I am one busy dog!

I've been busy these last few months! Mom has been telling me we need to take a break and blog to let everyone know I'm still kicking. Take a break? Who is she kidding? I've been keeping her so busy she hasn't had time to blog for me. 

Seriously. I'm keeping her busy. We walk almost every day again, and I love it. Except for the fact Sadie goes along, that is. But I know how to avoid her, and Cousin Dave keeps her on the leash a lot. I don't need to be on the leash all the time because when Mom tells me to heel, I heel. She wouldn't tell me that if it wasn't important to do it until other people on the trails get past us. Apparently, I'm big enough to scare folks. That's funny! 

Mom and I go for a ride every afternoon, too. I've got to see all sorts of things. Do you know that cows are HUGE! And we've been working on firewood for weeks and weeks. I don't like the log splitter, but Mom says it's a handy-dandy thing to have. I find a sunny spot and relax to watch Mom work. 

Mom has something new for me almost every day. Most of the time it's fun, but sometimes I don't want to be "engaged." I want to sleep. I get happy when Mom settles at her computer and I can nap on the bed. I guess mental stimulation is a fine thing, but someone needs to explain to the vet that I'm almost ten years old and I need my beauty sleep. 

So there it is, Mom. Please let me get a good nap in today while you go blog for me. Okay?

Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, Deuce's Day, black Labrador Retriever, good dog, a writer's life, busy dog, dog walking, dog car ride, dog on bed, firewood, old dogs, country dogs, rural living

What's this thing?

What is this THING Mom and Cousin Dave left sitting in my yard? It's too ugly for yard art.  

I don't think I like it.

Mom says Cousin Dave is going to climb up in it and go way high in the air to cut the tops off of a bunch of trees. They agree the trees are too tall and too close to the den...er...house to be safe. 

I guess we do want to be safe when the wind blows. Mom says that eventually it'll all make firewood and that keeps us warm in the winter.

I guess it's okay the hoomans are doing this, but I don't think I want to watch. I'll just stay inside and snooze on the bed. 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, country lifestyle rural living, tree trimming, firewood, good dogs

I had to keep an eye on Mom

I worry about Mom. She does things like ride around on the tractor when no one else is around. Dad used to keep an eye on her, but now it's up to me. 

It's only February, but we've had two days that were warm. Mom said it was 58F yesterday, and it's going to be 58F again today. I don't know what that means, but I know the ground is still cold when I lie down, even in the sunshine. Anyway, Mom said it was warm enough and she went to work. I went with her, of course. 

Yesterday, she picked up all the downed sticks around the shed, the tractor park, and the greenhouse. I helped! Well, I did until she stopped giving the stick back to me and put it in the bucket of the John Deere 1023. After that, I took my stick a respectable distance away from her. 

Today, Mom finished moving a stack of maple firewood. Boring. Mom hired a guy to come in and cut down a big oak tree and she wanted to move the maple firewood out of the way. She said the stack isn't pretty, but she can't see if from her office window so she doesn't care. That is what we'll burn first next fall, so it'll work out. 

Did I mention it's boring when Mom does some of these things? I had my Frisbee and we played a little bit, but mostly I relaxed and watched her. I know not to run in front of the tractor when it's moving because I get yelled at for that. So I don't. I wait until it's parked before I come close to see what Mom's doing. I'm Deuce and I'm pretty darn smart about the tractor. 

I'm glad we got the job done and came back inside. The ground is really cold on my paws, and now that I'm nine years old, I'm not as tough as I used to be.  But I can still keep a close eye on Mom and keep her out of trouble.  

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, country dogs, rural living, John Deere 1023, firewood, good dogs, 

What's a bomb?

There have been some big goings-on around here lately. Mom and Dad are busy all the time and I'm feeling a bit neglected. Dad's been working in the shed at his bench, mowing grass, fixing stuff, and target shooting. Mom's been cleaning her garden, canning food (I don't like pears!), writing in her office, and killing a copperhead. Yeah, I don't like that snake part, but she did it. 

But the biggest thing that's been going on was the tree trimmer came back and cut down Mom's favorite poplar tree. That was sort of scary. Dad and I were in the house and when that tree hit the ground, Dad said it was like a bomb went off! 

Okay. What's a bomb? Have I ever had a bomb to play with? I'm Deuce and I'm pretty smart, but I don't know anything about bombs. Why haven't the parents taught me about them? What does Mom mean it's above my pay grade? They don't pay me! Maybe snackies are my pay.... Hmmm...

Anyway...

The poplar tree was huge! Dad used the Brush Crusher 4200 to move them around so he and Mom could clean up the yard. I stood beside one of them and it was taller than me! And Mom spent one whole day doing nothing but burning brush from that tree. I helped her for a little while, but it got boring so I went and took a nap on the patio. 

Now we have to do a thing called splitting firewood. I've been told I can't really help with that and I'll probably have to stay in the house. I don't like it when they do that to me, but Mom says it's so I stay safe. If I have to stay inside, I'm going to nap on the bed.

Mom says firewood will keep us warm this winter. I know how lucky that makes me. A lot of dogs don't have parents who care about them and they won't be warm. 

Yep. There's been a lot going on and I've been soooooo busy keeping up with everything. Mom and Dad look out for me and keep the snackies coming. It's a pretty good life for a boy like me. 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Lab, a writer's life, Labrador Retriever, country living, rural lifestyle, firewood, poplar tree, tree trimming, fall garden