Where have I been?

I can't believe a whole month has passed since Mom and I had time to blog! We've been soooo busy in the yard, the garden, on the tractor, and helping Dad, we just haven't taken the time. 

This spring has been fun with Mom home. I'm outside all the time and I love it! Two of my balls are outside now, and when Mom walks past one she gives it a toss. I'm playing ball a lot! We also play Frisbee a bit, but Mom is very careful about that. If I start to jump and land on my back legs, Frisbee time is over. 

I've been for rides, too. Sometimes Dad rides along with Mom to town just so I can go, too. I love Dad for that. We sit in the van while Mom goes into a store. It's only on fast trips, though. We never have to wait long to head home.

Mom and I took one walk with Sadie and her parents. Don't you know she ran away from her dad and got into big time trouble. She had to go on a leash for the rest of the walk while I was able to roam out front. It was GOLDEN, baby! Mom says I shouldn't be like that, that poor Sadie can't help herself. Ha! Neither can I, Mom. 

I'm still on The Farmer's Dog diet. I love, love, love it! I'm feeling a lot better, too. I have a lot more energy. I really like it when Mom fries an egg and puts it on top. I know I'll be getting a lot of exercise that day when an egg happens.  

So everything is okee-dokee here. We're just busy. Oh! And did I mention the deer? There are deer everywhere! Mom counted and the herd is at eleven right now. I don't count. I just run them out of the yard. And the fox got hit by a car. I didn't see it, but Mom said it was pretty smushed. It's a lot quieter at night now. Loki goes outside more, too. I mean, he knew when the fox was too close and he stayed inside. 

It's almost my bedtime, so that's all for now! 

I'm Deuce and I'm helping Mom and Dad this spring! 

Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retriever, good dogs, country dogs, rural living, a writer's life, black Lab, black lives matter, deer, foxes, gardening, log splitter, 

I'm seven years old now!

Yesterday was my seventh birthday! What did Mom do? She posted a baby picture of me on her Facebook page. I really was a cute little thing!

Mom and Dad got a pizza for dinner, and that's better than a birthday cake IMHO. I love, love, love pizza. And I got to go for a ride in Mom's car when we went to pick it up! Win, win! 

Sometimes it's hard to make a day seem special. Sure, it was my birthday, but I don't feel any different. Should I? I've never been seven before so I don't know. 

Mom says I might have to eat different food now, something made for mature dogs. I'm not sure what that means but I know I don't like the sound of it. Special food? Do they make pizza-flavored dog chow? Now that would be special!

Like I said, I got to go for a ride, but other than that the day was pretty normal. It was really cold outside and my paws don't like cold ground. I made short work of things every time I needed to go out, which Mom really appreciates. She doesn't like the cold, either. 

I guess being seven is okay. There's only one other option and I'm not ready to leave Mom and Dad yet. We have a good pack. We each have our place in it. I'm really lucky that way because I know some dogs never get to be part of a pack. 

I might have a few more gray hairs on my chin, but I'm Deuce! There is only one me, chin hairs and all. Mom says I'm irreplaceable. I think that means that Mom loves me a lot. It's really good to be seven and understand these things. 

Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, good dogs, rural living, black lives matter, a writer's life

New Year's again? How many are there?

Mom and Dad told me it was New Year's Day. Did we just have a New Year's Day like, you know, last year? How often does this happen? And if today is the Day, wasn't last night the party night? New Year's Eve? I kinda wonder because New Year's Eve is noisy around here. Humans go crazy with shotguns and fireworks and car horns. Not last night. I heard ONE gunshot. Mom and I went outside to see who was barking and it was quiet and I didn't get to bark and tell everyone to shut up. (They listen to me, don't you know.) And foggy! I've never seen such thick fog. It was weird. 

Mom and I are going over our blog entries for 2022, and I'm not a happy dog. Mom didn't help me blog hardly at all last year. I made her promise to do better in this new year. I know she's right and we've just been doing mundane things, but I'm Deuce! Everything I do is blog worthy!

Get with the program, Mom. You tell me I'm the best dog ever and then you don't keep my blog current. I might start to think you like Loki better than you like me, and that won't do. That won't do at all. 

So it's a new year and I'm willing to give Mom a new start. My birthday is in two weeks, and there had better be a blog. 

Just saying, Mom. Juuuuuust saying.....

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, hunting dogs, sporting dogs, country dogs, black lives matter, dog blogs, good dogs, 

That's a bird of a different color!

Settle a debate for me. Mom says the strange bird on the roof is pretty, and I say NOT! You can't really see it in the picture, but trust me. That thing has beady little eyes. Like, scary beady eyes. And it stared at me and didn't blink. Mom gets some weird ideas sometimes. 

Mom told me to leave the bird alone so it could fly home. No worries, Mom. I don't want to get involved. I'm sure between Loki, the fox, and the Red-tailed hawk, the matter will be dealt with but Mom would prefer the owner come to get him instead.  

And what is a pigeon doing all the way out here? Pigeons don't live in the woods. They live in a town or in a coop. 

I'm going to ignore the pigeon, I don't care if it's descended from the dinosaurs. I'm descended from the St. John's Dog, so there! 

I'm a smart dog, and problem pigeons are above my pay grade. I'm going to find a nice cool, quiet place and take a nap while Mom and Dad are working on their computers. The parents will have to handle this one without me. 

Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retriever, pigeons, a country dog, smart dogs, Loki, a writer's life, black lives matter, Red-tailed hawk, foxes, country living, rural lifestyles

My "new" van is here!

I have a new ride! It's red! I like it!

I've been wondering what happened to my truck. It's been missing for a few days and now I know it's because Dad sold it. I sure hope he doesn't want to sell me. I'd be sad. 

Seriously, I know he never would because Mom would put a hurt on him. I'm her furbaby and that's all there is to that. 

Anyway.... I have a new van and I think I like it. It's really easy to jump into. Mom and Dad put the back row of seats down into this compartment, then did the same thing with one of the seats in the second row. I have gobs and gobs of room! 

Dad said it's a 2015 Town & Country, which is not exactly what he was looking for, but this van only has 39,000 miles on it. I'm not sure about that. A mile is a long way to walk so I can't even imagine doing that thirty-nine thousand times, but Mom agrees the mileage is "good."

Have I mentioned that the parents have some odd ideas? 

I guess it's okay that Dad sold my truck. Dad is going to take us to McDonald's for supper in the van. I love Mickey D's! I can have my very own puppy burger! I think he really wants to drive it and that's why we're going, but it doesn't matter. It will be fun! 

And maybe he'll stop at the ice cream place on the way back. I'll have to be sneaky and let him know I want him to turn in there. 

I'm Deuce. I know I can convince him. Convincing Dad is my superpower! 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Lab, Town & Country, ice cream, simple country pleasures, a writer's life, rural lifestyle, good dogs, dog with a blog, black lives matter, Retrievers, 

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

 

Why would they do that to me?

It was a beautiful morning! I even thought Loki chasing some poor unfortunate rodent through the yard was fun to watch! Mom did not agree, so I tried to play it cool, but she knew I was interested.

I was interested right up to the point when I realized Mom had on her hat. Her hat means a walk! Her hat is a good thing even if it does smell like bug repellant. I forgot all about Loki because a walk with Mom trumps everything. It's my very favorite thing to do. 

We got to the end of the lane and I looked at Mom to see which way we should go. She said, "left," and that's a new word I'm learning. I went in the correct direction and got TWO snackies for that! I always learn better with snackies. 

But when we got up to the old reservoir, I was not pleased. Someone had put big sticks across my pool. Why would they do that to me? And to other dogs? Some of us enjoy splashing in the creek. Some of us are big dogs and we need more room to splash. I was sad someone would do that, but Mom was sort of angry. She thinks teenagers must have done it. They probably believe no one would ever see what they did, but when it comes to the trails we walk, Mom sees more than I do. 

Mom removed some of those big sticks and says she'll do the rest next time. She'll be sure to wear her really old walking shoes because it won't matter if they get wet. And that's the thing. This creek is really easy to step across just a couple of feet downstream of my little splashing hole. 

People need to leave things alone. The woods are for everyone. Not every furry human is as lucky as I am. Some of us may only get to enjoy a splash hole once in our entire life, so don't ruin it for us, okay? 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, country dogs, simple country pleasures, a dog's life, a writer's life, walking in the woods, playing in the creek, black lives matter 

Not again!

Cousin Dave... I love Cousin Dave! He looks out for me all the time! And he always tells me I'm a good dog, too!

Where was I? 

Oh, yeah. Cousin Dave had to go to a visitation, and he asked Mom if Sadie could come up and stay with us while he was gone. Mom didn't ask me, she just said "sure!" 

Really, Mom. You could've asked me first, you know. Sadie makes me nervous. She jumps all over me and you know I don't like that. What's a guy to do? Cousin Dave looked out for me when Dad was in the hospital, so of course, Mom had to look out for Sadie. I do get it. 

So Sadie came up and she was all excited to be here. She went round and round and round until I had to show her my excellent teeth. I didn't snap at her or anything, but she saw my lip curl up and she stopped making me dizzy. 

We had a little chat, and then everything was okay. I stretched out beside Dad's chair and we touched noses, and then Sadie went over and sat on the other side of Mom's chair. 

I think Sadie is finally growing up. She didn't jump on me - not once! That's so much better than before when she'd paw at my face. I don't like that. But this was fine. Well, until she sniffed my rump. That was rude, but I smacked her with my tail so she might not do that again. 

Cousin Dave came and got her and they walked home. I guess it'll be fine if Sadie comes to visit again. And maybe we'll go on walks together this summer. Heck, I might even like if she plays in the water with me. We'll have to see how that goes. 

Ok, so it's neat

 

Mom decided she'd better go through the papers on her credenza. She had to scan and then shred a few papers, go through some old receipts she kept in case she needed to return anything, and file a couple of things. It's all stuff she has to do to keep the Manor running smoothly. BUT... do you see what I see? 

Look closer at the picture. 

There are TWO clear glass antique canning jars on Mom's credenza. 

And they are EMPTY. 

They should be full of MY treats! 

What gives, Mom? Why are the treat jars empty? Don't you love little Deucie any longer? Was I bad?

No. I was not bad. You always tell me I'm a GOOD DOG! So why no treats in the jar, hmm? 

I don't know about this whole retirement thing. Mom says she'll be here to take care of me every day. That we'll be able to go on long walks and play in all the creeks. She can go to the store whenever she wants to make sure we don't run out of stuff. 

So... why no treats in my jars? 

Double for pancakes!

 

Mom. Dad.

Remember when I told you I'd snatch a donut one day? A whole donut? All for me! Well, it goes double for a stack of pancakes.

Pancakes! I love pancakes!

What do you mean I had a whole pancake with butter on it? I do not remember that. 

You'd better keep an eye on your plate.

Don't say you weren't warned. 

We had a busy weekend going green

Deuce stepping up to get a snack

My parents like to include me in just about everything they do. I even get to go along in the truck sometimes. That's one of my favorite things even though I know it's my job to keep an eye on the homefront when they have to run a few errands. Everyone needs a little break now and then, right? 

This past weekend Mom and Dad decided it was time to burn the brush pile. I get to help with outside work as long as I pay attention and keep out of the way of the tractor. I knew it was going to be a long day, so I took my orange ball with me so I'd have something to play with.

Dad got on the John Deere 1023 and Mom got on the John Deere x370 and off we went! There sure was a lot of green working in the woods! Green is the best! Green makes Mom and Dad pretty happy. 

Dad doesn't get on and off the tractor so it's easy to keep track of him. Mom? Mom jumps around a lot picking up sticks, raking around the fire, and spraying water around the fire ring. I have to really watch out for her when she has the hose. 

While Mom tended the fire, Dad used that wicked-looking thing called a Brush Crusher to pick up and carry old trees and branches that have been lying in the woods for years to the fire. Dad really likes the Brush Crusher because he can get a lot done with it, things that would never even be done at all if he didn't have it. Mom says it was a good investment. She knows about that stuff and Dad knows about tractor implements. 

The area we're cleaning up is what Mom and Dad always called the "wilderness area." They left everything to nature so the birds and deer and other critters could have safe cover. Well, the raccoon changed all that and I understand why. It seems like the wild things are getting too comfortable too close to the house so it's time to open up the area so they don't have places to hide. The critters will have to go down the other side of the hill.

It was two long days, but we got a lot done. And you know what the best part was? My parents remembered to take snackies along for me! 

It was hot, but fun

It really is a good thing the cicadas have gone! Mom decided we should go for a long walk yesterday morning before it got too hot. It was a good plan, but we still waited too long. It was hot! 

Mom's been curious about what's going on back the old homestead lane, and since it was Sunday and there wasn't any construction, we went to check it out. It turns out they're making the road wider and have been cutting down trees. Mom's not too happy about the big oak trees coming down. The road could have been widened so as not to harvest them, and that's probably what is going on. Why have the county come to look at options to strengthen our little bridge if they didn't plan to haul out logs that weigh tons and tons? 

Being that it was Sunday morning, and hot, Mom didn't think we'd see people, but we did. We saw people who did not see us. You know, if you're going to walk in the woods, you need a dog to go with you so he, or she, can alert you to the presence of other people in the woods. 

Seriously - don't be oblivious in the woods. It's not a good thing. 

And another thing. If you're walking in the woods with your dog and you meet someone walking their dog, it's not okay to assume the dogs will "play." I will not play. Playing is not my job. Protecting Mom is my job so don't get all insulted when I don't play with your dog. And do not stick your stinky hand in my face. You don't know me and I don't want to know you. Just smile and keep walking. Mom and I stopped to be polite and let you pass, not make a play date for me.  Have a little respect for a guy who takes his job seriously, okay? 

It was a good walk. The pond was full of marsh grasses and we didn't see any snakes. I got to play in every creek and Mom kept her paws...er...feet dry. 

Yep. Good walk.

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.

I feel neglected

 

I'm feeling a bit neglected lately. My parents are busy with a bunch of projects and they're ignoring me. Mom's been busy with her tomato seedlings, Dad's been cleaning the guns and designing a shooting range to be built into the hillside. They were both working on the new work/cook station on the patio. They've both been on the tractor and the mowers. 

Where has poor little Deucie been? Stuck in the house, that's where! 

It's not like I get in the way too often. I know to move when the tractor is headed in my direction. I know to move out of the way really fast if Mom has the water hose in her hand. She'll spray me! 

You know, this doesn't make any sense. I love, love, love jumping into the creek but I don't like getting sprayed with the hose. Huh. Does that make me odd? 

Mom told me she's about done with her projects and will take time to play with me more. I hope that means long walks! I'm ready! 

Mom and Dad work hard to make sure I have a good life. I have a nice rug on the patio now, and shady places to stretch out and relax while I keep an eye on everything. I guess I shouldn't complain when they leave me inside for my own protection. 

Then again, I'm Deuce. I'm smart. I'm also getting suspicious. 

They're going to grill steaks on that new Blackstone and if I'm inside, I won't get any. 

They're not getting away with this one! 

They gave me no warning!

Mom and Dad have this annoying little saying - live and learn. Uh-huh. I learned yesterday. 

I learned I do not like the drive-thru car wash. Nope. 

Yesterday, the parents needed to go to Lowe's. Now, I'm always up for a trip to the home improvement store. Like, up into my truck! I love, love, love my big blue truck! What was I saying?

Oh, yeah. Trip to Lowe's. It's a good thing. 

Mom opened my door for me, Dad got in to drive, and off we went. Then Mom told Dad she'd pay for it if he'd run the truck through the car wash. My truck really did have a thick yellow coating of pollen on it, for sure. I thought the words "car wash" sounded vaguely familiar, but I wasn't sure what she meant. 

I think I might remember next time. The car wash is a pretty scary place. 

It started out fine. We were in my truck and Dad never drives it into places he can't drive out of. Then there was a loud voice and an even louder beeping sound, and then water sprayed all over my truck until Dad stopped. He stopped in this tunnel! I didn't like that much. Then it got worse! 

These funky pillars with brushes started to move. The brushes started to spin and pound on my truck! I did not like this! But Mom and Dad sat there like it was the most normal thing in the world! Why?!

I started to growl and Mom put her hand on my chest and I know to shut up when she does that. 

And then it got worse!

The brushes stopped and Dad drove forward and these big vent things blew air and it was freaky loud. I did not like that sound at all! 

And do you know what the very worst of the worst was? I didn't even get a snackie for living through all that. 

***Note... Deuce, this is your Dad. What about that cheeseburger I bought you on the way home?***

I helped by staying out of the way!

Deuce helps make garden racks

The weather was great today! Not too cold, not too hot, just right for Mom, Dad, and me being outside. Mom had all this garden stuff she wanted to do and she needed Dad's expertise with the cordless drill to get it done today. I helped by staying out of the way. I mean, the sun was sooooo warm and my fur is black and it was sooooo nice to just flop in the grass and feel the warmth of the sun on my toes. 

We have an old pool pad beside the front porch. My parents used to put a pool on it but it's gotten sort of dangerous for Dad to climb in and out of a pool so Mom's using the spot for what she calls her garden corral. Dad helped put down a new tarp, build the racks, and get them set in place. 

Here's the problem with all this. So Mom is growing veggies. 

Peppers. I can't eat them.

Cucumbers. I don't like them.

Radishes. Yuk.

Spinach. Double yuk yuk! 

The Garden Corral ready to go

Carrots. Um... maybe, but probably not.

Lettuce- four kinds. No, no, no.

Peas. Nope.

Tomatoes. No.

Pumpkin. Yes! But I have to wait so long to get some!

Watermelon. Heck, yea!! Make me some frozen treats! 

Are Dad and I glad there's no kale on this list? YES!

So as you can see, there's not a lot for lil' ol' me to enjoy in the garden corral. I have a sneaky suspicion that if I forget myself and pee-pee on any of Mom's grow bags, I'll be in the deep doggie doo-doo. 

Tomorrow, Dad's getting on the John Deere 1023 and helping Mom do a few more things. Cousin Dave gave Mom some blocks to build a wall down on the turn of the driveway. Those careless Amazon delivery drivers have turned the corner into a muddy mess by driving up the bank. Mom and Dad say some nice concrete will stop them from being able to do that. It's a shame Mom won't let me scare any of the delivery drivers.

Not that I'd EVER scare Mary the Mail Lady. She's pretty cool. She likes me a lot and always gives me a treat. Plus, Dad says she knows how to drive slowly and is respectful of our lane, not like the Amazon drivers. Mom used to get my treats through an Amazon subscription and she canceled it because the drivers are so disrespectful. She told me not to worry, though. She can get my snackies at lots of other places. 

The thing is that if this silly garden corral makes Mom happy, Dad and I will go along with it. If Mom wants to make pickles, we want to watch. If Mom wants a big salad made with lettuce she grew in a grow bag, we'll stand back and let her enjoy it. And if Mom wants to raise a steer for steaks, we're all in!

How about it, Mom? Got any plans for beef?

****Note from Mom****

Sorry, baby. You know I'd turn a calf into a pet and then where would we be?

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?

I did my best to be charming, and it worked!

No doubt about it, I'm a good dog. Mom and Dad tell me that all the time - every day, in fact! Sometimes I can be a bit bratty, but they don't mind. I think they just want me to be me. I'm down with that!

It's January and that means it's been really cold. Dad says we're going to get snow soon. He says we'll probably have snow on the ground when we wake up tomorrow. I hope I can sleep but I might get too excited. That could be bad. If I just doze and get too restless, then Mom wakes up and that's not a good thing. Mom doesn't like to be awake at 3:00 AM. 

Since it's going to snow... gee, I hope Dad is wrong about that. If it snows, Mom won't want to go for a long walk like we took today. We had fun today. Sure, it was cold, but Mom put on her long coat, a knit hat and gloves, and off we went. 

We didn't get far at all before we spotted Cousin Dave outside with that little heathen Sadie. She was misbehaving and not responding when Cousin Dave told her to come. She's really young and that's why she's just a nutter. Did I tell you she jumps all over me when she sees me? She does! And her paws are cold! Anyway, Mom told me to come, sit, and stay, so of course, I did. I sat at Mom's feet until Sadie did what she had to do and they went inside. Yep. I got snackies for that! 

Once they were inside, Mom and I continued our walk. We met two people walking on our trail, and then a guy on a bicycle. We were surprised to see people on our trail today because it was cold. Maybe they thought the same thing Mom did, that they'd better get outside before it snows. 

The guy on the bike said I was a good dog because I sat beside Mom until he passed. Once he was gone, Mom agreed! 

So if I'm so good, why wasn't Mom getting me a snackie out of her pocket? I thought I'd better ask, so I stared at her. She kept messing with her glove like she didn't get the message. So I offered up a paw and she took my picture. That's when I figured it out. Pictures and snackies don't happen with gloves on. 

I'm Deuce! I told you I'm a smart dog!