The best thing about Thanksgiving is GIBLETS!!!!

Thanksgiving has just become my favorite holiday!

I'd heard Mom and Dad talking about Thanksgiving so I knew it had something to do with food. Lots and lots of food. I love food! I have a new favorite food! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Monday morning, Mom got the turkey she bought out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. I knew it was in there, too. Yesterday morning, Mom got the turkey out and did a bunch of stuff to it. I didn't see it all because I was napping with Dad. By the time Dad and I got up, I could really smell turkey roasting. I love the smell of roasting turkey! 

Then Mom put some broth over my breakfast and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Then she asked me if I wanted a giblet. I didn't have a clue what a giblet was, but I figured if Mom cooked it special for me it had to be good. 

Then she gave it to me and I KNEW I'd died and gone to heaven! I love giblets! Giblets are the best! I want giblets every day! I'm probably going to dream about giblets from now on!

Mom has the giblets in a little bowl. She cut them up into little pieces for me. I knew they were on the counter. I could smell them. Every time Mom got up to do something, I watched her with my X-ray vision. I see all and miss nothing. My telepathy must not be too good, though. I tried and tried to send a message to her to give me more but she put the bowl in the fridge. That was a real bummer. 

I won't give up trying to convince her to give them all to me, not until I know the bowl is empty.

I'm Deuce. I'm going to stare at Mom until she cooperates. 

Can I say "I told you so?"

Yesterday was pretty interesting and not in a good way, at least at first. 

I have a really big yard to patrol. I take this job very seriously. Mom and Dad depend on me to let them know when deer are in the yard, and to keep an eye on Dad when he's outside. 

Well, he went outside WITHOUT me, so how was I supposed to accomplish that?

It's autumn and that means lots and lots and lots of leaves are everywhere! I like leaves! Leaves are cool! They fly around when I run through them! I love the crunchy sound! But too many leaves can smother the grass so Dad rides the mower around to chop them up. 

Yesterday, Dad went out to do some chopping and he left me inside. I did not like this and I liked it even less when the mower stopped running and Dad was stranded out in the middle of the yard. I could have been there for him! I could have kept him company until help arrived! 

When the mower wouldn't start, he called Mom. Mom said she tried to call a few of the cousins but no one was home so she left her job and came home to help Dad. She got me to come outside, too, which was the right thing for her to do. I needed to keep an eye on them! 

Once Mom got Dad back in his power chair and the mower rolled back in the shed, she told Dad he needed to take us to Sonic for dinner because she needed to go to the grocery store and hadn't stopped. Mom confessed she was out of dog food!

What gives here?? Okay, I know Dad needed help, but he left me inside the house. Mom really should have stopped at the store on her way home. Dad could have lasted another ten minutes. It wasn't that cold!

And why was she out of dog food? I might starve! I'm a Lab and we really like our dinner. 

But it all worked out. Dad was safe. Mom got to go to the store and got not only my dog food (and a new kind of treat), she got a turkey. And the best part is we all went to Sonic and we each had a hamburger! Mine was plain. Theirs were loaded with stuff like pickles and lettuce that I don't like. 

Dad, next time you go outside, you'd better take me with you. 

I do look like Jett!

Greenbrier Smokey Jett - first snow 2003

Mom was looking through some old pictures and she found one of Jett she thought she'd lost. It's of him when he saw snow for the first time. I hope Mom doesn't misplace any pictures of me. 

Hey, I remember snow! Snow was fun! And cold! But I'm older now and I can handle the cold better. 

Mom tells me secrets sometimes and she told me she didn't think she'd ever love another dog the way she did Jett, but then I came along and I'm special in my own ways. I know I have some big pawprints to fill, but I can do it.

Jett was a Lab like me. Mom says even though I look like Jett, she can tell our pictures apart. She says my soul shows in my eyes and she'll always know it's me. I guess it's a good thing to have a soul, whatever that is. Mom says Jett was a lot more laid-back and easy-going than me, not that it's a bad thing. It was just the way he was. I'm more energetic and outgoing. It makes me who I am and Mom likes that. She told me I should always be myself because that's the best way to be a happy dog. 

Maybe it would be okay if Mom misfiled a picture or two of me. That way she can be happy and think about the good times with me when she finds them. 

Greenbrier Smokey Deuce - fall 2017

Another picture of little 'ol me

Mom thinks I'm very handsome. She likes to snap my picture. She took a bunch of them while we were walking last Saturday. 

Here's me in my orange safety vest. I turned around to see what was taking Mom so long and sure enough, she took my picture. 

I'm Deuce! I should have known!

An early November walk

Yesterday was a really nice day. Not too hot, not too cool. Just the kind of day Mom loves and when
Mom is happy with the weather, I get to go on long walks through the woods. 

I knew we were going. I overheard her talking to Dad. Then she put my orange safety vest on me. It's the proper fall style, or so she says, but it's a lot tighter than it was last year. I am full grown now. But it wasn't too tight, and orange looks really good with black fur, so it was okay. Mom wore orange, too, even though the hunters are not supposed to be anywhere near where we were. Mom says some of them deliberately ignore the markers so it's better safe than sorry.

First off, Mom didn't let me get in the creek. I knew I couldn't because she didn't slip off my collar. That was okay. The water is pretty cold now. When we got to the top of the first hill, there were walnuts everywhere! They look like balls but they taste nasty. Mom wondered if she should come back after our walk and gather up a bag full. Like I said before - people are nuts. 

Mom took a video of me just being me. She wants to remember me forever so she likes to do that. She doesn't care if they don't look professional. They're for her and Dad although she shares a few of them from time-to-time.  

I really like walking with Mom because she lets me run around and sniff whatever I want. She doesn't think it's bad that I mark my trail or that I lead the way. It's my walk, too, so she thinks I should enjoy it. 

The water at the headwater of the creek was cold, too. I walked through it but didn't get too wet. I saved that for on the way home. And today I learned I have to be careful and not swallow dry leaves. They stick to the side of my throat and make me cough. I do not like that.  

After we got home, Mom and Dad worked on one of the mowers while I played with an old Frisbee. It started to get chilly so we all went inside. Mom fixed dinner and we all settled down for the evening. It was a good day to be Deuce.