Snow! Snow! Snow!

Wow!  There was a big snow drift--over 3 feet deep--over the steps off the deck.  I had to go pee!  Auntie dug through the drift and cleaned me a path.  What a relief, but the next time I had to go out the path was nearly filled up.  This is what I crawled over to get out to the yard.  I think it's time to get the shovel out again.

I'm In Trouble Aren't I?

12 Things About Me

If you read my blog, you know I lead a dog's life.  Here are a few more things to know  about me.

1. I will be 12 years old in April!
2. I love to eat--pretty much anything.
3. I like to get up early, usually by 4:30.  The earlier I get up, the sooner I get breakfast.
4. I sleep in my bed during the day and Auntie's bed at night.  I also like to sleep between Popo's legs or stretched out on the floor in the sun.
5. I bark in my sleep.  Sometimes I even growl (I don't even growl when I'm awake).
6. I am good help in the kitchen.  I set at Auntie's feet waiting for something to fall.  One day a potato hit me on the back (good thing it was a little potato).
7. I'm always ready to go, and I go everywhere my humans go.
8. I can't be trusted in the car alone with the groceries.
9. I shake allover when we pull up to the bank drive-up window.  The lady at the window gives me treats!
10. I have two younger (much younger) brothers. 
11. I don't like loud noises--pounding sounds, yelling, thunder--I look for someplace to hide.
12. Popo says I have a very good disposition but I know what I want.

Tater Tot

Meet the new me.  I have lots of nicknames—Pooper Scooper, Stinker, Sweetie Pie, Cookie Monster—and now I’ve earned a new name—Tater Tot.  We’ve been gone a lot and except for the pumpkin pie incident at Christmas I’d been pretty good when I‘ve had to wait in the car, usually just stretching out in the seat.  Then it happened.  Auntie went in the storage unit and I was setting in the front seat.  She brought some chairs out and put them in the car and went back in to look for something.  I knew she had put the sacks from Walmart way in the back.  I had to move fast—I climbed over the chairs, landing right on top of the sacks.  Now I had to make a choice, there were two loaves of bread and a bag of tater tots.  This was my chance—I could only look longingly at the tots when we stop at Sonic, so it was a no-brainer that I went for the tater tots. It was over too fast.  Auntie locked up the unit and came around to get in the car—the seat was empty!  I heard nothing, then she screamed.   Busted again.  It may have been frozen, but now I have a tater tot!

Happy Halloween 2012!

One of my favorite holidays is right around the corner and I am ready! I'm going to be a pumpkin this year. Auntie calls me Pumpkin Poo--so this is the perfect constume.  When I wore it to town the other day,  the girl at the bank called me a "cute little pumpkin" and gave me TWO treats!

Rabbit Hunter

I've been taking it pretty easy this summer. Even though I'm always watching for rabbits and squirrels, I think they've been hiding out to keep cool. Then yesterday Popo and I were taking our walk and I scared up a rabbit. It took off and I was right behind him--flat out running as fast as I could go. Then I hit the hole, rolling and spinning through the air! I landed on my feet and took off again but the rabbit had a lead on me. I was ok--just a little grass stain on my knees and a bruised ego.

A Cute Pup

Wow! I didn’t know what a cute pup I was until Auntie found some old pictures of me from my first canoe trip. I was just a little thing but I remember sitting on Popo’s lap in the canoe. He held on to me so I wouldn’t fall out. Mostly we just rode down the Current River, stopping to eat and play in the sand and water. At the end of the day I was tired and ready for a nap.

Labor Day

Hope you're having a good day off. I’m celebrating the end of summer with a walk, a nap and some watermelon. The corn may be gone, but if I can sneak a piece of watermelon I’m a happy dog.

Crowder State Park

Another day that was perfect for a picnic and a walk through the woods. We ate lunch next to the lake. Then it was time for a hike on one of the walking rails. Right after we crossed the dry creek bed I heard rustling--out jumped four deer. If Auntie hadn't had hold of my leash I would have been off and running! I could be a hunting dog!

Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad

It was finally cool enough to take a train ride so we loaded up the car and headed for Boone, Iowa.  The steam engine only pulls the train on Saturdays so we had been waiting for a nice weekend.   This train crosses the Bass Point Creek High Bridge.  A show on PBS said this was one of the tallest single-track railroad bridges in the US.  I knew I wouldn’t get to ride on the train so Auntie and I stayed behind while Nanny and Popo headed down the tracks. 

After the train ride we stopped for ice cream—Yum!

Corndog

Do you like sweet corn?  I like it so much I’ve been helping Auntie in the garden.  We’ve been tilling and watering the corn all summer, hoping to end up with something really yummy.  Well, the weather hasn’t cooperated, the ears are really small and then came the raccoons. 

This morning Auntie went out to pick the tomatoes, spinach and corn.  I went out to help her shuck the corn.  There were only four tiny ears left after the raccoons went through.  She gave me a little piece and put the other ears in a bucket.  She went back to the garden to pick up all the cobs the raccoons left behind.  The bucket was sitting on a picnic table on the deck.  I stood up as tall as I could and grabbed the edge of the bucket—the shucked corn rolled toward me.  Heaven!

When Auntie came back I was standing in the yard with bits of cob scattered around me and corn hanging from my chin.  At first she didn’t know what I’d done—then she saw the bucket.  Oh no, this could be trouble!   (It’s not like she didn’t know I like corn.  After the high winds blew the top off the compost bin the other night, she found me standing in the middle of the garbage eating corn cobs.)

Popo said I "would do better next time."  I don’t know if he meant I wouldn’t get in the corn bucket or I wouldn’t leave any evidence behind.

Lesson for the Boys:  It helps to be cute and/or funny when you get into trouble.

I Am A Good Boy

“You’re such a funny boy. What a good boy. You’re so cute.“ I hear these things all the time. So what came over me? It was a little after six in the morning. Auntie had gone out to water the garden and everyone else was asleep. She had given me a few kibbles and said she’d be back in a little while. When she came back in the house I was standing in the kitchen—trash everywhere. While she was outside I went through the kitchen trash can looking for something—something good to eat. Yesterday was the big July 4^th picnic. Auntie had been baking and cooking stuff to take. Because it was so hot, they brought our dinners home to eat. I saw the paper plates, cupcake papers (I love cupcakes), and all kinds of other good stuff go in the trash can. When I was done going through the trash, it looked like I had been possessed—everything was shredded into bits.

I was so embarrassed. I was caught red-handed. For the rest of the day all I could do was lie around with a stomach ache from all the junk I ate. What a way to celebrate the 4^th of July!

Where Are You UPS Driver?

I know the UPS truck, the UPS guy or someone who looks like the UPS guy.  Popo was in the eye doctor’s office and Auntie and I were waiting for him in the car.  I saw the UPS truck pull into the parking lot up the hill.  The driver got out and I shot out of the car window, ran across the parking lot, climbed the retaining wall and ran across the next parking lot and up to the office door the driver went in.  Auntie was running behind and hollering for me to stop but I had to see the UPS guy.  I couldn’t see in the door and before the driver came out, Auntie scooped me up and headed back to the car.  When we got back she checked me over and before I know it the same UPS truck pulled in right next to us.  I stood up in the window.  I was so excited—my tail was going and I was shaking all over!  He was coming to see me!  Instead, he got out and went into the doctor’s office.  He didn’t even notice me standing in the window.  I was devastated. 

I'm a Nut

Sometimes I do silly things.  Yesterday I stepped on a wad of gum and then got my foot stuck to everything.  Yuck! 

This afternoon when everyone went out to do some work, I stayed in the house alone.  Auntie didn't want me to get out in the tall grass and pick up ticks. I don't know what came over me.  I've been exceptionally hungry lately and went tooking for something to eat.  I found a can of almonds on the trunk in Auntie's bedroom.  When they came back in, there was the open can with a few nuts on the floor.  When Auntie picked up the can she saw the tooth marks around the rim--how had I done that?  Of all the things I could get in to, they wanted to know why I got the almonds--I'm guess I'm just a healthy eater!

Family Reunion

I got to go to the family reunion/ birthday party. Auntie had been doing a lot of cooking—I knew it was going to be fun. Twenty-five of my relatives were there, but I really hit it off with the youngest, Lexie. She was the perfect dog walker. I even got to see my big sisters! We ate, played games and had a great time. I slept all the way home.