Grandma Cursed Us

Sure, it was raining yesterday, but there was no thought of the dreaded t & l word. There was not a sign. Then Grandma called and she had to say how scared her dog was because they had several days of those unmentioned words. Before Mom could stop her there was a loud booming noise and the house lit up. Sure enough, Grandma sent us thunder and lightning. What kind of Grandma does that? We barked and barked to scare it away, but it took its sweet time leaving. We want Mom to send snow down south this winter to get even.

Picture Credit: Johnglenn513 Morgue Files

Our Weekly Book Review: The Dragon Kiss

Mom and I finally finished listening to the Dragon Kiss this week.

This book had more adventure that the previous one. Auden the dragon wants to be human so he can marry Millie a human/dragon. I cannot imagine wanting to be anything other than a Sheltie. Humans have no time to play or sleep. They are always traveling around and busy with other things. However, Auden had his reasons.

His relatives force him to complete certain tasks in order to get the right to be able to shape shift from human to dragon. Bailey liked that this book was less mushy and had more action. He hung out with me more to listen to the story while Mom was working. I was pleased that the story had my romantic happy ending. Mom borrowed A Prince among Frogs from the library so I can listen to the final book in the series.

What Happened to Fall?

Mom told us that fall was coming. Katy barely remembers last fall, but I love fall. The weather is cool, the leaves crunch under my feet, and the smells are amazing. However, this past week has felt worse than any we experienced during the hot days of summer. Everything in the house is sweating from something Mom calls humidity.

I demand my fall weather and I want it now!

Wordless Wednesday: The Red Sox Season Not Going Well

Crochet Swaps Bring Dog Treats

We have been complaining that Mom spends too much time with her crochet hooks. In fact, she started to use Bailey as a crochet pattern holder when he wanted to snuggle with her on the couch and she was working on a project. However, we have discovered something cool about crocheting. Some swap partners send dog treats and toys.

Mom is involved in a group that does themed crochet swaps. She completed her first one and her first box arrived. We were very excited and Mom could not understand why as all she could smell is cinnamon, which she loves. We however, immediately sensed there was more to this package than yarn, crochet hooks, potpourri and candles. There was the delightful smell of dog treats. We were even more amazed to find a cool Frisbee that doubles as our new favorite tug toy. This one is Katy sized and she constantly fights to get it back. Mom is not sure what it is about this toy that she is so attached to, but she is thrilled that Katy is showing some interest in holding on to something when I try to steal everything. (You should have seen my toy pile yesterday.)

So perhaps this crocheting thing is not so bad after all.

What a Beautiful Fall Weekend

Mom and Dad spent a great deal of time enjoying the fall weather. It turns out that many people ignored the directions for that fall festival and brought their dogs to the outdoor festival Mom we wrote about a few weeks ago. The dogs left the parade and ignored the rules about going to the festival. Mom and Dad followed the rules and we stayed home. However, Dad made some special time for us when he got home and Bailey made a visit to a special friend later that night.

Sunday Mom and Dad were going to a kid-oriented event that Dad had to make a presentation at and they invited one of our human cousins to come and visit. She came over on Saturday night so she could be ready early on Saturday morning. Katy and I chased the ball, but Katy hesitated to get to close. Not me, I got as much attention as I could. She wanted to make friends, but was not sure. She would come close even poking with nose and foot, but each time she retreated. I of course took full advantage of the situation and got as close as I could. Never one to pass up a tummy rub, I moved in. However, Katy was trying to make a connection. After we went to bed, Katy made several trips downstairs to check on our guest. She would stay for a short time until a noise would send her flying back upstairs to jump up on top of me.

When Mom and Dad arrived home last night, Katy kept checking the door. She normally has this reaction when she knows Mom or Dad has stayed outside talking to a neighbor and has not come in yet. She was distressed that one of her sheep had not returned home. She actually missed our guest. She does not seem to understand the idea of borrowed sheep, yet.

I may have to get used to sharing attention with Katy, as she is getting bolder.

Our Weekly Book Review: The Salamander Spell

While Bailey has shown no interest in the series I was very excited when Mom brought home The Salamander Spell. After the romance and adventure of The Dragon Princess ,I had high expectations. Bailey had no interest in the Tales of the Frog Princess series, although he has gotten hooked on the Grimm's sister adventures Mom has been reviewing for her education blog.

Mom was interested in this story as it provided the family history Emma's Mom, Chartreuse and Aunt Grassina. It explains why Emma's Mom was not the green witch and why Aunt Grassina ended up with the gift of magic. It was not nearly as exciting as Milly's story. Mom has promised to make it up to me and has put Milly's next story Dragon Kiss on reserve at the library. I will admit Bailey is right, the Sister's Grimm are pretty funny.

Wordless Wednesday: Dad's Bad Aim

It is the Small Things

It really is the small stuff with Katy. Like children, it is wrong to compare dogs, but sometimes you cannot help yourself. Things came easier to Bailey. It may have been that he came to us as a puppy from rescue and he had less baggage. He might have a more outgoing personality. I do not know. I do know that Katy has fought hard to believe and each victory is amazing.

People can debate the issues with dogs on furniture, but we have always enjoyed cuddling with the dogs on our beds and couches. That is why the couches all have fleece blankets on them. They wash when company comes and it reduces the hair to clothing ratio for our guests. When Katy came to us, she had challenges with stairs and jumping was not something she would do. We were not sure if it was training or fear.

The stairs were necessary. In order to reach the backyard she had to be able to negotiate the back stairs. My husband carried her down the first few times, but that was not a long-term option. With cookies and Bailey's help, we coached her on walking the stairs. Today, the problem is still getting her to walk the stairs. Now, she flies over them. Getting her to touch the stairs is a thing of the past. She flies up and down every set of stairs indoors and out. It is wonderful to see her fearless, but we do have to work on keeping her from breaking her neck with her races with Bailey around the house.

I started a tradition of picking her up and scratching and petting her on the couches for short periods of time to help her understand she was allowed on the furniture if she wanted to be there. She was not interested for a very long time. Last night I walked into the room my husband and his friend were watching the game and I saw Katy jump up on the couch and curl up with my husband. I struggled not to say anything. For some reason when you notice what she has done, even in a positive way, Katy leaves. My husband told me later that she has started to come out at night and watch sports with him on the couch. It does not sound like a big issue. However, if you understood how far she has come not just jumping up on her own, but to initiate contact it is huge.

Katy may always be shy. Several people have remarked that may be her personality. I am fine with that. My hope has always been that she would choose to do things based on personality, not on fear or bad past experiences. She may never be comfortable with strangers. However, she has won so many of the battles with challenges since she arrived with that I leave it to her to decide.

Monday Night Football

The season has begun. We had our first college and professional football bonding with Dad this weekend. However, tonight is a special night. Dad's best friend is coming over to watch the Patriots open the Monday night football season. Dad is getting Pizza and this friend ALWAYS has dog biscuits in his pockets. What more could a Sheltie want?

Football Season Begins

We are so ready for football season. We watched the first game with Dad last night. We heard one of our favorite people is coming to watch the opening Patriot's game with Dad. You may not realize it, but we are big fans. Mom's Aunt made Bailey his own Patriot's fleece blanket with remnants she had left over from making Christmas blankets for family members. Grandma made Dad a knitted blanket with the Patriots logo. Dad keeps the hair controlled on the couch, rotating fleece Patriots and Red Sox blankets. We inherited our sport's obsession from Dad.

Enjoy the football season everyone.

Our Weekly Book Review: The Dragon Princess

Mom is right I like romantic books. I sat through all the Jane Austen books including the horror versions she reviewed and I loved them all. Bailey was off in the other room chewing bones. I have listened to the Tales of the Frog Princess all the way through the marriage of Prince Eadric and Emma. Now Mama has brought home The Dragon Princess which is the tale of Millie their 15-year-old daughter and I am still hooked. Yes, Bailey you can groan all you want, but this is a Sheltie version of a soap opera. You can have your endless sports, but give me a story first of a frog princess and now a dragon and I am hooked.

Yes, Millie can turn into a dragon and this adventure is about her learning to control her powers and have the choice over when she wants to be a dragon and when she wants to be human. Of course throw that in with her problem with finding a prince who can deal with a dragon princess and I have my romantic fix. After all as a Sheltie princess, I love reading about how others deal with the challenges the title brings.

Bailey is concerned because he now has to be afraid of snowmen. First, it is veggies and now dangerous snowmen. Who would have thought snowmen could be dangerous? After all sit on them for a bit and they melt.

I can't wait until Mama brings home the next book The Salamander Spell from the library.

Wordless Wednesday: Enjoying the Last Days of Summer

The Appliance Vet is Coming

Dad says the appliances are getting a checkup today with something to do with their warranty. The dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer are seeing the appliance vet who comes to the house. I guess it would be hard for the appliances to get in Dad’s car and go to the appliance vet.
Bailey wants to know if they get shots. Every time we go there always seems to be shots involved. Mom talks about the temperature in the washing machine, so we are curious to know if the Vet will be checking on it when he/she is here.

Have any of you had experience with appliance vets? We have had plumbers and electricians here. We had no idea there were vets for appliances or that they got checkups. The plumbing has had inspections and repairs, but it has never had a checkup. Maybe that is why our favorite plumber visits instead of a plumbing vet.

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day is a bit of a big deal in this area. There is a parade and people take it pretty seriously. For the first time Dad and Mom saw people putting out chairs the afternoon before. I guess they must be expecting large crowds. Mom wrote an article for her education blog about the parade and it has been getting hits from around the state and even from surrounding states. She had no clue it would be that popular. She wrote it for family and friends, since the local paper can be hard to access online. She wanted to make the information available to people who might want it. It was also a good place to send people, instead of trying to pull out the paper to find the information again. Mama is honest enough to admit her blogs are often like extra storage units for information she hates to lose.

One of our favorite relatives is coming to visit today. She has no problem spending time giving us lots of attention and playing with us.

We hope all of you have a happy, fun, and safe Labor Day.

Happy Anniversary Katy

It all started with an email. While actually it really started when the new neighbors rescued a cute black lab and Bailey realized just how lonely he was as the only dog in the house. He so badly wanted a playmate and he was not allowed to play with the new dog next door. Mom felt so bad. She knew Bailey needed a brother or sister in his own home to play with, but she had to talk Dad into the idea of bringing home another Sheltie.

Mom agreed to not pursuing a puppy, but an adult dog. Dad thought about it and agreed. Mom sent in the paper work to the New England Sheltie Rescue. They expected a considerable wait time before a dog would be available and they were OK with that.

However, an email arrived almost immediately telling them about me and they jumped to reply. They were going to have a new dog for Labor Day. I had no idea that people were coming to take me home. I was at my foster home playing with my foster brothers. They were fun. My foster Mom was nice and gave me tons of cookies. In fact, for a long time that was the only word I responded to until I moved in with Mom and Dad.

Mom was surprised when she realized this was Labor Day weekend and thus the anniversary of my arrival. She says she cannot believe it has been a year. I can tell, though. I finally claim toys as my own. I demand attention from Dad and know I will get it. When we get in the car, I no longer think I am leaving forever. I am home.

Our Weekly Book Review: The Celery Stalks at Midnight

We warned you about veggie gardens and after listening to another of Mom's library audio books The Celery Stalks at Midnight we have even more proof of the danger of veggie gardens. Our friends from Howliday Inn are back and as usual facing danger. A Vampire bunny has been turning the family veggies into zombies and Chester and Harold must attack the veggies with toothpicks to put them to rest. Vampire hunting is not as easy as they make it in the movies. Toothpicks are not as strong or as easy to use for animals as people might think.

Chester and Harold are reassured by the end of the book. We, however still think this book supports our theory that veggie gardens are dangerous to humans and animals.