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It’s one a.m.; do you know what your fur babies are doing?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I know what mine are doing only because I am downstairs with them right now.
Gavin bows in front of her crate. “Come out and play with me.”
Patty turns her back to him and covers her head with a paw. “You are nuts. It’s after one in the morning. Let me sleep.”
“Please, please, please come out of there.”
“Zzzzzzzzzz.”
“You’re no fun.” Gavin goes and rings the go out bells. “C’mon Mom take me out. It’s chilly and I love it.”
“Hold your horses, I’m writing my post for tonight.”
In the kitchen, the bells ring again. Gavin runs to my chair and barks. “Didn’t you hear the bells?”
A moan comes from Patty’s crate. “Take him out so I can sleep will ya?”
“Geez, it never fails does it? I sit down to write and you guys start in.”
“I didn’t do anything. I’m trying to sleep here.” Patty says.
“I want to go out.” Gavin runs to ring the bells again.
“I get it, I get it. I’m coming.” I grab his leash and we go out.
Gavin sniffs over the entire yard, squats to pee a teensy bit, and drags me back to the door. “Ready to go in now.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake.”
Posted in Dog related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Gavin doesn’t fit under a potted palm but you try to tell him that…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yesterday Gavin entertained me by trying to hide under the potted palm in the waiting room. The receptionists and I were in the giggles. He crawled under a chair in the exam room, closed his eyes, and ducked his head in the old ‘if I can’t see you, you can’t see me’ routine. Didn’t work, the vet tech cracked up and took his temperature anyway.
When Dr O came in, Gavin tried to ooze under the door. That didn’t work either. Dr. O laughed at him and did a complete examination. He even snuck in a quick peek down Gavin’s mouth as far as Gavin would open it.
Gavin didn’t get his shots. No, he managed to come down with a case of the squirts. All night long and for most of the day before his scheduled 2:30 appointment, I took him out every two hours…or less. He came home with two bottles of medications and he is back on the old hamburger and rice diet.
I didn’t want to take both dogs in together. I tried that last time and Chicken Dog had Patty all apprehensive. She usually enjoys her vet visits. That’s why I made two separate appointments. However, now Gavin is tagging along to Patty’s appointment on the second to get his shots. DH can come along and enjoy Chicken Dog’s entertaining antics and then he can take him to the car while Patty gets her check up.
This should be interesting…
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Miss Patty hides
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We crate the pups when we aren’t here to supervise during the day. They enjoy getting into things too much to leave them to their own devices. Today I thought Mr. Houdini dog taught baby sister Patty how to open her crate door. It wasn’t so. It seems that DH hadn’t latched her door properly.
DH had gone upstairs for a nap while I was outside working in the gardens. He’d crated the dogs. When I came in Gavin was snoozing in his crate but Patty was nowhere to be found. Then I heard her thunder down the stairs. She zoomed around the corner at the bottom of the steps and about jumped out of her skin to see me standing there.
She dove into her crate and hid in the back. Her guilt was so palpable I thought I’d better go see what she’d been doing upstairs. She hadn’t touched anything in the bathroom. DH had his room’s door closed. The laundry basket waiting to have clothes unloaded had the back room door blocked. That left the bedroom.
Oh yeah, she’d been in there. She had used the bed for a trampoline. Pillows were scattered, some on the floor, and the bedspread was askew.
Posted in Dog related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Recreation, Rescue Dogs, Stairway, Writer, Writing
Dogs and cameras
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Did you ever sit there and think; “Now there are several minutes of my life that I won’t get back” I did tonight. I wanted to put up a new picture of Patty but she wasn’t cooperating. One of her best tricks is ‘stick ‘em up’ I wanted a shot of that. Twenty minutes later and I still didn’t have a picture.
Did you know that it is impossible to take a picture and work a dog at the same time? You also need to be quick on the button to catch the dog doing the trick. I wasn’t. Butt shots as she walked out of the picture didn’t work.
Tomorrow, I’ll ask DH to have her do the trick while I attempt to snap a good picture. I’m certain Patty will do better when she has her Daddy asking her to do her trick. She’ll do anything for him.
The next problem will be to keep Gavin from trying to hog the shutter time. He likes the camera. He never enjoyed the show ring but he certainly enjoys getting his picture taken. I can’t pick it up without having him try to get my attention. “Look at me, I’ll give my paw.”
Posted in Dog related, hobbies, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, digital photography, digital photos, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, photo ops missed, photograhy, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
A little flag waving in honor of yesterday
Posted by doggonedmysteries
After a day loaded with food, fireworks, and military band music, it was nice to take time to remember why we celebrate the 4th of July.
The freedoms we have are precious gifts given to us by those visionaries who fought hard to achieve the birth of a great nation. What an amazing accomplishment. Do not let their dream fade in apathy.
Hang tightly to those freedoms and be proud of who we are as a nation.
This is a great country. It is my country and I’m proud of it. I am grateful to be a citizen.
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Jewelry, Life, Love, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Necklaces, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
The old dog needs a new trick
Posted by doggonedmysteries
DH points a finger gun at the dogs. “Stick ‘em up.”
Patty’s paws shoot for the ceiling and she balances perfectly. She gets a cookie. Gavin raises one paw and gives a bit of hop with the other. That’s the best he’s going to give DH. He’s not fond of the trick since he can’t sit up and hold his balance. He gets a cookie anyway.
DH is bored. The dogs are bored. The hot weather is keeping DH in the house. TV sucks there’s nothing on worth watching during the day. DH wants to teach them a new trick.
I told DH to try teaching them to roll over because Gavin excels at lying down. He’s not getting any younger. Gavin will be nine in November. The poor dog is beginning to show his age a bit. His bully runs are not as frequent nor do they last as long. He not only takes naps but the dog goes to bed at seven in the evening.
This should be interesting. Patty is smart and quick on the uptake. Gavin figures if it isn’t give paw, down, or kennel up, it’s not worth learning but then again there is that promise of a cookie…
Posted in Dog related, hobbies, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, dog tricks, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
How to repair a hole in a wall
Posted by doggonedmysteries
There’s a hole in the wall behind Patty’s crate.
How did that get there?
The idiot dog put it there.
Sure, blame the dog.
Really, she did it. No, she didn’t use a hammer or put her paw through it, she used her crate.
Patty is a high energy Bull Terrier. Patty will run full tilt into her crate and slam into the back of it. One of these days, I expect to find her unconscious in there with that I-meant-to-do-it look on her face. The last time she ran full tilt into her crate, it hit the wall so hard that it knocked a hole in the plaster. It’s not dry wall this is an old plaster and lath wall.
I will clear away any loose dust and plaster and undercut the edges. I’ll dampen the hole and edges, fill it with patching plaster, not quite even to the wall, and then score the surface of the patching plaster. Let it dry for 24 hours. Then I’ll apply joint compound even with the rest of the wall. This doesn’t have to be perfect since I painted the wall with textured paint, which I’ll apply after the joint compound is dry.
Have I done this before? Oh, yeah. Many times, between DH’s frequent falls and two high energy BTs I’ve become an expert.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, DIY, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Home repairs, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, the dog did it, Writer, Writing
The pups are after the compost bin again
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I have a compost bin. We do the coffee grounds, tea bags, any kitchen waste that’s not meat—all of it goes in the compost heap. There’s one teensy problem though. We put banana peels in there because they are great for the garden. The problem is with the banana peels I have to keep the bin blocked off so the dogs can’t get near it.
You see my dogs adore bananas. You could say they are bananas for bananas. We can’t open a peel without having the two dogs plaster themselves to our side until they each get some. Therefore, they would scavenge the peels from the compost pile if they could.
Last year Gavin tried his darnedest to climb into the bin because he smelled his favorite treat in there. In an instant he was stuck. I then had to climb over obstacles to pry him out of there. I need a better way to block the bin.
Yesterday Patty attempted a raid on the bin. With her long legs, she might have made it. It’s a good thing she was on the retractable leash at the time.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Missed that photo op
Posted by doggonedmysteries
High jinks come on the heels of days of rain and chilly temperatures. Both dogs and owners are bored. Is there a better time to play games, then on a rainy day?
We played hide the cookies and do you remember this trick? Gavin and Patty will do almost anything for a cookie. I’d wind them up and put them through their paces. Gavin is faster at doing a down than Patty is. She’s not fond of that trick I think she has issues. Patty does a pretty stick ‘em up. Gavin hasn’t her balance but he beats her paws up on doing a down.
Patty sense of smell is sharper than Gavin’s but I think his vision is better than hers is. Gavin easily frustrates where Patty has patience. Patty gets wild and hucklebutts on the couch while Gavin dashes from kitchen to living room and back again.
Finally, tired out Gavin settled next to me in my chair and soon was snoring. Patty hopped into her Daddy’s chair, rolled upside down with paws in the air and soft snores soon came from that direction. Dang it the camera was in the kitchen and Gavin was asleep with his head on my shoulder. I wasn’t getting that picture.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Photo I wished I'd taken, photo ops missed, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
How to bathe the dog
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gorgeous weather today made the pups miserable. Actually it wasn’t the day itself it was what I did to them. Smelly Gavin and stinky Patty got baths. I am on their LIST. After they had their baths and were dry, their majesties did their utmost best to let me know that I’d gone to the top of their LIST. I rose higher on the LIST than squirrels, annoying kids, strange dogs who pee on their fence, and a late dinner.
I did not apologize to them. They reeked and were in dire need of baths. You’d think they’d want to be nice and clean sweet-smelling dogs. Nope, they’d rather smell horrible. It’s a dog thing.
How to bathe Patty: A) Keep her from hiding in either crate by closing the doors. B) Drag her upstairs to the bathroom. C) Lift her 65 lb limp, dead weight into the tub. D) Begin the torture of bathing. E) Spread a towel on the floor, drop a cookie, and back up. F) Dry her. G) Release her from the bathroom to have her karoom down the steps and around the downstairs. H) Crate her with a cookie reward until she’s dry.
How to bathe Gavin: A) Show him a cookie. B) Tell him “Let’s go bed bouncing.” C) Follow him upstairs. D) Throw the cookie into the tub and watch him hop into it. E) Close shower doors so he doesn’t jump back out. F) Begin his torture—you mean get me wet all over? G) Hose him down, get soaked when he shakes. H) Soap him, get soaked when shakes. I) Rinse him, get soaked when he shakes. J) Step back, get soaked when he shakes. K) Dry him, get soaked when shakes. L) Release him from the bathroom. M) Crate him with a cookie. N) Go dry all the walls and the floor of the bathroom. O) Change into dry clothes.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Ark too Brutus?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin and Patty requested the use of a raft to go out today. It might have worked except they have no thumbs and can’t hold paddles. We’ve had so much rain that I heard the stock prices on gopher wood jumped through the roof. I’ve seen pairs of animals strolling past all day. Ba dum dum.
The neighbor’s bulldogs Diamond and Brutus ordered snorkel gear although Brutus really wanted a boat. Cleo, the standard poodle across the street, rented herself out as a squirrel canoe. The two toy dogs next door stepped off their porch and almost drowned so Gavin lent them the raft.
The Koi are touring the neighborhood and the bullfrogs are using in the magnolia tree as a diving board. The daffodils want water wings. Did I mention that we’ve had a lot of rain?
Posted in Dog related, Misc, my garden, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Two dogs on a rainy day
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin rings the sleigh bells on the back porch door. “Wanna go out, NOW.”
“Hold on let me get a jacket.” I snag one off the hooks by the door. The bells are still ringing. “I’m right here. Stop with the bells already.”
We get outside and it’s raining.
Gavin runs for the door. “Wanna go in, NOW.”
We go in. Gavin doesn’t tell Patty it is raining. Patty wants out. I take her.
A raindrop hits her on the head she tucks her tail and reverses gears. “In. I wanna go in. Oh, please let’s go in.”
We go in.
Both dogs dance around in front of the cupboard. “Cookies! Don’t forget the cookies!” Gavin yells.
Patty sits and throws her front paws high in the air. “Stick ‘em up, I’m doing stick ‘em up! Give me a cookie.”
I give them their cookies, settle down in front of the computer and begin writing.
Five minutes later Gavin is ringing the bells to go out. “I’m bored. Wanna go out, NOW.”
Patty runs to join him. “If he’s going, I am too.”
“It’s still raining.” I tell them as I grab my jacket. Reread.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
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