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

This is how we do it

I remember a long time ago when Mom and Cousin Dave were splitting firewood. I didn't get to help much with that. Dad was on the John Deere and no one had time to throw the ball for me, so I napped on the patio. I don't think I missed too much excitement. 

Well, I did learn that splitting firewood creates a lot of extra pieces that aren't fit to go in the woodstove. Mom piled them up on the brush pile until it was huge! I've been sniffing around it some, but nothing like a groundhog or a skunk tried to live it - that's a good thing. 

Yesterday morning it started to snow. Snow falling on me and getting me wet is not a good thing. It's cold. I don't like it much. Playing in the snow after it stops falling on me is a lot better. Anyway... Mom said that it was the perfect time to burn the brush pile and did I want to help?

That's a stupid question! Of course, I want to help! I'm Deuce! Helping Mom and Dad is a good thing!

The only thing is, Dad didn't go along. 

Mom and me got into the pickup and drove over to the west forty and parked. Mom got out and started the fire, and boy did it burn! We were all nice and comfy in the truck, but Dad wasn't there. I don't like it when we're not all together. And I got bored. I asked Mom if I could get out of the truck and she took me back inside to check on Dad. 

Even with the snow, and then rain, the fire burned for hours. Mom and Dad weren't worried, though. The ground was way too wet for it to spread. The rain eventually put the fire out but not before almost all of it had burned. 

Maybe next time Dad will go along and he can play with me while Mom watches the fire. That would be much better. I wouldn't get bored. 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, a country dog, rural lifestyle, good dogs, companion dog, Chevy Colorado, brush, country living

What did I do?

Last night was not a good night. I don't know how it happened. I wanted out and now I forget who opened the door for me. What I do know is, my parents left me outside for two hours!! TWO HOURS! BY MYSELF!!!

Okay, so I'm a big boy and I can take care of myself. I don't wander off, not even down to see Cousin Dave and I really like him. 

I was outside for so long that it got dark and there are always strange noises after dark. Those spooky little owls were talking back and forth and I bet the discussion was about how to dive bomb me or some other nasty trick.  

It's a good thing I'm a smart dog. After a while, I got tired of waiting and I went around to Mom's office door and barked. THAT freaked her out because she'd forgotten me. Or maybe Dad forgot me. We don't remember. Anyway, she went looking for me and couldn't find me. 

Yeah, Mom. You misplaced little Deucie, didn't you? 

I really have to get over my dislike of going up the ramp to Mom's office door. If I'd been braver, I would have gotten her attention a lot sooner. That's how Loki does it and it always works for him. Even when Mom is busy writing, like last night, she'll see him and open her door. 

I guess I have to give the parents a pass. That's the first time ever I've been outside on my own for more than however long it takes for me to pee-pee. And one of them is always at the door watching to let me back in right away. 

I suppose I can't use the word "always" any longer, huh? 

If there's one thing I'm certain of it's that Mom will keep a closer eye on me and Dad from now on, and that might not be as good a thing as it sounds. We won't get away with anything.

Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retriever, a country dog, a writer's life, puppy parents, rural lifestyle, screech owls, forgotten dogs

There is always time for a ride!

 

We've been really busy. Mom says we're in the middle of firewood season. Huh? I thought we had spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Now Mom says there is a fifth one? It's no wonder poor little Deucie, that's me, gets confused. 

I think Mom means it's the time of year to split and stack firewood. That's what Mom, Dad, and Cousin Dave have been doing for ages and ages now. It started when the man came back in July and cut down the two big maple trees. I had to stay inside that whole time! Then Mom, Dad, Cousin Dave, and Cousin John cut up those two trees. 

But even though we've been working hard, we've had time to go for two long drives. I love going for rides! Especially in Mom's car! Mom's car is the best! The back seat is soooo comfy for me. And I got to ride along to the landfill in the Colorado last week!  

Mom told me there were places she'd hoped to visit this summer, but we got too busy. We might get to go now since the outside work is just about done. Mom said we'll have to see what the weather does. She doesn't want to drive in the snow unless she has to. 

Having Mom home with me now is a good thing. I like it. I can keep an eye on her. It's a little different because I'm not sure what time we'll go out in the mornings, or if we'll stay up or go back to bed. I vote we should go back to bed but I'm just the dog. Sometimes it's still dark outside and Mom stays up and goes to her computer, and I go back to bed without her. It's okay. I can hear her typing so I know it's all good. 

Going for rides is the best fun. I hope we go again soon.

Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retrievers, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, dog rides in cars, a country dog, a dog's life, a writer's life, country living, rural lifestyles, spoiled pets, happy dogs

What's a faux pas?

It's a valid question, and I, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, have an answer.

A faux pas is when your actions, such as knocking Mommy down in the middle of the creek and she gets hurt, cause you embarrassment. I'm sure that beneath my black fur my skin was red. It had to be. Here's what happened. 

Mom and I went for a walk, and on the way home, a stick had fallen across my little plunge pool. It's a deep spot and I can get my belly wet so I love it! But I couldn't get in because of the stick. So Mom stepped into the creek to move the stick and I got so excited thinking she might throw the stick for me that I lunged for it and knocked her down. She fell pretty hard, too. She wasn't expecting me to do that. 

The water is really cold and the creek bed is very rocky. Mom has a big bruise on her left hip, her left wrist got jammed and swelled up a bit, and her right side ribs hurt. It could have been really bad. I don't know what I would have done if she couldn't have gotten up. I'm not Lassie. No way would I leave her side. 

We were lucky. She got up and we made it home, but it's been over a week and we haven't gone very far. I'm really sorry I did that, but Mom says it was her fault for not watching to see what I was going to do. She knows I can be impulsive when I'm playing. 

I hope Mom's bruise is gone soon so we can go on walks again. I'll be more careful the next time Mom steps into a creek. Honest. 

Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, Deuce's Day, black Lab, a country dog, a writer's life, walking in the woods, country lifestyle, black lives matter, spring-fed streams

 

Is it spring yet?

 

Mom and Dad told me it's spring. I think they lied to me. It was only 21F when we got out of bed this morning. Do you know how cold that is on my bare paws? It's COLD!

And boy, did the wind blow! And it snowed! The parents called it a snow squall but snow is snow and snow is cold. Sure, it melted really fast, but I feel very lucky I don't have to live outside in a squall. Some dogs do, you know. People, too. It makes me sad.

Mom tells me not to worry, that I'll always have a warm place to sleep. I wonder if Mom and Dad have room for just one more dog that needs a home. Our den is sorta small, but we could probably squeeze in together. I'll have to talk to Dad about that and see what he says. 

We did a daffodil check around the yard on Saturday. At least, I think it was Saturday. I'm a dog and I get confused by the days sometimes. Mom and I went all around so she could video the daffodils. I don't care much about them, but they make Mom happy,

I sure hope the cold weather blows out of here soon. We've only been on a couple of long walks so far this year and I'm itching to get going! Every time Mom stands up, so do I. I'm not going to let her get out the door without me. No way. I'm too quick for that to happen.

I guess I'll just have to be a bored couch potato pup a little while longer. 

Is it really spring yet?

For no reason at all

Mom is a little nuts sometimes. The other day we were relaxing in the living room with Dad, and she made me get up. And I was comfy, too. 

Anyway, I got up to see what she wanted and she took my picture. 'Good one!' she told me. 

But why? I don't get it. She has a BIG folder full of pictures of 'lil 'ol me. I'm not kidding. 

Was a snackie involved? Nooooo. 

Turns out, she just wanted a picture of how I looked today. 

Mom is a little nuts sometimes. 

It's not a good thing, Loki

I have a cat named Loki. At least Mom says he belongs to me. He came here as a little kitten, which was fine, but then he grew up. 

I've tried to be kind to him. Honest. But he's just not friendly. He jumps at me and bats at my face and I do not like that. I don't know what to do about him.

He used to sleep on MY bed and I really didn't like that. Mom would move her feet and he'd attack them and I would be the one to get kicked. I did not like that. 

Loki is not too bright. He wants to go outside at night when it's too cold to be out. I'm smart enough to zip out, do what I need to do, and zip back in, but not him. He goes to the back door and begs Dad to go out so Dad opens the door for him. Then Loki runs around the house to the sunroom, which is Mom's office, and screeches at the door to be let back in. So of course, Mom opens the door for him. Half an hour later, he's back outside! He's mental!

This afternoon Mom sat down at her desk and there he was, sleeping on the floor in front of her desk chair.

I can tell you, from my own experience, that sleeping under the desk where Mom can roll her chair over you is not too smart. I've had the chair roll over my paw and my tail and I did not like it much. Not only will it scare the yelps out of you, but it also hurts! 

I'm Deuce, and I'm a good dog, but I think I'll mind my own business this time. Mom will just have to take care of it. Loki won't smack her in the face. 

It was a short walk-about - my toes got cold

Saturday afternoons are generally pretty quiet around here when it's cold outside. That idiot cat Loki will go outside and stay outside in twenty-degree weather, but I'm Deuce and I'm smarter than that. Nevertheless... how's that for me learning a big word? Pretty good, huh?  Where was I?

Oh, yeah. Mom asked if I needed to go outside and I did so we went. I didn't realize right away she took her phone with her. I don't mind being videoed. I get it. Mom and Dad want to keep their memories of me for after I pass on. 

It was really cold! Right away my little toes curled up. Even Pinkie sort of stayed in when I went to pee-pee. It was cold!

Me and Mom walked out the lane a bit and it was icy. Mom had to walk over in the snow so she didn't slip. I was careful not to run, too. 

I liked getting outside even for just a few minutes, but I sure hope it warms up soon. I need to go for a real walk and that's not going to happen until the snow melts. In the meanwhile, I'll just have to deal with cold paws. 

Oh, yeah. Here's the link to the video Mom made.

https://youtu.be/aVraK4Jlb60

New Year's Eve day 2021

Mom and Dad told me it's New Year's Eve, but they didn't mention steak so I'm not too impressed. I haven't had steak in soooooo long. But I did spy something interesting wrapped in blue foil-like stuff in the fridge. I think it's a HAM! I wonder when the parents are putting that in the oven? 

I'm a good dog and I listen when Mom and Dad talk. I learned today is special but neither one seems very enthusiastic about it. What's an old fogey? Dad said something about seeing the ball drop over seventy times so if he falls asleep, it'll be ok. 

Ball? What ball? Is there a ball here I do not know about? Are the parents holding out on me? I need to investigate this. 

Mom thought it was a good idea for us to take a last walk of 2021. I'm up for a walk any day, so I led the way with Mom following. I know I'm supposed to walk beside Mom, but she doesn't enforce that rule unless I need to be on the leash. I'm Deuce. I know the difference. 

I had fun running through the creeks even though the water was cold on my paws. It was a good day to be out in the woods. 

Tomorrow will be a new year. I'll be six years old in two weeks. Mom says the time is just flying by and she wishes we'd be together forever. I don't worry about those things. I just live every day as it comes and I'll be with Mom and Dad for however long I am. Mom says that's why dogs are so special. 

Whatever the new year brings, we'll get through it. We're a pack and as long as the pack looks out for each other, even the cats like Loki in the pack, life will be fine. So take care of your pack, every day, and remember to be generous with praise and snackies, and share the bed equally. If you do that, it will be okay.

I've been right at her side...mostly

I need a loooong nap! Seriously!  Christmas is past and while it was pretty quiet, Mom and Dad made it hard for me to do my job every day. I'm supposed to keep track of them and watch over them, but they just didn't stay in the same room. Dad watched TV in the living room while Mom was in her office doing bookish stuff. I think maybe the giblets made up for it, though. They were soooooo good. 

Mom told me we got a new "badge" from Fitbit. No wonder my paws are tired!! 4,132 miles is a long way! (Mom told me that and I believe her.) I've been by her side for almost every step, so it's my badge, too. Mom says an award is a good way to close out this year and get ready for the New Year. 

We get our next badge at five thousand miles. I'm not very good with math other than counting how many snackies I get to be sure I'm not being cheated, and I do know when the cuckoo sings out it's bedtime, but I thought mileage had to do with my truck...er, Dad's truck. Whatever. I'm a dog. I only know what I'm told or I figure out, ok? 

Mom says we'll probably get the next badge sometime around August or September. That seems a long way off, but we know it's good to have goals. 

I have a goal for today, Mom. It's called napping. How about it? Can we please nap today? Think about it. We've walked a long way and we deserve a nap. 

Christmas Eve -I'm going for a ride!

They can't fool me. I heard Mom say it yesterday. They're going to wait until dark and then ride around and look at all the Christmas lights. 

I hope they know I'm NOT staying home alone. I'm going to ride along tonight. Now all I have to do is convince my parents it's the best idea ever to take me along. 

Riding in Mom's car is fun. I can stretch out in the backseat and get really comfy. And when I'm comfy, I'm quiet. Heck, I might even be able to snap a nap. I'm going along.

They might try to sneak out on me, but I'm watching them. Call me Hawkeye because I won't miss a single move they make. When Mom has a purse, it's time to block the door. Better yet, since I always go out to peepee before they go anywhere, I'll refuse to come back inside. I'll go sit beside the Charger and wait on them. 

You just watch me. I'm a good dog. I deserve to go on a little ride. 

I. Am. Going. Along. 

Please, Mom?

_*_*_*_*_*_

UPDATE!  I TOLD YOU I WAS GOING FOR A RIDE!!!

I was only trying to help!

It seems that occasionally, I can get myself into trouble without really trying very hard. It happened today. I wasn't sure at first because Mom LAUGHED at me and grabbed her phone to take my picture. I don't think Dad was very amused, but I didn't get fussed for it so I guess that's a good thing. 

Dad punched a hole in one of the tires on his fancy power chair. This could be bad if his tire goes flat and he's not at home. He'd be stuck. Anyway, he asked Mom to bring home a tire patch kit so she did. Then it was kinda cold today and Dad thought he'd better check his innertubes inside where it was warm. I thought I'd help.

Bad idea, Deucie. Bad idea. 

But here's the thing. I only wanted to help. Dad asks me to pick stuff up off the floor all the time. And this tube thingee looked like it would bounce and be fun so I snatched it up. I didn't have a chance to chew it! I didn't chew it! And I got laughed at! 

Of course, I was bad because I did not put it down when both Mom and Dad told me to. I held on to it, hoping they'd change their minds. But noooo.... 

Mom took it away from me and put it in the spare bedroom and closed the door so I couldn't get to it. Some days I just don't know about my parents. I almost never have bad ideas so, you know, I deserved the pass. 

The next time Dad asks for help, I think I'll just stare at him like I don't know what he's saying. It's better than Mom laughing at me. 

But remember - I did NOT chew it up. Don't I deserve an atta-boy for that? 

Let's hurry this thing along!

I know it's there, resting in the freezer. I SAW it when Mom brought it home. I'm not just any dog. I'm DEUCE!!! I can read and the label said TURKEY!!!!!

And I know from experience that inside that ball of ice are GIBLETS!!!

Who does Mom think she's dealing with here? If I had thumbs, I'd get the turkey out of the freezer and go for the giblets now. 

Mom and Dad are planning a Thanksgiving dinner next week, but why do we have to wait? You know what they say, right? A bird in the mouth is worth two in the freezer. 

This waiting is just awful. 

Sunny day walkabout

 

Yesterday was a really busy day! We went out to pick up sticks...I love sticks! Sticks are fun! Not after Mom tosses them on a fire, but before. Anyway, we went out to do a bit of clean-up so Dad doesn't get his chair stuck when he's down at the shooting range. 

It was perfect weather to be outside, but the ground was a wee bit damp. I felt it in my legs by bedtime, but it didn't stop me from hopping up onto the bed with Mom.

While we were out, Mom and I took a walkabout around the yard, and of course, Mom did that video thing as we went. So here's my video story of yesterday!

I'm Deuce, and I'm a star!

Black on black, that was me

The pack has been enjoying the fall weather. There are deer everywhere! And squirrels! Mom says they're here munching on all the acorns. That makes no sense. I tasted an acorn. Yuk. Who would want to eat an acorn? Make mine steak! 

I chase the deer out of the backyard almost every day. It's great exercise. Mom and Dad are winding down the outdoor projects. Mom's cleaned out her garden corral and Dad got the old Craftsman mower stored for the winter. He spread some gravel out and got all the attachments for the John Deere lined up for the winter. Mom moved some pots into the little greenhouse. It's been sort of slow and lazy work, but we needed the break. 

The other day, it was good weather to burn the brush pile again. Our yard is ringed by a lot of trees and we gather up the branches when they break off, and put them on a pile. It's a never-ending job but that's okay. When it's time to burn, we can sit back and watch the fire. This time, we all piled into the Colorado, except for Loki, and watched the burn. 

The backseat of the Colorado is pretty comfy for a dog my size. Mom put down a special seat cover just for me. I bet I could really snooze there if they'd let me, but noooo. I can only get in Mom's truck when she's in it, too. 

So we all watched the fire. It's always great when the pack is together. 

I bet you're wondering why there's not a picture of me. Well, it's a simple answer. Black dog on a black seat cover in a black truck on a cloudy day. The camera made me vanish! Poof! It was... wait for it... black magic! 

It's Dad's birthday!

Today is Dad's birthday and we're having Salisbury steak for dinner! I'm not sure what kind of steak that is, but it's STEAK! This is a good thing! 

I'm not sure what we're going to do special for Dad's birthday. He had one of those weird video chats with his litter ma.......er........siblings last Sunday. Mom's home today and I heard them say something about going to pick up Walther. All I can say is birthday or not, Walther had better not be another cat. 

Dad and I have spent a lot of time together over the years. Mom's been off working, but that's changing. She's going to be home more now and we like that. It'll keep me busier, having two parents to watch every day, but I can do it.

Keeping an eye on Dad is harder than you'd think. He goes outside and has me stay inside. I do not like this. He worries I'll get into some mischief or even get hurt while he's puttering around in the shed or using the John Deere 1023. Do you think now that he's had another birthday that will change? Me neither. 

Dad takes me down to the creek almost every day when the weather is fit for him to be outside. He gets the mail and I splash around for a bit. Then I look for the frog and he laughs at me, but that's ok. 

A lot of days we guys just hang out and that's pretty cool. We can't do that when Mom's here. Dad's not constant movement the way Mom is. 

So, happy birthday, Dad! I'm really glad you're my Dad and we get to take care of each other, sort of like it was meant to be. You're a great Dad! 

Now, who is Walther?