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

A long walk but Mom wasn't lost

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. The turkey was wonderful! And the giblets were to die for! I wish Mom would give me all the giblets, but nooooo. She doles them out like they're precious or something. Why does she do that? 

We had a Zoom call with Dad's siblings and I forgot to use my inside voice. Yeah, I barked. In my defense, they sounded kind of strange with their voices coming out of Dad's phone. Mom just petted me and said it was okay I forgot. She understands. 

Today is something Mom and Dad call Black Friday. Hey! I'm black! Is today about me? What? No? Go figure. 

Mom was home today so we decided to take a walk. It started out normal, but then Mom said she wanted to show me an old trail she used to walk all the time as a girl. I was ready to go! 

It's a pretty cool trail. It goes along the side of the big hill and up toward the top. There's another trail that comes in from the top of the hill, but Mom said we'd have to do that one when mushroom season is in. Mom knew where she was so I didn't worry. Then it happened. The trail Mom wanted to take to go home was closed. Mom said, "not a problem."

And it wasn't. We were so far up the hill we could our house so we really did know where we were. We knew if we followed the "new" trail it would intersect with an old homestead lane. Then there was another sign saying THAT section of the trail was closed. Who are these people who manage the state park woods? I peed on the post just because I could. 

Onward we went until we finally came out on the old lane about a mile deeper in the woods than we would have gone if they hadn't moved the trail. It was all good, except for the horse manure incident and I don't want to talk about that, or what happened to me when I got home. I'll just say some soap and water were involved, I'm sort of shiny again, and let it go at that. 

I had a really good time, and so did Mom, but it's good to get back home and relax. My paws are tired little puppies!

Another overcast day made my walk muggy

Deuce with the old reservoir in background

I love, love, love my walks with Mom. We take the same route most of the time because it's the safest
one for me. The old road is gated closed so there are no cars or trucks and I can be off-leash and hop in the creek every time we cross over it. 

Mom took a couple of pictures, but it was cloudy so she's not happy with them. 

We always spend a few minutes at the old reservoir. The water there comes up from the ground in a spring. It's cold and clean and really good to drink. Before the road was gated, lots of people in our community, Mom included, used to come to the reservoir and fill jugs of water for drinking and making ice tea. A long, 
long time ago, some people used this spring 
water for making something called Apple Jack. 
I never met my great-granddad but Mom says 
he would have loved me a lot! 

overflow pipe at old reservoir

I'm Deuce! What's not to love??

The overflow pipe at the reservoir is pretty cool. The water comes out and creates a deep hole that I can play in on really hot and muggy days like today. I don't stay in for long because the water is really cold! I'm a Labrador Retriever and we like water, but I like it to be a little warmer to stay in for a longer time. I have learned that if I step under the pipe, I get very wet so I try to remember to not do that. Besides, Mom laughs at me when the water hits me on the head. 

When we got home, Mom said we walked almost two miles. I think that was enough walking for me for today. Dad's puttering in the shed and Mom is blogging for me, so I think I'll hop up on the bed and take a well-deserved nap. It's a good way to while away a hot afternoon. 

A what? What's a frittata? Huh?

Sometimes I worry about Mom. It's only fair because she worries about me all the time. She watches everything I do and everything I eat. And sometimes I don't eat my dogfood because she's baked cookies and cookies are BETTER!! 

I wasn't surprised when she said she was making me a dogfood frittata. I have no idea why she called it that when it was an omelet. It was a cup and a half of my dry dogwood with two eggs scrambled over it. Maybe she wanted to see how I'd react to a new word. She didn't have to guess what I'd do when she put that concoction in my dish.

I ATE IT!!  Yum! Eggs! What's not to like about eggs?

Now Mom's all happy she tricked me into loading up on some protein. I'm on to her tricks but seriously. EGGS!! 

Part of the problem seems to be that Mom always read where Labrador Retrievers (that's me!) will eat anything at any time in any condition. But that's not me. I'm sort of picky about my food. See? Generalizations don't always work. 

Seriously though, Mom. Next time you fix me a dogfood omelet, why don't you add a little cheese on top?

It's almost spring again

When Mom and Dad talk, I listen. I'm right there with them. I might be on the floor, but I hear everything. It seems spring is coming, and so is something called daylight saving time. Sounds hokey to me. How can anyone save daylight or time? Humans...

Mom mentioned it again this morning when we took our walk. I don't get how it will be daylight longer in the evenings, but Mom seems pretty happy about it. I'll just go with the flow since she says it's a good thing. 

This Sunday past, Mom and Dad took the snowblower off the John Deere. Mom wasn't one-hundred percent sure about it, but it happened. There's a lot that needs to be done and Mom needs the bucket on the tractor to do it. Even now there are three little felled trees that need cut up and the wood stacked and Mom and Dad need the bucket for that. Plus, Dad needs to spread some gravel on the lane. Don't tell him I peed on the pile of stone this morning. My bad...

I don't get to ride on the John Deere. I can trot along behind it, but never in front of it. If I get in front of it, my parents yell at me and make me go inside the house alone. I don't like it, so I behave. I'm Deuce and I'm a good dog! 

We really do have a lot to do. The running boards need to go on my little black truck, and Dad ordered a cover for the bed. It's not the kind of bed I can snooze in, though. Mom has to go get some straw so she can scatter grass seed in the back yard. Grandma's house is under contract to be sold and I guess I won't be going over there anymore. Mom is sad about that but Dad and me are here for her. 

Then there are some solar-powered motion-sensor floodlights going up. It seems I wander a bit when Mom and I go out before bed so I can do, you know. Dark shadows, black dog. Mom isn't pleased when I sort of disappear into the night. I get a little shy, ok??

So the human pack members have a lot to do, which means I have a long stretch of guard duty ahead of me. That's my job. Keep watch on them while they work. Yep. I can do that.

Thirty Days of Deuce: Day 27 - Ride to the landfill - Yea!!

Mom and Dad came through! 

Every so often we have to load up the Silverado and make a run to the landfill. Today was the day, and I got to ride along!

I sit behind Mom in the pickup and she twisted around to take my picture. It's not very good but at least I don't have red or glowing eyeballs. 

Riding in the truck is pretty cool. I can lie down or sit up and watch out the windows. Mom scratches behind my ears a lot and talks to me. It's fun to sit and look out the windshield, too. When we get to the dump, Dad puts the window down so I can see all the other dogs. Apparently riding to the landfill is a big thing. Dogs can't get out of the trucks, though. We can only watch and sometimes bark back and forth with each other. I'm pretty good. I know if I got too loud, Dad would close the window so I keep quiet for the most part. 

After Mom tossed all the junk off, we went to McDonald's and I got a regular Egg McMuffin. I love, love, love Egg McMuffins! I can eat the whole thing! It's on my approved people food list. Eggs, ham, cheese, and bread. Mom breaks it up into small pieces and feeds it to me a bite at a time so I get to enjoy it.  

I hate to say this, but I'd enjoy it just as much if she'd just tossed me the whole thing. She means well.

After we got home, Mom took a shower and then they left me again. Can you believe that? Three days in row. They were only gone a really short time. Mom had some quick errand to run and I did need a nap after my excellent breakfast. I bet it will be summertime before I get another Egg McMuffin. Mom and Dad really dole out the best stuff. 

I guess things will get back to normal tomorrow. It'll be just me and Dad while Mom's at work. I'll be working, too, keeping an eye on Dad. That's my job.