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? 

What the hell was that?????

Let's be clear about one thing - I'm a good dog. There are some things that a good dog should be entitled to, and going out to peepee undisturbed is one of them. I'm sorry when I wake up Mom at 4:00 AM because I can't wait any longer, but even then I should be able to step into the yard without getting dive-bombed by bugs. 

And not just any bug. These are big fu... oops. I'm not supposed to say that word because I'm only five. Anyway, these are big bugs. Like bigger than me! And ugly! And loud! Don't they sleep?

Well, okay. Not really bigger than me - but BIG! 

So here's what happened. I had to go so I nudged at Mom until she woke up. There's a light on the patio that comes on when I trip the sensor. I like this because, hey, in the country. Dark. How would YOU like to walk into the grass in the dark with bare paws? You wouldn't. Anyway, the light came on and BAM!! About six of these big bugs hit me! 

I did not like this.

Mom says it's because they got confused and thought they could mate with me. Um... what? 

Nooo. I'm not that kind of guy! 

I finished up and hot-footed it back through the screen to the safety of my patio. We watched them swarm all over the light until it went out. Then Mom warned me the same thing will happen every time I go out to peepee after dark until all those weird bugs have mated, laid their eggs, and died. The whole thing takes about six weeks. 

Moving to Montana sounds like a really good idea.

This seed thing is taking over!

 

I think Mom has gone round the bend. The sun is shining, true, but the ground is still chilly. I know this because I don't wear shoes! I'm outside running around in my bare paws! 

Mom says it's March, and March is the time to start planting seeds. There are little seed trays in the front window and two butt-ugly red pots on the sunroom floor in front of the door. Plus, Mom was just outside mixing garden soil, cow manure, and potting mix together in the one cart. Then she filled two grow bags with what she'd mixed and mumbled something about radishes and spinach. They don't sound very good to me, especially the spinach. Dad doesn't like it so neither do I. 

It was forty degrees outside this morning and seventy-eight in the little greenhouse. Mom was in the greenhouse talking to the celery. I just don't get it, but I'm getting worried about her. I've tasted celery and it's not my thing, just like radishes and spinach. I know a decent snackie when I smell one and seeds miss the mark. 

And Mom fussed me for something I didn't do! Okay, I did think about it, but she said "no" and I stopped. How often do I get the chance to roll in cow manure? Never, that's how often. And it was only a little clump that dropped out of the bag, not the entire bag. 

Some days I just don't have any fun at all. 

I protest this unfair treatment!

 

A long time ago I said I wished I had thumbs so I could help Mom carry stuff. I was a lot younger then, like only one.  A lot has changed since then. I've recently decided I should stop coveting thumbs. Like just yesterday I decided. Dad has thumbs and it didn't help him cook. 

Now, Dad's a pretty good cook. I love, love, love it when he cooks eggs. Eggs are good, well, maybe not as good as steak, but good. Getting steak in this house just became problematic.

Dad's also a good bread baker. Mom and I talk about this sometimes when I'm in her office begging for snackies. She tells me I had bites of bread and that's all I get until morning. I do not like this but I'm a good boy and I listen. 

Soooo, Dad was making something called pita pockets. They are de-lish, for the record. He used his favorite skillet, the one he sears steaks in, for his project. He also used a rubber spatula in a hot skillet. 

And this is why there will be no steak fat for the dog, a.k.a. ME, in the foreseeable future. 

This is cruel and unusual punishment. I protest! 

It's a winter wonderland!

It snowed again! Snow can be a lot of fun if Mom puts on her boots and goes outside, which she's done twice already today. The first time it was still snowing, and we walked all over my yard so she could take some pictures. The second time was to brush the snow off her car and both pickups. Not fun for me at all. 

Mom says today is Pop's 111th birthday. I never got a chance to know Pop 'cause, you know, I'm only FIVE, and Pop has been gone since before I was born. Mom told me a story about a dog she used to have that left home to live with Pop. Mom was working and Pop was home all day and the dog was lonely so she moved out. I'd NEVER do that to Mom. 

I found a lot of deer tracks on our walk, but they were a few hours old. I can tell. My nose is pretty good for things like that. It was fun going all the way around the yard and through the woods, but my paws got cold. 

We've been inside since then, except for that quick outside run to clean the vehicles. It's too bad Mom isn't in the mood to take me for a ride. They went for pizza yesterday and didn't take me along. I don't know what's up with. Maybe my feet were too muddy, or something. 

Mom made a couple of photo collages from the pictures she took this morning. Boy, does Mom know bad words when her picture software doesn't do what she wants. I stared at her until she told me I was right, she shouldn't cuss, and then she gave me all the snackies in the treat jar! And refilled it! It's a good thing when my telepathic messages get through to her. 

I'm not sure what we're going to do for the rest of the day. I know we'll go outside just before dark for a short walk so I can do all my outside activities, but other than that, who knows? 

Is it spring yet?

It's my birthday! I'm five!

Today is my birthday! I'm five years old! 

Is that old? Mom says "not really." What the squeaky-toy does that mean? Am I old or not?

I don't feel old. I feel pretty good. I felt a lot older when I hurt my cruciate tendon, but Mom got the right medicines for me and everything is good to go as long as I don't overdo it. Mom is pretty careful to make sure I don't. 

But come to think of it, sleeping on the big bed does feel better than sleeping on the floor. I don't think I've always felt that way. I used to think I had to be on the floor at Mom's feet when she works in her office, but I can see her just fine from the big bed. So it makes sense to sleep on the soft bed, right? 

Mom and Dad wanted a video of me to help them remember me at age five. Humans must really have trouble remembering as they get older. Will I get like that? I'd hate to forget how to play ball, or how to behave. And what if I forget how to listen to Dad? He needs me, you know. My job is to look out for him when Mom's not home. 

Maybe this being five isn't all it's cracked up to be. I guess I'll have to do like Mom says and take it one day at a time. Until then, maybe Dad will take me out and we can play ball again! That would be a swell birthday present! 

 

We're putting screen around the patio

Mom had a birthday! She had to tell me because, well, dogs aren't real good with dates. I don't even remember my own birthday. Mom has to tell me that, too. She got a lot of greeting cards from people I don't know, but the one that made her happiest was from Cousin Linda. Cousin Linda never forgets Mom's birthday and Mom never forgets her birthday, either. 

Mom and I are a team. I've been helping her clean out Jack's garage. When she goes over to do some work, I ride with her in the pickup. My job is to keep her company and listen quietly when she says a lot of very bad words about the hoard of junk. I mostly sit in the truck and watch her work, but keeping out of her way is an important job, too. Once the pickup is loaded, I ride to the landfill with her. 

Cousin Dave has been helping, too. Mom says he's the brawn to her brain. He took a bunch of old, rusty cabinets to be recycled and cut up some pressboard cabinets so they could go in the dumpster at the landfill. Those will decompose, whatever that means. He put new belts on the mower Mom uses, too. Mom doesn't like Dad's mower because it doesn't have brakes, just funky handlebars. 

I'm not sure I understand the whole landfill thing. It seems like Mom is glad to have a place to dump all the junk, but really upset it has to go there. It's confusing to a dog. Like how does Mom know what goes on the metal only pile? And how does she know where to take the plastic items? Mom knows a lot of stuff!

Mom works hard taking care of me so I'm really, really, really happy she did something for herself for her birthday. She called Cousin Chris and he's putting screens all around the patio to keep the bugs out. I like that idea! It will be wonderful to be able to sit on the patio and not have one of those nasty big bumblebees dive bomb my head. Good idea, Mom! 

Have you ever seen those big bumblebees? They're huge! 

The downside is I can't just stroll out wherever I want. I have to go through the special panels with the screen curtains. They have magnets to keep them closed. It's easy-peasy. Just keep walking and they part. There's one on each side, special for me!

Once the screens are installed, Mom wants to paint the trim. I heard her and Dad talking about it and Dad said she had to wait until the wood cured a little more. Mom rolled her eyes and I know what that meant - she already knew that. 

Mom just finished her coffee and I know what that means. It's time to start our day. I'm not sure what Mom has planned, but I'm Deuce! I'm her right-paw guy and I'll be beside her every step of the way!