The Mom: Since the girls were napping after a good breakfast, I helped them with their “selfies.”
If these sweeties were awake, I know they would send tail wags and wishes for a happy week.
Many thanks to The Cat on My Head for hosting Sunday Selfies!
Riley: Shhh, everyone take a nap. We need to rest up so we can go to bed early tonight. We want Santa Paws to come.
Xena: Y’all are joking, right?
I mean, why would you have to nap to go to sleep early?
Riley: Because Santa Paws says so.
Santa’s Elf: Wow! That came outa nowhere!
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from Santa Paws Riley, his elf, Lucy, Xena and Chia (zzzzz…)
Ludwig: Monkey, what are you doing laying here behind the chair? Are you hiding?
Monkey: No, Ludwig, Chia dumped me here, and I’ve just given up. I’m gonna die and no one can help me. She’ll rip me open the same way she did the tape on the back of that chair.
Ludwig: Stay right here, don’t move. *thinking: who should I get, who can help him? The stuffie Support Team!*
Lambie: Monkey, my dear friend, what’s wrong.
Monkey: I was hiding out on the big bed from Riley. It was working, too, ’cause he can’t get up there anymore.
I was happy, daydreaming about the good old days many years ago when the boys were little and played with me all the time. Yep, those were the good old days. The dogs, Sammy and Freda, were never interested in me at all. I just played with the kids all day.
And now, I’m gonna die, I know I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I know I’m gonna die, I’m gonna…
Lambie: Please stop saying that, Monkey. We all have our time, but it’s not your time yet. What’s wrong?
Monkey: Did you see what Chia did to Eleephant? I’m next.
Xena: That wasn’t Chia. Eleephant got these injuries long before even I was born.
It was probably Riley, and now he’s focused on loving his own stuffie, Reindeer. Ain’t it somethin’ what love’ll do? You need to stop this silliness and go play with your friends and stop interrupting my Sunday Selfie.
Lambie: Come on Monkey. Do you want to go play outside for a while?
Monkey: Maybe. Let’s go quietly while Chia’s sharpening her teeth on that bone. I don’t want to draw her attention to me. Or we could just sit here together and watch the birds and the squirrels and the people and dogs walking by. Thanks for being my friend, Lambie.
We are happy to join The Cat on My Head for Sunday Selfies.
This is a story about a little dog and her cardiological-caused seizures. You can read about the difference between that and true epilepsy caused by neurological seizures here in this short and easy-to-understand article.
I had just lost my first miniature schnauzer, Freda, when I got word that a family needed a home for their little schnauzer. When I met them just off the interstate, the mother told me the dog was about nine months old and had a slight heart murmur. I never did get a “good” reason why they were re-homing her. I brought her home, and we renamed her from Daisy to Evie – our GSD was named Ara (short for Aragorn). I immediately made an appointment with my vet. At the exam, Dr. Sally got a worried look on her face and suggested I take her as soon as possible to UTK (University of Tennessee at Knoxville) vet school. There she was diagnosed with a class 4 heart murmur, about as far from “slight” as you can get and still have a live dog.
Since little Evie didn’t have a strong ticker to pump that blood vigorously through her veins, she didn’t have much energy. She couldn’t jump up on the couch or even run through the house. Somehow Ara understood this. Sometimes when I took them out, Ara would run zoomies back and forth in front of Evie, slowing only slightly as he approached her. At that point she would grab ahold of the loose skin under his neck with her teeth and hang on while he ran around the lawn with her. Do you have the image in your head of a GSD running with a large tick swinging from his throat? Go ahead and laugh…that’s what it looked like!
Slowly in that first year with us, Evie began to develop other problems. I held her close to my heart as she experienced her first, terrifying seizure. Because her doctor was aware of her heart problems, she realized this wasn’t true epilepsy, which is caused by neurological problems. Evie’s seizures stemmed from cardiovascular problems. She was placed on anti-seizure medication, which reduced the frequency of the episodes. All we could do was hold and comfort her as these seizures continued throughout her short life.
We tried to help her have as “normal” a life as possible. She thoroughly enjoyed going boating with us.
She loved her big brothers.
That’s Sammy on the left. He wasn’t thrilled about another schnauzer in the house, but soon learned that Evie wouldn’t (and couldn’t) dominate him like Freda had.
And, like most pups, she loved to sprawl out in safety and comfort on the big bed.
Evie had a “thing” for metal objects. Noting this, her loving grandparents bought her a set of old-fashioned metal measuring spoons that she greatly loved to chew on.
One day, shortly before we returned home from work, little Evie quietly left her kennel and her many illnesses behind as she passed over the Rainbow Bridge. She was only 19 months old. She was loved.
You can find your local Epilepsy Foundation and make a donation by clicking here.
Hi everyone! Guess what I’ve been doing on the weekends…Freestyle training! I even got a new kennel to use when I’m at the Obedience Club of Chattanooga (OCC). I think Mommy laid it down on it’s side, he, he, but it still worked. Don’t I look pretty in purple?
Mommy said I get to stay in it for a while every time we are at training – and each time further away from her – so I don’t bark and carry on when we get to the Trial in May. Mmm hmm. sure Mommy, I’ll let you keep thinking that. Then surprise!
In our club there’s just me and Mommy and the little pug mix Nina and her Mom Julia. Julia is officially Mommy’s trainer. When she gets Mommy to do it right, everything works better…even me! This video is from the last time we were there rehearsing and learning better ways to do things. Please remember we are what’s called a work in progress. Heck, even the music is. Mommy edited the music and Daddy hasn’t gotten around to smoothing it out yet, so please don’t judge. I’ll have enough of that up in Cleveland, Ohio in May.
We hope you have a real good weekend with lots of together time.
Love and hops, Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Our friend, Miss Monika from Tails Around the Ranch posted this picture, and gave us permission to show it to all our friends. It says so much about how we all feel.
A few of my favorite pictures/moments of 2020. ..
January 2020 (below) We were at our friends’ house in Nashville, blissfully unaware of how the year was going to play out.
February 2020 (below) We actually got some snow!
March 2020 (below) just before our world changed. We got pictures sent to us of Morty celebrating his first birthday.
April 2020 (below)
May 2020 (below)
June 2020 (below) Xena enjoyed turning 3 years old.
July 2020 (below) We got a baby in the home office and dogsat while our friends went on a trip.
August 2020 (below). We travelled to be with family in Indiana to celebrate Jeff’s Mom’s 90th birthday.
September 2020 (below). Still working in my home office with the help of Xena and Lucy. Our new back, enclosed porch was finally finished, and Xena found a way onto the table.
October 2020 (below) Lucy and Xena joined the Zoom service with B’nai Zion and became BarkMitzvah-ed. Lucy’s new Hebrew name is Ora (light or shiny), while Xena’s is Grrvurah (warrior, sort of). We took a trip to an Air B&B in Kentucky for our 12th wedding anniversary, and the pups stayed with our frineds in Nashville.
November 2020 (below) The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny. Our Nashville friends joined us for thanksgiving, and then we leftall four pups home with the dogsitter while we spent a long Thanksgiving weekend at an Air B&B in North Carolina.
December 2020 (below) OK, so the first one is still from November, but just had to include it. Riley is back with us for a while, and so is his Dad Andrew.
Have a very good 2021, from Lucy, Xena, Achilles, Ella, Morty, Riley and Amy
Xena: Last Friday was the anniversary of our folks being married for 12 years. We thought maybe there would be a party with presents and ice cream and cake. Instead, Mommy kept talking to me about what a good time I was going to have at my Auntie Jen’s and Uncle Bill’s. And she kept telling me to please try to be nice and cuddle with Auntie Jen, ’cause it hurts her feelings when I only want Uncle Bill to hold me. This all sounded very suspicious and I made no promises.
Lucy: Mom told me, too, at the last minute before we got in the car, and I was so excited! I was going to see my BFF Ella and my boyfriend Achilles! I could hardly wait!
Xena: It’s a three hour drive to the other side of Nashville, and our dinner was very late. By the time we got there I was so hungry that I was shaking and crying. It was two hours past my suppertime, and it wasn’t even our “fast” day.
Lucy: I was so over-the-moon excited when we got there that Mom couldn’t even get my car harness off me. Ella and Achilles and I immediately started playing. After we got our supper and settled down a bit, Xena hid in the chair with Dad. Me and Achilles had been playing kissie face, and he asked me to come over to my Dad with him, ’cause he wanted to ask Dad something.
That’s when Achilles asked Dad if he could marry me! I thought I would faint for joy. Dad thought about it for a very long minute, and finally said we could be engaged. I think that’s almost married, so I was really, really happy. Xena wants to be an old spinster, but I want to be happily married like my Mom and Dad.
Xena: I don’t know what a spinster is, but I don’t like the sounds of that and I don’t want to be one. I just want to be independent. Why do you think I hate my harness so much? So quit calling me mean names just because I don’t want to play kissie face with every boy dog that comes along. Grrr.
So back to our trip. Morty the pig has gotten so much bigger. He weighs about 70 pounds now, the same as Riley. I upset him by barking and jumping at him. Lucy and I went somewhere safe.
Is Morty gone?
Yep, it’s safe to get down.
*A little later*
Next thing we knew it was morning and Mommy and Daddy were carrying suitcases and stuff and going out the door. I just knew she was leaving me when she picked me up and handed me to Uncle Bill. It was terrible. I was afraid she’d never come back.
She promised she would be back, but it has been so long. Lucy doesn’t seem to care. She’d be just as happy living here. I will let you know real soon what happens. Love, Xena the desserted.
Lucy: Oh Xena, you’re so melodramatic. But you’re probably right. You’ve got those dark spots now, and, well, who knows? (te, he, he) Love, Lucy
I, Xena, am holding a contest to see who picks a winning name for our new schnauzer puppy stuffie. Whoever picks the best name gets a free trip to…
Lucy: Xena! Stop, just stop. I thought you were over this nonesense. You know you can’t give away a trip.
Hi, I’m the new schnauzer puppy stuffie and I need a name – a girl name. Would y’all please help me? Our Mommy is partial to “Sheila.” I’m not so sure, though.
So far, we have had the names Shira (or Shirah), Amelia, Max, Shania, Pilvi, Jasmine and Mrs. Mike suggested by our blogging friends. Plus two votes for Shelia. We are trying to decide. Your vote would be helpful, even if you don’t get a free trip anywhere. We are sure that next time you see me, I will be properly named.
In other news, Xena removed the stitch that tacked down my right ear. She’s helpful like that. Now we’re twinsies.
Do you like the one ear down, one ear up look? Sister Xena said it’s the latest fashion. I still can’t get my ear back as far as hers goes.
Now, if I could just get her slobbers off my furs.
Love, Lucy, Xena and Schnauzer Puppy Stuffie with No Name
Mommy and Daddy have been eating outside on our new screened porch almost every day, sometimes twice a day. I’m a good girl and sit under the glass table or go play in the yard while they eat. But when the food is gone, all bets are off! I go to Daddy – he can’t resist me – and hop up and down or stand up and throw back my head until he picks me up.
I was sitting in his lap in front of the table not long ago when he got a phone call. Since he was ignoring me, I decided to do a bit of ‘sploring.
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Hi friends! Like we mentioned on Monday, we went away for a long weekend. We rode for about 87 hours from our home in Chattanooga to Dad’s hometown, Fort Wayne, Indiana. We were going to celebrate our Grandma’s birthday. She will be a zillion 90 years old this month. She usually gets around in a wheelchair now, but her mind is really sharp and she loves us pups.
Lucy: I was at Grandma’s home in Ill-in- noise a couple of years ago, and she loves me most. Here’s a picture to prove it.
Xena: You’re full of bull bark Lucy. Grandma may have just met me, but didn’t you hear all the nice things she said about me?
Lucy: Bull bark? Bull bark?? Do you think you are swearing at me, Xena? Oh never mind. I want to talk about the trip, not argue with you. So anyway, every little and big space in the car was packed full. The trunk was full to busting, there was stuff packed on the floor of the back seat, and stuff under the passenger’s feet. Dad was planning on cooking a big Mexican meal for everyone…
Xena: Tell them who everyone is, Lucy.
Lucy: I will, but first I want to tell about the trip up. Everyone thinks I’m happy going on a trip, ’cause it looks like I’m smiling.
But the truth is, I get real nervous. Pretty soon I start panting. And I keep asking if we’re there yet. I even tried to climb into the front seat with Mom and Dad.
Mom finally stopped the car, put me in a harness and strapped me in so all I could do was sit or lay down. And pant. I got some of Xena’s special CB radio oil and that chilled me out for about an hour before I went back to panting.
Xena: It’s not CB radio oil, silly Lucy. It’s Sea Beady oil. It’s kinda like my Sea Rum, but I don’t have to get stuck with a needle, and I still get a treat with it.
Also, I was a “perfect child” the whole way there and back. I know I was, ’cause I heard Mommy say so.
Lucy: Yeah, sure. Anyhoo, on the way, we got detoured through a very rural area, down the backroads of Kentucky. All of a sudden, five teenager cows – I heard they are called calfs or maybe calves, but definitely not caves – scooted under a fence and walked into the road right in front of our car! Good thing Mommy saw them coming and slowed down. I saw them too, and got so excited that I started screaming at them. I wanted to get out of the car and make friends, but no one would unstrap me and open my door. We rolled along at the calfs’ (or calves’) pace for a short while until they all walked back onto the grass off the side of the road. We didn’t see a barn or a house or we would have stopped and told their mom and dad that their teenagers were playing chicken with the car.
We hadn’t gotten past the cows for long when Mom put on the brakes for a squirrel who decided he had the right of way. Shortly after that, a red fox ran across the road just up ahead of us. We think that might be a sign of good luck, when a red fox runs in front of your car and doesn’t end up under it’s wheels.
Xena: That was all the excitement on the way there. On the way back – yes, I’m jumping ahead, so don’t even say it, Luce the Deuce Lucy – a cat crossed the road a few yards up from the car. Mommy was driving and Daddy was resting his eyes. Immediately after Mommy said, “Oh, there’s a cat crossing the road,” she ran over a great big stick that made a crunching noise. Daddy’s eyes flew open, and I bet you know what he was thinking!
We finally got to a house, and got everything inside, including me and Lucy, and Mommy fed us an early dinner. I thought this was going to be great until we heard, “See you later,” and our peeps left in the car. Thankfully, there was a big chair in front of the window facing the road where I could lay for almost 87 hours to watch for them to come back. I wanted to be mad and tell and show them how upset I was at being left. But dagnabit, I was too happy to see them when they got back that night. And you won’t believe what happened the next day… yep. The. Same. Thing. Twice. There was a good part though.
The house was way, way, way, way out in the country and we had a ton of yard to run in and explore. And we went for long walks down the country road.
Lucy: Xena wants me to introduce everyone that Dad was cooking for, and who me and Xena finally got to visit with on Sunday night. Oh, and I found out that Bobbi and Jennifer are Dad’s sisters, and Josie is his niece.
Lucy: This is just a small part of the really wonderful big yard we got to run and play in. The peeps had put their chairs in a circle under a huge tree. I went around and greeted everyone, then Xena and me, we started playing. We went to the outside of the circle and played chase, round and round the circle of people, as fast as we could go. Sometimes we cut through the middle, too. It was kinda like tag. When one of us caught the other, we would turn around and change who was chasing who. Everyone seemed to enjoy watching us.
Xena: Then my Aunt Jennifer and her daughter Josie wanted to see some of the dance moves we do for Freestyle. Mommy ran in the house fast to find me some treats, and she grabbed the walnuts off the counter. Everyone seemed fascinated that I would eat walnuts. What stange people…why wouldn’t I eat walnuts? They’re yummy! Then Mommy and me, we got in the center of the circle and showed them a lot of our moves, including our special Viennese Waltz figure that I made up and that the judges loved!.
Lucy: Finally, it was time to make the long trip home. I panted the whole way and Xena was the “perfect child.” *sigh*
Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Mondays.
Lucy: I love Bridger. He’s a tiny person. He’s like a little puppy. Except he doesn’t have any fur and he can’t walk. But boy, can he cry! He makes lots of other noises too, like giggles and churgles and murmerings.
Sometimes I lick his toes, and he doesn’t really react, but maybe he can feel my love and devotion Oh, did I forget to tell you who Bridger is? He’s Mom’s work helper’s pup, er, baby. He’s four months old now! I watch when his Mama changes his diaper. I might have to do that some day, you know, and I want to be prepared. Or I might get to eat it someday, and I want to be ready. Not that I’ll admit I’ve ever done that before.
Xena: Sometimes I hide behind Mommy’s chair when that baby is here. I’ve thought about turning off the computer so I can get more attention so Mommy doesn’t have to work so hard, but I can’t really do much with this cone of allergies surrounding my head. I sure hope Mommy hasn’t forgotten who her baby is.
Sometimes I lay in my bed and sulk wait patiently for Mommy to notice me.
JenJen Bear keeps me company, and sometimes Elle and Oscar come by to cheer me up. Can you see Lucy reflected in the mirror behind me? Her bed is under Mommy’s table-desk.
I usually bark a lot when Miss Brooke and Bridger come in downstairs to go to the office. Today I slipped down quietly and greeted them nicely. I even went over to little Bridger to give a friendly wag hello. Mommy didn’t even know I was downstairs, I was so quiet, and Miss Brooke was impressed with my behavior. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any treats to give me. Unlike Lucy, I am not interested in a dirty diaper.
A little later when Mommy “went” to work downstairs, I went back down with her and did a repeat performance. Smile, wag, no bark. Mommy told me what a good girl I am. (I still didn’t get any treats, but I’m not giving up.) Mommy thinks the change in my behavior might be because of the CBD oil I am on to try to help with the itchies from my allergies. (CBD oil ordered from Miss Monika at Tails Around the Ranch. Check it out.) She doesn’t know that I’ve simply switched tactics.
Lucy: I don’t need drugs to be nice.
We also wanted to tell you that we just got back from a trip where we were stuck in a house by ourselves for 87 hours, almost ran over five baby cows and a red fox, and and got to schmooz with our peep relatives. Mom is going to help us post about that a little later this week.
Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
“Sho, is everything almost ready for our goodbye party?” asked Tye. “I can’t wait! I know there will be good food, but what about games? Are we playing any games?”
“I don’t have any games planned,” replied Sho. “That’s your department. I’m sure you and Xe will think up something. And it’s also a party to celebrate King and his little friend Missy renting our Hut Canada, and to thank Squish for taking care of the arrangements. Look, here come King and Missy now.”
“Great! the first game will be don’t step on King the Cobra. We play that everytime he comes over,” laughed Tye.
“They look hungry, but King always looks hungry. He’s enjoying his new vegetarian diet, but – just like Chinese food – he’s hungry again 10 minutes later. I’ll help you get the food out on the tables, Sho.”
“Ooo, a cupcake just for me,” squeaked Missy. “And it’s got banana tucked into it. Umm, excuse me Miss or Mr. Bird. Who are you?”
“I’m Tyko,” chirped their new visitor. “I live next door, and thought I would come over – I brought my own drink – to welcome my new neighbors. You two are going to rent the hut, right?” Tyko added as she reached for a cookie biscuit. “You two sure are an unlikely pair to be living together,” she added.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” interupted Sho, “but perhaps you should have asked the hostess and owner and current inhabitant of the Hut Canada before joining our soiree.”
“And perhaps you should have asked the snake if you could have any of his favorite biscuits before helping yourself!” hissed King.
“Uh, oh,” thought Missy, “I sure hope that bird’s wings aren’t clipped. She may need them in a moment.
Meanwhile, at the next table, Sho heard the sound of growling.
“This is my banana split!” growled Xe. “Can’t you see the American flag on the top? It’s specially for me!“
“Aren’t you going to share?” Tye growled back. “We always share.”
“No!” barked Xe. “This one’s mine. Get your own.”
“Stop it! Stop staring at each other and growling,” cried out Sho. “Oh thank Cat, here come Squish and her little sister Squash. I think things are whirling out of control around here.”
“Squish! Over here! I need your help!” Sho yelled.
Squish could hear the fear and distress in Sho’s voice. With a coconut-splitting trumpet, Squish rose up on her hind legs. Her landing didn’t quite cause an earthquake, but it did knock King and Xe off their tables and onto the ground.
“Now that you took care of that, can we eat?” squealed little Squash. “Look at the goodies Sho has for us!”
“Yes, she fixed me a giant banana split with mint ice cream, my favorite!” replied Squish.
“And Sho remembered my favorites, too – peanuts and bananas!” cried out Squash. “Can I have some of your whipped cream topping?”
Squish’s arrival seemed to have done the trick. King returned to the peaceful snake he had become, and invited his bird neighbor, Tyko to share his cookie biscuits. Xe and Tye, much embarrased by their own behaviors, mumbled “sorries” while Sho brought Tye her own banana split.
“I’m really sorry, Tye. I don’t know what got into me. Please forgive me,” Xe quietly woofed. “You can have my banana split if you want it. Here,” Xe said, as she started to slide it over to Tye. In case you don’t live with a schnauzer, let me tell you, it means a whole lot when a schnauzer will give away her favorite foods.
“I forgive you. And I’m sorry I growled at you, too. But look what my sweet sister brought me. And it has the new Tyeland flag on it, so I know it’s just for me, like yours is just for you. You were right about that, Xe. No hard feelings.”
Seeing that peace had once again settled on the land, Sho quietly slipped away from the party to begin packing. Hut Canada would soon be occupied by their good friends, and she and Tye would be leaving for a new home in Canada.
Well, it turns out that I didn’t get to go anywhere with Mommy today. She left early with a cooler packed with ice bricks, and I saw Daddy packing her lunch. She said bye to me and Lucy and that she would be back, like she always does, just in case we think she is leaving for good.
Me and Lucy and Chippie played for a while until Daddy came upstairs from his basement office and asked what was going on.
By then, we all were worn out. Does that mean I’m getting old?
After we got kefirred at noon (that’s what it’s called when we get served our kefir at lunchtime), we went out on our new porch so we could hang out while we waited for Mommy to come home.
Me and Lucy played chase across the porch, not even slowing for the doggie door. We made a full circle of the yard before we slipped through the door again and onto the porch. I turned and ran back out before realizing that Luce the Deuce, er, Lucy wasn’t chasing me anymore. When I stuck my head in to peek, I realized it was a trap! Just look at Lucy’s tail! She was ready to spring on me! I turned and ran and off we went. We played so hard that once again we fell down exhausted.
87 hours later Mommy got home, and all she carried upstairs from the car was some groceries from Trader Joe’s. With my most excellent ears, I heard her ask Daddy to unload the rest into the downstairs freezer.
“I’m dreaming of a tripe birthday,
Not like the ones I’ve had before.
Where the innards glisten
And Lucy listens
To hear if we might be getting more…”
This is Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess, one day away from 3 years old, with this stupid, revised Christmas song stuck in my head.
The Mom: Why are you staring at me, Riley? What do you want?
Riley: I just ate and I need to go out.
*a few minutes later*
Lucy: Where’d you go, Riley? I saw you go into the woods and thought you had run off.
Riley: Nah, I just had to do my business and I don’t like anyone watching. Besides, why would I mess in my own yard, or in my family’s yard? That’s just nasty. And why would you think I ran off?
Lucy: It’s cause Mom told me she had a dream about you and me running off together through the woods like we used to do a couple of years ago. In her dream, she found you near her old neighborhood and brought you home. But she never found me. She said it was a terrible dream. It woke her up and she never went back to sleep that night. So I am staying out of the woods.
Now, where did Xena go? It’s so hard being the responsible one, trying to keep track of every body.
Xena: I found a hole; two holes, actually. I can smell a critter.
Lucy: What’s in the hole? Don’t you have to go potty?
Xena: I don’t know yet, and I already went. Now will you please be quiet? I need silence. Absolute. Silence.
Lucy: Whatcha doin’ over there, Riley?
Riley: These leafs taste good. *munch munch*
Xena: Shhhhhh!
Xena: (thinking) I see you.
(thinking) Gotcha! Oh crap, it got away.
I am Xena Schnauzer Hunter Princess
Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting the
Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!
Xena: Something odd happened around here. I was having a good, normal Saturday. Daddy finished putting together my breakfast and I declared it good. Mommy finally crawled out of bed around 6:30 in the morning, saw it was dark and cold and threatening snow, and said we would all go outside after the sun came up. We never actually saw the sun, but it did get lighter outside so that we could see if any coyotes or werewolves were coming at us from the nearby woods. (None did.) Lucy and I played in the yard for a little bit while Riley (yes, he’s back) took his time deciding if he would step onto the wet grass. Mommy says Riley is very smart, but he sure does take a long time thinking about stuff.
I still didn’t think anything was out of the ordinary when I heard a scratching at the front door. We get a lot of Amazon deliveries, and I figured the delivery person had figured out the dog way of asking for the door to be opened was preferable to banging on it or ringing that annoying bell. Well, that, or else I was finally going to get to be a ratter.
So, as usual, I hollered for Mommy to come open the door. Look who was there! At first I thought it was Ludwig come home, then I saw the dress…
Xena: “Who are you? Are you Ludwig? You smell like Ludwig. Why are you dressed like that?
Schnauzer at the door: No, Xena, I am Ludwig’s cousin, Lois. I’ve heard so much about you from my wonderful, handsome cousin Ludwig! Then I heard that you and that scoundrel, er, I mean, Achilles might be getting married, so I came for the wedding. Let me in.
Xena: Riley! Get out of my bed and come here! I need your help.
This dog says (s)he’s Lois, Ludwig’s cousin. What do you think?
Riley: Well, (s)he’s got this strap thing from the dress wrapped around the part that would give it away, so I’m not sure. Do you want me to rip it off?
Lois: Stop it! Stop it!
Xena: No, that would be way too rude. But she thinks I’m marrying Achilles. What should we do?
Riley: Lucy says let the new dog stay.
If it’s really Ludwig, we’ll know soon enough.
Yes, we will know soon enough. If Lois perches on Vicky the Troll, uh, we’ll know it’s really Ludwig, and my ploy to make him jealous worked.
In the meantime, I’ve reclaimed my bed and am going to help Mommy in her home office.
Hi, I’m Ella, Lucy’s BFF.
Today, I’m pretending that I am Queen over all I see.
Queen Sarabi: Soon, Ella-Mufassa, you will be ruler over all this land.
Hi, I’m Achilles, Lucy’s boyfriend.
Today I’m pretending that I am a Major League outfielder.
Did you see that catch? Huh, huh, didja?
Hi, I’m Morty, and I’m pretending that…
I am Pumba, and they call me MR. PIG.
Hi, I’m Xena, and I’m pretending my Daddy could stay home and play with me every day.
What do you want to play now, Daddy?
Hi, I’m Lucy, and I’m pretending…
to be the subject of a famous picture by a famous artist, and everyone would know my name.
We are Achilles, Ella, Morty, Xena and Lucy, the Pretenders.
Hey Luce, can you believe it’s already been a whole year since I had to pose for this picture?
We had a new azalea last year. That’s the one you posed beside. It’s a nice picture of you, too, Lucy.
That was our new, 3 season azalea. It bloomed again in the spring for a short time. In the spring it looked like this.
Later in the spring, Mommy called the place where she got it, Holcomb’s Garden Center. It had a warranty, and she was thinking about returning it. They told her that it doesn’t bloom continuously for 3 seasons, but it would bloom again in the summer. Well, in the summer, it was deader than a thumbnail.
Lucy: That’s a door nail, Xena.
Xena: Whatever. Anyhoo. by then Holcomb’s was OOB. That’s short for Out of Business. Can you believe it? So now it looks like this.
In case you’re wondering, that’s a hole in the ground where the azalea bush used to be.
Well then today, Mommy ran out to the store without me ’cause we live in the USA where they have stupid laws about dogs and stores and she came home with a mum. Mom came home with a mum! BOL, BOL! So, to kill two words with one stone…
Lucy: It’s birds, Xena. It’s to kill two birds with one stone.
Xena: Why word you want to kill birds? And I really don’t see how you could kill two of them with the same stone. Anyhoo, no matter what you kill with one stone, or if yo don’t want to kill anything at all, or if you just want to kill one word or bird or…
Lucy: Xena, enough. Please just get to the point.
Xena; Mommy decided to put the table out over top of the hole where the azalea used to be and put that mum that is not her on it and take my picture with it again. Happy Flower Friday, folks.
Pee S, The pretty plastic aura around my head is ’cause I itched a hot spot under my ear. More about that later.
Thanks to Rosy from the LLB Gang for hosting another edition of Flower Friday
Xena: You might think that me and Lucy are always competing and arguing, but it isn’t so. We play together and team up when it counts. On this certain day we both saw a lizard trespassing near the front of our house.
Me and Lucy, we’re a team.
Lucy: OK, Xena, you chase it and if you can catch it, it’s yours.
Xena: So Lucy laid down and I chased the lizard… right into her mouth!
Xena: But Daddy took it from me and put it in my food dish for later. Then Mommy came home and said, “How disgusting!” and threw it in the garbage. Phth. I didn’t really want it anyhow.
Lizzie Lucy and Lizardless Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Today we are celebrating World Parrot Day with Kismet. She’s hosting a party and everyone is invited!
We asked Mr. Google about parrots, and here’s some of what we found:
World Parrot Day was started on May 31st 2004 by the World Parrot Trust. Its aims are to highlight the threats to captive and wild Parrots around the world. At the very first World Parrot Day the World Parrot Trust handed in a petition calling for the EU to ban the trade of wild birds in Europe. This has since come into force in 2006/2007.
What makes a parrot a parrot? The most defining and recognizable feature is a thick, hooked beak, which most species use to crack open their preferred food of nuts and seeds. They also have feet that are known as zygodactyl, meaning they are arranged in sort of an X-shape, with two toes pointing forward, and two pointing backward. This helps them hold on to tree branches, and also lets them manipulate food and other items with their claws.
A Sidney the Cockatoo story by Lucy: Many of our lifetimes ago, Mom worked as the office /clinic manager at a veterinarian hospital. A big cockatoo named Sidney came in regularly to board, and he and Mom developed a bond. He would sit on her shoulder and they would chat while she worked at the front desk. One day he kept trying to bite her necklace. After repeatedly telling Sidney, “No!” (she was good with that word way back then, too) she said, “If you do that again you are going back in your cage.” When he laid his huge beak against her cheek she thought she was going to get bitten for sure. Instead, Sidney said, in a low voice, “Sawry,” meaning he was sorry and didn’t want to go in his cage. One time, his owner’s adult daughter brought in her dog to be boarded while Sidney was there, sitting on Mom’s shoulder. Upon asking how Sid was doing, Mom told her that he had been talking up a storm. The daughter looked more closely at him and asked, “Are you sure that’s Sidney? Sid doesn’t talk. No one in the family has ever heard him talk.” That’s when everyone realized that Mom was his favorite person. She hoped they would offer to give him to her, but that didn’t happen.
A Mary Lou the Blue and Gold Macaw story by Xena: At the same vet’s there lived a blue and gold macaw in a humungous cage. That cage was bigger than my kennel. It took at least two people to roll it up front every day. It was a trick to get that cage moved without getting bitten. Mary Lou was not a nice bird. (Unlike Kismet who invited us to her party today.) So one person would push, causing M.L. to run over to that end of the cage to try to bite the person’s fingers. That person would let go and the person at the other end would pull, causing M.L. to turn and run to that side for the same reason. They would keep doing that until that cage was moved to the front near Mommy. Mommy tried to make friends with that bird, but Mary Lou didn’t like anyone!
I think that’s all we’ve got, but before we go I want to remind Kissie that I hung out with a bird named Pirate Pete on Talk Like a Pirate Day and I didn’t eat him!
Your friends, Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
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