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

Thirty Days of Deuce: Day 21 - I'm tired of having cold paws

Can I whine? 

I'm a pretty tough guy. I've been outside in hot sun, rain, snow, ice, wind - it's what guys do when they have to go...you know.  It's not a problem. But I gotta tell ya, I'm tired of my paws being cold. 

You won't see Mom going outside without her shoes or slippers unless it's the middle of summer. I'm Deuce. I'm a dog. I don't have shoes. My paws might be furry, but they still get cold. 

Take today, for instance. It was a sunny day, but it didn't get very warm. Dad and I went outside about three-thirty. We went in and out the lane, and there was still ice over the gravel. Ice is cold.  We'd only been back inside for a few minutes and then Mom came home and we went back out the lane again. Over the ice. 

I think I'm ready for spring, but Mom is shaking her head at me. She reminded me spring means rain and mud and tracking mud into the house is not a good thing. Maybe she's right. Wet paws stay cold longer. 

Then again, spring means jumping in the creek. Almost all of me will be wet.

You know what, Mom? Bring on spring!! 

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 10 - Winter is boring

I'm tired of winter. My paws get cold when I go outside. And the squirrels aren't always out playing. I like to watch them and even chase them, sometimes. Winter is awfully boring. 

But there's hope! This morning Mom and I saw a chipmunk! He was a fast little sucker. Mom wondered what he was doing awake and outside his nest running around. It's supposed to get warm today, maybe in the fifties, so maybe the little bugger wanted to get a headstart on collecting more acorns. 

Anyway, I sniffed all over the ground where I saw him, but he'd vanished - again. I think I've seen him right there at that spot before. There was nothing to do but finish our walk and go back inside the house and wait for the sun to rise over the mountain. When that happens, maybe I can convince Dad to take me back outside. 

Winter is soooooooo boring.