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.

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 not nice to tease me, Dad

 

Dad is really good at putzing around in his shed. Putzing is like puttering. Or "working on a project" only he knows about. We did that today. 

I'm not sure what he's working on but it involves 2x4 lumber and a lot of noise. I usually don't pay much attention, but then the magic happened! Dad opened the doors on MY truck! So of course I jumped right in! 

And that's as far as I got. 

Dad had no intention of taking me for a ride. He just messed around with the running board and left me sitting there like the good dog I am. Then he took my picture and sent it to Mom and now it's on a blog post. 

That's the way things work around here. 

I saw a lot of people on our walk

 

Yesterday was a really sunny day, but it was cold. I didn't think Mom would want to go for much of a walk, but she surprised me! She bundled up in this long poofy coat with a hat and scarf and we headed out. We've been going back the old homestead lane lately. Mom likes it that she doesn't have to jump any creeks. She says if she'd slip off a rock, then her paws...er...feet would be really cold. 

Mom took a few videos and then today she edited them and put them all together. Humans like to learn new things all the time. So do I if a snackie is involved, but Mom just drinks more coffee. Not my thing.

We saw a lot of people on our walk, too. It was Sunday so Mom wasn't too surprised. She had to put me on the leash three times, not because I'm bad, but because I'm sort of a big dog and people are afraid of big dogs they don't know. I get it, but I'm glad those people know I can protect Mom if necessary. 

I hoped we'd go on a long walk again today, but Mom wasted a lot of time at the computer instead. She knows I'm more fun, but what's a guy to do? We went out for a few shorter strolls to the mailbox and around, but it's not the same as a good long walk. 

The videos Mom took are down below. I think her shadow looked funny, but then she had on a funny hat!

It's October again

I've learned it's October again. That means it's hunting season again, and I have to wear my orange vest again. I don't really mind it, but I'm glad Mom ordered me a larger size. I'm no longer a pup, but a full-grown he-dog. I'm big, black, and bad. 

Well, not the bad kind of bad because I behave, but the cool kind of bad. Ask any dog on the mountain and they'll tell you. When I bark, they all shut up and listen! Anyway, I'm a big guy and my old vest is a bit snug. Mom says it's a good thing I'm a big guy, even if I am too tall for the breed standard. I'm still a handsome guy. 

Hey! Mom has an orange hoodie but Dad doesn't. Maybe Dad can put my old vest on his chair! He can use it like a flag! That way all the members of the pack can be safe!

Mom's a little stressed these days so we're walking a lot. She's ready to retire but she's worried about a lot of stuff I don't understand, like insurance. I'm a lucky dog because when I have to go to the vet, Mom and Dad just take care of it. Vets are cheaper than doctors. I don't know what an election is, either, because in the pack, Mom's the boss forever. Except when she's at work, then Dad's the boss. 

It'll be fun when she's home all the time because we'll get to walk a lot more. This is a good thing. 

Today we waited until almost noon to leave the house. Mom and I went outside early and it was a bit cold on my paws so I'm glad she waited. And Dad could come along for part of the way, too, once it warmed up. 

We didn't see anything special on our walk today, and that's okay. It's October again and just being outside makes it a good day. 

Sleeping on the bed makes me famous!

According to Mom, I forgot myself this morning. I'm not sure what that means. How can I forget myself when I am myself? One of us is confused and I think it's Mom. 

Here's the backstory.  I love, love, love to sleep on the big bed with Mom and Dad. It's a good thing. We're a pack and the pack should sleep together. I mean, you never know when a bear or a moose or even some big old deer will sneak up on you when you sleep. Am I right? 

Of course, I'm right! I'm Deuce! 

So I sleep with Mom and Dad. Loki was outside last night so it was just the three of us. Mom got up first thing this morning, and I figured she wasn't coming back, so I used her pillow. What did Mom do? She didn't say a word, just snatched up her camera and took a picture. Then she said I was "blog fodder," whatever that means. 

Well, I knew she meant it would go on my blog, but there's more. I bet she even puts this picture on Twitter and Pinterest. Maybe even Instagram. Does that mean I'm famous, or infamous? 




***Note from Mom***
He sounds soooo contrite for sliding into my spot, doesn't he?

My yard is my playground

I have a big yard to play in. Mom took a video so I can show you everything. It was a really, really, really hot day, so we didn't play ball or anything. We just strolled around.

Mom started standing at the patio and looking at the shed. Then she panned to the back yard and the picnic table and campfire ring. Do you hear the cicadas? They are loud! The windchimes are softer except when the wind blows hard. 

Dad built those terraces to help when it rains. Living on the side of a mountain is tricky business when the water run-off comes through. It has to rain pretty hard before that happens - maybe once a year. Those two windows are the office windows. I spend a lot of time in there when Mom's working. It's my job to keep her company. 

The woods at the west end of the house are called, "The West 40." It's not really forty acres but my parents call it that. They get strange notions sometimes. We burn out there which is why we keep our fires small and a water hose handy. My woods go all the way down over the hill, but I don't go down there. I don't like briars because they can hurt my paws.  

Walking on around, there are the flowers at Mom's sunporch. It's outside her office. The orange stuff is called Tiger Lily and the red is Bee Balm. The little hummingbirds like that stuff. Right now, there's the top of a tall tree on the ground. Half of it broke out about two months ago, and now the rest of it fell to the ground. Dad's going to pick it up with the pallet forks and move it over to be burned later in the year. 

So you can see I have a big playground. I love to sniff around and see who's been in my yard. The main road is far away and I don't have to be scared of cars or be on a leash when we go outside. Even though it's safe, I almost never go outside by myself. 

Mom videoed all the way around and back to the shed. So that's it! That's MY yard. I'm really happy I have room to run around and be a country dog. And it's good we have room to be the pack, and being the pack is everything. 

I'm bushed!

What a day we had! I'm bushed. All I want to do is go to bed but Mom says we should blog first. I guess I can stay awake for another ten minutes. I mean, I don't really tell time but Mom said ten minutes so I'm going go with that. 

The day started out a little slow. We didn't get up until almost eight o'clock this morning. That's late for me and Mom. So we went outside so I could do all my outside activities, and then Mom and Dad had coffee and we had breakfast. I love, love, love sausage casserole! I mean - sausage! What's not to love?

So Dad checked the weather and we decided it was a good day to burn the brush pile. This can be sort of boring for me. Mom and Dad are really busy to get the fire going, and once it is, they just sit on the John Deere 1023E and the JD 370 and watch it burn. Boring. 

But not today! Mom got one of my squeaky balls out of the basket and let me take it outside! I never get to take toys outside, so this was really cool. I made that ball squeal! Then Dad played ball with me for a little while. Heck, I rolled in the leaves and then rolled some more. Then played ball again. 

And then we had Sloppy Joe's for supper! Hamburger! What's not to love??

What a day! Now it's time to go to bed and I don't know if I have the energy to jump up onto the bed. I'm really knackered. Maybe I can convince Mom to set the ramp up for me tonight. It's a little wimpy of me, but I don't care.

So how about it, Mom? I was a good dog today. Help me up onto the bed? 

Prepping for spring

The entire pack was home today to enjoy a beautiful day. It was so warm I trotted down and jumped into the creek. Boy, that water was c-c-cold! I liked it! And it was really cool that Dad went with me and Mom down to the creek. He only recently started taking his chair down the hill. Don't know why, but I guess since he's a pack leader he doesn't need to tell me.

Mom went to town first thing this morning to finish doing Grandma's taxes. I'm a dog and I don't need to know what that means, either. I do know Mom was sort of, you know, pissed off. The lady told Mom she didn't have some form and Mom knew she did. Turns out Mom was correct so the trip to town was just wasted gasoline. Mom hates that. She does pay attention to something called her carbon footprint. If it's necessary, she doesn't mind going, but when it's not... Mom gets formidable. 

Then it was more about gasoline. Mom and Dad gassed-up the mowers and topped off the tank in the John Deere 1023. Then we loaded the gas cans in the back of Dad's Silverado and went to the gas station. Mom filled the cans and the tank of the truck. I can't get out at the gas station but I get to hang my head out the window and watch. 

On the way home, Dad left my window down because it was 70F and really nice. My nose was really busy! There were a lot of new spring smells to take in. Then Mom leaned back and took my picture. My humans are just way too camera-crazy. It was a really fun outing for me. 

What a day! I got in the creek, went for a ride, and we had pizza for dinner!
It's good to be ME!!!!

Mom wrote about us - He and Me

Mom wrote a poem about me! Of course, she did because I'm Deuce! I'm her best guy! She posted it over at her writing blog but Dad convinced her to put it here, too. 

I think Mom must really love me. 
* * * * * * * * 


He and Me

February 29, 2020

Silently it prowls on the mountain, this misty fog,
Blanketing the winter world in stillness.
The trees stand as sentinels, 
unwavering and ghostly,
Watchers across the speeding years,
they can be no less.

Inside we sit, shoulder to knee,
sleek black head resting, eyes alert.
Outside the wet gray squirrels
rummage under his sharp gaze.
Whiskey brown orbs reveal the
dog’s interest, albeit covert,
No better companion could I ask for on this softening afternoon.

Daylight wans else we’d take to the woods
for a walk, and to talk.
He listens attentively to each word I utter,
praise to his beauty among them.
It needs wait for a warmer day to find a
bushy-tailed critter to stalk.
A starless night shrouds the outside world,
but we are content to breathe, he and me.

KC Kendricks

Thirty Days of Deuce - Day 20 Just chillin' at home

Deuce, March 2016

Even I know ice is bad if Mom's car doesn't break through it. Seriously. 

Mom and I were up at our usual time this morning. Mom put on grippy shoes and we walked out the lane. Very slowly and carefully we walked. I knew better than to run. My paws couldn't get a grip. Dad told us not to worry too much because it would warm up and melt some today. 

It did, but when Mom when down to visit Grandma, her car didn't leave tracks through the ice at all. Is almost four-thousand pounds very heavy? I bet it is. 

Beyond the need to be very careful outside, we didn't do much today. Mom did a load of laundry but I can't help with that. I'm not allowed to go to the basement because Loki's food bowl and litterbox are down there. He shares my water, not that I agreed to that but Mom said...

Mom didn't take her phone outside because of the ice. She said with her luck, if she slipped and fell, she'd fall right on the phone. So because Mom didn't get a picture of me today, she said we'd share an old one. It's one from when I was a little guy and had a puppy day bed. I've grown a lot since then but I can still sleep like that on Mom's bed. 

Dad likes to watch a couple of cooking vids on this thing called YouTube. A lady made Sloppy Joes from scratch and Dad fixed her version of them for supper. It smelled wonderful! And Mom and Dad both gave me the last bites of their sandwich and it tasted even better!! I think Sloppy Joes might be my new favorite supper. 

The pack had a quiet weekend at home. It's been a while that we stayed home so it was a good thing, ice and all. Sometimes a guy just needs to chill. 

Thirty Days of Deuce - Day 9

1/9/2018

I had a really quiet day today. I took my usual walks. Mom takes me before she goes to work, and
Dad goes with me during the day. Then when Mom gets home we go again before it gets dark. But hey! The days are getting longer!

Hmmm. Are my parents telling me the truth about that? I hear them saying the days are longer, but I don't think so. Twenty-four hours is twenty-four hours, if you know what I mean. 

Mom asked me if I remembered what I was doing two years ago. Um, no. I'm a smart dog but I don't keep my calendar. My secretary, er, Mom does that. Anyway, two years ago I hurt my paw and had to go to the vet. He squeezed this sore bump and guck came out. It hurt! 

I don't go to that vet now. Mom didn't like it he didn't spray any numbing agent on before he squeezed so hard.

It's a good thing Mom and Dad look out for me. Even on quiet days, it's good to be the pack.