Snowy and blurry

We get excited when it snows, The Boy and I do. It all comes from snow only happening every once in a long while.

Today the thumb-havers made us stay inside when they went to work, but when they got back, it had started snowing and we got to go out and play!

We went round and round the yard. You can see here that I really streamlined myself, to make a well-furred machine totally determined to Get The Boy. Which I did, a few seconds later.

We both got a little blurry with all the nifty cold air and cold white stuff and action! I couldn't even chew on a stick slow enough for the camera to get the whole stick.

The Boy couldn't even stop being blurry for The Alpha to pet him.

See? Or, can you?

We sure had fun! (Molly, I remember what you mean about the snow now, even though we don't get as much as you do!)

Abandoned. (okay, not really.)

Yeah, we had different thumb-havers this weekend. The Typist and The Alpha took luggage into the garage -- and we all know The Boy knows what a suitcase means, and he tried to go with them, but wasn't allowed. Pretty soon, though, a back-up set of thumb-havers arrived and stayed with us a couple of nights, but they slept in that other room that we only hang out in when we're defending the perimeter from people who think they have a right to use our sidewalk or something. Anyhow, here's a picture Aunt Lidna took:

The Boy is either shy or itchy in this picture. My bet is on itchy, because he really needed a bath.

He got one, too, as soon as The Alpha and The Typist got home. For some reason, I was able to avoid the same torture by lying casually in the middle of the bedroom floor. Apparently, if I don't make a big deal about it by hiding, they forget to give me a bath. Then again, maybe I didn't need one; it's only been a day since his bath and The Boy is already getting his stink back. He has a natural talent for that. (Why can't he have some other natural talent?, The Typist wants to know.) My natural talent is shedding... I'm a German Shedder, after all.

The Boy swears that the next time the suitcase comes out, he will not get left. (Apparently he has some sort of plan, though I can't imagine it would be very involved, with his thought process. My guess is it's something along the lines of see suitcase, run for back door.) Like it's any sort of struggle being here without them -- heck, we get pampered either way -- but he has definite preferences for our regular thumb-havers. He won't even go outside to pee for Grandma.

RevGals' Friday Five: Giving Thanks

From RevGalBlogPals: It's that time of year. In the U.S., college students will be on their way home, traffic on the highways will be at its highest point, cooking and baking will ensue. But before the gorging and napping begins, let's take a moment to give thanks. Please tell us five things or people for which you are thankful this year.

The Typist and I are both going to play! Here goes:

DogBlogger: I'm thankful for The Typist and The Alpha. They took me in when I was a wee pup with missing fur, and they helped me grow my fur back and everything. Also, they're still very nice to have around. I have a feeling I wouldn't be allowed in this house if it weren't for them.
The Typist: I'm thankful for my PoppyGirl! She's truly been a blessing, and as my own very first dog, she taught me how amazing, smart, loving, and all-around wonderful pups can be.

DB: Aw, shucks...
TT: Don't mention it, SweetieGirl. Poppy kisses?
DB: Poppy kisses!!!

DB: I'm also thankful for The Boy. I wasn't too sure about him when he arrived on the scene, but he's proven to be entertaining, willing to share, and I still get the same amount of food as before he was around, which is comforting.
TT: I'm very thankful for The Alpha. He's also entertaining and willing to share. I'm especially thankful he shares my whole life with me.

DB: Hmm, number 3... I'm thankful for a sunny yard. I love lying out in the sun with my coat shining and getting all warm and toasty.
TT: I'm thankful for friends and family (two- and four-footed), especially friends who have become our in-town family and church family, like Mid-Life Rookie and her family.

DB: I'm thankful for walks and rides! Even when the rides get too long sometimes, because it usually means good stuff at the other end.
TT: I'm thankful that life, though it has its frustrations, is really pretty darn easy and good for us.

DB: And last on this short list, I'm thankful for everyone who comes through the front door to see me! I'm always so glad to have guests!
TT: I'm thankful for music and the great people and things it has brought into my life.

"S" is for Strangekitty

On our double-u-ay-ell-kay this evening, The Boy and I saw a really fluffy kitty! We wanted to go chase it, but The Alpha held us back. We pulled and pulled, and I noticed that the black fluffy kitty didn't quite look like the other neighborhood kitties -- it had a really fluffy tail, and some white stripey fur all the way down its back and tail, too.

So, the fluffy kitty ran away from us and behind some trees. The Alpha seemed pretty pleased that the kitty ran away, but I'm still thinking about what fun it would've been to run up and sniff that kitty. (You never really get a good sense of something until you've given it a good sniff.)

RevGals' Friday Five: What's Red and Blue and Purple All Over?

I can't see very many colors, but The Typist can, so she decided she wanted to play the Friday Five this week. So, here it is.

Those of us who are in the United States have just been through quite a topsy-turvy election. During the campaign we heard a fair amount about red states and blue states, when in fact most of us live in some shade of purple. And so... a lighter look at those confounding colors:

1. Favorite red food:
Strawberries.

2. Tell us about the bluest body of water you've ever seen in person.
When we took our Kenai Fjords National Park glacier cruise from Seward, Alaska, we saw some blue, blue spots near the mouths of Resurrection Bay and Aialik Bay, and at the toe of Northwestern Glacier, that were amazing beyond anything words or camera could capture. (We were too agog to be even a little worried about the icebergs bumping against the hull of our boat.)

3. It's movie rental time: Blue Planet, The Color Purple, or Crimson Tide?
Don't think I've ever seen Blue Planet, but I do remember liking Crimson Tide pretty well, even though it's been at least a decade since I've seen it.

4. What has you seeing red these days?
Lots of stuff! Injustice and stupidity are right there at the top, though.

5. What or who picks you up when you're feeling blue?
The Whats: The right CD for the mood I'm in; sweet and/or fatty foods; and the shirking of responsibility, even if it's just a tiny bit.
The Whos: The Alpha, The Best Dog Ever, and her goofy sidekick, The Boy, of course! Also, assorted BlogPals (RevGal and otherwise).

"Wild and Unruly"

So The Alpha and The Typist were watching their favorite girl band on VH1 Storytellers the other night. We were all on the couch together, and we overheard The Typist comment that she likes the lyric "I want to grow something wild and unruly."

That's when The Boy grumbled to me, "Every time I try to grow something wild and unruly, she tells me, 'Boy, put that thing away!'"

I think I know what he was talking about, but I just pretended I didn't hear him.

Why doesn't he get it? WHY?

Okay, I realize he wasn't around here when he was a tiny pup, so he didn't get all the benefit of growing up with The Alpha and The Typist like I did. But, you'd think, after all this time, that The Boy would've figured out the "down" command. He hasn't.

They attempt to teach him the same way they taught me... with voice, hand signals, physical guidance on positioning, praise, ear rubs, toys, even treats on occasion. But first off, he seems to like sitting way better. And second, he apparently thinks "down" is the same as "are you a bellydawg?" because he rolls over on his back half the time.

I can hear The Alpha still working with him in the living room. There are more "Good boy"s than there were a few minutes ago. So, maybe there's finally some hope. He's smart, The Boy is; he just doesn't seem to apply himself very well.

Any ideas, Internet?

Oh, my...

Check out what I got when I tried this trick I saw over at Zorra's blog:

dogblogger -- [adjective]: Extremely flatulent 'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

The Typist says it's actually more true of just about everyone in the house but me. I'm kinda glad that word isn't in my vocabulary, because I'm not sure if I want to know.

Snoozy day

Today has been a day of not doing much so far.

This picture is actually from an evening a while back, but you get the idea.

I'm so darn cute when I'm all curled up for a nap!

Nothing like a good wrassle!

Last night The Typist held onto The Boy's collar and made him sit and stay in the kitchen while I got to do something very special: wrasslin' with The Alpha!

We hadn't wrassled like that in ages. Probably not since The Boy came to live here. There was crouching, there was play posturing (The Alpha looks kinda funny with his butt up in the air like that, what with no tail on it), there was faking back and getting caught for a doggy noogie. It was great! Eventually The Typist had to let The Boy loose again, and he totally tried to horn in on my wrassle, but that's okay because we were pretting much finished anyway.

It's nice to know The Alpha still likes playing with his Poppy Girl.