Little "needles of joy"

I always thought Mom liked my fluff. She always brushed out my fluff (or needles of joy as some people call dog fur) and it came out in handfuls. But Mom hasn't brushed me much lately, which I miss. I like it when Mom pets me all over. 

Anyway, Mom says I'm not shedding the way I always have. She thinks it's because of my new Farmer's Dog diet. She even Googled why I might not be shedding when I always have. She read about how a better diet makes my fur follicles stronger. 

What the hell is a follicle? I have follicles? Is that a good thing? I might be an "old dog" at seven, but I'm still learning new things! 

So if my fur follicles are stronger, I shed less? I'll accept that. Mom says my coat looks shinier, too, but that might be because of less dead fur waiting to be brushed out. It all goes together. 

Mom used to really worry when I wouldn't eat. She didn't think I was getting the nutrition I needed. Maybe that helps me not shed, too, because I am eating a lot better now. 

I didn't know I was doing something Mom would really like, but I'm going to take full credit for it. I'm shedding less and I'm doing it for Mom! 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retrievers, Labs, shedding, The Farmer's Dog, dog food, a dog's life, a writer's life, a country Lab, healthy dogs, good dogs

Is it really spring?

You know, I'm seven now so I know a few things. I know when the ground is cold and wet under my paws, it's winter. If the ground is warm and wet when I walk on it, it's summer. Well, the ground is wet and cold so it's not spring. 

I've seen daffodils before, too. Every year - every year - Mom and I walk around the yard just so she can look at them. They don't change from spring to spring, but off we go. Walking on the cold, wet ground that Mom can't feel on her paws because she has shoes. 

So today, it's February, and out we go. Mom spotted a daffodil blooming. 

It wasn't too bad, though. She took the picture and then we went back inside. My paws didn't have a chance to get cold. She must have heard me complaining under my breath! 

Deuce's Day, black Lab, Labrador Retriever, daffodils, cold paws, a country dog, good dogs, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life

I'm starting a new meal plan!

Mom and Dad have been worried about my eating habits for a long time. I can't help it if I don't like dog food. I don't know why they persist in giving me dog food when I'm just a furry little person with four paws instead of two feet. Mom has tried a lot of different foods trying to find something I like, but nothing is as good as steak! Or hamburger! 

A couple of days ago, Dad had a box delivered and it said, "The Farmer's Dog." What??? Dog??? I wanted to know and know now if they'd ordered another dog! Thankfully, it wasn't a Sadie-in-a-box. 

It was better! 

Right away I caught a whiff of something good. Yeah, it was frozen, but I'm a dog. I smell things. It only got better as it thawed out. 

It's special dog food for ME from The Farmer's Dog. It even has my name on it! I'm supposed to get half a pouch a day, which doesn't seem like much but we'll see about that. 

Finally, finally, finally, Mom opened the pouch and mixed some of it with my dry dog food. It was DELISH!!! I even ate the dry kibble instead of spitting it out! It was sooooo good!

Now Mom is doling it out like it's gold, and to hear her and Dad talk, it's more expensive than gold. Which shows they love me a lot. 

I hope this works out because dry kibble is so boring and has some questionable things in it. Mom and Dad say if they can't pronounce ingredients in food, they don't need it, but they had to feed me something that was made for dogs. But, you know, they could feed me steak every day. I wouldn't mind. 

Deuce's Day, The Farmer's Dog, dog food, picky eaters, expensive dog food, black Labrador Retriever, a country dog, good dogs, a writer's life

Dump Run!

We've had a busy day and it's only lunchtime! 

First I helped Mom eat her breakfast. I love, love, love frosted mini-wheats! I can't have too many, though, but I do get the last four or five in the bowl with a little milk. I'm spoiled that way. 

Then Mom took me outside but it was really windy. Dad was going to walk me down the creek but it was way too windy for him to be outside. Sooooo Mom said she could do the dump run today and me and Dad could ride along! 

I love riding to the dump! Well, it's a transfer station for people who live out in the country like we do, but hey. It's easier to just say dump. 

I got to ride in the back of Mom's pickup. It's a Colorado, like the state. She tried to take my picture but a black dog in a black truck with black seats and a black seat cover special for the dog - that's me - and I faded to black on the camera. So she used an old photo and that's okay. See my reflection on the tailgate? 

Now we're back home and I just had lunch. 

I think I'll take a looooong nap now!

Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retriever, Chevy pickups, a country dog, rural living, a dog's life, black dogs, going for a ride

I found it first! It's MY stick!

Mom and I took a walk around the west forty today just to see what we could see. Mom checked out the daffodil sprouts and checked to see if the maple trees had red tips, but I found a BIG STICK!!!

I don't know where it came from but it's HUGE!  Mom said I should look up and that made no sense at all to me. Look up at what? Okay, so Mom said it fell from a tree, but once it's on the ground, it's MINE.

I'm Deuce and I know a prime stick when I find one!

Mom was going to pick it up and toss it on the burn pile but I convinced her to wait. I told her I wanted it and she sort of laughed at me. She dared me to pick it up and I couldn't it.

Darn it. I guess Mom is right and it can go on the burn pile. 

Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retriever, country living, rural living, a country dog, big sticks, spring clean-up, a writer's life

I'm seven years old now!

Yesterday was my seventh birthday! What did Mom do? She posted a baby picture of me on her Facebook page. I really was a cute little thing!

Mom and Dad got a pizza for dinner, and that's better than a birthday cake IMHO. I love, love, love pizza. And I got to go for a ride in Mom's car when we went to pick it up! Win, win! 

Sometimes it's hard to make a day seem special. Sure, it was my birthday, but I don't feel any different. Should I? I've never been seven before so I don't know. 

Mom says I might have to eat different food now, something made for mature dogs. I'm not sure what that means but I know I don't like the sound of it. Special food? Do they make pizza-flavored dog chow? Now that would be special!

Like I said, I got to go for a ride, but other than that the day was pretty normal. It was really cold outside and my paws don't like cold ground. I made short work of things every time I needed to go out, which Mom really appreciates. She doesn't like the cold, either. 

I guess being seven is okay. There's only one other option and I'm not ready to leave Mom and Dad yet. We have a good pack. We each have our place in it. I'm really lucky that way because I know some dogs never get to be part of a pack. 

I might have a few more gray hairs on my chin, but I'm Deuce! There is only one me, chin hairs and all. Mom says I'm irreplaceable. I think that means that Mom loves me a lot. It's really good to be seven and understand these things. 

Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, good dogs, rural living, black lives matter, a writer's life

I didn't mind the cold water

A couple of days ago, Mom and me went on a walk. Mom said we were having a January thaw and it was a good day to get outside. I certainly agreed. I've got den fever! 

Mom put my orange vest on me, and she wore orange, too. We matched! We walked back the old homestead lane and then down to where a creek crosses the path. Mom knew I'd hop right in, so she was ready with the camera to take a video of how it went down.

I had fun. I hope it warms up enough to go do it again soon!

 

Deuce's Day, walking, black Labrador Retriever, dog vests, cold water, good dogs, rural living, dog videos

I didn't agree to this!

Here we go again...

Sadie is here for the whole day. Why? Okay, I know why, but WHY????? What did I do to incur this karma? I'm a good dog! I really am! Mom and Dad tell me all the time how good I am, and yet I'm stuck with Sadie all day. 

Mom is staring at me, and it's not a good stare. 

Okay, so Mom took Sadie back to her office and left me watching TV with Dad. That was a smart thing to do. Mom knew she'd take a nap if she was in a quiet place, and I could have a lie-down, too. I won't sleep until she's gone. I have to protect my food dish, even though it is empty. 

How did my dish get empty? Mom didn't feed me, that's how. She didn't feed me and then Sadie showed up. I bet that can of wet food I had before Sadie got her is all I get until she's gone. 

Hmmm. That WILL keep her from eating my food, so okay! Good going, Mom! 

I guess Sadie isn't really bad. She doesn't jump on my head now that she's older. And she's only here for a little bit. I'm still the Big Dog and she knows it. 

I'll make it through the day.

Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retriever, English Springer Spaniel, a dog's life, country dogs, good dogs, a writer's life, simple country pleasures

That is NOT Loki!

SKUNK

What the hell is that smell?????

I'm not going outside. Nope. Nada. Not gonna do it.

Mom opened the door for me at about five o'clock this morning and BACK THE TRAIN UP!!! There's a SKUNK out there somewhere! I can smell him. So can Mom. 

We hustled back inside before the smell had a chance to cling to my fur. It can do that when there is a lot of moisture in the air. I don't want me to stink and neither does Mom. Even Loki, who I swear looks like a first cousin to a skunk, stayed inside this morning. Mom should have named him Pepe le Pew. 

FIRST COUSIN TO SKUNK

Seriously. Doesn't Loki look sort of skunk-ish?

I'm going to make Mom wait until daylight before I let her take me outside. Hopefully, the smell will be gone by then, and if not, I can at least see whether or not the coast is clear and pee-pee really fast. 

Mom says living in the country is fun, that it keeps us close to nature. <snort> 

Sometimes I think nature gets a little too close to us.

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, skunks, wildlife, Loki, black Labrador Retriever, a country dog, a dog's life, a writer's life, good dogs, rural living, country lifestyle

New Year's again? How many are there?

Mom and Dad told me it was New Year's Day. Did we just have a New Year's Day like, you know, last year? How often does this happen? And if today is the Day, wasn't last night the party night? New Year's Eve? I kinda wonder because New Year's Eve is noisy around here. Humans go crazy with shotguns and fireworks and car horns. Not last night. I heard ONE gunshot. Mom and I went outside to see who was barking and it was quiet and I didn't get to bark and tell everyone to shut up. (They listen to me, don't you know.) And foggy! I've never seen such thick fog. It was weird. 

Mom and I are going over our blog entries for 2022, and I'm not a happy dog. Mom didn't help me blog hardly at all last year. I made her promise to do better in this new year. I know she's right and we've just been doing mundane things, but I'm Deuce! Everything I do is blog worthy!

Get with the program, Mom. You tell me I'm the best dog ever and then you don't keep my blog current. I might start to think you like Loki better than you like me, and that won't do. That won't do at all. 

So it's a new year and I'm willing to give Mom a new start. My birthday is in two weeks, and there had better be a blog. 

Just saying, Mom. Juuuuuust saying.....

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, hunting dogs, sporting dogs, country dogs, black lives matter, dog blogs, good dogs,