(127) Out and About in the Neighborwood

Wasn't this the most beautiful day yet? The temperatures were in the 70’s and the humidity was low. I went to work early today and on the drive through the country I just kept thinking about how green everything was and how tall the corn is now. We haven’t even reached the 4th of July yet and I’d be the corn is 6 feet tall. With all of the technology and genetic manipulation that farmers now have available I’d bet the old adage doesn’t fit any longer. When I was a little kid we use to check to see whose knee’s the corn was as taller than on the Fourth of July. It meant that you were really one of the big kids when you were taller than the corn on the Fourth. Now it seems that in a good year its knee high by April 4th. I decided on my way to work that I should take Beeks for a walk today since it was so nice. After I got off of work I wasn’t so enthusiastic to get outside and walk. Lazy is what it was. I opened up the house to get some fresh air and a cross breeze. This let to me sitting on the back porch and not wanting to move. Don’t worry, I am a child of guilt so I eventually got my body in motion and put my shoes on (a sure signal to Beeks that we’re going somewhere). After that he physically motivates me to get a move on. Read… “Come on Come on, Come on!” By the time we returned I was glad that we went and that I had done something good for Beeks and for myself. It’s just so darn hard to take that first step. Brad and I still take the dogs walking when he gets home from work most evenings but sometimes it is just too hot and humid or he is just too late getting home and I’m already done with my day. I know that Max likes going on walks but sometimes it is just too hot for his long haired body. Beeks on the other hand needs a good walk every day and sometimes he could use even two. We had an interesting encounter on our walk. As we walk around the neighborhood we often encounter dogs barking from houses, back yards and sometimes even in yards on electric fences. Today, a dog that we have seen before and is usually in it's electronic fenced yard, came right across the road to meet and greet Beeker. Okay, this was not too much of a concern for me because it is a young lab and it was wagging its tale as it lopped out to greet us. Bodies were smelled and then Beeks started to growl in a low growl. I pulled him back away from the other dog since he had his gentle leader on. Beeks pulled back toward the lab and I thought they were going to get on friendlier terms but Beeks did it again, he growled. The lab reacted by rolling over like he should do since he was younger but I was taken aback by Beeker’s behavior. He was so rude! I’m telling you, Beeks gets along great with others at the dog parks when he isn’t on a leash and on equal terms with other dogs. He got along fantastic on the beach with all of the other unleashed dogs. But still… This and his car antics when he goes doggie nutso when he sees other dogs.
Now that I’m back home, I can relax on the back porch and enjoy the rest of the evening. I’d say it’s almost perfect. The breeze is flowing through the house and the mosquitoes aren’t getting through.

The Hawks have been making a lot of racket since I got home. Almost a "Mew". This got our attention to look in the direction of their nest. Chez sat up on top of the bench and the dogs and I just looked in the general direction. After I got back from feeding the dogs their dinner, I looked up to where their nest should be. There on the edge of the nest (yes, I can see it somehow from the porch) were four hawks! Just imagine how excited I was to watch them. The racket that I heard must have been George bringing food back to the nest for the family. All four were sitting on the rim of the nest and then one of them (white underbelly-Juvenile?) flew off to the branch we saw it sitting on yesterday morning. (click on the pictures to enlarge and view a better picture of the hawk) It’s so exciting to listen to them, and even more exciting to be able to watch them with their young! Right now they are all sitting on branches near the nest. Kind of like an after dinner family chat in the family room.

(126) To Hunt and To Be Hunted

I got a wonderful awakening this morning. Brad excitedly woke me to tell me that he could see one of the hawks feeding one of the young babies. I jumped up and at first had a difficult time seeing what he was talking about due to my drowsiness and the denseness of the trees. Then I saw them. A smaller white breasted hawk was ripping meat with her talons. The piece of meat was large enough that I could see how big it was from our bedroom window. It must have been either a squirrel or a rabbit. She/he was feeding the meat to another hawk, which was moving up and down the tree limb. Was it George feeding Gracie who was going to the nest to feed the babies? Or was it Gracie who was feeding the babies right there on the limb? We got out the binoculars to see if we could see them better and we did but trying to get a better view for a picture was not possible. We enjoyed this early morning treat none the less.
Beeks and I headed outside to make our way around the yard for our morning walkabout and when we got to the back yard I decided to step up on the deck to see if I could make out the hawks nest any better than I was able to inside. I looked up and there not 15 feet above me was one of the Hawks. The same one that was tearing up the meat earlier. It was beautiful! The Cooper’s Hawk looks so regal sitting still up on a tree branch. I immediately went back inside, leaving Beeker because I didn’t want to make too much noise by calling him. I got my camera then headed back to the deck. It was still there. In my excitement to get an enlarged photo of this beautiful bird, I took three zoom photos which unfortunately didn’t come out clear at all. Pooh! I moved off the deck and Beeks followed to cruise under the tree line where he likes to smell the moist ground for any animal or creature smells from the previous night. He went right for the base of the tree where the Hawks have their nest. He was intent on smelling something that I assume was the remnants of the animal food just eaten. He didn’t want to come when I called him and it took three “come alongs” to get his attention.

Chez our cat and Beeks have been playing together lately. This morning, Chez approached Beeks cautiously in a sideways movement. Sort of like a Halloween cat. He came up very close to where Beeks was laying and just stood there. Beeks got up from where he was laying and pawed at Chez. His pawing was so gentle and slow that it reminded me more of a pat than anything else. Chez gave him the old evil eye, then slunk into the dining room where the dogs are not allowed to go(smart cat). Then Chez Meowed loudly in a conversation type way.I don’t know how else to describe the volume and pitch that he used. He was calling Beeks to play with him. Beeks understood it that way too. He raced around the house to get to the other entrance to the dining room. Chez was ready for him and jumped up on the staircase to taunt Beeks. Beeks just sat there. Slowly Chez came down the stairs just enough to fit through the stair rungs. He stuck his head out and meowed again. This time Beeks was not going to be taken. He turned his whole body around and looked the other way. Chez came down the stairs and chased Beeker! Yes, the cat chased the dog. Beeks loves this kind of thoughtful playing. The give and take, the hide and keep hidden, the hunt and be hunted.

(125) Giving Us the Rasberries

The mosquitoes were out in full force this morning but we went on our walkabout anyway. Beeks doesn’t seem to mind them. I guess his hair protects him from their pesky bothersome biting and hovering. I on the other hand find them very annoying, so I quicky made my way around the yard looking at my favorite plants and then hurried inside. As I was checking the bushes that my sister had given me earlier in the spring I noticed that the “stick” of snowball Viburnum was anything but. It has really grown so I looked closer at the leaves that had sprouted at the top and there were clumps of berries growing near the top. Turns out she didn’t give me a stick of Snowball Viburnum, but rather a stick of Raspberry. It is growing three clumps of fruit right at the top. And its growing great. How cool is that?
We’ve been hearing the hawks lately. Screeching and squawking as they fly overhead. At first we thought we had seagulls in our neighborhood but when they flew over we could see that it was GeorgeNGracie. They continued for calling for some time. Made us wonder what is happening in their life. They are usually quiet when they fly.

From the J & J Barker Report…The picture of Jesse running came from one of his walks on the trail at Cascade Lake. My parents summer there and Juli and Jesse made it to their place on Sunday. Juli reports that Jess is having so much fun running (he runs ahead and then back to them, then ahead again, then back ) that he now has blisters on his paws. She thinks she is going to have to take him out of commission. I bet he is having the time of his life! Did I mention how jealous I am?

And to prove that old dogs can learn new tricks…When Juli and Jesse came to visit us last month they taught us something new. I’ve shared that Beeks and I like to frequent Dairy Queen for ice cream cones. Well, they showed us! Juli showed me how I can get ice cream cones at McDonalds for $1 AND at some Micky D’s they sell them for $.50. How is that for a deal? That means that I can get the some cone for ½ the price and still be able to share with Beeks. We can go to Mc D’s twice as many times! Cowabunga! Old Dogs love new tricks that benefit them. Beeks told me that as long as the ICC’s keep comin’ he doesn’t care where they come from.

(124) The Devil’s Slide and a Prairie Dog Tease

My sister Juli sent me the above picture from their westward travels. She called right after she sent the picture because she had a great story to go along with the picture. Turns out that when she stopped to take this picture, JesseJames was quite willing to get out of the car. However she had a difficult time getting him to pay attention, which is unusual for Jesse. He is highly trained after years of work on Juli’s part. He is such a Springer hunting dog that he loves the thrill of the chase. She finally got him settled and took the picture but as you can see, he is looking away and off to the side. What Juli didn’t realize and found out later when she looked around after the shoot is that at this rest stop there were hundreds of Prairie Dogs. The reason everyone was stopping was to watch the antics of the prairie dogs. Jesse was besides himself because he wanted to chase those squirrel like dogs so badly and yet he was such an obedient dog he listed to Juli. She said it was hilarious once she figured out what was going on.
We decided to take the dogs for a walk before the rains came. We looked at the weather and knew that the rains were a comin’. The temperature was 81 degrees at 9 AM this morning with 80% humidity. The weather map showed that rain was already in Illinois and so it was only a matter of time. So, we thought that we should get going, get in even a little walk before it was too late. So out we stepped. Both dogs were excited, we haven’t been on a walk together since we got back from Charleston. Maxie loves to go anywhere Brad goes and Beeks loves to go anywhere Max goes so it was all good. Except… we had only gotten down the lane half way when we heard it. We didn’t see it yet. The sun was shining to the east and yet we knew it was coming. Then it hit. It hit us like a wall of rain. Straight down like a sheet. Hard, large, drops of rain. Max loved it. It cooled him right down, he loves anything cool. Snow, Rain, cement floors. Beeks on the other hand was not happy in the least. His ears went back and he lowered his body so that he looked like he was slinking back down the lane. As soon as we got to the front yard, I released him from the leash and he took off. Straight to the front door. He didn’t even find a place to relieve himself. Did I mention that Beeks is a rain coward? The funniest part is that within 5 minutes of us getting inside and dried off the rains stopped abruptly, just as quickly as it started. What do you make of that?

(123) The Barker Report

Today started out hot and proceeded to get Damn Hot! We have a heat advisory which is interesting since temps are only supposed to get up to 90degrees today. I decided that I really wanted garden grown tomatoes so since this is Saturday and that means Farmers Market, Beeks and I got up and headed down town to see what we could find. I wanted to go early so that we could get there and back before it got too hot for either of us. We got to the market and were able to find fresh grown tomatoes but the price wasn’t very good. They were selling great beef steak tomatoes for $3 a pound. That ended up giving me just two tomatoes but I guess that will be enough to satisfy my hunger for tomatoes. I wish our yard was sunny enough to allow us to grow tomatoes but my one attempt to grow container tomatoes was a disaster. We had stringy plants and two tiny tomatoes, one of which never did turn red. So I am destined to buy farmers market tomatoes for $3 a pound. The real exercise was to take Beekeer to a crowded place with lots of people and dogs. He did great. He was curious of other dogs but he only pulled to meet them then he relaxed and walked with me. I’d give him a B+. His only issue in the whole experience was when we first started out, driving out of our lane when we met two dog walkers and four dogs walking opposite to us. Beeks did his Bark-o-Rama episode until we had passed the group, then settled down for the rest of our outing. My inclination is that he is defending the car from what he believes are a threat and as I remember Taylor Grandin suggesting that dogs and other animals are so specific when it comes to fears, I can only guess that Beeks learned from Max that when he is in the car he must defend the car from threats? Well it may not even matter why he does this action but I hope that we can figure out what to do about it. My yelling at him to quit barking or trying to shame him when it happens does not do anything to stop the behavior. I think he believes that I am just joining him in the excitement of barking.
My father sent me a link to a dog concert given in Australia. It does not give an audio of the music but it is interesting to think about how our culture has changed to the point that we are now so much more accepting of dogs as part of our society and families. Even as family members. The link is:
http://www.billboard.com/news/laurie-anderson-plays-concert-for-dogs-at-1004095775.story#/news/laurie-anderson-plays-concert-for-dogs-at-1004095775.story
Speaking of family members… My sister has just taken off for a drive across the country to Idaho (my parents are spending the summer there) and then on to Seattle (where her son and girlfriend live with Squiggles the IG). She is traveling with her dog JesseJames. I am so jealous! To be honest, she asked me if I wanted to travel with her, taking Beeks with me. I would have loved that, but we are so low on funds this year I couldn’t afford to go. I will just stay here and live vicariously through her and JesseJames. They will have a lot of fun and adventure together. She left yesterday and traveled to Omaha, where they stayed with a friend. JesseJames had to sleep in the car because the friend’s house was not dog friendly and Juli said she had a nightmare that her car got impounded and when she realized it had been impounded she called and located the car but couldn’t find her dog JesseJames. In the dream, she kept getting transferred to different departments that kept transferring her to other departments since a dog was found in the car and the car impound department was not in charge of dogs. I guess Juli was a little anxious about leaving her dog in the car over night. We laughed about it but it is a difficult situation to have to leave a cherished dog in the car. I will keep you updated on Juli and Jesse’s travels as they drive across the country, a sort of traveling update or The Barker Report.

(122) A Housing Opportunity or The Price is Right

Beeks and I got to spend the day together today. We haven’t gotten to do that for a long time. I’ve been working most everyday. Then we went to South Carolina and it seems like I’m never home. We decided to go garage saleing this morning. We checked out a few that were in our town and didn’t really find anything that we had to have. No dog toys, or clothes or bird houses or lawn tools.

There was one Estate Sale that we went to that was just down the street from us. The house has been up for sale for a few weeks. It is owned by an elderly man that we got to know a little bit when we go on our figure eight walk in the neighborhood. As we often passed by the owner’s home he would most days be sitting outside near his garage with a dog that stayed with him. The dog stayed with this man while his owner worked. This was one of those situations that made my heart melt. The dog needed someone to stay with and the man loved dogs and needed company during the day. They were companions for each other. What Max and especially Beeker loved about his man and his dog was that the man would see us coming and would get up slowly from his chair to meet us where the driveway and sidewalk converged. The man told us that he had Parkinson’s disease and so he had to be careful not to move too quickly for fear of falling. The man and his companion would meet us at the sidewalk and then he would always reach into his pocket to get milk bones out for the dogs. He wouldn’t break them in half like I do. He gave them to the dogs whole. He was an instant friend. The dog he was sitting for would be so polite and patient while this man gave attention to other dogs. His dog was older, gentle and patient while his sitter talked with walkers and pets. Whenever we walk by Beeks looks towards the house to see if anyone is coming to give him a treat. We miss this neighbor. One day a month or so ago we saw the For Sale sign go up. Then the Estate Sale notice on Craig’s List.

I have to tell you about the bird house that we put up in front of the house. I found the decorative house a couple of weeks ago when my sister was visiting and we went to yet another garage sale. At first I asked Brad to put the house up on a wire, hanging from the entry alcove. He did but it just didn’t look right. The wire was too predominate. Then we decided to hang it from the side of the house. I like it and since it was just a decoration I didn’t care that it had a little tilt. From that first day a bird started putting sticks in the opening and when we returned from Charleston the bottom was almost falling off. It was so stuffed that the bottom of the house was open with sticks and nesting coming out. I tried to take the house off the nail but it was really on tight so I just pushed the bottom back up and it went a little further than even. Today when Beeks and I returned from garage sales I noticed that a wren was flying in and out of the house. I guess it didn’t care that the bottom was uneven or that the house was decorative or that it is so close to the front door. I am in awe of these little birds that are happy to build their nests anywhere they can find a little opening. I can barely see the nest opening from the side window in my door. It is fun to watch the little wren bring more stuffing for the nest. I think one of the attractions for the bird must be that it is shaded and somewhat protected from the weather since it is underneath the entry canopy. The other reason must be that wrens are opportunistic and since it took little effort to make it could move right in. The price was right.

(121) He's Been Pinked!

Finally we have received a beautiful summer day. The temperatures are in the 80’s and there is a slight breeze. The real beauty of the day is that the humidity has dropped considerably from what is has been in the past few weeks and we are able to enjoy being outside. Beeks and I spent time outside this morning on a walkabout. I surveyed the damage from recent thunderstorms and picked up a number of tree limbs and debris left from high winds.
On my way home from work yesterday, coming down the lane, GeorgeNGracie flew out from the trees and lead the way down the lane like a police escort. I loved it. The hawk flew low enough that I could see its underbelly. It was just a little reminder that the hawks are still with us and it felt good to get to see one of them again.

When we were visiting Ben and Jess last weekend in Charleston, Jessi our daughter -in law gave Beeker a small pink stuffed animal. I’m not sure what kind of animal it was but it came with the following story. We had visited Ben and Jess the previous November and during one of our drives around downtown Charleston, we turned a corner and Beeks immediately started barking at a pink stuffed display animal in a window. The display was a Victoria Secret charity or something. The animal was approximately three feet tall and four feet long. It sort of looked like a thin dog but it was in a lighted window and set Beeks off, barking at high alert. At first we couldn’t figure out what had set him off. Max was not interested in the least but Beeks stood at attention, climbing over me to bark out the window. Brad turned the corner and Beeks settled down and forgot all about the pink danger. Then just to see what was setting Beeks off and because we were looking for a parking space we went around the block. Because Charleston is a tourist city there were a good number of people walking the sidewalks. At first we all thought that Beeks had seen someone walking a dog or someone in a uniform but when we turned the corner with the pink dog in the window, Beeks stood up and started sounding the alarm again! Jessica figured out that Beeks was laughing at a stuffed pink animal in the window. This got us to laughing uncontrollably which just encouraged Beeks barking. Max joined in at that point. We were all laughing at this silly dog and at the same time I was trying to get him to stop barking which didn’t work so well.
So when Jess gave Beeks the pink stuffed animal we recounted the story and laughed at how silly Beeks had been. Here’s the funniest thing yet. Beeks loves this small pink stuffed animal. He has carried it around and he bites it but mostly e just keeps it by his side. He protects it from Max and Max sometimes takes it from him just to get his goat but Max doesn’t really want it. Beeks does. I wonder if the color is the enticing aspect of this animal. It also has a covering that is not like any of his other toys. I really don’t think it is made for dogs to chew. It has a sort of nylon covering, which when dog teeth penetrate the covering it sort of pops but doesn’t tear easily. Beeks has been carrying it around with him since we got home and he hasn’t “killed” it yet. That’s impressive for a dog that can eat a number 10 dog toy in a matter of a few days. And I mean eat in a complete way. Consume it piece by piece.
I have to admit that it is funny seeing a big dog like Beeker with a small pink animal hanging out of his mouth. I read on line that Pink is not just a color anymore, its a lifestyle. He's been Pinked! Maybe I need to go get his vest for him to wear. Well he is gender neutral at this point anyway so I say go for it Beeks!

(120) An Owl, A Bison, and a Birthday Pancake

As you remember yesterday was Brad’s birthday and so I decided to make him a birthday cake. I usually buy one if I get one at all, but this year I decided that since finances were already stretched I would be the domestic goddess that I should be and bake him one. While at the grocery store I picked up a Betty Crocker cake mix and a container of frosting (I’m not so much of a goddess that I will make my own frosting mind you) which was on sale. Then I passed the Jiffy cake mix on the shelf. I remember Jiffy mixes from my childhood and thought it simple enough (and cheaper still) that even I could handle a Jiffy mixed cake. Fast forward to the cake coming out of the oven. I made the cake correctly, it was simple but the issue is that one box equals one layer of cake so the cake became a pancake rather than a cake. No problem I thought. I will take it out of the pan and put it on a plate and it will not look so small. As I cut around the edges and let it cool I wondered if I was going to have any problem with this thin cake. It split so that about a fourth of the cake stuck to the pan and only 3 /4 of the cake came out. Damn! Oh well, I thought, I have a whole container of frosting to fix this cake. I glued it together with the frosting and then covered the whole thing with so much frosting that it was now twice as tall as before. It actually had thicker frosting than cake. Then I stuck it in the fridge to get stiffen up the frosting. Ta Da! A Birthday Pancake. This way Brad got cake for desert and for breakfast as well. That’s multipurpose thinking!

Have you tried the animal personality test yet? You can find it at: www.animalinyou.com.

It has given my family quite the conversation this week. We have had so many discussions regarding the accuracy of the test. Does the chosen animal actually reflect the personality of the test taker? My mother took the test and answered the questions about herself with her own naturally conservative self depreciation, which lead to her being labeled an animal that was in no way close to her naturally benevolent, loving, caring self. My sister coaxed her into sharing her animal and then assisted her to get a more accurate example of herself. When we heard this, Brad and I were on our way back from South Carolina and Brad suggested that everyone should have someone other than themselves complete the test for them. This would mean for example, that I would fill in the answers I thought would best express my sister’s personality. So I talked to Juli and then ran the test with the answers that I thought reflected her personality. Turns out she knows herself quite well. We both got the same animal she got when taking the test. Then I thought that since it was possible to alter the animal personality according to different answers that were selected, I decided to take another look at what I had chosen. The first time I did the test I came out as a Penguin. I don’t see penguins as very engaging animals. They like the cold and they are always standing around. They are kind of boring if you ask me. (my sister sees them differently but that’s another story) I decided to change a few answers to see if I liked myself better based upon the changes. I changed physical size and came out with a more engaging animal, a bison. I have been to Yellowstone NP and I have watched the bison engage with the herd and I have watched them care and play with their young. I really like bison so I am satisfied with being a bison personality. Brad answered the personality test and was content with his animal personality right off the bat (nope!). He was an Owl. I think this fits him as well. You can read the descriptions of each of the personalities on the test website. It’s fun and it sure can get the conversation going. I just don’t know why I didn’t turn up as a dog!

(119) Happy Birthday Bradster!

Happy Birthday Bradster! As of we didn’t have enough to Celebrate this past week we are celebrating Brad’s Birthday today. Yep, but like any good dog will tell you, age is just a matter of the mind.

Max had this to say about Brad when I asked him how he felt about Brad and Brad’s birthday:
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. I like how he operates, he is one of those direct humans that you truly get what you see. He tells it like it is and he is very affectionate to me. I’m thankful for him claiming me when no one else would. My life would be very different and not so fun without Brad’s love. Congratulations Buddy! Can I follow you somewhere?”

Beekster had this to say about Brad:
“At first I was afraid of THE MAN. Then he started to scratch me under my chin and he let me cuddle up next to him when I was scared of thunder and stuff. He’s a cool Dude! I like it when Brad takes me for a walk even though he makes me walk at a heel. And we both like to torture the cat…Chez.”

Chez demanded his say as well:
“You're not getting me to wear any stupid hat! Dogs are silly and will do that sort of thing but I still kinda like Brad anyway. He is the one that remembers to feed me and clean out my litter box weekly. I like to lay right next to him when he’s the only one at home to sleep with. He’s so nice and warm! Sometimes I try to get him to move around the house quickly so I start climbing on the furniture or on the counter so he will chase after me. It’s a cat thing. I think Brad likes to play this game with me."

JesseJames phoned in to be interviewed:
"Brad’s a real Dog’s Man if you know what I mean, Wink Wink, Know what I mean, Know What I mean? I remember when he rescued me from the woods behind his house and he picked off all the little green seed clingons. Then there was the time when he found me when I was lost and couldn’t find my way home. I had just found my forever home with Juli and I got lost right off the bat. Well, Brad found me and carried me all the way home. He knows what it is like to be lost and then found. He didn’t get mad at me and he is so gentle that I like it when he scratches me behind my ears or pats my side. He always has time for a scratch down! I love Brad!"

(118) Today came Early

Today came early. 4:00AM to be exact. It came on the heels of a late night. We celebrated Ben’s birthday and Father’s day with a dinner out at a local restaurant called The Noisy Oyster. It was a fresh fish restaurant where the menu proclaimed fresh fish and seafood. Ben and Brad chose fresh Sesame Tuna and Jessi and I chose the southern favorite Shrimp and Grits. This was a first for me. I have seen it prepared on Throw Down with Bobby Flay but I have not tasted it and was looking forward to the experience of it. I was not disappointed. I loved it. It’s creamy and spicy and rich, but not too rich. Mmmmm. We were so full from all that we ate, that when we got back to the kids’ apartment, we didn’t have room for the birthday cake in the fridge.

This morning we wanted to get an early start since we want to drive the 900 miles home in one day. This also means that there is not a great deal to share with you. We have great weather to drive in with sunshine and temperatures in the 80’s. It doesn’t feel too humid, although that might be due to us leaving Charleston where it is extremely humid.

I want to share with you the animal personality test that Juli mentioned in the comments a few posts ago. The link is www.animalinyou.com


Brad and I both took the test with funny outcomes. Read into it what you want but Brad is an Owl and I am a PENGUIN! I suggest you try the test and see what animal you are. Pretty Fun.

(117) Fathers, Men, and Dogs

My Baby is 22 today! Happy Birthday Ben!
Happy Father’s Day Papa and all other Dad's!

Last night Brad and his famous cesar salad requested by Ben. Then we watched the new movie Alice in Wonderland. Fantastic! It is a Tim Burton movie and it does not disappoint. I was enthralled with the graphics and the amazing cinematography. It was dark like all of Tim Burton’s movies and well, anything with Johnnie Depp and Anne Hathaway has to be good. And it was so female positive, I loved it. Check it out!

How two people can pack so much into one weekend is beyond me! I’m exhausted. Here is what we have done today and will do tonight: Ben had to work today (on his birthday no less!) so when we had gotten ready wee left and drove to pick up Jessica then headed to the dog park at Wannamaker Forest Preserve. That’s the park that is right next to where Ben & Jess’s apartment so we let the dogs run for 20 minutes or so. 20 minutes doesn’t seem like a long time but when the heat and the humidity are equally high the dogs (and people) get tired out easily. There were many more dogs playing today and even a Great Dane which Beeker tried to play with. It is a funny sight to see a Dane go down in a play bow. All in all a good time was had by all. By the time we got back in the car we were all hot and sweaty so we took the dogs back to the air conditioned apartment and left them there to rest up.

Charleston has a flee market that is rather large and although it was getting later in the day and hotter by the minute, we went to check it out. I enjoyed walking the outdoor aisles, but the indoor stalls were stifling. After we walked up and down perusing the row after row of secondhand items (junk?) I called it quits. I think I was on the verge of heat stroke. It was that hot. Jessica noted that during the heat of the summer, it is so hot that most vendors close up before noon due to the heat. I can appreciate that. It was 90 degrees with a humidity level of at least 80%.

After a lunch of sandwiches at the apartment, Jessica and Brad took the dogs and me back to the hotel to rest up. They headed off to explore Fort Sumter. This is the island where Civil War battles and the Movie Glory, occurred. It is a National Monument. I was not interested in taking the 1.5 hour boat trip and then walking around the defunct fort. Brad and Jessica both love history of any sort so they were happy to leave an ingrate at home. The dogs and I have had a great time sleeping and hanging out in our cool room. Don’t mind a bit.

Tonight we will celebrate Ben’s birthday with presents and a dinner out to boot! Tomorrow we head home. We will have to get up early and will drive all day to be home by midnight. We’ve had a long weekend and have done many fun things with the kids and the dogs. Bye to South Carolina and to our kids( Boo Hoo!) And Good Bye to one of our favorite dog beaches around (I’m being sarcastic here!)

(116) A Run on The Beach and From the Law

Wow! Its 10:30 AM and we have already had a run in with the Law. We got up fairly early although not as early as I wanted to but the body was just too exhausted. After breakfast for us and the dogs we left to go to Sullivan’s Island where we read and heard there was an off leash beach that had early morning hours for dogs to play in the ocean. It’s true, all that we read was true including the fact that the dogs could be off leach from 5-10AM. However, we had also read that all of the dogs that run on the beach, go to the beach, are seen at the beach must have a local dog tag (this turns out to be a red white and blue striped ribbon). The dog tags are only available fron the Town Hall which is only open Monday-Friday 9-5. Yea. This is Saturday and we are only here for three days. This besides the fact that the tags cost $35 a dog, good for a year. Now if I think about this, it makes sense and cents! It’s like joining a dog park and the residents like it that it makes them exclusive. However, since we were only here for the weekend and the required office was closed for us to get the required tags it makes it pretty evident that the locals don’t want Outsiders to play on their beach. We were told (by folks at the neighboring dog park-free) that “they don’t check”. So we packed up the dogs, the harnesses, the water, the dog bags and we went to the beach this morning. Aw we approached the beach access we were struck by the number of locals that were walking their dogs unleashed and their dog were coming right up to Max and Beeker who were leashed. Our dogs were beside themselves with desire to run on the beach. As a lady with two dogs approached us and Beeks started pulling to roar ahead, engage with her dogs. I made the mistake of trying to be social and said,”can you tell these dogs are from Illinois, and excited to get on the beach?” Well! We then got the lowdown about how we shouldn’t be on the beach without a tag. That each dog needed a tag and that we “Should Be Careful”. As soon as we were actually on the beach we let them run. They had a blast. They were well behaved. They engaged with lots of dogs, played in the water, drank the water. Beeker and Max had the time of their life with the Ocean and other dogs. They were well behaved dogs and they got a great experience off leash. All of the important stuff. We stayed about 45 minutes and the dogs were about ready to go, and I was feeling like the Beach Gestapo were watching us. As we were leaving the City Police on a Gator ATV came onto the beach, made a large loop and then came back to our side and stopped us. We were by then 15 feet from the entrance but with two set dogs and a Newfie we were fairly obvious. Although the Officer was nice enough, he was fairly unforgiving and told us that we needed tags (we pleaded ignorant) and that the office in Town Hall was closed until Monday. He said we needed tags and that was cheaper than a $500.00 fine. True enough! Needless to say we won’t be going back. Just for that, Beeks gave up his breakfast right there in the sand, just as we left the beach, just for the locals of Sullivan Island.

(115) A Very Long Day and into the Night

Arriving at the hotel last night, we were all ready for a rest. Maxie amazed us with his memory of hotels and headed straight to the bathroom to plop his head down in the toilet. We quickly lifted the lid for him and laughed at his ability to find a good cold drink when he needed one. Two walks and more water later we were settled down for the night. The hotel where we stayed was one where we had previously stayed. The Hampton Inn in Lexington, Kentucky, is the place to go if you are traveling with pets. Although the hotel was completely packed, there was an assortment of dogs all getting along peacefully. The hotel has dog friendly easy access and a dog park of sorts in the back complete with bags provided.
This morning we got up early and after a complimentary breakfast of waffles and egg biscuits we headed on our way. As we headed out of Lexington and on through Kentucky I was struck by the amazing color of green and the enormous number of trees in layer after layer of hills and low mountains. Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina have a very different terrain than Central Illinois. We have flat land with fields after fields of corn and beans. And then more fields of beans and corn. We saw valleys and hollers of tall trees, some covered with vines. I’m not talking about trees lining the highway; I’m talking about the Smokey Mountains, flowing hills and fog rising up like smoke, vistas. I was so taken with the extreme beauty of it. The weather started out beautiful, with the temps in the high 80’s. The number of car/truck accidents rise with the temperature. At present we have seen three multiple vehicle accidents, luckily not involving us. It sometimes makes it slow going. We made a number of stops for the dogs and for gas/food but by the middle of the afternoon we hit the rain. Our son called us earlier and jokingly told us that when we hit the humidity we were almost there. Within an hour of arriving at their home we got rain. Multiple rain squalls. Hard hitting large drops of rain that disable us from seeing ten feet in front of our car. We were ready to pull over when it just stops, we drove right out of the rain and then 20 minutes later we see it coming, the grey and dark blue clouds over head and sheets of rain start coming down. By the time we hit North Charleston the rain is gone but the humidity is rising from the highway like reverse rain.

After a warm welcome and a dog walk to relieve the dogs, we see the “new” apartment (the kids moved from a one bedroom to a two bedroom) and make plans for this evening. We decide that since Jess needs to work until 9:30 we will meet her and the go see Toy Story 3. It is just out today and we are hopeful that we will be able to get tickets for the last showing of the evening. We left the two dogs in their air conditioned apartment gated with some of their toys and all of their rabbits, cat and many fish(see past blog). We are so lucky. We did get to see the last show (10:30PM) although it was the 3D version which, Ben and Jess are happy about seeing, but I could have done without. On the other hand it was a very enjoyable movie. I loved Toy Story 1 and 2 so had high hopes for this third sequel. I was not disappointed. It had all of the old characters including Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead and even Slinky Dog. Very Cute! A 5 star for the whole family (there was a part that might be kinda scary for very young kids).

It’s now 1 AM and I realize that this is the first time that I have not published a blog post early day. I am late with this one so I will post another one today as well. We are heading to the beach after we all get some sleep.

(114) We're Off

Finally the great day has arrived. We are on our way. I got home from work after stopping for groceries for the road and Brad had the car mostly packed and the dogs were beside themselves. Beeker kept howling at me and like yesterday, followed me everywhere. When I went outside to put my bag in the truck, he ran outside but stayed within viewing distance so that he would be ready at a moment’s notice. Brad mentioned that they had been over the top with excitement just from the change of routine and his(Brad’s) moving inside and outside all morning.

We left home by three this afternoon. Max got settled fairly quickly once he knew that he was in the same automobile as Brad. There is nothing that makes Max more anxious than being separated from Brad. Beeks on the other hand was another story all together. First off, his usual riding position had been changed because we packed the back seat up with our bags and the dogs’ bags. Brad also put the traveling food box and the cooler in the middle of the seat and then piled it with towels and Beek’s rug. Hence the problem. Beeks kept trying to lie down on his rug but couldn’t get comfortable in the small box. It wasn’t piled up high enough to buffer the sides and his whole body didn’t fit into the small box. He kept working different positions to figure out a comfortable way to settle but he just couldn’t get it to work out. It probably didn’t help that we kept laughing at him either. He would put his rump in the box and then his front legs outside in a sit sort of position. Then he tried to out his rump on the outside of the area, next to the door and put his head on the box. He also tried to lay with his body in the box with his front paws outside and his head bent backward so that it could rest on Brad’s seat back. He’s a contortionist! I’m outing him in Cirque du Soleil next week. At a gas stop we rearranged his throne and he is resting much more comfortable now.
Because we were busy as soon as I got home, I hadn’t eaten lunch and Brad had eaten an early lunch so we decided to check McDonald’s dollar menu in Indianapolis. Before you start to groan, let me rationalize our choice for you. First off, we haven’t eaten McDonald’s food (except for the ice cream) in an extremely long time. However we are trying not to spend much money on this trip so we agreed to check out the choices for a dollar and then if we didn’t like it we would go to Subway (our usual choice…we split the $5 foot long). We ate dinner for $4.35. We decided that we like the change from Subway but although the calories were probably more at Micky D’s it isn’t as mentally filling. After I ate my Mcdouble sandwich and small fries, I was still hungry. It was gone so quickly that I didn’t feel full. Given a few hours I am sure that I won’t be hungry. They say it takes the mind 20 minutes to know that the stomach is full. Whatever! I think we will be going back to Subway next time, but those fries are the BEST! We ordered inside because we couldn’t figure out the drive Thru menu. We also used it as an all stop. When we returned to the car with the sack, both dogs were sniffing the air. Beeks had his paws on the center arm rest. I assumed he was very interested in the Micky D’s bag. I was wrong. As soon as I opened the door to sit down I noticed it. A long forgotten (from my sister’s visit two weeks ago) bag of sweet potato chews from my purse was laying half out on the car floor. “Oh”, you might say… “it just fell out when you left the car”. You’d be wrong. The proof is that it was soaking wet with dog saliva! Beeks had that look in his eye that says, “What? Moi?” Brad wanted me to scold him but I was laughing so hard I couldn’t get it out of my mouth. He’s only a Sneeker Beeker when he is in Brad’s car. Honest! He doesn’t get anything from my car when he rides with me. Something about his past history and his ability to find delicious things when he roots around in brad’s car has positively rewarded him and he continues to get positive rewards for his efforts. As I shared in a previous post, he has found and eaten a whole bag of dog treats, Kleenex in a box, cookies in a bag, and all of Nebraska in an Atlas. I think Brad will be watching him much more carefully now. We have a few more hours to travel until we get to Lexington Kentucky. Free points and they will accept dogs even ones over 3 pounds. We’ve stayed there before and it gives us a good head start for driving tomorrow. I’ll let you know.

(113) Sun Glorious Sun!

Sun Glorious Sun! Although the temperature was warm (in the high 80’s), the humidity was a lot lower, in the 60% range. Beeks and I went on a long walk when I got home from work. He and I needed the exercise and the sunshine felt great! It’s amazing what a little vitamin D can do for a person. I used the harness for Beeks instead of the Gentle Leader. I think it worked great. I didn’t feel like I was pulling him back all the time and he liked having his head available for more smelling. It was unanimous, we were both happy.

We are all getting excited to leave on our road trip tomorrow. When I started gathering the dogs things and cleaning out Beeker’s travel bag, he got so excited and followed me all over the house. Max was highly curious as well. Both dogs kept sticking their noses into the bag. Maybe this had to do with the fact that it had some forgotten old rawhides and puppy food in the bottom. As you can tell, I haven’t cleaned it out in a while. As I repacked the bag, the dogs circled around making sure I added back some treats and the appropriate leashes, towels, food and toys. I think I was successful since, once I finished, he left to lay down near the kitchen door, a perfect position to see what my next action might be. Beeks was not so easily dismissed. He watched my every move. He watched me gather my clothes, make choices for our four day trip. When I walked to the laundry room, Beeks was at my heel like I haven’t seen in a long time. He was my constant pal. I wasn’t getting anything by him. I know he and Max are already wondering when we’re leaving and are hoping I remembered the antlers and sweet potato treats. Chez lays on the bed just watching the business of packing with little acknowledgment. He’ll be staying home so he isn’t invested in all of the excitement. It’s hard to ignore the overall differences between cats and dogs.

Tomorrow I work and Brad will pack our things in the truck, and the Tule box. We probably don’t need the box but it will be more comfortable for all of us if we take it. It will give us more room. We are going to take some luxury items (a small gas grill) that I know the kids won’t have in case we want to use them. We understand the weather has been hot and humid equal parts heat and humidity. So…What difference is there? It’s the Ocean! Brad has researched the dog friendly beaches and has discovered that the one that looks the best and the closest, allows dogs on the beach from 5-10 AM. That’s early, so we are gonna have to get up with the Sun! Then there is the wonderful dog park in the Nature Preserve next to where Ben and Jess live. The dogs love this park and it also has a pond where all the dogs like to swim. It’s gonna be a Fantastic Dog Vacation.

(112) ComputerEnvy or What a Thunderstorm!

Oh, the Rain! For four days now we have had thunderstorms and so much rain. Everyday seems to bring more rain and mosquitoes than a yard needs in a month. The gullies and culverts are swollen to overflowing. Today driving to work, I witnessed a tow truck pulling a car out of a farm ditch half embedded in water. Such an ugly way to start a day. Today started out so foggy from the heat and moisture that it felt like I was back in Costa Rica. Everything is so green but muddy. We have intermittent breaks in the storm and sometimes the sun will come out making it even muggier (is that a word?) but then five hours later we are blessed with another thunderstorm and more flooding. A friend of mine told me that the school yard behind her house was so flooded yesterday she let her dogs go out and take a swim. They had a blast. I know Beeks and Max would have loved that! We haven’t been on a long walk in a few days and I’m feeling it so I know the dogs are also. I did get outside this morning with The Beekster and he got his run around. The mosquitoes were soooo bad that I didn’t even make it all the way around the yard. I think they were hatching while they were biting me. I took the picture of the hollyhock when I got home from work. It was during the little bit of sunlight we had today.

It’s so dark here right now that although it is daytime, by the looks of it, one would think it was midnight. The weather map shows we are in the midst of a deep red oval extending north and south of our area. I watch and the rain comes straight down in sheets, it is relentless. Can you imagine how GeorgeNGracie feel right now. I can tell that the dogs are antsy. Max comes to be near us and then gets up to move again. He looks out the window, then the door, watching to see if Brad will soon be home. Both dogs are starting to pant. An anxiety behavior which I can appreciate with the sound of the rain pounding and the darkness all around. We still have electricity so we are good for now. I’m calling Max up on the bed so he can be near the rest of us (Chez already found his way up here). Oh, the Rain, When will it stop? I heard the Arc was due to arrive sometime on Friday.

I think Beek’s has a computer phobia. He doesn’t like my laptop, and when I pull it out to get working on it, he cowers away from me and it, like it was something to be afraid of. I have seen this behavior (pulling back, turning around to face the other way) before. He does this same action when he is on the bed and I have called Maxie up to sit with us. (like now) It seems he knows that Maxie is dominate dog in this situation and he is fearful and respectful at the same time. Not the “curiously cautious” that Temple Grandin talks about, but more like, “oh damn, here that thing comes again, I’m outta here!” I try to coax him back, to smell the keyboard, but he is still leery of my intentions. Does he smell its evil ability to steal my focus, encompass my brain? Can he feel the electromagnetic waves coming from the computer screen? Does he view my relationship with the laptop with vengeance, or with pity? Does he see it as a rival for “our” time? Can dogs get jealous?

Beeks is settled now, a little away from me but still on the bed. Max came up when I called him, then stood, looking out the window (a view he doesn’t have from the floor) then he laid down for about 2 minutes, got up and got off the bed, to return to the front door to stand and wait for his master. The rain lightens up and Max is down again, lying on the floor, resting more comfortable. The thunder is moving away, and I can see the grey of the sky again. Another storm moves Eastward.

(111) Dog Travel Necessities

When we pack the car, we keep in mind that Max will ride in the furthest part of the truck. He has the most room there and he will not be bothered by Beeker chewing on his tail when he wants to rest. We will make stops every so often for bathroom breaks but we will also take extra water in bottles with us just in case we need it. When we pack we do fill one fourth to one half of the back seat with travel stuff then put a rug over it so that Beeks can ride up top if he wants. He likes to see outside when we travel. We have individual bags for the dogs, in which we put their dog food. Brad likes to premeasure each meal so that it is easy to dump in their bowls. We take extra food bowls so each dog has their own bowl while we travel. Max has such anxiety when we travel that he sometimes doesn’t eat every meal. Beeks will eat anything. Tethers, harnesses, tie outs and and long leashes go into the bags, as well as towels and treats. Brad brings along extra batteries for Max’s collar and that goes in his bag as well. I keep Beeks everyday leash and poop bags inside the car so that they are easily accessible. Some of Beeker’s chew toys I put away so that he has something “new” when we get to the hotel or our destination. Some items we leave in the car to occupy the dogs during the long time we spend on the road. Max doesn’t seem to need much of anything to occupy his time, Beeks needs something to chew. He will chew and then settle down. Beeks has learned from an early age to settle on his rug. This is a child’s sleeping bag that I got Nana to sew into two parts. It is soft and it is dog proof so now Beeks will settle anywhere he sees the rug. We use it in the car and in the hotel or even here at home so it is one of the important things I always remember on trips. Treats such as the sweet potato chews and training chews I mostly keep in their bags but some I keep in the car for easy access. Brad takes the grooming tools for both dogs especially when we are heading to a woodsy area or a water destination. Likewise, we will take the ear medication so that when and if ear irritations begin we can get right on it. We take sheets with us for putting on the hotel bed top for the dogs. I like Beeks to sleep with us so this way I don’t feel bad if he is on top of our sheet. We do take a baby gate so that we can keep the dogs in the bathroom if we need to leave them in the room, while we go out. Sometimes it is too hot to take them with us if we are going to out during the day for a long time. Max especially needs the cooled air and he does better in a kenneled situation where he is on the cool tiled floor, with access to water.

By List:

Food
Water/food bowls
Extra water in bottles
Leashes…long(20 feet), Regular 6 ft
Harnesses
Towels
Beeks Rug
Toys (includes Chew, fill able, lovies )
Treats (sweet potato, training treats)
Meds (if any) For ears etc.
Poop bags (a necessity for any outing)
Grooming tools (important if they are going to get wet or into the woods)
Tie outs (for around trees)
Batteries, extra for Max’s collar
White sheets (to put on the hotel bed so Dogs can sleep with us)
Baby gate (to gate the dogs in the bathroom if we need to leave them in the hotel room)

(110) Prepin' for the Summer Road Trip

Today was a mixture of tasting local cuisine and prepin for our Summer Road Trip with the dogs. We like to take a long summer vacation, rationalizing that we work hard all year and play hard during the summer months. We look forward to traveling with the dogs. One of the commitments we made to each other when we got married was that we would travel whenever we could. We have been lucky so far. We have been to China, to Mexico, to Canada and most parts of the United States. We really want to travel to Alaska and through the Panama Canal. Unfortunately with a big spending year last year (a wedding, and great vacations) and mandatory furloughs this year, we find ourselves a little strapped (okay, a lot strapped).

Therefore, and hence, we are taking a small trip to see our son and daughter-in-law in South Carolina. We’ve been there before and so have the dogs. In fact, that is where Beeks took his first swim in the Atlantic Ocean. The dogs are great car travelers. Once we get going, they ride well and comfortably. They get so excited when we are preparing to leave (what’s new?)and then they love all of the new smells at the various stops along the way. In North Charleston (our destination) there is the best dog park with a pond where the dogs love to run. We will spend each morning there before we go to the kid’s apartment. They don’t get up as early as us and they stay up many hours later. Hard to admit that we’re the old folks now. Anyway this post is about all of the preparations that we go through to get ready to leave. We leave the cat home where he has full reign of the house while we are gone but only ventures from our bed to the basement where he eats food.

This morning we got up early (early for a Sunday) and went to our local food tasting venue. Once a year the parks and recreation department has a food festival with local vendors highlighting their food. This weekend was the annual festival. As is usual for this “Taste”, it rained all weekend. Not just a little sprinkle mind you, Nooooo. Thunderstorms to beat the band! This morning, it thundered and threatened but it didn’t rain, so we ventured out and enjoyed some Thai food that was spicy. Mmmmmm. It seemed like a smaller festival than in previous years but there was a good enough attendance so hopefully the vendors and the charities were happy. Then we headed for the Prairieland feeds store. This is where we usually get our dog food, pet toys and chews. We didn’t have the dogs with us as it was about 80 degrees with 97% humidity and chose not to take them along. Dogs weren’t allowed in the park and it would have been so hot in the car and although I love Beeks with me it would have been cruel to take him along. At the feed store we were looking for harnesses for the dogs for swimming in the Ocean. We wanted them to have a good time swimming and also be safe. We had to decide what size harnesses to get for Max and for Beeker. The picture at the top of the page is the dogs sporting their new gear! We want to have a way to grab the dogs in the water (if we need to) and also to keep them free to swim. I think the Gentle Leader is good but restrictive in the water. I wanted a hook ring on top of the harness not on the underside, like most harnesses. I’m happy with our purchase, now I need to see how they work in the water. Soon enough.

Tomorrow I will review what other items we take with us on our road trips with the dogs. Their bags, for the car, for the hotel, for occupying their minds and bodies.

(109) The Rain's Comin' Down and We Can't Go Out

It is raining Cats and Dogs (what really does that mean?) and we can’t go outside to play. This morning before we went to work, we took both dogs outside in the front yard and let them play again. If we can let Maxie out without his leash for a little while, I think he will learn that it is a privilege and we will learn that we can trust him more. Both Maxie and Beeker loved being outside together. Again, Max went straight for the ornamental grass and Beeks for Max’s tail. As we walked the yard, they followed us and Maxie came when Brad called him to a heel. It is good for both Max and Brad to see that this is possible.

I was able do a little gardening this morning and I loved being able to have Beeks with me. When the Postal Delivery came around, I called Beeks to me and had him go down to a lay down. He did very well and just stayed and watched the Jeep pull around the circle and stop at each mail box.
Now it has been thundering and raining with great gusto. All of the plants need this rain so it is good but it isn’t conducive to spending time outside. There is a local “Taste of Champaign” festival going on this weekend and it seems that it rains each year. Wouldn’t want to change history. Maybe the rain is so heavy this weekend as a clue that I need to do housecleaning. When I started vacuuming I realized it had been a long time since the last time I had cleaned. The dog hair was really flying. Well, all gone now!

Here is my latest movie review. We watched Smoke Signals night before last. It is about young Native American Indians on the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho reservation. It is a delightful movie we first watched when we met my parents in Cascade Idaho, some years ago. Now it is one of our favorite movies. If you haven’t seen this movie, I recommend it. It’s quirky and funny and sentimental as well. Author Sheman Alexie is the author behind this movie. If you know his work, you know his great sense of humor and will really enjoy this movie as well.
Tonight will be another Netflix streaming night. I don’t know what we will be watching but we have had great luck so far. Just never can tell what the rain will bring. We have only one dog movie in the queue, My Life as a Dog. That’s a great flick also.

(108) A Frustrating Friday

I’ve been working a huge number of hours this week, which leaves me little time to spend with Beeker or write my blog. I know I’m not the only one who works long hours (ask my husband). We barely get time to do our walkabout in the morning and Beeks hasn’t had a long walk all week. I haven’t made dinner for most of the week and so I’m contemplating not continuing the blog. Both dogs are happy to see me when I get home but when I go upstairs to get to work on the computer(more work) Beeks just gives me a long look and stays downstairs.

Tonight, Brad grilled outside. It was a nice evening and while I was working upstairs he was outside putting brats on the grill. Usually we like to grill out together. While the meet is on the grill, we have a beer and spend time outside with the dogs. The dogs run together (a major treat for both dogs) and we enjoy the evening. I wasn’t able to be out with Brad and while I worked I was grumpy. So, I shut down the computer and decided since it was Friday night, I was going to enjoy my family. I grabbed a beer and let the dogs out. Since it was still light out the dogs ran around so happily I felt better instantly. Max went straight for the tall decorative grass and Beeks went straight for Max’s tail. He kept pulling and pulling until Max stopped chewing grass and curled around to play with Beeks. While the dogs were at it, Brad shared his yard discoveries with me. Turns out that the tall “light house” birdhouse we have hanging in a front tree has a wren and its babies in it. If you (me or Brad) walk up close to the birdhouse you can hear the baby chicks squeaking inside. How awesome! He also showed me a Toad that is close to the house. Usually if Max sees one of our toads he tries to grab it with his mouth getting a really foul taste. This will result in spitting and foaming at the mouth. Max didn’t see the toad this time, although he did sniff around the area.

I am glad that I decided to join my family and enjoy them. Sometimes the hardest decisions give me the greatest feeling after I make a choice. Now I just have to figure out what to do about this blog. Hopefully the decision I make will be one I can be happy about.

(107) What Do dogs Do All Day?

When I return home after work each evening or when Brad and I have been out and return home, I often wonder what the dogs have been up to. Sometimes they are so amped I think they must have been sleeping all day. Other times they are so rambunctious that I think they have been up to something mischievous. They want to romp and get my attention like the little kids when they think the best way to get you to overlook a mess is to distract you with compliments and funny acts. You just never know with dogs. Some people have resigned themselves and obtained a webcam to see exactly what their dogs do all day. This can result in some really interesting videos that we have seen on U Tube (Remember the cattle dog pushing thru the baby gate?) Sometimes I leave little things around the house for Max and Beeker to find or to puzzle through so that they are occupied for part of the day. For instance, today I left little pieces of sweet potato in three different places. One piece I placed in the dog football, one piece I placed in the Busy Buddy, and the last piece I hid under the bench in our laundry room. When I got home, the piece of sweet potato in the football was gone; the piece under the bench was still there as was the piece in the Busy Buddy. However as soon as I came in and after we greeted each other, Max went right to the bench and started scratching, trying to get to the treat. All night they both worked to trying to get the sweet potato out of the Busy Buddy. The point is that they didn’t find life boring enough to focus on the hidden challenges during the day. I do know that if I have picked up all of Beeker's toys and chews before I leave the house, they are all, and I mean ALL, will be strung out all over the house. Not one of them will be in the toy basket when I return. Some kind of happenin' has been going on!

My nephew and girlfriend found out what their Italian Greyhound was up to when they were out of town last week. Turns out that when they returned home, the IG had made two piles of their belongings. One pile was all of Eric’s shoes and the other was a pile of his girlfriend, Chelsey’s jewelry. At first this seems very odd, but actually it makes sense for a dog that loves his owners. He wanted things that reminded him of them and both the jewelry and the shoes would smell like Eric and Chelsey. When I heard this story I couldn’t believe that a dog would collect stuff of their owners. I‘ve heard that if you have to go away and leave your dogs for a while, it is good to leave something with your scent for your pet. We usually leave a T-shirt. Hadn’t thought of jewelry.

Maybe our dogs have parties (remember Go Dog Go?) or maybe they just sleep until we return. Whatever they do, they keep it to themselves and we will have to use our imaginations to figure out what they are up to.

(106) Primping Dog style

We use to take the dogs to get groomed at a Dog Stylist. Back when we had Belle and Beau, our AKC dogs. We took them to a friend of a friend that would take all day working with the dogs, bathing them, air drying them and then combing them out. When they returned them, Belle would have a bow in her topnotch, and Beau would have a scarf tied around his neck. Cute huh? Yea, a little too cute for us. We asked them to only put scarves around their necks, if anything. They got really good personal attention and they knew our dogs well enough that they would keep them together or in view of each other so that they would be comfortable. Once when they were trying to get Belle into the bath tub by walking her up a ramp (she would often come up lame for a day after grooming), Beau chewed up the leash he was tethered on and jumped into the tub with her. In those days we didn’t think anything of spending the money to get a professional grooming because we could afford it and the work was done by people we “knew” and liked their work. Fast forward to the present; and our move here, where we knew no one who was knowledgeable about grooming Newfoundlands. You might think that grooming any dog would be similar. Wrong! Newfoundlands have double coats (meaning two layers of different types of hair) and both need to be treated differently. We took our chances a couple of times with disastrous consequences. One time I actually took both dogs in to be groomed and when I returned at the given time (8 hours later) I was told that one dog was “almost” finished and the other dog wasn’t started yet so could I please bring them back the next day? Another time, we took them to one of the larger pet stores where they have an assembly line of groomers. When we picked up the dogs later, it wasn’t evident that anything had been done with the dogs and Belle was lame for three days afterward. Enough of that!

We quickly figured out that we didn’t have show dogs, we had family dogs, and that the important part of grooming was their comfort and our relationship. Therefore, we (me sometimes but mostly Brad) started taking the time to groom the dogs ourselves. When I groom the dogs, I use the under rake, and the rubber tipped Zoom Groom by Kong. It is also important to have a matt splitter if you have a long haired dog, like Max. We also use a nail clipper for dogs (heavier than the one for cats) and Brad uses a clipper set that use to be used for our boys’ haircuts. He uses this for clipping the hair away from Max’s hind quarters (sometimes called a sanitary cut). Brad cuts the hair around Max’s paws and up his ankles somewhat so that the feathering does not get stuck with dirt, weeds or sticks. Last night was a typical night of grooming for Brad. He starts after dinner and finishes about 11:30. It takes him a long time to groom Max but we see the benefits from doing this ourselves. Brad gets to spend quality time with his dog. Max is an exceptionally patient dog. He loves being with Brad and so is tolerant with all of the moving and manipulation that takes place. We start in the front and then slowly move backward toward Max’s rear and tail. Max almost has a filled out tail now. When we first got Beeker, he use to pull and chew Max’s tail so that for a long time Max had no hair on the end of his tail. When all is said and done, there are usually two or three plastic grocery bags full of Maxie hair. This is no exaggeration. I wish I had taken a picture of the pile last night but I didn’t. Brad tries to groom Maxie every week but in reality it is usually every two to three weeks before he can get to it. In the Spring and Fall both dogs and Chez the cat will blow their coat and the hair will be twice as much. Then we really have to keep on top of it. When I groom Beeker I don’t get much off of him compared to Maxie but when I just use the Zoom Groom or my hand I get a whole bunch. He sheds differently than Max and has a denser coat. After grooming them, Brad then clips their nails and cleans their ears. Here again, Max is more tolerant than Beeker. In fact, Beeker will hunker down and try to look invisible. He knows he has to obey Brad and be patient when he is getting his nails cut or his ears cleaned but he HATES it. When my sister was teaching Jesse James to get use to the clippers (he hated them and would cower at the sound) she started to give him dinner with the clippers turned on so that he would get use to the sound of them. Then there is the tooth brushing that I have learned to do. I don’t do it regularly but every month or so I get the brush and the toothpaste out and go to it for each animal.

When we get the three animals all primped up they look pretty good. Max’s coat shines! When we let them go and they start blowing their coats they look like wild abandoned animals. When I think of the work that goes into keeping them looking good, say nothing of the healthy benefits of a good grooming.
These are the benefits for grooming the dogs ourselves I have figured out… We notice any bodily irregularities, so can then talk to the Vet, we can teach them how to relax, we can cut/comb/ treat their hair the way we want it to be, we can catch ear infections or hair mats earlier so hot spots don’t start.
I am glad that we have decided to do it ourselves. We all love the quality time together.

P.S. As I am writing this post the little red fox came into our side yard to see if it could get any of the bird seed. I just sat here and watched it. As soon as I started to get up to get the camera, it turned and walked quickly away back into the woods! How cool is that?

(105) Laws That Rule the Dog World

There are certain social laws that rule the dog world. I am learning these laws by ovserving Max and Beeker in our family. Here are a few that I have learned and I am sure that you can come up with some that you have witnessed when your dog plays with other dogs. The first that comes to mind relates to ownership of toys or food. It’s the Love it or Loose it Law. If a coveted object (read: chew toy, bone, etc) is left behind, it is open season and another dog is able to retrieve it as their own. For example, right now Beeker was chewing on one of the antlers we got his past weekend. When I got up to go get something from the refrigerator; Beeker left the antler behind to follow me. Max, viewing this coveted antler, snatched it right up and started chewing on the antler. Beeker looked back at Max, but was not able to regain control of the antler because of the dog law. As soon as Max got up to check the door, Beeker got up and went right to the left antler and took repossession of the antler. An associated law states that when a dog has finished eating, and has left his bowl, other dogs can then check to see if any morsels have been left behind. Not until the dog has left the bowl, can another dog approach the bowl. Another important dog social rule is the bow to request play. This is a common courtesy one dog bestows upon another, requesting that the first dog would like to engage the second dog in some play. This allows the second dog to choose to play or signal back that, “now is not the time to play”. A dog’s social etiquette states that when greeting another dog for the first time or when first meeting another dog, it is appropriate to be smelled from behind and to smell another dog from behind. We know this as a dog’s way to identify each other like finger prints on humans. Dogs do this by smells. The who, what, when’s of the dog world. We have observed and read about the dominate dog rule. This social rule states that the most senior/powerful/ dominate dog in the group gets to go first. In the wild, this probably meant that the most powerful dog got to eat first, however, this means that the dominate dog goes through the door first. I have witnessed Maxie going first and sometimes Beeker gets to go first. I wonder if in a random group, one where people were not present, if the dominate dog would go first?

As I think about these observations I wonder if these are social rules in the dog world or if they are just observed behaviors? Is there any difference? Dogs know how to get along with other dogs. They are taught what is important from modeling after other dogs. They are taught from puppyhood, how to get along with other dogs. When Beeks was just a little puppy, we were visiting my sisters’ home where four other dogs were present. Max was there, Jesse James was there, a young lab, Callie was present, and an older dominate lab, Bullet was there as well. All five dogs were sitting in my sister’s family room, each lying next to their owners. Callie’s owner brought out chew for all of the dogs, while the owners enjoyed a snack of our own. All dogs obediently sat eating their own respective chew, except for Beeker who quickly consumed his and decided he would try to get the chew of the dog lying next to him, who happened to be the oldest and most dominate dog, Bullet. It took one short look and the quietest growl from Bullet to let Beeker know he had crossed the line; EVEN attempting to get Bullet’ chew, was bad dog etiquette. Beeker turned tail and moved over closer to Max. I could just see Beeker thinking about trying to get Max’s chew too but he learned that such things were not tolerated.
I know there are other dog world Laws, you may have observed these and others as well. It’s good to know that dogs have social rules and laws that keep their world orderly and also help young pups grow up with dog approved socialization.

(104) BFF

I have got to tell you this…I was walking into my kitchen to get a magazine when I caught out of the corner of my eye…GeorgeNGracie. At the bird feeder. I have been warned that Cooper’s Hawks sometimes stalk backyard feeders for song birds. Well, she flew off but returned when I left the kitchen. This is the first sighting that we have seen in a long time. The babies should be born by now, so she might be foraging for food. How exciting!

Now the BFF part. (For those of you without a teenager with a phone, BFF stands for Best Friends Forever) I read an article in TheBark Magazine today that was interesting and made me think about Beeker, Max, and his cousin Jesse James. My sister and Jesse James (her Springer Spaniel) left early this morning. Beeks and Jesse played together for the past three and a half days. At first Jesse didn’t really care that Beeks wanted to play. He was more interested in Chez the cat. Since Jesse doesn’t get regular access to cats he was way too excited by the cat’s movements and ability to hiss and grown at him. Jesse stalked Chez, went after him whenever he could and found him just about more than he (Jesse) could handle. Juli helped Jesse learn a little control by keeping him in a down stay, which allowed Jesse the ability to observe but not hunt Chez. I’m not sure who was more stressed, Jesse or chez. If Jesse wasn’t going for Chez, Chez came looking for Jesse. Truth is that both got a thrill out of each other. Juli told me that Jesse thought that Max and Beeker were taking Chez for granted. Jesse believes that Max and Beeker are not using Chez for all he is worth. How true that must seem to Jesse who coultn’t get enough of Chez.

The article in this months’ The Bark Magazine spoke of the need of dogs for best friends. It talked about how dogs can be best friends for other dogs, aiding them to overcome issues that we humans are not equipped to assist with. Social learning, grief, and even having a dog conversation are behaviors that dogs have with other dogs. We humans have our own personal relationships with our dogs, but we cannot fill all of our dogs needs. Who else can know jus the right mix of physicalness and then retreat but a best buddy? Who else can know to lick your face when you are down? repetedly encourage you to play without giving up or taking your growls seriously? The ability of dog friends to teach social skills and modeling, is greatest. For example, just this weekend, Jesse James was thrilled that we have squirrels that come to our bird feeders. Jesse is a squirrel lover. He whined to get outside to chase the squirrels. He wanted desperately to get to them. When we let all of the dogs out into the dog fence, Jess bounced out the door as only a Springer can. He bounced and he barked as he went to defend against the squirrels. Within two seconds, Beeker learned (through modeling) that squirrels were to be bounced at and barked at. From the top of the step, the dogs would sit waiting until the squirrels would feel calm and safe enough to return to the feeders, then Beeks would hop down, with a bark right at the same place that Jesse had jumped. This behavior happened four times in a row. We laughed from our view at the window. Beeker was Max’s BFF (Best Friend Forever) since the day we brought Beeker home to live with us. We are convinced that Beekr helped Max be a calmer dog, helped him learn about the give and takes of playing. Although Beeks was the younger pup, Max was the special needs dog. When Max and Beeker are at a dog park, they will often go their own ways to play with other dogs. However, if either dog encounters a dog that does not play nicely, is over aggressive or is too in the face, the other dog will come to rescue of his housemate. It’s awesome to observe. When Jesse and Beeker play Max is somewhat overly concerned and sometimes interferes in the play. We (Juli and I) have tried to figure this out since before Beeker was in the family, Jesse James and Maxie played together a lot of the time. Now Beeker and Jesse have a difficult time trying to engage because Max is either jealous or over protective. It is difficult to tell which it is at this point.

The relationship between Max and Beeker reminds me of an old 1965 Children’s Film Festival movie titled Skinny & Fatty. It was a Japanese film where two children form a friendship because they were odd kids out. It’s wonderful because both boys need the friendship and help each other out in ways that only each other can. Max and Beeker are like the two boys in that movie. You can see the actual movie on U Tube if you Google Skinny and Fatty, Children’s Film Festival. I recommend the movie just because it was such a heart full flick. I think that Max and Beeks are now and will always be BFF.