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 I have been replaced by some female Labradoodle type who knows sweet toot about plumbing.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!!!