Not-quite-wordless Wednesday

Why is my bed outside?

Collar

When the people leave the house, they always put something on their "feet", which is what they call their paws that touch the ground. This is how I know when the people are getting ready to go away. If I don't get to go with them, I sniff these feet-things when they come home to see where they went.

When I do get to go with the people, they put things on my body too.

Always there is Collar. They tell me that Collar is to keep me safe and so that if I get lost, I can get found again.

But this is just silly. First of all, I never get lost. Also, how could Collar help me get found?

I'll tell you what Collar is really for.

Collar makes noise. This is so other dogs can hear me coming. And I can hear other dogs from their Collar. We can hear each other from a very long way away. Then we don't surprise and scare each other, and we can decide if we want to meet or not.

Also, each Collar has its own sound. Sometimes I meet my friend Simon in the forest or in strange places like Parking Lot. He comes crashing into me and jumps on my body without even doing a proper greeting. But I don't have to worry because I know it's Simon. I can hear him from Collar. And I can sniff him too, of course.

Sometimes I think the people might also use the sound Collar makes to know where I am. Is this what they mean by keeping me safe? But I'm not sure if they can actually do this. Their ears are very small and not very good.

There are other things that get put on my body sometimes too.

There is Leash. Leash is when the people want me to stay close. It also comes when we go to Park. It only sticks to me at one end. The other end gets stuck on a person.

Then there is Harness. Sniffing Harness gets a special, very long leash attached to my back so I can pull my person with me when I'm using my nose. Walking Harness uses my regular leash, with one end on my chest and other end attached to my person.

This is all very complicated. But Collar, Leash and Harness are all good things. When any of them go on my body, I know that I am going with my people. So I stand very still, Good Dog, and let them attach these funny things.

Salal

Hey Momma C, what are you doing?

You call these "salal"? They're very tasty. The leaves are yummy too!

From up here, my nose can find smells from all over. It's pretty high though. Maybe I'll just stay away from the edges...

Not-fetching on big beach

Today I met a dog kind of like me, only bigger. We had a super-fun run-play-chase-wrestle game. Then he drank from the people water fountain. I'm too small to do this. Momma B didn't get any pictures of him, but he was a great friend.

We walked around a little town. I had to wait outside while the people went inside. This was okay because they weren't gone for too long. Also lots of other people came by and told me "nice dog" and gave me pats.

Then we went to another really big beach.

At this beach I had to make a choice. The people read a people-sign that said the beach had Wolf and Cougar on it. I had to either be on Leash, or be close to my people way down away from the forest. This was okay because the beach was pretty nice.

The people brought bouncy-handle-ball. This was lots of fun. I chase-not-fetched. Bouncy-handle-ball is very much fun to run with in my mouth.

Please note that I am not fetching. I do not fetch.

Hey Momma C, what have you found?

There are lots of little living creatures here! Wow!

What were we doing again...?

Oh yeah, bouncy-handle-ball!

Momma C lost something. I think it was something important. The people walked all over looking for it. They asked me to help by doing Find It, but I didn't know what they were looking for. What's "glasses"? So I played on the beach instead.

Whatever it was, Momma C never found it and now she's sad.

At the end of our walk I met another new friend.

I fell asleep in Truck on the way back to our borrowed house. Momma B fed me a big dinner, and now I'm going to go to sleep for the rest of the night.

Wordless Thursday

Scary place

The people try to make this little house fun. But I know the truth. It's scary. There are many noises and strange people outside. I need to bark and growl all the time to keep myself safe.

The people tell me that I will never be Apartment Dog. Is there anything wrong with that?

BEST BEACH EVER!

Today Truck took us to the BEST BEACH EVER!

The beach went on and on forever. There were little people and big people. Dogs were allowed to run and play without Leash. There were also funny slippery black people named Surfers.

I played a fun game with Momma C.

Then we walked for a long time.

There was lots of sand. Some got in my eyes. Some of the water was warm, some was cold. Some of the water had big waves, some of the water had no waves at all.

The warm water with no waves at the end of our walk had lots of creatures in it. Momma B named them Crab. They moved very fast, and when I poked them too many times with my paw they disappeared into the sand.

This was truly the best beach ever!

New weather

Nature changed the weather again this morning!

West coast beach

Yesterday morning Nature was making hot, wet air. I spent much time lying on the cool floor and panting.

But then sometime after lunch, my people packed up my crate-den and asked me to hop into Truck. Truck drove for a very long time. It went down many windy roads which made my tummy feel funny.

When Truck finally stopped, it was fall. Nature was making rain and fog and wind.

We are staying in a borrowed house. The house makes me nervous, but the good thing is that it is very close to a special beach.

My people tell me this is a real west coast beach. There are many smells on the rocks, and big loud waves.

Today Nature is making fog and rain again, but it is quite warm. My people have taken me for three walks so far. They tell me that tomorrow we will go explore another beach. In the meantime I am resting on the floor and drying my wet fur.

While Momma B was out...

...this happened.

Are these all mine? Really? I don't know where to start!

Hey, what are you doing?

Those are MY toys!

Wordless Wednesday 8/17/11

My BEACH!

This morning we got in Car who took us for "errands". Then Car drove us past a place I have missed very much while we were in hot-dry-fruit-land. Beach! MY BEACH!!

I made big whine noises and bounced around trying to see out all the windows at once. Oh please please please Car, stop and let me out!

My person made a laugh noise and told Car to park. She opened my door and let me out. I ran as fast I could down the rocks to the water.

Oh my beach, how I have missed you! Stinky, salty, cool breeze... Heron, gull, crow, seaweed... I missed you all!

I ran and ran and ran. I bounced up and down. I sniffed. I waded in the water. (I do not swim.) I ran and bounced some more.

I've missed my beach! I am happy we're home.

Thanks for the beach walk, Momma B.

Tired Truck

Today all of my stuff got put in a pile, and then it got put in Truck's belly. I hopped into Truck with my people and Truck drove for a long time.

Fortunately a few good things happened along the way...

First there was this:

Then Truck took a break at this place:

I like to stick my nose in the creature-holes. I would really like to sniff one of these little creatures up close, but my people won't let me.

Then Truck stopped for a long time. When I got out we were near the ocean!

Truck wasn't done yet though. We got onto big-grumbly-ferry-boat, and then Truck drove some more. Finally Truck was very tired and decided it was time to go home.

I am very happy to be home.

Here is me with Momma B today. We are doing the thing called "posing", although I would rather be looking at a creature hole...