I found a turtle!

We went to the weekend this past weekend and I was glad. It was a long time since we've been there and when mom loaded us all up, including the cat, I knew where we were headed. It was a usual Friday cause mom and dad did the grass thing and us dogs played. However, this time was a little more fun. When mom was cutting the field she found a turtle by a tree. Well, you know me and turtles. I don't know why I am so fascinated by them, but I am. I think it's cause one minute you see them and then when they put their head and legs inside their shell, you don't see them. Whatever it is, this turtle kept me entertained for hours. I would sit near the turtle, but not too close. When it would start to move, I'd go over and check it out. Then it would close up again and I would sit and wait. It was like a game of "dog and turtle":D Mom said I was very good though and didn't hurt the turtle.

Saturday morning I had to go in my crate for a couple hours while mom and dad went someplace no dogs were allowed. When they got back, some of dads friends stopped and mom and I took Gizmo outside. Chloe didn't want to come cause she was too noisy and wanted to stay and see what the guys were doing in the cabin. Anyway, I hung out with Giz while she was on the fence post watching a woodpecker then we went in the yard and I pushed her a couple of times to play and she just wanted to chill so I laid with her in the grass. I'm really happy to see my kitty enjoying the outdoors:) A little later we went to Heritage Days with mom and dad. They do some tractor and lumberjack stuff there, but we mostly just walked around and looked at vendors. So many people kept wanting to pet us and kept saying how pretty we are so poor mom didn't get anywhere fast. Since we were so good we got ice cream and it was yummy!! When we got back to the cabin we took a little nap then us dogs went with mom in the kubota to the tree. We hung out for a while hoping to see deer, but all I saw was these crazy woodpeckers in the trees making a racket and flying everywhere. When we were done there we stopped to visit Clair and Velma then went across the street to look for deer again. We walked this time, but still had no luck. Oh well, can't find them all the time.

Sunday we didn't do much. I hung out on the porch in the morning with mom while she drank her coffee and read. Later mom packed things up and cleaned the cabin then we went back up to the tree one more time so mom could talk to her dad and wish him a Happy Father's Day even though he is no longer with us. I never got to meet my grandpa, but it sounds like he was a nice guy and I would have liked him. When we got home in the evening, we had a lot of people show up at one time... Linda, Matt, Lauren, Brett, Chelsea and that annoying little dog Nala. I was not liking her in the house at all, but then mom made us go outside and we all played. I was pretty tired by the time everyone left and enjoyed the rest of the night in peace and quiet.

Mom said I don't have anything going on this week. Dad is working 6 12 hour days so mom said we need to be on our best behavior. Because dad is working so much mom will be taking care of grass and pool so I'm sure I'll be hanging with mom while she does that. Plus, she said that we can go swimming this week if the weather is nice... yipee!

Oh yeah, I do want to thank Dogster for naming me for one the diary picks on Saturday. It's always an honor when they find me interesting enough to highlight me. Thanks Dogster!

Finally new pix!

Yep, mom finally had some time so she added some new pix to my page. Hope you like them. Some are from winter, but that's okay, at least you get to see them.

The past couple of days were pretty uneventful. I went for a couple of walks, hung with dad while he cleaned the pool and mom groomed us and put on our flea/tick meds. Other than that, not much happening. We were suppose to get some bad storms yesterday, but they never happened. Mom was so afraid that they would turn into a tornado that she moved me and my crate to the downstairs just in case. I was so confused that when she told me to "crate" I went to where I always go which is upstairs. Mom said to go downstairs and after a few seconds I figured out it, although I was still confused as to why, but I went downstairs and got in my crate. Fortunately though it was all a moot point cause nothing happened. I don't think others were so fortunate though cause they got hit by really bad storms and my thoughts and prayers go out to all those that were affected by the storms.

Cram packed Tuesday night!

Boy did I do a lot of stuff last night. First me, Chloe, mom and dad went to Manor Care. Grandma was suppose to go, but bailed on us at the last minute... nothing new. It was nice to have dad along though cause he doesn't go with us often. He says nursing homes are too depressing and to a point he is right, but mom, Chloe and I look at it as helping give them some comfort and love where they may not have much else to look forward to. So it is bittersweet for us. We visited with a lot of people and I was pretty excited and a little crazy at first, but I settled down and mom said I did good. One a sad note, our friend Joe's wife is in the hospital. If everyone out there could please say a prayer that she gets better, we would appreciate it.

After we finished at Manor Care, we went to the vet for our flu boosters. I was all gung ho to go in and I even chilled in the lobby. BUT, when I saw the tech coming for me, I totally freaked out. I ran from her and hid under the bench. Mom couldn't believe how I was acting, especially since I was use to everyone down there. I finally had to get up on the bench and mom held me while the tech gave me my shot. Mom couldn't figure out why I was acting that way, but wanted me to know that everything was safe at the vet so she made me walk with the tech to the back anyway and you know what? She was right, everything was okay:)

When we got home mom and dad cut the grass. They didn't have much of a choice since it is suppose to rain for the next two days. Chloe and I just played while they cut grass. It was dark til they finished and we just chilled and watched TV later. We watched America's Got Talent, you know the show the dogs won last year. Well last night they had so many acts that made mom cry I couldn't believe it! I will admit, I enjoyed seeing and hearing everyone. Right now my vote is for Jonathan. Go Jonathan!!!!

I don't think I have much going on tonight. Mom and Chloe have a visit with Danny, but I'm staying home. Mom said I may eventually be able to visit with him, but we have to work it slow cause he took a long time to like Chloe and we don't want to overwhelm him. I'll just be chilling at home and getting ready for all the storms coming. Batten down the hatches out there cause it's gonna get rough! Be safe!

I love my Emilie!!

This weekend had some fun things. It didn't start off too well on Friday cause we didn't get to do anything. Mom went to dinner with friends and dad worked late so us dogs chilled. Saturday was better though. Mom took us to the barn with her, but we stayed in the car cause that dog eating dog, Jada, was outside. The weather was nice and cool so mom let the windows open and she didn't stay that long so I didn't mind. I would much rather have gotten out to play around the barn, but I value my life too much!!! After mom was done at the barn we go to go to Hummel Trail for a walk. I love Hummel Trail because it is through the woods and there are so many things to see and smell. Mom let's us take our time and sniff as much as we want and it was even better cause no one else was there so we got to be off leash as long as we stayed where mom could see us. Chloe and I raced across the bridge once too. I think mom took video of that and she'll probably post it when she gets a chance. No surprise that I won:) After we were done at the trail, we went to Nan and Pop's house cause Emilie came to visit. We stayed outside with Pop but I didn't mind cause I like Pop a lot. We stayed there for a little then we went home and mom let us go swimming... YEAH!!! Us dogs were the first ones in again this year. Mom said we us it more than anyone else, yep that's right, us dogs rule! I had a lot of fun swimming and jumping off the side. No, I'm not a diver like Chloe, but I do like to jump in after my toy. We swam for a little then it was time to go in. The rest of the night we pretty much just relaxed.

Sunday we didn't do much. Mom had a really bad headache again when she got home from church, but even though she was hurting, she let us dogs swim for a little. It wasn't real long cause mom didn't feel well, but it was nice that mom let us swim even for a little. After that, mom took a nap to try and get rid of her headache. I really wanted to be in the bedroom with mom, but I was still a little wet from swimming and we're not allowed in the bedroom when we're wet:( So I slept outside the door the entire time and I was happy when mom got up and was feeling better. Later that night Emilie came to visit. I really didn't get to play with her though cause she had to get a bath then go to bed and us dogs stayed outside during this time. I know why mom did that cause she knew we would want to play with Emilie and then she would never go to bed.

Monday is much more fun. After Emilie got done eating breakfast, mom let us play with her. Emilie likes to pick up our toys and hand them to us. Mom said I did EXCELLENT in playing with Emilie and she is SOOOO proud of me!!!! I really love Emilie and I love playing with her. I'm just unsure of her when she come running at me right away, but once we're together for a little while, all is well. When mom called to see how we were doing I heard dad tell mom "Echo is doing great!" and that made me happy:) But unfortunately Emilie has to go home today so my fun with her will be over soon:(

As far as my schedule this week, I have a couple things going on. Tomorrow I'm going to Manor Care with Chloe, grandma and mom. After we are done there, then I have to get my dog flu booster shot. I was lucky not to get it from Tess when she got sick. Thank goodness! I think I may be going to the barn again, but a lot will depend on the weather. But whatever I do, I'll be sure to fill you in.

Well I gotta go. Emilie is leaving soon and I want to play with her as much as I can. Have a good one and bark at you later!

We went to the barn!

The past couple of nights were pretty good. Mom took us for walks and the neighbor kids played with us a lot. Dad even went for a walk with us one night, but it was a short one cause his knee was bothering him. It was nice to have him along though. But last night, that was the best!

When mom got home from work she loaded us up and off we went. I had no idea where we were going until we actually pulled into the driveway and realized we were at the barn. I was SO happy I could barely wait for mom to get back after making sure Jada was in the house. When mom opened my door I shot out of the car like a rocket and took off running with Chloe in pursuit! We ran around like crazy cause we have lots more room then at home and we can run until our heart's content. After we had our fill, we hung out in the barn with mom while she got Tequilla ready for the ride. Mom's friend Stephanie came to ride Sophie too. They started out in the arena so Chloe and I played in there for a while. Chloe makes me nervous cause she's always getting really close to the horses and one time she even ran right under Tequilla. That's not too smart! Me, I make sure I give the horses plenty of room and I watch them close too just in case they decide to act up... I want to be sure I can get out of the way in a hurry. Anyway, after a little warm up in the arena we hit the trail. That was a lot of fun cause we go through the field and woods and all over. I love all the smells and all the good stuff we see. I saw a baby bunny and of course I wanted to chase it, but mom told me no so I didn't. She's no fun! We stayed on the property, but I didn't mind cause we did a couple laps and by the time we were finished. When we were done, mom did some barn work and we hung out. I kept exploring to see what I could find, but I did get in trouble a couple times cause I kept finding horse poop and I like the taste of it so of course I'd try to eat it. Mom only gets upset cause of my tummy issue, plus, she doesn't like me eating poop then licking her. I guess I can't blame her for that one cause I wouldn't want someone to eat poop then lick me either!

After mom finished up her barn chores we went back home. I thought we'd be done for the night, but we weren't and I was happy about that. Mom took us for a nice walk. We didn't go for an hour like we do sometimes, but it was longer than around the block. I really enjoyed it and stayed right with mom. Chloe got in trouble for lollygagging too much and had to go on the leash for a bit, but not long. Mom made me walk across two sewer grates since it's something we practice in case I need to do it for a rescue. It doesn't bother me at all anymore and whenever mom says "walk it" I do without hesitation. When we got home we just chilled. I ate my dinner, watched the news and a movie. All in all I had a really good evening.

Tonight mom said we are going to visit Country Meadows. It's been furever since we've been there and I'm looking forward to it. Mom said I better enjoy it cause we'll be stuck inside the next couple of days cause of rain coming our way... yuck! And I was hoping to go swimming too:( Mom said that by the weekend we should be able to go. We were going to swim last night, but mom said with us being a little hot from our walk and the pool temp only being 70, she didn't want our bodies to freak out with the temp change. I was okay with that only cause I was tired from the barn and walking. I know I'll have plenty of time to swim on the hot days when walking isn't an option.

Well, that's about all for now. I'll be sure to tell you all about my visit at Country Meadows. If you're getting the rain coming your way, try and stay dry!

Not a lot going on

This past weekend we didn't do much of anything. Dad went to Ali's on Friday and mom went on Saturday. Cause mom took the train, us dogs stayed at home, which for me meant a lot of time in my crate. There were a lot of people that came every few hours to let us out and to play, but it was so hot outside that I just went potty then right back in my crate. It kind of stank that I had to be in there for so long, but I do like my crate so it wasn't like torture or anything. The only problem was I have a UTI and I dribbled a little on my towel. Mom felt so bad cause she didn't know. Of course I didn't give her any signs before she left and really, it's not as bad as last time, but it is uncomfortable. Mom cleaned me up, clipped me short back there and then put my diaper on. Even though I don't like wearing a diaper, I did feel better knowing I wouldn't dribble on myself.

Mom and dad did get home last evening and when they went to see Poppy for his birthday we got to go along. I like Poppy, it's my buddy:) Other than that, we didn't do much. Dad is opening the pool today so I'm looking forward to swimming. Chloe is REAL excited cause she loves to dive. Me, diving not so much, but I do like to swim and get the duck when mom throws it for me. It will be nice to cool off on those hot days like we had last week. It's still hot today, but mom said we can't get in until like Wednesday cause of the chemicals. Hey, I waited this long what is a couple more days, right?

I don't have much on the agenda for this week. Mom is going to Country Meadows, but she's pretty sure it's Chloe's turn. Although if she goes to see Danny later in the week, she might take me since Chloe will visit with Danny. Either way is fine with me. I know dad will be home shortly after mom leaves so it's no biggie. I do know mom and dad are home this weekend so I'll get out more. Mom said if it's cooler on Saturday we may go for a hike. Plus, mom said we're going to start walking in the evenings again too. It's been so hot that we couldn't even do that. Mom said we both look good, but she needs to lose weight for Ali's wedding so she'll be walking more and we can go for the exercise. I'm good with that as long as it's not too hot.

Well, I think that is all for now. I'm gonna hang outside with dad while he opens the pool. I hope everyone had a good weekend and I'll bark at you later!

What's up with this weather?

Friday we all went to the cabin. Mom drove up separate cause dad had to work late. Gizmo sat up front with mom and us dogs in the back, but I didn't mind cause that's what I'm use to anyway. When we got to the cabin, mom cut the grass as usual. It was so cold and windy that mom had to wear gloves and a heavy coat. Come on, it's Memorial Day weekend for pete's sake, it suppose to be warm! But warm the weekend it was NOT! In fact, because it was so cold and windy we barely got to do much at all. We did go for a Kubota ride and a visit to Clair and Velma's, but other than that, we didn't do much cause of the cold and wind. I was really hoping it would have been nice cause mom said maybe we could go tubing, but not with 50 degree weather that's for sure. I did get to do two searchs for dad. Mom said I did pretty good considering how windy it was.

It wasn't until the ride home that we really had any excitement, but you really can't call it excitement. First, Gizmo cried almost the entire way home and we don't know why cause mom gave her the kitty pill she takes to calm her. She was so bad that mom pulled over and took her out of the crate and held her on her lap. She seemed to calm down after that. But when we got into Carlisle, I got sick all over the backseat. Chloe freaked out and hid on the floor and I was just feeling down right lousy! Mom immediately pulled over, put Giz back in her carrier and got me out to clean up my mess. She was freaking out, not in a mad way, but because she was afraid I was having one of my sick bouts that I have from May-Oct. She got me and the seat cleaned up then put me up front with her and Gizmo in the back with Chloe. Mom did put a tub there for me in case I was going to get sick again, but fortunately I didn't. In fact, that was the only time I got sick and mom was soooooo happy I wasn't having one of my bouts. We both get really upset when I'm that sick and we're both praying I'm over that stage of my life. Please keep your paws together that I don't get like I did last year. Mom had another migraine so I hung with her a lot in case she needed me.

I don't think I have much going on this week, other than it has been so HOT! It's like one extreme to the next with this wacky weather. I sure hope it soon makes up its mind what temp it wants to be. I do want to wish my Brett and Nikki (over the Rainbow Bridge) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

A scary ride

Last night I went with mom to her monthly Midsar meeting. They were taking a team picture for a newspaper and also to be put on the trailer, and they wanted us dogs in the picture. It was nice to see everyone together and I met a lot of people who aren't on the K-9 team who were really nice. After the picture us dogs all had to go to our crates in the cars cause we weren't allowed in the meeting hall. No biggie, it wasn't hot anymore so I just took a nap. A couple hours later the meeting was over and we headed home. That's when the fun began.

t was raining a little when mom came out of the meeting, but nothing major. Boy did that change! By the time we hit the turnpike it was raining really, really hard. The closer we got to home, the worse it got. It rained so hard we could barely see out of the windshield and mom had the wipers on full blast. We usually fly on the turnpike, but this time we were lucky if we went 30 miles an hour. Mom wanted to pull off a couple times and wait it out, but all the areas where you could pull over were full of cars so we had to keep going. There were a few times the car felt like it was sliding on ice. Mom said that we were hydroplaning. I don't know what that is, but I can tell you it wasn't fun! Mom was soooooooo nervous and she kept rubbing my face. Now normally I just like to sit in the seat and not be touched, but I knew how upset mom was so I just laid there and tried to stay calm so she would calm down, and it worked. Mom was still nervous, but she wasn't as upset by the time we got home. She did a really good job driving in that mess (thunder and lightening too) and I was proud of her. With that being said, I was glad to get home and out of the storm cause it was kind of scary too. I just couldn't let mom know how scared I really was. She told me that I was pawsome and kept her calm. That's my job, take care of my mom:)

That was my only excitement for the week. I don't know what we're doing this holiday weekend, but I hope it's something fun:)

We want to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Memorial Day and say "THANK YOU!" to all who help protect our country and our people.

Search training

First and foremost I want all my pals out there who are dealing with the bad weather (tornado,hail,rain,etc) that I am thinking of you and saying a prayer that you and your families are all okay and make it through the horrible stuff that is happening out there. I am sending POTW to everyone!

Now about my weekend. Friday night was pretty fun. Anna, Miranda, Dane and another neighbor boy came over and played with us for a long time. They played tag, frisbee, ball and chase. We had SO much fun! Mom told me I did really well with all the kids, even a small boy about 4 who came for a little. She said there may be hope for me yet. Saturday we didn't do anytyhing. The weather was crappy so we chilled inside with mom and dad while they watched TV. Mom did go out in the evening to help set up for Sunday's search training, but I wasn't allowed to go. Sunday was training day and mom said I did really well. My first scenerio it only took me about 5 minutes to find the person and mom said although my recall/refind wasn't rock solid, I did alert her and she was very happy with it. My second search was a little more difficult. I found the person in about 10 minutes, but he was down in some rocks. I didn't go down to him, but when I saw him I looked back for mom to see if she was coming and I didn't see her. I waited a few seconds and when she still didn't come, I went and alerted her. She said she was proud of me cause it was hard for me to go up and down the rocks and I did two recall/refinds really well. I could tell mom was VERY proud of me and my subject was happy too and played with me for a long time. We only did two scenerios, but we got to do something else... we got to go swimming!

They wanted to introduce us dogs to life vests and that's why we got to swim this time. Me, I'm use to it cause I swim in the pool, the creek and I even go tubing! The life vest didn't bother me at all and everyone thought it was really cool how well I did and that it didn't bother me at all. We actually swam a couple different places and needless to say, when I wasn't swimming cause it was someone else's turn, I was none too happy. But I wasn't the only one. Lily, the german shepherd police dog wasn't happy either and kept barking the entire time. Hey, what can we say, great minds think alike:) When we got home mom made me get a shower cause I was dirty and smelled like the creek. I knew it was coming so I wasn't too upset. Needless to say, I pretty much crashed last night from my busy day.

Today mom got an email from Susan, Tess's mom, and she said that Tess has the flu! Now dad is going to take me and Chloe to the vet to get our shots just to be safe. Mom is really worried about me cause of my issue, but I feel really good so hopefully I don't get it. I never had any direct or even close contact with Tess so chances are slim so keep your paws crossed that I don't get it!

Mom said the only thing that I have going on this week is that she has a monthly Midsar meeting, but this time I get to go cause they are doing a team photo and they want us dogs in it. Yeah! Other than that, I don't think I have much going on, but I will be sure to let you know if I do anything worth wild.

I did great at Manor Care

Last night I had a visit at Manor Care and mom said I did great! She said I was so good standing still and letting the residents pet me and she was really proud when two of them wanted to hug me and I just stood there and let them do it. It was really hot in most of the rooms, but mom didn't get upset when I did lay down a couple times to cool off on the floor. Everyone was really chatty so we had a pretty long visit. I'm happy to say that Joe looked better. Mom said last time her and Chloe were there he didn't look to good. He did say he was a little depressed though. I can certainly understand that. I can't imagine being stuck in a wheelchair all day in one place and not being able to go outside or go visiting other people.

I met a new person last night, his name is Roy. He is on the first floor and we don't normally visit anyone on the first floor, but mom knows his daughter (she owns the Little Cafe in Port Royal) so we wanted to visit with him. He is a really nice man and he loved me. He was so happy to see us and thanked us a bunch of times. He pet me almost the entire time and we were there for quite a while. Mom promised to bring us in to visit every time we come.

When we were done mom gave me a big hug and kiss and told me how proud she was of me for doing so well. She knew I was getting hot and tired toward the end and that it was a longer than usual visit, but she couldn't have been happier with how well I did:)

As far as what's on tap for this weekend, I know I have search training on Sunday, but other than that I have no clue. Mom said it's suppose to rain this weekend, but doesn't know when or if it's like all day rain or just showers here and there. I'm hoping its just showers here and there cause if it's rain all day, that means we'll be stuck inside and also that I have to train in the rain on Sunday and honestly, I'm not into that. Plus, it means another bath if I get muddy and I don't want another one when I just had one last week!

That's all for now. I'm thinking about all my pals who may be experiencing that bad weather and praying that they are safe and sound.