Hello friends. Lucy Ace Reporter back with you again on the Groom Beat
Next up is a pair of shih tzus. Their dad is brothers with one of Mom’s other clients, who referred them to her. Mom began with Pebbles, who is almost nine years old and the dominant one in the family. Pebbles tried to bite her while she was removing the hair from her ears. Mom stopped working long enough to have a “come to Jesus” meeting with her. Pebbles said she understood, and, just to be sure, Dad held her while Mom cut her nails. Pebbles didn’t give her any more trouble after that. Well, OK, she gave Mom lots of trouble, but didn’t try to bite her.
I don’t want to stand up!
Pebble’s Mom wanted her shaved and her face trimmed short. Mom remembered to take the “before” picture shortly after she started shaving Pebbles. She refused to stand up or cooperate in any way. She actually jumped out of the sink onto the table once during her bath. *sigh* Anyhoo, she made it through the groom alive even if she did poop on the table and in the sink.
I may not be allowed to bite you, but how’s this for a stink eye.Did you say my peep sisters are coming to get me?
Next up was Stink-Eye’s submissive sister, Meeka. Meeka pooped all over the floor while she was waiting her turn. *If I talk funny now ith becawwz I’m holding my nothe.
I heard what you said to my sister. Please don’t send me to Jesus.
Nine-year-old Meeka is just the opposite of Stink-Eye, er, Pebbles. She is what Mom calls passive-aggressive in the groom world. She didn’t want her front paws touched, so she kept laying her head on them while Mom was trying to shave them. She kept tucking herself into a ball until Mom finally used the loop thingy – like you saw around Stink Eye – to keep her standing.
She didn’t like her bath either, but Mom managed to keep her in the tub. Dried, groomed and finished! Pee Ess, when she lifts her ears, her hair stands up like that. She really doesn’t have horns, BOL.
Are we going home now?
Mom asked me to quote her here. I think this is how to do it: A reliable source just informed me that both these dogs were covered underneath and in the back area with dried feces. My sourse is pretty sure that Pebbles has a bacterial infection on the insides of her back legs and her abdomen from the dried feces against their skin. She alerted their sisters – who picked them up – to this. She also advised them not to wait so long to get them groomed, suggesting every six to eight weeks.
This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with more wags and wiggles.
Hello friends. Lucy Ace Reporter back with you on the Groom Beat.
Today let’s take a look at three new grooms, all on the same day.
The first one I’m reporting on is a breed called a Pomeranian. I’ve never seen one before. They’re little and have lots of hair. Mom forgot to take a “before” picture, so I helped her find one from Mr. Google that looks a lot like Cooper. Even the markings are the same!
Cooper was adopted when he was almost 2 years old, and his loving mom doesn’t know anything about his past. He’s six now, and a very timid little fellow. We don’t know why, but his mom asked to have all his hair shaved off. Mom the Groomer used a little longer blade, and had a lot of difficulty getting it to go through his thick undercoat. She said that’s the kind of undercoat collies have. She managed to shaved him all over the best she could and gave him a bath. When he was dry, she shaved him all over again. Here’s the results:
I’m Cooper, and I want my Mom. Er, I mean, I approve this groom.
Mom was real glad Cooper’s mom saw her grooming sign in the front yard. She liked Cooper so much she told his Mom that she’s in love… and to let her know if she ever needed a dog-sitter. (I think Xena would probably traumatize him.)
*yawn* I just realized it’s past my bedtime. I’ll be back tomorrow with the downlow on a pair of shih tzus.
Mom says there is a black hole in our house that is swallowing stuff. If she would tell us what and where the black hole is, we would go look in it for her. But we think she is just forgetting what she did with the stuff and won’t admit it. First she lost her mask – the mask that one of her grooming clients made for her.
Whatcha do with your mask, Mom?
She thinks she might have thrown it in a shopping bag as she left the grocery, but her search through the bags yielded nothing. So she bought a new one at CVS drug store. I don’t think she should be offering kisses to strangers…that’s my job, te, he!
I’ve started going back to Freestyle practice. Mommy was sure she had packed my little black harness with the red piping that she got at the church rummage sale for $1 a couple of years ago. It had my NPR (National Public Radio) leash attached to it. Angel Lexi made a pledge to NPR to get that leash. Well, Mommy made the pledge in Lexi’s name, and Lexi was not happy about that. Anyhow, when we got to Freestlye, she couldn’t find it. I didn’t care, ’cause I hate wearing my harness. Whenever Mommy tried to put it on me I would back up and she would grab me and pull me into it.
This is an old picture of me in my harness. Where did you lose it, Mommy?
When we finished up and got in the car to go home, she did find it in the bottom of the bag. We got home, Mommy unpacked the bag and did other stuff. Later, when it was time for my walk, the harness and leash were nowhere to be found! I had to wear a stupid string harness she found in with her grooming stuff; it rubs me raw under my legs. Grrr.
After a couple of days of looking for my harness, Mommy helped me into my car kennel and off we went to Petco. I was pretty thrilled to go shopping. Oh my, the smells! But she kept pulling me back over to the leashes and collars and harnesses section where there was nothing fun or good to eat. And then the “try it on” stuff began.
On Sunday we went for a walk at the Greenway where there are loads of paths and scents and other dogs walking with their peeps. Here is me in my new harness. I hate it almost as much as the other one. (Don’t I look great in it?)
Hey Lucy, move! Mommy’s tryin’ to take my picture.
Lucy, I have an idea. Let’s hide so Mommy can’t find us and she will think we fell in the black hole, BOL!
We are Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess still looking for that hole.
Elle: I heard Xena’s Mommy gets to take Friday off as a holiday for Erev Rosh Hashanah, even though she isn’t Jewish. Oscar: How do you know she’s not Jewish? Elle: I heard her tell one of the synagogue congregants that. Oscar: Does that mean we all get the day off? Maybe we can organize some fun games. Elle: We can ask Rainbow Bear to help. She’s good a that kind of thing. Oscar: She seems good at everything. Do you think Xena’s Mommy needs any help with her work?
Oscar: Hey, where did Xena go? She was right here a minute ago. Do you think it’s lunch time?
Elle: It’s not lunch time and her Mommy’s still here, so she isn’t getting a bath, although she sure needs one. Maybe she’s hiding so she doesn’t get bathed.
*yawn* How can a girl get her beauty sleep with those two yammering constantly? Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
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.
They sure didn’t leave much for me to clean up.
Nothing on this ledge either. If I was a cat, I would walk on it, but I’m not.
Hmmm, looks like a long way down.
I wonder what’s in that bag. Lilys? Who would put flowers in a bag?
I’ve heard the story of how Angel Lexi got hip dysplasia from always jumping off of things. I guess I’m stuck here ’til Daddy gets off the phone and helps me.
Lucy: So Xena, it seems that your story character Xe has a new friend. What are they going to do? You can’t just leave the story there.
Xena: They’re going to have grand adventures, and another friend is joining them. In the meantime, I made a new page for my blog that has the whole story book up to here, with no silly interuption of Mommy grooming or you doing other stuff. Here’s what happens next.
PARIS REUNION
When last we met, Xe had just met a lovely French poodle named Gigi. They quickly became fast friends. Gigi offered to show Xe more sites in her home town, so Xe extended her stay at the Air B&B for an extra night. The next morning over café au lait, the little schnauzer regaled her hosts with stories of both her day in Paris as well as her adventures with her BCFF (Best Cat Friend Forever), Tye. Xe and Gigi had just returned to the Air B&B to prepare for anther fun day together when Xe got a text.
“It’s Tye!” Xe exclaimed. “She’s’ on her carpet, hovering over Sacré-Cœur. Let’s go!”
Gigi already knew who Tye was from their long talks the evening before. The pair ran as fast as they could to the stairs to the summit and on up to the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. They only stopped once to catch their breath before reaching the basilica.
“There she is! Here I am, Tye! Down here!” Xe hopped up and down and waved frantically with excitement.
Making a smooth four-point landing, Tye had barely hopped off her carpet when she felt Xe’s arms around herwith a big schnauzer hug. They grabbed paws and danced in a hoppy circle with excitement. Tye, in her fancy French beret, suddenly stopped as she saw another dog approach.
Gigi, who had been holding back, shyly approached the happy pair.
“This is my new friend, Gigi,” explained Xe when she finally stopped hopping. I just know you two will become good friends too. She has offered to be my – and now our – tour guide in Paris.”
“Meow, meow, meow! A friend of Xe’s is a friend of mine,” smiled Tye.
“Je suis heureux de vous rencontrer,” responded Gigi.
Tye turned to Xe, and whispered, “Uh, did she just swear at me?”
Gigi, who had very good hearing, said, “No, no, mon amie, that was ma langue français. I will speak your language, English, if you like.”
Having come to that agreement, Gigi offered – in English – to take them to the famous horse racetack, the Hippodrome de Longchamp Moulin. She explained that it is a lesser-know attraction where the locals enjoy losing their money. After paying their 2€ each to enter, they found the best seats, right in front of the track.
Xe, very confident in her running abilities, stated, “You see those horses? They could run faster if they didn’t have men on their backs. I bet I could even beat them in a race right now.” “Ah, but you could not beat me.” The little poodle said this with such confidence that Xe couldn’t help but challenge her to a race. As soon as the horses began leaving the track the three friends ran out onto the racecourse to settle who was fastest. Tye decided to let the race be between Xexe and Gigi, taking on the role of “starter.”
“Xe! Stop! You’re running the wrong way!” Tye called out as Tye tried to get her turned around. “Wee!” exclaimed Gigi. “C’est fantastique! Je vole, je cours si vite!” (I’m flying, I run so fast!)
(A little later) “Wow, quelle fun?” Gigi exclaimed. “I have never before been in a race and I have never before been tossed out of a venue. Vous deux savez comment le vivre.” (You two know how to live it up.)
“I thought you said you would speak English so I could understand you,” complained Tye. “Je suis désolé, er, I mean, I am sorry,” answered Gigi. “My English is actually very good. I just forget, since I was helping Xéxé practice her French. Now, let’s keep exploring.”
“Here is the Musée Picasso. It is a ‘must see.'” This time, instead of paying the admittance fee, the trio slipped in the dock door as the museum was receiving a delivery– something Gigi would never have done by herself.
“How strange all these paintings and statues look,” mused Xe. “That Picasso dude must have had a really warped mind to come up with all of this. Hey, Gigi, we never got to finish our race. Wanna’ try to catch me?” Xe started running with Gigi close behind. Several statues wobbled, almost tipping over. They stopped and listened at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Tye, oblivious to imminent company, was still thinking about what to do with the big-nosed man in front of her. “Hmm, this doesn’t make a very good scratching post. Maybe I’ll leap onto his head and take a bite out of that huge schnozzle.”
“Hey! You three, what are you doing in there?” a guard asked as he approached. Gigi quickly translated the guard’s French. “Nothing,” they all said in unison, with wide eyes and ready to flee. “Sortez!” He gave them all a stern look while Gigi told Tye and Xe that they were being thrown out of the museum. The friends ran for the nearest exit, trying not to do any damage on their way. They got outside and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, woofing and meowing in laughter. “That is two times – deux fois – we have been thrown out of somewhere! How fun!” laughed Gigi. “Let us find our next adventure.”
As they travelled through Paris, they came to the pool of water in front of the Louvre. Xe quickly got out her ball and jumped in to cool down.
“Wee! Wait for me!” yelled Gigi. “I have always wanted to do this, but never before had the nerve.” The little French and German-American dogs played ball in the water until – once again – they got thrown out. Tye, not too fond of swimming, watched from the side, and clapped her paws and laughed as they they climbed out of the water. “Here, we will cool you off too,” woofed Gigi as she and Xe shook the water from their hair. “It is getting late,” said Gigi, “and I must go home before Maman wonders what has happened to me. She worries too much.” “Come on, Tye, we can stay at my Air B&B tonight,” said Xe. “You will like our hosts, and I am sure they will let me stay another night. I have a nice room and big bed we can share. Help me remember to text Mommy to let her know I am OK. She worries about me, too, even though I am a big girl now.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” meowed Tye, “I promised to text Sho when I found you in Paris, and, with all the excitement, I forgot! I’d better do that too.”
And so, another fun day in Paris ended, with plans to meet up the next day.
Hi again friends. Sometimes Mom feels bad that she doesn’t have a puppy picture of me. I assure her that I looked exactly like I do now, just smaller BOL! Here, let me show you what I mean.
Left: How I think I looked as a puppy. Right: me now.
Today, instead of reporting on new grooms, I’m taking my reporter hat off to show you an awww moment. Slider is a pup who has been coming here for a haircut and bath since January of 2014. I’ve shown you pictures of him, but to refresh your memory – or for those of you who weren’t with us then – here’s a pre and post groom look at him.
OK, maybe not much difference, but it makes his Mom happy.
The new thing I wanted to show you is his puppy picture his Mom shared with us today. Can you even believe it’s the same pup?
I hope to be back soon in my Ace Reporter mode to show you more of Mom’s grooms.
Mommy walked throught the house and said, “Eww, something smells like pee.” She sniffed around like a bloodhound and said, “Eww, this ottoman stinks.” She grabbed her gallon bottle of white vinegar and soaked poor Mr. Otto Man with it. After about a week, she took another whiff and said the vinegar didn’t work. “Jeff!” she said, “Help me carry this big heavy thing out into the sun. Maybe that will take care of the smell.” Every night she went out and tucked Otto Man in for the night with a big blue plastic cover. And every morning she went out and uncovered him. But, alas, he was “sick unto death” as they say. Mommy and Daddy loaded Otto Man into the back of the truck and Daddy took him to the Otto Man graveyard. Here is my memorial to Mr. Otto Man.
Me and my friends hung out with Mr. Otto Man.
Morty wanted past me, but Mr. Otto Man was in the way.
Riley slept on Mr. Otto Man.
It’s where I apologized to Oscar for biting off his nose.
I didn’t even get to say goodbye.
My new Christmas stuffies napped on Mr. Otto Man.
On cold winter nights Angel Lexi laid on Otto Man in front of the fireplace.
I laid on Otto Man just like Angel Lexi.
Maybe you’ve gone to be with Angel Lexi, Mr. Otto Man. You were her throne.
Xena: It seems Mommy found a way to both comply and to rebel, all at once. I will have to watch her techique and learn that trick. She said since a cookie sheet is usually used to cook sweets, why not use a pie plate – which is also used to cook sweets – to make an all-in-one main meal? With that in mind, she made a tomato pie — at our Dad’s request. Tennessee tomatoes are big and juicy and kinda sweet. You’d better have a napkin under one if you bite into it. And we are having a very good year for tomatoes. The fresh market just down the road from us has local tomatoes that range from the size of a baseball to the size of a softball. Mmmm. I can’t wait until this comes out of the oven!
Crustless Tomato Pie
INGREDIENTS 4 tomatoes sliced 1-2 teaspoons salt 1 Tablespoon butter 1 yellow onion sliced 1 clove garlic minced 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano chopped 1 to 2 fresh leaves basil, chopped 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded, plus a little extra for sprinkling over top 2 eggs beaten 1/4 Cup pesto (optional) 1/4 Cup black or kalamata olices (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice tomatoes and lay sliced on plates. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit at least 10-20 minutes, and up to 30 minutes.
Melt butter in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute’ until onions are soft (about 8 minutes). Transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
Add cheese, eggs, herbs, and pepper to bowl. Stir to combine.
Drain water off of plates with tomatoes, With a paper towel, gently blot tomatoes to soak up excess moisture.
Arrange tomatoes in a single layer in a pie pan. Top with about a tablespoon (or more) of pesto and some of the cheese mixture. Repeat until all ingredients have been used, finishing with a layer of tomatoes. Top this layer with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Allow to sit 5-7 minutes before serving Note # 1: Mommy used Buffalo Mozzarella, and it was too soft to grate, so she just mixed it in and it was fine. Note #2: If her tomatoes look a bit strange, it’s cause she peeled and seeded them to be in compliance with this “no lectin” diet her and Daddy are on.
Can you believe they ate the whole thing in one sitting?! OMD! Not even any leftovers for us. Mommy’s gonna have to find someone else to help her with these food posts in the future. I’m done.
Many thanks to Deb Barnes of Zee and Zoey’s Cat Chronicles, author of Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond, and founder of Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. And to Ann at Zoolatry for hosting this blog hop.
Puppy Lexi
Lexi got her first title in Freestyle Competition in 2016.
Lexi in training at her first and third theater run in the Wizard of Oz, 6 years apart.
Lexi was often used as a prop “the little German dog” at the month-long Rocktoberfest event.
Lexi loved to go boating.
Lexi had to drop out of the Blogville mayoral race due to poor health.
Lexi had many jobs. One was to come to the Methodist church where I worked, where she was loved by everyone. When she passed, the pastor held a memorial service for her, and everyone and their dogs were invited. This short video was taken outside of the church shortly before she crossed the rainbow bridge from the Big C at age 13. Warning: she is barking in it
Lexi was a different personality with whatever was asked of her. She knew her roles, and threw her entire self into each one. This video sums up her joy in life (look at her smile with the children) and her innate desire to bring joy to others.
I know that my heart-dog, my partner, is somewhere over the rainbow, still busy doing the things she loves.
Lexi the Schnauzer: May 7, 2003 – September 4, 2016
I love you, darling girl and think of you often. Your Mom
Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!
The peeps are eating different than they used to. And sometimes they don’t even eat dinner.
Now they think it is a good idea for me and Xena to not eat dinner one night a week too. They call it a “fast,” but I think it should be called a “slow.” Do you know what we think of our forced participation? Phhthhhh!
Love and wiggles, Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
“I made it here to the City of Lights before dark,” thought Xe as her magic flying carpet hovered close to the iconic Eiffel Tower. “La Ville–Lumière,” she thought to herself. “Yes, I must start using the French I learned for when I got a chance to come here.”
“I’m sure glad I tied my suitcase to my collar,” she continued to muse. “There was quite a bit of turbulance over Turkey. All those big birds must have stirred up the air something fierce. Speaking of turkeys, my tummy’s starting to rumble. “Swirl,” Xe said to her carpet, that she had named Swirl, “take me to a cafe to get something to eat, please.” Xe had been taught well, and carried her manners over even to her flying carpet.
“It’s really late for my supper, but I remember that Parisians eat later than we do at home. Hmm, this place looks busy. I bet they have good food. I think I’ll ask if they serve steak tartare — two of my favorite foods in one dish. I love that the restaurants in beautiful Paris allow dogs to dine with the peeps. I might have to ask for some help with the menu if they don’t have what I want.”
As Xe walked into the patio area, a nearby couple stopped her and – with a lovely British accent – the lady asked if she was with anyone. With only a slight hesitation, she admitted that she was in town by herself, doing some sightseeing. At that, the couple smiled and invited her to dine with them, even offering it to be their treat. Of course, Xe thought they were going to share their food treats with her, and was only mildly disappointed when she realized at the end of the meal that they meant they would pay her bill. She did indeed dine on raw ground meat and egg, while often wiping her beard so as to not appear uncivilized. Not wanting to offend anyone, she accepted a very small glass of red wine and spoke as much French as she could remember. Mostly though, Xe lapped a lot of water after her long flight from Tyeland.
That night, Xe slept soundly in a quiet little B&B that her Mommy had booked for her. Her hosts were ex-pats from the U.S. and were excited to hear about her life in Tennessee. When she fell asleep in the man’s lap, he gently carried her to a quiet little room of her own and tucked her into a soft bed where, with a full tumy, she snoozed away the night.
Xe snoozed soundly until the dawn light peeked through the window.
Waking refreshed and ready to see the sights, Xe thanked her wonderful hosts with much tail wagging and promises to give them rave reviews on the Air B&B site. Off went the brave little schnauzer to visit the icon of Paris that she had spotted from the sky the previous evening: the Eiffel Tower.
On the way, Xe wondered about all the people playing in the Seine. Since the day proved to be heating up quickly, she decided to grab her ball from her little rucksack and jump in the water.
She swam up to a man who was all alone and asked, “Vux-tu jouer au ballon?” When he looked at her puzzled, she realized he was also American, so she said, “Do you want to play ball?” He readily agreed, tossing it only a short way. After many swims to retrieve the ball, Xe decided that although she was having fun, she didn’t want to wear herself out in the water. There was so much more to do and see in the City of Lights! She bade him adieu and swam to shore – with her ball.
She soon reached the boulevard around the Eiffel Tower, where she stopped to eat a bit of brunch. All that swimming had made her famished.
Xe bowed her head and gave thanks for her safe trip to Paris, for her new friends, for her Mommy, and for her food. While her eyes were closed, a French Poodle came up to her to see what she was “looking at.”
“Qu’est ce que tu regardes?” inquired the poodle. Startled, Xe jumped and barely stopped a growl before the poodle could hear it. She covered her reaction by asking the dog’s name. “Comment t’appelles-tu?” “Je m’appelle Gigi,” she replied in a soft voice. “Et tu?” “Je m’appelle Xexe,” Xe smiled. “Gigi et XeXe!” they both exclaimed, and thus began a new friendship.
Hello friends. Lucy Ace Reporter back with you on the Groom Beat.
Xena: Hey Lucy, I thought I would continue with my story today on my blog.
Lucy: First of all, it’s our blog. And Mom asked me to report on our latest new groom today, so you will have to wait until another day. I was just giving Sweetheart Bear some loving time since you’ve been ignoring her lately.
Xena: Coming next week: Xe Tours Paris on her Magic Flying Carpet
Lucy: Hmm, that was easier than I expected. So, moving on, in today’s edition of Grooming with Mom, I bring you Georgia A. Georgia is a very tiny yorkie puppy. She is less than three months old, and this is her first groom. Mom’s previous client – the man named John who sent his daughter here for her tiny yorkie’s first groom (click here if you missed that) – sent Georgia’s family here too. John can’t come any more because he no longer has his own yorkie, but we bet he gets lots of yorkie loving from his friend’s yorkie puppie Georgia and his daughter’s yorkie puppy Chief.
Georgia before her groom
During the groom, Georgia alternated between wanting to crawl onto Mom’s head and giving her sass about everything Mom was doing. Mom instantly fell in love with her and wanted to keep her, but didn’t think that dog-napping would go well for her grooming career.
About 90 minutes later, Georgia looked like this.
Mom trimmed under her eyes more after the picture was taken. We sure hope she grows into her ears.
When her dad picked her up, he told Mom who his folks are. They have Maggie, a poodle /shih tzu mix (pictured here) that Mom has been grooming for several years. Many of you sent prayers and positive thoughts for Maggie’s Mama, who had cancer, and she is fully recovered.
So this was actually a double referral to Mom, from both sets of Georgia’s grandpawrents. And speaking of yorkie puppies Chief was back this past week for his second groom. He did quite a bit better this time, but he screamed with every little bit of hair Mom had to pull from his ears. She was afraid the neighbors would think she was torturing someone, and was glad that the cops didn’t show up. Chief had a dark hair coat his first time here, but he is getting really light.
Chief July 3, 2020
Chief August 13, 2020
He doesn’t look like the same pup, does he?
From what his undercoat shows, we think he is going to be even lighter next time.
Aren’t puppies great?
This is Lucy Ace Reporter signing off with wags and wiggles and a reminder to watch for Xena’s next episode of her adventure tales, coming soon.
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.
I’m exploring the back yard and looking for critters.
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.
Aunt Bobbi, Uncle Dennis and my Grandma
Mom and Dad and my Grandma
Cousin Josie, Aunt Jennifer and my Grandma
My Grandma with my present to her
Back row: Cousins Mike and Stacey, Uncle Dennis and Aunt Bobbi, Cousins Denise and Kirby Sitting: Dad (holding Xena), Grandma, and Aunt Jennifer Front row: Mom, me and cousin Josie.
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.
Grandma loves me most.
Grandma loves me most.
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: 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.
I wonder which of these things turns off the ‘puter.
Sometimes I lay in my bed and sulk wait patiently for Mommy to notice me.
JenJen bear makes a good pillow
Elle and Oscar with 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.
We originally had a different post for today, but this is about food, and that is much more important!
Our easy, midday “meal” is always kefir in a soup bowl. We don’t get much, though. Sometimes we get berries in it, or other yummy things. Kefir acts as a pro-bi-ot-ic to help keep us healthy. It’s better than having to take medicine, fur sure. But that’s not what this post is about, right? So…we bugged Mom about this until she thought of one of her simple, any-time meals.
Mommy, think “food.”
Our Dad is a great cook, but his cooking is usually a bit more complicated. Mom eats to live (unlike us, who live to eat) and doesn’t especially like to cook. This meal is a favorite of Dad’s, so we won’t let him know it’s so simple to do. We’ll go with the “she slaved over a hot stove all day just so you could have this” theme.
Mom and Dad always complain about on-line recipes where the author yammers endlessly with stuff no one wants to know, so we’ll stop here and present our easy summer recipe for you.
Sloppy Joes 1 lb ground beef 1 regular size can whole or crushed tomatoes 2 or 3 Tbs dill pickle relish about 1 tsp sugar (we use 1/2 tsp stevia) a little salt, to taste
Brown ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces. Pulverize tomatoes in a food processor, then add to cooked beef, along with everything else. Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes to reduce liquid. Pulse a few times in the already dirty food processor, just enough to make the hamburger pieces very small. Makes enough for 2 to 4 hearty portions.
Mom makes homemade coleslaw to go with this. You can use store bought if you’re lazy you prefer, but Dad’s dietary restrictions means almost everything has to be homemade.
Also, since neither of them is eating bread, they put a serving of sloppy joes into a bowl and top with the coleslaw. They say it is yumdillyicious, but we don’t know, as we never get any of it.
I like laying in the sun almost as much as I like food.
Thanks, Phenny and Nelly and Shoko and Tyebe and Budd for hosting posts about food!!! You’re our kind of anipals!
Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior “Food-Loving” Princess
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..
