Holiday weekend

Mom says this weekend is a "holiday weekend".

Every weekend is a pretty much a holiday for me. Well, every week too.

I will spend the first two days acting like a princess, sleeping and living on her bed or mine while she is gone off somewhere doing things.

Then we will go to the mountains. I will spend the next two days sleeping and living on one of the couches or chairs in the living room. Since it is cooler up there I MAY dig a nice hole in the soft sweet dirt and settle in at the end of the bridge for a while.

My sisters may go with us. They get SO excited when Mom is unloading the van and loading it back up again. They are just silly with excitement. But, within a minute of pulling out of the driveway, we are all settled down in our spots, happy and quiet and enjoying the ride.

Mom is excited about the holiday weekend. Every day is a holiday for me :-)

Serenade

We are being serenaded - by deep, low Laba-dog barks.

The labs are in their rooms - the enclosed porches. I fed them over an hour ago. Ellie spilt her food in the excitement of having the dog food topped with chicken. Mad ate her food. Ellie piddled over hers. Neighbor Dog was waiting patiently outside the dog door.

When it was obvious Ellie was not going to eat more, I let ND inside. The serenade began.

I just sneaked back to check on them. Three labs. All with happy eyes and wagging tails. Mad was sleeping in my office. ND was sitting just inside the door. Ellie is sprawled next to the spilled dog food - and doing a fine job of "protecting" the food from the intruder.

Funny girls. Happy dogs. Someone is going to have to eat the food, I'm going to have to pick it up or they are all going outside for the night. I think I can take MAYBE 30 more minutes of this serenade. :-)

Gravel

That's what color I am. Gravel.

Mom has thought so for a while. Now, she's sure. When I walk on the gravel lanes, I blend in. Gravel is my camouflage color.

We went for a night walk tonight. It was so hot Mom waited until late to walk. She waited until too late. It was dark.

The labs were happy to hear that we still were walking. All ran ahead, but one stayed within 10 feet of mom the whole time. She had to call the dog to her to figure out which one it was. Neighbor Dog! That was a surprise. He is the male of the pack, so I guess he decided he needed to protect mom.

A lab runs out of the right pasture. Mom is sure it's Mad - but its Ellie. That's Mad's favorite spot.

We walk to the upper pasture and it is so peaceful. The sky is a strange yellowish color. The pasture is in darkness. The lightning bugs are putting on a show, very visible against the dark ring of trees surrounding the pasture.

We all head back and a few minutes later, here comes a lab at full run. Maddie. There's no telling where she's been, but three labs in front, Mom in the middle and gravel colored Ru brings up the rear.

A very nice walk in a dark summer's night.

5 reasons for a pet

As IF we needed more reasons :-)

http://boomers.msn.com/articleGH.aspx?cp-documentid=413531

Training the grandparents

Mom left me for a whole week. That's what the humans say anyway. I don't know elapsed time. I do know that I have done a great job training Granny and Grandpa.

I can sit up on my blanket and stare at Granny. She will keep trying to figure out what I want. One night I decided I was ready to go to bed and they were still in the living room. I sat up and stared - until Granny figured out to take my blanket to the bedroom so I can go to bed.

One night at 9:30 Granny wanted me to go outside. I didn't budge - so she gave up. She's finally figured out that I'm old enough to know what I need/ want to do - and have a bladder that can last until morning.

Mom gives me children's Benadryl when I have the itchies. Granny finally learned that I can take the pill myself. They've been doing the DOG thing and shoving it down my throat. Mama didn't knoww - but showed them how to do it. Hand me a Benadryl and ask me if I want a Benadryl. THAT's the trick - ASKING me if I want it.

I pretty much know what I want and what I don't. And, although I don't show a lot of emotion well-trained grandparents should be able to figure it out.

I wagged my butt when Grandpa came in one day. That tickled him. I REALLY wagged my butt when Mama came home after being gone a week. I got out my little red dog and played! I only play with my little red dog when I'm very very happy - usually right before Mama and I go home. She asks me if I want to "go feed the horses" - that way I know we are going to the farm and not the cabin. I have to go see Granny and Grandpa and get scratched and told "good-bye".

I also know when computer time is over. Mama learned this today - because she had to use G&G's computer. For some reason power cords don't work so well after they are dropped (by accident) into my water glass in the car. Mama said I almost skipped when I heard the AOL man say "Goodbye!". I was at the door waiting in just a couple of seconds!

It's a tough life - but easier because I've finally got the grandparents trained :-)