Greetings blog aficionados. Frodo here for your reading pleasure today. It has been quite some time since you’ve enjoyed the pleasure of my writing – the Imp is rather enthusiastic and a tad pushy – so the FG and I allow him to write more frequently. Besides – it keeps him busy for a few moments giving us much needed respite.

This blog is, how do some word it… ah a “shout out” to readers in Florida who might be interested in hosting yours truly for a few weeks. Or months. This winter. Well I suppose that’s not entirely true – but I do have a bit of a dilemma. Which began with a large snowfall here the other day….

I suppose I should not have been surprised that we had snow. The “official” start to winter is not far off, and let’s face it – December is a month associated with snowy songs, and movies. 

However, yours truly was NOT impressed with the large snowfall we had the other day. I was in NO hurry to go out for my morning constitutional because I had been following the weather channel all night, and I KNEW what lie ahead before I stepped out the door. The Imp went out first, plowing a rather erratic path along the driveway. He jumped and hopped his way along, finally stopping half way up to the road and he did his “business.” He actually would have stayed outside longer, but giant snowballs were forming on his body so he was quite happy to come inside.

Then it was my turn…

Whenever I go out for a walk, I always prance happily ahead of Her Highness. But not on a day when when it rains OR a day when the snow is up to my neck. And that was the case the other day. The snow was DEEP. And instead of my usual “leading the way” routine, I trudged slowly behind Her Highness, looking as if the treat jar was empty. In fact, I was SO downtrodden looking, that she actually questioned whether something was seriously wrong with me. She turned to face me and said something like “we’re not going far – just until you poop.” Poop? That’s all she wanted? I immediately stopped and produced what she was looking for. When she said “OK, we can go back home”, I whirled around and jumped and raced for the front door. I had a miraculous recovery from my previous trudging behavior.

The FG did not mind the snow. I believe that because he is taller, it was MUCH easier for him to navigate. He was in no hurry to come inside.

So that brings me to my request for Florida living. Or Texas. Or Mexico – or really ANYPLACE where I am not required to freeze my nether regions. 

But here’s the interesting part. While I do not enjoy the role of a snowplow, I AM quite happy to dig a little comfy spot in the snow and to lie down. I know. I know. That sounds contrary to my tale of WALKING in a winter wonderland.  But it’s true. When Her Highness let the other two maniacs out in the backyard yesterday afternoon- which was still full of snow, they BOTH ran around until they couldn’t move because of the snowballs. And one would THINK I would stay indoors, close to a cozy fire. But no. I went out on the deck, tromped down the snow, and made myself quite comfortable.  So perhaps balmy climates are not REALLY what I desire…It’s a conundrum.

Meanwhile, last night the Imp and I went to a rally fun match in preparation for our REAL rally trials on Sunday.  Yes – this Sunday.  This was a practice to see how we are both doing. The Imp is entered in Novice and yours truly is entered in Masters.  While yours truly is an extremely attentive, well-behaved participant, who LOVES to heel, Her Highness is fairly certain we will not pass – due to her own ineptitude about the signs. She was studying them in earnest last night – AFTER the practice. I believe some call it cramming. Anyway, I did relatively well, but I’m not crazy about jumping, so that likely will be my nemesis. A dropped bar equals a fail – and this twinkle toes has been known to drop a bar or two. Masters is a difficult level – and it’s probably been 8-9 years since I have formally competed – so our main goal is to have fun. That’s a given. The Imp is a wild card. He could score high – or could decide to do freestyle- resulting in a low score. It’s anyone’s guess. We’ll let you know the results – unless the event is carried on CNN – then you can watch it yourself. I am just jesting. I’m case you were immediately trying to find it on the channel guide. That’s all we would need would be network coverage- Her Highness was nervous at the fun match. She would need sedation for the real trial.

Anyway we shall keep you posted. In the meantime, I must go and hide. After our wintry weather the other day, today we have rain in the forecast. What IS a PON supposed to do in these conditions?! Maybe Florida isn’t such a bad idea after all. 

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Hey blogaroos. It’s bored Squirmy here on a wintry Thursday. Well, the snow actually started last night – so it was a wintry Wednesday. Which sounds better. But it’s still snowing- so it’s a good thing we don’t have anywhere we have to be today. No classes. We have enough food and treats (thankfully). No other appointments. We can just run around the yard and leave our yellow signatures on the pure fresh snow.

We’re kinda bored since Aunt Sue left. We were just getting ahead in our training with her – she was even beginning to sing along with the bedtime song that the Warden sings to us each night. She made it up. And trust me – it would never make the Top 10 Billboard hits, but it IS kinda catchy. It signals to us that it’s time for bed. Once she starts, we head for the bedroom. We really could make a reality TV show…

Since the Coyote and I were both feeling bored yesterday, we decided to do some yard work. The Warden was busy doing something boring like folding laundry or futile dusting, so my compatriot and I went outside. The Boss just hung out on the deck in a position where he could watch us and the Warden at the same time.! There was no snow on the ground yet, but the lawn was wet from all the rain we’ve had lately. Like the other night. Holy moly – we had rain and wind AND thunder and lightning!!! Lots of thunder and lightning. Luckily, none of us are bothered by it.

But back to the yard work. The Warden was busy, but even though she’s absorbed in something, she still has this voodoo sense when we’ve been gone for a while – AND she hears nothing. Silence around here is like an alarm signal somewhere else. No barking, no sounds of anyone racing around, no chewing or wrestling sounds – and it generally spells trouble. Sure enough- the Warden went out on the deck and saw the reason for the silence. The Coyote and I were creating a new “pond” in the lawn. We have a series of holes that we have dug, trying to create a really good pond. The one we started yesterday was VERY promising. Until the Inspector saw the job and shouted for us to come in. She immediately regretted that move – because yours truly was particularly muddy and wet. But hey – I came when called, tracking in the mud from the excavation site and leaving identifying paw print tracks on the carpet. How do you spell filthy?

The Coyote didn’t look quite as bad as me – because I was the one doing most of the work. The Warden took one look at me, and after she snapped a few shots to commemorate the groundbreaking for the new pond, she whisked me and my big fluffy feet into the tub in the garage. I’m used to it.

The good thing about snow is no mud! But get this – the temperatures are going way up by the weekend- AND we are getting lots of rain! I’ll be able to see if the pond holds water. If not, it just might need to be a bit deeper.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Hey hey hey blogaroos. Squirmy Cujo Wormy here on a terrible Tuesday. And why is it terrible? Aunt Sue is going home today. We have enjoyed having her here- another victim, I mean human, to train. She’s not easy – she has kinda figured me out. She knows how to avoid ricochets, and she firmly tells me “no” if I get overly exuberant and start biting. She also knows how to shout out “Where’s Tuggie?” to avoid being maimed. That being said, she was just a little bit inattentive yesterday and didn’t notice that her headband fell off the shelf in the closet – which allowed yours truly to find it, and well, I thought it could use a hole for more air circulation. Busted. Guess I need to do some Christmas shopping at the headband store.

Anyway, I’m very depressed that she is leaving. We all are. All alone – just the four of us – until Santa arrives on the 24th. Mind you, I don’t think he’s staying very long.

So we’ll just mope around, chew the rug, I mean stare at the rug, go for walks….try to be happy….until she and Keith come back again. On the 27th!!! Yup! She didn’t cancel her flight for the 27th, so we couldn’t have been tooooo bad!!!

In the meantime, the Warden and I and the Boss need to get into some serious Rally training. Rumor has it we boys have BOTH been entered in a real honest to goodness rally trial. Soon. Super soon. I think we need some sedatives for the Warden – she’s getting nervous already. I thought this was supposed to be fun. Not nerve racking. If anyone has any words of wisdom to calm her down, feel free to share them. I mean how badly could we do? Don’t answer that….

OK. Time to take Aunt Sue out for her last walk before she goes home. Maybe I could tie her to a tree so she can’t leave. Or steal her shoes..Or chew a hole in her suitcase….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Happy Sunday blogaroos! Squirmy Cujo Wormy here. With another episode of Christmas with the Crazies.

So. If decorating this place with enough elves to form a weird miniature army with giant ears wasn’t enough, NOW we are being subjected to cheesy Christmas movies. Really. Aunt Sue and the Warden have been watching them every night – and we canines are forced to sit through them and pretend to find them interesting. The last one did feature a dog, but only in a small part. They all seem to star actors and actresses from some former TV show that only ran for one season. The good news is that they all have a happy ending. I think I could write one. In fact, maybe I should….like the story of these two people who each have a dog. One dog is called Snowball and the other is called Twink. And the two dogs like each other and they drag their owners together in the dog park. And those shooting star sparks start to fly. But one day, Snowball steps on a broken Christmas ornament and it’s in his paw, so Snowball gets cranky when he meets Twink . So the owners think they have to stay apart. But it starts to blizzard out and Twink charges out of the house when she sees a rabbit. And the owner can’t find Twink in the blizzard. But the other owner and Snowball, who had the sore paw but who has been miraculously cured, are out because they are on their way to the Christmas tree lot to pick out a tree. In the blizzard. So Snowball starts to track Twink in the snow and finds her hiding under the porch of the town hall where the Christmas pageant is about to begin. They all go inside and the two owners look happily at each other and profess their love for one another and the two dogs are all happy too and in the background the music playing is Silent Night. Oh oh oh and they have to have hot cocoa and gingerbread cookies and special treats for the dogs in the shape of stockings. Oh oh oh and the animals in the manger are actually dogs dressed up to look like sheep and a cow and a donkey. And they all live waggily ever after. The End. OK. I still have a few kinks to work out, but that’s the general gist.

In other news, I had my weekly class on Friday and I seem to have emerged from my weirdo fear period that I went through a few weeks ago. I’ve got my focus back – and the Warden was very pleased with my behavior in class. Actually she was more than pleased – she was kinda shocked. I just like to keep giving her that good old intermittent reinforcement.

I’m not sure what the girls have on the agenda for today – but the Boss said to put money on another Christmas movie tonight. Personally, I think they could be reported to Animal Control for cruelty to animals for making us watch them. I’m thinking I may hide – like in a closet with the elves if they do watch another one tonight. Wish me luck.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Hey hey hey it’s another fantastic Friday blogaroos. And it’s fabulously fantastic here – because we have company!

Nope. Not Santa. Not the Easter Bunny. That would be even more weird than Santa. Nope – it’s Auntie Sue – the Warden’s sister! She came to visit and go to a bunch of Christmas craft shows and to do holiday shopping with the Warden. Her husband, Keith, REALLY wanted to do marathon shopping too, but he had business at home. They’ll both be back again after Christmas! So it’s a girl’s visit – with us boys!

Auntie Sue has kinda figured me out. She knows to brace herself when I suddenly begin the PONdianapolis 500 around the dining room table. When the Warden said to her that I have “a screw loose,” she replied, “Just one?” She thinks she’s funny. When she was giving out dog treats yesterday, she told us to sit and then gave them out to us one by one saying our names: “Frodo…Elroy….Cujo.” Ha. Ha. She’s hysterical. I know she adores me. Who couldn’t?

We went for a nice long walk yesterday- and I did demonstrate for her my unique and useful skill of retrieving lost golf balls. She did admit that I do have redeeming qualities. Or at least that one.

Meanwhile, the Coyote jumps on her from behind, while the Boss has probably increased her need for hearing aids with his barking. She did say we are “entertaining.” Or maybe I made that up…

Anyway, we’re glad to have her here – and she and the Warden did come home with some gifts “from Santa” after a day of shopping yesterday. One bag smelled distinctly like a pet store – so I’m feeling encouraged about that.

I think they might be doing more shopping today- but it won’t be all day, because I’m also going to class. No rest for the…wonderful.

It’s almost time for our morning walks. Time to wake up Auntie Sue so she can make the most of her day. Carpe dog’em!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe!

Howdy blogaroos! It’s Squirmy wacky Wormy here on a wonderful Wednesday! And guess what? You give up? Well – I don’t know either! But something is going on here…

So yesterday, we all got a good grooming – and as usual, I won the prize for best behaved. I know you find that hard to believe. But it’s true!!!! The Boss is horrible when it comes to grooming, and while the Coyote doesn’t mind being brushed – he HATES having his nails done. The Warden cannot clip his nails – he freaks out. So she brings out some kind of roto-tiller buzzy thing and she grinds them down. OK. The Boss said I got that wrong. He said it’s a dremel. Not to be confused with a dirndl- a kind of German folk costume or a dreidl- played with on Hanukkah. No – a dremel spins and grinds nails. Or fingers. Or hair. You would think it would be more scary than a nail clipper. But the Coyote is always different. He doesn’t mind it at all.

Anyway, after we were all fluffed and puffed, and the Warden was suitably stuffed up and sneezing, she continued to clean the house. I have not seen ANY suitcases. Unless she’s hiding them in the bathroom. But the Boss never misses a thing and he said no luggage has been moved about. So that can only mean one thing – COMPANY! A new ricochet victim!!! And the Warden said she is going to the airport this morning!!!

Could it be Santa? I mean could it?! The Boss just said that’s a stupid guess- the jolly guy doesn’t arrive by plane and he’s not scheduled for a few more weeks. Good thing. I don’t have my list done yet.

Well you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out who is coming to the House of Crazies. Better be someone who brings ear plugs, a lint roller and dog treats…

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.