I'm Back! I'm Home! And I have Tales to Tell!

Here's Uncle Tom threatening to
pick me up by my ears a la Lyndon Johnson.

I was gone over two weeks. My owner had out of state company and they were so busy they had NO TIME FOR ME! So I was sent off to stay with the Country Cousins in Poulsbo, Washington. Now, I've been there before. In fact, I helped care for their two old dogs when they went away. (Humans seem to go away a lot!)

So today was MY DAY. I got to go home. I had a pretty eventful time with the Country Cousins. I had many adventures.

Squirrel Hunting - When I got to the Country Cousins' home I checked out every corner of the yard, the pasture and the gardens. One day they left the barn door open. JACK POT! I went in to the barn and snooped around. I found out there were squirrels there. In fact, although they won't admit it, I smelled mice too! I added the barn to my list of favorite places to check out daily.

Here's the place where the squirrels hide out.

Scaring Joseph - One day this little dog arrived with two human women in tow. His name was Joseph and I met him once in Santa Fe. He is a spoiled little dog. He gets carried around in his owner's purse every where he goes. So I decided to scare a little reality into him. I bayed at Joe. Then Indy and Remi got interested in Joe. Pretty soon, Joe joined our pack. He got scared into being a real dog! GO JOE!

Taking Over Tom's Den - I am used having my own space. I have a corner of my owner's office. I keep my huge bed there. I also have my crate there. So, needless to say, I needed a space of my own at the Country Cousins (since I had an extended stay). Remi and Indy spread out in the living room. Remi had his bed in Tom and Glenda's bedroom while Indy slept under Tom's desk in the den. So I sniffed around and found the perfect place. There was a WHOLE CORNER in

I took over this corner of Tom's den.

Tom's den that was unclaimed. In fact, there was a dog bed under a desk there. So I TOOK IT OVER. MY BED! MY CORNER!

Breaking Bad - Each time I went into the yard and pasture I checked for wildlife. They always seemed to be just beyond the fence. I sniffed. I bayed and I wished I could chase them. One day I found a loose wire in the fence. I pushed my way through. FREE AT LAST! I scared Glenda because I took off in a flash. I was out for adventure. I WAS ON THE RUN! I headed through the woods and down the road. I was ready to hunt, chase and have fun. But, all of a sudden I got a little tired and stopped to rest. Glenda caught me and took me back to their house. BEFORE I KNEW IT I WAS BACK BEHIND THE FENCE. Drat!

Here I am demonstrating how to probe the perimeter of the pasture for a way out.

Eating Bunny Poop - This was a new hobby that I developed at the Country Cousins. Indy and Remi showed me that the bunnies that hopped around the pasture left little round presents. Well, they looked like dog kibble so we all gobbled them up. Needless to say, my owner was not thrilled with my new hobby.

Helping Glenda Walk - I was lying around a lot so Glenda asked me if I wanted to help her walk. Well, I am very skilled at 5K volkswalks, so I knew I could help her with this task. After, all I am an experienced walker! So we walked. One day we walked FIVE MILES! That was too much. I resigned as her training partner.

Here I am resting after the 5 mile forced walk!

Ignoring the Fireworks - Last year in my home town of Vancouver, WA, I endured two weeks... TWO WEEKS... of 4th of July Fireworks. Since I was up in Poulsbo, I didn't have to go through that. I heard a pop or two on the 3rd, but the sound was so far away I didn't care. So when the 4th rolled around I was pretty complacent. I watched Tom barbque and heard a few pops in the distance. I was so calm and cool, I just about fell asleep standing in the warm sun. So when it was almost dark, I went into my corner to go to sleep. AND I SLEPT RIGHT THROUGH THE REAL FIREWORKS!

Here I am back home on my bench. I am exhausted!

I was really glad to see my owner. I had thought, perhaps, that she had abandoned me (they call it re-homing). But she didn't. I hopped in the car this morning ready for another adventure. I WAS FREE AT LAST!

Thank you Country Cousins for letting me stay with you BUT I AM HAPPY TO BE GOING HOME!