Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Monday, January 29, 2024

Not So Mischief Monday - We Did It!

The Man arrives home tonight. We did it! We made it the almost 10 days without him. Lady says we were super good and other than trying to be poop eaters, we didn't really have any mischief.  Lady said our listening was good. We were good eaters and poopers. (Is anyone else's people as concerned about the latter as ours???). We had nice walks. We were good sleepers. We really enjoyed Lady's early bedtime.  Lady left us 3 times for 3-4 hours for pickleball (and one time tagged on errands). 

A digression on pickleball: Lady is not obsessed with this sport like many others. She could give or take the game, but she needs to move and be around people at places other than work, and this checks the boxes. Besides, she is hosting it, so she gets to boss, we mean organize people, which is one of her superpowers. Going a 3rd time is unusual, however, the organizers asked if she could come and host a different session, as they had a funeral to attend, and as she literally didn't have anything else pressing to do (vacuuming can wait), she of course said yes. The mischief may be how sore she is today after this. Man would say Lady doesn't want to admit it, but she has gotten good at the first sport she has ever played. 

It was a really good week.

Lady, how did you get an upside down picture of me?

That's better, now give me the greenie I know you have in your pocket because you are going out.

A happy guy to be outside. We had just had a little game of chase. 



Friday, January 26, 2024

FFF Nature Friday - Turkey in the Sky?

 It has been cold and crisp and the snow from last week was still sitting pretty on all the trees.


Lady and Man have been wondering about these markings on the roof:


Did the turkey try to fly? Did the turkey fall?


Dinosaur with wings

Visits our house all the time

Tries to reach the sun


Thanks to Rosy and Sunny for hosting Nature Friday and to Aunty-Yam for hosting FFF.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

While the Man is Away - Update - by Lee

 Hi pals,

Lady says we have done a good job getting into a routine (which is not that different from when Man is home).  She has made sure our needs are met. She is being a little mean and not letting us eat all the frozen turkey poop that litters the yard. Everyday we have about a dozen of them come for a visit. 

Nothing very exciting has happened. Lady says this is a good thing. At the time of this writing it had been 4.5 days (so when you read this it will be like 5.5 days) that Lady has not spoken to a person in the flesh. She has only spoken virtually. It may be a good thing she is out for a few hours tonight. We are worried she will go squirrelly. 

Speaking of squirrelly, we thought she had gone that way because she had the cooler outside yesterday. 

Umm, it is winter, why is this here?

Then she reminded us it was for her farm vegetable delivery. Lady found a local farm that grows greens in a greenhouse over the winter and every Wednesday for 8 weeks, they bring them to our house. Because she might be in a meeting when it arrives, to protect it from animals and frost, the delivery person puts in in the cooler. Is it sad this is the most excitement we have had for days here?

No time for posing, we have things to sniff!

So we are all good. Man reports having a good time but there have been some rough seas and his itinerary has changed. 

Living a dull life, Hailey Bug


Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Lee's Response to Phod's Post

 Yesterday Phod wrote about feeling abandoned. Today, Hailey writes her thoughts on all of this.

Dear pals,

While I can appreciate Phod's view on our current status as a one peep dog family, I am not so sure it is as bad as he makes it out to be.

Supervising the packing

First, I still have a person to boss around. Generally, I boss Man around, but since he is not here, I can boss Lady around. So far I have done things like bark at her for not having the fire made. Then bark at her for not sitting with me beside the fire because she was doing other things. Then barking at her because I want her to have a bed nap. With the exception of the fire (something Lady has just learned to do), Lady doesn't take direction as well as Man. I have a week to work on her.

Enjoying the fire

Secondly, she has made the fire. Even if I am not using is as much as when Man is home, it is a must have. She has warned me that it is going to get above freezing this week so we might not need one. I may get to practicing bossing.

Eating treats by the fire for movie night

Third, she has done a decent enough job at meeting my needs. She is fairly responsive to requests to go out. She has been giving us treats with dinner. She ordered us greenies.

Having a bark off with Callie

Fourth, she goes to bed at the time I want. I always want to go to bed early with her, but then Man stays up and I might miss something, so I have to get up again. 

So far, I think she is doing ok. We will see how the rest of the week goes.

Your pal, the boss of the house, Hailey Bug

Monday, January 22, 2024

Mischief Monday - Abandoned - Days 1 and 2- by Phod

 Dear pals,

I am writing to tell you the most horrible thing that has ever happened in my life. I have been abandoned. It started Friday when Man brought out the suitcase. I knew something terrible was coming. 

I was so upset with the packing I went to sulk


Saturday morning, Lady headed out to pickleball and then the Man left and I was alone for 87 million hours (editor's note - maybe about an hour).  I have hardly been able to settle since. Lady says the Man is on a cruise with Uncle Chris and won't be back for over a week. How am I going to survive? 

Here are some of the horrible things that have happened since Man left us.

Watching Man pack

Lady took us for walks and to play in the snow. But it was very cold and my paws hurt and I couldn't play like I wanted. Once we happened to be out with Callie and some of her people were walking by and I had to say hi and get pets. 

Lady made sure there was a warm fire all the time, but I don't like to lie by it. 

I don't want to be by the fire

Lady making a roast beef and using that instead of a topper for my dinner (ok, maybe that isn't too horrible).

Lady having a movie night and offering me human treats. 

Lady getting up and taking me out at 4:30 am because I was so stressed and even though she took me out multiple times before bed, I wouldn't poop. 

Lady has even tried to play with me

Lady not making pancakes, making a fruit crisp instead and me having to have softie as a topper for Sunday breakfast.

Me having to bark at the Amazon driver who was delivering greenies as Lady forgot to get some when she was last out and she wanted to make sure we had some. 

Playing in the snow

Lady running the robot vacuum in the bedroom (because my hair has broken the other one) and locking me out of my closet and then going and having a bath. I had to whine and carry on during her entire bath. I stood and stared at her and whined and whined. She said it was not relaxing. 

This isn't right, my whole pack should be with me. Lady says it is going to be a long week. 

Waiting for Man to return


Your pal the abandoned and stressed out Phod

Lady's note: The reason I am still home is because we don't want to board the dogs if we don't have to.  They are both ok, but their ages are showing. I have arranged my work life to work at home all week, so the dogs don't have to go to camp and won't be alone more than a few hours. (I have pickleball twice and will likely need to go get some food and run some other errands). I did not agree to have Emma, to help keep things as normal and calm as possible. I have also tried to keep the schedule. I hope he adjusts to this. He is very rigid in his old age. 

Friday, January 19, 2024

Nature Friday - Some Snow

Thanks to Rosy and Sunny for hosting this.

We got a lot of snow! Here is our backyard. 



It has also been very cold. We would prefer to be inside snuggling.



Thursday, January 18, 2024

Winter Fun? by Lee

 Dear pals,

Lady made herself a winter fun list, which is fine, but she made me participate in it. I was out, minding my own business when she called me over. I came, very reluctantly. 

This better be good!


Turns out, she made the saddest snowman ever and wanted me to pose with it. 

WTF is this

After checking it out, I sort of humoured her. 

Where is Phod Why isn't he having to pose too?

I hope Callie doesn't see this.

Are we done yet?

It is very clear she and I have different ideas of winter fun. 

your pal, Hailey Bug

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Trouble on Tuesday - By Zaphod

 Dear pals,

Hailey shared the troubles on Saturday, but let me tell you, Friday was not a great day either.

First, both my people left for the day. Then the power went out (which was unexpected because it was sunny before the snow came in that evening). I was home alone with no power. I was sure we were going to die.

Lady got home around 1:30. She took us out and then she said I had to go to the vet.


Lee got a second greenie and I resisted getting into the car. Lady and I had a bit of a physical encounter as she tried to lift the 80 lbs of me up as I clung to the ground. She laughed and laughed. Eventually I got in the car. Don't worry, I showed my displeasure by vomiting a lot in the car, and making sure it missed all the covers she had for easy clean up. 


We arrived at the clinic and after checking so much peemail, I went inside and waited for 87 million years. I was terrified. I wasn't even interested in the 2 other dogs I saw. 

Finally, it was my turn and I got my Librela shot. The tech started by saying "I don't know how to say his name." Lady said it and explained the origins. I was very good for my shot. Lady booked my next appointment, because these shots are being a game changer for me, paid and we left.


When we got home, the power was back. Lee gave me a good sniff, I had a good roll and then I had a huge nap. 

Next month Man is taking me. We will see how that goes.

PS: The fix to the Man's car was $10. 

your pal Zaphod, who doesn't know if I should trust people who can't say my name and says getting old is not for the faint of heart



Monday, January 15, 2024

Mischief Monday - The Birthday -by Lee

Dear pals,

I thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes. 14 got off to an eventful start. We were getting a snowstorm (I think we got more than 20 cm/8 inches) of snow. Man was out for the day to go to pickleball and then to see the Ottawa Senators play. (Lady had bought him tickets in a Paw Pantry fundraiser). Lady didn't go to pickleball because she hates driving in snow and she would have had to driven herself.

In the morning, checking out the yard

At any rate. The day started ok but with too much singing. Then before lunch the power went off. It was off until almost 6 pm. 

The fire place

Lady had made a fire (one of her goals for this year was to learn to make one). It took 3 tries but it was going good when the power left us. The generator was not working (Man hopefully will have fixed it by the time you read this so next time we have that). 


Lady had planned to make treats and do other things. Instead we curled up in front of the fire reading and napping. 

Phod trying to steal my spot at the fire. i barked at him and he went back to the closet.
                                               

Lady  felt bad for not getting my birthday cookies made, so I got half a slice of bacon instead. Not a bad second prize.

When Man came back he shared that driving down an unploughed side street to pick up his friend, he damaged his car. So we have that to deal with now. 


With all we had to deal with, Lady is extra grateful she hired Callie's Dad's company to remove our driveway snow. It gets done early as we are the first stop for the employee. It is one less thing for us to worry about. 

So it was an adventure of a birthday. May 14 keep me on my toes.

Your pal, Hailey Bug

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Happy 14th Birthday Hailey!

 Today we wish our girl the happiest of 14th birthdays!


To a great year as an old Lady! 

Friday, January 12, 2024

Nature Friday - The Snow Returns

After writing about not having snow on last week's Nature Friday, brought to us by Rosy and Sunny, Sunday the snow returned.





Then on Tuesday night we were supposed to get a huge storm. We didn't get the huge storm but we did get a lot of snow followed by rain.

Someone loved rubbing his face

The look when Man throws a snowball at you

Lady made a snowman

More snow is supposed to be coming tonight.

How is the weather in your world!


Thursday, January 11, 2024

Throwback Thursday - Happy Almost Birthday to Hailey Bug!

 Saturday will mark Hailey's 14th birthday!

I went through the archives to share her birthday pictures from the past. 

First birthday

2nd birthday

3rd birthday




4th Birthday



5th Birthday


6th Birthday


Around 7th Birthday as there was no official birthday picture that year



8th Birthday



9th Birthday


10th Birthday



11th Birthday



12th birthday

13th birthday

Please drop by Saturday to wish Hailey a happy 14th birthday