I am back!!!

Hi Everyone! It has been forever since Mom has updated my diary. Let's see..........what have I been up to since Mom's last post back in July. I can tell you that we had a very busy fall riding season. We went camping/riding for 9 weekends in a row this past fall. I got to see all my old trail dog buddies, Izzie, Buckshot & Tucker & I met a few new buddies that I can't remember their names. It was a beautiful fall season. The last trip out was my least favorite. It was Halloween, Mom & Dad worked in the haunted barn at a campground we don't go to very often anymore. I didn't like it there at all. There were spooky things making noise & flapping in the wind. I barked at a lot of the scary stuff. Me & my Weim sister were in the back of the trailer in our crates, but we could hear the strange noises & screams from the haunted barn. It scared both of us & we couldn't get to sleep until Mom & Dad got back to our campsite. And that was nearly midnight. One day while we were at this campground, the owner lady hit my Weim sister, Wren, on the top of the head several times because Wren was jumping up & down on her lead. I was shocked that a stranger would hit my dog-sister on the head like that! She didn't hit me, but I was not anxious to see her as I am funny about some strangers. Dad said she was a mean lady & was not a good dog person. Dad said we didn't have to go back there ever again. Mom took a new job in Aug this year & it kept her really busy & even working some at home at night. Guess that is partially why she hasn't kept my diary up-to-date. Also, Mom & Dad are having stuff done inside the house so they have been busy with that. Me.......I have just been hanging out in the barn a lot. No dog classes for us this year.......which doesn't bother me. I have gotten to go shopping at Rural King with Mom a few times. I LOVE that place. I always find popcorn on the floor. I am usually able to grab a few pieces before Mom scolds me. Mom always let's me pick out one toy to bring home too. :-)
It is really cold here now. My hair is all grown out so it doesn't really bother me. We also have had some snow, not a lot but enough I can bust through the snow drifts. I love playing in the snow. When Mom plays I like it when she falls down & I can jump on top of her covering her with snow! Well that's all for now. Hopefully Mom will stay a bit more current with my diary.
Bark at you later.........Shelby

And the hot, humid weather drags on..........

Geeze! Enough of this! Not much news when it stays this hot & humid for this long. Nobody wants to do anything, including me! I did ride around with Dad this past weekend on the Ranger. Dad & Mom have been calling me the "ranger girl" because I like to ride on it so much. I just can't help it. I really like it now that Dad has taken the windshield out for the summer. I love the wind blowing in my face. Mom & Dad worked in the yard this past weekend, trimming trees & bushes so that means Dad will be making trips to the back field to dump the clippings--and me too! :-) I heard Mom telling Dad that some friends' horse was struck & killed by lightning over the weekend. Yikes! No wonder Louie & Wren get so scared when they hear thunder. I don't like it, but I don't get as scared & shake like they do.
Bark at you later...........Shelby

Dog Days of Summer.............NOT!

Hi Everyone! I don't know about you all, but I am tired of all this heat & humidity! Mom says I am going to have to have one more hair cut this summer because she is afraid I will get too hot with my coat growing back in before the fall weather comes. It's really ok with me because I do feel better with it short in the summer & I am used to how I look now. Our neighbor lady got a new puppy--blue heeler. Mom & Dad went to see it but didn't take me. :-( Mom said I could meet the puppy later. I guess the neighbor's older dog isn't too happy about the new puppy, but Mom said it will teach the puppy social manners. I wouldn't be mean to the puppy if I could go see her, but Mom said I might scare her. :-(
Sounds like another hot weekend so guess we will be staying home again. Mom has been getting home later every day this week so I have been hanging out with Dad when he gets home from work. Mom was upset last night because when she got home & came into the barn, I didn't greet her. The other two dogs were there but no Shelby. Mom started looking & found me & Dad working in the little building behind the barn. I was helping Dad rearrange things & tidy-up. :-) Dad said I was a good little helper & stayed right with him while the other two dogs laid in front of the fan. But when I saw Mom was home, I was glued to her......sorry Dad. Mom went over a few of my 'doggie tricks' with me & threw the ball for me for awhile.
Well not much news other than more hot weather.
Stay cool & bark at you later......Shelby

More Summer Heat.........

We still haven't been camping with the horses as it is so hot. Mom said friends have told her that the bugs are really bad as well. So that means another weekend of hanging out at home. I really don't mind staying home but I am looking forward to a camping trip with the horses. Dad is putting gravel all around the back of the barn & around the run-in sheds for the horses. A huge big truck brought the gravel in Sat. morning. I had never seen a truck so big & barked at it. It sure made a lot of noise when the gravel came out of the truck. It scared my Weim sister & she ran in Dad's workshop room in the barn & hid. Not me, I wanted to see what was happening. After the truck left, Dad & Mom started shoveling & raking gravel. Me & Wren ran & ran in the pasture until we were exhausted. Then, I just laid by Mom & watched her rake gravel. It was so hot on the white gravel that Mom made me go inside the barn in front of the big fan. I would come to the back of the barn & whine from time to time because I wanted to be with her even if it was hot out there. :-( Sun. was another hot & steamy day, Mom & Dad worked in the yard & finished up the gravel project. Us dogs, played chase until it got too hot & then we just crashed in front of the fans.
Hope everyone is staying cool in this heat.
Woof, woof............Shelby

As summer rolls on..........

Whew! Sure glad it cooled down. This cooler, more pleasant weather warrants more doggie play time. I have had fun all week playing chase in the pasture with my dog family, Wren-the Weim, & Louie-the hound. I help Mom every evening when she gets home from work water the flowers. Mom planted bright yellow flowers around my kennel & they are beautiful. Mom has been taking me to the front yard to help water a flower bed, which used to be 'off-limits' to us dogs. None of us were ever allowed in the front yard. Because one day last summer, I ran across the street to investigate some cows in the field. OMG! Mom, who had been watering the front flower bed & Dad, who was washing the lawn mower, both saw me at the same time. Did I ever get into trouble! They were both yelling & scolding me at the same time. I was so upset, I peed on the drive way. But now that I am a year older, Mom has been taking me to the front, telling me 'down & stay' under a big tree while she waters. I have to admit that I do 'eye' those cows, but I know better than to leave my post. Plus, I know I will get a yummy treat if I sit tight. Hmmm........ Last night while laying at my post under the tree, our neighbor man pulled in the drive to the barn. I heard the other dogs barking & I so wanted to go see him. I jumped up & started towards his truck as it pulled in, but Mom yelled telling me "no, get back". So I went back to my post & waited for her to finish watering. Mom was very proud of me & praised me for staying put, but I have to admit it was very hard not to go see my neighbor him. He is so nice & tells me what a good girl I am all the time. :-) Dad was worried that Mom has me so close to the road & the cows, but Mom is 'testing' me to see if I will obey under all circumstances. Mom says I have more "herd instinct" than any of her Aussies before me. I am not exactly sure what that means, but I know I sure like to move things around. Dad calls it being bossy when I am trying to seperate Wren & Louie when they are wresting, or when I push the cats around with my nose, or bark at the horses for rolling too close to the fence.
I have also got 2 'hose jobs' this past week for rolling on a mouse & a mole that our cat killed & brought to the yard for show & tell. Dad was on his way each time to pick them up, but I beat him to them & rolled on them. Hmmmm.....now I smell like a real 'hunting dog'. But both times Mom told me I was stinky & sprayed me off. :-( What is up with that???
Mom said we can't go camping with the horses this weekend because they set off fireworks in our neighborhood & the Arabians would be left at home in the pasture. She said the fireworks scares them so we need to be home to put all the horses in the barn while the fireworks are going on. Wren & Louie are also afraid of fireworks, but I am not. I don't understand them, & am a bit amazed by them.
Everyone have a great 4th!
Shelby

Summer is here!

Hi Everyone! It sure has been hot & humid here. Mom & Dad don't usually go trail riding/camping when it is so hot & humid. Plus, we have had storm, after storm for the past couple weeks. My Weim sister is terrified of storms. She will begin to shake & tremble when a storm is 100 miles away. She won't eat if a storm is coming. Now me, I don't like storms, but I sure won't skip eating my supper because of a storm. :-) Since we haven't been camping much, we have just been hanging around home, doing lots of yard work. Dad is changing some of the fencing so that's a project he is working on. Of course, I am right there for all of it doing my best to help out when I can. :-)
This past Sun. afternoon me & my Weim sister rode on the Ranger with Mom & Dad to the neighbors. Dad needed a tool or something. When we got there, our neighbors-who have horses too, were just starting to unload a wagon of hay. Dad hopped on the wagon to help the man & Mom took me up the loft stairs to help her friend. The guys would throw bales of hay up to Mom & her friend. It was sure hot so I just laid on a bale of hay in the loft & watched. My Weim sister was jumping up on the hay wagon & then from the wagon to the loft. Dad got a bit annoyed & finally tied her up. She is so hyper at times. (rolling eyes in head) After we got that done, we hung out at their house for a bit. Mom's friend has a dog-a blue heeler, but she is older & right now she is hurt & can't come outside. Mom said she tore a tendon in her back leg & due to her age, they are not going to try to fix it. I feel bad for Meggie as she is a very good dog. She doesn't ever play w/us because she is older.
I did get another hair cut, but I must say, I look better than the last time I got a hair cut & it is much cooler. My ears are all better now & Mom hasn't put any of the medicine in them for over a week now. Hooray!
Well, not much news this time.
Bark at you later..........Shelby

Another weekend at home

We had another weekend at home this past weekend, which is a change of pace as we had been going camping with the horses EVERY weekend since first of April. But Mom said with all the rain the trails were just too muddy & the weather was hot & humid. Mom said a horse died at the camp over Memorial Day weekend probably due to being overridden on those hills & it being so hot & humid & the horse being unconditioned. Mom said that is so sad that people don't have better sense but I guess it happens especially on Holiday weekends. Mom said it is crazy there on the Holidays. I like to go camping but I am always glad when we get home. Me & my Weim sister are always so exhausted after camping we sleep all the next day. The vet came out on Sat. for Dad's new horse, but that didn't take long. He gave her shots & worked on her teeth. Eck.....the big power tool he put in her mouth sure looks scary to me! Mom & Dad worked in the yard most of the time. A man in a big truck brought some gravel that Mom & Dad had put around the barn. Mom & Dad did leave & go someplace but Mom brought back some yummy treats for us. They were chicken wrapped in sweet potatoes. I helped Mom with her flowers & she gave me a couple of those treats afterwards for being such a good little helper. :-) Hmmmm...........good.
Mom is still putting medicine in my ears every other day. I DON'T like it one bit! She cleans them first with alcohol on a cotton ball which I don't mind too much. But I don't like those drops she puts in them. Dad has to hold me still & that makes me mad. When they are finished I go pout, but Dad tries to bring me out of it by tickling me. At first my Weim sister (Wren) was laughing at me, until Mom said, "ok, Wren, let's do your ears as well". It wasn't so funny then.
Well, not a very exciting weekend. Mom said the next weekend we stay home, we may go to a hiking park. Hooray, I would LOVE that! Hope you all had a great weekend!
Bark at you later..........Shelby

Memorial Day Weekend

Hi All! Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend. The weather here was good--hot though. Mom & Dad usually don't take the horses to the horsecamp on the Holidays. They say it is just too crazy in camp on the holidays. So, we all just worked around home. I don't mind though because I get to hang out with Mom & Dad. The farmer next door did bale our hay. Mom took me to the hay field while the tractor & baling was going on. She wanted me to be around the equipment & all the noise, plus meet the guys on the hay crew. Mom is concerned that I am becoming a bit timid around strange men for some reason. I LOVE my Dad & I like all the ladies I meet but some men kinda worry me. The hay guys were all nice & played with me & I did some tricks for them. **grins** I helped Mom take water to the guys.....I like having such an important job. :-)
I did have some excitement in the barn. Mom heard me barking & barking.....her & Dad came running to see why I was so frantic. A little raccoon had come into the barn & I had it cornered behind the trash can. It was growling & hissing at me but I was NOT going to let it get away. Mom pulled me away & Dad got the raccoon out of the barn. We thought it ran away........but the next morning it was hiding under a mum bush by the barn door. OMG! This time Louie, the hound, had it cornered. Mom was afraid the coon was sick because it didn't run away from the day before. She told Dad to 'take care of it' while she took me away. Mom didn't want to see or actually know what Dad did---just didn't want to see the raccoon again. So I don't know what happened to it. I am glad it was gone though because I was afraid, Louie-the hound, might get hurt. :-)
Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.
Bark at you later......Shelby

We're Off Again

Hi All! We're going camping again this weekend. I can always tell by the trips Mom makes from the house to the camper in the barn. Plus she always clips her horse up & gives him a bath. Mom is so easy to read. I wasn't a very good girl last night. I found some stinky stuff & rolled in it. It was fun at the time, but Mom was NOT happy when I came running into the barn. She called me "stinky girl" & took me straight into the wash bay for a hot bath. Yea, she gives me a bath in the horse wash bay in the summer. I really don't mind it, I would rather she do it than have to go to the groomers & spend several hrs there. I guess this hasn't been one of my better weeks, as I have also been sick with my ears. Mom has been putting ear drops in them, which I don't like at all. After she does it, I run & hide because I am mad. Mom hunts me up & tells me to "quit pouting" & makes me join them. When I am mad, I refuse to play ball or do my tricks even for a treat. As much as I hate to admit it, the medicine is working because I do feel better & am not digging at my ears or shaking my head. :-) Mom says I still have to go to the vet next week though & have my ears checked out. :-(
Bark at you all later............Shelby

In Full Swing of Camping Season

Hi All! We all went camping/trail riding again this past weekend. Well, I didn't trail ride but Mom & Dad did. Dad really likes the new horse & I hear both Mom & Dad talking how good she is doing. (rolling eyes in head) She sure doesn't pay any attention to me, when I bark at her! We went to the campground on Fri afternoon, but came home early Sun. as it was cloudy & looked like rain. Sun. afternoon, I got to go to Rural King with Mom & Dad. I LOVE to go there. It's a farm store & sometimes there are other doggies in there & always kids that pet me. This trip everyone kept saying, "awe, look at the cute puppy". Hey! I am NOT a puppy. I am a big girl, will be 3 yrs old this fall! Mom said people think I am a puppy because of my hair cut. Grrrrrrrr............let's not talk about that! I met a nice lady in a wheel chair. She asked my Mom if she could pet me. Of course, Mom said yes. She was a nice lady, so I gave her a big wet kiss in the face. But the lady just laughed about it. After that we stopped at the Country Store. That is a cool place with horse & doggie stuff & all kinds of cool gifts & clothes. There were even bunnies in the back, but I didn't pay any attention to them as I was busy looking at doggie toys. **grins** By the time we got back home, brought the horses in & fed them, I was ready to crash! That camping can sure wear a girl out!
Hope you all had a great weekend!
Bark at you later............Shelby