cabin time

We planted a tree in the cabin. Humans do some odd things, don't you agree?

There's a nest in the tree, but no birds.

I like to go on the snowshoe trail, but my fur gets all full of snowballs.

sun

I know where the sun sleeps. I've caught him waking up in the morning. He sleeps behind the hill, just past the snowshoe trail. At 10:30 each morning he takes a long deep breath of fresh air, stretches his rays out over the edge of the hill and smiles down on our log cabin. He lays a sunbeam on the couch just for me. Could a dog have any better luck than that?

fun for me

I looked out my window one morning and saw these guys standing in the yard. I went out to investigate and found they are not sociable. In fact all they do is stand out there and get covered in snow!
















There's getting to be more snow and it's everywhere.
I enjoy running through the snow and sniffing the deer tracks. Today there was a deer in my yard. I'm a lucky dog.

Something has happened to our twinkly lights. They started to grow legs.

The world is so amazing.

fixer upper

Supervising is an important job and I take it seriously. The humans are at work whenever we go to the home away from home. They bring me along to keep them on track.

I watched them fix the ceiling in the attic. I learned some interesting new home renovation vocabulary!

As you can see, they have taken the cabint apart, but can't seem to put it back together.

The cabinets in the kitchen are new and I am hopeful the humans will figure out how to put doors on them.

Work, work, work, does a supervisor get any time for fun?

Visitors

The kids came for a visit. It is a delightful surprise to be looking out my window and see visitors arrive. They came with us for a walk in the forest and we collected up lots of treasures. Humans are funny that way. We've got a bag full of moss, lichens, Oregon grape leaves, dogwood branches, birch bark and other stuff.





















We've got some twinkly lights up at our place now. This reminds me of something.













Even the outhouse is getting dressed up.




























My mom, Lola the Goddess, and Uncle Smudge joined us for dinner.


















Enjoying the company of visitors
playing tag and tug of war
a game of chase
a race
fetch
and then
some quiet time
snuggled and loved

It's never too crowded for another friend!

the forest

I've been tramping around in the forest.

I've found it to be silent, like a pause

I've noticed it is damp, like lonliness

It is uneven, like a beating heart

Is the forest a place of mystery,

waiting to be solved?

I've been viewing the land from my window.

I've noticed a colorless sky, like dust

I've found it's in slow motion, like syrup

It is simple and easy, like a sigh

Is the window a mirror,

showing me myself?

My window.

What Season

I was enjoying the falling leaves and the cool weather.

I mistakenly thought it was fall.

A warm fire, a comfy couch and a good friend...

Any season is fine!

home away from home

The seasons have changed and the humans have been taking me to our home away from home. It's a good place for an energetic pup like me. There is space to run and explore. There is wildlife to examine. I got to bark at a herd of deer, bet they won't be back for awhile!

Our home away from home is a bit rough around the edges. We call it "the cabin". And although there is no running water, there is a fancy tub with little guest soaps on each shelf.

Wait a minute, that's not a guest soap.

Oh, well...I don't plan to have a bath there anyway. (or anywhere else if I can help it!)

Family Day

Sept. 27, 2009

Family Day on Mt. Rose

The kids came for a visit so I got to take my mom, Lola the Goddess, and Uncle Smudge on a hike. It was nice to share the sniffing and to play chase on the trail. They got a chance to try some bouldering. It was fun. There were some cheeky squirrels, but they always escaped up a tree before we could get close. We got treats and a drink of water at the top of the mountain. On the way down, we stirred up a lot of dust.

Have you taken your family to a mountain lately? It's a good thing to do.

morning

Morning is my favorite time of day. I like to get up before the alarm goes off, usually around 5:oo am. Since the humans are still asleep, I get to wake them up!

First I unravel myself from my fuzzy blanket at the foot of the bed. I stretch like a cat, have a yawn and shake the sleep out of my head. I jump onto the sleeping body of victim number one and, with careful balance, make my way to his head. Now I wash his face. I begin by licking his lips for him. Then I clean out his eyes. From there I give his nose a wipe and before I know it he is grabbing me in a playful bear hug. I find myself being whisked off the bed and into the dark.

Once I get in from the backyard, I can count on a cookie. While the coffee beans are being ground, I track down my lost toys and my bully stick. But wait. There is still something missing. While the coffee drips into the pot, I prance down the shadowy hallway to the bedroom. Sure enough, there is the missing human. I whine and whine and scratch at the bed. I bring my ball and try to engage her in a game of fetch. I whine and whine and soon a hand drops down over the edge of the bed. I kiss the hand and give some little love nips. Next thing I know the legs and feet appear and she is getting into her slippers.

I can now relax and have my morning chew while the humans yawn and drink coffee. The world is in order and we can get on with the new day.

under the weather

I overheard the humans saying "Chili is under the weather today."

I must be invisible. I was right under their noses, snuggled in my doggie bed next to the big window. I was under a blanket, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't under the weather.

It is rainly and cool. I'm not feeling well today. I slept in, I didn't go outside in the morning, I passed on my morning bully stick chew at coffee time. I felt weak and shaky. I couldn't stop shivering. All I wanted to do was sleep.

But I'm better now and I've been playing fetch. I got a new toy today and I've nearly got it destroyed already. Not bad, huh? I've had a bowl full of kibble and I'm ready to wrestle. I'm off to find a human to play with.

Hmmmm? If you can be under the weather, can you also be over the weather?

Oregon Coast, sand, waves, salt

I hit the beaches for a few days in late August.

Plenty of room for me to stretch out my legs, get some sand between my toes and try wind surfing.

I could not get enough of the beaches. Whether they were sandy or rocky, I loved them all.

What a great place to play fetch and dig holes. I could chase the waves, sniff the kelp and sea grass, snack on stuff. I hardly ever had to wear a leash. Is this doggie nirvana?

How do you like my signature? I did it myself. Of course the humans had to help me with the spelling.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE BEACHES?

Redwoods, big trees for a little dog

Aug. 17, 2009
Stout Grove Trail
Jedediah Smith Redwoods, California
approx. 45 min.

whoa! did I feel small
big tress everywhere
soft, wide trail
ferns
logs to paly on
lots of people
shady

2 paws up

Crater Lake, the deep blue

I was not allowed on the trails at Crater Lake. It gave me time to rest and lick my paw. I was better in a few days. The humans drove me around the rim. I liked it. Kind of felt like royalty being chauffeured around.












This is how a volcano looks when the crater is filled up with water.

It is hard to tell what is water and what is sky. Wouldn't it be great to walk on water?

Three Sisters Wilderness, dust, fleas, limp

This is me being frisky-then the humans diagnosed me with fleas. That's when the fun ended. I was tortured by wearing a stinking flea collar. I was subjected to disgusting greasy drops in my fur. I endured a spray bomb of toxic chemicals. I was worked over each day for 10 days with a cruel cold metal flea comb. And each night I got kicked out of the sleeping bags and onto the camper floor.

During the "time of fleas" I felt just like this gray and gloomy boat load of lonesome, cold, out of luck fishermen.

Aug. 14, 2009

South Sister Summit

Three Sisters Wilderness, Oregon

8 1/2 hrs

lots of up up up 1493m of up

not much water or shade

very windy

very dusty, my poor nose and eyes

trail goes from soft, to gravel, to soft loose scree to sharp red cinders to cut puppy paws

lots of people and pooches, take a leash

snow to play in
this is a volcano and you go to the rim

due to my cut paw, I had a limp for a couple of days after this

3 paws up (the scree dust and sharp cinders are rough, otherwise it's a 4)

This is the rim. The crater is filled with snow. In the back you can see the clouds beneath us.

Aug. 15, 2009

Lava Cast Forest trail,

south of Bend, Oregon

approx 45 min.

a paved, interpretive trail

not many people

fun holes and caves to explore

1 paw up

I'm hiding. You'll never find me!

Mt. St. Helen's, dust, mist

I'll never get this fur to dry out.

Did you order my gore-tex rain poncho yet?

Aug. 11, 2009

Norway Pass trail

Mt. St. Helen's

Approx. 3 soggy hours

soft trailbed

no water

deer and elk tracks for sniffing

logs for climbing and playing

the mist made the mountain disappear

the bushes and plants were dripping

2 paws up

This is me

Aug. 10, 2009

Windy Ridge

Mt. St. Helen's

Spirit Lake view trail

approx. 1 1/2 hours

stairs to start

dusty

no hikers after the stairs

some fur raising side hills

hike back on the road

no water

1 paw up

Mt. Rainier, a good time

Aug. 9, 2009
Pacific Crest Trail to
Crystal Lake viewpoint
Mt. Rainier, Washington

approx 4 leisurely hours

trail follows the park border

water for a swim

a few people and pooches

pack goats!

smooth trail

don't cross into Mt. Ranier Park! no dogs allowed on trails.

2 paws up

How I spent my summer vacation

eating dust

scratching fleas

nursing a hornet sting

limping

drying my fur

sleeping

looking out the truck window

next time, I boycott the summer vacation