Mom and Dad and me live way out in the country (yeah, Loki is here, too). It's a great place to be a dog! I don't need to be on a leash and I can pee wherever I feel like. Well, not on Mom's car tires, but just about anywhere else. I know how lucky I am to have so much freedom. A lot of dogs can't run free.
Mom and Dad both walk with me a couple of times a day. Mom would like to go on one long walk, but she knows my leg can't take that much stress all at once. I have a torn cruciate, you know. It doesn't bother me unless I run too much or run too hard. Mom and Dad make me behave. Anyway, we go for several shorter walks a day and my leg is fine.
I remind Mom to stop and enjoy life. One of the things she really likes is the wild dogwood tree that grows on the bank. It is pretty right now, but I don't get it. DOGwood? I don't see any other dogs. Lots of white flowers, sure. But dogs? Nope.
I was curious so I asked Mom to look it up on that computer she has. Her computer knows all sorts of stuff. I know because she reads the articles to me. I do my best to look interested - and I am. All sorts of words I know are in those articles. They don't make a lot of sense, but I know it for sure when I hear "dog," "good," "food," and a bunch of other words.
So Mom looked it up and it turns out there doesn't seem to be a definitive reason the dogwood tree is called a dogwood tree. One possibility is that it may have been a Celtic word, "dag," or "dagga," and become "dog" over the years. That's like a lot of human stuff that just doesn't make sense to lil' ol' me.
That's okay. I'm Deuce and Mom says I'm a good dog just the way I am. Even if I don't have anything to do with a tree.
Except to pee on it.
Okay. What does "dorky" mean? Mom said I looked a little dorky this afternoon. All I was doing was taking a little snooze in front of her chair. Apparently, that's all it takes for her to snap a picture.
She said, "Puppy, you look like you have flippers instead of paws."
I love it when she calls me "Puppy!" Being called Puppy is a good thing! It's one of those pack things for just us.
It's a good thing that I made Mom smile, but honestly, I do not have flippers. I'm not a dolphin. I know what they are because I saw them on the television.
Next time I want to take a little snooze, I'll do it behind Mom's chair where she can't see me.
It's been a little strange around the manor the past two weeks. Something weird is going on because Mom has been home a lot lately. Like, seriously a lot. I like it, but it hasn't been all the fun you'd think it would be. Mom and Dad keep talking about getting or not getting "COVID-19." I don't know what that is, but it better not be another skanky cat. Loki is enough!
Our pack is fine the size it is, even with Loki. I guess he's not really much trouble. I even allow him to sleep with me some nights as long as he doesn't get between me and Mom.
Mom does something called "telecommuting." I think all that means is she does stuff for her job from home. That's nothing new, though. She's always done that. She says she can do more and do it better from home since Dad and I keep quiet and let her work. That doesn't happen at her office in town. I give telecommuting my paw print of approval, especially if it will keep Mom and Dad from getting COVID-19.
One thing I don't get is why Mom isn't bowling. Bowling is her thing. She even gave me one of her old bowling balls to play with! I love to bowl, too! It's a lot of fun. Maybe Mom will get the ball out for me today. That would be so cool!
Yesterday, Mom sprinkled grass seed all over the front yard. The day before yesterday, Mom and Dad took the John Deere 1023 around the yard and cut off a bunch of low-hanging branches. They burned a little brush pile that was really on cousin Dave's property so Dad can mow that spot. I got to help them once the fire was going, but I wasn't allowed to help them prune branches. It seems I'm not real good at watching what's happening over my head.
There's more to do. I heard Mom say she wants Dad to take the backhoe and scrape out a shallow trench along the back stone fence so she can separate daffodils and have more bloom next year. I don't get it. We have a lot of daffodils already. Why does Mom need more?
It's worrisome. If Mom likes to have more of what she loves, does that mean she wants another puppy? Or another cat?
Or worse, does she want a frog??? The peeper frogs were finally singing last night and Mom told me she loves to hear them because it means the cold weather is really over until next winter. I'm saying no to frogs. No, no, no.
I'd better pay closer attention to what's really going on around here! I need to head Mom off at the pass!
* * * * *
Note from Mom: Deuce is only four and he doesn't need to know everything about the COVID-19 epidemic. We don't want to worry him. If the worst happens, we'll explain to him he might have to go live with cousin Dave, but until that becomes a possibility, we want him to be a happy four-year-old.
What a day we had! I'm bushed. All I want to do is go to bed but Mom says we should blog first. I guess I can stay awake for another ten minutes. I mean, I don't really tell time but Mom said ten minutes so I'm going go with that.
The day started out a little slow. We didn't get up until almost eight o'clock this morning. That's late for me and Mom. So we went outside so I could do all my outside activities, and then Mom and Dad had coffee and we had breakfast. I love, love, love sausage casserole! I mean - sausage! What's not to love?
So Dad checked the weather and we decided it was a good day to burn the brush pile. This can be sort of boring for me. Mom and Dad are really busy to get the fire going, and once it is, they just sit on the John Deere 1023E and the JD 370 and watch it burn. Boring.
But not today! Mom got one of my squeaky balls out of the basket and let me take it outside! I never get to take toys outside, so this was really cool. I made that ball squeal! Then Dad played ball with me for a little while. Heck, I rolled in the leaves and then rolled some more. Then played ball again.
And then we had Sloppy Joe's for supper! Hamburger! What's not to love??
What a day! Now it's time to go to bed and I don't know if I have the energy to jump up onto the bed. I'm really knackered. Maybe I can convince Mom to set the ramp up for me tonight. It's a little wimpy of me, but I don't care.
So how about it, Mom? I was a good dog today. Help me up onto the bed?
The entire pack was home today to enjoy a beautiful day. It was so warm I trotted down and jumped into the creek. Boy, that water was c-c-cold! I liked it! And it was really cool that Dad went with me and Mom down to the creek. He only recently started taking his chair down the hill. Don't know why, but I guess since he's a pack leader he doesn't need to tell me.
Mom went to town first thing this morning to finish doing Grandma's taxes. I'm a dog and I don't need to know what that means, either. I do know Mom was sort of, you know, pissed off. The lady told Mom she didn't have some form and Mom knew she did. Turns out Mom was correct so the trip to town was just wasted gasoline. Mom hates that. She does pay attention to something called her carbon footprint. If it's necessary, she doesn't mind going, but when it's not... Mom gets formidable.
Then it was more about gasoline. Mom and Dad gassed-up the mowers and topped off the tank in the John Deere 1023. Then we loaded the gas cans in the back of Dad's Silverado and went to the gas station. Mom filled the cans and the tank of the truck. I can't get out at the gas station but I get to hang my head out the window and watch.
On the way home, Dad left my window down because it was 70F and really nice. My nose was really busy! There were a lot of new spring smells to take in. Then Mom leaned back and took my picture. My humans are just way too camera-crazy. It was a really fun outing for me.
What a day! I got in the creek, went for a ride, and we had pizza for dinner!
It's good to be ME!!!!
I get my picture taken a lot. Mom and Dad are snap-happy when it comes to lil' ol' me.
Seriously, folks. I'm not kidding about this.
The other day, we were outside putting a bed cover on my new Colorado, and Mom took a picture of my reflection! My reflection! Now, if that's not a sign that my human pack members are picture-taking-crazy, I don't know what is.
On the other hand, it was a picture of me and I am their favorite subject when it comes to taking pictures.
You know. Just saying.
Mom wrote a poem about me! Of course, she did because I'm Deuce! I'm her best guy! She posted it over at her writing blog but Dad convinced her to put it here, too.
I think Mom must really love me.
* * * * * * * *
He and Me
February 29, 2020
Silently it prowls on the mountain, this misty fog,
Blanketing the winter world in stillness.
The trees stand as sentinels,
unwavering and ghostly,
Watchers across the speeding years,
they can be no less.
Inside we sit, shoulder to knee,
sleek black head resting, eyes alert.
Outside the wet gray squirrels
rummage under his sharp gaze.
Whiskey brown orbs reveal the
dog’s interest, albeit covert,
No better companion could I ask for on this softening afternoon.
Daylight wans else we’d take to the woods
for a walk, and to talk.
He listens attentively to each word I utter,
praise to his beauty among them.
It needs wait for a warmer day to find a
bushy-tailed critter to stalk.
A starless night shrouds the outside world,
but we are content to breathe, he and me.
KC Kendricks
When Mom and Dad talk, I listen. I'm right there with them. I might be on the floor, but I hear everything. It seems spring is coming, and so is something called daylight saving time. Sounds hokey to me. How can anyone save daylight or time? Humans...
Mom mentioned it again this morning when we took our walk. I don't get how it will be daylight longer in the evenings, but Mom seems pretty happy about it. I'll just go with the flow since she says it's a good thing.
This Sunday past, Mom and Dad took the snowblower off the John Deere. Mom wasn't one-hundred percent sure about it, but it happened. There's a lot that needs to be done and Mom needs the bucket on the tractor to do it. Even now there are three little felled trees that need cut up and the wood stacked and Mom and Dad need the bucket for that. Plus, Dad needs to spread some gravel on the lane. Don't tell him I peed on the pile of stone this morning. My bad...
I don't get to ride on the John Deere. I can trot along behind it, but never in front of it. If I get in front of it, my parents yell at me and make me go inside the house alone. I don't like it, so I behave. I'm Deuce and I'm a good dog!
We really do have a lot to do. The running boards need to go on my little black truck, and Dad ordered a cover for the bed. It's not the kind of bed I can snooze in, though. Mom has to go get some straw so she can scatter grass seed in the back yard. Grandma's house is under contract to be sold and I guess I won't be going over there anymore. Mom is sad about that but Dad and me are here for her.
Then there are some solar-powered motion-sensor floodlights going up. It seems I wander a bit when Mom and I go out before bed so I can do, you know. Dark shadows, black dog. Mom isn't pleased when I sort of disappear into the night. I get a little shy, ok??
So the human pack members have a lot to do, which means I have a long stretch of guard duty ahead of me. That's my job. Keep watch on them while they work. Yep. I can do that.
Well, they did it. It wasn't what I expected, but I like it! IT'S BLACK LIKE ME!!!!!
I barked like a big dog when it pulled up and parked in my driveway. An unknown vehicle is a reason to make a lot of noise and I did. Dad said he heard me even before he opened the truck door.
Seriously, I'm going to look goooood riding in the new Colorado Z71. Like really good. And the interior is black so I can shed all I want to and it won't show. This is a good thing because I shed a lot and all over everything. Just this morning Mom told me to get my furry face off her pillow. Can you imagine her saying that?
I wonder what Mom will name this one?
I haven't ridden in the Colorado yet. Mom says it will be different. Instead of folding the seats up, she'll fold them down to give me maximum room and so I can stick my face out the little rear window hatch. That sounds like fun.
So maybe I'll get a ride on Saturday. It gets dark by six o'clock and Dad's correct. We need daylight to have a really good time. I'm a smart dog (ask Mom, she'll tell you).
Saturday is a good day for an outing. I'll be counting down the minutes!
This is getting old. Mom and Dad are bolting out of here again today. I thought I was going to get to go along. They keep saying "truck." It's truck this and truck that. Am I going for a ride?
NOOOOOOOOOO.
They did this to me before. They left in my very first truck, a really nice and roomy silver truck, and came home with a big blue monster that shows every little hair I shed. Dad sighs when I shed in his truck, but I can't help it. Shed happens, you know.
I've got the scoop on it. I listened really close to what Mom was saying. They want to get rid of the little red truck that belonged to Jack and bring home another truck. I never ride in that one. It's way too small for me to get in the back. Dad even took the seats out and I didn't have enough room.
This will be Mom's truck but Dad will be allowed to drive it. And of course, I will be allowed to ride in it. This is a good thing!
I hope they won't be gone too long. I'm Deuce, and I'm a good dog, but the last time took hours and hours and I really had to pee-pee by the time they got back.
Hurry up, guys! Get it done so I can ride in a new Colorado!
Mom and Dad and me live way out in the country (yeah, Loki is here, too). It's a great place to be a dog! I don't need to be on a leash and I can pee wherever I feel like. Well, not on Mom's car tires, but just about anywhere else. I know how lucky I am to have so much freedom. A lot of dogs can't run free. 
