Ode to my not so fun summer...

Well, I have decided that summer is not my favorite season. It seems as though the humans are off & running a lot more in the summer than the winter. I know that the "she" does her best to bring me every where she goes; sadly, we apparently live in a not so friendly dog society. Although I did happen to hear that she is going to get a membership for the "dog park" in the next town over. Maybe that will bring with it a field day of fun times.

Today, I once again broke out of my crate. No one ever believes it when the "she" explains to them "the number" I have done to my crate. It's one of those "seeing is believing."

The time it takes me to break out of my crate: as long as it takes
The # of water bowls spilled while working on the great escape: countless
The look on the "she's" face as she pulls into the driveway and sees my cute little face lying paitently by the door: priceless

Aside from breaking out of my crate, I also chewed on the "he's" one and only pair of flip flops. (This, of course, resulted in rendering them useless) The "she" also had to break the news to him that I started chewing on his "Evelyn Wood - Speed Reading Course" book. What can I say...I was simply trying to relate to the humans when they say that there is nothing more enjoyable than digesting a good book! So, yes, I have been up to no good lately.

The end of the month is approaching which means I'll be taking a trip to the vet's for a "pet-a-cure" and my heartworm pills. The "she" is anxiously awaiting to find out if I've finally broken the 49 pound mark.

I'd happily paw some more...but like I said, it's summer and there's not a whole heck of a lot going on...in my world that is...

Pawed by,
One very bored and restless
Carmen Von Woofer

Holidays Smolidays...

Can we finally move past this whole "July 4th" thing? After all, how many bbq's and rounds of fireworks do the humans actually have to take part in? I'm not used to the crate. I'm always with the "she" and since they have been gone night after night this week I've spent more time behind what I perceive as "the bars." Yes, I know the routine - in the crate with my squeeky toys and a few treats. (which I still refuse to eat while they are gone) This morning I was SO sure they were going to leave me again I ran and hid under the Jeep the minute she detached me from my run. I was all ready to show her. Silly human attempted to crawl under the Jeep to get me. I'm truly beside myself - I don't mind fireworks at all. In fact, one night this week the "she" and I were out playing ball in the front yard and there were fireworks going off all around me and I had no issues whatsoever. (Alright, I did race around the yard and grab all of my squeek toys one by one and carried them to "safety" on the front porch.) Aren't the holidays about spending time with those we love? Well, I'm not feeling the love this week. Alright, I'll stop complaining....I'm starting to sound more and more like "she".

The good news is I met a new dog this week. Her name is Dakota and she is a beautiful Husky. We hit it off immediately. I also had the opportunity to play with Shasta, (my fur cousin) Obi, and Snoopy.

Wait...one more rant. I think the underlying issue here is: summer. There is so much to do and so much going on and so many places are just not "dog friendly" ....can we go back to 10 below? Those were the days.

I think I'm just grouchy tonight.....

Pawed by,
One irritated Carmen Von Woofer

Do you think I could make bald beautiful?

With temperatures soaring to 105 in parts of New Hampshire today, I'm about ready to ask the "she" to take it off. Take it all off. Who needs fur? On days like this, I find it to be nothing more than overrated. When I was summoned to my crate this morning I didn't even try to break out. I figured that curling up in an air conditioned house would be much better than trying to exert too much energy in breaking out. So not only did I get a skimpy breakfast (in light of the humans pending beach plans) I had to spend a few hours alone in my crate. Actually I take that back, alone would have been o.k. but in this house, one is never alone. There is always 3 meowing felines lingering. If only I had the ability to open doors, I would have let them out 6 months ago.

I'd happily paw out some more fascinating tidbits of my day but it's pretty hard to scrounge up anything positive - let alone fun - when several of your hours are spent behind black bars...in a little black box that the humans refer to as a crate.

Pawed by,
One sweaty Carmen Von Woofer

Dear Mother Nature,

Please say it isn't so. The "preparation" was hard to ignore as I sat back & watched the "he" carry up air conditioners and establish them in several windows throughout the house. The meteorologist had no problems raining on the parades of canines around New England with tomorrow's prediction of not only a high of 94 but major humidity to boot. Wednesday, of course, is only supposed to be worse. Don't for a minute think that I'm thinking merely about myself. I'm pretty sure tomorrow's heat wave will force the birds to use potholders just to pull worms out of the ground. And let's not forget about the cows over at the local University - poor little buggers will be working overtime just so that their not producing evaporated milk. Yes, that's the type of heat we're talking about. The "she" continues to tell me that she loves New England for it's 4 seasons. What she neglected to tell me was that summer itself has 4 seasons within it's season: tolerable, hot, really hot, and are you kidding me??? I'm not even sure I'll venture outside to use my pool that much.

I'm pretty sure the humans will pack up and head to the lake to cool off. Sadly no dogs are allowed at the lake. The "townie" that made up that rule must have been a cat lover.

Well, in light of the fact that the only news I seem to have to write home about is depressing, I think I'll go find comfort on my bed.

Pawed by,
The ever anticipated Carmen....

Get out! One of Dogster's Diary Picks!!!

Wow! I'll be "dogged!" When the "she" broke the morning news to me that I made one of Dogster's "Diary Picks" of the day I was pretty beside myself. I'd break out my "Sunday Best" for the occasion; however, I have only this one set of fur and it's gotta last me a lifetime! Being the walking version of today's Hallmark Golden Crown she was pretty proud of me and all. I've been trying to tell her for months now that someone out there is bound to understand my random and scattered thoughts! So, not only was yesterday a great new experience at the beach for me, I happened to make it on one of Dogster's roll call lists!

Had I not had that exciting news this morning, the day would have been a complete flop. Aside from the fact that New England decided to hand us a rather hot day without warning we were stranded at home - sans vehicle. Ouch! That was pretty rough on the "she" which in turn trickled down the ladder onto the "we." You see the "she" has this morning ritual that includes a trip to Dunkin Donuts for a Large Iced Mocha Swirl Latte, Skim Milk, Whipped Cream, No Sugar! The "he's" SUV's shock absorber decided to let down it's guard during the night. So, he had to take her car to work today. Rumor has it the parts won't be in until tomorrow night which means another rough morning wherein the twins & I will just continue to nod our heads until the home made espresso kicks in! (I think the she takes the slogan "America Runs on Dunkins" a little too serious!) So, anyway, back to me and my day's story. There's not too much to it. It was hot. I was hot. We were car less and left at home to our own defenses!

I spent a good part of the morning barking at the surveyors that were taking measurements along the berm. My barking obviously worked as they stayed there and only there. (Mom insists that it was simply because that was the only area that needed to be surveyed, but I know otherwise!) I'm not much of a barker and that all but wiped me out so when they finally left I found comfort curled up under the 4-wheeler out of the sun.

I finished off the day playing outside with my human siblings and their friends. The she gave them some lamb treats to give me and I broke out my best tricks!

I'm not so sure how the day is going to go tomorrow. Not only are we homebound, it's supposed to rain as well. If it's not one extreme, it's the other!

Pawed by,
Carmen Von Woofer

The great blue....

OH MY DOG!!!!! The "he" and "she" were kid free today so they decided that we would hit the road for a fun little trip! Was it ever! For starters, I had the entire back seat to myself! (Nothing is less comfortable then trying to find comfort in the booster seats that are normally holding down the back seat at all times) My water bowl had it's very own personal spot on the floor board and I had 2 windows to hang my head out all to myself! After being in the car for a little while an odd smell started tickling my nose. Where in the world were we heading that smelt of such strong salt air? At first they kept striking out - pulling into spots that displayed signs saying "NO DOGS ALLOWED UNTIL 8:00 PM" but the "she" wasn't ready to back down or go back home just yet. She finally found a parking area that had no such signs posted anywhere. As soon as we made it up and over the hill, we knew why! While there was no miles of endless beach sand and crashing waves, we did have plenty of rocks to explore and tide pools to slop through! There was so much to see, smell, and taste! I heard the words seaweed, periwinkles and shells!! I dunked my head under water a few times to try and catch a peak at the life down under. The salt water in my face was not to pleasant. One sip taken was enough to remind myself that this was not my kind of drinking water!

I had a great afternoon hanging out at the beach with the he & she and look forward to many many more trips like this!!!!

Pawed by,
One very sleepy sun swept pup,
Carmen Von Woofer

Well, I'm "packing" once again...

What this means through my brown eyed perspective is that the "she" went out and bought me another harness to wear when we go walking. (I know that she's been on the hunt for a pink or purple one...her and her "girly" fashionable ways!) But she has yet to come across one in that color so, once again, I get black. I'm pretty sure every dog in the neighborhood must think I'm all "holstered" up and ready to display my German Shepherd K-9 ways! All I'm missing is a loaded weapon! As she tried it on me, for size adjustments, she lectured me on how I will NOT be chewing through this one. (This new beauty with Sherpa sleeves is my 3rd harness!) They say that the 3rd times a charm. We'll see.

Yesterday was a pretty decent day. Per usual, I spent the afternoon playing with Obi. Poor little guy had to go to the vet this morning and brought home with a him a diagnosis of an allergic reaction to his flea & tick medicine. Antibiotics for the nest 2 weeks for him. Luckily, it's not contagious so I can still play with him!

I have had the "she" working in over time lately. She's been going around the yard planting pretty little flowers that make for great target digs! The other night she refused to see my random acts of kindness when I felt the need to keep that one lonely Hydrangea company. She came at me like a mad women with a garden hose in hand. I promised the Day Lilies that I would help them reach freedom as well but since they are planted right out under the living room window the "she" knows when I'm in that rock garden bed.

I wasn't particularly fond of my breakfast this morning. In fact I only ate three quarters and walked away. I think I may be getting too used to my raw meaty bone meals. For some reason the cooked chicken, beef heart, green beans, and rice just didn't hit the spot this morning. Part of this is my fault, I openly admit that. I refuse (with a capital R) to eat raw organ meat.

It's only noon time and I've spent most of the day taking an all morning siesta. Pups can do this without having to explain themselves. It's a good thing. The "she" just thinks I'm resting up for my afternoon play date with Obi.

Pawed by one sleepy puppy,
Carmen Von Woofer

They put a hole in the wall!

To keep me out! Well, after 5 months, the humans finally got tired of trying to block off the cat's litter boxes and their kibble. There is a door that leads into the laundry room where the litter boxes are. The "he" went downstairs yesterday and made some noise. An hour later, when I went downstairs to investigate I noticed there was a small square cut out of the door. (I should have known he was up to no good when he came at me with a tape measure and then sought out Tanner, the oldest feline!) So, I let my curiosity get the better of me and poked my head in. (Which is as much as I can get through!) And there just out of reach were the 3 felines grazing over their kibble. No more sneak attempts downstairs to help myself to a midday snack. The "she" says that she could always tell when I got in a few bites as my bowel movement would be a pretty artificial red. (If only Nine Lives would leave out Red # 2, I could have made a clean break away every once in awhile!)

I'm not going to even try and sugar coat today's events. It rained. All day in fact. So, this pretty much means I spent most of the day looking at the outside from in. I went out a few times but it was pretty hard to convince anyone to play ball with me when buckets of rain was pouring down. I did happen to notice that it gave my pool an extra boost in the water level. Rock dunking tomorrow ought to be a lot of fun! (Providing the sun is out!) When the rain let up this evening the "she" and I went outside and played ball for a little while. I did something I don't normally do - I barked at a stranger that jogged on by. If only the humans knew that I was simply trying to advise them that if they ran on all fours they would get there much faster. But, they have yet to learn the language of "dog" and the outlook isn't looking so good.

I have high hopes that Mother Nature will bring us clear skies tomorrow. A dog can only entertain themselves for so long in the house. I will put my paws together now and pray....

Pawed by,
Carmen Von Woofer

Ode to my pool...

Over the weekend the "she" asked the "he" to stop by the store and pick me up my very own personal pool! When he arrived back home she dragged the blue circular shaped thing across the front lawn and grabbed the hose. From there she stood above it and let the hose do it's job! At first I thought that perhaps she was just thinking that I could use a bigger water bowl! And then it dawned on me that it was more than just a drinking bowl...it was a bowl for my entire body! All fours went in and my face went under! True happiness can be found on a 95 degree day with all four paws submerged in ice cold water! Pretty soon the "she" and the kids were putting large sized rocks in the pool - they call it "rock dunking." And dunk I do! It's quite fun! Two of my most favorite things paired together: rocks and water! The humans mostly did yard work over the weekend. They also brought in a few truck loads of big furniture! We now have a glass table and chairs on the back deck. Eating on the deck for dinner? How odd! But dinner el fresco is awesome! The family eats at the table while I enjoy my meal on the deck! If the "she" is offering me a cool raw meal she brings a towel with her and I curl up on my personal space and enjoy! She's been giving me home cooked in the morning and raw at night! I have n complaints! They also brought in some wrought iron patio furniture and set it up around some type of outdoors chimney! All I know is that it attracted a lot of neighbors the first night and they all sat around having drinks and watching the pretty amber glow from the fire! I myself being an early to bed pup had a hard time finding comfort amongst all the noise and on the ground! Wherever was my "Shabby Chic" bed? Oh, and let me not forget the stable standing piece they call a hammock! I learned really quickly that I am not to chew on it. I tried, without success, several times to hop up and lay down with the humans! It didn't work! No amount of projected cuteness on my behalf was going to convince them that I would make the perfect hammock buddy.

Rumor has it that the weekend is right around the corner. I wonder what kind of adventures will get into this weekend?

Pawed,
Carmen Von Woofer

For the love of dog, I've been tagged!!!

I got tagged by one of my most favorite pups Mocha Bear!

Here's how it works!

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged, need to post in their Diary the rules & their 7 pawsome facts. Then choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to bark them a pmail that they have been tagged and to read your Diary, or, send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!

1. I love to hike
2. I knock on the kid's bedroom doors with my nose every morning
3. I don't like Venison
4. I LOVE to dunk my head in buckets full of water
5. I love raw turkey thighs
6. I walk with my head up high and my tail curled over
7. My birthday is on August 15 and the "she" is thinking about throwing a big dog bash howl-a-plooza

My seven tags:
1.Mocha Bear
2. Monte
3. Blake
4. Mattie
5. Koda
6. Baxter
7. Patches