Mom took a week and well...went on a vacation. She tried to convince us it wasn't really a vacation, but more a family obligation. Yeah right. A week at the beach in North Carolina. She so desperately wanted to take me, but she couldn't. Something about pets not allowed at this beach house. All the kids would've loved me, but not so sure about the head cheese...he's not much of a dog person. Mom's brother organizes this event. I've met him...he's not really into dogs. But still, no dogs allowed says the property people.
Mom has been wanting dad to send pics of me and the gang everyday while she's been gone. She misses us really bad. Yesterday was mom's birthday. She had ice cream and cake and a buncha family around, but she didn't have me there. So to help celebrate with her, dad got us a McDonald's hamburger with her in mind. That's a tradition for us on our birthdays, but since mom is part of the carnivorous pack, we made an exception. Here I am eyeballing that burger and missing my mommy.
It was my birthday this week. How did I know it was my birthday? The humans were different. "Blah blah blah birthday boy, blah blah birthday, blah blah they say it's your birthday...." The birthday word mentioned several times threw me off, but it all sounded great so I went with it. I got about the same attention, but a few different things like the pointy cap and dad taking me on errands to my fave places. I get so worked up in the car, didn't used to be that way. If I'm not telling my people, I won't divulge here. I got to pick out one of those bones with yummy smoked stuff on it at the place where food bags are stacked way high and bins of chewies at nose level...and the wall of toys! Then dad took me to McDonalds for burgers for us and sweet tea for them. Mom gets an extra burger and chicken nuggets. Cali, Cookie, and Betty get to share in the hamburgers. We like this tradition, it happens four times a year. Dad's a vegetarian, but he likes to eat the pickle in the burger. Mom always nags him about how it's touched the meat. To see me in action with my sibs, check out this cool site.
Many friends and fans have asked us if we're doing okay since there hasn't been a recent update on our blog in the past several months. We've had plenty to say, but mom has been out of sorts for the past few months getting her work done and dealing with other stuff, so she hasn't been able to transcribe all of our ramblings. She just keeps saying, "Oh yeah, I'll post it this weekend" or "Hey, that's funny, maybe I'll find some time to sit down and make that worth an entry". We tell her that hey, it doesn't have to be a novel! Here's a quick lowdown on what's been up with us in the past months...Mom has taken several trips to North Carolina so far this year. Work was a little light in the beginning of the year, which made travel a bit easier, but now she's swamped. We all looked at her and said BLOG!
In February, I accompanied mom on the 12-hour trek down south. Her mom (my Mimi) wasn't feeling well--had a knee replaced and so we had to oversee the transition from hospital to home. Every joint has been replaced south of the you-know-what line, hips and knees. We stayed there for almost 3 weeks. I like to think I provided much pet therapy as I made everyone smile and comment. I did put a smile on Mimi's face with my antics, and so my job was done. However mom was not so amused, she was going through her own private hell playing nurse and pill dispenser, I'm surprised she didn't pop some of those pills. Sandra, a close friend of Mimi's, helped (bailed) us all out on many occasions! Mom took her dad to Parker's, a BBQ must do. On one stressed day, mom asked Sandra to sit with Mimi while we visited a friend in Raleigh. Mom drove the hour west in the rain. The weather got worse, so we stayed there. The next day it had snowed! I live in Connecticut. South of the Mason-Dixon line, that white stuff isn't supposed to happen. I mean, really! I'm originally from Florida. But hello! The next few days had gotten much warmer so that snow didn't last. I was even playing a little ball on the tennis court. I couldn't get away from it fast enough.
We eventually came back to Connecticut, and mom was back to the grind. However, a few weeks later, mom found her way back to North Carolina. Yep, she took me too. Mimi was much better. But mom had other business this time. I won't go into it now. It was much warmer though. One day mom and I relaxed in the yard reading the paper. It looked and felt like summer and it was only April! During the drive from north to south, it was so interesting to watch the progression of winter to summer in a 12-hour drive. Mom did manage to take her dad to Parkers BBQ and also took him to see his old friend and prominent artist in the area, Vollis Simpson, who designs whirlygigs out of scrap metal. On the way back to CT, we did stop at mom's cousin's place in Maryland, you know, Southfork. We love it there. It's the perfect rest stop between CT and NC.
The biggest accomplishment for mom and the gang is that she has findly found the right food for us all. The most expensive food with the least amount of ingredients. All our weights and tummies are happy after much experimentation and no mixing of other ingredients necessary...thanks California Natural. Mom did live in CA at one time, it could've easily been named something else, but whatever, she found it!
Dad has finally been taking Miles to his office in Providence per mom's requests. Don't get me wrong, I like my brother, but he needs to go to work! And my big sisters Cali and Cookie are doing well. It's June and still not summer up here in CT yet...
During the early morning hours of Christmas, I got really sick. I was a little burpy when we went to bed the night before. When mom was wrapping presents I just wanted to be in her lap--but wait--that's true all of the time. Around 3am mom jumped out of her skin--and the bed--when she heard that I was sick. She took me downstairs. I wanted to drink some water, she let me, and all that came back up several minutes later. The strange thing was that for the next two hours I just kept spewing a watery mix in volumes. Where did it all come from we wondered? Mom cleaned up after each session, but after a few times she looked at me and raised her voice impatiently, "What is wrong with you, Betty?" She felt bad for saying that, but I know it was laced with fear. Around 5am, there was what seemed like a fireworks finale, I just stood there helplessly emptying all my stomach and intestinal contents in every direction. Mom was beginning to panic, but she handled the situation well. To make it worse, it was a holiday. It seems each of us likes to pick a holiday to be sick, when the Vet's office is closed. It drives her crazy.
Why was I so violently sick? Mom didn't have an explanation. It comforts her when she can explain away the issue and learn from her mistakes. She had me on a consistent food that she had sought the world over to find--the one dry food that has the fewest ingredients in it. Although the week before she ran out of that food and substituted another high-quality one, and I rejected it within a few minutes. The others' tummies are more forgiving. But I had been on my regular food for a week, so we're not sure why I got sick...unless it was the thumbnail size dried banana/chicken treat I had earlier.
That early Christmas morning, a warm breeze was melting the snow down to a thin coating. It was foggy too. After a while my stomach had calmed down, and she and I slept on the couch for a couple of hours as the sun came up. Needless to say I didn't eat when the others did later that morning. She had made these great stockings cut out of brown paper and sewn together the night before. She made one for each of us and tucked in a special treat. I got a round flat pigskin chew that she let me carry around later in the day. I was so thrilled with this thing--a pigskin potato chip. Miles had one too. It seemed his was better than mine, and to him, mine was better than his. Siblings play those games. Cookie got a rawhide treat. Mom doesn't like those things, but it was a holiday. Cali got a smokey bone and a toy--a rubber bowling pin with a sound, as it turns out, spooked her. She does love toys. View our video.
Mom wanted me to enjoy my gift and was happy that for all the chewing I did, I really didn't make a dent. So nothing solid went into my stomach for her to potentially see again. She was also worried that I would be well enough for our trip down to North Carolina in a couple of days to meet my grandmom and granddad. After the holiday, I was fed chicken bits and rice. I was feeling good. All was staying down.
On Monday mom packed the car and put a plush dog bed inside my crate and positioned the front of it so that I had a clear view of her in the driver's seat. Usually around town, I sit in her lap, but not on this long trip where fast driving along Interstates was involved. I was a model passenger. I curled up and slept most of the way. That means I got almost 10 hours of rest. Two were spent at a rest stop where she got a killer piece of grease wheel. I got to eat some of the pizza bone.
We got to grandmom's house at 12:30am. It was warm outside! Mimi, she's called, fell in love me with me. I played keep-away at first, doing that howl that i do. I had the best time amusing myself and everyone else. I had complete attention and no need to share with other dogs. I was noisy and playful, and sometimes full of mischief. Mom loved it. She seems to think I came out of my shell a bit. Thinking that being home is stressful at times being among the other dogs. It's been stressful with the humans as well. I guess it all seeped into my skin. But down here in the South, we were all having a good time. Every morning I jumped on mimi's bed and licked her legs. It tickled. Mom also got more comfortable in her skin while we were there. It was nice to see. I had my potato chip with me. Mimi kept asking mom to leave me with her, that I would be well taken care of. That was a sign she really loved me. But wherever mom goes, I go.
I met granddad as well, he's an interesting character. I met his crazy dog Dale. I couldn't even focus on that dog, she wouldn't stay still. He held onto me tight as Dale was scaring me a little. But I was ok.
I spent a week in NC and had a great time. Mom was very careful making sure I stayed on a bland diet of only my dry food mixed with water. She was feeding me twice a day. If she gave me extra food, it was real meat bits. I was gaining weight, too. She believed I needed to this time away to get healthier. Of course she tried to make excuses for why I was doing better physically...must have been as a result of me doing well emotionally.
The following Monday, mom packed up the Jeep and we headed to Maryland to stay with mom's cousin. We spent the night with her cousin Paula. We were at Southfork! The house was huge and in the middle of a thousand acres of farmland. I had a great time mixing with Paula's family. I discovered the fun of chasing the cat. But then the tables turned and their big dog chased me.
The next day we were off to New Jersey to stay with her friend Michelle. They talked all night about high school days. And so the next morning, we drove along the river road slowly while mom eyeballed the NYC skyline before we got on the GW bridge. I think she secretly wants to live there. Then we were back on the Interstate headed back home to a cold Connecticut.
But now in my new skin, I feel comfortable and confident in it and was ready to be home again.
Friday the snow started to fall. All day. It was definitely a snow day. All of us were cozy warm inside watching the snow fall. The humans weren't moving so fast either. Every time we were taken outside, the snow had accumulated more and more each time. Saturday when we all went outside, the snow was over the little ones' heads, so mom got the shovel and started digging pathways, as for Cali and me, we hop around in the deep stuff like deer. The little ones stick to the paths. The banks along the paths were being christened with yellow thanks to Miles.
Mom kicked some snow in the air and it stuck to Mile's face, he loved it, Betty not so much. She goes out so far and maybe runs around a path, but quickly realizes it's time to sprint back to the door. She's not a fan of the snow, much less the cold. As for me, I love two things: the couch and the snow. I love catching snowballs and dashing through it like a deer. Cali is quite a mover in the snow, but for having quite a nose, she sure loses her toys in the snow. She buries her face in the snow, but comes up empty-mouthed...some nose...guess if it were a bird, she'd find it. It continued to snow on Saturday, and dad got the snowblower to work, a small tube was clogged and gas couldn't get to the carburator. But finally once cranked, there were trails everywhere. Snow is an all-day job with the humans. Especially when a foot of it falls.
Sunday another snow storm loomed, and all the trails needed snowblower treatment again. The pathways in the backyard were even better and connected like a highway system with curves and connections and exits.
Eight more inches fell on Sunday. With Christmas just a few days away, we were sure to have a white Christmas. The next few days were cold, and not much melted until Wednesday night on Christmas Eve. A warm gush of warm wet air came through the night and quickly melted all the pathways. There was maybe an inch left of snow. So the holiday was sort of white. We loved our presents. Hope your holidays were warm, if not white.
We are such tools aren't we? And so well-behaved for mom's holiday card this year. All she has to do is pull that big roll of white paper out, and we know what's going to happen next. She wrapped us in a short strand of lights that held us close together...we're close for siblings...yeah Miss Thing beats up on me a little bit, but I shower her with my adorable boyish charm. Anyway, this year mom took our photo and on her laptop she drew something pretty funny, she added a photo of Cali and Cookie, and voila, it looks like we pulled a whole strand of lights off of a huge outdoor christmas tree.
Wishing you a great holiday, hugs, and frenchie kisses ;)
it's another birthday, mine. For the past few days, I've had a tummy bug. I really like eating dried worms in the dirt. This time I got more than a worm, I got something that truly insulted my gut. But now I'm feeling better and ready for a bit of hamburger. It's a trip to McDonald's on birthdays, as you've probably gathered from previous posts.
It's a quiet day today, a holiday, so everyone is home working around the house. This morning my day started with a spa treatment--a bath. Then some special food just for my sensitive belly. I've been so hungry for days, so today she mixed the rice with some other special dietary prescription food. But I'm hoping I won't blow it eating a pinch of hamburger. Much of the day today has been spent curled up sleeping in Mom's lap.
So when's the trip to McD's gonna happen? Mom says soon little Betty.
Mom took a week and well...went on a vacation. She tried to convince us it wasn't really a vacation, but more a family obligation. Yeah right. A week at the beach in North Carolina. She so desperately wanted to take me, but she couldn't. Something about pets not allowed at this beach house. All the kids would've loved me, but not so sure about the head cheese...he's not much of a dog person. Mom's brother organizes this event. I've met him...he's not really into dogs. But still, no dogs allowed says the property people.
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