Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Stuck! (by Ojo)

Hi hi hi! Ojo here!

I got STUCK!!!

It was clearly Cobi's fault. And my person's fault. I will tell you why!

Last night it SNOWED! So much snow! Our person spent forever (she says it was about an hour) pushing snow around with a big shovel. During this time we were allowed to hang out with her in the driveway. This is not usual. Usually we are not allowed to hang out in the driveway! I think this is because I do not stay in the driveway. But can you blame me? There are so many things to smell!

But today the snow was so deep and it was everywhere, and so I stayed mostly very close! So I got to hang out, and Cobi got to hang out, and we talked to the neighbors, and we chased snowballs!

This was all fine and good... But then our person put down the shovel and went back into Yard! I thought for sure she was going to make us go in without having a proper Walk. So I decided, in those two seconds when her back was turned, to make my own Walk!

(Cobi told me later that our person was just going to the porch to get our leashes! But I did not know this! How could I know this?!?)

So I went on my own Walk!

I zoomed up the alleyway behind our house. Lots of squirrels live there, you know! And raccoons too!

Then I dashed back down the alleyway again! And then I zoomed through Neighbor's Yard, which was much fun too, and then I soared over the fence and landed in Neighbor's Neighbor's Yard!

But then I was stuck.

We live on a hill. Neighbor's Neighbor's Yard is downhill. I soared down into this Yard, but I could not get out again!

Meanwhile, our person found that I was missing. She made the pup-pup-pup noise. I tried to come to her! I really did! But I was stuck!

Then our person did the Recall! I love Recall! This is when our person says a special word, and I zoom back to her as fast as I can and then I get CHEESE! But I could not do Recall, because I was stuck!

This next part of the story comes from Cobi. Cobi says our person said to her, "Where is Ojo?" So Cobi put her nose to the ground and found my scent. She led our person into the alleyway. Then she went back and forth in the alleyway, following her nose.

The problem is that Cobi was going AWAY from me! (So you see, being STUCK is clearly Cobi's fault, not mine!)

Well, okay. Cobi was following where I zoomed. And she has trained in what they call Tracking, which means she follows the exact scent and the direction it went in. And I did go up the alley first, before I went down. And okay, yes, Cobi was working very hard. She was very diligent. She sniffed one side, and then the other, and she checked all the fences.

But then they got to as far as I went, and she stopped and turned around again. Which was right! This was where I turned around! But our person thought Cobi must have made a mistake. (People are silly. Why don't they trust Dog noses?)

Our person told Cobi, "Nice try, girl", and gave her some chicken - not fair! - and walked her back to our house.

So clearly it is our person's fault that I was stuck! If she had listened all the way to Cobi, I would not have been stuck!

Back to my side of the story now!

Our person started making pup-pup-pup-pup-pup noises again, and calling my name. I went in big circles trying to get to her! I tried so hard! Finally I got frustrated and said BARK!

Our person heard. She called to me again. But I was busy running in circles!

Cobi and our person started coming down the alley, to where I actually was. Our person was still calling. I got frustrated again because I could not get to them and said BARK!, and that made her happier. She said to me, "Ojo, bark again so I can find you!" But I was so busy running in circles that I did not hear her.

However, then, finally, oh happiest of happy things, they found me!

Cobi's nose found me through the fence at the exact same moment that our person found me with her eyes over the fence!

I bounced and bounced and bounced off the fence, trying to get over! But I could not! My person put her hand through so I could smell it, and that helped a lot. Finally I could sit down! I was found!



But I was still stuck!

I was one one side of the fence, and Cobi and our person were on the other side! Our person walked up and down the fence. I ran up and down along the fence beside her. We were both looking for a way out! But there was no way out!

Our person said some words to me, and they were calm and happy, but then - she disappeared! She left me there, still stuck!

I said BARK!

She called back to me, "Hang on Ojo, I'm coming around!" But I did not know what that meant! Why did she leave me there!

This was terrible! Horrible! Stressful! It is not fun being stuck.

Then I heard my person's voice coming from the other side. She was talking to a man-person. The man-person said, "There isn't any Dog in my yard." My person said she was very sorry to bother him, but she was sure her dog was in his yard and could she please go look? The man-person was not sure.

My person made the pup-pup-pup noise again, and I followed her noise. I zoomed to the front of the fence, and I could see her way down on the street! She said, "There is my dog!" And the man-person said, "How did a dog get in my yard?"

My person opened a latch (I wish I had thumbs, then I could have done that!), and I came running out to her. Oh hurray! Oh happy day! I was unstuck!

I was so happy to be unstuck, I did silly zoomies all around my person! Cobi gave me a lecture about making her late for her Walk, but that's okay because I was happy to see her too!

Our person said thank you to the man-person, and then my leash got stuck on me right away. But that was okay, because then, finally, we walked up to Park.

Park was so much fun! We chased snowballs! I played with a dog-friend name Peluche! (At least until Cobi got grumpy, then we had to leave.) I chased more snowballs!

Cobi kept a very close watch on me so that I didn't get stuck again. That was kind of annoying.


But otherwise Park was so much fun!

Then we went home. I was very tired. I slept and slept and slept. Now I am telling you my story. And then I am going to go back to sleep until it is Dinner time.

I did not like being stuck. I have learned my lesson. Next time I will only soar over Neighbor's Neighbor's fence if my person is watching, so she can get me unstuck right away. And only if there is a squirrel.

Do not get stuck, friends! It is very scary!


Monday, February 11, 2019

Dear rest of Canada - your COLD is leaking! (by Ojo)

Hi hi hi! Ojo here!

The COLD from the rest of Canada seems to be leaking! It SNOWED here!!!


On top of our crocuses and daffodils and leaf buds - it SNOWED!!

Do not get me wrong - the snow is Amazing! Wonderful - fun - we love it - yay!


But the very, very, very cold wind that is blowing down trees is something I could do without!

So perhaps, rest of Canada, you could leave the snow, but take back the rest of your cold-winter-wind? Thank you.

But yes, please leave the snow. We love the snow!


(Our person does too!)


Thursday, February 7, 2019

Forest (by Ojo)

Hi hi hi! Ojo here!

This is my forest!
It is your forest too.
And the forest
Of bunnies, squirrels, deer, raccoons,
Crows, owls, and the wise raven.
Bugs, beetles, worms,
Lichens, mushrooms, fungus, and mosses.
The mighty cedars.
Douglas Fir, Garry Oaks, and playful alder.
Salal and blackberries and gigantic ferns.

We all breath together.
We all share this place.

This is my forest!
It is your forest too.