This is getting old -the snow, not me

This snow thing is getting old. The snow, not me. Okay, so I'm SIX now, but that's not old, even in dog years. 

The thing is we had snow last weekend and that was fine. Mom and I got to play some and it was all good. But this morning I'm feeling grumpy. The snow was cold on my paws and I just didn't need to, you know, pee-pee all that bad so I was not stepping off the walk.

Does that make me a bad dog? Mom didn't say that. She just laughed and took a short video. 

I'm sooooo glad I can amuse Mom on a daily basis. 

Thirty Days of Deuce: Day 19 did not go as planned

The day started out really fun! Mom was up and dressed early. We went outside so she could check the weather. We went over to the brush pile and Mom lit a piece of starter stick to test the wind. It was a "no go." There was too much wind to burn even though the ground was covered with sleet and really frozen. And I mean frozen, too. It was slippery under my paws.

While we were outside, Loki started to stalk me. Mom wants me to play nice with that skanky cat so I tried. But he attacked me like he always does. I chased him up on the porch but I didn't try very hard to catch him. He wanted me to chase him so Mom said I wasn't being bad. She can tell when he instigates crap. 

Anyway, since we couldn't burn, Mom said we should bake cookies. That sounded like a really good idea to me. We made regular sugar cookies and then sugar cookies with lemon juice and zest added. Me and Dad don't like those all that much but Mom loves them. After baking cookies, we watched tv for a little while and then it was time for supper.

Mom had supper on the stove and then things went sideways. The electricity went out. Mom went outside to start the generator, but Dad didn't have much gasoline in it. This didn't make anyone very happy. Dad doesn't like Mom to play with his toys but Mom knows what she's doing. 

Once the generator was started it was too late for the rigatoni. It was a mushy, soggy mess and Mom didn't like it. I think Dad knew better than to say anything. I found a spot and parked my butt out of the way for the duration. I think this made me smarter than Dad. 

The power finally came back on and Mom had to stop the generator and flip the switches back. I don't think Dad tried to find out what happened and Mom doesn't really care. All she cares about is that making sure the gas cans are full is just one more thing she has to take care of now. 

So the day didn't go as planned at all. It's okay. We stayed warm and we had food even if it was mushy. Tomorrow is another day. 

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. 

Thirty Days of Deuce - Day 7 - Just me and Dad again

January 6, 2017

It's a Tuesday and Mom had to go back to work. Her schedule will go back to normal now. She says "more or less" normal and I think I know what's going on. Mom wants to be home with me and Dad all the time. I think she's planning something. 

It's really quiet when Mom is not home. Dad and I watch TV a lot, and he plays on his computer. It's too cold for him to be outside. He'll take me out a couple of times a day, but he won't stay out. I could stay out for a little while without him and sniff around the back yard, but it's no fun if he's not with me. 

Mom asked me if I remembered my very first snow. It was three years ago yesterday. We went out before the sun came up to play in it. Mom threw the Frisbee for me. I miss being able to play with the Frisbee, but it would damage my leg more so I can't. Mom lets me chew on one every now and again, though. 

We were talking about snow when we went to bed last night. When we walked down to get the mail yesterday, Cousin Dave told Mom the roads had been brined and she said it was okay, that she was taking the truck to work whether it snowed or not. 

I knew it! I'm not going to get a ride today. Bummer, dude.

***January 7th Note from Mom: It did indeed begin to snow between eleven and noon on January 7. Deuce's Dad reported they've been outside to see the snow. 

It's really a thing

It snowed a little bit again this morning, and I discovered Mom's obsession with snow is really a thing. Out the door we went and she took her phone so she could take pictures. Yeah, taking pictures of lil' ol' me is a real thing, too. (I don't mind.)

Just like the other day, there wasn't a lot of snow. The lane was clear so Mom could take her car to work. She says her car is worthless in the snow and when we have a lot of snow, she takes my pickup. I mean, DAD'S pickup. It has 4-wheel drive. Mom's car has a rear-wheel drive. 

I'm Deuce. I'm a dog. I don't know what that all means, but Mom does so I'm good with it. 

I keep an eye on Mom when we're outside. I don't know why she'd want to take pictures of a woodpile, but that's Mom. She said she liked the shapes with the snow on them. I was going to show her what I thought they were good for, but Mom said "no yellow snow" in her pictures. 

The snow didn't last long. By the time Dad and I went outside for our first walk, it was gone. It'll come again soon. Mom and Dad put the snowblower on the John Deere 1023, so I know it will snow bunches sooner or later. 

I guess when that happens, Mom will take more pictures, and I need to make sure they're all of me. 

Three is just a number

I'm three years old now! Is that old in dog years? Mom and Dad don't think so. They talk about stuff and say I'm still a young dog. Well, I'm old enough to know snow is really cold on my paws. Is it spring yet?

I turned three on January 14. It was a quiet event. Mom had to work. Dad's home health care folks came in. His nurse scratched my belly and he ratted me out to Mom. Mom acted all insulted that I let some strange woman rub my tummy, but I know better. She doesn't really mind. She likes that I'm friendly when people come in. 

I'm friendly. I do not jump up on people. I'm too well-mannered for that. Mom brought me up right, you know. 

Mom and Dad are worried about me. Mom is convinced there's something more wrong with my leg than a torn cruciate. They keep talking about my hips and it sort of scares me. What's an X-ray? Does it hurt?

Dad had surgery and it hasn't been any fun for any of us. He can't take me outside now, so I have to go out and pee by myself.  What if I have to have surgery? Who is going to take care of me while Mom is at work? Dad's in no shape to do it. 

It makes Mom really sad. 

She talks to me at night after we go to bed and sometimes she cries and tells me she's so sorry my leg hurts. I don't blame her, though. It wasn't her fault I ran so hard and jumped so high I hurt myself. It doesn't matter because she still blames herself. She says surgery will be very hard on me because I can't tell her how I really feel. 

I guess if the vet says I need surgery, Mom will find a way to make it happen. I trust her to take care of me. I really want to live long enough to be a wise old dog. Mom said she'd like that. 

Is the sun ever going to shine again?

I don't think February has been much fun. It snowed one day which was okay, but it mostly rained. Rain is soooo boring. Mom and Dad take me outside but rain when it's cold outside isn't fun for anyone.

Heck, I didn't do enough of anything to put it all together and blog. Mom and Dad watched the Daytona 500. The meat and cheese plate was a good thing if you ask me. I enjoyed getting bites of everything.

Dad watched a lot of television this month. I slept on the couch to keep him company.

Mom spent a lot of evenings in her office this month. She's been writing which makes her feel good. She really likes it when I nap under her desk. She tucks her toes under me to keep them warm. It's pretty cool when she wiggles them. Sometimes we play footsies. I just have to be careful not to scratch her with a claw. 

I heard her tell Dad she wishes she could concentrate better, that she has too much on the go at one time. Mom really wants to retire so she can be home with us. I'd like that a lot. We'd have time to go for a real walk every day instead of just in and out the lane a couple of times a day when it's almost dark. Walking in the woods is a lot more fun. Mom says summer's coming and we'll have more daylight so I need to be patient. I'm better with that than I used to be.

Speaking of walking down the lane, Bella was out in Cousin Dave's yard this morning and we got to say hello to each other. Now that she's all grown up I hope we can play more this summer. I'm a lot bigger than her but I know how to let her think she's the boss. You have to do that with females from another pack.

I hope March is more fun than February. I don't like being bored.