Mischief Monday - Not A Good Boxing Day - By Phod

Dear Pals, 

As you know Lady feeds the birds and because she does so, we have wild turkeys in our backyard all the time.

Picture from the fall, but it is about the same now with snow

On Boxing Day morning Lady took us out and Lee had seen the turkeys in the driveway and told me they were there. Because I am usually a good boy (except that time last week where I ran away for 20 minutes, but that is another story) I get to be off leash. One of the things I love the most is chasing the turkeys. I never chase them far, I just like to watch them fly up in the trees. So, one I had finished my business, I ran to the backyard and chased the turkeys, and Lady could hear them yelling at me and flapping. Then like a good boy I came back.

Now, here is where the story gets bad. You see, when I was chasing the turkeys, I came upon some fresh turkey poop and well, I couldn't help it, I rolled in it. This meant I came back to the Lady with turkey poop all over my neck. Lady was not happy with this choice. She dragged me into the house and into the bathroom, and she closed the door.

This is where she wishes she could have video tapped it because the scene was hilarious.  Me flopping to the ground and trying to hang on to it for dear life, while Lady who wrapped a towel around my neck so she didn't get covered in poop, trying to lift me up. We caused such a commotion that the Man had to come in (he was not happy to have been woken up on a sleep in day, even though it was nearly 8 am). It took the 2 of them, one on each end to get me into the tub. When asked what she would have done if Man wasn't home, she said, she would have taken off her pjs and we would have gone into the shower together. There is a small lip and she could have dragged me into it and closed the door. 

Now once in the tub, I was very cooperative. I just stood there. Somehow Lady dropped the hose piece and literally sprayed water all over the bathroom. Once I was clean, I got a towel dry. Lady then had to scrub the poop out of my collar and dry the entire bathroom. 

Once I was in, Lady, being the blogger she is, made Man go and get her phone for a picture. 

I was mad at her and didn't talk to her most of the day. She said that was ok, cause I wasn't the favourite at the moment.

Anyway, that was my terrible Boxing Day.

you pal, the smells like soap and not poop so the turkeys will smell me coming, Phod

FFF - A Funny Dream

Lady shared this dream with Yamini and she asked her to turn it into a FFF.  So here we go!

The book: The Blogville International Book Club (look for it on Facebook) January selection, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love (Note: lines/pages taken from the kindle app so may not be the same as in the book)

8: Were they reading the paper? Were they seeing the

12: Thank you so much

16: the time that my mom had starting writing

------------------------------------

The dream

I discovered that one of my coworkers had allowed some work things to be videotaped by reporters and they were going to be on the news. I didn't want these things shown on the news or have them read in the paper so I decided to steal them. 

I asked Yamini to help. We hopped in what I assume was a hydrofoil to go the island the tapes were on. As we were walking down the street (with a 3rd person whom I have no idea who it was, but they were there to help and I will call mystery person), people from the news realized what we were up to and wanted to stop us. They started to chase us. 

Funny, the bunny ears she grew looked a lot like
this toy that Uncle Chris gave the dogs
 for Christmas!

Suddenly, Yamini grew bunny ears out of the top of her head and said" I think I can fly", and she started flapping them and flying and she scoped up me and the mystery person and transported us to the location of the tapes.  When we arrived I said "Thank you so much."

At this point Yamini disappeared and it was me and the mystery person in a building looking for these tapes. We found them and I as they were old school VHS I pulled the tape out. As we were making our way out, someone came into a room we were in. It was some sort of break room as mystery person and I had to hid beside a fridge, while someone else sat at a table and started writing.

Unlike the movies, my dream did not have a clear or happy ending. This is all I remember. For the record I have dreams like this all the time and always have!

Hope you enjoyed picturing Yamini with bunny ears!

Thankful Thursday -Thanks To Our Blogville Friends

We participated this year in the Blogville Christmas exchange and today would like to thank our pals. 

This year, Rosy got Hailey's name. Hailey was very excited when not one but 3 presents came from Rosy.

Here is a dramatic recreation to the arrival of the first gift. 

In case the recreation doesn't work, here it is:

A lovely new magnet for Lady's new car. She loves it and says it is words to live by! (wag more, bark less).

The other packages had to wait until Christmas, but worth the wait.

In the first on was a dragon. 

Hailey was so excited she was a blur when taking off with it!

Then there were a bag of treats for Lee and Rosy is so thoughtful she sent a bag for Phod.

Lady forgot to take a picture of the bags. We are ok with that cause she got pictures of the most important stuff, us getting said treats. 

Thank you Rosy! (And yes we shared with cousin Emma who is pictured above to the left of Phod). 

Ruby, another friend for California, got Phod's name, and she made him the happiest dog ever! She sent 2 new Precious' (the balls) that are clean so no reason they can't be in the house, a new disk and yummy treats. 

A new precious just for me! Lady and Man are letting me have one in the house at a time. 

Her note said it was in case he lost things in the snow. Just a bit ago, Phod did loose a disc and Lady bought a second saying that was it for the year . . . then it rained and the missing disc was found, so now Phod is set with 3 discs to get him through the long winter.

Thanks Ruby, it was very thoughtful of you.

We are very lucky pups to have such thoughtful friends!

Our Christmas Card 2018

Dear Pals,

On this Christmas Eve, we send you our warmest holiday wishes. 

Nature Friday - Our 'Hood

Happy Winter Solstice! This is one of the most exciting days here as we know the days are now starting to get longer!

Lady has a new thing that on the weekends Man is going to join us for a walk. He does not walk with us during the week (he is not usually up when we venture out between 5 and 6 am).  She says her steps have fallen off a little since her FitBit died and while she works out every day (strength training 2 days a week and yoga 5), she needs to be getting more walking in as she is going to be hiking in Bryce Canyon in May.

At any rate, so far we are 1/1 for pack weekend walks. Sunday was a lovely day with the temperature around freezing and so much sun.  Since the Man was with us, Lady was able to take pictures (she can't do that while she has both of us - we can't imagine why!

Here we are walking down our the main road we walk down ever morning. 

Here are Man and Phod turning off the main road to Lee's favourite road.

Here is some bush on favourite road. There are often deer tracks coming through it up to the road, so lots of good sniffs!

This is looking across the field on favourite road to our house.

Can you find our house now? Lady says she doesn't get to appreciate this view most mornings now since it is soooooo dark.

Here are the boys heading back up favourite road towards home.

We hope you enjoyed seeing some of the nature around our house. 

Dear Santa - By Zaphod

Dear Santa,

I have tried very hard to be the best-est boy ever for my people. I may have chased the turkeys a little much (I love to watch them fly), but I have never hurt them. I shared my peeps very patiently for 172 with cousin Emma. I tolerate my ears getting cleaned all the time and usually don't fight when I have to take my medicine. I was very brave when I had to have dental surgery. I try not to throw up in the car, but I can't help it, any more than I can help my shedding. I wish I didn't do those things. I really try my best to listen to my people and make them happy. 

This year for Christmas I want:

-Lots and lots of pets and belly rubs

-Cousin Emma not to destroy all my toys while she is visiting

-The best spot in front of the fire

-To always have a disc or my Precious

-Treats with meat in them because I love meat

-If you could help all the dogs and cats and other animals in need find loving homes, that would make me the happiest.

Thank you very much Santa. 

Love Phoddy

Wordless Wednesday - Wacky Lady Claus

Dear Santa - by Lee

Dear Santa,

This has been my best year ever. I did not destroy anything major. I was able to be off leash the most I have ever been. I did not catch a squirrel (although I did try very hard and I barked at them a lot since Lady has taken to feeding them) and I tolerated cousin Emma for 172 days. 

Since I have been soooooo good I would like:

-A squirrel or a turkey. There are many in the backyard we feed so you could just let me have one of those. If you told Lady I am allowed to hunt one, that would be excellent. 

-Treats - I am being underfed right now, so I am going to need lots and lots of treats to make up for the ones I did not get the week before Christmas.

-Babies - I need some new stuffies cause Emma kills them (I would never do such a thing) when she comes over and I need a baby to greet people at the door with and take to bed.

-A fire every day so I stay warm

-My Lady and Man to not travel so I never have to go in the kennel. (There are rumours they have 3 trips in 2019). 

Thanks Santa. I would leave you milk and cookies but Lady says we just got rid of the mice after 10 weeks of them and she doesn't want to leave food out. Safe travels and I hope I don't accidentally bark at and scare your deer.

Love Hailey Girl

Mischief Monday - Santa Don't Read This

With the countdown to Christmas on, we hate to be reporting mischief, but we must be honest. We are sure Santa is way too busy this week to be blogging anyway. 

Mischief one: Blogger. It is not allowing Lady to leave comments. Recently it started doing this thing where she had to sign out, clear the history, sign back in and it would let her comment. Now it will let her in but not comment. She is going to keep trying to figure this out and will have some extra time over the holidays to fight patiently play with it.

Mischief two: Phod!  It is rare for the mischief to be his, but it is. Last week, he refused to bring his disc in. Lady and Man told him, it was going to snow and get lost and it turns out they were right. The next day it snowed and disc was gone. Phod frantically searched the yard for it, but could not find it. He was very upset. Lady and Man could not let him remain so stressed, so while they were in town doing errands, they brought him a new one and gave it to him as an early Christmas gift. He was soooooo excited. Lady and Man are making him bring it in every day so it doesn't get lost too. They said there is a 2 disc limit per season. 

Final mischief: Lee's tummy. Seems there is something up with her. Lady and Man had thought it was changing food (although that has never been a problem before and the food was one she had eaten before). They have changed food  again (for a third time back to another food she has eaten before) and are cutting out all treats and extras for a few days to hopefully sort it out. If not it will be a trip to the V-E-T. She seems fine, her appetite and behaviour are normal but without going into details, her poops are not right. A little POTP that she will be all better soon.

Nature Friday - Watching The Feeder

Last Christmas I asked for a bird feeder. This year, it has attracted the turkeys. Hailey has gotten so use to them that often she just watches quietly. Here is a very short video of her watching.

Thankful Thursday - My Sweet Boy

This is my sweet boy being jealous that Uncle Chris is holding Emma (and probably a little jealous that Emma took out all his toys). He is such an understated guy that even his jealousy is pretty low-key!

Wordless Wednesday - Posing

Tasty Tuesday - That is Mine - by Lee

Small person, who doesn't like my barking, first you are sitting on my Lady. Second, the cookie you are holding has my name on it. I think I should be the one eating it and not you! 

Mischief Monday - A Mess Ends in Trouble

Sunday, it looked like a hurricane had gone through the upstairs living area, and it had, because Hurricane Emma (and Uncle Chris) had come for the weekend. 

Emma getting some love

While that was enough mischief, after Emma left, Lady decided the worst thing ever, that it was time for the semi-annual, pre-Christmas toy cull!  She went around and judged which toys were worth putting back in the box and which were destined for the garbage. She gathered half a white garbage bag.

We think it was a waste of perfectly good bits and pieces of toys. But we are not going to complain too loudly as Santa may be listening and we hope he will see how good we were about losing the best pieces of toys and how empty our boxes are now and bring us lots and lots of new things.

We hope none of your peeps get the same idea . . . .

Nature Friday - Winter in Our Yard

Helping Lady - by Phod

What is that Lady? You didn't say lay on this mat you want to workout on? Are you sure? I am a big help and would happily lay on it.

Fine, I will move to the chair. 

I guess it is a better view! 

Wordless Wednesday - Just Give Me The Cookie!!!!

Carolling - by Lee

I have been practicing my carolling, getting ready for the big day:

Last Christmas, you gave me some treats,

but the very next day, I pooped them away,

This year to save me from tears,

Give me so many more treats . . . .. 

or

Deck the halls with bully sticks

Falalalalalalalala

Tis the season to eat til your sick

Falalalalalalalala

Dawn we don't see as we walk in dark

Falalalalalalala

Troll the yard for tracks to mark

Falalalalalalala

or

Hailey, the pretty black dog

Had very shiny hair,

And if you ever say her,

You would say her beauty is rare.

All of the other puppies,

Use to want to play with her,

But she was too busy, 

looking for pray to un-fur. 

Happy Hanukkah!

For all our pals who celebrate Hanukkah, we wish you the best and join you in celebrating. 

Nature Friday - From Scotland

We join Jakey for Nature Friday. Here is a picture Lady and Man took on their trip to Scotland. Lady and Man LOVE trees!

Travel Thursday - Wrapping Up A Wonderful Three Weeks

Today our 3 week trip in Europe draws to a close. Thank you for coming on this journey with us.

On our last full day in the Bonny Land we hopped in the wren and headed toward a lighthouse (and forgive me for not remembering the name. I think this day is the only day I didn't take pictures of signs. I know Yamini will put the name in the comments!)

This lighthouse is now a residence, so you can't go in, but the light itself still works. We bet this is Rosy, Arty and Jakey's mom's dream home!

Someone had placed this on a fence post

Then we went to a reservoir. The Man and I enjoyed our walk through the forest surrounding it.

See the bird?

Then we headed back to Dunoon for a little tour. The Man had not really explored. While driving around we discovered the church near the castle museum (I believe it was the Dunoon High Kirk) was open. In all the time our hostess had lived in this town, she had never been in the church, so we happily explored it.

We are sure there is a better punch line to 2 atheists and a Hindu walk into a church, but for us, the answer was have tea! This lovely church offered tea (served with biscuits) for the price of a donation. We very much enjoyed this time. 

After our refreshments we ended our explorations in the cemetery. It seems our time in Scotland was bookended with cemeteries. 

We spent a lovely evening watching movies and chatting. The next morning we were up early to head to Glasgow to catch our flight home. 

We were very lucky to have had the opportunity to see new parts of the world this summer. We are forever grateful to our hostess Yamini and the opportunity to meet Bertie and Gail. 8 years ago when I started writing this blog, as a way to cope with the handful of a dog we had just rescued, I never would have imagined this would connect us with people all over the world and give us the opportunity to travel to meet them.  There is good in the internet! 

We have some travels lined up for 2019  and we look forward to sharing them with you.