My Birthday

Wow, I am three years old today!!! I can't believe it. At least with Jethro and Quincy here, I am no longer the baby. Now that I am three, I can't even be called a baby, much less THE baby!
For my birthday Mom came home early and took us all down to the lab pen. It was surprisingly nice down there... nice and warm but not too hot. It was even cool in the shade.
Problem was, I couldn't seem to convince anyone to play chase with me. I LOVE to play chase, but usually I am a chaser, not the chasee and no one would run. Finally, I decided to just spend my time rolling on the dead nightcrawlers that were all over the place. It was okay, but a bit smelly.
Mom brought that Darrell back from the kennel and she is giving him ONE more chance. She did put some expens all along the fence line and then rolled some logs again the expens.
Darrell is very determined so I am keeping a close eye on him. If he should happen to dig out I will be right behind him, BOL!!!

I was a good boy again and DIDN'T surprise Mom!

Well, after being outside ALL afternoon today cuz Mom was home, we all came inside for supper. After we ate Mom put us all outside again for a few minutes.
Well, in those 7 or 8 minutes that silly Darrell dug his way out of the back fence again. He claims it was because it was raining and the ground was soft??? Of course, I followed him again...I needed to keep an eye on him and let Mom know where he went.
We went up the hill next door and decided to stop at the vets. Because two of them were outside taking a break, Darrell chose those two to visit. They IMMEDIATELY grabbed him and put him in a car! Then, they tried to catch ME. I have NEVER been there except once when I needed a baby tooth pulled. It HURT and I will never forget they did that to me, so there was NO WAY I was gonna let them catch me!!!
One of them drove Darrell home and the other one chased ME home. I ran out back and disappeared. They found Mom and told her I was out loose somewhere. She was all relaxed and calm... she told them she knew EXACTLY where I was and I was safe.
So, Mom took Darrell into the house and then came down to the lab pen to find me. SURPRISE, I wasn't IN the lab pen. Slightly worried now, Mom walked all around the house and still didn't find me.
So, she decided to bring all the house dogs inside and bring Toto out to help find me. She opened the door to let everyone in and...IN I CAME!!!
Mom wasn't surprised to find I had climbed back up the six foot stone wall and gone back thru Darrell's hole in the fence and I was right where I was supposed to be!!
I am SUCH a good boy.

I was a good boy and surprised Momsie!

Friday morning that dumb Darrell broke the fence right off the wall and escaped. It was really dumb cuz it was the very first day Mom left him outside with all of us. Fortunately, he spied one of the daycare dogs and followed her right into the kennel, silly dog!
Well, Mom fixed the fence after work on Saturday and was SURE he couldn't escape again. Sunday morning, she put us all out and was enjoying her morning coffee before she went to work.
She glanced out the window and spied ME, her former escape artist extraordinaire, racing by the kitchen window. Of course, she headed right outside, in her bare feet, no less, and ran down in the back yard to catch us. Yes, she assumed Darrell had led me astray! Not seeing either one of us, she headed home to get her jacket and shoes and discovered Darrell rounding the end of the front porch. She called him, he knew he was found so he came instantly.
After getting bundled up, Mom returned outside to find me. She called and called and called. Since Darrell was over by the road she went that way, assuming I would have followed him. Nope, she didn't find me, so back to the lower yard she went. '
This time she decided to use her head and follow the tracks thru the frost on the lawn. Those led her right over to the bottom gate on the lab pen. She glanced inside the pen and, low and behold, there I was playing with some toys I found in there. The minute I saw her I came racing over and jumped into her arms!
Mom said she should have thought about it before she panicked... every time I used to escape from that lab pen I just stayed right outside the fence and came right back in when she called me. I guess it only made sense that when I found myself outside, I would head right back into the security of MY pen. I am such a good boy!!!!

I had a near death experience today!!!!

Today was MY day to go to work with Momsie and get my Christmas photo done. I was soo excited! I went along with Crystal and Harvey. Both of them had to get haircuts but I was already trimmed and clean so I just sat around until finally, Tonya and Mom decided it was time.
Mom hangs a background drape on the wall behind the grooming table, then drapes it over the table. They tape it to the wall with super duct tape. Usually works great!
Well, Tonya forgot I am TRAINED to be a show poodle and I know grooming tables... I know grooming tables from the top to the bottom!!! I can spend HOURS just hanging out on a grooming table.
Anyway, Tonya put me on the table, plunked a Christmas hat upon my head and forgot to tell me to stay!!! I was wiggling all over the place and suddenly, I backed up to the edge of the table. Of course, I stepped off onto the drape, which was NOT on the table and, next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor, COMPLETELY rolled up in that silly drape!!!
Apparently, as I stepped back, it pulled it off the wall (STUPID duct tape didn't stick!!!) and, as it fell, it rolled me right up in the middle of it!!!
Poor Tonya was shocked... she couldn't find me anywhere and assumed I had jumped off the table. Mom saw the whole thing, but she was laughing so hard she couldn't tell Tonya where I was! Nice Mom, huh???
Finally, Tonya picked up the end of the drape and OUT I ROLLED!!!!
After that experience, I just sat in one spot while they dressed me and photographed me as much as they wanted to.... I was NOT MOVIN'!!!!!

Finally, a word from the wise, ME!!

Did you notice it has been since JUNE that I have NOT had a diary entry?? I guess Momsie finally noticed that little fact, too. Tonight she said it was time for ME to help her write one, BOL!
I did have a GREAT Summer. Julia was here almost every weekend and she LOVES me! In fact, just yesterday she took me along when they went to meet Lola's NM. I had a great time being the only dog.
And, all Summer she let ME nap with her. That is fun, too. But, best of all, it was a great Summer with almost NO rain so we got to stay outside ALL DAY, EVERY DAY! I could chase chickies, rest in the shade, sunbathe, play with my toys, and all kinds of cool stuff. I even got invited to go kayaking a couple of times.
But, all good things must end and it is Fall now, and it's been raining for 40 days and 40 nights so our nice yard is all muddy. Mom lets us go outside for only a tiny bit of time cuz she hates all the mud we bring inside. Just cuz I need to jump into her arms and dry off my feet, I guess she doesn't like it!
Anyway, we get to hang out for a few hours before bed but, suddenly, tonight Lola is here and she is pregnant and she smells really, really good to me and I can't seem to leave her alone. Momsie was mad and made me go in my crate! Doesn't seem fair to me.
Oh well, only FIVE more days until the weekend and Julia!!!

It's my pawty and I'll cry if I want to....

Today is my birthday!! Mom took me along to work and I was expecting great things over there.
What happened, well, what happened was that Tonya gave me a bath and Mom gave me a haircut. Some birthday pawty!!!!
Worse was that Mom remembered AFTER their lunch that she was going to let me have lunch with them...where was I??? Sitting in my crate in the grooming room!!!
Sooo, I CRIED, I cried real tears, even. And, it worked! Mom and Tonya took me to the break room and Mom gave me some leftovers from her lunch. And, I got to sit at the table for the rest of the day!!!
Crying works!

Camping, what else???

Hey, I got invited to the camping trip, too. It was tons of fun. I got to run and play, eat the cookout food, chase Toto's chickens and eat S'Mores around the campfire.
The problem, for me, was when we went to bed. I listened carefully while Julia gave us the instructions, but I guess I missed the part about not lifting my leg on anything. Oops!
Anyway, I snuggled down with everyone, but Cryssie kept wanting to play with me. Then, Hilda got mad cuz I got too close to Julia, then Barney took offense when I got on Mom's neck. Finally, I went into the porch room of the tent. Harvey joined me. Mom had put some empty garbage bags in there when she took the sleeping bags out of them.
Sadly, she was watching when I marked them as mine. Harvey marked one for himself, too. Pretty soon, Hilda started chasing Crystal around the tent and the walls were even moving. Next thing I knew, me and Harvey and Crystal and Hilda and Barney were heading home to sleep.
Frankly, I suspect I wouldn't have slept so well in that tent with everyone. I could tell right away on Sunday morning that Mom hadn't slept too well, either, BOL !!!

More fuu fuu duu!

Today Julie came over and got both me and Zena. Would you believe Julie wrapped me up in a towel to carry me over there?? I assumed it was because it was raining really hard and she didn't want me to get wet.
When I got there, Mom informed me that the towel was because I was so nasty dirty!! Not MY fault! Saturday I ate some baby maple trees that were growing in our pen. I ate LOTS of them cuz there were LOTS of them growing there. Well, apparently, they aren't for eating and they gave me a terrible stomach ache. In fact, I was puking and pooping ALL NIGHT LONG!!! When Mom came in to let me out she didn't even want to touch me, either!
Anyway, Tonya gave me a nice tubby and blow dry, then Momsie got out the clippers and shaved me body. I HATE when ANYONE shaves me... it tickles and when I jump, those blades dig right into my soft, puppy skin! I was scratched and bleeding all over the place!! Mom did put some medicine on me before she finished my groom, so when I was done all the red stuff was GONE!
Mom gives us a modified Continental... she cuts the mane and saddle shorter and leaves our topknot short enough to keep out of our eyes. I LIKE it... it is much cooler on the short parts and I can run thru the long grass without getting all drippy and wet. Besides, I am SOOO cute with my hair like that, BOL!!!
Now I am all ready for our guests this weekend. Last year I had to stay in the kennel cuz I had my "show hair". Not now, I have my hair show, hehehe!

An Impasse

Well, it has come down to give and take. And, no, I don't mean I get to give AND take, hehehe! Mother has decided that since the lab pen is SOOO big and nice that we can share it with the chickens. Seems fair to me, I guess.
During the day I have agreed to not dig any holes nor chase any chickens. The chickens have agreed to stay inside their small pen and not tease us dogs by flapping their wings and jumping into the air.
In exhange, us dogs have agreed to let the baby chickens AND the old hens go down into the lab pen for two hours every evening while we stay in the house and bug Mom. IF it is one of the days when Mom is home then we can still go down into the lab pen but ONLY if Mom goes with us AND the chickens are shut into their upper pen.
So far, so good.
Besides, Mom reminded me that once it gets really hot NONE of us dogs want to stay outside all day anyway, we much prefer the comfort of the AC in the house.
Mom says pretty soon those babies will be full grown and then she won't worry about us dogs or the wild cats attacking them and eating them. She thinks TWO of those Guineas are roosters and if they are, they will certainly protect the pullets and hens, hehehe!!

Really Trouble now...

Uh oh, it gets way worse. Yesterday it was a nice, sunny, cool day so Mom left us out. She shut the main gate so we were only in the part up near the kitchen.
Well, of course that did NOT suit me at all, so I dug a tiny hole under the gate and found myself in the bigger pen. It was okay, but a bit boring since no one else EVER follows me thru the holes I dig. I noticed those chickens wandering around beside MY pen so I decided to dig a small hole into their pen and visit with them a bit.
The two old hens weren't too socialable, but the little ones were okay so I decided to play chase with them. I ran and ran and ran and finally, got myself a Guinea keet. After I played with him for a while he was kind of soft and limp so I chased some more of them.
Could I help it that some of them ran thru MY holes and ended up over with Toto and he ATE them??? Now, really, is that MY fault???
Mother was pretty mad, however, and she blamed ME, not Toto. Harumph! Worse yet, she locked us in our crates today. It is a BEAUTIFUL day outside and those remaining chickens are calling MY name!!!