bought this thingee that was s'posed to shape 'em for her.  But to do it, she had to take off her glasses...(bet you know where this is goin', lol).  Yep...it seemed easy,  Ran that wax pen thingee under her eyebrow, put on the lil' linen strip...ripped it off...an' well...now she's only got half an eyebrow.   What to do?  She was very conservative with her other one...an'  hardly did anythin', but she ws scared to do anymore.  She guesses that she'll just pencil it in...she'd kinda artsy, anyway an' should be able to do it.  Now, she's lookin' at me an' said that I need my eyebrows cut.....I think I'll just mosey on outside for a patrol.

New Routine....not!

Ok....I've told you that the folks are a work in progress...have been for years....I don't think they'll ever "get it"....no matter how many times I have to repeat stuff.

For instance, this mornin'. Dad's gettin' ready for work. Goin' in the kitchen...goin' in his bathroom.....shavin'....gettin' clothes. I've followed him everywhere....tried several time in several different rooms to remind him that he had forgotten somethin'....gave him the "look" over an' over.

He tried turnin' on mom's sink....tried givin' me a cookie (naturally, Lexie didn't turn it down)....I finally had to resort to visual aids (I swear, he's takin' a step backwards)....gave him the "look", then a nosepoke...then I walked over to the backdoor ..an' of all things, had to give the door a nosepoke then dad the "look" again.....geez.....how much plainer do I have to get?

Who doesn't have to "go" when you get up in the mornin'? It's not like it's a new routine or somethin'........

In the Dark......

AHS log.....Right before midnite, mom heard Lexie out in the back 40 makin' a racket. I knew right away that she was warnin' off an intruder, so I gave mom a "c'mon'...this may be serious" look an' took off out Lexie's door.

Mom took the hint.....she says it was because we were both makin' a racket.....an' grabbed her big lite to come assist us....she says she was comin' to make us quit an' come in the house.

By the time she made it out to the back corner (for some reason she don't move as fast in the dark as in the day time...I don't understand it really....we don't have that problem)...the whole thing was pretty much over. Whatever it was, took our warnin's seriously an' went back over our fence to the field behind. We were just doin' a perimeter check to make sure he didn't have any friends.

Mom told us to go back to the house....since we were done, anyway, Lexie an' I raced back. We waited for mom at the back door (I told you she was slow), watchin' her lite bounce up an down as she made her way across the yard. All of a sudden,,.....there wasn't any bouncin' lite. We couldn't hear her either....well, up until she started sayin' stuff...kinda like a loud grumblin'....Did I mention that we've been havin' lots of rain an overcast skies...so, when it's dark, it's realy dark.

Anyways, mom called me. Curious as to what was goin' on, I went to find her. Lexie came too, 'cause this was unusual an' maybe mom found an intruder Nope....her lite went out an' she was out there in the dark in her "jungle". Lexie an' I looked around an' didn't see or sniff out anythin' unusual, so when she said, "ok...lets all go back to the house"....Lexie an' I took off an' raced, again, back.

Mom finally made it back to the house, where she found both of us standin' at the door grinnin' an' waitin' on her, w/a "what took you so long" look.

I'm pretty sure she was grumblin' somethin' about bein' abandoned out in the dark, but she should know better....we were watchin' an' listenin' over her the whole time.......she's our number one priority, afterall. Just 'cause she needs that big lite, doesn't mean we do.

Thank you---an You're Welcome

It's all about perception...an' if it makes 'em feel good, then I say to go along w/it. It don't cost you nothin'...an' you still might get somethin' outa it...if nothin' else but good will. Ya know, bankin' them "brownie points" for the future.

Take last nite for instance. Mom, dad an' M'shell went out to eat w/ our Papa at the American Legion Hall. It was a tribute dinner for past post commanders. He even got a standin' ovation for bein' a WWII veteran (there was only one other one there)...an' lots of handshakes, some hugs...an' even a kiss on the cheek. It made him feel pretty special. But another thing that I thought was pretty special was the menu.....steak an' lobster...big steaks an' lobsters.

There was so much food that not everyone was able to finish their plates. Mom bein' mom thought about us. Me an' Lexie stuck at home...alone...w/only our dog food. Did I mention alone? Not even able to smell that delicious stuff? Anyway, she got a lil' plate an' put some of that food they were throwin' away on it, covered it w/a couple of napkins an' brought it home. Papa had so much, he was able to take enough home for a couple of dinners.

When mom got home, she fixed us a plate. Wowzer...we get leftovers, but this had to be a first...a sirloin stead dinner w/baked tators an' even a lil' green beans! Needless to say, we went to town on them plates, an' they were so clean that she coulda' just put 'em back up in the cabinet.

After we were finished, we both sought her out. (This is what I'm really talkin' about, we do this everytime she gives us somethin' special)....she pets us, tells us that we're "very wecome", 'cause she thinks we're sayin' thank you. Heck, I even got up on the couch an' insisted on pets an' hugs for about 15- 20 minutes...even "cuddled" next to her. FYI....oh, yea...I enjoyed it...enjoyed it a lot....I know it makes her happy.....was I sayin' "thank you"? Are we grateful for all we have? Yes....but just in case she's got some more steak , an' is feelin' the "love" enough to give us some more.....well, we'd be even more grateful, lol.

The Fastest U-Turn

Whoa.......I had no idea. Lexie had been after mom an' dad to go outside, but mom had closed it (yep, mom closes outside pretty regularly...an' before we're ready). Oh, we had both been hearin' the boomin', but not really payin' attention. It just doesn't bother us. Finally, mom decided that just maybe Lexie needed out for a "powder room break", an' she told dad to go ahead an' let us out...but w/the instruction to "come RIGHT back!".

I was at the front of the line an' zoomed outside w/Lexie on my heels...literally, 'cause I barely got my tail outside before I had my head right back inside...in fact, I almost bowled Lexie over...we had a regular traffic jam at the door. It was RAININ'!!!

I don't do rain...not if I don't have to. Whew, it was a close one, I tell you....thankfully, you'll be relieved to know I barely got my head wet. Now, Lexie on the other paw.....I guess she had to "go"....an' went pretty far out. I know she probably followed the tree line, like I taught her years ago. It keeps you outa' the deluge if you really need to be out in the rain. After a few minutes, she came zoomin' in....soaked, lol. I'd feel bad for her if ...one, she wouldn't insist on jumpin' on me when she's wet...an' two, if she didn't like it so much. It took two towels...one for the floor an' one for her.

Needless to say.....mom closed outside for good tonite. :)