Happy Holidays

Yes, happy holidays but...this is almost a horror story. You see...

my masters left me at home -- ALONE! 

On Christmas Day! 

Some sort of cross-wires or something.  

The human race, they  frequently misunderstand or misinterpret. That rarely happens with my nation! 

My nation uses superior communication skills.

(Think about it.) 

 Thank the canine gods, grampa saved the day.....he and my bonus master came and got me. 

Rescued me from boredom.

I got right to work keeping everyone entertained at the party, because they all wanted to see me. 
I didn't get a rest all day. Bed time couldn't come fast enough...whew!

OOPS

So you know....it rained for days. I was SICK of rain. I got to come to the grams for a respite. Fine. 

Then the sun came out and gramps took me for a walk at the park. 

Geeze...I played ball till I wanted to drop. So...I dropped into the nearest puddle. 

Oh my -- heavenly mud. You gotta love it.

"Hate rain, love puddles."

That's my motto.

No problemo....I totally get it...walk home, jump into the tub. 

Grammie says......"I have NEVER seen so much mud!

Busy Work

I've been pretty busy. I had a modeling assignment. My masters got  a new camera. I had to pose and pose so they could get the settings correct. I mean really....I look good with any old camera.

This gets pretty broing.

Eventually....I have to protest.

Now this is my idea of a picture.

 

Oh I took this one. My masters are celebrating their 2nd anniversary. I have no idea what that is. 

But I like those smiles.

My Cyber Friend

For some reason I don't remember meeting Jaz nose to nose. She  is one of my kind and I think she might have shown me how to swim way back. However we use the cyber space to say in touch. (Honestly I have no idea what that means but grammie says so.) 


Once in a while I catch a whiff of Jaz when my grammie comes home. 
Looks like Jaz loves to eat.....and she cleans her bowl. Good girl!

Forest Fun

My grams took me a long, long way. At first I didn't know the plan...Mexico beach, cabin or Texas. I've been on many, many trips. I KNOW about packing and all that.  When my stuff gets packed  --- then 100% YOU BET YOUR LIFE, I'm in on it.

  

So here I am  oh frabjous day --   hills, trees and rocks. I can spy the cabin and  gramps is always somewhere behind me.

Lotta creatures to chase.

You gotta dig. Never underestimate digging.

Jumping, oh my lord!

Leaping....I know all this stuff.

Long time ago, in my pup days, my master put me in a boot camp and then agility training. Oh...bother, who needs all that?   I am SPRINGER.

You have to look fierce sometimes. 

Oh...a bit tired for sure.

Occasionally grampa tells me to watch and not chase.

Oh good grief...

You gotta love a little puddle.

We went to town one day.
I understand town, no problem.

Coming home, I try hard to stay awake. The grams depend on me.

Live is good.

An Incident

So you remember what a good dog I am, right?  They say it's a slippery slope (although I actually have no idea what that means.) 

Evidently I just went down it.

It happened like this:  the masters went off for a few hours. I was bored. The pantry was just a tad open. Some fairly new human treats were on a low shelf. Oh wow, dark chocolate chips, although I prefer milk chocolate. (I know because I tasted an Easter bunny ear once.)  


Long story made short: masters came home, evidence was all shredded in the floor. I got sick, sick, sick threw up all over.  For some reason they liked and encouraged me to heave.  Go figure. Really, my insides were outside of me that night.  I swear they tried to water-board me! They poured water down me like crazy. Some water stayed in -- some came out.


They say my ah, er...my poop ('scuse me, if I offend) was rather chocolaty fragrant!  I dunno, I was too sick to care. Next day I was pretty much dog-tired. They didn't tell my grams for two days.(I wanted to phone them but that doggie relay service was closed.)


A strange thing my masters kept talking to Mr Google on the laptop while I was so bad off. I mean, really, what the heck does he know about me?


As for now....it's hot so I am resting up for my afternoon swim over at Ed's.

First Day of School

The following is an email from Ella's Mom:

You want me to go where?
  

School started this week and Ella has been less than cooperative. This morning she said, " I can't go to school, my tummy hurts." So, I said "Oh, I guess you can't come jogging with me either."  She replied, "Oh, I feel better now."  So, we went jogging.

When we were pulling out of the drive way, she said "I can't go to school, I think I have a fever." We felt her nose, it was cold. We asked if she wanted us to use the thermometer to double check. She quickly said, "I feel better now." So, we headed for the school.

When we pulled up to the school to drop her off, she said "I can't go to school, I don't have my home work!" We asked her where it was. She said "I ate it." We turned around and took her home.

Guess we will try again tomorrow! 

(Ella says....Whew!)

I'm traumatized but I forgive

Here's a  shocker for you. Last week I was at the grams, as usual. My masters came over for feeding.  And while we are having our happy hour, (I love happy hour!)  there is a ding-dong at the door. Some strangers of the human nation came in to visit. I'm fine with that  but they were  holding  (this is where it gets really weird) ....a creature of my nation...a rat dog. I kid you not...a rat dog.

 It gets worse, even spooky...those humans leave the rat dog with the grams!  

That rat dog is not a big problem for  me, but...it steals everyone's attention. It steals my toy, goes out my doggie door, lifts it's leg and marks my yard, eats my food and drinks my water. Come on! I am shocked. 

Know what....I went right home with my masters. I couldn't wait to get outta there.  I figure my grams have lost their minds. 

I came back a week later and all is well. I sense that the grams are sorry about their weird behavior. I still smell some traces of rat dog but...it doesn't bother me. They came to their senses. I overheard that they found the rat dog  a very fine home. I am all for that solution. Way too many of my nation have  hard times. 

Oh, my  humans....they have good hearts. 

 You see this sneaky picture? I got caught touching my grammie's pillow. (An absolute NO-NO.)
She got up while I stayed in bed. LOL  I sure tricked her!!!

A Good Dog

Yeah, that's me. I hear it a lot. I am a good dog. I do not know what else I could be. I believe the masters use some sort of psychology on me, whatever that  means.

This is how I feel about the beach!

I take my favorite toys for rest time.

There seems to be a glitch in getting all my beach pictures. As soon as I can get my paws on them, I'll post some more. Of course you've already noticed my summer hair style. 

Meanwhile back home and at the grams, I practice my yoga moves while I look in my toy box.

I'm going to self-disclose a bit today.  I have a little issue. They call me "Monk". I have no idea what that is about. But you see here my FAVORITE little ball. OMG it just fits my mouth, it squeaks and sort of talks for me while I gently chew on it. Yum.


Well....in order to really enjoy my dinner, I need my ball. OK so this is the ritual: you nibble, crunch...then touch the ball. Again: nibble, crunch, swallow... touch or gently squeeze the ball. (Repeat, repeat, repeat.) Yes this is a MUST do. I eat most all my meals in this very pleasing manner.


Try it yourself....it's very gratifying. 
Or you can use a napkin,
 like my masters do.

Roving Reporter

Friends....I am on beach patrol. It's a lot of work. My field reports are too damp to send out. I'll be back soon. 

Stuck at Home

Lately I have not been staying with the grams very often. They told me they feel bad but they had so many projects.  What am I??? Am I not a project?  I ask you humans who know about ESS.  I'm pretty sure I am a major project.

I was over for Ed's big swim party. He lives just a jog across the street. OH - I love Eddie. I can swim for hours there. It took me days to sleep that one off! Perhaps I over-did.

But last time I had an over-night with grammie I took my blue poodle to bed.  I guess some strange things took place...grammie was snapping pix when I finally woke up.     (NO she did NOT pose me or the poodle!)

And for some reason, grammie is all excited about this
silly thing. Carry your own bags, she says. I don't have
a clue.

Minding My Own Business

I am at the grams this week.  Tuesday, we had a swell group for dinner and ate out on the patio. Just what I like.  My family and most all my friends came. (That is my friends from the human nation.) I partied til I plopped. Entertaining a group is lot of work. They are SLOW to get it...just toss the ball, please!!    

Boy they did some weird stuff.....piled junk all over my open floor area.

Then the next day I made some new friends (after I barked fiercely.)   Jason came over. He has some of my kind at his house, I knew that right off the bat. (The human nation has no idea what all my nation understands from smell.)  I thought he came to see me but he seemed too busy to play. He measured and did some math stuff about the counter tops. Which I never see so who cares? I had to MMOB

Later Rhys arrived with a lot of stuff. I had to bark at him too to show Grammie that I am at the top of my game. But Rhys liked me anyhow. He didn't play ball, although I offered him many opportunities. I got to go in and out of the garage all day. Usually this is not available to me. Nice!  
 I mostly had to MMOB all day.

I can tell by their voices that the grams are real happy. Myself, I think it is a mess around here. So I got out every one of my balls. Why not? Balls are my business.

Today, I got to run at the park. Nothing much to report there. In other words it was a ball-less park. Disgusting.


Back home me and Grammie found some of those little guys she likes. There they were... kind of playing in a puddle. They are smaller than my foot. I wonder how they get here?


Grammie calls them May-bell and May-nard. I have no idea why. And I don't care....just minding my own business. If they could play ball I would be interested.

Signing off for now. It's nap time.   

Where has Ella gone?

Its' so quiet at the grams --

                                                     

                                                     

....poor grams.....I have to leave them and go to my masters for a few days.  
They need me too.  El 

Lucky Me!

I had a swell day this week. All day people came to see me. I am pretty sure they came because I was here at the grams. They were polite and chatted with the grams but it was definitely about me.

The last person who showed up was my friend Jackie. Now she  is an excellent friend, for sure. Look what she brought me from the Farmer's Market. All for me!

 I could eat them all, right now!  Yum!

My Easter Vacation

Me la pasé bien Yes, indeed....I had a verrrrry good time! Here's how it works.

First you get all clean, then you can go on a trip. 

Go figure... I'm gonna get dirty again.

You ride in the car 

a long time.

 After you unload a bunch of silly stuff you finally get to go, go go!
Down and out to the sand & surf - that's what I'm talkin' about.

I have to find a nice spot for my people.



Sometimes I make new friends who are also on vacation. Um.. you meet all different types!  

  


I usually wait for the right signal.....

 ..... then I can hit the waves!




No, I do not want to ride on that thing....bye, bye mom!

 I can jump waves, I can swim and I  can almost fly..hard to see, but I do levitate.


 (Go ahead click for a good close up!)  

 A happy ending!

Un final feliz!

 And by the way they call me "Tank" down here south of the border.

Yes, this is my beautiful life.

Adiós, hasta luego!