Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

Lucky dog!! I can only dream about a water hole like this.

Other than my white, indoor water dispenser, the only water hole Scarlet and I have to romp or relax in isn't big enough for the both of us at the same time. Maybe we can get this Oh-bomb-ah guy we hear so much about to get us a bigger water hole, he seems to be promising everything to everyone else.

Sarge

P.S. If Sarge didn't keep trying to dig the water hole deeper and end up just throwing all the water out, maybe the hole we have now would be fine.

Miss Scarlett

Sad Eyes

My people are really sad and even I haven't been able to cheer them up. They say we now live in the United Socialist States of America. I don't remember going for a long ride like we did from Oregon to North Carolina or from North Carolina to Georgia or from Georgia to South Carolina, but they say we now live in a different country. I'm not sure what happened, but they're sure unhappy about this new place. (Even though, to me, it looks like the same place).

I guess being a dog has it's blessings, I don't have to worry about such things. But it makes me sad to see my people unhappy. Hopefully we'll all get through this and can go back to being a happy pack again.

Sarge

The Green, Green Grass of Home.

Our people kept us locked in the house for two days and there were strangers moving around our yard, they brought Wall-E with them and Scarlett and I had a great time running from window to window barking at the strangers and that really noisy Wall-E. Our people didn't seem to be concerned with all the commotion and racket, but it's our job to let them know when strangers appear.

After the two days were up and we could go out again, Scarlett and I immediately noticed that our yard had changed. There was all this soft, green stuff all over the ground where there used to be sand. It felt wonderful under our paws and it was soooo much fun to roll around in! Of course, the first thing both Scarlett and I had to do was "bless" it with our scent. After that we explored every square inch of that glorious green carpet.

We also found some new areas were covered with thicker, longer, darker green stuff that wasn't attached to the ground but seemed to be just scattered over the sand, it looked just like the stuff that falls from the squirrel poles all over the back part of the yard, only this was piled up against our house. What a treasure trove! These areas are full of exciting things to find, medium size sticks and hoppy animals that like to hide in it. But Scarlett is real good at sniffing them out and making them hop, then the chase is on! At least until our person comes and takes the hopper away and we see him put it in the water holder out front, where we can't get to it. Spoil Sport!! We just want to play, even if the hoppers move sort of slow.

Anyway, Scarlett and I are just loving the new, green back yard. If this is what the moving picture box means by "Going Green", I'm all for it!

Now if I could only figure out why my person yells at me when I scratch at the green carpet when I try to cover up my "duty".

Sarge

Of Hoses and Snakes

There sure are some strange critters in this world!

Yesterday, Miss Scarlet found a long, thin black thing that sure looked like the thing that our people use to put water in our bowl and into the flying critter bath. Only this was way in the back of the yard, partly hidden by a pile of dead tree fur. Since our people usually don't leave their thing back there we decided to investigate and put it back where it belonged. But when we tried to get close and pick it up, it moved and hissed at us!! Of course Miss Scarlet, immediately started her barking and circling around it to try and herd it back to it's proper spot. I joined in, only without the circling part (What's up with that anyway?).



Well, all the commotion made my female person come out. She threw a few pine cones at it but that didn't do anything, so she went and got our male person who poked a long stick at it. Boy! that got a reaction. I never knew that our people's thing move that fast! (or at all for that matter, it usually just lays there until one of our people move it). For something with no feet it was gone and under the fence in a flash!



Afterwards, they sort of yelled at us for bothering a Black Racer (whatever that is). That's the thanks we get for trying to do a good deed, it sure looked like the water thing to us until it hissed. Besides, this is our yard and it should have stayed out (Unless it brought me some food or wanted to play, which it didn't).
- Sarge

Happy Times are here again.

I've been feeling a lot better these last few days. I'm back to snarfing anything that looks like food again and I don't even mind my humans trying to sneak a pill into my food twice a day. I sure do miss getting all the people food I was getting earlier but at least I get my old treats again.

Miss Scarlett still tries to tease me by holding on to her treat after I snarf mine and making sure I know she still has hers, but it usually backfires because my human just gives me a another treat, so the laughs on her. HA-Ha!

Anyway, it seems that the Vet never did figure out for sure what was wrong, but the medicine she gave me after the second visit seems to have fixed the problem. I guess it's a good thing that I have humans who care about me. It sure makes my life a good one.

Sarge

Off to the Vet Again!

This is my puppy picture. Wasn't I a cutie?! It makes me feel good to see myself so peaceful. I'm still having trouble opening my mouth so my people took me back to the doctor. This time I saw two of them and they both poked around, tried to open my mouth and it made me cry real loud it hurt so bad. Even the vets were sad. Then the were real nice to me and rubbed me all over, it felt good. I got another needle stick, this time I heard them say they were testing enzyme levels.

I feel a little better, I have some new medicine my humans hide in really yummy food so I eat it okay. I still can't open my mouth enough to yawn or catch a toy but I feel like playing, I just can't do much. I can't play tug of war with Scarlett, she pulls too hard and hurts my mouth.

My humans will know more on Tuesday. If they can't find anything out from the blood I just gave then they will have to do more tests of my liver and kidneys before they can make me go to sleep for x-rays.

I sure wished I'd get better soon. I have to turn my head sideways even to yawn a little bit and I still only eat my food on one side and it has to be soft food. Maybe my new stronger antibiotics will help but no one knows what's wrong so I can only hope. The food and attention are great but I'd rather feel like myself again.

It's dark out now and time for bed. Maybe tomorrow I'll be better. - Sarge

When Food Isn't Fun, You Go To The Vet

Sunday afternoon, I found that I couldn't enjoy my favorite pastime...eating. My humans were being nice to me again by giving me my favorite treat... Beggin Strips, but when I opened my mouth it hurt so much, I just dropped it immediately, and of course Miss Scarlet snatched it up right away, while I could only look on helplessly. Right away my humans, especially Snippy, knew something was wrong. Sam should have guessed a little earlier, when he threw one of my favorite toys, a beanie baby for me to catch and it hit me right in the face. I just couldn't open my mouth. Sam thought I just didn't want to play, sometimes I really wish my humans could speak in "dog" instead of those strange sounds they make. Anyway, Snippy and Sam kept feeling my mouth and sticking their hands all over my jowls and mouth, I don't know what they were looking for but all they ended up with were slimy fingers. Then they talked to someone on the ringing machine, even if it didn't ring, I guess it works even when it doesn't make that ringing noise first. Nothing happened for the rest of the day except I did get some hamburger that I could sort of "lick" into my mouth, which sure isn't as much fun as snarfing my food, you get too little in too long a time by licking.

Anyway, this morning they locked Miss Scarlett into her cage, that'll teach her to steal my treats! Then I got to put on my collar extension that my humans use to try and stop me from running around and exploring. I got into the moving box that takes me places faster than I can run and we went to see the Vet. Sam and Snippy left me there, but I didn't mind too much, there were so many new smells to explore and humans to meet.

While my humans were gone, it seemed like forever, the Vet poked and prodded me and tried to open my mouth, but it hurt so much I let him know that I didn't like that. Then he stuck me with a tiny sharp, steel stick. After a while, it didn't hurt so much to open my mouth but I still can't get it all the way open and "snarfing" my food is out of the question. My humans said that the Vet isn't sure what is the matter with me; he said something about a pus-ball behind my eye, but that the other symptoms that come along with that aren't present. He thinks maybe my humans noticed my problem early enough that my infection isn't bad enough to have all the symptoms yet. He gave them two bottles of stuff that I have to take starting tomorrow, but since I can't open my mouth, they'll have to put the stuff into "soft and smelly" food. OH Boy! OH Boy! I love soft and smelly!!

Anyway, looks like I get to eat some really good stuff for a while. Hopefully in a few days I can get back to being my normal self and snarfing my food and catching toys in my mouth instead of licking food and getting hit in the face by my toys.

Sarge