A Red Dog in the Red Rocks

Is It Ever Just A Dog?

2011-08-01T12:52:00.001-07:00

By Rubydad

Grief is a bleak, colorless world. The only thing that feels alive in it is our heartbreak, stirred awake each time we forget that Ruby is gone and pick up the leash, add fresh meat to the shopping list, set aside a crumb on the plate, expect to find her waiting inside the front door, or wonder why we don’t hear her bark when Christie starts up across the street. It is hard to believe she is not just around the corner, somewhere out of sight, snoozing or stretching herself before coming to greet us.

Yet we are immeasurably grateful to have found deep comfort in the posts, emails, cards, flowers and visits from so many of you. Our Ruby had legions of admirers, in whom she seemed to bring out the best. She could look a stranger in the eye, wiggle her butt, do puppy paws and make that person feel like they were the most loved being on the planet. She transformed me from a lifelong cat lover into a doting, eyes-for-her-only daddy who now never even looks at a cat. Except to try to find one for her, something she always wanted.

And here’s the thing. As special as she was, the reason she appealed to hundreds of clients, friends, fellow dog persons, Facebook and blog followers and thousands of people she met only briefly on a trail, at the creek, outside a supermarket or elsewhere, is that she spoke a common language we all understand.

All dogs speak it. To say that Ruby was not unique in no way diminishes my appreciation of her. The beauty of sunrise will always come second for me to the light in her eyes.

Every dog has a different job to do with its own people. Some excel at affection, some at guarding, some at intuiting the needs of others, some at clowning or problem-solving or a host of other skills. Every one allows us to love it as best we are able, and considers that sufficient. Each in his or her own way shares the same precious gifts that Ruby gave us.

We know all of you have experienced the amazing and profound wonder that we have: a dog has loved you unconditionally. A dog has seen you for who you really are, not in the least distracted by your personality, your mood, or however imperfectly you may sometimes behave.

The thousand daily sweetnesses we held so dear – look at the way she cocks her ear; see how she’s lying with one paw underneath her; look how cute she stands when she’s eating; ohhhh, she’s rolling on her ba-ack; her soft head on our laps, her deep contentment in the tent; the feel of her downy cheeks; the soothing, all-is-right-with-the-world sigh as she stretched out peacefully for a delicious nap – these and hundreds more we know you understand too. Even that irresistibly perfect spot to kiss her on her third eye…

Friends have said so many kind, insightful things to ease our journey. They “got” Ruby because she got them, and because their own dog or dogs get them too. As one friend said the other day, the bond we share with our dogs is every bit a beautiful love affair. We never forget, we never completely get over it, and always, we remember those precious moments.

Letter to Ruby

2011-07-26T21:56:00.006-07:00

We have had close to 200 messages, emails, cards and comments this past week from people sharing their sadness over Ruby's passing. Many have shared their own Ruby stories and I have been touched by each and every one of them. For now I am posting just one, from my dear friend Serena. She was Ruby's sitter when I went away for work last year, and joined us in many massage sessions. I think Ruby recognized in Serena a kindred spirit.

Dear Ruby,

Thank you for sharing your love and beautiful energy with all of us who were fortunate enough to know you. You are profoundly missed and deeply adored in our hearts!

I keep thinking of some of my favorite memories of you. I met you in 2003 (two houses ago for you). I felt a bond with you from that moment! A kindred spirit connection and a mutual protection or guidance. We shared many massage experiences. I loved how you said hello to me! I loved how you looked at your mom and dad so adoringly and respectful and with much admiration and strong spiritual love. I love how you treated each client with open paws and hospitality. I remember your breath during massages and the energy you gave. And you smell sooooo good!

Some of my other favorite memories with you were, one night when we were hanging out (September 2010) at your house and a praying mantis landed on your forehead near your third eye. It was so funny and cool and sweet!!! I laugh out loud thinking of it! Your dad saw too. Your mom was in California doing a workshop. I'm so grateful too for our last day together at Chavez when I looked up during meditation in the sun and you were so still in meditation too. It was a beautiful, very still moment that I will always cherish.

I loved walks with you in the morning. You had such a relaxed yet alert strut that I just loved to watch. I love how you embraced and received love. You taught me a lot, I hope you know! You were a very strong, gorgeous, kind, brilliant, funny and loving being. I'm so grateful and honored to have been in your life! I know you had such a blessed, amazing life with your mom and dad and all your friends. Congratulations on living a full, adventurous and fun, beautiful life!

You are so loved and missed.

Bless you Ruby baby, with love from my heart to yours. You are such a lady.

Peace be with you.

-Serena

Off To A New Adventure

2011-07-21T13:55:00.007-07:00

Ruby's Mum here. Our sweet red rock adventure girl left us yesterday for adventures in pastures new. It came out of the blue and was very quick, leaving us shocked, but grateful there was no long, drawn out suffering, and that we were both there with her. We think it was a heart attack.

Ruby left the way she lived, with no dilly dallying. The day before she had an acupuncture session, visited the staff of OfficeMax, then spent an hour fishing at the creek. She was the liveliest we've seen her in the water for a while.

She slept outside with me that night, and slept in for a little in the morning, both of us enjoying the cool morning breeze, until Dad came to take her for a walk at Long Canyon. In her usual way, she made friends with some Japanese girls walking the same path, and when she was ready, told Dad it was time to come home for breakfast. A couple of hours later, we heard her scream. She struggled for two breaths, and was gone.

Ruby touched more lives than any dog I've had. Just a couple of days ago I was walking with her in our neighborhood, when someone in a car that Ruby seemed to recognize, stopped to say hello. They of course greeted Ruby, not me, but as if she were a person. "Hello Ruby, how are you? I haven't seen you in a long time. You're looking good."

I had no idea who this person was or where they might have met Ruby. This happened on other occasions too, to the point that we thought maybe Ruby was leading a parallel life and meeting these people without us. The strangest one happened when we were on holiday in California a few years ago. Some people stopped us in the street and greeted Ruby by name. To this day, we have no recollection of meeting them anywhere before.

Emails and Facebook notes have been flooding in, and we are so very touched by the depth of feeling people have for our girl. She has been my constant companion and workmate for almost 11 years. Today was my first day giving a massage without her. I sorely missed her trotting out to the gate and giving the client their first greeting. This was clearly her job and she never liked to miss a session. Once the greeting part was done, and she had led the person to the studio, she would take her place on the kitchen floor and stay there until a few minutes before the end. She didn't like me running over time, and would let me know when she thought I should be done by getting up and stretching, and shaking her collar so the tags jingled.

Many a time I would reenter the room when the session was over and find the client down on the floor with Ruby, having a heart to heart. People connected with her on a very deep level. One of my friends, who never met Ruby in person, sums it up perfectly.

"All people and all creatures have their intrinsic worth, but some people, and especially some dogs have a special luminosity. I think Ruby Red girl was one of these special beings. And she seemed to have chosen you to communicate her love to the world and other human beings. I will miss your wonderful stories about her."

There are a few stories yet untold, and when the rawness of it all has subdued, I'll share them here, along with some more pictures.

With boyfriends, Robert and Gabe, in California. The boys were training to be service dogs. Only Robert made the grade and lost his battle with cancer just a few months ago. Gabe still lives with his trainer parents. Ruby learned a lot in that week.

Wordless Wednesday - Gone To The Other Shore

2011-07-20T18:00:00.003-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - Thunder Shirt

2011-07-13T12:17:00.001-07:00

Punching Moop. (Get it?!)

2011-06-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

Remember this face? Yeah, I know, it's a bit smudged up, but that's my best friend, Monty. He's just been for a visit and got into some trouble, as usual.

Monty spends a LOT of time looking for things to eat. Usually it's just fallers off the kitchen floor, juniper berries from down by the library or the odd pizza crust from the take out on the corner.

But a couple of days ago he ate something SO BAD, Mum yelled at him in her really cross voice. The one that makes me think I must have done something wrong.

Can you guess what it was that he ate? Poop! And it wasn't just any regular poop lying at the side of the road. This was seriously smelly, wet, crawling with maggots poop that he found near the creek. Yuck!

The more Mum yelled, the faster he tried to scarf it all down. Everyone thought he would have a very upset tummy, but that boy's got a digestive system like no one else. Apart from one enormously loud and ripe belch, he just carried on with his day as usual.

He'll be back next month for an even longer stay. Wonder what he'll get up to next time?

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2011-06-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I'm an Arizona-gal, born and bred (Mum says she's not so sure about the bred part). For most of my life, I've lived with my mum in Sedona, but the first few months of my life were spent in various places, one of which was this fine establishment.

It's changed a bit since I was an ~~inmate~~ resident, in fact, I hardly recognized the place when Mum took me there last month to drop off a donation. I thought we were arriving at a 5-star resort, not the unappealing concrete cell block where I ~~was incarcerated~~ briefly vacationed.

There's lawn out front, where the dogs get to play, and they even have their very own private dog park, where each dog gets to go and run off leash. Still, as nice as it is, I'm very happy where I landed, and, as much as I would really like my own lawn, I can live without it.

I wouldn't want to give up my trips to the creek and car ride adventures. And being an only dog definitely has its advantages when it comes to handing out the treats. Yup, life is pretty darn good!

Happiness is Sunday at the Creek

2011-04-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

I had the most wonderful day with my Mum and Dad today. After breakfast at my favorite restaurant, where everyone knows my name, we took a trip to my favorite creek.

Everywhere is very green.

And the crayfish are back, bigger than ever.

They hide out under the rocks and along the edges.

But they're no match for me. I can catch them by the hundreds!

Shaking the water out of my ears.

It's just deep enough for me here. I can swim if I want.

Or I can keep my feet on the bottom.

The grass is so long now, it was easy to slope off without Mum and Dad seeing me. At least, I thought they couldn't see me. Sometimes I think Mum has eyes in the back of her head!

Sometimes it's nice to just sit on the bank and watch the fishes with Dad.

The staples are gone!

2010-11-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

Before I forget, I'm supposed to tell you that the results of my biopsy were good - just a fibrous cyst. All okay there, but it seems my body needs a lump in that place because I grew another one almost immediately. We couldn't tell if it was just the staples bunching up my head, but when I had them out last week, there it was, a brand new lump to replace the old one. Oh well. I seem to be a bit of a lumpy girl.

Mum says we're not going to worry about it, unless it starts bothering me, or gets bigger. To help my head heal, I've been getting some energy medicine treatments from Mum. See the special staircase I've got to help me up onto the treatment table? Actually, Dad was supposed to be getting a treatment here. I was just keeping the table warm for him.

Mum had a friend visiting this week, so we had to take her to one of our favorite places at the creek. She takes a lot of photos, so for once, there are some with me and Mum in them together.

Can you spot what is in this photo above?

These are my paw prints when I got out of the water.

Before I was allowed in the water, Mum called me over and gave me "the talk".

It's hard to listen when you just want to get to the water, but I did my best.

I had to promise I wasn't going to go near any stinky critters, and that I would come back as soon as Mum called me.

I managed to keep one of the promises. We didn't have to call Dad to come and take me home in his car.

Hip Hop Pup

2010-10-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some research for my new career as a dog rapper. I haven't been able to master some of the beat box techniques yet, but I've got some kick ass lyrics. (Oops, Mum says I shouldn't say words like that, but I think you've got to sound tough if you're going to be a rapper dog). It looks like there isn't a whole lot of competition.

Thanks for the suggestions for my rapper name. Here's what we have so far:

Lil RuAZ, suggested by Khyra
Tenacious Barks-a-lot, suggested by JackDaddy
SpareChange, suggested by KT and Lady

Anyone else want to suggest one? When I'm rich and famous, I'll give you a mention in my credits.

Mini-break in the country

2010-10-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Mum's going away this weekend, to the place where Jack and the Tall Guy live. She's going to be learning some super special techniques to make peoples' bad backs and hurting necks go away.

So I'm a bit blue today. But later on, Aunty Julie is coming over to take me for a walk and give me my dinner, and then I'm going on my own mini vacation to Cornville! Okay, so I don't think Cornville is as fancy as the place my mum's going, but I'll get to stay with my friends Babushka and Toma, and their mum and dad. And they have grass!

Dad is going to be working, but he promised to come and get me on Sunday. I hope he doesn't forget.

Want To See My New Piercing?

2010-10-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Do you like my new eyebrow piercing?

There are just a couple of staples in there at the moment, but Mum says I can have a stud.* I'm also going to have a new rapper name. Got any suggestions?

*Note from Mum: I said nothing of the sort. Ruby had a tiny lump removed that is currently being biopsied. The staples aren't the most endearing look, but will have to stay for 14 days.

Oops, I Did It Again!

2010-10-15T22:02:00.002-07:00

I had a special day out with Mum and Dad this week. They took me to one of the creeks we hadn't been to yet this year. It's a bit of a drive, and a bit of a hike, too, to get to the good place. We took a picnic and found the perfect spot under the trees, where the creek is wide and clear and the swimming good.

We had the place to ourselves, and knowing how much Mum and Dad like to be on their own, I thought I'd help out and make sure no one else came down to our spot. What a great idea, I hear you say, What a thoughtful pup! Ruby's Mum and Dad must be so proud of her! You see, I knew you'd all agree with me.

Well, here's what happened. I discovered Mr Stinky was taking a nap in the bushes, so I went down there and roused him out of his slumbers. Quick as a flash, he turned his butt on me and shared some of that amazing perfume - the stuff peoples don't seem to like at all. I rushed back over to Mum and Dad to tell them about it and show them what a thoughtful girl I am. You're with me on this one, right? I know! It was a pure stroke of genius and they would shower me with love and affection.

Good and stinky. That should do the trick!

Now, brace yourselves for what happened next, because there was suddenly a very strange turn of events. Were they happy? No! Were they grateful? Not one bit! In fact, everything went downhill from here.There was a lot of yelling. Mum and Dad ran as far away from me as they could. They actually RAN AWAY from me! Next, they ordered me into the creek and made me stay there for hours and hours (note from Mum - it was only about 30 minutes). There was no petting, no heaping of praise upon me, and worst of all, absolutely no treats. We didn't even eat the picnic!

Uh, no one wants to come and play with me?

Instead of staying at our wonderful picnic spot, we all marched back to the car, where Mum proceeded to wrap me in the picnic blanket and told me I wasn't to move for the whole ride home. The rest of the day is a blur of being hosed down and washed with various concoctions until Dad finally declared that I was okay to come back in the house.

I don't know. You try to be a good pup with your peoples' best interests at heart and look what happens. Think I'm gonna move to Texas!

Spot the Difference

2010-08-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

I know a few of you out there don't like to see these sorts of pictures, but I need some help. Can someone please tell me, what is the difference between this...

And this?

Yes, this bright, stripey one is pretty scary isn't it?

That first one is a snake that was in our courtyard a few weeks ago, and Mum was very clear that I shouldn't go anywhere near it. So when I spotted this stripey one in the massage room, no less, just as Mum was about to start working on a client, I thought I'd better tell her about it. She obviously hadn't seen it, even though it was sitting RIGHT NEAR HER FEET!

I tiptoed over, but jumped back when it looked like it was going to strike. (Just a couple of days ago we saw a rattlesnake on one of our walks. I nearly jumped out of my fur when it rattled at me, and Mum said it was ready to strike, so I had to go on my leash and stay well clear of it.) This stripey one wasn't making a sound, but it sure did look shifty lying there all coiled up. And I'm pretty sure I saw it move. You'd have been scared too, right?

Well, it turns out that this sort of snake isn't one to be scared of at all. It's called a skipping snake and is the kind you can swing around and jump over. That's the only sort of snake you can do that with, so Mum says you shouldn't try this at home with just any snake.

So, how do you tell the difference? I've no idea, so be safe, peoples and puppies. I say, if it looks like a snake, stay away!

And a good time was had by all

2010-07-16T12:49:00.001-07:00

Boy, does that vacation seem a long time ago! Like it wasn't even this summer. I don't know why we couldn't stay there all the time in those nice, cool mountains. Now I'm confined to the house most of the day as it's HOT and STICKY here. I don't like it one bit.

You're probably wondering if we chased off that coyote yet. Well, it's still around, but hasn't been too bothersome recently, which is good, because the Fish and Game people have been a bit busy with another visitor.

This guy doesn't live around here anymore.

But let's get back to my vacation.

Of course, I got to ride in the front seat most of the way. It's my favorite place to ride, even though my travel bed is in the back, I just go there if I'm really tired. That's usually on the way home. Actually, I think Mum should ride in the back because she takes up more than her fair share of the front seat when she insists on riding in it with me.

Some of the time I do have to be in the navigator's seat, helping Dad by keeping my eye keenly on the road, and my paws pointing the way. You never know when I'm going to have to leap to action and take over the driving.

This is where we camped, near the lake. I had my very own special camping table. Yes, it's true. The keen-eyed among you may have noticed this is in fact my ramp for getting in the back of the car. Apparently, it weighs quite a lot, and took up some of the luggage space Mum and Dad had reserved for (in my opinion), frivolous and unnecessary items. A second cooler for wine and beer, for example - see what I mean? Who needs that? Anyway, it meant it had to serve double duty.

I could have run for miles on the mountain. This is the place with the biggest meadow in the world where we went last year. You can't even see how big it is in this picture. I think it would take me a whole day to run from one end to the other, but I didn't get a chance to find out. Mum insisted on keeping me close by, because we saw a bear on one of our trips up the mountain road. I've never seen a bear, but I smell them a lot when we're up there.

Although there are lots of lakes where we go camping, no one is allowed to swim in them. They're for fishing only. I love to fish, so it seems a bit unfair. To make up for not getting any water time, on the way home, we spent a whole day at the creek with the blue/green water. I swam and swam, and fished and fished, and finally got so tired, I had to find a shady spot on the beach to recover.

Now, that's what I call a vacation!

Bringing in the Big Guns

2010-06-13T15:01:00.003-07:00

If you've been reading about my adventures for a while, you may remember me mentioning a certain coyote I've had a few tangles with from time to time. Well, it's been almost 2 years now and Mum and Dad have decided it's time to bring in the Big Guns.

I think it had something to do with a couple of incidents recently. A few nights ago, the coyote dared to come to the front terrace and take me by surprise while I was having an early evening snooze. It actually tried to come up over the railings, but I was having none of it and a ferocious battle ensued through the bars. Dad came running out to see the coyote on its hind legs, reaching up to the railing. I haven't been allowed out on the terrace at night on my own since then, and that's a sad state of affairs, as you can imagine. I can't defend my territory, and I know that coyote has just been swanning through the bushes and leaving its scent all along the side of the house.

Case in point, two mornings later, Mum and I went on our early morning leash walk. She lets me decide which way to go, so we hurried to the library, because I could smell the coyote had left some fresh scent in that direction. Little did Mum know quite how fresh the scent was. I was just catching up to the latest smells and realizing we were getting nice and close when we heard the familiar "yip, yip, yip" and the coyote popped out from behind a bush. Talk about mad! I was beside myself and took the opportunity to use my nifty slipping out of the collar trick. That always gets Mum yelling at the top of her lungs and chasing after me.

We got a pretty good run through the field of foxtails and under the barbed wire fence to the little park at the bottom of our street. I was just about to nab it when our neighbor came out holding her little dog and the coyote managed to slip away. My Mum has always taught me good manners, and I thought it would be rude to rush on past without stopping to say hello. Besides, the neighbor lady was using that sweet, high-pitched voice to talk to me and I can never resist. Plus, I wanted to get a closer look at the little dog tucked under her arm. So I changed tack and set my butt to wiggling, edging up to them for some pettings, and possibly a yummy treat.

Mum, as usual, was lagging far behind and had to sit down when she reached us. She was saying something about me giving her a heart attack.

Dad had been out in the car looking for us, because he'd also heard the yip, yip, yipping from up at the house. He got on the phone to Animal Control, who decided this was a job for Fish and Game. That sounds like a whole lot of fun to me. Fishing is one of my favorite pastimes, and I'm up for a good game any time. This game is called Operation Intercept and Intimidate. They've assigned me a personal assistant called Lee, and together we're going to show this coyote what's what. He knows all the sneaky coyote tricks, so I think we're in with a good chance for success.

I'll tell you more about it when I write again. We're off on a camping trip for a while as Mum and Dad said we all need a good rest.

By the way, what do you think of my recent pedicure? It's supposed to keep the foxtails out of my toes.

Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you about Dirty Harry. I'm so glad he showed up for this photo, so Mum and Dad can stop blaming me for eating the bird eggs. No time to explain now. I need to oversee the packing and make sure they're taking enough treats for me. See you when we get back.

A Visit from Major Brushing and Colonel Groom

2010-05-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Mum says I look like a scruff bag and need to have a Major Brushing. Dad suggested we have Colonel Groom come along too. Have they been to visit at your house? Mum said we need to have them here because of all the foxtails and filaree seeds that have suddenly appeared. They keep getting stuck between my toes, and even though I try to pick them out, my fur just ends up a gooey mess from all the licking and I have to ask Mum to help. She said I look like a scruff bag and will need to have the fur trimmed back on my paws. I hope it will help. Those foxtails are nasty.

I thought you'd all like to know that Juanita is doing very well and is back to her old self after her scary adventure and losing her dad. Chasing rabbits is a whole lot of fun, so I think she's happy now. She's living with an animal doctor, so must be well taken care of.

I got a couple of awards a while ago, so I think it's time to post them (that's what Mum said, anyway).

Joanne Fox from A Zigzag Road in the UK gave me this Beautiful Blogger Award:

and the Sunshine Award came from Wrigley:

I know there are all sorts of rules about these awards and what we're supposed to do with them, but were not much for following rules and instructions in our family. I'm really happy that you gave them to me, though.

Now I'd better go and get ready for my important visitors.

Fit for a Princess

2010-04-16T12:46:00.003-07:00

Mum has a special little chair in her bedroom where all her stuffed animals sit. Note they are HER stuffed animals and I'm not allowed to play with them. How mean is that? There's Kaali the koala , who's been with Mum her whole life, Little Ted and Even Littler Ted, Puppy, Donkey, Lamby, Owly and Peter the possum puppet who came here all the way from Australia. And then there's Bradley the Rabbit from India, who takes pride of place right slap bang in the middle. Doesn't he look silly? That chair is way to big for him! And what are those other guys doing looking at him like he's the king or something.

Yesterday, when no one was around to pay any attention, look what happened...

Oops! Those poor toys all took a tumble...

so I thought I'd try that chair for size. Just perfect!

I always knew that chair should be mine. I am a princess, after all, and every princess deserves their own ~~throne~~ chair.

A Sad Tale

2010-03-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

This puppy was alone at sea for 16 days. Her name is Juanita and she was sailing with her dad who is the brother of our friend (Thandi's mum) here in Sedona.

It's been a very sad time for us all, waiting to hear news. The night we heard her dad, Paul, was lost at sea, a dog came to my mum in the dream to let her know that she was lost and needed to get back to her people, but even though everyone looked for the boat, they didn't find it for another two weeks.

I think Nita was very lonely on the boat all that time on her own and couldn't understand what had happened to her dad. Thandi's mum had to go on a long trip to the place where Nita the puppy is now so that she can make sure she is looked after by someone, now she doesn't have a dad any more.

Nita was a very brave girl to spend all that time on her own. Luckily she had food and water, and a comfy bed to sleep on. Here are some more pictures of her being rescued from the yacht.

I like going to the seaside, but I don't think I want to go out in the middle of the ocean in a big storm.

Please give your puppies some extra rubbles and huggings today, and send some love to all the people who are missing Nita's daddy.

Wordless Wednesday (Almost) - Birthday Edition

2010-03-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

I got snow for my birthday, and lots of it! Mum and Dad had it delivered overnight right to our house, then we went on an outing to where it was snowing a lot and the snow had gotten really deep. It was the best birthday present ever!

10 Years Old and Still Getting into Trouble!

2010-03-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

Mum call this one of my "butter wouldn't melt" photos, and says that looking at me here, you wouldn't believe the trouble I've been in recently.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may remember me mentioning a particularly bothersome coyote that stalks our neighborhood. I wrote about it here. I haven't seen too much of him this winter, that is until about a week ago. Dad took me for my first walk on that day because Mum was teaching a class and had a lot to do. Usually, when Mum takes me in the morning, we walk around the neighborhood and I'm on my leash, but Dad thought it would be nice for me to run around, so we went to the trail instead. Well, we certainly got to run around, but I think it was a bit more than Dad was expecting.

"My" coyote was up there and we spent an hour chasing each other back and forth all over the place. Dad was very mad at me and was trying to keep up, but I was even madder at that coyote. Dad got very muddy and I got very tired. Mum and Dad gave me "the talk" when we got home, and the next day I could barely walk.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm going to be 10 years old. Apparently, that means I'm supposed to be more dignified and not go around getting into trouble by chasing coyotes or barking at javelinas. I have been trying. Especially since Mum and Dad said they would take me on a special outing for my birthday if I was good. I'm keeping my paws crossed that I've been good enough.

Working the Boo Boo

2010-02-14T20:35:00.001-07:00

Mum caught me licking my shoulder boo boo this morning. When the vet's called to check up on me, they said I should wear a T-shirt.

So here I am in one of Mum's work shirts (because the color matches my collar).

I've had to keep it on all day, even when we went to the creeky place, although Mum warned me about not getting it wet. Yeah, right!

I'm supposed to be resting up today, so all I was allowed was a bit of "stick".

The T-shirt didn't cramp my style too much. This stick was about 5' long and I made a good job of showing it what's what.

Thanks for all your kind comments. I took your advice and have been making sure Mum and Dad remember at all times that I've got a REALLY BAD owie and need lots of treats to make me feel better. I do have some extra special treats that the vet gave me to take away the hurty part and make sure nothing nasty grows in the owie patch. I get extra chicken with them.

Jack, please tell the Tall Guy he should definitely learn how to do the arm pushy thing. Mum says it's called surrogate energy testing and it was my friend Donna Eden who taught her how to do it. Mum teaches it to other people in Sedona and sometimes does it on their puppies too. It can help your peoples know what food is best for you, or what food gives you an upset tummy. If you're feeling poorly, they can find out what's hurting. Of course, if they just listened to what we're telling them all the time, they wouldn't have to do all this, but there you go.

The Most Expensive Cactus in Sedona

2010-02-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

This is a very expensive cactus spine. It cost $139. Mum says she's going to frame it. I think it cost so much because it's very old. It's been in my shoulder for ages, apparently. That's why my leg has been hurting and I couldn't jump in the car. Everyone said I had Are-Fright-Us. Today, it hurt a lot and made me limp so I had to pull out all my best communication skills to let Mum and Dad know about it.

I couldn't reach my shoulder, so I licked my paw. They looked and looked, but couldn't find anything in my paw. I could have told them that. Finally, Mum decided they should do the arm pushy thing. It's a funny process, but I humor them because they don't seem to be able to hear a lot of what I tell them. Mum touches me somewhere and Dad pushes against her other arm to see how strong she is. When she's not strong, it means there's something up with the place where she's touching me. After lots of pushing and touching all over my leg, they found there was something up with my shoulder. That's when Mum found the cactus spine. But it had been there so long it was right inside and poking in the muscle.

That meant a trip to my vet, Dr Ford at Canyon Pet Hospital. He wanted to do something called Anna Sees Ya so he could have a look inside my shoulder and take out the hurty thing. Mum didn't want him doing that because it makes me sick, so he said if I was a good girl and could be very still, he could do a local. He and the nice girl with the treats took me to another room and told me "Check!", which means I have to lie very still while they look for cactus spines and burrs. I couldn't feel anything they were doing, but there was a lot of poking around and then he did some sewing, which seemed a bit strange, but he was a nice man so I didn't make a fuss.

Here's how my shoulder looks now after the sewing. I have too much fur for the sewing to look good, so the girl shaved a little square to show it off better. I think it shows up the stitching rather well, don't you? I only get to keep it for about 10 days, so I'll have to make sure I have all my friends over for a viewing. I thought you'd like to see it too, so here's a photo Mum took when we got home. It's a cruciate stitch, which is quite fancy. I would have preferred a purple thread, but there didn't seem to be a choice on offer.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some more serious matters to attend to, such as making sure Dad doesn't forget to give me some of his dinner.

Stylish Saturday

2010-01-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I love parties and have been to a fair few of them in my time. These days, though, being an almost-10-year-old girl and all, I don't like to party quite so hard as I used to. Come 9 o'clock, I'm ready to call it a night. Someone snapped these photos of me at Thanksgiving last year, when we went over to Babushka and Toma's house. When the peoples were still in the kitchen whooping it up, I snuck up on the couch (couches are out of bounds to 4-leggeds in that house). When I was spotted, they said I looked so comfy I could stay there. The hat wasn't my idea, but I wasn't about to complain.

So last night, I was at another party, of sorts. This was a bit of a different affair. It was something to do with some of my (and my mum's) favorite people, Donna Eden and David Feinstein. A lot of people gathered in the kind of place I'm not usually allowed to go to. But this time, because my mum was organizing it, I was allowed in. I got really excited, like when I was a puppy, and wanted to greet all the people. There was a human puppy there too, who was Donna and David's grandson and I got to hang out with him a lot in the place where the people came in and out.

One of the best parts of the evening was seeing my old friend Pépé right outside the windows. I so wanted to go and give him a piece of my mind about that incident during the summer, but they wouldn't let me at him. He knew I was on to him, and kept coming up to the glass and taunting me. I'm pooped now from all the exertions and greeting all the peoples. So even though I'm not wearing the hat, this is pretty much what I look like today.

Rain, rain go away!

2010-01-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

We had a very wet and not very pleasant time here last week. That wet stuff just wouldn't stop falling out of the sky. I tried very hard to get Mum to make it stop, because she knows how much I dislike going for walks when it's like that.

The snow wasn't so bad, but everything was just so wet. Monty's staying with us, which means we can get through a lot of towels in a day. Mum makes us lie down on our towels in the hallway as soon as we come home from a walk, and we wait patiently until she wraps another towel around each of us. That's the part we like! We're supposed to stay on the towels until we're dry, but sometimes that's hard to do when dinner or breakfast is waiting in the kitchen. Mum was very pleased with us when she took this photo. We both got tired of waiting and started falling asleep. Monty rested his head on my back and went to sleep, which I usually don't like, but I was so tired, I just didn't care.

Thankfully, the rain stopped today, and we've been down to the magic creek. For some reason, this creek is never there when you want it to be, on the long, hot dry days in the middle of summer. But any time there's tons of rains, suddenly it's right there, stopping me from running over to the galloping trails.

It was great to be out when it wasn't raining. Getting wet and muddy in the creek is a whole different story.

I don't even mind getting in the water when it's covered in ice. But rain, you can keep it.

Wordless Wednesday - Snow Edition

2010-01-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

December Update

2009-12-23T23:36:00.003-07:00

Mum's been really stingy with my computer time recently, but I've finally managed to sneak it away from her and put up some of my recent pictures.

Monty came to stay for the weekend (again). He has a look-alike stuffie we keep here and spends a lot of time hanging out with it. He's such a mama's boy, that one.

Sometimes, he just falls fast asleep right on top if it.

Even though I make fun of him from time to time, Monty is my best friend in the whole world. We played lots of tuggy and some hide and seek. Monty gets fooled every time when Mum hides from him. He runs all over the house with a worried look on his face. I can't help sniggering because Mum really isn't very good at hiding and if he would just slow down and look, he'd find her right away.

Of course, I would never be seen snuggling up to a stuffed animal. But I do like my cushions.

Lots of peoples came over to the house on Saturday night for the Christmas singing. There was tons of food and little children with plates on their laps, but I just sat in front of them and waited patiently until they dropped something on the floor. That was the fun part of the evening. I really don't know what Mum and Dad and everyone sees in all that singing lark. They get the words all wrong and sing out of tune, then roll around on the floor laughing.

Thankfully, there were lots of cushions lying around, so I made the best of the situation and hunkered down. I had the best dreams about what Sandy Claws is going to be bringing me, and how all the ornaments on the Christmas tree turned into dog treats.

Mum and Dad have been reminding me that this is the season Sandy Claws makes his rounds and how I should be a "good girl", so as he will come visit me with lots of goodies. I've been trying really hard, but I must have got led astray by some naughty elves because I just couldn't resist doing some adventuring on my own the other day. I think I've still got a couple of days to make amends, so I'm keeping a low profile and trying to stay out of trouble.

I can't have been too naughty because good ol' Sandy Claws came with an early present last night. He brought the snow right to our house, so when I woke up this morning, I could run straight out of the house and play in it. I don't have any pictures of me in the snow because Mum was too lazy to take any. But here's one of the famous Sedona rocks, so you can see what a lovely place this is we live in.

Just Lying Around

2009-12-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get motivated, spending some time on my bench outside, keeping an eye on things.

But it's so hard to keep my eyes open.

I find the best solution is to kick back on my chaise.

And take a nap in the proper napping position.

But then look what happened today...

Finally, Mum & Dad took me to the snow!

Now, that's more like it!

Christmas already?

2009-11-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

Mum finally came back from her trip this week. I was so glad to see her. Dad was vacuuming when she got home (I told him he should have started the clean up earlier), so didn't hear her come in. It made me crazy happy. I was doing puppy paws and racing around the hallway at the top of the living room steps while Mum was hiding on the other side of the wall. Dad couldn't understand what I was so excited was about.

No sooner had we got all settled in as a family again than Monty arrived for a weekend visit. Mum says it's the curse of dog sitting that it rains as soon as there's more than one dog in the house. We all (well, not Dad, he was still in bed) got soaked on our walk this morning. Monty and I are really good at the wet dog drill and sat patiently waiting on our towels while Mum messed about with the camera. She said we looked like we were rehearsing for a nativity play. I don't really know what that is. What do you think? I just know that we both love wearing towels over our heads, and then getting all the rubbles that follow.

Indian Summer

2009-11-02T17:51:00.003-07:00

The hot weather's back and I couldn't be happier. Don't get me wrong, I love snow, but when it's cold, Mum closes the doors and I can't keep watch from my outdoor lookout. After the sprinkle of snow we had a few days ago, we're back to lovely warm days and lots of lounging about in patches of sunshine.

Mum and Dad took me to the Sometimes Creek (Dry Creek) where there's lots of sand for me to gallop around in. I go a bit crazy digging holes there. They have to be just right - deep enough so I can feel the cool, damp sand on my belly and with just enough of a ridge for me to hang my front paws over.

This time of year is my Coming Home anniversary. It was 9 years ago that Mum brought me home from the Humane Society of Sedona to live with her. I worked really hard to let Mum know where I was and that she should come get me. It was touch and go for a week when another person took me home, but it "didn't work out" and they took me back. So then I pulled out all the stops and visited Mum in a very long and complex dream so she could get a really good look at me and know where I was. It worked, because the very next day she came and found me! I was so excited to see her. I couldn't stop jumping up at my kennel door. I still had another 24 hours before I was allowed to go home with her, but it was worth the wait. She went home and made me a very special bed - the first one I had ever had that I could call my own. I still have it today, even though I don't sleep on it any more.

So because of it being the anniversary and all, today we had to go back to the Humane Society to pick up my this year's legal tag. They specially make a new one for me every year. Always a different color and design. This year, because I'm 9, it's super special. It's a star and it's in my favorite color, purple. (Note from Mum: "Don't tell Ruby, but I think maybe all the dogs get the same design and color!)

It's like when you get the keys to the city and can go anywhere. I bet there aren't any other pups who get the purple star!

Vacation Memories

2009-10-30T22:42:00.004-07:00

Mum's too ~~lazy~~ tired to help me write a proper blog post, so she said I could choose some photos from our summer vacation to post instead.

This was a lake I wasn't allowed to swim in. Something about the d-u-c-k-s.
I had to stay on the long leash while we were there.

This is the biggest meadow in the whole world. It would take me the whole day to run to the other side. We drove in the car and it took hours and hours.

I did a lot of running.

And skipping.

And jumping.

That's some of my favorite things to do on vacation. Chasing ducks would have been good too. Oh, well.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ruby Recommends

2009-10-19T10:30:00.001-07:00

What a weekend! Mum's friend from her puppy days came to visit this weekend. She has three puppies herself now and it was my job to keep an eye on them while they were here. Of course, I had to show them my favorite swimming place at the creek, which was a lot of fun. Having an important job looking after puppies and making sure no one gets into trouble can be quite tiring.

Since Mum hasn't sorted out any photos yet, I did some looking around for something interesting to share with you and found this video about Baxter the therapy dog. Baxter went to the Rainbow Bridge a couple of days ago after a very long life of helping others. Mum said to remind your peoples to have some tissues handy when they watch this.

Baxter the therapy dog

Boogie on down! (or why we've been gone so long)

2009-10-09T21:10:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I haven't written anything on here in ages. Mum's been all worky these past couple of weeks, and I haven't had a chance to get near the computer. So to pass the time, I had my good friend Monty come over to practice a few of our dance moves. How are we doing?

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T21:03:00.002-07:00

Daddy time

Final Journey

2009-09-08T00:43:00.003-07:00

My buddy, Beau, who spent so much time staying at our house this year while his family was away, unexpectedly went to the Rainbow Bridge last night. His dad was out of town and his mum had been trying to call my mum when he started acting funny, but our family was at a party and so we didn't find out until we were on our way home.

Mum was very sad last night, so I kept my head resting in her hands while her eyes were leaking. I stayed close to her on the bed during the night and my fur got all wet because her eyes wouldn't stop leaking.

We spent a lot of time with Beau this year, so we feel like he was part of the family. Here are some of our favorite memories of him.

At Indian Gardens, a place where there is people food outside and dogs are allowed.

In the snow at Griffiths Springs, one of our favorite winter places. Beau loved the snow as much as I do.

On my chaise. Yes, Beau took over my chaise when he came to stay, but I willingly gave it up - he was much bigger than me. He could make himself look really small when he curled up.

Playing "Beau Stones" at Dry Creek. He would dive right under the water and retrieve a rock from the bottom. He loved that game.

His favorite position. He looked very regal when he crossed his paws.

He was a good sport, too, and would play along with the silly things we do at our house. I'm going to miss you, Beau.

Crawdad Fishing, Ruby Style

2009-09-05T21:29:00.005-07:00

It's been an exhausting week. I've spent hours at the creek, fishing for crawdads.

And do you know how many I've caught?

One.

Almost.

It jumped out at me and I almost caught it in my mouth!

There's a fine art to this crawdad fishing lark. Mum has captured some of my best techniques on this video she made.

The fun's all in the hunt, anyway, and boy, did I have fun!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T20:39:00.006-07:00

Crawdad fishing

Sacked out

Oops, I Ate It!

2009-08-30T18:28:00.012-07:00

Look what I got from Andrea at Arise2Write! Mum says I should feel very honored since Andrea's blog is such an inspiration.

As I mentioned last post, I've also been tagged by Paco, Milo and Maya.

"When accepting this award, you must blog about the food you have stolen when your humans were not watching.

If you have never stolen any food, you must have been a really good pup!
You can accept this yummy tray of cookies as your reward!
Next add the logo of this award to your blog (optional), then nominate at least 5 other furry blogs and let them know by leaving a message on their blogs."

I couldn't remember any occasion when I've taken food I wasn't supposed to, so I was ready to chow down on my reward of the tray of cookies, but Mum said I've got a selective memory and that I should tell you these stories:

When I was quite young and had only been living with Mum for a couple of months, we had been on one of our training walks. These were a lot of fun and we did them nearly every day. Mum would take treats in her pocket and along the way, she would give them to me when I followed her commands. I learned to "walk to heel", "leave it!", "stay" and "release". These last two I loved because Mum would make me lie down on the trail and tell me to "stay", then she'd walk or run away and I'd have to stay there until she called "release". At that point, I would go tearing along the trail to catch up with her.

On this day when we got home, Mum forgot she hadn't given me all the treats. I knew the treat was meant for me, so I just went ahead and chewed a hole through her jacket pocket and ate it right up! Mum was quite cross with me, but also couldn't help laughing because I'd figured out the easiest way to get the treat out of the pocket.

After that I was very good and learned my "leave it!" command very well. Mum was very proud that she could leave her food within my reach and go out of the room and I wouldn't touch it.

She told Dad this when he came to live with us, so he completely trusted me around food, but sometimes forgot that if he didn't tell me to "leave it!" then all bets were off. He found this out one time when he took me on a trip to the store to pick up a cooked chicken. Now, you need to know that when Mum & Dad buy a cooked chicken, it's usually for my dinner. How was I supposed to know that this cooked chicken was for Mum & Dad's dinner?

Dad had to run another errand, so he left the bag of chicken in the front of the car, and left me to guard the car while he went into another store. My head was so deeply into the bag of chicken when he came back that I didn't even hear him! But boy, was it tasty! I do remember this incident well and even wrote a post about it some time ago.

My best defense, as always, when anything like this happens, is to put on my best "butter wouldn't melt in my mouth" look. And no, I hadn't just sipped out of that cup in this picture!

At least I've never done anything like Mum's other dog, Nelson, who once stole a sandwich out of a man's hand at the beach, just as he was about to eat it!

I know a lot of you out there have some stories you've been sitting on about food you've stolen. Don't worry, if you write about it in your blog, your humans will never need to know! So I'd like to know what Baby Rocket Dog & Hootie, Moose, Sedona, Frankie and Hoover have eaten in the food department that maybe they weren't meant to.

The Winner!

2009-08-25T18:40:00.007-07:00

Thanks to all my blogging pals who got their humans to have a go in the contest. We had some excellent entries - not all of them correct, but they were a lot of fun when Mum read them out to me!

First of all, here are the answers:

1. What is the name of my best dog pal?
d) Monty

2. What's my favorite activity?
b) playing in the snow

Several of you said a) swimming in the creek for this one, and I know I talk about the creek a lot, but I actually don't enjoy the swimming part as much as I do looking for ducks and rolling in the dirt. When there's snow to play in, I never want to come home.

3. Which of these places haven't I visited?
c) Oklahoma

4. Have I ever caught a duck?
No, but I know it's going to happen one day
(I thought it was a), but Mum said that was just my imagination)

5. What gives me the willies?
c) Thunder
(and black dogs, as a couple of you rightly noted).

So there were just two of you who had all the answers correct. Mum wrote those names on pieces of paper and put them in my beret.

I had to wait patiently till she gave the word.

When she said "get it!", I stuck my head right in there and pulled one out.

I chewed it around in my mouth a bit because I thought it must be a treat.

When I realized it wasn't, I dropped it on the ground. Sorry about the drool!

It's Ellie! Well done! Please tell your mum to email my mum with your address and we'll send you the book.

I know some of you tried to help your peoples out with the answers, but they obviously weren't listening. I know, I have the same problem with my peoples. But Mum said because I had so much fun picking the name out of the beret, we could put all the other names in there afterwards and I could pick out a runner up. I think you're all probably quite good runners (not as good as me, most likely, but never mind), so this was a difficult choice.

This time, I picked out Eclipse and her mum, Tabatha,

Please email my mum your address so we can send you a prize. It's a picture of me swimming in the creek! It's actually something very special that my human friend Windy made. Mum says it's called a fridge magnet.

Mum was very excited that both the winners are training to be assistance dogs. This just goes to show how smart both Ellie and Eclipse must be and what excellent working dogs they will become.

And now I want to show you all the present my mum got for me.

It came in the mail last week, but I wasn't allowed to wear it because of the little episode with the skunk. Even though I still stink a bit, Mum put it on me today. Doesn't the color suit me?

This is my very own Scruffy Dog Collar, in teal, hand made especially for me by Kelli and Tibby (I think Tibby does most of the work). I'm very proud to wear it and like it a lot better than my purple collar, which gets very hot around my neck in the summer. If you want to get one for yourself, have your person order one from Tibby's mum. She makes them really fast!

Okay, Mum says I have to stop the chit chat now, so I'll have to tell you the rest of my news next time. I've been tagged by Paco, Milo and Maya. This time it's all about food. That's my kind of game!

Pepé le Who?

2009-08-23T15:29:00.004-07:00

I stink!

Mum said so.

Dad said so too. He called me a Stinkerpoozer.

And it's all because of that tricky little black and white critter they call Pepé le Pew, who hangs out down by the creek.

I had to get doused in this stuff.

We waited for it to dry, then Mum did it again.

The stink didn't go away. That was Thursday.

Since then, Mum has washed me at least 10 times* with all of this stuff.

I've had to sleep outside every night.**

I'm almost going bald from all the bathing.
(But I'm still quite glamorous, aren't I?)

And apparently, I still stink!

*This may be a slight exaggeration, but I swear it was at least 8 times!
**Mum did sleep outside with me so I wouldn't feel lonely

Contest Update

2009-08-19T21:12:00.004-07:00

Hi Everyone!

There have been some good entries for the contest so far, but it's still wide open, so if you haven't had a go yet, please give it a try. And just a reminder for you to email your entries to me, rather than put them in the comments (ahem, Dory's mum!), so there will be no cheating! At the end of the contest, I'll be putting all the correct entries (or as close to correct as there are) into my beret and picking one out to be the winner.

Also, to remind you that my Mum has put up a very helpful tool. It's a search button that's on the top left of the blog. You can just put in the word you're looking for and it will take you to all the posts on my blog that have that word (or phrase) in it! It's not cheating, honest! And I really do want you all to have a chance at winning this great book.

In the meantime, I'll be staying cool at the creek.

Woofs,
Ruby

The Adventures of Danger Dog Contest!

2009-08-17T21:50:00.009-07:00

Mum says I can give away a copy of this book, which is all about my friend Riley Blossom.* It's just been published and is hot off the press, so the lucky winner can be one of the first to read it.

I've been putting a lot of thought into how to do the contest and have come up with 5 questions, which are all about me, of course! The answers can be found in my blog posts, and I've made it multiple choice, so you can have a guess if you aren't sure of the answer. Send me your answers in an email. Put "Danger Dog Contest" as the subject so I can filter them out from all my other fan mail and feel free to include any bribes or treats that may sway my final decision!

1. What is the name of my best dog pal?

a) Beau
b) Jack
c) Babushka
d) Monty

2. What's my favorite activity?

a) Swimming in the creek
b) Playing in the snow
c) Chasing bunnies
d) Playing ball

3. Which of these places haven't I visited?

a) Oregon
b) California
c) Oklahoma
d) Colorado

4. Have I ever caught a duck?

a) Yes, many times. Mum and Dad roast it on the barbecue for me when we get home
b) Yes, just once, but I've never forgotten it
c) No, but I know it's going to happen one day
d) None of the above. I've never chased a duck in my life.

5. What gives me the willies?

a) Ice cream
b) Bluegrass music
c) Thunder
d) Having my teeth brushed

That's all! The contest will be open until next Monday evening (7 pm MST). If there is more than one entry with all correct answers, we'll do a draw.

*Mum says it's not strictly about Riley Blossom, but rather a fictional dog based on her. It has something called poetic license, whatever that is.

Good luck, everyone! I'll be keeping my paws crossed for you.

Dog Tired

2009-08-13T18:57:00.004-07:00

I don't have a lot planned today.

The camping trip kind of took it out of me.

Wait, did I hear something down on the street?

Maybe I'll check it out later.

After some shuteye*...

Noun

shuteye - informal term for sleep

sleep, slumber - a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

Who's For Ice Cream?

2009-08-09T13:26:00.005-07:00

I've been inspired by Baby Rocket Dog and her reporting skills (to say nothing of how studious she looks in those glasses!). I like to spend some time at the weekends catching up on the news. It's been too hot to go out and find out what's happening in the neighborhood, so I've been finding out what's going on around the world and thought I would share a couple
of the gems with you all.

Photo credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sankey/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

First up, check this out. Who doesn't like ice cream? Well someone's been thinking over in England and realized that puppies should have their very own ice cream. About time!

Photo credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jono2k5/ / CC BY 2.0

Mum pointed this next one out to me, because this was her local beach when she lived in England (Devon, not Cornwall as the article wrongly states). She used to go there with Nelson the Jack Russell, who I sometimes hear about when I've done something naughty. He was "the naughtiest dog ever", according to Mum - unbelievable some of the things he got up to (chasing ducks across a partially frozen river, climbing out of a skylight onto a steep, slate roof to try and chase sheep, going down a badger sett...). I don't let on to Mum, but sometimes Nelson whispers in my ear and eggs me on to do something I shouldn't!

Speaking of Jack Russells, my friend Riley Blossom here in Sedona is the star of a new book that her mum has illustrated. It's all about her adventures as Danger Dog, Sedona's Tiny Telepathic Terrier - sniffing out danger and rescuing tourists right here in the red rocks. Mum says we can have a blog contest to give away a copy of the book, so watch out for that. I'll be letting you know what you need to do to enter.

Okay, I'm off on another adventure myself. We're going to camp out tonight and watch the sky. There's something called meaty-ors happening. I can't wait! Apparently they fall right out of the sky. I'll bet they're really tasty!

Mamba's Adventures

2009-08-07T10:41:00.004-07:00

I've been told everyone loves a story with a happy ending, so you're going to love this story of Mamba, my little 6.5 pound chihuahua friend who had a 10-day adventure, right here in our neighborhood. This is a picture of her.

I know what you're thinking. She doesn't look like she'd be up to much in the way of adventures, lounging around as she is in her designer clothes. But don't be fooled by that little dog, aren't-I-so-cute-in-my-tropical-outfit look. Mamba surprised us all.

About two weeks ago, her mum went out, leaving Mamba and her four little friends in their yard. The wind got up while she was gone, and when she returned, she found the gate blown open and 5 little dogs running around outside. The four came back inside when they saw their mum, but Mamba, being the timid girl she is, ran the other way and no amount of coaxing would bring her back.

As you know from some of my stories, our neighborhood is a bit of a wild place, with coyotes, javelina, bobcats and sometimes the odd mountain lion roaming around. It's rocky and hilly, and at the time Mamba got out, very, very hot. (I may have complained about the heat once or twice myself recently).

Mamba's mum was very upset and went all over the neighborhood with her friend, calling and looking for Mamba. She put Mamba's picture up everywhere around. (Personally, I think that may be what made Mamba stay away so long - she was just plain embarrassed that everyone had seen her in those fancy clothes and didn't want the other dogs laughing at her!)

She was last seen near the school, which is just by our house, so every time we went for a walk, me and Mum would look for her. But it was so hot, even I didn't want to be out there. The blacktop burned my paws and after only a short time, I'd want to go back home. "Poor Mamba", we thought," there's no way she'll have survived out here. If the heat hasn't done her in, that mean coyote that comes around barking insults to me at night will surely have snarfed her down for his evening snack."

As the days stretched out into a week, the posters of Mamba taped to the Stop signs were getting brittle in the heat and curling at the edges, and the picture was fading so it was hard to tell if she was a dog or a monkey. But her mum didn't give up. Everyday she still went out looking and calling for Mamba. A couple of people called and said they had seen her, which gave her mum some hope, although she didn't really believe it, as this was a really long way from where she had last been seen. One man called to say he'd seen her running across the road not far from where Mamba's family lived, but Mamba's mum thought he must have seen a rabbit, which there are plenty of around here, and it's easy to confuse them with a little itty-bitty dog.

The man said the rabbit/dog had been wearing a collar, so with her friend, Mamba's mum went door to door, asking everyone again if they had seen Mamba. When they got to the last house, it was the man who had seen the rabbit/dog who opened the door. He said he'd seen Mamba again nearby, but she was afraid and ran away when he went near. Mamba's mum thanked him for the information and went to leave. The man showed Mamba's mum and her friend a shortcut to get back to their street, and as they were crossing the land, they saw Mamba right there, hiding near the barn! Mamba's mum called her and this time she came back. I guess she'd had enough of being out on her own and was missing her family at home. (I know what that's like. If ever I get out the gate for an adventure on my own, and there's no one home at David & Hope's, or any of the other houses I go to, after several ~~days~~, ~~hours~~, minutes, I start to miss my mum so I go and wait on the doorstep till she lets me in).

So, how did Mamba survive all those days out in the wilds on her own? She hasn't been saying too much about it. Mamba is a rescue dog, like me, which makes us tough. She came from somewhere called a puppy mill where she lived with 200 other dogs. I'm not sure what a puppy mill is, but Mum says it's not a good place and Mamba had many, many puppies when she lived there. There was never enough food, so she had to learn to be smart and outwit the other dogs.

We're all so happy that Mamba was found safe and well. She's now known as the "Miracle Dog" and is quite the heroine in our neighborhood. She's earned her respect among all our dog friends and I think she can pretty much wear what she likes these days, without fear of anyone laughing at her.

Water can be so overrated

2009-08-03T12:18:00.005-07:00

There's nothing quite so relaxing as spending time in the shower. Especially when it's really hot outside.

Water? Did I hear someone ask where the water is?

That's what the creek's for, silly!

Here I am with my friend, Monty, enjoying a very relaxing morning at the creek.

Creek water. Now that's how water is supposed to smell. You can tell it's the right kind of water when we get back in the car afterwards and Mum says, "You dogs stink!"

Mum only says that when I smell really good.

Next up, I need to tell you about the adventure my friend Mamba had recently when she went missing for 10 days. Just to let you know, she wasn't wearing this costume when she went missing!

The Latest Trend

2009-07-23T23:39:00.005-07:00

I've been hearing about spa treatments recently. Jack had a post about it on his blog, so I wanted to give it a try myself. As I was already in the car and going on vacation, I thought I'd start with the mani-pedi-pawsy-pawsy.

It's quite a relaxing way to travel, but something doesn't seem quite right. Shouldn't there be something in the bowl?

Monsoon pressure

2009-07-06T01:41:00.003-07:00

You see those stormy skies?

All those dark clouds starting to gather?

That's when I go to my "thunder hole".
I can feel the pressure building up even before the thunder starts and it makes me want to hide away somewhere dark and small.

One time when there was a thunder storm and Mum wasn't home, I tried to hide behind the toilet. That's the downside of monsoon weather.

And here's the upside. Look at how fluffy my coat is!

Vacation Photos

2009-07-01T19:31:00.008-07:00

On the road. We stopped at a creek on the way so I could cool off.

Soon, we turned off to a very bumpety road and there were lots of things to see, so it was time to climb into the front onto Mum's lap.

This is where we camped. No one else was there, so I was allowed to run around as much as I wanted, without a leash or tie-out. The creek was lovely and cool, and there were lots of strange creatures scurrying around on the bottom that I tried to catch. Mum said they were crawdads. I wonder where the crawmums were? We didn't see any of those.

Way high up at the top of a mountain there was a huge field of grass. I love running through grass, especially when Dad is getting ready to catch me.

This is where we stayed for the rest of the time. It was much cooler than by the creek and there were critters everywhere. Some chipmunks were hiding between the rocks around our firepit and I had to keep a really close eye on them. We also saw elk and wild turkeys. They didn't look anything like what I eat for my dinner, but I guess Mum & Dad know what they're talking about. Sometimes I think the mountain air makes them say funny things.

I had to stay on the leash at this campsite because of the bears. We didn't see any, but I could smell they had been around. This is my tent. It has a lovely big bed inside where I can really stretch out. Mum and Dad insist on getting in there with me, so I have to spend a lot of time staking out the best parts because they try and push me to the side. I'm an expert at stretching out to 3 times my normal size and doing my lead jello act (as Dad calls it) when they try to move me.

The lake was just a short walk from my tent. I had to go down there a few times to check up on the ducks and herons.

Here's Dad playing stick with me.

I'm doing my special "coyote" pose here.

We had to say goodbye to the lake when I was just beginning to get to know everywhere. I looked so sad, Mum and Dad said they would bring me back "soon".

And now "soon" is almost here and I'm dreaming of the elk calling out in the forest at night and all the bird calls early in the morning. Ya boo sucks to Sedona. Someone keeps turning up the heat and I don't like it one bit!

Road Trip!

2009-06-27T21:11:00.004-07:00

I've just been on the best road trip ever and I have tons of photos to show you guys, but I can't make the photo button work. I've had to wait ages for Mum to help me get on the computer. She's been all busy since we got back. Lots of people have been coming to see and she gives them all a massage. I don't know why, because they're coming to see me, but it seems to make everyone happy. Anyway, I hope I get to show the pictures before we go away again. I was so happy up in the cool mountains with the meadows and lakes that Mum and Dad are taking me back for a whole 10 days!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T23:44:00.002-07:00

Fossil Creek Adventure

2009-05-24T23:09:00.010-07:00

So after Monty went home, Mum and Dad took me on a special adventure.

I tried to be patient waiting for them to put all the camping stuff in the car...

And then we were off. I kept a keen eye on the road to make sure Dad took all the right turns.

Finally, after hours and hours in the car and lots of twisting and turning down a bumpety road, I spotted THE CREEK!

In case you don't know already, I love the creek!

I tried stalking some creek critters, but no matter how long I waited, those fish stayed under the water.
I tried staring them down, and willing them to jump out.

Next, I tried some of my duck hunting tactics. I bet you can't see where I'm hiding!

When I was thoroughly muddy and covered in burrs, it was time to rest for a while on the fresh bed Mum had made in the tent. Mum said she loves camping with a wet, muddy dog and spending hours picking out all the burrs and foxtails from my fur. Well, I think that was the gist of it, anyway.

Catching Up

2009-05-22T20:38:00.017-07:00

I've had a really busy week since I last wrote. I've been wanting to tell you all about it, but Mum has been a bit under the weather after our camping trip to the far away creek (the one with the blue-green water) and hasn't had her computer open for me to use. She got bitten by a lot of no-see-ums and her face looks all funny and lumpy. That's funny-peculiar, not funny-haha, although me and Dad did have a bit of a laugh.

I'll tell you all about my creek adventures soon, but first of all I have to tell you about the award I got from Jack.

“This award is presented to those dog bloggers out there who know the meaning of GREATNESS. Their blogs are consistently interesting, funny, or informative. Their KINDNESS is extended to others without expectation of it’s return, and their FRIENDSHIP inspires others to do EXTRAORDINARY things. These are the blogs you can’t wait to read everyday.

In short, they are AWE-INSPIRING, full of wonder, and simply PAWsome! Pass this award on to 4 others who you feel exemplify a “Paw”some Blog, and leave a note saying why you think they deserve the Pawsome Award!”

Well, I'm not surprised that Jack got the award too, because I always make Mum read his blog to me so I can see what he's been up to. He's still got a lot to learn, but he's a young pup still. I was happy to hear he's been getting a place staked out on his dad's bed recently. Good work, Jack!

We're supposed to pass this on to 4 other pups with blogs that we really enjoy, but I want to give it to every one of the blogs my mum reads to me.

As you all know by now, Monty is my best friend in the whole world.

He can be a bit of a goofball at times, but he's always up for a game or two and never says a cross word - even when Mum is flashing that bright light from the camera in his eyes.

When he arrives, he goes to the toy corner and picks one out. Sometimes he just likes to use it as a pillow. Here he is with my lion that I got for Christmas. Mum and Dad are very proud of me letting Monty play with my toys. I didn't complain once.

I tore the lion's head off today, so he won't be playing with that one again.

Hanging out with Dad

2009-05-14T10:54:00.002-07:00

Me and Dad were hanging out the other night, seeing who could make the silliest face. I won, of course.

No time to write much now as Monty is on his way over to spend the weekend with us. I've been missing my goofy pal. I'll ask Mum to take some photos of us for you.

Spirits in Transition

2009-05-09T12:51:00.003-07:00

Mum has asked me to do her a favor and do a post that's not about me at all. She wants me to tell you all about her holistic veterinarian friend, Ella. Since I'm still a bit in the doghouse from scaring the socks off Mum and Dad the other night, I agreed to do it. But after this, it's back to ME, ME ME, right?

Momo and Ella (Momo lived to age 17)

Ella's teaches people how to do hospice with their pets, and especially how to prepare for when it's time for us animal companions to leave. She offers a seminar called Spirits in Transition that teaches people all about it. If you get a chance to go to one, please do, because I know this is such a hard thing for humans to go through. Anyway, at least go to her website and have a look around.

This is a message Ella just sent out to everyone.

Hi, dear all-

As statistics can be helpful in creating a clearer image of the current situation, I would like to create a questionnaire to pass out and poll veterinarians at conferences by asking specific questions about their experience with euthanasia and hospice, how they feel their veterinary training prepared them for their jobs, what they feel the needs of their clients may be, what they would like to see happen in terms of education in the field of animal hospice, how important they feel the topic is overall, etc.

You may have a question or more that you may wonder about and wish you could ask to a whole group of veterinarians.
If so, please let me know what it is and I would gladly try integrating it into the poll. We will send out the results after evaluation, please be aware the entire project may take several months.

I am interested in including both, questions veterinary professionals as well as lay people may have to veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

Please feel free to forward this invitation.

Namaste,
Ella

Minnie-Moo's Challenge

2009-05-07T00:08:00.003-07:00

Thanks, Minnie-Moo. Don't I look grand?

A Walk on the Wild Side

2009-05-06T22:18:00.011-07:00

(Photo: Lamb, A. & Johnson, L. (2004). Coyote Walking. Naturescapes Starters.)

It's almost full moon and the coyotes in our neighborhood have been particularly vocal the past few nights. It *really* bothers me when they come so close to our house. They mock me from the street and dare to run across our land right by the living room windows.

Last night, when Dad was taking me for my bedtime walk, I saw a really cocky fellow waiting for me at the bottom of the driveway and managed to slip my collar to take up the chase. I could smell him as soon as Dad opened the front door and it made me so mad! This coyote always has a good laugh at me when I'm on the leash, and taunts me something rotten.

Well, last night I'd had enough. I chased him down the driveway, then back up the side of the hill and around behind the house. I really let rip with my barking, and we were almost on the other side of the hill near the wolf-dogs' house - they were howling like crazy - when out of nowhere I heard Mum's blood-curdling yell down on the street and a light a thousand times brighter than the moon shone right in my eyes.

If you've never heard my mum yell, consider yourselves very fortunate. There was nothing for it but to admit defeat. She had a flashlight trained on me and there was no getting away, so I slunk down the side of the hill to the street and Dad snapped my collar and leash back on me.There was a lot of talk when we got home about how naughty I'd been, and how dangerous it was to go chasing after coyotes at night. And coming so soon after my escapade the other day when I tried to chase a snake swimming across the creek, I think Mum and Dad are going to be keeping a very close eye on me from now on.

The worst of it is, I've got to wear this stupid contraption now when I go for the nighttime walks.

I feel suck a dork! I'll never live it down if word gets out, and those coyotes are such gossip mongers. Grrrr!

On a much happier note, The Woof Gang has given me this lovely award for my services to the greater dog community, and for generally being the swankiest dog around. Okay, I may have embellished a bit there, but it is a pretty cool award, don't you think?

Watching the World Go By

2009-04-27T21:20:00.007-07:00

Mum says it's time I stopped looking out the window and got on with catching up on my blog duties. Apparently, while I've been slacking off and keeping an eye out for the neighbor dogs, I won an award. How about that!

It's from Baby Rocket Dog & Hootie and means that my blog has nectar. Mum says that's something sweet. I don't know how that could have got on my blog because I'm not allowed sweet things.

Some other visitors have stopped by my blog too. Charity, Gary, Katie and Louie from the Happy Haus have tagged me.

I know all about tagging now, since I got tagged a while back. This time I'm supposed to tell you all 10 honest scraps about myself.

1) I didn't have a daddy for my first 4 years.

2) Mum can get me to do almost anything when she says it's for Tod-daddy.

3) Once, when I was visiting neighbors without my mum knowing, I got a ride home in the front seat of a police truck.

4) I once ate the hair of an enlightened master. It wasn't on his head at the time, but in a special box that was my mum's. I just wanted her to notice me. She was very mad for a while, then laughed a lot.

5) I've been skunked three times!

6) I have a white mark on the back of my neck and people always ask if I'm going gray.

7) I'm scared of thunder and (some) black dogs. I got beaten up by one once and I never forgot it.

8) I don't like dog parks. I used to love going to the dog park, but one day we went and a couple of huskies beat me up. I don't like huskies either.

9) I can jump very high and land ever so softly.

10) I can bark very quietly, so as not to get into trouble when everyone else is asleep.

Now I want to find out some more about Minnie-Moo, Duncan and Amber-Mae. You've all been tagged!

It's hot, hot, hot!

2009-04-21T22:09:00.005-07:00

It was very hot today, so Mum and Dad said the only thing for it was to take me to the creek. Hooray!

Mum didn't get in, for some reason, so I made sure I shared some of the lovely, cool water with her when I got out.

I was sure I was going to see a duck, because there were lots of smells of them everywhere. But even though I stared and stared at every little thing that moved in the water, I didn't see one all afternoon.

I sat very quietly in the shade keeping watch, just in case.

Mum was very sad today after reading Honey's blog. I had to get a lot of rubbles from her to make her feel better.

Goodbye Henry!

2009-04-13T09:30:00.007-07:00

Henry crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He was 14 1/2.

Henry lived with my mum's friend in Devon, England. Such a fine, handsome chap.

He had quite the life, just as all dogs should.

His mum says, "He is up in the garden with lots of flowers all around him and a big white cherry tree is flowering beside him."

Good ol' Henry. I know his mum and dad are missing him very much.

Daddy's Girl

2009-04-06T21:30:00.004-07:00

I miss my dad when he's at work, so when he comes home, I like to make sure he stays close.

I passed!

2009-04-02T19:47:00.007-07:00

Mum & Dad took me to the pet doctors in Flagstaff this week. I was a bit worried because they told me I was going for my exam, but I didn't know what the questions were going to be about. I studied up on duck hunting and what you're supposed to do if you see a rattlesnake. I even made sure I knew how to spell Barack Obama, because Mum had one about the president in the exam she took when she got the certificate that says she's allowed to live here forever.

It turned out that I didn't need to remember anything, because they were just doing an exam of my body to make sure I'm fit and healthy. My usual doc, Doctor Liz, couldn't see me, so I saw Doctor Lisa instead. I got a bit scared when I saw her as the last time I saw her was when I swallowed the poisonous mushrooms. I had to stay at the hospital and I didn't see Mum and Dad for nearly 2 days. I thought it was because they were mad at me for eating the mushrooms, but they said it was because I was very sick and Doctor Lisa was making me well again.

Anyway, Doctor Lisa was very happy to see me and gave me lots of rubbles. She sat down on the floor with me and checked me all over. She laughs a lot and is very gentle when she touches me. She said I got A's on everything - well, apart from something she called Arf-rightis. It's something to do with my right shoulder, because it gets stiff after I've been doing a lot of digging. Mum & Dad say that means I have to go easy on the digging. It also means I get more massages from Mum, and we do some stretching every morning now, which I like a lot because I just get to lie on my back between Mum's legs while she rubbles me.

Doctor Lisa said my teeth were very good, so Mum reminded me that it's because of brushing my teeth at night. She got a new toothpaste for me and I don't like it as much as the one we used to have. She says it's paltry. Maybe that's why I don't like it because I thought it was supposed to taste like chicken.

Everyone made a huge fuss over me for getting such a good report card, and I got a special treat on the way home. We went to one of my favorite places in the forest and Mum found me the last patch of snow. It was only as big as the room where we eat, but I couldn't have been happier. Snow makes me run like a puppy, and there's nothing that feels as good as rolling on my back in the snow. Exams aren't that bad after all.

Can you get too many kisses?

2009-03-26T20:08:00.004-07:00

My mum likes to kiss me - a lot. Now don't get me wrong, I really like it, but I'm just wondering, is she going to give me a bald spot on my head?

See what I mean?

After Dinner Walk

2009-03-22T22:39:00.004-07:00

On the trail after dinner, Saturday evening. I'm not afraid of anything when I'm with my friend Beau.

Mum wanted you all to see what a good jumper I am. Easy peasy. See?

Beau just came to stay for one night, so I didn't mind him sleeping on my chaise - not too much, anyway. He pretty much commandeered it for the whole time he was here, last time he stayed, and I didn't get much of a look in. Mum said we had to be nice to him because he was missing his dad. He did look a bit sad and spent a lot of time cuddling his elephant cushion, or just moping around outside.

My Favorite Game

2009-03-19T12:25:00.004-07:00

Mum says Duncan's dad is going to play tag with me. I love tag! It's my favorite game. I hope Duncan will play too. Especially hide-and-seek tag, which I play with Mum and Dad a lot when we go to the creek that sometimes disappears. We'll be all walking along together and I'll suddenly notice Dad isn't there anymore. Mum will tell me to go look for him, and the game begins. Sometimes I see him hide, but I pretend I don't know where he is, because I don't want to make him feel bad that he's not very good at this game. I race back and forth, looking behind all the trees for him, then I stand and look puzzled for a bit (so he thinks he's found a really good hiding place), before rushing up to him with a huge grin on my face. But before he can tag me, I wheel around and dash helter-skelter through the sandy lanes, in between Mum and Dad's legs, faking turns and getting just close enough to let them think they're going to get me. I can run like the wind and turn on a dime. The wind flaps my ears back and sometimes I get so excited by it all that I have to stop right where I am and dig a hole in the sand. Tag is the best game ever. I can't wait to play it with Duncan's dad. I wonder if he's coming to the house to play it?

Oh, Mum just told me that this is a different sort of tag. We don't go anywhere to play it.It's not about running and chasing at all. I'm supposed to tell you all seven things that I love. That's easy. I should win this game hands down!

I love chicken and going with Dad to pick it up from the store. I can smell it all the way home in the car, freshly cooked and full of juices. I sit like a good girl all the way home and Dad opens it just for me and gives me a strip from the breast. Yummy-do-s! One time Dad left the bag of cooked chicken in the car while he went somewhere. I tried really hard to stop myself, but that smell was so good and I was just going to have a little taste. When Dad came back, my head was so far into the bag I didn't even hear him.
I love having a huge towel over my head when I come back from a walk in the rain. I get rubbled all over and then I slide along the carpet on my ear to make sure the last of the wet stuff is out of there.
I love "leg hugs". Mum sits on the floor and I lie on my back between the length of her legs while she rubs my belly and scratches my chin, and rocks me from side to side. It's the best feeling in the world Mum's legs holding me tight and getting rubbled.
I love camping and being able to sit outside near the tent, smelling all the new and different smells and watching all the outdoor life. Being outdoors is the best.
I love to run. I can run like the wind. Running feels so good. It gets me everywhere really fast, which is good when I'm hot on the heels of a jack rabbit. I've even tried running in the water when I'm after a duck, but I can't go nearly as fast as when I'm on the trail.
I love people, especially the people in my family, and all the people who come to see my mum and lie on her table. I especially like the kind of people who say "What a pretty girl she is!" and "Look, she wants to have a massage too!"
I love snow. Snow is the best. I can play in the snow for hours and I don't ever get bored. I love the feel of it on my hot paws and the way it's so cool and crunchy when I lie down in it and roll around. If I get thirsty, I can eat some, or just dip the end of my nose in it and throw some up in the air. One time the snow got delivered right to our house and I could just go outside anytime I wanted and it was right there.

Mum says I'm supposed to choose seven people to play this new game of tag, but I think it will be more fun if I don't tell the seven people, then just start playing tag with them when they're not expecting it. Better start hiding.

Birthday Girl

2009-03-12T21:55:00.004-07:00

We went to the creek for my birthday. But since we were last there, the water is all gone, so I had to be content with digging in the sand. I love digging, back and forth, round and round, kicking it all over Mum and Dad, digging and digging until I get to the nice, cool stuff underneath and I can finally flop down in my new pit.

I got a present for my birthday, too. Mum made me a new bed for in the car, because Beau's big claws tore several holes in my other one. I like my new bed. It's clean and cool and doesn't smell of other dogs. It's all mine, for right now.

I jumped right in the car when Mum showed it to me, and because it was my birthday, I was allowed to sit there all on my own in the back with the door up. I made up for it later on by opening the front door while Dad was busy unloading the car. I went to visit David and Hope, but they've fixed their gate and I couldn't get in the yard, so I ran down the hill and visited Tom. I heard him talking to my mum on the phone and then he took me for a walk on the leash, but we'd hardly gone anywhere when my mum showed up and took me home. I wonder how everyone seems to know my mum's phone number?

Spring is in the Air

2009-02-20T19:52:00.003-07:00

Beau and I have been trying out some spring attire. The beret is much more my style, don't you think?

I'm Back!

2009-02-11T12:10:00.009-07:00

Many people have been asking me to start writing here again, so I decided it was time to fill you in on some of my news. You may remember the special lookout Mum cut for me in the fence on the porch...I loved sticking my head through there and watching all the goings on out on the street.

When we moved to our new house, I was very disappointed to find out that there was no front porch, but then I discovered something MUCH better. There are two of these outside places and I can stick my head between the metal sticks any place I want. I can see the whole street and much further too, as we're way up high above the trees.

When it's wet, I can watch everything from the living room windows without ever getting up from my chair. There are windows all over and I don't even have to stand on anything to look out.

I think this house must have been designed by a dog.

Colorado Adventures Part 2: Rocky Mountain Favor

2008-06-28T15:27:00.019-07:00

I’ve got a new surrogate mum! Her name’s Shirley. She has three little dogs I love to play with and she absolutely adores me. She snuck me treats that she said were from my Mum and Dad and she called me her sweet golden baby girl. I heard her telling them on the phone that she would adopt me in a heartbeat. If she did I hope she would take me on adventures like they do.

See Mum and Dad and I went on vacation to my favorite place ever, except for maybe the beach: Colorado! It’s got creeks and rivers and mountains. It’s even got grass. I can roll around in it all day, race around the woods sniffing things until I get hot, then jump in the creek. It’s perfect.

Of course it took about a hundred years to get there in the car. We camped, which is one of the funnest things to do, way up in the aspens, with snow in sight. When we got to the campground one of my best people was there, Uncle Rob. I was so surprised. He took me for walks and I got to play with Wolf, the dog that used to have Rob until she went to live with the angel dogs. She’s around Rob a lot.

The next day Mum and Dad and I got back in the car and drove to a strange house with grass in the backyard. That’s where Shirley lives. And my new friends. We all got along great. We played and dozed, and Shirley took all four of us for long walks every day. I missed my Mum and Dad, who were at some music thing that doesn’t include dogs, which is pretty pathetic, but I was well taken care of for four days. I hope I get to see Shirley and my pals again sometime.

When Mum and Dad picked me up I raced and raced and scooted under Mum’s legs to get to Dad, and then under his legs to escape into the front yard and run all around the block. I was so excited to see them. We spent the next two days playing in all the creeks we could find and camping in the woods next to a big river. I would get so tired I would ask to go to bed inside the tent before it even got dark. I can sprawl across practically the whole tent every night just like I do on the bed at home. Mum and Dad try to move me so they can have some room, but I know how to be like a thousand pound sack of flour. You can try to move me if you want.

I got lots of sticky and prickly stuff in my fur from thrashing around in the woods. I couldn’t even lick it clean. Mum had to cut some fur off. It was worth it to chase after squirrels and chipmunks, which I hardly ever see at home.

(This is a special tent Mum made me by the creek to keep the sun off me so I could snooze).

Eventually I remembered no one was really guarding the house properly while we were off having fun. We left it with my friend Serena. She’s sweet and gets down on the floor with me and makes me feel all melty inside, but she just doesn’t bark at passing coyotes and javelinas like a real security professional.

So I had to come home.

Colorado Adventures

2008-06-28T11:38:00.003-07:00

Here's what Mum and Dad were doing. They went to some kind of music festival that they were all excited about.

I can't understand what all the fuss was about. I think my trip was much more interesting... I'll tell you all about it soon.

Cabins, creeks, lakes and forests

2008-05-27T15:48:00.015-07:00

I love car rides! Last week Mum & Dad packed up the car and took me on a great adventure.
At first, I thought we were going to the creek with the blue/green water, but when we got to the place where we should have turned, Dad kept driving.

I kept trying to guess where we would stop, but it was dark by the time we got there. I sniffed all around but couldn't recognize anything. The place was made of wood. It smelled really good, and when they said we were "home", I was so excited I raced round and round. It was a bit smaller than at home, so I could only race around in small circles.

When we got up the next morning, I was very happy to find out there was a creek running just a few steps from the back door. Mum and Dad let me stay out there watching the birds and taking in all the new smells.

There were creeks and lakes everyone around there. I had a fine time jumping in and out of the water,

swimming, soaking,

running, wagging, rolling in the grass,

shaking myself off and slurping up that cool, fresh water.

I had a grand time!

Back at the cabin, all the usual house rules were off and I was allowed to sit at the table for dinner with everyone else. Well, I didn't actually eat my dinner up there, but I did manage to stay very close to make sure everyone ate up their salmon.

The next day we went to a lake, which was even better than the creeks.

While Mum and Dad were taking a nap, I sorted out some ravens that were getting a bit close to our picnic. Then I jumped in the water again, to cool off. And when I got out, I ran around, and then ran some more. I was a bit tired on the drive back to the cabin.

I tried really hard to keep my eyes open, so as not to miss anything, but my head got so heavy, I just had to rest it for a while.

I think there was buffalo for dinner, but I'm not really sure...

my bed felt so good!

Spring in Sedona

2008-05-12T22:59:00.010-07:00

This is my special creek where Mum and Dad have been taking me a lot this spring. It's only there sometimes, and now it's nearly gone again. As soon as we get out of the car, I race down there and over to the other side where the big galloping area is. Sometimes it's too deep for Mum and Dad to cross over, so I have to do all the running around on my own. It's better when they come too and throw me sticks. Best of all is when they play hide and seek chase. I race around looking behind every tree and bush for them. Suddenly, they jump out at me and I take off as fast as I can. We've played this game for as long as I can remember. It was the first game Mum played with me when she brought me home from the dog shelter and I still love it more than any other game we play. Well, maybe not tug-of-war, but almost.

My next favorite thing to do at the creek is digging a hole. Here's my 5 step method for the perfect hole:

1. Find a suitable sandy patch. It should be a little damp so it doesn't make too much dust and is nice and cool underneath.

2. Start the dirt flying. Alternate between the left and right paws so it's nice and even.

3. Pick up the pace and use both paws together. This creates depth - you don't want it to be too shallow.

4. Lie down and test it out for size and coolness. You should sniff it thoroughly to make sure.5. Get up, turn around several times, then lie down again in exactly the same position as before. Make sure the front paws are spread far apart for maximum chest contact with that nice cool earth. Smile.

It's my Birthday and I'll bark if I want to!

2008-03-11T20:06:00.004-07:00

Or maybe that should be barf...

It was my 8th birthday yesterday, which apparently is a BIG DEAL. Mum and Dad took me and Beau (he was staying for the weekend) to my favorite place to celebrate - the Euro Deli!

I was so excited when we got there that I couldn't wait for Mum to put my leash on. I just leapt out of the back of the car and went running down to the front door. Beau hadn't been there before, so didn't know what all the fuss was about. I don't think he could believe it when Swava brought us each a huge bowl of the most delicious meats. I thought I'd have a chance to finish off Beau's, so I gobbled mine up in record speed, but Beau didn't seem to have any trouble woofing his down too. In fact, it all went down so fast that I sort of forgot that I'd eaten it and started waiting for the bowl to appear all over again. Well, guess what? It did! Yes, I could hardly believe it myself, but Swava brought us each a second bowl. It was just as lip-smackingly good as the first one.

Mum just read me my DogoScope for the day and said I should post it because it's very apt. I don't know what that means, but here it is anyway.

Pisces February 19 - March 20

Good Dog, Sweet Boy/Girl, those are beautiful words, but you expect more than that for all your hard work. Demand biscuits, and if they aren't on hand, go for the table scraps.

Mum and Dad were a bit concerned about the amount we ate yesterday, and I even heard whispers of reduced rations at dinner. But there's nothing like a few hours of napping to give you an enormous, raging appetite all over again. I did hear Beau saying something about a tummy ache today... he probably just needs more practice.

Ocean Spray

2008-02-28T16:39:00.007-07:00

Have you ever been to the beach? I have - it’s great!

There’s nothing better than running on the sand and chasing those seagulls. You can explore for miles and it all smells totally different than home.

Sometimes you find really neat stuff to roll in like dead fish parts or seagull entrails. It doesn’t come off my fur for days, no matter what Mum or Dad do, so it’s a yummy souvenir of fun times.

The waves come in so fast. Every time I think I know how close I can go without getting wet the wave just zooms right in and sprays me.

And I don’t know if you know this: that water is definitely not for drinking. I did an experiment last time we went. I tried a sip where we started at the bottom of the wooden steps, then at another place a romp away and a third and a fourth place. It was all way too salty for my taste!

Seawater is off my diet and I don’t think you should drink it either.

But chasing those gulls – well, ya just gotta do that.

Plus there are lots of dogs at the beach. Some of them play ball with their people or run alongside them. Some are happy to chase me in and out of the water.

Next thing you know it’s like the whole beach shrank and the waves are coming right up to the rocks. That’s when Mum and Dad and I go back to the hotel.

We just got back from one of my favorite all-time beaches in California where we had a great funny-shaped room with a bunch of sides. I counted eight and then I was back where I started.

There were lots of towels just for me and a special dog bath outside that I could jump into so Mum could hose me off. Lots of sand to get out of my fur.

And the coolest thing. Our front door had a peephole near the bottom just for me! Can you beat that? They really know how to treat a dog at that place.

When we checked in the guy asked my people who will be staying with Ruby? He knew right away which one was me!

Lemme tell ya, the fish you can eat there is the best ever. All fresh and lovely. I think Mum and Dad ate it every meal so I always got a taste of course. They kept going on about how good it was. They were right.

After a hard day playing at the beach I was more than ready for a full night’s snooze. When we had to leave I slept in the car all the way home.

I can’t wait til we go back. Maybe I’ll see you there. I’ll be that pretty red dog racing back and forth, catchingcatchingcatching a gull finally. And I’ll have a big grin on my face.

Me & Beau

2008-02-16T20:49:00.012-07:00

My friend Beau is staying with us. His people are away for awhile, so we’re a two dog house right now.
I’m the top dog of course. Let’s be clear about that.
Even though Beau is big, huge really, and barks really loud.
My Mum and Dad say I look like a toy dog next to him, but that’s no problem. I still don’t let him up on my couch on the porch.

Beau doesn’t exactly play, not like I do anyway, with chasing and tugging. But yesterday – wait, can you keep a secret?

Good, cause this is great! Yesterday we ran off together when we were on our trail hike and got into some really cool stuff.
When we came home limping and covered with cactus spines Mum was really put out, and she still doesn’t have any idea where we went or what we did.

See, there was this sniff trail where coyotes had gone, and we took off in pursuit. All of a sudden, I heard…

Gotta go, Mum’s coming! You didn’t read this…

Adventures? Us?

We're too busy napping!

Holidays And Varmints

2008-01-11T15:02:00.001-07:00

Hello, everyone! Do you like Christmas? I do! Mum and Dad put a tree in the house that’s all green like the trees outside, but it doesn’t have sticky stuff that gets in my fur like some of the outside ones do. They put lights and hang shiny, sparkly things all over it. But that’s not the best part. I know to sniff all around the tree and inspect it very carefully because I always find special Ruby treats hidden in the branches!

If you’ve never seen me unwrap a present, let me tell you, I’m good at it. Paper and ribbons and bows can’t keep me out when there’s a treat to eat. Mum and Dad make movies of me sometimes when they hand me a present, but I like it best when I can do my special snatch-and-snarf without waiting for any silly pictures. I just reach out, grab the wrapped treat, tear it open with a little flick of my head and get my jaws on it. From branch to gullet takes less than a second. That’s professionalism.

When Monty was here just after Christmas he nearly knocked the tree over while we were playing. He’s a bit clumsy, that boy, and he might have eaten something off the tree he wasn’t supposed to, like a chocolate ball, which is supposed to be for Mum and Dad, but all in all he was pretty good staying off it. I made sure to hunt down all the treats before he got here ‘cause I knew what could happen if Monty thought the tree was something to eat. I can’t bear to think about it.

All the people came to sing on Christmas Eve and I had to wear my Christmas cape and hat. Bit boring, but I did manage to sneak a few scraps of yummies I might not have asked for while no one was looking. The next day we had to go to another party at Windy’s house. She always makes a big fuss over me and I love it. There was turkey at that one.

(Guess I won't be wearing this Christmas hat again! Now I wonder how that could have happened?)

The other night it rained and was all drippy cold. My Mum figured she could just let me out in the front yard to pee since I don’t really like it when it’s so wet. She thought I’d come right back to the house. But I got a brilliant idea. Those yappy dogs Cheech and Chong who live around the corner always make such a ferocious racket when I go past on my leash walk. First they yell and taunt me. I just ignore them. Then they get so worked up barking at me that they turn on each other. By the time I’m past their house it sounds like they’re tearing each other limb from limb. It’s a bit over the top, really.

So I saw in a flash this was a great chance to get even. I looked over my shoulder at Mum who immediately saw I was going to bolt. She started yelling just as I took off in the dark. I hid under the neighbors’ bushes while Mum came after me with a flashlight. I almost came out – she sounded so worried – but I was on a mission. She went round the block a couple of times while I ran the back way to Cheech and Chong’s. Those boys were going to get a first-class razzing from outside their fence, the kind they’ve been giving me for two-and-a-half years.

Well, call me a housecat. I looked and sniffed everywhere. Those little sock puppets were nowhere to be seen. Or heard. Must have been away. They would have smelled me even if they had been inside being little wussy dogs. They would have started that high-pitched raspy growling that sounds like weasels with indigestion.

Mission wasted. I felt downright silly. Worrying Mum like that. She was still calling my name all over the neighborhood. What to do? Just then I heard Dad! He was out in the street in front of the yappies’ house calling me like he knew right where I’d gone. He wasn’t even home when I ran off. How did he know? Well anyway, I was glad to go home with him since it was Mum I ran away from. We all know that’s how the naughty game works.

That was all fun and games but I worried myself just a little when I went after that big coyote the other day. The one that lurks in the bushes or stalks me on the street during my leash walk before bedtime. It’s all sleek and smug and healthy looking, not scrawny and desperate like those gray trash ones that slink around in a big pack at night. This one watches me and knows how to get my goat. Well it’s not hard, really. Just existing is bad enough for a coyote.

So there it was in broad daylight when Mum and Monty and me went on our off-leash forest romp one afternoon. I chased it. It chased me. We rolled in the bushes. We each landed a few cuffs and scratches. One of us yelped. Way in the distance I could hear a tiny voice that sounded like Mum’s. I was in trouble here. I knew it but I just can’t help myself around coyotes. I have to chase them. I have to fight, I just have to. But they fight way different than I do. Their teeth are so sharp. They work toward my belly and my hamstrings. Like they want to kill me.

Just then I heard a roar nearby. So did the coyote. It couldn’t get off me fast enough. It scampered away while I got up to see what the big noise was. It was Monty. He came to save me! He’s usually afraid of his own shadow. All shadows really. He gets completely panicky when Mum goes around a corner inside the house. The littlest dogs intimidate him. But here he was rescuing me. And Mum running up behind him.

When we got back to the car Monty didn’t need any help like he usually does jumping in the back. He just ran and leapt in like a real man dog. My hero!

At home Mum found the cuts and scratches on me plus about a million cactus spines. Dad was all concerned when he heard about it. Monty was the toast of 420 until he went home a few days later.

Did I learn? No way! That coyote and I had another tussle two days later. Now I’m not allowed on that trail. But who cares – Dry Creek is a raging torrent after all the rain and snow. I love it down there. But that’s another story.

Dog Astrology

2008-01-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is what Only Natural Pet has to say about me:

Feb 20-Mar 20
Soulful but a bit unpredictable, a Pisces pet loves water or adventures.

Mum and Dad both agree that this is me to a T, (whatever that is).

I promise I'll be writing some more news on here soon. I've lots of adventures to tell you about, and there are probably some new pictures I can show you too. But right now, I've some important business to attend to out on my snoozing couch.

Remembering Friends

2007-12-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Dudley Do Right, who made his great transition on December 4, 2007. Although I never met him, I know he was a fine dog because he chose such a lovely dog-mum.

Edited to add, Dudley's dear friend and companion, Dolly Rama, chose to cross the rainbow bridge and join him on December 31st, 2007.

Now, where did I hide that bone?

2007-08-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

The termite exterminators are at the house, which means I get a big bone to keep me busy and out of their way. Only trouble is, there's nowhere to bury it. After an hour or so of non-stop gnawing, my mouth started to get a bit tired and I decided it was about time to find a safe hiding place for my bone. I trotted over to my secret passage (that's the new way I have to get to the back yard from the front porch), but Mum had put up a barrier to keep me from bothering the workmen. Never mind, I thought, the front door was open, so I trotted off into the house, intending to just go out through my dog door at the back. Drat! The steel door was down. I started wandering from room to room, feeling sure I would either find a door open somewhere else, or the perfect hiding place would present itself. I was just heading for the office (lots of good places there!), when Mum spotted me, and I don't know what it's like where you live, but in our house, bones indoors are a BIG no no. I'm going to have to be on my best behavior for the rest of the day now!

Being on my best behavior.

Doggy Sleepovers and the Food Tree

2007-08-17T12:27:00.001-07:00

Yay! My friend Monty is here. Don’t tell him I made such a big fuss, but I really like having him around to play with. He comes every once in a while when his people go somewhere and we have just the best time for a few days.

He’s a yellow lab who used to be all big and overweight like a cow dog. Then he hurt his knee. After he got it fixed his people decided maybe he shouldn’t eat so much. They pretty well starved him for months, but boy does he look great now. All trim and agile. You’d never mistake him for me, of course, but for a dufus-y boy dog he’s not half-bad.

One thing Monty could always do, even when he was big, was swim. When we go to the creek Monty is always first to the stick wherever Mum or Dad throw it, no matter how far. I can’t keep up once he’s in the water. I figured out if I wait at the bank and bark at him, Monty will let me grab the stick out of his mouth when he climbs out. I win and he does all the work. Pretty clever, huh?

Ruby rules for Pully, Keep-Away and other games: Monty is not allowed on the couch... ever!

Really, though, he loves being in the water and would chase sticks until full dark if we let him. He doesn’t care about bragging rights. Yesterday at the creek he swam and swam while I nosed around in the trees and looked for ducks. I haven’t seen any of those for a long time. I think they must have got the message that it’s Ruby’s creek and they fish in it at their peril.

I know you don’t believe all those stories about how I could never catch up to a duck in the water. I just let ‘em get away so that they’ll keep coming back.

Monty is used to getting up really early in the morning at his house. My Mum and Dad don’t get out of bed quite as early as he would like, so he makes these big roary, rumbly noises like a rhinossomus until one of them either gets up to take us for a walk or shuts us outside the bedroom. Then he just stands at the door and does it.

Lately I’ve discovered how much fun it is to join in and bark while Monty rumbaroars. Then I jump on the bed for cuddles while Monty gets all frantic. He’s not allowed on the bed cause we don’t want him to get in trouble by going home with a new bad habit he learned from me. Wait. That didn’t come out right. It’s a very good habit, really. You know what I mean.

Um, I’m in a bit of trouble right now. Monty had to go back to his people. After that Mum took me for our afternoon hike. Naturally when she took off the leash I had to go inspect the “food tree,” that juniper where someone leaves food for the coyotes, just to make sure nobody suspicious had been prowling around.

Mum and Dad get really mad about that food tree. They say it just encourages coyotes and other animals to come around where they shouldn’t, and to get used to people, and well, dogs too, which is bad for everybody. I have to agree.

But everyone knows it’s part of my job to make sure no dangerous animals are about, so I trotted on over to the tree, quietly, so I wouldn’t scare my Mum, and had a look. There might have been some food there, I don’t really remember, cause I was sniffing for coyotes, of course, and couldn’t be bothered about food. And if there was any it might have been all moldy, smelly and delightful to the palate, for someone less busy than me to notice.

Mum might have been calling me, I’m not sure, since I was all vigilant for varmints, and that rotten food didn’t interest me in the least. Except slightly for research purposes, maybe, if at all. It’s important to know just what attracts the bad guys, you see.

Anyway, if I might have had just a little bite, not liking it or anything, and realized how important it was for everyone’s safety that I get rid of that nasty coyote bait, and to do it very quietly so I wouldn’t upset Mum about the danger, then it’s just possible I might have been all hunkered down under the juniper scarfing down oozy bits when my Mum found me.

For some reason she was all mad.

She took me right home and called my Dad.

I’m going out to the porch now and, burp, euh, guard from my, burp, porch.

Not feeling so good.

All Work & No Play... is not the way we do things around here

2007-08-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if everybody knows just how important I am. There’s the fact that I’m beautiful and glamorous, as you know if you’ve met me or read this blog. And smart.

What you may not realize is how big a job I do. It takes somebody with a good head on her shoulders to do it right. It’s up to me to see that the humans in my life get the training they need and are always properly protected and supervised. Without my support who knows what might become of them?

If you’re a dog you know exactly what I’m talking about. Some of you probably work even harder than I do. You definitely do if you’ve got duff people to care for. I’ve noticed a few like that in our neighborhood, and boy, are the dogs that keep them overworked. Most days my people seem worth the effort.

Humans, of course, can be very unpredictable! I’ve seen them do things no animal would ever do, only to be rescued from harm, embarrassment or food at the last possible moment by their dogs. Just when you think everything is under control and it’s safe to nod off for a bit, well, let’s just say humans have to be watched every minute.

Like the time my Dad left a roasted chicken in the car. That wasn’t smart, and he should have known better. It might have gotten away but for my quick thinking. While he was in the store getting more food I alertly climbed into the grocery bag and ate as much of the chicken as I could before it had a chance to make a break for it. That was a close call.

Incidents like that demonstrate that a Security Chief can’t relax even for a moment. I have to guard myself, my people, our territory, the cars, all our stuff, and most importantly, our food. When we have guests I have to guard them too. That takes a lot of patrolling, sniffing, strategic barking and all-around paying attention. I can’t do it all from my couch, I mean observation post, on the porch. Sometimes I have to patrol.

Proper security requires consistency. It’s just like raising one of those babies you see humans with. You can’t bark the rabbit out of the driveway one day and just let it pass or expect it not to come back the next. You’ve got to bark those rabbits away every time you see them. That’s the only way they learn. Same with birds. They just don’t get the message. I think it’s all that flying. It makes them lightheaded. They don’t realize what they’re saying half the time, and when they do it’s always insulting. They need a firm paw.

Now some intruders require the use of a special vocabulary. I’ve heard my people call it “trash talking.” But it’s got nothing to do with trash. You just have to tell a coyote or javelina exactly what you’re going to do when you get hold of it. And what you think of it. This kind of helpful lecture from behind my fence can sound quite animated. Sometimes my people need me to come inside right away and comfort them when I’m being stern with a coyote. I know it’s only because they’re scared.

Besides keeping everyone safe, I’ve got other stuff to do outside. I’m Director Of Backyard Operations, and sometimes that means Dad is using big pointy, choppy, sawing tools to make firewood while I’m digging important holes in the ground. He’s my responsibility while he’s cutting, swinging, pounding or whatever. I have to get very close to see what he’s doing. Sometimes he needs reminding that it’s time to chase me or give me a treat. This keeps him alert.

All the people I know require special attention from time to time. I can tell immediately when they need to be distracted from silly human worrying and that’s when I lean against them or sit on their foot or crawl into their lap. I make sure they rub me to relieve the tension. It’s best to put them to work right away petting me so they get reminded about what’s important.

Dogs, you know what I’m talking about here. It wouldn’t be right to leave them fretting or moping when they could be playing, laughing or telling me what a good girl I am.

By far the most serious job I do is cleanup. Imagine how messy our house would be if I wasn’t here to straighten up after the humans! Who would lick up the spills, gobble the dropped crumbs and generally show people how important it is to eat food rather than leave it lying around? The amount of yummies they just let go is amazing. They don’t even think to lick the floor or gobble the juniper berries. They leave perfectly good lotion on their arms and faces when it’s so easy to just swab it up with your tongue.

I tell you, it's a full-time job being a dog. No wonder I have to catch a nap any time I can.

Sedona Monsoon

2007-07-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

So for everyone who’s been wondering what I’ve been up to lately – you were dying to know, weren’t you – here’s the scoop. It’s Monsoon now, so it’s been raining a lot.

Well, not a lot, really. It just gets dark and feels all heavy a lot of the time, like it’s going to rain all day, and then it doesn’t at all. Or it might rain a little bit. But at least it cools me off some when it does, and my coat gets all silky in the moist air and Mum and Dad make a big fuss over how soft I am.

What I really don’t like this time of year is the thunder. It makes me scared. I just have to get under something when it starts rumbling. Sometimes I feel it coming from a long way off, and if Dad is in the house I go wherever he is and get as close as possible. Having his big hand on me is best.

I don’t mind it as much if I’m outside in the open, on the trail or chasing rabbits through the bushes. It’s just indoors I get all sort of small and weird and shaky feeling, like a puppy that doesn’t know what’s happening and doesn’t feel safe. Then it passes and I’m alright again. Especially if someone brings me a treat. Then I might forget about the thunder right away.

We went to see my friend Jazz the other day. He and his Mum Mary moved away and I hadn’t seen him in a long time. We started playing right away. He’s a little Schnauzer, my favorite size dog. He doesn’t chase me much, but he got up on his hind legs and batted me right on the side of the head. Then we ran out to the backyard so Jazz could show me where he hangs out when it’s cool. He’s a good boy, that Jazz.

My mum took me to Marg’s Draw the other day, a fun trail where we go sometimes for what she calls “a change of pace.” I run the same pace there I do around the home trails, but whatever. There are usually people to see and sometimes other dogs there. I got a bit bored this time though, so when Mum called me to come back for my leash I decided to run off on my own a bit and explore. I could hear her calling me. I think she wasn’t too happy that I didn’t come, but come on, I had stuff to do. I can’t be tied to Mum or Dad all the time.

When I did come back I was all wet and Mum couldn’t figure out for the life of her where I got soaked because it was all dry along the trail. I’ll never tell, but boy did I have fun!

After that we did one of my favorite things these days. We went to where my Dad works. Really he just talks to other humans. He and Mum call it “the gallery,” but really it’s a place where things smell interesting and lots of people come to see me. They make a big fuss of me. I can lie down right in front of the door, which is glass, so I can see all the people and they can see me, and when they do, of course, they want to come in and pet me and ask my name and what kind of dog I am. Dad gets all proud talking to them about me, and if Mum is there she just smiles. I love my life.

After people leave and there’s nothing much to do, sometimes Dad and Mum do that funny thing with their hands and start creeping toward me like they might pounce on me. I look at them out of both corners of my eyes and then, just before they can touch me, I dash off to the other side of the room at full tilt and then back again, all around and in between the big blocks that sit on the floor. We’re all racing, racing, and Mum and Dad are whooping and screaming and clapping their hands while they run after me.

Then suddenly I can’t see either of them. I don’t know where they’ve gone. After a minute I walk quietly over to where I last saw them and – they’re not there! I look somewhere else. Not there either. Now I’m stumped. They’re humans, so of course they’re not that good at sneaking and hiding. I’m the dog, so I should be able to easily – hey, there they are! They jump out from behind the counter and chase me all over until I’m pooped and need a drink of water.

One day I did a thing that Dad still tells people about. He says I made a sale. I wasn’t on a boat, so I don’t know what he’s talking about, but what happened was I was sitting by the front door in the gallery and three little girls outside spotted me and went, “oooohhh, a dog! She’s so pretty,” and I got to my paws and started wiggling my butt and wagging my tail and they just couldn’t stand it. They begged their people to let them come in so they could see me.

Of course I got down on my back so they could rub my belly and pretty soon all three of them were down on the floor with me. It was all nice rubbings and they were making sweet noises and it couldn’t have been better.

While all this was going on there was a man talking to my Dad. He said it was so beautiful, the girls and me all loving each other. Of course it was. He got a bit teary like I do when there’s a fire and it’s smoky. He turned to this woman next to him and asked her to do something. Then my Dad put a big picture thing in a bag and handed it to them, and they all stood there watching the rubbing and listening to the cooing. Those girls were the best.

Pretty soon their people made them leave and the man and the woman with the bag left. My Dad gave me such good pettings and puppy talk and told me what a good girl I was. He said I sold a Dr. Seuss. I had to have him spell it when I got to this part because I’d never heard of that before but I guess I did something good. I don’t mind helping out my Dad when its fun like that. As long as I get extra treats.

Out and About

2007-07-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

I've been on vacation since my last post. A week in sunny Cornville with my good friends Babushka and Toma. I really enjoyed all the grass they have out there and played lots of hide and seek in the garden. Now I'm glad to be home again with Mum and Dad because we've been going on lots of day trips to the creek.

Here I am at Fossil Creek, which has lots of pools for swimming, and plenty of rocks and waterfalls. There were no ducks for me to chase here, but several people brought picnics, so begging opportunities were abundant.

All that swimming made me very sleepy...

Mum also took lots of video of me, so I'll post one of those, as soon as we've edited out all the bad bits.

And So To Bed...

2007-05-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

After a hard day's duck hunting, it's early to bed.

I love having my teeth brushed (or at least, I love licking that chicken flavor toothpaste off the brush!). I have to let Mum brush for at least a minute (well, 30 seconds if I bite the toothbrush), before I'm allowed to lick.

Ahh, bliss! There's nothing like a poulty-flavored treat before bed.

Sometimes I'm just too tired to go to my own bed...

In my dreams, I ALWAYS catch the duck!

The Art of Duck Hunting (and other doggie pursuits)

2007-05-03T14:47:00.001-07:00

Keep very still and observe.

Sometimes a better vantage point helps.

When a duck is spotted, slowly creep along the bank until you are either very close or you just can't contain your excitement any longer and have to jump in the water.

Now, swim like a crazy dog. Swim like there's no tomorrow. Run in the water.
(I've been told this looks very silly, but it really does make you feel like you're gaining ground).
Keep your head high and your ears dry. At all costs, keep your ears dry.

When those ducks start laughing and throwing insults, you definitely want to be able to hear them.

Keep going, no matter what, because one day (and that day is coming, I just feel it), I'm going to catch one of those darn ducks!

Sedona Dog Park and Friends to Stay

2007-04-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

The new dog park that I've been hearing so much about has finally opened and I got my first trip there last week. If you haven't been yet, get on over there. It's great! Nothing like the ones in Flagstaff where we sometimes go and I just can't wait to get out again. In fact, you can easily forget you're in a dog park at all. It's just like being in the forest. It's full of bushes and trees, on the side of a hill, with plenty of places to hide when you're playing tag with your friends. But the funny thing is, there weren't any other dogs there. We've been twice now, and have only seen 2 dogs. Maybe no one else knows about it. I'm looking forward to going back with my friend Monty when he comes to stay next time.

Speaking of friends - we had a big sleepover a couple of weeks ago. Monty was here for 10 days, still recovering from his knee surgery. I was told we weren't allowed to play like we used to, but sometimes we forgot and Monty started to run, which he's not supposed to do yet. Then Ginger came for a few days. She had only been here for an afternoon up to then, so she was a bit shy and missed her mum and dad a lot the first day. Her favorite place was at the side of my couch on the porch, where she could watch the road from. Here she is, being a bit shy - can you spot her?

Ginger - I think one of her parents is a fox

It was fun having her here too, but Monty seemed to like her a bit too much. In fact, he was making a complete fooI of himself, but I didn't want to be the one to say anything. He followed her everywhere, and got really excited any time she so much as raised her head. I was glad when her people came to pick her up. Never mind. Monty's coming again next week and I'll have him all to myself this time.

Snow, Snow, Snow! (but where are the dogs?!)

2007-01-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, we've finally had a great snowfall here in our high desert home. Mum & Dad have been promising that it's coming for weeks now, but it really is here at last. I've been rolling around in the white stuff, and picking up on all those good scents. There are tracks everywhere. It's been making me crazy, running all over the place. The only part I don't like is those nasty ice balls that get in between my toes and make my paws hurt.

My friend Luna likes the snow too, so I've heard. Here she is on her first foray outside after the snowfall. She's looking a bit cautious, but she's one of the bravest cats I know.She doesn't get mad at me for wanting to sniff her, and she likes to try and catch my tail, when it won't stop wagging.

Here she is making a swipe at my butt.
In fact, I think one of these days she might just get right on back for a ride!

Christmas Cheer!

2006-12-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit, I've been a tad slack with my postings of late. I thought I'd just send out some good holiday vibes to you all, and at the same time share with you all a couple of festive pictures of my paw-pal, Henry. He lives in Devon with his person, Cath, who my mum knows from her previous lifetime in that place way across the ocean she sometimes talks about.

Henry is a handsome chap, and although we've never actually met, I've heard some things about him and know that he's a good sort. He must be to suffer the Christmas costume so willingly - boy, do I know what that's like!

Hope your Christmas stockings are filled with all the right kind of dog treats, and you get all the turkey leftovers you could wish for. Merry Woofmas!

While Mum's Away... Dad & Ruby Get to Play

2006-11-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Oh yes... It's playtime and adventures all the way this week! Mum's gone off to Santa Fe to do one of her Energy Medicine trainings so it's just Dad and me. I get to take over three quarters of the bed, beg for all kinds of snacks and go on lots of hiking adventures.

Dad makes a big fuss of me when Mum's not here, so I can get away with all sorts of things I'm not normally allowed to do. All I have to do is give Dad my sorrowful-eyed "I miss Mum soooo much" look, while drooping my head over the back of his seat, and the front seat in the car is all mine. Want my own plate of eggs for breakfast? I just slink around looking all out of sorts, like I've lost interest in everything and voila, a hot breakfast in my bowl.

Yes, I probably won't have much time for writing, so I'll catch you up on all my adventures some time next week.

P.S. Don't tell Mum!

The Mystery of the Dog that Barks Back

2006-10-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you about something interesting that's been happening for a while now when I go on the morning walk with my mum. We usually go the same way, taking the short cut into the forest near Isis' house (Isis is a border collie who came camping with us once and wouldn't get out of the car the whole time, but that's another story). The forest is always fresh with scents at that time in the morning, and I get a pretty good idea of who passed through there during the night. Mostly, I check out the coyote scents and sometimes I get the feeling they are lurking somewhere right nearby, so I set up a ferocious barking to send them on their way. That's when the other dog starts barking back at me. It's the same every time. She seems to hang out somewhere up in the rocks by the steep cliffs. As soon as I bark, she barks back and, strangest of all, she always barks EXACTLY the same thing I bark, woof for woof! Now, how do you explain that? If I bark, "Woof,woofwoofwoof, woofwoof, woof", then she'll bark, "Woof,woofwoofwoof, woofwoof, woof". There's never a moment's pause and she never makes a mistake. Yet when I run up the rocks trying to find her, she's nowhere to be found. So, I have a plan up my paw, to take her by surprise one morning. I can't reveal the details here, in case she's the kind of dog who keeps up with blogs. I do have one clue, though. She's a type of dog called an Echo. I've never heard of that breed before, but Mum always says, "Come on, Ruby, it's just an Echo", like it's not a dog even worth bothering with. It's funny how she always disappears off somewhere before we see her, almost like she just vanishes into thin air. But I'll catch her out one day, just when she's least expecting it. Then we'll see about this silly Echo dog! Until then, I'm keeping an ear cocked.

The Swankiest Dog in Town

2006-09-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

The house has been a bustle of activity of late, and I've taken every opportunity I could to sneak out of an open gate, slip under the gap in the fence and go visit some of our friendly neighbors. I have to enjoy my visits at lightening speed as everyone is getting to know me. Sometimes they get on the phone to my Mum before they've even offered me a treat. It's just not the way it used to be when we first moved to this neighborhood and I could be hanging out at someone's house for ages, luxuriating in all the attention, and trying the various brands of dog treats they had on offer, before they would even think of checking my collar for an identity tag. Ah well, at least it creates some excitement still, and I often get a car ride home.

Ram, the carpenter, has been doing some work at our place again. I usually don't like it when he starts up with all the sawing and banging, but today was different, because he was putting in a new door, just for me! I pretended I wasn't that interested for quite a while, but then, when no one was looking, I went into the living room and sniffed out the situation. I have to say, it's a mighty fine entrance way, and Ram put in some classy touches that make it look like one of the swankiest dog doors I've ever seen. It's very big, so I don't even have to crouch down to get through. I heard them saying it's so Monty will be able to use it too when he comes to stay.

Mum's also been busy, re-covering my couch that's on the front porch. Usually she just puts a clean sheet over it every so often, but now I have special covers that she made for the seat, with pictures of dogs on them. One of them looks just like me. The new color scheme does suit me very well, even if I say so myself. My couch is my very own and I don't have to share it with anyone. I'm allowed to stay on it all night now that the weather's cooler. It's the perfect spot for viewing approaching coyotes, and now I'm camouflaged by the new cushion covers, I'll really be able to take them by surprise. Have to go now, I think I can hear some coyotes already.

Music Festivals & Dog Camp

2006-08-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

It's a tail-wagging, lying-on-my-back, can't-get-enough-rubbing, day in Lyons, Colorado. Mum and Dad picked me up from dog camp yesterday and boy was I glad to see them. It wasn't that camp was bad, but there were no walks and no one to snuggle up with at night. They explained that I couldn't go to the Folks Festival with them and that they wanted me to be somewhere safe, but I sure did miss them.!

But now we're on vacation and camping at a wonderful place right on the river. The place is full of squirrels, which I have to be on full alert for all the time we're in camp. Last night a raccoon came by and parked itself in a tree right above my tie-out. I love it here! A couple of times a day, Mum and Dad take me to the dog park just up the street. It's also on the river and there's lots of grass for me to roll around in. I've made lots of friends already. Jed, the German Shepherd puppy, has latched onto me and tries to follow me everywhere I go. He's only 9 weeks old, so I can easily shake him off when he starts to be a nuisance.

Kona and Daisy, a couple of Golden Retrievers, were taking their walk this morning in the park where we are camping. The place is just full of great dogs and places to run. I think I never want to go home. I'll let you know if I can persuade Mum and Dad to move up here. I'm working on it, I promise!

The Little Dogs Laughed...

2006-08-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

No time to write much this week. I've been too busy playing with my pal Monty. Here's a photo of us, though, that Mum took when we were both having a good laugh.

Out of the doldrums

2006-08-05T13:09:00.001-07:00

Things have suddenly gotten a whole lot more interesting around here. I managed to chase a deer and two coyotes yesterday when Mum took me out on the afternoon walk. She was none too pleased and spent a long time running after me and calling me back, but when the opportunity is there like that, I just can't pass it up. Those coyotes can get very cocky and I never know when one of them is going to sneak around behind me and take a nip, so I have to make myself look really big, puffing myself out and jumping around barking in my deepest voice. I gave those two a good run for their money.

I also heard that Monty is going to be paying us another visit next week, while his folks go away for a week. That will mean lots of romping in the house and trying to tear apart those new toys Dad brought home for me last week. I haven't done a very good job so far of pulling that white stuff out from inside them, but I know when Monty gets on the other end and we start pulling, we'll soon have those things in shreds.

We've been to the creek a few times recently, which perked me up no end. I found some smelly raccoon droppings to roll in (I SO love that smell!) and was particularly pleased with the way I got it spread around my neck - nice and even, and worked right into my collar. It lasts longer that way. I can never understand why, but Mum and Dad don't have the same appreciation for those kind of smells. As soon as we got home, Mum got out the bucket and soap and starting scrubbing away at me.

Tomorrow night we're off to a barbecue with Babushka's folks. I haven't seen her since before her trip to the kennels, so I'm looking forward to catching up.

Summertime Blues

2006-07-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. It's been ages since my last post. But it's the dog days of summer and sometimes it's just so hard to crawl out from my cool spot under the bed. This is one hot dog tapping out the missive today, so if it's shorter than my usual posts, you'll understand why.

First there was the fire, which everyone was babbling about. I didn't see much of it myself, but the smoke was everywhere and started to get me down. Mum stopped me sleeping out on my couch and made me come in the house, although it wasn't much better there. Then we weren't allowed to go for our daily walk on the trail anymore. The whole of our forest got closed and I had to walk on my leash on the hot pavement for all the walks. It was miserable, and then Mum and Dad had a great idea. They took me camping!

Suddenly things got interesting again. We drove off in the car and went into the woods at the top of the mountain near the mining town. It was cool, and sometimes raining, and the smells... Ha! I pretty much know everyone and everything that comes through our neighborhood, but up in the woods there was so much to keep on top of that I barely had a chance to take a nap. When I wasn't watching out for deer and rabbits, I had to be on constant alert for the cheeky squirrels that would try and scamper through our campsite every time my back was turned. And then there was THE BEAR. I've heard about bears, and I've smelled them a number of times, when we've been camping in Colorado and California, but this is the first time I've actually seen one. I learnt a couple of things about bears. 1. Bears don't seem to be able to hear that well. I barked my most ferocious bark and this one didn't even bat an eyelid. Now what does that tell you? Had to be deaf. No other explanation. 2. Bears hear really well up close. All it took was a loud snore from the man in the tent where it was stealing food, and the bear went running. Now I didn't have time to get up close myself to prove any of this, (it was breakfast time, after all) but sometimes you just have to take a dog's word for it.

I wish we could always live in the woods. It's the best! We went for long hikes everyday, and it wasn't hot and dusty like at home. A couple of nights Babushka and her family came up to sleep over, then we all got to go on a hike together and I had to show Babushka the ropes because she's never been in the woods like that before.

Now we're back in Sedona, and it's hot and sticky, and I haven't had a friend come visit in WEEKS. Even getting an ice treat has lost its allure. There has been some talk of more camping and a trip to Colorado. I've been hearing Camp Bow Wow bandied about quite a bit, which is apparently where I'm going. Not sure what that is, but the campfire treats sound like they might be promising. I'll keep you posted.

2006-06-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

Cool Dog

You all should see this dog! Thanks to Uncle Jack in Austin for finding it. Jack's Blog

2006-05-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Beach & Snow Fun - Some Everyday Adventures

Watch the video

Meeting new friends at the beach in Oregon last fall. Playing in the snow (my favorite) in the woods near Flagstaff on my birthday in March.

In the Dog House

2006-05-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit of a "naughty girl", and Mum and Dad are none too pleased with me.

We had a trip to the creek, on the very hottest day we've seen so far. It was all fun and games, Mum and Dad lounging on a rock in the water, while I swam all over the place, getting out occasionally to shake myself in their vicinity and share some of the refreshingly cool creek water with them.

After a while, the water began to lose its initial allure and I decided to explore some bushes and a rock wall. It was rich with all sorts of scents, and I could barely keep up with it all, dashing from one to the next. Before I knew it, I found myself way up high, on a narrow ledge, and there were Mum and Dad, still sitting on the rock, but now looking to be about the size of miniature poodles. They were calling my name, and I think, saying something about how I'd better get down, RIGHT NOW! But they were so small and far away, it was hard to really tune in and focus. Then I realized that the ledge I was on was really narrow, and I must have jumped across a gap in the rock to get there, and in the other direction was a big cactus it was hard to get past, and I got dizzy thinking about it all. Suddenly I wanted to get back down to Mum and Dad, but my legs started shaking and I was afraid of slipping, so I sat down to wait for Dad to come and get me, and that silly whining noise I used to do when I was in the shelter started coming out of my mouth.

It took Dad ages to climb all the way up there. Sometimes I feel so sorry for my people. They seem to have such a hard time doing the simplest of things with those hefty boots they wear on their feet, to say nothing of the major shortfall of only having two legs. He arrived a few feet from where I was, covered in scratches and panting very hard. Mum was down below, with her soothing voice, telling me to wait for Dad and that I'd be okay.

So now I was one side of the gap, and Dad was on the other, and that was how it stayed because, apparently, Dad weighs more than me and couldn't step on the rock overhang. He wanted me to just jump back over the gap, but I got really scared just thinking about it, so I tried crawling along a shelf just above where Dad was. This ended up going nowhere, and was covered in pack rat poop, which made me even more scared. Of all the critters there are around here, pack rats are my least favorite. They give me the willies just smelling their scent, and started my legs wobbling all over again. I tried the shelf option several times, every time Dad would call me, but I just ended up getting rat poop all over me. Yuck!

I was getting very tired and thirsty, so I lay down for a bit, and Mum said she had an idea. She came back with a donut. Yippee! She started throwing pieces up to me, but Mum can't throw for toffee and they were always just out of my reach. In fact they kept falling right at the edge of the gap I didn't want to jump over. It took all my skills to slide myself along to where they were and reach my tongue out, so I could snatch them up without having to leave my safe spot. I started to get the impression that Mum was actually aiming the donut pieces at the edge of the gap so that I would have to jump over to get them. Well, I wasn't falling for that one! After all that exertion, I lay down for another rest. Mum had used up all the donut so she went off to think up another plan.

Mum was starting to get upset (and that's never fun to see, I can tell you), and next thing I heard was her on the phone to Marta Williams. Now, for those of you animals who don't already know, Marta is what the humans call an "Animal Communicator". What that means is that she can have a conversation with us, just like a real dog can, which is very exciting. The first time Mum and Dad put her in touch with me, after the "mushroom incident", (more about that another time) I couldn't stop talking. She told Mum and Dad I was a "Chatty Kathy", whatever that means. Maybe she's not so smart after all, since everyone knows my name is Ruby. Anyway, that's the good part. The bad part is that with Marta, there's no pretending you don't understand because she can read all your mind pictures. It's not like when Mum and Dad tell you to do something and you can just pretend you don't quite get it. She speaks very clearly and there's no mistaking what she says.

Anyway, when I heard Mum was on the phone to Marta, I thought the game was almost over. It would have been great to chew things over with her for a while, but before long, I know I would have blurted out about the easy path down the other side. Oops! The one Mum and Dad hadn't noticed yet. And there was still a chance Mum had some more donut stashed away, so I didn't want to ruin my chances of scoring some more of that treat. I NEVER get to eat donuts under normal circumstances, so this wasn't a chance to be passed up. My luck was in. Marta wasn't home.

Dad decided to try some other options, so next thing I know he's down below another part of the ledge, and has found a way to climb up so he can almost touch me. Mum is telling him to grab my collar and I realize they're planning on hauling me down on Dad's shoulders. Not likely! I may have looked like a complete wuss, but there are limits to what a dog will go through. My pride was at stake, and more to the point, I had noticed a couple of things that changed the situation. 1. The heron I'd had my eye one ever since we'd arrived, was now somewhere down below within chasing distance. 2. Most importantly, I noticed when Mum was throwing the donut, that quite a few pieces had fallen short and were now lying somewhere on the ground below begging to be eaten. As Dad made a grab for my collar, I did a quick about turn and headed for the easy descent. Dad was now having trouble getting back down himself, so while Mum and Dad were busy with that operation, I skipped down the rocks, sniffed out the treats and got a belly full before they had even figured out what had happened!

Needless to say, they weren't at all pleased when they found me, especially when they discovered that I had rolled in some rather ripe racoon poop (I had to get rid of that pack rat smell somehow). I started to get a sneaking suspicion that they were now doubting I had really been in trouble up there in the first place. I was, honestly, but, well, you know how it is when you're getting all the attention and you kind of forget what it was that started it all off? It was kind of like that. And then when the donut throwing started...

I think I'll have to lay low for a bit until they forget about it. It will probably be a good idea not to try that one again, at least not this side of summer, anyway.

Black dogs, bones and the Polish deli

2006-05-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, Babushka came over to spend the day with our family. She's (please don't snigger when you hear this) a Cockapoo! Yes, you heard it right. Can't say I'd like to be in her paws. Now, telling people you're a Golden Retriever, or even a Golden Retriever/Irish Setter mix, has some pizazz to it. It sounds dignified, solid, let's people know what your skills and interests are. But tell someone you're a Cockapoo and what does that tell them about you? I've overheard some talking and it seems it's something to do with being part of a Cocker Spaniel and part of a Poodle. Spoodle would have made more sense to me, but there you go, that's humans for you.

Anyway, in spite of the label, Babushka is a top notch dog, smart and cute with black curls and floppy ears. It made me spin around in circles and jump all over everyone when she arrived on Wednesday morning. She came from the Humane Society too, so we understand each other. It's been a bit rough for her recently. Her people got divorced and decided it was time for her to have a new home. Luckily, some really good people found her at the Humane Society - my mum and dad's friends, Rob and Chizuko. Rob used to have a dog called Wolf, who was one of the smartest dogs anyone has ever known. I didn't know her for long myself, but people still talk about her, and my mum has a picture of her in our house. She died quite a while ago, so Rob and Chizuko have been missing having a dog around. Quite frankly, I don't know how they've managed all this time. No one to take on walks or snuggle up with them in bed at night. Doesn't bear thinking about! Lucky for them, Babushka's a real snuggle bunny, and can wag her whole body nearly as much as I can. She's only 2, so I've been teaching her a few things and she's been catching on really fast. Almost too fast, I would say. I showed her my marrow bone, thinking it would be much too big for her little mouth, but I'd only turned my back for a moment and sure enough, she'd carted it off somewhere and buried it. No matter, I'll soon sniff it out. There's not much gets past my nose!

Another visitor this week was a black lab called Molly. No one invited her over, but she arrived at the gate one evening after dark. I dutifully guarded my territory with some ferocious barking that should have scared a dog twice her size, but being Molly, she just stuck her face through the gate and kept on wagging her tail until my mum came out and let her in. Now, I knew it was Molly and that she lives just around the corner, but Mum didn't recognize her and because she wasn't wearing a tag with her phone number on it, the police had to come and take her off to the Humane Society so her people would know where to find her. While we were waiting, Mum asked her what her name was. Of course, Molly was saying it loud and clear, but Mum couldn't get it, and went through a whole list of names before she got the picture Molly was sending her. Then Dad remembered who Molly's mum was, and where she lived. My mum quickly went over there to tell Molly's people what had happened, but no one was home, and the yard gate was open, so Molly still had to go for the ride in the police cruiser. I prefer Officer Rob's truck myself. Mum doesn't like it when I go for a ride in the animal police truck, as it means I've been "a naughty girl" and gone exploring the neighborhood on my own, which Mum says is dangerous. I usually get to ride up front where I can see everything, and they give me a treat to make sure I'll jump in. I would anyway, but it's best not to take any chances when a treat is being offered.

Speaking of treats. Today we went to my all-time favorite place in Sedona. The Euro Deli! Those people really know how to treat a dog. In fact it's more like a whole dinner. They have a place outside where dogs can wait, and there's always a full bowl of fresh water waiting. I sit there on my best behavior while Mum is inside, trying to catch the eye of the lady with blonde hair. I can tell when she's spotted me because everyone in there starts talking about dogs and what a "good girl" I am, and I can see the lady going behind the counter for MY TREATS! It's nothing like one of those dry biscuits you get at the bank drive-through. This is a whole plate of the tastiest meats and my mouth starts watering before she's even part way through the door. I have to scoff it all down at record speed, in case there are any other dogs watching and getting ideas that it's for them instead. I can taste it even now. Just writing about it is making my mouth water all over again. I'm going to be dreaming about that Euro Deli tonight. In fact, I think I'll get a head start right now.