Thanks to Shoko and Tyebe of the Canadian Cats and Nelly and Phenny of Easy Blog for hosting this yummy day.
Lucy: For today’s Purrsuit, we are sharing Dad’s most favorite Mexican sauce. He even brags to his friends about this wonderful enchilada sauce that his wonderful wife makes. So far, no one has asked for the recipe, BOL!
Riley: But first, Mom Amy said I could share my favorite sauce recipe. I call it…
“Riley’s Super Tasty Topping”
Ingredients: 1/4 can dog food – I’m currently eating Beyond Ocean Whitefish, Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe About 2 big tablespoons of organic coconut oil
Directions: Mix all together in a glass cup or bowl or whatever is laying around. Heat for about 20 seconds in the microwave, or until the coconut oil is real soft, or even melted. Mix real good with whatever kibble you are eating, and enjoy before another dog in the family who shall not be named scarfs it down.
Lucy: Thanks Riley. Good food post. Now it’s Mom’s turn. Take it away, Mom!
That’s sure a hard recipe to follow! *giggle* Since Lucy so kindly introduced this sauce, we’ll get right down to the recipe.
We hope your first week of 2021 is going swell! Lucy, Riley and the Mom
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.
Happy Lucy
Xena and Achilles
Jen and baby Morty
Xena and her Dad at home
February 2020 (below) We actually got some snow!
Xena
Lucy and Xena
Riley
Riley, Xena and Ludwig
March 2020 (below) just before our world changed. We got pictures sent to us of Morty celebrating his first birthday.
Xena
Sleepy Lucy
Morty
Achilles and Morty
April 2020 (below)
Lucy, Dad and Xena
Xena and Oscar
Lucy and Oscar
Lucy and Xena
May 2020 (below)
Xena hunting chipmnk
Lucy
Riley
Xena
June 2020 (below) Xena enjoyed turning 3 years old.
I’m begging-hoof!
Hoof, please.
Xena
Lucy
July 2020 (below) We got a baby in the home office and dogsat while our friends went on a trip.
Lucy with baby Bridger
Lucy
Ella
Jeff and Achilles
August 2020 (below). We travelled to be with family in Indiana to celebrate Jeff’s Mom’s 90th birthday.
Lucy
Jeff’s Mom and Xena
Lucy travelling
Itchy Xena
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.
Xena in office
Lucy
Xena and Stuffie friends
Xena
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.
Xena
Xena and Lucy at Greenway
Jeff and Achilles
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.
Xena and bears
Achilles
Xena hiding
Lucy
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.
Jen and Xena
Riley
Riley and Lucy
Have a very good 2021, from Lucy, Xena, Achilles, Ella, Morty, Riley and Amy
Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Singing, “Nick, nack, patty wack, give a dog a bone…”
Thanks for the used bone, Xena.
It’s OK, I’ll keep it.
Here, Mr. Reindeer Stuffie, you can hold my bone while we cuddle. What, Mom Amy? Why haven’t I deadied my reindeer like I do all the other stuffies? Because you gave him to me for Christmas – just for me – and that makes me feel loved. How did I get Lucy’s sweater? She gave it to me to wear when I’m cold, and that makes me feel loved, too. Xena’s present to me? You mean that old, meatless bone? Well, I guess it’s a start.
I love my reindeer stuffie. I take him everywhere with me in the house.
I never get to steal use Lexi’s blog any more since I moved out of the house with my Dad Andrew. I got to thinking about it and asked my friend Lucy (who I knew would say yes, as opposed to Xena who would have woofed not just no, but heck no!)
My Dad brought me over to Lucy’s house to get a good flea bath. The funny part was that he was almost done with my bath before anyone realized we were even here. I don’t really like baths (who does?) but I know they get rid of fleas and make me feel better and less itchy, so I consent to them. I’m 70 pounds of (mostly) muscle, so consent is pretty high up on the list when trying to get me to do stuff. Now if Lucy’s Mom had given me the bath, she would have put me in the big tub where I slip around and can’t fight very much when she cuts my nails. Dad didn’t bother with that this time, and he got a gentle reprimand from Lucy’s (and his) Mom when she saw how long they are. Hey lady, if you don’t like it, just don’t look at them, right? There was even something about “for my own good” thrown in there. She’s a groomer, so she thinks she knows this stuff.
Don’t you think I’m a handsome nine-year-old? I wanted to make the picture bigger, but there was something about blowing up phones, and I’m not a terriorist.
Dad stayed and ate supper with his Mom, then he left to take me home to feed me since there’s no kibble or canned dog food in the house. I love my Dad and he loves me. I’m his heart dog. It’s good to be someone’s heart dog.
iley: I’ve been feeling better about being here with Lucy (and Xena). Although I still miss my Dad, I know he’ll come back for me and I might as well enjoy my time here. Right? I’ve started eating more – I really love that sauerkraut and coconut oil that Miss Amy mixes into my food – and I’ve had more energy. Lucy and I run in the big front yard while little Xena runs after us and jumps and barks and growls at me. I finally figured out she’s not trying to be mean or “take me on” but its’ her way of playing. I ignore her, as she usually just bounces off of me. In this video, me and Lucy played kinda rough, so Miss Amy kept Xena away.
Every evening between 7:00 and 8:00 I start barking at Mr. Jeff. Miss Amy always knows what I want, so at first she had to cue him, “Riley wants you to throw his ball.” Now he knows, and we play ball in the house – down the hallway and into the bedroom or the library or the living room. It’s nice to have a guy like my Dad who will play ball with me.
My bed got moved into the living room so I have somewhere other than the hard floor to lay when the family is together in the evening.
As everyone was getting ready to go to bed the other night, Miss Amy noticed that I had stretched out so that my head was hanging off my bed. She knows that I still chew up things – at least stuffies – so she went through the house looking for something she “didn’t care about”. Then she remembered the brown blanket that I had chewed big holes in years ago. She retrieved it from the closet and laid it all bunched up under my head like a pillow. I slept especially good that night.
The next day, when I got up to eat breakfast, that crazy schnauzer ran and jumped into my bed.
She and Lucy eat a lot earlier than I do, so her beard was all spiky-wild from her food. Then she acted like she had to guard my bed so I wouldn’t try to get back in it. Silly schnauzer! I spent the rest of the day in her favorite red chair. That one kinda back-fired on her, didn’t it?
The Mom: I don’t like to wear shoes in the house unless my feet are cold so I often slip them off when I sit down. One particular day, I found a present in one of my sandals.
I don’t know who left it there, but it warmed my heart.
It might have been me. Or Xena. Or Riley. We all love Mom.
Epilogue: Andrew picked up Riley and took him home with him. Riley may be coming back…or he may not. Either way, Lucy and I love having him here. And, I suspect, even the crazy little schnauzer does, even though she would never admit it.
By Riley, Lucy, the Mom and the Crazy Little Schnauzer Warrior Princess
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.
Xena’s viewpoint: Why, oh why, oh why is he living here with us again?
Riley won’t listen to anything I woof. He watches when I get my food and I’m afraid he’s going to eat it. Even my schnauzer warrior moves wouldn’t prevail against this 70 pound behemoth. Mommy threw my ball for me and Riley got it. When I tried to get it back from him, he hit me in the head with his tooth, and now there’s a hole where my ear meets the top of my head. I screamed and wouldn’t go near him for a few days. I even got behind Mommy every time he came near. And he has taken over my chair, so I can’t lay on the top of it and watch outside. I wish he would just go home.
Riley: Is that my Dad coming?
Lucy’s viewpoint: My buddy is back. He’s 20 pounds bigger than me, but I’m almost as tall as him. Sometimes we run and play in the front yard like we used to do. I love having Riley here. Did I mention he’s my friend?
Riley’s viewpoint: My Dad Andrew brought me over to Lucy’s to visit. Or at least I thought I was just visiting. But then he said he had to stay with friends for a while and I could stay here with his Mom. It’s true that she takes real good care of me and feeds me things I like and gives me pills for itching and pets and scritches me. But I miss my Dad Andrew…a lot.
I’ve had some fun times playing with balls and bones (I didn’t mean to hurt that silly schnauzer). And Lucy is a sweet girl and fun to play with. I’ve been real good. I’ve gone into the woods to potty and not run off. I always wag hello when I see the neighbors on our walks, especially the little kids. I love little kids. The guy working on the patio brought his teeny tiny 3 month old chihuahua and I was very, very careful not to hurt or scare him. We could even be friends if he wants.
I was even sorta, kinda good for my bath and nail trim. OK, so Mr. Jeff had to hold me for the nails, but at least they got cut, right? I even let Lucy have everyone’s favorite red chair this afternoon.
I just miss my Dad Andrew so much. He’s my heart-person. Every time I see the other patio worker guy drive his white truck up the driveway, I think it’s my Dad coming to get me. I get excited and start to bark. Then there’s the let-down.
When are you coming to get me, Dad? I’m OK, but I miss you so much.
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 sure hope Riley doesn’t take as long to make up his mind as this guy.
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.
Xena: Mommy was on her feet working in the house and preparing food all day. She’s more used to a desk job, not being on her feet all day. It’s 8:30 at night, we’ve all had turkey, and Mommy’s ready to sleep. But she thinks that would be rude with our peep brothers still here.
Lucy: We’re sleepy too, but no one thinks we’re rude if we nap.
It’s really nice to see Riley again. We are still friends. Of course, Dad had to rescue Mr. Elephant from him. I didn’t want to have to perform emergency surgery again (see here). Then Dad put all of Xena’s stuffies in their basket and up on the fireplace mantle, out of Riley’s reach.
Xena: Our brother Adam is staying with us for a few days. I like having Adam here. He sits out back with us. And he asks if we are allowed to have treats. I just wish he gave us treats without asking, but I guess he’s well-trained. *yawn* I’m just so sleepy from the turkey neck and liver and some other guts. Mmmm.
Lucy: Tomorrow we’re having some other friends over to play games and visit and eat leftovers. I hear that there is more turkey waiting for us to eat, too!
Xena: Mommy’s also tired because her and Daddy stayed up late last night moving furniture. They wanted to move the dining table to the other side of the room so they could use the fireplace. Then they had to figure out how to arrange the rest of the furniture, make it look right, re-hang pictures, re-configure electronics, move stuff down from the attic and in from the utility shed. It wasn’t just exhausting watching all this, it was something I hear is called “disconcerting” for me. I kept asking Mommy to hold me, to assure me that everything was still ok in our world.
Some of that stuff they waited to do today. Even so, it was almost worse than missing supper time. I wanted us all to go to bed, and I wanted everything to be the same when I got up in the morning as how it had always been. Why did they have to change things? Everything in the room has been moved! Not only that, but the front room –the one they call the library — has been changed, too. At least my red chair is in the same place.
We hope all our friends in the US of A had a good Thanksgiving and had enough food.
Love and tail wags and full bellies, Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Xena: While we wait for my video from the Freestyle Trial, I wanted to catch you up on what is going on around home. Do you remember my warning to Riley? Do you remember that he still went ahead and deadied my blue bone? That was bad, but not like deading a real live stuffie. Look who we found, a victim of a Riley attack.
Do you remember that poor old Mr. Elephant was very close with Angel Lexi? Now his guts are falling out of his butt. This isn’t the first time Riley tried to kill him. We think it is because he mattered so much to Angel Lexi. Mr. Elephant had asked that, instead of staying in the big green basket on top of the mantel to stay safe, he be allowed to stay in my kennel. He was ok in there until one day we all forgot to shut my kennel door and Riley saw his chance.
Riley: You two can stop talking about me now. My Dad’s coming to get me.
Lucy: I saw something had to be done immediately if we were to save Mr. Elephant. After thinking for 87 seconds, I made my decision.
I ran to the pantry and got some Tennessee whiskey to steady my nerves and gave Mr. Elephant a drink of it, too. Xena had eaten sauerkraut last night, so I told her to turn around and gas him. Between that and the whiskey, he was out cold. I gathered up some tools and put on my operating mask. Time was ticking and I had to work fast and sure with precision instruments. I also had to be very careful not to close up his bee hind hole. I looked for his tail, but that villain Riley must have eaten it. His right leg was ripped halfway off, so I fixed it to the best of my ability.
About 87 minutes into the surgery, Xena noticed that Mr. Elephant was also missing an ear.
We hurriedly – but carefully – looked under all the furniture. Xena is small enough to be able to scoot under the couch and love seat, and did a thorough search. It was all to no avail. That fiend Riley must have eaten his ear, too. I finished working on his back end, and, with only a short pee and snack break, started closing up the gaping whole where his ear used to be. Xena! Quick! Lick the sweat off my forehead! Thanks!
Mr. Elephant is in the guest room sleeping it off and is expected to make a full recovery. His back leg isn’t exactly straight anymore, so he will have a limp. And we’ll have to remember to stand on his left side when we talk to him.
Riley has gone home with his Dad, and it’s time for a nap after an exhausting, yet satisfying, day. The patient will live.
Wags and licks, Lucy the Surgeon and Xena Schnauzer Princess Warrior
Riley: We don’t know, your Mom just told us to say it. Did you get that guttural c h sound right? Keep looking at the camera – we haven’t gotten our posing payment yet.
Xena: What’s gutteral?
Riley: Just pretend like you’re trying to dislodge a piece of food from your throat. If you can’t do that, then just say happy Shemini Atzeret .
Xena: Oh, Mom, Mom, Mom. I think Riley just swore.
We are joining our friends at Comedy Plus for the Happy Tuesday Blog Hop this week!
Our Mom had a birthday and our Dad made a big deal about it.
He made her his special chicken dish and pasta and fresh broccoli. We didn’t beg at the table; we just wanted to stay close to Mom on her birthday. Honest.
Our Aunty Jen and Uncle Bill are crazy lots of fun. They sent her this happy birthday message.
Later in the week Mom’s friends at work had a little party for her and someone named Lester who had a birthday the same week. They sang happy birthday to her and Lester and had special sweets.
You might know that Mommy works at a place called a synagogue. I don’t like it cause I’m not allowed to go to work with her like I did at the Methodist church. But Mommy seems to like it anyhow, which I totally don’t understand. So, what I wanted to tell you, is their big sanctuary had been closed down for a long time, and finally got repaired. They had a big party to celebrate the dedication and reopening just before something called High Holy Days. Mommy and Daddy went to celebrate with them. They had something sacred called scrolls carried in from the chapel, where they had been worshiping after they couldn’t use the sanctuary. They passed the scrolls up the center aisle then danced around the sanctuary to music, carrying the scrolls, until they were passed up to the “ark” on the “bimah.” Mommy taught me those words. See, I could be a great help to her at work. Anyhow, someone took this picture.
That’s Daddy handing the sacred scroll to Mommy.
After that part was over, they ate and drank wine and visited with everyone and generally had a great time while we sat at home waiting for them.
Lucy: But we have been getting some good walks when the temperature cools off a bit in the early evening, just before twilight. Every day we get a nice walk is a special day. E”special”ly if we see people who pet me or if I almost get to chase a cat.
Dad asked why we don’t walk as nice on the leash as Riley (center). I pointed out that we also don’t spend 87 minutes every walk reading pee mail like Riley does.
I heard we’re all going to Aunty Jens and Uncle Bill’s this weekend. And I saw Mommy packaging our food. I’ll get Uncle Bill to hold me and see if Morty has gotten bigger than me.
And I’ll get to play with Ella, try to make friends with Morty again, and maybe even get another kiss from Achilles. So today is going to be another special day!
And I get to go home with my Dad, Andrew!
We can’t wait to get on the road! Kisses and wags from Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess and Lucy, and Riley, too.
Hi friends. It’s been a ruff summer. There’s lots of fleas where I’ve been living with my Dad, Andrew. Dad had been working hard to get rid of the fleas on me with spray and a flea comb and had even put some top spot stuff on my back. That helped, but I still didn’t want to go in the house or the yard ’cause I was afraid the fleas would get me again. And with my flea allergy, even one bite turned into agony.
Amy the Enforcer decided to help me. She convinced my Dad (she’s his mom) that I should go on vacation to her house and spend time with Lucy and that dam schnauzer. The one that, when Amy brought her home, I cried out, “Oh sh**t! Not another schnauzer!” then jumped off the chair and ran into the bedroom. You know, don’t you, that Amy the Enforcer threatened to kill me with her bare hands if I ever hurt her precious schnauzer Lexi. That opened the door for Lexi to rule over me for years. And Lexi was never one to miss an open door. So you can see why I was so dismayed to see another one become part of the family. Uh, in case you are wondering, I had a DNA test, and I have absolutely no schnauzer in me. I am 50% pittie, 25% lab, and 25% mix of catahoola leopard dog, dog du Bordeaux, and boxer.
Jumping back to the here and now, the first thing Amy the Enforcer did when she got home and saw that Dad had, indeed, brought me here was reach into a box just delivered from Amazon and put a Seresto flea collar on me. Then I got banned to the garage for 24 hours until the collar had done it’s thing. Sure, she fed me and gave me water and walked me and even petted me. But it was lonely and I really missed my Dad.
Finally, I was allowed upstairs with Lucy and Xena. I haven’t seen Xena for a long time, and she seems to be pretty chill with me – well, at least as chill as a schnauzer can be, right? She doesn’t think she can boss me around, and seems to have forgotten that I deaded her favorite stuffie, that racoon, so I’m ok with her now. Lucy’s been her sweet self, welcoming me and letting me know she’s still my friend. We’ve even been playing just a bit. I do feel better now that the fleas aren’t still biting me, and will feel even better when I stop itching.
Then, the next blow (or cut) hit: my nails. I’m a fanatic about not getting my nails cut. I scream. I thrash. And I’m strong, yes very strong. A vet, 3 techs and Jeff all working together couldn’t hold me down to cut them. My nails have gotten very long because I’ve stopped chewing them. I heard that’s a bad habit. Amy the Enforcer said I had to have my nails cut before the dew claws grew into my leg, and she was just the little lady to do it. I thought, “Sure, lady, just try.” Wrong attitude. She dragged my 70 pounds into the bathroom, plopped me into the tub and got the bottom of the tub wet. Then she started cutting. I tried to scream but she gave me “the eye.” I tried to get away but the bottom of the tub was too slick. I started to lift my lip in a snarl to try to scare her but she is one tough cookie. She took the leash off my collar and tied it around my nose and neck, and I couldn’t open my mouth. Just a precaution, she said.
My nails are still pretty long, and I’m glad. Amy the Enforcer said the quick had grown out, which means it would have hurt and they would have bled if she had cut them any shorter. She did get one dew claw to bleed, but I don’t think she meant to. I licked it for a long time afterward and got some pity steak scraps. Not sure if it was worth it, but the scraps sure were tasty. I overheard her say that she will take a quarter of an inch off every week I’m here, and the quick (the hurty part) will recede. Umm, Dad, when are you coming to get me?
It happened! Mom can be a force of nature when she gets her mind set on something. Since Dad said, “No.” to the brush killer, Mom had to come up with plan D. If you remember, plan A was for someone who wanted big bushes to come dig them up and take them, but the roots were in the rain water drain running away from the house and we only lost one bush that day. Plan B was for Brother Andrew to cut them down, but he got obsessed with busy power washing the shed and doing some other stuff out back and it got late and he had to leave without cutting any bushes. Plan C was to kill them by spraying brush killer. We heard the Hated Bush laugh when Dad said, “No.” (If you missed that whole story, you can read about it here.)
So on to plan D. Mom told Brother Andrew she would come pick him up to finish the job. That way he was trapped and couldn’t go home until the Hated Bush was dead. We know the Hated Bush just chuckled under its breath, not believing Bro Andrew would actually get to it before dark, ha, ha. You tell me if it was right.
It didn’t stand a chance. *sigh* Mom made sure that was the first bush killed. My ex-boyfriend buddy Riley came over too, and we snoopervised. Xena tried to get in on the action but we ignored her. This was a job for big dogs.When Bro Andrew came in and said he was done, Mom said, “No, no, you missed one,” and sent him back out. So he went back out and even dug up most of the roots. End results:
The little azalea bush that we helped Mom plant last fall was allowed to stay. Now Mom is planning on raking the dirt and mulch to the side, laying down more landscaping fabric, planting hostas, raking everything back and laying down new mulch. Whew. That sounds like a lot of work. I hope we don’t have to help. We would much rather do zoomies. (footage taken from last spring when the Hated Bush still felt secure in it’s home)
Love and wags, Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Lucy here. Riley was my first boyfriend. We had some really good times together. Then, about a year ago (which, as you know, is something like seven years to us dogs), he and Andrew went away and the next time I saw him he wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Never any explanation. I’d just been dumped. Mom said it was because Riley knew he wasn’t going to see me and was protecting his heart. But what about my heart?
Then, out of the blue (or gray, really, since it was raining), Riley came back. He gave me the ugly face at first, but I think it is because his folks were eating and he didn’t want me to get his portion. A little later he wagged his tail at me and said we could be friends again. That made me feel good. He has put back on all the weight that he didn’t need to lose and his furs are shiny and healthy-looking again. Even though his muzzle has gotten a bit gray, he looks so handsome, just like he used to.
Brother Andrew and our Jentry came and visited too. It has been way too long. I sat near them all evening until they had to leave. Riley promised to come back to visit again soon. Maybe next time we can run and play outside, just like old times. That sure would be fun.
September 21, 2012
My mom went somewhere called “vacation” and my dad stayed home ‘cause he said he had to work. While my mom was gone – and I missed her a lot – my dad let me sleep in the bed with him. I think he missed her a lot too. It’s a pretty big bed, which is good since I am a pretty big dog. The problem is, when mom came home, she didn’t want me to sleep in the bed with her and dad. So I would wait until the middle of the night when I could tell they were both asleep and real quiet-like get up in the bed and sleep between them until morning. It is important to me to touch my people and sleep next to them. It makes me feel safe and loved and wanted.
One night I kept creeping over to the bed but mom kept telling me to go get in my own bed. Finally, she put me in my kennel to sleep the rest of the night. The next night she told me I had a choice: sleep on my own bed or sleep in my kennel. I picked my bed. Last night I went back to sneaking in the bed, but I waiting until almost morning to be sure she didn’t put me in my kennel. I hope I can keep sleeping with my people pack. I like to be touching them when I sleep, and their bed is better than mine. Maybe mom and dad could just buy me a better, bigger bed like theirs and I wouldn’t mind sleeping alone as much. Or maybe one of them would come and sleep in it with me sometimes. That would be best. In the meantime, I will keep working my agenda.
June 18, 2012
Hi friends. I completed my first agility course with my people brother Andrew and got a nice piece of paper for it. Not edible, says my mom. She is going to let Andrew keep it because it is his first time doing anything like this. Well, it is my first time too, but I love Andrew so I guess I will let him keep it. Besides, I can’t eat it, so what good is it, really. We are now back to Agility doing stuff called teeters and weaves. I am slowly getting used to stepping on this board that moves around. It is a bit scary, but I am getting braver every week. The other dogs are all running across the real teeter. I need to think about it a bit longer before I trust it. It’s really great though, cause I get tons and tons of treats while I am there, really good stuff I never get any other time, and Andrew has a new toy he plays with me only when we are there. I want to play with the other dogs, too, but Andrew and mom won’t let me.
I have also been going with mom and Lexi and Milo to Freestyle training. I have to sit in a crate a lot, but boy do I ever love it when I get to go on the floor and strut my stuff. Everyone says how very beautiful I look, like a Tennessee Walking Horse with my long legs. Now I don’t know what that is, but it must be really pretty.
I think it is almost dinner time so I have to go now.
August 10, 2012
I got in so much trouble this morning, and I didn’t see it coming. I thought Mom was going to kill me she was so mad, but all she did was lecture me and point her finger at me and at the poop first in my kennel and then all over the patio.
She said I should have gone out last night like she told me to. But I don’t like to go out in the dark. And I don’t like to go out by myself (my sis Lexi wouldn’t go with me – she had already done her business the first time Mom asked her to) and I don’t like to go off the patio and into the yard.
That’s where and when the next trouble came. She caught me pooping on the patio this morning and walked out and saw all the other poo I had left over the last couple of days and just lost it. She made me go in that dirty old yard where my feet get wet and messy. I know I am a big boy, but I have such pretty, dainty feet. I just hate getting them messy. She talked and talked and pointed and pointed and kept telling me what a bad dog I am. I tried to go to the back door but she kept chasing me back into the yard. Then she left me out there! Aghhhh! Dad let me in after she left. I heard him on that little box he talks into telling mom that he had to let me in because it was raining. I don’t think I want to know what she said back to him. But I think I might know because he didn’t put my brand new crate pad in my kennel this morning when he crated me before he left. I was really looking forward to using it and maybe even chewing it a little – or a lot.
Maybe she will be happier when she gets home. I sure hope so. I love my Mom lots and don’t like her to be mad at me. I will try to be a good boy and go in the grass. It’s just that paw thing…and the dark thing…
May 14th 2012
Hi I’m Riley and I’m back to tell you, I had a birthday and it was GR8! Mom pulled my favorite chair up to the table and fixed me my very own plate of chicken salad with my own fork and everything! I sat there very good like I have seen Lexi do on her birthday and didn’t try to gulp the food off the plate. That was very hard to do, but I made myself have what mom calls self-control. She fed me all the food that was on my plate and it was sooooo good. Then mom and dad put pup cup ice cream and rice krispie treats in all the dog bowls and everyone got to celebrate my special day with me.
The next day I saw her eating the chicken salad (well, smelled her eating it is more like it) and I just couldn’t understand why she was eating my birthday food and not giving it to me! Sometimes life is unfair, but I love my mom and let her have it.
Mom said she has to go and can’t help me with my diary anymore today, so I will tell you about being a new agility dog next time.
I'm Dalton, a Rat terrier mix and I came here in Sept, 2017, I was rescued from Hurricane Harvey. My birthday is 8-20-2016. My Gotcha Day is 8-27-2017. And I am Benji, a terrier mix of unknown origin. MY Birthday is June 6, 2018, and my Gotcha Day is Dec 28, 2018. I also was a rescue from a different part of Texas. We also have Angel MrJackFreckles, (2-5-2018); and also we have Angel Minko, (6-18-2017); and Angel Pipo, (11-3-2020);There are also Angels Groucho, Simba, Suki, & Toki. We meezers used to be known as WeBeesSiameezers. We'e all from Michigan, Dalton and Benji both came here from Texas, as rescues..
When Bro Andrew came in and said he was done, Mom said, “No, no, you missed one,” and sent him back out. So he went back out and even dug up most of the roots. End results:
I sat near them all evening until they had to leave. Riley promised to come back to visit again soon. Maybe next time we can run and play outside, just like old times. That sure would be fun.
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia 