My special screen door

We had a big day again today. Mom and Dad worked in the yard and I was with them every step of the way. 

We played Frisbee, pulled weeds, and burned a brush pile. Last year I was younger and they didn't allow me anywhere near a fire. I had to stay in my crate. This year I got to play in the woods nearby AND carry sticks to Mom. 

Mom always thinks about things I need. Now that we're in our new office, we have an outside door. If I need to go outside for 'you know', Mom can let me out right away. Well, apparently I was being a bit pesky by running in and out. I love sitting on the porch but then I'm not beside Mom. It's difficult to make up my mind sometimes.

That all changed today. Dad bought a fancy screen and Mom put it up today. It's pretty cool. It's two panels and the way they stay together is with magnets. All I have to do is push a little bit and it opens! Mom doesn't have to open the door for me now. I can do it myself. How cool is that? But I can only go in and out through the screen when Mom is in the office. 

After Mom and Dad got everything done they wanted for the day, it was nap time. Well, I took a nap. They watched a couple of episodes of Heartland. After supper, Dad drove us to this place that has ice cream. I had a puppy cup of vanilla and it was so good! I hope we get to go again. 

On the way back, Dad stopped so I could get in the creek and splash around for a couple of minutes. The water was really cold and I didn't play very long. 

It was a really busy day. We'll all sleep really well tonight.

Mom's writing today

Mom's on vacation this week which means she's home with me and Dad. I really like that. She said today was her "don't bother me I'm writing" day. 

I was a little worried about that idea. Sometimes I'm a bother even when I don't want to be. But Mom said it was okay for me to keep her company if I planned to be quiet and nap. So I did.

Then Dad came to fix the door because it was sticking in one corner. Too much damp weather caused it is what he said. After he fixed the door, he took a picture of me under Mom's desk. Mom really liked it because she never gets to see me under her desk from the front. 

Mom says I'm a good dog and she likes that I want to be with her. I like she wants me to be close to her. 

I'm Deuce. Helping Mom write is what I do.

I'm so tired of rainy weather

It's been raining for days and days and days. I'm so bored I don't know what to do with myself. And what's even worse, Mom's on vacation. If it wasn't raining, Mom would take me for long walks in the woods. She said I'm old enough now that she would take me back to the old pond. We can't go if it doesn't stop raining! 

The grass is wet when I go pee. It's so wet I slide when I catch the Frisbee or the ball. I've landed on my butt a few times because my paws slide out from under me. I do not like that. 

I went out on the porch and it's all wet. I looked up and the sky is not blue. I'm so tired of rainy days. 

I'm Deuce. I need the sunshine to be at my best.

No! No! This can't be right.

I heard Mom tell Dad I had an appointment with the vet next Friday morning for "booster shots." This is NOT a good thing. I hate needles. Mom had better have something good planned to make up for this. 

If I close my eyes, will this go away? If I can't see it, it can't hurt me, right?

It's all in a dog's day

It's been a busy week. Mom went to her day job office every day. I wish she could stay home with me, but she says she has to work in order to keep me in Frisbees and kibble. I like it when she can work from home. She doesn't get to do that nearly enough.

While Mom is away, Dad and I stick to our routine. I like to go back to bed with him for a little while so we can talk. Well, he talks and I listen and then we get up. Dad lets me out again if Mom reported I didn't do all my outside activities. After coffee, Dad gets dressed and we go out together to play Frisbee. Dad sits in his fancy chair and we walk out and back in the lane so I can check on everything.

Before lunch, we do Frisbee again. After lunch we Frisbee and walk. This is my third walk because Mom and I walk before she goes to her pesky day job. Then it's nap time. (Oh no! I wasn't supposed to tell Mom about our nap time!) After that, Mom comes home and it's always a surprise as to what the evening brings. We might play ball, or go for another walk, or even go check out how cold the water is in the creek. We did that last night.

I like my routine. It's good to know what the day will bring and it makes going for rides with Dad more special since they don't happen all the time. Mom says her spring vacation is coming soon and we'll do fun things like go down to the aqueduct to swim. It'll be great to have Mom home even if it will bust my routine to smithereens. That's a new word Mom used. 

Dad says this summer I'll be able to help him outside more. Last summer I was just a little guy and had to stay in my crate while he mowed and stuff. Dad says as long as I don't wander off on my own, I can hang out in the yard with him. I'm good with that.

I'm Deuce. Keeping an eye on Dad is what I do. 

My new spot

Mom moved her office to the sunroom and it's working out pretty well. This past week she got a three-piece rug set for me. Well, it was to decorate the office, or so she says, but it works out really well for me. She said my toenails would be hard on the pine floors. I didn't understand why, but if Mom says so, that's good enough for me. 

The big rug is under the desk and chair and that makes it perfect for little 'ole me. I now have a nice cushy spot to nap while Mom writes. She even tickles me with her toes sometimes, if I'm lying the right way. 

Anyway, Mom took a picture of what she saw when she looked down to check on me this morning while I was napping. I'm glad she did because now I know to be more careful with my tail! 

PS. Mom says this is our 100th blog together. I wonder how she knows that? 

We have a new office

Mom decided to move her office to the sunroom and I think it was a great idea. The sunroom has windows for me to look out and keep an eye on those skanky deer. The windows in Mom's old office were too high. I had to put my paws on the window sill to look out and Mom did not like me to do that. 

Anyway, Mom leaves the blinds up so I can stretch out in front of the door and have a good view. 

It wasn't much fun when Mom was moving furniture. She was a real bear. It must have been hard work maneuvering all that heavy awkward stuff in and out of doors. I wasn't much help at first. I got in the way and ended up in my crate for an hour. Then I understood - stay out of Mom's way when she's carrying stuff, sliding stuff, flipping stuff, and rearranging stuff. 

Another thing I really, really like is I can rest on Mom's bed and keep an eye on her. The sunroom was built on to her bedroom for her to have a private room. Last night I tried to get her to turn off the computer and come to bed, but she ignored me. So I took a nap on her pillow.

Mom says she needs to get a rug set, whatever that is, and then she'll be all settled in. Dad has to fix a piece of moulding that got broke - I did not do it.

I hope Mom likes her new office. I think we'll have a lot of fun watching all the critters and sitting on the porch. And of course writing, but I'll leave that to Mom. 

Maybe it should storm every night

It's been a really busy month. I've been doing all sorts of dog stuff - playing Frisbee, chasing my ball,
going for walks, barking at deer and stuff. Cousin Dave even brought Bella to meet me! I knew she was up on the hill - we talk back and forth a little bit - but that was the first time we met nose-to-nose. She's smaller than me, and her fur is longer, and she's pretty. Mom says I need to look in a mirror because I'm rather handsome myself. 

I didn't sleep too well last night. I heard Mom and Dad say we might get a thunderstorm. I wasn't sure what that was, but I know now. We were a snuggled down in bed - me, Mom and Dad - and all at once there was a bright light and a bang and the whole house shook! 

Well, right away I jumped up and barked. My job is to protect Mom and Dad at night. Mom woke up and told me to come lie down beside her on her pillow, that it was only a storm. I trust Mom and if she's not worried, I'm not worried. I put my head on the pillow and rolled onto my back so Mom could rub my belly. I love it when she does that! 

She whispered to me about the storm, how I was a really good boy to ignore it. I think she whispered so Dad wouldn't wake up but it tickled my ear. 

Maybe it would be okay if we got a storm every night. It would give me a reason to cuddle with Mom. I mean, I'm all grown up now. I'm the big dog on the mountain. Cuddling is for pups, right? 

Maybe it's okay during a storm and Mom is awake. After all, she needs me to keep her safe. 

A snake is not a turtle

One day last year, when I was just a pup, Mom and I saw a turtle while we were out for a walk. It was pretty cool. Mom told me how when she was growing up she saw turtles all the time. Now - not so often.

Today, Mom looked out the window and told Dad to grab my collar and not let go. I didn't like the sound of that at all. Then Mom ran outside to see if she needed to put a bullet in the gun, and I liked the sound of that even less. 

It turns out Mom saw a big snake, and if it had been a Copperhead that near the house, she would have killed it. A Copperhead snake is poisonous and could kill me. (I don't think I'd like that.) Anyway, it was a Black snake and Mom took a picture of it and then chased it away. 

She said Black snakes eat mice and moles, and while it might bite me if I annoy it too badly, it won't kill me. (I don't like the idea of anything biting me, especially on the nose!)

Mom said it was ready to shed its skin and I should leave it be. Shed its skin? Really? Snakes are stranger than turtles! 

I'll be on the lookout for the snake this summer. Mom says if I see it, I should bark. I can do that. 

I'm Deuce. I have the loudest, biggest, badest bark on the mountain. Everyone WILL hear me.

Riding in Mom's car

Mom and Dad really do listen to me! They were sorry they left me home alone this morning and they took me for a ride in Mom's car! I even got to stick my nose out the window before we got on the highway. 

IN MOM'S CAR!!!!

I don't get to ride in Mom's car much. I go along all the time in Dad's pickup, but not the car. I had so much fun!  Well, I didn't like having to wear a harness and be hooked to the seatbelt, but it didn't hurt me to tolerate it. We went all the way to Clear Spring and back!

I saw cows, horses and this ugly thing Mom called the Easter Bunny. It was standing outside of Denny's Restaurant waving at everyone. I might have bad dreams about that. It didn't look like any bunny I've ever seen! It was as big as a person! 

Mom says we can go for a drive in the car again soon. I'd like that. I just hope the Easter Bunny isn't out again. Talk about something to creep out even a brave dog like me! 

I'm Deuce, and I know creepy when it waves at me.