A new noise after dark

Mom and I went outside after dark last night. We do it all time. Being outside after dark is fun. Mom tells me about the stars. I don't care about most of it, but I pay attention when she talks about Sirius, the dog star. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, and is part of the constellation Canis Major. Mom says it just goes to show part of the reason dogs are so important. 

I didn't feel very important last night. Actually, I'm a little embarrassed to have to admit it, but I was scared last night. I heard a really eerie sound. I ducked my head, tucked my tail, and trotted toward the house until I remembered Mom would be out there all alone with whatever was making that noise. I might've been scared, but I couldn't allow Mom to be outside by herself. 

Mom didn't seem to be frightened by the sound. She smiled!

"That's a screech owl, baby," she told me. (I love it when she calls me 'baby.' It makes me feel like a puppy again.) "You won't hear many of those calling to their mates over the course of your lifetime, and you'll probably never actually see one. But I like to stop and listen whenever I hear them," she said.

Then we went out on the sunroom porch and listened to the owls call back and forth until they stopped. It made Mom happy, and I'm not scared of owls any longer. 

I'm Deuce, and I keep Mom company outside after dark. 

Don't breathe water!

Mom took me for a walk this evening. We went down to the creek so I could splash around a bit. I put my head under the water to grab a rock and forgot to hold my breath.

 It made my nose burn and I sneezed and sneezed and sneezed.  I'll be more careful next time.

Take my advice. Don't breathe water. 

And listen when your Mom says, "No rocks!"

Watermelon treats

I love watermelon! Who knew it was so sweet? So icy and cool! Mom bought a set of silicone forms to make me homemade treats. It's not that she thinks there's anything wrong with the stuff she buys, but she thinks I need variety and I really, really, really think she's right. 

Plus, after I've been outside playing, I'm hot and Mom knows I like a cold treat. I wonder how Mom knows so much? 

I'm Deuce, and I love snacks! 

* * * * *


Frozen Watermelon Treats

Use a blender to make this.

Approximately 2 cups pureed seedless watermelon
10 to 12 ounces of coconut water
Honey to taste (because humans can eat these, too!)

Blend ingredients. Pour into the mold. Freeze. Enjoy! 

Out of the Whistle zone

Yesterday I rode with Dad down to the gas station. He needed to fill the gas cans so he could fuel-up the mowers to cut the grass. 

I'm not sure I like the mowers. Man, are they loud. And they create a bunch of particles in the air. Everyone sneezes after Dad cuts the grass. 

Anyway, I got to ride along. Dad called Mom to let her know I was going out of the Whistle zone. I like when they talk on the phone during the day. I get to hear Mom's voice and know she's okay. I'm not sure what the Whistle zone is, but it must be important. 

Well, when Mom got home from work, I heard her tell Dad it was really stressful when she knew I was away from home without her. She was afraid I wouldn't behave for Dad. She knows I'm so strong now could inadvertently knock Dad on his butt. (How's that for learning a big word?) 

But I did behave! I stayed in the backseat the whole time the truck was moving. The only time I stuck my head out the window was when Dad was pumping gas and I wanted to see what he was doing. 

I was so good Mom made me watermelon treats! 

Maybe once the weather cools down I'll get to go with Dad more often. He says it's just too hot to leave me alone in the truck for even a few minutes. He's got to be there with me, like yesterday. 

Besides, if he leaves me in the truck alone, Mom says her head will explode and I do NOT like the sound of THAT! 

Are you writing about me?

Let's swim!

It's really hot outside. It's so hot Mom and Dad said they weren't doing any chores today. Instead of work, they said it was a good day to go to the river. I didn't know if I would get to go, but then Mom put my special no-slip collar on me and I knew I was going, too!

I was very well behaved in Dad's pickup. I've learned how to ride in the truck. 

First stop - Micky D's! I love, love, love Egg McMuffins with real bacon. I wish we could have them every day, but they're for very special occasions. Mom said I'd burn off the calories at the river. 

(Darn. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone I had people food again. Mom says some folks go nuts about that, but it was only one little egg and some scrawny bacon. Really.) 

After we wolfed down our breakfast... I like that word. Wolf. Wolf is a really good word. It makes me feel big and bad. Anyway, we drove down to some place called River Bottom. 

Wow, oh wow! I didn't understand what the river was but it's water! Sheets of moving of water! More water than what's in the creek! So much water I could swim in it! I didn't even know I could swim! I love to swim!

I wish Mom could have shot a video, but she was in the river with me to make sure I didn't get too far away from the shallow water. She's right. If she'd taken me off the leash, I might have floated away and that would not be good. But now that we know I can swim, Mom and Dad say they'll take me to the river more often so I can practice. 

When we came home, I was so tired I sacked out on the floor and took a nap beside Dad's chair. Mom came and asked if we were both still alive and then she snapped my picture. She really doesn't like it when Dad and I get too quiet. She knows us too well. 

I'm Deuce, and I'm a good dog, but I'm going back to sleep. I'm knackered!

I'm a little worried...

... Mom said the snip-snip was scheduled for the 24th. 

Dad looked at me and laughed.

Whatever this is, I don't think it's a good thing for me.

My sixth month picture

Mom thinks I'm handsome. She wanted a nice picture of me and I didn't understand at first. But then I got it and sat still. Mom says she knew if she put a treat on the edge of her desk, I'd be intent on that and she could get a picture. She knows how to work me, but that's okay. She tells me all the time I'm a good dog, and that's nice to hear.

Creek time!

Mom took a video of me playing in the creek to share. Getting in the creek is fun! There are fish, frogs and little lobsters Mom calls "crawdads." 

That's confusing because Dad has nothing to do with whatever those tiny creatures really are. 

I think Mom needs to work on her video-taking skills. It needs more me.

It's what I do

Mom wants to get another cat. It seems, unlike me, Shooter actually performed a vital function in our house. He was mouse control, and I know that's not an easy job because mice are sneaky. 

Dad says one of my jobs is security, but it doesn't feel like an important job to me. Oh sure, I bark at the deer and chase a few squirrels, but that's all dog stuff. I'd keep my parents safe from critters even if it wasn't my job. 

Yesterday, the DirecTV man came to fix a problem Dad was having with his techie toys. I'm not allowed to chew the remote. Anyway, Dad put me in my crate. Now I ask you - how can I keep Dad safe if he treats me like a felon? It proves my point this security gig isn't all that important. 

But I guess keeping Mom safe on her walks is kind of important. I'm following in some big paw steps when we walk. Callahan and Jett never let anything happen to her when they walked. And I won't, either. 

I'm Deuce. I'm a good dog, and I walk with Mom.

Deuce knows sticks

Last Saturday it rained. Mom and Dad teased me, saying it "rained cats and dogs" but there wasn't any cats and dogs that I could find. And I did look! 

When it finally stopped raining, Mom and I walked out to see if there any damage to our lane. It's pretty long, which is good for me because I'm allowed to go by myself all the way out to where our section connects to cousin Sean's. I can get some good speed when I run up and down the lane! 

The rain washed out a few ruts that Dad had to fix. That's okay because 1) Mom's car could still get over the ruts and 2) Dad has a John Deere tractor. 

It was a nice walk, even if it was too short. I couldn't get in the creek. The water was running way too fast and it was very muddy. Mom said no, but I wasn't going in anyway. I am growing up and getting smarter, and I knew it wasn't a good idea.

On the way home, I found a really good stick, too. Mom laughed and took my picture.  

I'm Deuce. I'm a smart dog and I know sticks.