Feeding the "Pigeons"

On our "snow" day a few weeks ago, Neighbor Mike came over to say hello.  He brought his dawg Buster (a long time friend of Hunter) and his fairly new dawg Homer.  We had lots of fun together and probably could have continued to play for a while, but our humans grew cold.

Mike always carries treats in his pockets (just one of the reasons we love having him over), and he was feeling especially generous that day.  He shared LOTS of treats with us.  Mommy said it looked like he was feeding the pigeons since we flocked around him.

Usually Jenna is the one who hounds Mike for treats, but Jenna was too busy playing Keep the Frisbee Away from Homer.  Homer preferred playing Tug-of-War.

Buster is only a month older than Hunter.  He spent his time eating snow, just like Hunter does.  They are both pretty much at the same stage in life . . . old men!

Maybe we'll have another snow day soon and Neighbor Mike can come over to play again.  Or maybe Mike can just come over to share treats with us "just because" . . . just an idea!

Anxiously awaiting,
Dixie

At Last!

Cue the music.  Can you hear Etta James singing "At Last"?  My love has indeed come along and it's in the form of SNOW!!!!

We finally have a snow day worth mentioning.  (Does 3-5 inches count?)  It comes on the heels of President's Day, so Mommy will be able to enjoy two days off in a row!  Whoo-hoo!!!  Well, she actually cleaned and worked on school stuff yesterday, but at least she was home.  Today, we actually went outside and PLAYED!!!

Our most recent snow experience started Saturday night while Mommy and Daddy were eating out to celebrate V-Day.  It was a beautiful snow, but Mommy said it came down fast and stuck to the roads.  The fifty mile per hour winds did NOT help and it was almost whiteout conditions on the way home.  Add the temperature in the single digits and sub-zero wind chill and it was like I was back in Minne-SNOW-ta!  All of this did not bother me since I was born and bred there.  My parents have started calling me Boney Maroney since I am so skinny, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying a good snow.

More snow began falling late last night.  We started making trails this morning at 6AM.  You can see mine on the left and Jenna's on the right.  Dixie never goes out first thing; she waits until after breakfast.

We went out to play with Mommy an hour or so later.  Dixie took a tennis ball (naturally) and Jenna took a new throwing toy she has.  She has almost ripped her old toy into two pieces and it doesn't go very far with all of its holes.

No one took a toy for me, so I had to help myself!  Jenna wasn't happy and her new toy ended up with a few holes in it.

We had fun playing in the snow and getting snow faced!  Dixie was the only one who didn't lose control.  She was too busy searching for her tennis ball which became lost in the snow.

I continued to sing my heart out over the excitement of the snow!

I ended the morning with Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off!"

We then came back inside to see Daddy off to work.  He maintains people with "real" jobs still have to go to work on days like this.  If that's truly the case, then I'll vote for Mommy's "fake" job any day!  Or maybe she's just a better negotiator . . . no snow days, summers, nights, or weekends . . . who's keeping it real now, Daddy??

Here's to snow days and breaks from "fake" jobs!
Hunter

Happy Hearts Day!

We're pretty sure we've told you this, but Daddy calls today V-D . . . not exactly the nicest of things to say.  We think he secretly likes Valentine's Day since he and Mommy started dating right before the holiday NINETEEN years ago.  After all, where would he be without her?  He says he'd be in a cabin out West where he could hole up and do all the hunting and fishing he wanted with no one to bother him!  He debates whether he'd take us along or not, but we digress.

Daddy never fails to do something nice for Mommy on this holiday like send flowers or surprise her with a new piece of jewelry, or both!  And they always go out to eat to celebrate as well.  Many people say this holiday is just an excuse for the commercial world to make more money (and that's probably true), but Mommy eats it all up . . . preferably covered in milk chocolate!

No matter how you spend today, we hope you know you're loved and we appreciate you reading our blog.

Sending our love wrapped up in wags and kisses just for you!  Enjoy the day!

Hunter, Dixie & Jenna

Tough Love

Have you ever had to practice tough  When I was a puppy, tough love came in the form of a crate.  It took a while for me to become used to staying in my crate and I wasn't happy about it.  Mommy rejoiced when I was finally crate trained.  Considering my past tough love experience, it's a miracle I enjoy hanging out in my crate now!

Mommy and Daddy are again trying tough love with Hunter, but it's not going so well.  Tough love for Hunter comes in the form of a baby gate.  The baby gate has been placed at the bottom of the stairs to prevent Hunter from going up and down.  He loves to be wherever the action is, and he doesn't let a little hip and back pain stop him.  Except for when it's time to come back down the steps . . . then the pain stops him.  Or at the very least slows him down.  Hunter has the privilege of sleeping upstairs with our parents, but it takes a while for Mommy to coax him downstairs in the mornings.  Mommy plans extra time in the mornings to play with us, but she doesn't work begging and pleading on the steps into her busy mornings.  

My parents are trying to keep Hunter downstairs at night.  They've even let us girls sleep anywhere we want downstairs too (as in, not in our crate) to keep him company.  The evening starts off fine, but at some point Hunter becomes fully awake and realizes he needs to potty.  He starts with a low whine, but when help doesn't come he cranks the whine up to an all out BARK!  Mommy has Mommy Ears and she hears any noises we make during the night (truly, Daddy thinks she makes noises up, but she's always right).

 Mommy tries to ignore the whines and barks like she did when we were puppies and learning to be crate trained.  She was strong when we were puppies.  For the old man in Hunter, Mommy is weak.  She can't stand knowing he only wants to be near, so she eventually caves and comes downstairs to allow him to come up.  

It's as if when he sleeps upstairs, he knows going downstairs to potty isn't an option, so he pushes through the night.  When he's downstairs, the outside is so close, but yet far enough away that he needs to start barking for help.  

So Mommy has a dilemma.  She can either try to ignore the whines and barks, or she can add extra stair time to her mornings.  So far, she hasn't decided on the best option.  She's still deluding herself that she can follow through on the tough love plan.  I mention only Mommy at this point because somehow Daddy is blessed with the ability to sleep through it all!  Lucky him!

Personally I think Mommy will do everything in her power to help Hunter up and down the stairs for as long as she (and he) can . . . 

That lift chair is looking more promising by the day!
Dixie


PS: You may have noticed that rug moves around frequently to help ease Hunter's fear of the hardwood floors!

PBP Anyone?

Have you ever had a PBP?  No, that's not a typo.  I'm not talking about a PBJ sandwich.  I'm talking about a Peanut Butter and Pill sandwich.  This wonderful concoction is a brainstorm of Daddy's intelligent mind . . . 

Mommy has been worried about my health for a while, so she took me to the vet for a check up.  We decided not to do anything about the growth in my mouth since it's still not hindering my eating habits (thankfully).  We also decided to try more steroids and painkillers for my hip and back discomfort.  Mommy and I came home from the vet with an arsenal of pills.  The dosage is so complicated Mommy had to make a post-it note and schedule for each pill just so she wouldn't get confused about when to give me medicine.  The real problem was that Mommy took me to the vet one day and left town the next!

Daddy took over parenting duties for the MLK holiday weekend while Mommy met Grandma and Poppa in Williamsburg.  Mommy had a great time, and so did I thanks to Daddy's ingenuity.  Mommy was a bit worried about Daddy having to give me all of those meds.  She left him specific instructions for how she usually gives me pills.  But being the man he is, Daddy totally ignored those instructions and devised a better way!  

Daddy created the PBP: Peanut Butter and Pill Sandwich!!!  If you haven't tried to take your medicine this way, I highly recommend it!  Seriously YUMMY!!!  My Daddy is so smart!  Only he would think of such a great way of giving me my meds.  This is so much better than a pill pocket or just covering the pills in a tiny bit of peanut butter like Mommy does. 

Mommy liked Daddy's idea so well, she continued it upon her return.  I've been enjoying PBPs all week!

Way to go Daddy!  (And Mommy doubted you . . . )
Hunter

Thief in the Night

The night before our "blizzard" arrived, Daddy built a fire in the fireplace.  As soon as he finished building the fire and it really started roaring, the power went out.  The power in this house goes out pretty regularly when we have any kind of storm (anything from rain to a hurricane and everything in between!).  Daddy immediately went to the garage to start up the generator.  He can't stand the thoughts of being without power, so we've had a generator since two hurricanes ago.

In the mean time, Mommy just relaxed in the dark with only the firelight.  She didn't even make a move to find a flashlight.  But someone else made a move . . . 

(That's me blocking Mommy's view of the fireplace!)

Mommy could tell one of the girls was sniffing around the coffee table, but had no idea what might be of interest there.  Suddenly Dixie grabbed something and ran to her crate.  Mommy heard the smacking of jaws and decided she needed to investigate.  She used the flashlight app on her phone to see that there were two Hershey's miniatures on the coffee table that Daddy must have been planning to snack on.  She was terribly worried that Dixie had eaten a mini chocolate bar, but it wasn't really Dixie's style to eat the wrapper (we weren't talking about Jenna, after all!).  

Mommy was still thinking about it when Daddy returned to the scene of the crime.  He noticed his snack was gone and asked Mommy if she had eaten his cookies.  That's when the truth came out.  Dixie hadn't eaten a chocolate bar; she had helped herself to GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!!!  The peanut butter pattie kind.  You know, peanut butter on a cookie covered in CHOCOLATE!!!

Did you know these are called Tagalongs in some parts of the country??

We're assuming Dixie didn't eat enough chocolate to hurt her, and so far so good.  She said they were yummy.  I guess Jenna and I will never know because security has tightened up around here since the incident.  Girl Scout cookies are apparently a big deal.  Mommy never fails to tell us each and every year that she was the top cookie seller for two years in a row when she was younger . . . much younger!  I'm sure Grandma would remind Mommy the honors are due in part to her and Poppa taking the sales form to work!  Just a minor technicality there, Mommy!  

Kudos to Dixie for her bravery and ingenuity in the absence of electricty!

Hunter

PS: The power was only out for forty-five minutes!

The Blizzard that Wasn't

Have you ever really had your heart set on something only to be disappointed?  Well, that happened to Mommy this week.  Supposedly the blizzard of the century was on its way . . . and it was bad in some parts of the country, but not here.    [sigh]      [sigh]     [bigger sigh]
Yes, we are thankful we have power, and aren't stranded, and aren't freezing, but a nice BIG snow could be fun!  Mommy was hoping she'd miss at least three days of school.  She did manage to have one day off, so she can't be too upset, but consecutive days off are always a plus in her book.  Daddy wasn't disappointed in the least.  Snow makes his job much more difficult and dangerous for co-workers.  He was happy with the total snowfall of . . . are you ready for this . . . ONE INCH!!!!!!!!

Daddy must think all we do on snow days is lie around eating bon-bons and reading glamour magazines, but he'd be wrong.  When he hit the road, this is what Mommy was doing:

She was grading papers!  And we each helped!   Hunter stared Mommy down until she explained to him that he could NOT eat the papers.  It wouldn't be good for her to have to tell the students they don't have a grade because her dawg ate their homework!

Dixie sniffed the papers for a while and I just watched.  I was hoping I might learn about a good book to read since Mommy was grading book reports.  Some looked interesting and some didn't.  I'm talking about the books and the reports written about them!

When Mommy finished with the papers, we had breakfast and then cleaned house.  No vacation for us!  That's why we need consecutive days.  A snow day to work and a snow day to play!

Better luck next time . . . crossing my paws!
Jenna


PS: My parents started dating nineteen years ago today!  Daddy says the anniversary is nineteen years tomorrow, but give it up Daddy.  You know have to trust the female on this one!

Ready for the Races

Poppa has always called me a horse due to my enormous size.  I topped out at 101 pounds several years ago.  Now I weigh about 75 pounds.  When Mommy wrapped my ankle sores (due to duress at being deserted by her and forced to go to the kennel during the holidays), she was reminded of Poppa's comments.   Only three more ankle wraps and I'll be ready for the Derby!

Have no fear, I'm all better now . . . until my next forced incarceration anyway!
Hunter

PS: This picture was taken on New Year's Day with no snow in sight!

Tie One On?

Mommy and Daddy are having a bit of a disagreement.  The week before Christmas Daddy came home to find Flop Ear, his mounted eight point deer, with a red scarf around its neck.  Daddy wasn't too pleased, but figured it was only for a week, so no big deal.  He grumbled a bit, but did not remove the scarf.

The day Mommy started putting away the Christmas decorations, Daddy came home to another rather unpleasant (in his opinion) surprise . . .

Daddy is definitely NOT happy about this turn of events.  Mommy said it's only for the month of January and surely he and Flop Ear can stand it for that long.  I think Daddy is picturing the red scarf going back up for the month of February.  And then a green one in March if this year's March is like last year's cold one??

We dawgs are staying out of the discussion.  It's really nothing new for Mommy to dress up the animals in the house.  It happens to us all the time.

What do you think?  Scarf or no scarf?
Jenna

State of the Union

Tonight many people will tune in (and probably many more won't) to watch the president deliver his State of the Union address.  I thought this might be a good time to let you know how the Sister Union is getting along here in our household.

It is amazing to think that just three short years ago we were only a two dawg house and then my parents got the crazy idea that we should become a three dawg house!  I'm still not sure what they were thinking, but on most days it's been a pretty good decision.  I also think that as I grow older and slower, it's a good thing we have Jenna around to play with Dixie.  If it was just me and Dixie, I might have had to sit on Dixie by now.  Both girls are full of energy and I'm not.  They keep each other entertained and allow me to work on my beauty sleep.

Dixie used to be our Wild Child until we brought Jenna into the mix.  Now Dixie is our Worry Wort.  She needs to be careful or she's going to develop a few wrinkles on her face between her eyes from all of her worrying.  Dixie's wildness has taken a back seat to all of the energy Jenna exerts.  That being said, they are both very well behaved for the most part.

Jenna is definitely the more dominant of the two sisters unless a tennis ball is involved at which point Dixie wins paws down every time.  I thought Jenna would've been a bit more reserved or humble when she joined our gang since she was new, but nope, not our Jenna!  She takes over and lets you know she's the boss.

An outside observer would notice this hierarchy if they spent any time with us in the evenings.  Our love seat is dying a slow death due to those two dawgs.  (Just because I too was allowed to lie on it for eight years as an only child doesn't count, I'm sure.)  They love to hop up on the love seat and each take an end.  Throw pillows mean nothing.  Sometimes those pillows are added cushions for the girls and sometimes they're just in the way and hit the floor!  And then there are other times when Dixie is the cushion . . .

Just how many creatures can fit on this love seat?  Mommy took these pictures from her seat at the other end!  She and Dixie were relaxing and minding their own business when Jenna decided she wanted to join in the fun.  And that was that!  Jenna just makes herself at home no matter where she is.

So the State of the Sister Union is that the bond between my sisters is quite strong.  They each have their quirks, but they live together peacefully . . . most of the time!

Hunter