American Thanksgiving and Other Things

ROBBIE:  American Thanksgiving is a lot like Canadian Thanksgiving. Mom gets up early and turkey is stuffed and put into the oven to roast...After a few hours Me and Lacey get to eat the cooked giblets.

LACEY: I love giblets but I have a tough time getting MY share, Robbie hogs them up!

ROBBIE: Lots of other things get cooked too but we are not so keen on potatoes, sprouts and stuff so we don't bother hanging around the kitchen.
Later in the day  Mom and DOD eat all the stuff that they cooked and do a lot of moaning and groaning after they eat..so I think they are forced to eat the veggies and stuff that we don't like.

LACEY:  They always get up the morning after and swear they are going on a diet. This worries me a lot as I am not sure what a diet is but Mom keeps telling me she is going to put me on one and it involves food or the lack of it!

ROBBIE:  Their diet lasts until noon and then we all get back to normal around here. We only get small amounts of left-overs as Mom says it upsets OUR stomachs...HAH! They want them for themselves.

LACEY:  Another strange thing about American/Canadian Thanksgiving is how clothes shrink right after the dinner! DOD lets out his belt and Mom says her pants are tight. With my loose skin I never have to worry about outgrowing it ...only my harness seems affected by food!

ROBBIE: I was a bit worried about Black Friday as we have not seen one before but I don't think they have such a thing in Tubac....the day stayed sunny and warm and all we had was a red desert sunset, nothing black.

Anyway, all-in-all we liked American Thanksgiving and Me and Lacey are very thankful to have shared it with friends here in Arizona.

30 Days of Sunshine

ROBBIE: It is over one month now since we left home. In all that time I have not seen ONE day of rain....not even one raindrop. Mom and DOD put a fountain by our front door so it sounds just like Saturna with the water dribbling down.

LACEY: I have to wear sunscreen on my nose because it has gone all dry and funny looking. I also have to have moisturizer at night just like Mom. I hope it is more effective on ME!

ROBBIE: So I wake up and hear water running but when it gets light the sky is blue again. And it it too hot for us to go for long walks in the afternoons ........but there is another fountain in the park and Me and Lacey pretend it is raining there too.

LACEY: Our new neighbours have green grass in their yard....I rolled on it and it felt good. But when I ate a chunk it was not REAL!  Can you imagine how silly I felt? I had to spit it out and the owner looked a bit worried about the hole in her lawn. I will be more careful with grass in future as Robbie says this grass does not grow as quickly as real grass.

ROBBIE: I hope this cheers all my Island friends up knowing it is not always easy being in eternal sunshine.

Robbie and Lacey's Diary: Pros and Cons

Robbie and Lacey's Diary: Pros and Cons: ROBBIE: There are pros and cons to life in Tubac. On the pro side we have endless sunshine and it is a lot warmer than on Saturna. The peop...

Pros and Cons

ROBBIE: There are pros and cons to life in Tubac. On the pro side we have endless sunshine and it is a lot warmer than on Saturna. The people are nice and we have human and dog friends. I like my stylish short Tubac hairdo. On the con side...the critters are mean and we are not allowed out without leashes...ever!

LACEY: The people all tell me I am adorable and want to pet me. We get to go in the car a lot and I get to roll in the grass in the park.....those are pros.

ROBBIE: Another con is we have a small yard and DOD won't let me dig it up! A pro is the cute girl dogs that live here...like Lucy!

LACEY: A con is I am getting fat....it is all Mom's fault for giving me treats. A pro is I love treats and I get them no matter where I live..BOL!!!

ROBBIE: So it is a bit of a draw as to which we like best. I think best would be to bring Old Point Farm and all the critters to Tubac. What a perfect world that would be!

Grooming

ROBBIE: Mom dragged me off to the groomers yesterday as I reported on Facebook.
I was sort of hesitant to go out today...I mean even I/Me can see I look ridiculous! I have skinny legs and my tail looks like rats have been at it.

LACEY: Actually, he looks even worse than he thinks he does....:)))). I smile every time I see him. Of course I don't have to go to the groomers having a fine, short coat that doesn't grow and look all wild.

ROBBIE: So this evening Cathy came by with Lucy and Geeda. Mom let me go out of the gate and down into the field to meet them... and guess what? They thought I looked like a real hunk! Yes they did!  Cathy invited me to go for a short walk with them, which I did. I didn't want to make it too long a walk because Geeda was almost overcome with my looks. She was slobbering over me and chasing me around.

LACEY:  In his dreams! 

ROBBIE: I was not impressed when DOD struggled down the path and picked me up and carried me home. I am trained to come on the SEVENTH command and he only called me six times!

Anyway, my fur will grow back soon and in the meantime I am cooler... in more ways than one!

Settling In

ROBBIE: We have been in our Tubac home for almost a week now. It is sometimes hard for me to get used to this way of life...I am not free the way I am on Saturna. I have to be in the back yard or on a leash because Mom is worried about Coyotes and Javelinas...not to mention Snakes!
I do love the warm sunshine but as a mature dog I feel the restrictions.

LACEY:  I worry about my figure when I can't run the way I do at home. Mom has suggested that I cut down on my food but I don't think that is the answer. I need a membership at a gym!

ROBBIE: I think I need to walk with the big dogs like Lucy and Geeda and then Mom will not be so paranoid. I am going to ask if I can join them the next time they come by my house..

LACEY:  Hmmmm.....I am not sure about Robbie's plan. I don't think I want to be with those Desert girls...they look mean. I  will stick with Mom and DOD.

ROBBIE: I see the weather forecast on Saturna is for a week of rain...I would have to be in the house! Maybe I will not complain again.

Coyote

So this coyote kept coming up to MY gate this evening. I tell you I almost went hysterical trying to tell Mom and DOD of the danger.  He would not go away no matter how hard I barked... he just came closer and closer to our gate. I think he was very hungry and those fat little legs of Lacey's looked so inviting to him through the bars...... a side of those thighs would last him for a week.

Anyway, Cathy and Frances who were visiting with us, threw rocks at him and finally he backed off. I think he has probably not heard that I am a warrior and a dog who is not to be trifled with. My fame has obviously not spread this far south ......but if I get the chance I will show him how us Northern boys deal with critters!

Now Mom will be more paranoid than ever. I will NEVER get let off my leash again until I am back on Saturna!.

I am not letting Lacey blog tonight she doesn't have a clue what a Coyote is. She growled a couple of times but basically it was ME that had to deal with it!

Last Day...We are here!

ROBBIE: This has to be a short blog because Mom is making us go to bed even though it is hardly night time. I don't why SHE is tired when I did all the hard work on the trip! Anyway, this was our day.

We woke up before six because we knew they wanted to leave early.....okay...maybe no THAT early..but early. I got cold in the night from the air conditioning and had to have my blankie...but other than that nothing to report.

LACEY: Breakfast was the best yet. I had sausage and yogurt with a side of kibble. Very good.
We were on the road by 7.00am.

ROBBIE: First Stop. Quite a nice area but there were big signs posted everywhere telling people to watch for poisonous snakes and insects. I have to say when you only have four and a half inch legs being so close to the ground does not feel good. I kept a watchful eye while I did the necessary and read my pee mail.

LACEY: We met a very cute Schnauzer ...I could tell he liked me. We exchanged pee mail addresses and contact information.

ROBBIE: The traffic was horrendous (I like that word) coming into Phoenix. When you live in a place with only two stop signs it is hard to cope with ten lanes of traffic and all sorts of commands and orders. Thankfully, the female in the TomTom behaved today. And then we turned to Tubac....oh there was much rejoicing in the car, we all barked and yelled out...hurray!

So that ends our trip log. Tomorrow I will check out the critters in the meantime I have to go to bed like I was a puppy because THEY are tired!

Hugs, Robbie (Lacey too)

Day Four

ROBBIE: Had to wake Mom and DOD up at 6.00. I am not one to complain but I swear they are getting lazier by the day!
We started off down the loneliest highway in America.....I started to wonder if we were the only people left in the whole world. And then I worried if DOD had enough gas....and then I worried what if the car broke down. This trip is wrecking my nerves!

LACEY: Breakfast was good. I had kibble and yogurt and a small bite-size muffin. I am cutting down a bit after yesterday.

ROBBIE: The temperature was supposed to be over 80f. I get confused between F&C so I will just tell you how hot it feels to me.
Our TomTom went mad again and sent us down highway 318 when we supposed to be on 93. It turned out okay...lots of Ranch land and cows and stuff. I think I would have liked to have been a cowboy in the olden days.

LACEY: And I would have been a cowgirl with a lariat. No, I would have been an Indian Princess in buckskin and beads with lots of staff to wait on me. Why would I want to be with a bunch of cows!

ROBBIE: First stop (after the one where DOD gave the TomTom a slap up the side of the head)  we pulled into a beef jerky place and Mom bought us jerky because we have been such good dogs. Facilities adequate...read my pee mail.
We went through Las Vegas....not my kind of place. Lacey wanted to play Black Jack ...Mom said the place was like Sodom and Gomorrah and we were not allowed to stop!
We entered Arizona at 2.00pm and stopped at a visitor centre. I didn't think that was the right thing to do as Arizona is our second home!

Boy was it HOT!

We are now in Kingman and we only have about 5 hours tomorrow until we are in Tubac.

Bye for now. Robbie and Lacey.

 

Day Three

ROBBIE: The time is one hour ahead in Caldwell, Idaho but I refuse to acknowledge it. My needs are based on my internal clock and that is the way it is. The Hotel room was nice and large...lots of room for our beds. Breakfast was only so-so, Lacey ate both mine and hers!

LACEY: The sausage patties were not bad at all.

ROBBIE: We got away about 9.00 and headed down for Eureka, Nevada. We took the loneliest highway in America and let me tell you it was lonely! I counted three cars plus two and that was it!

LACEY: It was very dusty for a long way...we could hardly see. DOD said it was because the potato fields had been harvested...I was worried in case the wind starting blowing potatoes at us but only a few tumbleweeds hit the car.

ROBBIE: I don't know if it was the wind but our TomTom went mad and started telling DOD to turn when there wasn't any turn place. Mom told him to trust her.! It was not a good time in the car.

We made it to the Duck Valley Indian Reserve and stopped for gas and the usual. I got burrs stuck all-over my face....Mom pulled them off and it hurt.

LACEY: I felt sick on a very windey and twisty road. I don't know if it was the road or the sausage patties I had for breakfast but I thought for sure I was going to see them again. I hung on until we made Eureka!

ROBBIE: Well, there you have it. Another exciting day in our trip to Tubac. Tomorrow we head for Kingman Arizona. Lacey is only going to get her regular food from now on....it serves her right!

Day Two

ROBBIE: Up at 6.30 and DOD took us straight out for a walk. Not much of a neighbourhood.....hardly any bushes...no critters, not even a CAT!
We had continental breakfast...a muffin and yogurt instead of the usual stuff in my bowl. I like a change of pace when I am traveling. Lacey ate continental and all-Canadian kibble too.
7.45 we were on the road.

LACEY: 10.45am. and we get our first pee stop. We are somewhere on a summit...the wind was cold. It was not a good spot for pee-ing...gravel and garbage all around. I refuse to pee unless I have grass. I was not amused.

ROBBIE: Second Stop. Grandview..Oregon. We stopped for lunch at a place with outside tables so Me and Lacey could be outside with Mom and DOD. The food was awful. I just love the way Mom tries to coax me into eating stuff she doesn't want! I did not eat a bacon and bean burrito and I bet she will be sorry she DID! Lacey ate everything!
The weather is hot.

LACEY: Third stop. Another summit...they seem to like summits for some reason. Good spot for P&P. A quick drink and back in the car.

ROBBIE: Fourth stop....nothing of note. A Great Dane gave me the eye but I was too tired to even wag my tail.
We are in the hotel....finally got some decent food and a real walk. Nice hotel in Caldwell, Idaho. It was a very long day...I hope they don't expect me to cope with this pace for the next three days!!

More tomorrow.....

LACEY:  Full breakfast comes with the room....hurray!

And Away We go!

ROBBIE: We are packed and ready to go. I had a small argument with Mom (and I lost) about what I could take with me. She has packed only a couple of my toys and she would not budge no matter how forceful I became. I will post as much as I can (she may be getting stingy about my computer use too!) on our trip.

LACEY: I don't care about toys as long as they are taking ME and lots of FOOD! Who cares about a few stuffed toys.

ROBBIE: We do have the whole back to seat to ourselves and our beds are handy on the floor in case I need a nap in comfort. I did  a 'patrol' of my property earlier.....marked off my territory for the last time and left warning messages..... I will miss my Saturna friends a lot.

Marking Time

ROBBIE: Things are very dry here now and Mom and DOD are trying very hard not to use too much water. It is too bad I have to drink so much at this time..but I do have to mark every blade of grass and every tree and rock and bush before I leave. And not only that but I have to mark them many times so that my messages of 'ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK' .....ATTACK DOG ON GUARD' etc. do not wash off when the rains come. I have sprained my leg from lifting it so often and I am quite worn out with all the effort!

Lacey: What is wrong with this Dog? I mean does he really think that the critters won't see us drive off in the car? And besides which, who is scared of him when we are HERE? He tried to chase a Deer yesterday and she just stood and looked at him until I showed up. This peeing all the time must be a boy thing....I go when I HAVE to and that is it.

ROBBIE: It is only three days plus two more days until we leave. I will ignore Lacey and carry on regardless of what she says.

I wonder if Mom posted a large photo of Me at the top of the driveway if it would help?

Roof Rack

ROBBIE: Things are moving slowly around my house. It seems like a lot of stuff has to get done on the computer and on the phone before we can leave. I don't see much attention being paid to Me and Lacey and what WE need for this trip! I heard Mom tell DOD the other day that we are going to need a roof rack for the car....and then she laughed and said ' we could put the dogs in it!!)  Is she serious??

LACEY: I heard her say that too...but I am too full-figured to fit in a roof rack so if anydog has to be in it, it will be the little white one...BOL!

ROBBIE: Living with females is not easy.

Discrimination.

ROBBIE: Our motels are booked ...all are dog friendly but some charge like an extra fifteen dollars a night for each of us in case we are bad.  It must be Lacey gave us a bad name because I have NEVER been bad! Okay I once ate a baseboard but that was when I was a Pup. We all know about Lacey....

LACEY: If the Motels have heard about me eating the back seat of the car it is because big-mouth blabbed it all over the internet! And I would not have chewed the seat in the first place if it hadn't have been for him getting me all upset when he went mad at the sight of Reggie. On top of which it was a long time ago...over seven years in dog years!  Mom told me that Motels just have these policies....so there Robbie!

ROBBIE: Well I am going to ask to speak to the Manager. They don't charge extra for DOD and heaven only knows what he might get up to.

 It is a discriminatory practice and unconstitutional.....I want equality!!

Choices

ROBBIE:  I am trying to choose which of my toys to take with me to Tubac. I really like Squirrel and of course Kitty...but Kitty is pretty chewed up and Squirrel has quit squeaking when I bite him. I have a few balls and bits and pieces.....they don't feel right either. I like my big wooden duck that holds all of my special things but Mom says we don't have room in the car.....this is not going to be easy!

LACEY:  I am not choosing ANY of my toys, I want all NEW things to take with me. I have a list and if Robbie is smart he will make up his own list.....I will not share my brand new toys with him!

ROBBIE: Mom was looking for places to stay on our road trip yesterday. I think our first stop is Baker City. There is a nice motel there that is good for pets.... and it has a restaurant attached so Mom can nip in and order Me and Lacey a fresh dinner.

Still lots of choices to make about important things!

Getting Ready

ROBBIE:  I have not posted in my diary for a very long time. Summer seems to go by so quickly on Saturna and I have very busy keeping the critters under control. But I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving for Tubac, Arizona at the end of the month along with Mom, DOD and Lacey. It works out to 8 X 3 days plus one....not very long at all.

We have been to the Vet and had our shots (Me and Lacey that is) we also have special stuff for Heartworm and all sorts of other Desert nasties. I asked for Javelina protection but the Vet said I just have to look out for myself for that one!

I will post often from Tubac as I miss all my Saturna friends so much. I am hoping you will send me notes right back.

LACEY:  First of all I want the brackets removed from my name. I want to be an equal member of this blog!

I am not scared of travel like I was last year...I am really looking forward to the road trip. DOD trusts me now as I have not eaten a car seat in a long time and I have already ear-marked MY toys and MY favourite bed and treats.....I am getting excited!

Openings

ROBBIE: I have made an emergency escape opening in the fence. DOD has walked around the fence a few times, comes back scratching his head and tells Mom he has no idea where it is. Then he tried the old trick of locking me in the yard and walking off calling me to 'come'. HA! Now I might have fallen for that when I was much younger... but a mature Dog has been tricked before! I sat patiently at the gate and waited for him to come back....I tried not to smirk when he said 'where is it you little  Devil'? My lips are sealed.

LACEY:  I, Lacey, know where the opening is! Of course I am too full-figured to get through it myself ...but...I threaten to show it to Mom and DOD if Robbie doesn't share his toys and treats and play games when I want to.  I may not be as mature as Robbie but I am pretty sly and smart for MY age!
 I have that boy jumping to my tune.

Lamb Barbecue

ROBBIE: I just found out that Mom and DOD are going to be in the coffee and tea booth at the lamb barbecue this year....how great is that??  I mean there is lamb roasting EVERYWHERE (my favourite)....Hamburgers and hot dog sizzling on griddles (my next favourites) ....and what do they choose to work at ???  Tea and freaking coffee. What sort of treats am I going to get out of that I ask you? I know this is Mom's harebrained idea....I have to believe she does not have my best interests at heart! Phooey!

LACEY:  I want to go the barbecue! I have never been to one but Robbie tells me no dogs allowed. I am so disappointed......and if that weren't bad enough, now he tells me that they won't bring treats home either!  I don't like coffee.....HOWL!

Birthday Party

ROBBIE: It was Rachael's 50th birthday party tonight. Mom and DOD were invited along with lots of other people. I found out AFTER Mom and DOD got home that Reggie was there, along with Teddie and Tyber and new puppy, Java. Was I invited? NO! And neither was Lacey. I know there is always an 'A' list and a "B' list and even a 'C' list on Saturna...but to not even MAKE the list is unacceptable.

I blame this on Mom and Lacey....I mean, females make the social life on this island and if I was not invited it had nothing to do with ME ..it was because those two females!

LACEY:  I don't know WHY Robbie cares so much about being invited to events on the island. I don't  care!  Robbie and I had a nice evening alone ...we watched the hockey game and then listened to the 'Oldies' on CBC. Mom and DOD gave us treats when they got home and then told us all about the party..who was there and who said what.....it was as good as being there! Really!!!

ROBBIE: I have purchased the latest book on Dog Etiquette for Lacey....it includes chapters on 'Being a good dog guest at someone's party on Saturna' ...
And just for the record, they all sang 'Happy Birthday' off-key without my superb tenor voice!!!!!

Betrayal!

Yesterday I walked past Hugh and Barbra's house and whose scent did I pick up? My second Dad, Harvey. Sure enough it was him....I saw his van in the driveway. I ignored Mom telling me to follow her (which always makes her cranky...I mean the ignoring part) and raced down the driveway to meet him..... and I hoped to see Reggie too.

So, the door was open and I jumped inside...NO HARVEY!  NO REGGIE! But there was some strange dog sitting in the front... in MY seat... and it growled at me! Growled at ME, the chief plumber's assistant.  I couldn't believe it.... Harvey has a new assistant. I have been replaced by some female Labradoodle type who knows sweet toot about plumbing. How could he do this to me? And where is Reggie?

I staggered out of the van and joined up with Mom and Lacey .....we continued on our walk but even finding Otter poop could not lift my spirits.

LACEY:  Poor Robbie was devastated when he saw that blond in the front seat.... I mean the way she growled at him like she owned the van. I wanted to get in there and bite her!  I told Robbie that he and I should start our own plumbing business and show Harvey what is what...but.... wait a minute.. I would want to ride in a newer model van with leather seats, which we don't have, and then I remembered that it is dirty smelly work ......so not a good idea.  What to do??







 

Lacey's Version

LACEY:  My first encounter with my Deer family was when I met a little Fawn which was trapped in our yard. That idiot brother of mine had chased it and it got separated from it's Mom...the poor little thing laid down in the Salal and cried. I shoved Robbie out of the way and then I licked the little girl (it was a girl) and told her it would be okay, that her Mom would come back and get her.

A few days later I met  Fawna's Mom on the trail and she was so happy that I saved her baby she invited me to hang out with them. I was a Mom once  myself and I know what it is like to worry about your baby and one day to lose them..so I said 'sure, I  would love to'. Florinda (that is the Doe's name) said 'just don't bring your idiot brother with you' ...and I agreed that I would not.

I slipped away from Mom and Robbie as we walked down Tanya's Trail and I joined the Ladies Clan in a high mossy meadow. They were so welcoming to me and all gathered around wanting to know my name and where I came from, how I ended up on Saturna. We exchanged stories while we looked after babies and told of all our ups and downs as girls love to do. Then HE showed up...the Big Stag ...The Boss...Bracken is his name. Wow...he is the Johnny Depp of the Deer set. And then I heard Mom and DOD calling my name over and over. I knew they had spotted me and my Deer friends so I high-tailed it out of the glen and ran over to meet them.

That was my first encounter.....to be continued.

The Dog who lies down with Deer

ROBBIE: On our walk on Wednesday Lacey headed off into the woods....she was gone for a long time, so long in fact that Mom phoned Kevin and asked him to bring his expert tracker dog, Captain, to help find her. Captain is very smart and he set off right away through the underbrush, over and under logs. He found a big Deer and flushed it out of the woods and then right behind the Deer, Lacey came running out too! She was not all sweaty and panting like I would be, no, she was warm and dry and happy....the Deer was running from Captain but NOT from Lacey.

Now this would not seem so strange except for the last time she headed off into the woods....that time we could see her from the trail and she was laid down in the moss with a big Buck right beside her. The Deer are not afraid of her like they are of ME! Is it because she is the same colour as them? Does she help the Mom's with their new babies? Would she go and live with them if she could??

Mom is keeping her on the leash now so this may not happen again.

Back to Normal

ROBBIE: My world is back to normal. Mom and DOD are home from their trip...you know the trip  they abandoned me for..... where if it hadn't been for the kindness of our neighbours I would have been left to starve to death!! Okay, I may be exaggerating just a little but I have not quite forgiven them. I will do so shortly because I am a mature dog after all....but Mom is a slow learner....she has promised many times never to leave me ever again ...and then.....she does!!

I had to get all the animals back under control when I got back to my property...even the grass had gone wild in my absence. I had to bark and bark at EVERYTHING to let them know that the dreaded Terrier  was back on guard. Lacey is no help, she just wants to lie around in the sun...

LACEY:  I was sooooo happy to see my Mom and DOD again! Even though Robbie told me they would come back I was not sure....He also told me to give them the cold shoulder for a while...said they needed a lesson...but I couldn't do that! Besides, Mom is giving me extra treats and hugs and kissing me all the time. I don't want her to think I don't love her.....I am trying the love approach to make her see the error of her ways in leaving me.

P.S. I have so helped Robbie with the wild things....I chewed up some of the high grass so he could see if there were any grass critters lurking .....and I dug around for dirt critters.....Sheesh!

Two More Sleeps!

LACEY:  Barbra is really nice to me, she said something about my "fool head" when I was barking a lot, Did she mean it as a compliment?  Hugh says I look like a Manatee - is that telling me how beautiful I am?? I play a little with Hugh...just enough to wet his appetite for the day I really let loose!  Robbie climbs on  up on Hugh's lap in the evening but I don't lose my dignity and do that.  We have good walks mid morning and again  in the afternoon so that is okay.

 

We have had three nice days now, sunny without rain.  It is still a little cool so I want to be in the house but for some reason I am not trusted there unless there is a human inside. I mean a house is not the back seat of a car  for heaven's sake (even though they do have tempting leather sofas). Hugh and Barbra are cleaning up the mess from limbing the big fir at the top of the driveway so Robbie and I are spending a lot of time on the kitchen deck.  I tried to eat the gate so Robbie could get out (I know I am too full-figured to squeeze under there) but Hugh put a big flat board across the bottom so now we are captive. Oh well, they treat us okay so I guess we will manage....only two more sleeps!

 

ROBBIE: It has been a bit of a struggle for me these last few days....I am Joe Cool when it comes to staying with friends but that Sister of mine does not get it! Chewing the gate for ME to get out??? It is not ME they had locked in!!  Of course Hugh and Barbra were not taken in by her excuse. Still, because I am a mature dog I struggle on trying to be a good brother. HURRY UP FRIDAY!!!

Home Alone

So, I have found out who we are going to be staying with......Hugh and Barbra our neighbours on the farm. I have stayed with them lots of times before but this will be a first for Lacey. I think Hugh and Barb are brave for taking her on...

Hugh drives a truck and he smokes in it. He lets ME go to the store with him and hang out with the guys ..you know...have a coffee and catch up on Island happenings, get the mail and do guy stuff. I bet Hugh will not let Lacey in his truck ....he knows she ate the back seat out of DOD's Lexus.

Anyway, Mom and DOD are gone for three times three days ....I guess we will be okay with that but they will suffer for it when they get back.

LACEY:  I don't really want to believe that Mom will leave me, but Robbie says it is true so I guess I have to believe him. He told me they always come home though so I hope that is true too. I have never been away from Mom since she got me from the kennel....I just want to put my head down and cry. I know Hugh and Barbra...they are nice people.... but I am still scared.

Sneakery!

They have let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. I knew they were up to something....all the whispered conversations and the way they would go quiet when I came into the room....They are going away without Me and Lacey!!! I have not been able get the scoop on where and for how long...or what they intend to do with ME while they are gone!

This really is not right! I mean, do I go away without them? NO! And Lacey does not know the drill...she is going to be some upset when she finds out.  I just hope they have bought in enough food and treats for us...and that they are going to let me take all my toys...and that I get TWO walks every day. And what about my Diary? Does this mean I will not be able to be on Facebook and my Blog for ages and ages?

Oh, I am not a happy Dog. I will have more to write when I get the details. I am going to march up to them right now and demand information........My own Mom and DOD, who would have believed it of them?!

Senior biscuits!

It was another rainy morning and Lacey refused to walk with Me and DOD again! It wasn't raining THAT hard...I am going to have a talk with that girl. Anyway, Me and DOD did the guy thing...it is amazing what he tells me when we are alone....Mom would have a fit!

Mom went into town today to shop for food our Old Point Farm work bee on Saturday. Sandra has all the jobs posted on our board.....I think that I am the over-all Superintendent for this one. Mom is making home-made buns and roasted turkey breast and hams..egg salad and tuna salad and all the trimmings to put on the buns..oh, and cookies. Of course I will be in charge of clean-up as well as everything else. I think Mom plans to invite Lacey...heaven only knows why. We will see what she contributes!

I have to tell you (although I hate to) that Mom brought home biscuits for 'Senior' dogs from Town! Has she gone mad? I am MATURE not senior!!  I don't know what to say.

LACEY:  What Robbie didn't tell you is that I went for a walk with him and DOD in the afternoon. I also went in the car....the one with the leather seats! I agree with Margaret and Tansy...girl dogs do not DO morning walks in the rain and muck! And as far as the 'Senior' biscuits go...I am only Three years old and I am not complaining...for SURE they are not for ME! My Bro is in denial!!

Construction and non-walks

Yesterday I hung out with the guys most of the day down at the Salamander Pond. Hugh, Tom and DOD (and Sandra as well 'cus she works as hard as a guy) are building a tractor shed at the pond and a very fine one it is too.  I supervised of course on the finer aspects of construction ....I also got into trouble for going under the tractor and getting oil and black stuff all over my butt! Lacey and Mom came to see what was taking us so long...Lacey raced around offering to help too but no-one took her up on it ...thank heaven!

Today was rainy again. Me and Lacey and DOD headed off on our walk this morning....and who knows why on earth she did it, but Lacey turned around and went home by herself. She can be so moody that girl.

LACEY:  Mom and I went for our regular walk to the pond...I had no intentions of helping.... I don't know where Robbie gets some of his ideas.... I took one look at that scruffy beast and knew I didn't want any part of the whole operation. And as for this morning....I just decided to have some girl-time with Mom. I don't like rain and the fire was lit....so I said to myself, 'Lacey what are you doing out in the wet when you could be with Mom.....and maybe she will be so happy to see you she will give you extra treats'. She DID... and I ate them all before Robbie got back!!!

A New Diary - Early One Morning

Lot's of  people have asked me to do my daily diary of my REAL life again...so I said 'okay, I will do that'.

Lacey wants to help too but as she has never done a blog I will monitor carefully what (if anything) she has to say!

So, here it is.

The days are getting longer at night, and not only that, they start earlier every day! This is a bit of a problem at my house as I believe in getting my chores done as early as possible....and now it is possible to get started before 6.00am. As a mature Dog I think I should be able to organise my own life! But....Mom is  a micro-manager and a control freak and she does not want me setting my own work schedule.....she needs some self-help courses  in letting-go. Anyway, I persist (it is for her own good) and after the usual moaning when she looks at the clock, either she or DOD gets up and lets me out.

 According to the internet, mornings will arrive earlier every day until June 21st. I don't know if They know this but I foresee a bit of a problem.

LACEY:  I just want to say 'hello'. And now I have that out of the way, I also want to say that I feel sorry for Mom and DOD....Mom is looking pale and haggard from lack of sleep. I mean it is not like Robbie needs to go out ...he has not seen a Deer or Otter in days! I think the only thing worth getting up for before 7.00am is a delicious treat! 

ROBBIE: This dual blog is not going to be easy!!!