We're Hunting Christmas Trees

Bunny here, taking over Mom's new laptop to tell you about my adventure today.  It started out like an ordinary Saturday with the humans watching the television in their jammies.  Then Dad said something to Mom that I didn't hear clearly, since I was busy playing with my new Christmas hedgamahog and she went and got in the shower. 

Soon I saw the signs that they were getting ready to go somewhere, again, and I sighed to myself.  They've been going places a lot lately and I miss them being at home.  Sure enough, Dad took us all outside for a powder room break and then we came back in.  Yep, I said to myself, they're definitely going somewhere again.  Mom was already headed for the van. 

Imagine my surprise and delight when Dad whispered my name and showed me a leash.  I hopped off the couch as quick as one of Santa's reindeer and headed straight for the door.  Dad put the leash on and took me out to the van, too!  I hopped up in the van and we took off.  I didn't know where we were going, but I'm always up for a trip with my people!  It was even better that I was the only one who got to go.

We drove for a long time and I snacked on french fries while we went through the city.  Soon we were out in the country, but we kept driving.  Before long we were off on a little dirt road, but we still kept going.  It was turning out to be a long drive, but I didn't want to take a nap and miss anything.  Finally, we stopped at a farm and Mom put my leash back on. 

We got out of the van and started walking towards a big white barn.  They had these little metal carts and Dad got very excited for some reason.  He got a saw and started pulling the cart and we walked off into this little forest.  There were green trees everywhere!  The smell was ticking my nose something fierce.  There was tall grass, too, and it was just begging me to eat it.  I thought we drove all the wayout there for a grass buffet, but then Mom told me to knock it off.  Figures! 

So, we sniffed around out there for a while.  Then Mom explained that we were looking for a tree to take back to the house to put presents under.  Humans have some strange ideas sometimes, but I've found it's best to just humor them and go along with things.  You get better treats that way.  Anyroo, after I knew what we were hunting for (trust me, I looked for rabbits, but there were none to be had) I joined in the search.  Apparently, not just any tree will do.  Some are too big.  Others are too small.  They can't be too fat or too skinny.  You can't get one with a hole in it.  Forget about ones that don't have a straight trunk.  I pointed out a few that I thought were good, but apparently they need to walk around the whole tree forest before picking one -- and they complain that we dogs have to circle three times before laying down!   That's nothing compared to this.  I was having a good time, though.  It was a very nice day, sunny and not too warm or cold.  A walk in the woods to pick a tree was a perfect activity and I was involved in the decision, so I can't growl any.  We finally found the perfect tree and Dad set to work cutting it down. 

After he got done cutting it down, I saw why he was so excited about the little cart.  It was just the right size to carry that tree back to the barn.  How clever Dad turned out to be!  We carted the tree back and then went to pay for it.  I supervised the baling and loading up of the tree and then got into the van.  I kept a close eye on it for the trip back.

Apparently, Mom didn't think we had enough shiny baubles to put on the tree when we got it back, so we stopped at a shop called 20,000 Christmas Ornaments.  Mom and Dad went in and took pictures.  Apparently, wagging greyhound tails are a liability in those kinds of places, so I stayed in the van and made sure nobody made off with our tree.  I definitely didn't want to have to go back and pick out another one.  Anyroo, Dad got some pictures from inside the store and now I think it's called 19,996 Christmas Ornaments because Mom bought four in there. 

That left us back on the road again and Mom had to stop at Target and get a bookshelf, then we stopped by Dad's sister's house where they were baking cookies.  I offered my services as a cookie taster, but they assured me that they had it under control.  Hmph!  I got to play with my cousin Lily and her boy and girl for a little while.  They gave me a rawhide and I thoroughly enjoyed it on the way home. 

When we got home, they set the tree up in the house and worked on putting sparkly lights and ornaments on it.  We hounds have our own tree, too!  It's pink with dog ornaments on it!  I supervised the tree decorating from the couch, because I was one tired puppy.  It was one big adventure, but it wore me out!  I can't wait for the next big adventure, though!

I Sit, Therefore You Feed Me

There is a common myth amongst greyhound owners that greyhounds cannot sit.  This is absolutely untrue.  All of our greyhounds have been able to sit on command, although teaching them to do it is different than teaching other dogs.  We don't ask Lilac to sit anymore because it does get difficult for them when they age.  At night, we ask Blueberry and Bunny to sit for their treats and Lilac is simply asked to look pretty.

Part of teaching ours to sit on command involves us giving them a lot of treats.  Bunny has a rather cute sit, but Blueberry's sit is really beautiful.  She looks like a living statue, her head held at an angle that makes her look like the descendant of royalty that she is.  When I watch her do it, I'm reminded of the RCA dog.

There has been a rather interesting side development from teaching them this particular trick.  They now believe that sitting entitles them to whatever we have that they want.  This morning, the last quarter of my Panera bagel was divided amongst three beautiful beggars.  I didn't really need the whole thing anyway.  I looked over and she was sitting there beside the couch and I was helpless to resist giving it to her. 

Me:  You know, this isn't really very good for you...

Blueberry:  It's not good for you, either.  Look, I'm sitting!

Me:  I see that and you look beautiful sitting, too!

Blueberry:  Ahem!  And.....?

Me:  This bagel is delicious!

Blueberry:  Did you notice that I was sitting?

Me:  Yes, I thought I just complimented you on it.

Bluberry:  Oh, well, perhaps you did!

Me:  I'm sure of it!

Blueberry:  I love you!

Me:  Here, have some bagel!

I'm so glad we taught them to sit!

Too Many Cooks...

Wednesday night found us baking in the kitchen in anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's family.  We weren't doing anything too complicated; it was simply molasses cookies and caramel apple cookies.  However, anybody with dogs probably knows that even the most simple task can become more challenging and entertaining when dogs get involved.

It started out innocently enough.  Bunny came into the kitchen to satisfy her curiosity about what we were doing in there.  My husband had all sorts of baking ingredients and paraphenalia up on the counter beside the mixer.  I'm sure it's not an accident that she appeared just as the aroma of molasses cookie dough was starting to waft through the air.  Being a fun-loving sort of fellow, my husband gave her a little taste of molasses on a plastic spoon.  Bunny's tongue was soon performing acrobatic flips around her nose as she kept licking and licking and licking the sweet sticky mess in her mouth. 

Lilac somehow caught on that Bunny was sampling something in the kitchen with that uncanny radar that dogs have for those sorts of things.  She soon came in to supervise what we were doing.  When my husband offered her a small taste of molasses, she turned up her nose and went back to the orthopedic dog bed where she lay watching us intently.  She likes to rest a lot, but she is one spry little old lady and I don't kid myself that if something were to drop on the floor in there that she would be the first member of the clean up crew to arrive on the scent.  So, she kept vigil while Bunny tap danced around the kitchen with us.

Blueberry, of course, was busy snoozing on her favorite bed.  Or was she?  Miraculously, when the first batch of cookies came out of the oven, there she was at the edge of the table snagging one before we'd even frosted them.  She is so tall that she doesn't even have to reach up to get things off the table, but she usually employs some degree of stealth when it comes to filching our food.  Cookies must be worth the risk of scolding, however, because she was pretty bold about her intentions. 

Of course, after the cookie theft occurred, the girls were relegated back into the living room and the baby gate went up.  There were sad looks and sighs, but eventually they all went and laid down somewhere, although all three positioned themselves where they could seen what we were doing.  Bunny went on patrol every three or four minutes, passing by the gate and gazing at us with adoration.  It's funny how much more devoted she seemed to be to us when we were in the kitchen with cookies. 

Finally, my husband realized it was turn out time.  We decided it would be a two person job.  He went in and got the dogs, telling them it was time to go outside and potty.  I stood guard over the cookies, ushering them past the cooling sweets.  After they went outside, I went back to mixing frosting until it was time for them to come back inside.  I got ready to defend the cookies when Bunny came in.  However, she pranced right through the kitchen and into the living room.  Lilac arrived next and did the same.  To my great shock, Blueberry also went straight the living room without so much as a sniff at the cookies cooling on the table.  My husband came in and gave them each one of their own cookies and put the gate back up, for security's sake. 

It was quiet on the Midwestern front until I got done with my part and went into the living room.  Bunny took the opportunity to sneak past the barricade and made a beeline for the table where my husband was frosting the last two dozen cookies.  I called her, she came towards me, then turned back around and went back towards the table.

Me:  Bunny, come here!

Bunny:  Oh, coming!  Oh, I smell cookies!

Me:  Bunny, come!

Bunny:  Of course!  Oh, those cookies smell good!

Me:  Bunny!  Come here now!

Bunny:  Coming!  Oh, I heard a cookie calling my name!

Me:  Bank on Benefit!  In the living room right now!

Bunny:  Oh, a cookie crumb on the floor! 

She ran into the living room with her prized tidbit and grinned at Blueberry and Lilac as she gobbled down her prize.  After that, I felt bad and gave Lilac a sympathy taste since she didn't get to steal one.  I wonder if I'm going to have to get chef's hats for them.

I am surprised to realize that this is our one hundredth blog post.  It's been fun to share parts of our lives and the human and canine condition with people who get it.  I hope that it's been entertaining for people to follow along with us.  Thank you to everybody who's joined us on this journey.

Things To Be Thankful For

As Thanksgiving arrives for those of us here in the United States, I'm reflecting on things that I'm thankful for.  Certainly I'm thankful that my husband and I both have jobs at a time when many people do not.  I'm thankful for our home and that the vehicles are running well at the moment.  We live in one of the most prosperous countries in the world which is also a blessing.  Our loved ones are blessed with good health, as are we.  Really, our lives are richly blessed and I'm glad that we can see that.

Of course, there are three furry little bodies here that I'm thankful for, too.  I'm thankful that they followed me through the kitchen, offering taste testing and clean up services in the kitchen as I made pies and cookies to take to our meal today.  Each one of them offers us their own unique gifts.

Thanks to Lilac for reminding us that life is best enjoyed at your own pace.  She reminds us that life is best when lived to the fullest, whether that's with a good nap in the sunshine or a burp in the face after a good meal.  Lilac believes that if you love somebody, you should let them know with a good snuggle and nose in the face if need be to get their attention.

Thanks to Blueberry for letting us enjoy the bliss of just being together.  She lives to make us laugh and will actually smile to herself when she thinks she's gotten a good one in and she loves to keep us on our toes.  Blueberry believes that you show your love by making your loved ones happy and she makes sure that she does that daily.

Thanks to Bunny for being her sweet little self.  She just can't help being sweet, snuggly and adorable.  Bunny believes that if you love somebody, you stay as close to them as you possibly can and hold on to them with both paws if you have to.

We hope that everyone finds something to be thankful for today, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or it's just another day at work for you.  Sometimes we all need to count our blessings to remember how rich in spirit we truly are.  Did I mention that three greyhounds will be thankful for turkey leftovers later today as well?

Wordless Wednesday 11/ 25 -- You Have To Love Technology

One Dog Afternoon

Perhaps there's more of a chill in the air lately.  Maybe the dog beds are starting to go flat.  Then again, it's possible that greyhounds really do pick up our emotions and feel loss more deeply than we sometimes give them credit for. 

Hawk's passing was the second time that we've experienced a loss as adult dog owners.  I lost childhood many animals in childhood as I grew up on a farm.  My husband lost his share of childhood pets as well.  When Treat was here, she was always on the couch with me.  Heaven forbid that the princess should ever lay on the floor.  After she passed away, Blueberry suddenly, very quietly placed herself in that spot on the couch.  She wasn't always touching me or near me, she could be content to hold the other end of the couch down while I sat in my spot on the other end, and even allowed me the space to stretch out my legs.  Hawk always viewed himself as my protector, but Blueberry seemed to sense that she had a role to play in my well-being, too.  As I reflect back on that time, I can recount a lot of things Blueberry began to do to try to watch out for me in her own way.  When Bunny arrived, who turned out to be very fond of snuggling, Blueberry sort of relinquished that spot, content that Bunny would fill in her own little niche.  Blue had also taken to sleeping on the bed at that time, but she seemed happy to go back to her fluffy bed on the floor when Bunny wanted to sleep on the bed.  Life went on and Blueberry seemed to decide that she'd go back to being my husband's girl.

Last week, I brought Hawk's ashes home.  It was a bit harder than I thought it would be. I am happy to have him home, where he belongs next to Treat, but it also made it final in a way that it was not before I picked up that box.  It's hard to believe that the life he led is reduced to such a light box of ashes and I admit that I have been thinking that over to a degree in quieter moments.

It was also when Bunny discovered that with Hawk not here, there's a big spot next to my husband on the floor under the quilt waiting for a hound.  She's like an addict when a quilt comes out.  She can't rest unless she's under the quilt.  I couldn't even bribe her to sit with me on the couch.  I admit, I was a little hurt by her defection.  My husband pointed out that she was just after the quilt, so I got my own quilt out, but still no snuggle puppy. 

Last night when I went to get in bed, I was surprised to find Blueberry curled up by my pillow.  I got in bed, and ran my fingers through her fur.  She has the softest fur of any greyhound I've ever met, and that's not just me being biased, people comment on it whenever they meet her, and it felt so nice to just touch her while I drifted off to sleep.  Usually, when she does get in our bed, she leaves when we come to bed, or just after we get all settled.  Last night was different, though.  She was still asleep with her butt on my pillow when I woke up this morning to Lilac's reveille, which was a nice surprise. 

This afternoon, she decided that I needed her companionship on the couch.  I know that she normally prefers to sleep on a dog bed where nobody will touch her, but on occasion, she does get on the couch, usually at the far end.  Today, though, it was her curled up against me, while my fingers sifted through that incredibly soft fur of hers.  She has the gift of being able to just be with you and make you feel more centered and content.  It was a nice afternoon spent with her beside me and then, after a while, she got up and left as if some signal had been sent.  No sooner did she get up and head off then Bunny was up on the couch beside me, curled up around my leg and making sure I knew she was here to snuggle.  Perhaps Blueberry knows a secret about Bunny that I don't, or perhaps she's just more perceptive than she usually lets us see. 

The saying that there's no better therapist in the world than a puppy is very true.  As life goes on this week, I find myself very thankful that I have three therapists who all tend to me in their own ways.  It's nice to be able to just reflect on the couch with a blanket and a dog.

Boots Are Not Always A Fashion Statement

Well, it seems Lilac is paying a price for playing like a puppy.  I've mentioned before that she has a disease that causes her toenails to grow strangely and break off on occasion.  We have had a few incidents with this happening that some may remember.  All our joking about it aside, I know that it hurts and we have to be very careful, because when the nail breaks, there is often an exposed nerve left behind. 

Last night, while she was jumping around the living room with Bunny and Blueberry, she broke another toenail and before we could say "gosh darn it" she had blood all over the floor.  It happened right as they were getting ready to go outside for evening turnout, so she went outside, had a private moment in the grass on the leash while the other two took their time in the pen and then limped back inside.  We stopped her in the kitchen, where the blood cleans up much easier, and bandaged her up.  The boot she recieved as a gift made its first appearance in the line of duty and has held up quite well to the demands of the job, much to Lilac's chagrin.

Lilac does not like the boot.  She hobbles about as if her leg is nearly useless.  It is not, I assure you.  The toe is tender, but we keep it bandaged in the beginning so that it doesn't get dirty and infected.  These things never seem to happen when it's not muddy outside.  My husband and I have been given many hairy eyeballs since the boot went on last night.  There has also been a lot of sighing from a particular dog bed.  I suspect that she's not only put out with the fact that she has to wear the boot, but also the fact that she can't get to the vet wrap and eat it, which is another pasttime of hers.  I admit that I did feel a tad guilty, but I know that keeping it covered is for her own good. 

Me:  Lilac, are you okay?

Lilac:  (glaring)  Why do you ask me questions you already know the answers to?

Me:  So, that's a no?

Lilac:  You think?

Me:  You seem fine when you don't know anybody's looking...

Lilac:  I'm old!  I deserve some respect!  My foot may fall off at any moment!

Me:  It's just a toenail...

Lilac:  It's NOT just a toenail!  This thing is cutting off circulation in my whole foot!  I'm going to get gangrene and die!

Me:  I think you're being a tad dramatic.

Lilac:  (glaring harder)  I'll show you drama!   Wait until I sneak a turd into your slipper!

Me:  You wouldn't dare!

Lilac:  Accidents happen!  I'm old and frail, you know!

Me:  You're a puppy in an old lady disguise!  You can't fool me!  You've been playing harder than Bunny and Blueberry lately. 

Lilac:  Somehow, this injustice will be righted!

Me:  Do you want a cookie?

Lilac:  And the world is almost right again!  Just help me off with this boot, will you?

Just for the record, all my shoes will be safely locked inside the closet while I'm not wearing them until Lilac's boot comes off.  If only she had an appreciation for how stylish wearing boots this time of year is.  I'm not taking any chances, though, with my shoes or Lilac's toe.

Wild and Crazy

Since Hawk's passing, there have been some changes here at home.  I think the dynamic of the pack always changes when one member leaves, it's just the way things are.  Nothing in life stays stagnant and life here hasn't either. 

One thing that has changed is that we've taken Hawk's crate down and moved it to the basement.  Hawk preferred to be in his crate while we were gone and the fact that he had a tendency towards hiking his leg on things he should not, just because he could, made us go along with it.  There were even a few occasions when my husband forgot to close the crate and would return home to find Hawk sleeping peacefully in there, content that all was right in his world.  I don't know why he preferred to be in there -- maybe it was just living with three girls.  Anyhow, he felt better, our furniture and carpet were safer and so everybody was happier.  I sort of suspect he liked it just because the girls couldn't have it.  In any event, we took it down last weekend and our living room seems quite a bit larger without it.

My husband has been laughing every morning about the fact that Bunny and Blueberry have a new racetrack over on that side of the room now.  Without the crate in the way, they can run laps around the two chairs that sit on that side of the room.  Their races always seem to happen when I am in the shower or have already left for work in the morning.  Truth be told, I was starting to be a little skeptical about the whole thing and wondering if maybe my husband was imagining things. 

Tonight, however, I saw proof for myself that they really do have quite a little circuit worked out.  Bunny and Blueberry ran around and around, turning this way and that then cornering and spinning.  All was going at a pretty funny pace and then Lilac got up.  Historically, in our house, Lilac's job has been to be the fun police.  I was quite surprised this evening to see her get up and actually start playing with the girls.  She hasn't done that in years, although she does play with toys on her own.  Tonight, she was in there, barking and jumping around with the other two like she was a pup! 

I admit, I was glad to see it.  We've always joked that she was a spry old lady and that she'll outlive us all.  It's good to see her still feeling her oats, even if it does make my heart stop a little when I see her jumping around with the younger two.  Maybe that's a part of her plan!

One Of Life's Little Mysteries...

How does a little greyhound who tips the scales at fifty pounds manage to take up practically all of the couch?  I've tried to figure out how it happens and yet every night, I'm still baffled as to how I wound up on one tiny corner of the couch with a cramp in my leg.  I can share the couch with Blueberry and manage to stretch out and be comfortable all night, but Bunny gets up and things slowly take a turn.

It starts out so innocently. I sit down on the couch and begin to work on the computer.  Bunny hops up on the couch, walks over, sniffs me, wags her tail and then goes to the other end of the couch and lays down.  That's harmless enough.  After a while, I notice that she's turned around and now rests her head on my ankle, somehow managing to dig her little chin into my shin bone.  Her head seems to get very heavy at this point.  Honestly, I don't know how she manages to hold it up on that delicate neck of hers.  A little later, I start to feel a chill, so I reach up for my quilt on the back of the couch and notice that I can't move my leg.

Somehow, Bunny has managed to wrap her paw around my leg and her head is resting on my lap.  I spread the quilt over both of us and go back to what I was doing.  Later, I notice that my leg is getting numb, so I shift a little, trying not to disturb the little princess, carefully sliding out from beneath her while I wonder how such a little dog became so heavy.  Soon I start to notice that my legs are falling off the couch and Bunny is stretched out quite comfortably.  The next thing I know, I'm curled up in one corner of the couch while Bunny sleeps like a log, a very spread out and comfortable log, I might add.  She's lucky she's cute when she's sleeping!  Otherwise, I wouldn't let her take over the couch like that.  That's what I tell myself, anyway.

Wordless Wednesday 11/18 -- What Are You Girls Doing In The Bedroom?

The Lonely Turdlet

If you are a dog owner, you have probably accepted the fact that I am about to impart. If you're not a dog owner, this may or may not shock you.  It's one of the few ugly facts of dog ownership that we often would rather not think about or discuss, however, it does exist.  If you are at all squeamish about discussions of poop, this blog post may not be for you.  I wish that I could say that the names have been changed to protect the innocent, but nobody would believe that.  Sometimes, dogs do things with poop that gross us humans out, for whatever reasons they have. 

The simple truth is that dogs and people have a love/hate relationship with poop.  If you are in a hurry to go somewhere, it's a guarantee that your dog will have to make endless circles and sniff every viable blade of grass before deciding to make a deposit.  If it is cold outside, your dog will will make you walk all the way to the outside edge of town, ensuring you will lose a toe or finger to frostbite, before finally lightening their load.  Those things are bearable, however, and really, just a minor inconvenience that you have to endure when you share your life with dogs.  We've all experienced these things from time to time, I'm sure.

Now that it's getting colder outside, my husband has been taking the hounds outside to the turn out pen and coming back inside to get their breakfast ready, leaving them to take care of their business in privacy and saving himself from the brisk mornings.  That's not unusual for many people, I suspect.  It does lead into what happened the other morning however. 

I may have mentioned before that Lilac is a master thief.  Not only is she quite accomplished at thievery, she is shameless about it as well.  Part of why she's so successful at it is because she has mastered the maneuver of picking things up on the sly while also keeping a completely nonchalant face.  She is also extremely quick, especially for a dog of fourteen years old.  Few people who meet her would guess that she is that old.  The fact that she is adept at thievery is important to the rest of the story.

My husband often wakes up and takes the dogs out before I get up in the morning, more often than usual lately since Lilac seems to feel that we should all be up a good hour before the crack of dawn.  Most mornings I sleep through this, or at least doze through it until the alarm clock goes off.  The other morning, however, I was woken by a rather high-pitched scream from my husband.  I sat up in bed and called out, asking if he was okay.  I should mention that my husband is not prone to screaming, he's generally very calm in almost all situations unless he's laughing over somethng he finds funny.  In true husband fashion, he didn't reply, but I heard grumbling and stomping coming from the kitchen.  I took the grumbling to mean that it was probably nothing serious and crawled back under the blankets. 

When I got up a short time later, I asked my husband what had transpired.  He glowered at me and snorted.  I knew then that something good had happened and that I was probably lucky that he had to deal with it instead of me.  No doubt that would have made it much less humorous for me.

Husband:  She's your dog!

Me:  Who?  What happened?

Husband:  Lilac!  You won't believe it!

Me:  I'm never going to get the chance, apparently...

Husband:  She snuck a turd inside!

Me:  What?!  You mean she didn't want to go outside in the cold?  Where did she go?  Did you get it all cleaned up?

Husband:  No, she went outside!

Me:  (confused)  Well, then...

Husband:  She scooped up a turdlet in her mouth and dropped it in the kitchen!  Right at my feet!

Me:  (lost somewhere between horror over a turd in the house brought inside with the dog's mouth and amusement over the thought of my husband screaming over the turd on the floor)  You didn't see it in her mouth outside?  How did she get it all the way into the house?

Husband:  (disgruntled)  No, I didn't see it in her mouth!  She was just standing there waiting to come in the house.  Blueberry and Bunny were dancing around and I had to watch them!  She just carried it in and dropped it in the floor before walking into the living room!

Me:  That is gross!

Husband:  No kidding!

Lilac of course was comfortably sleeping on her bed, blissfully unaware.  Well, I hope she was!  She did have a Mona Lisa smile on her lips, and I could have sworn I saw an ear twitch.  Why she decided to bring it back into the house escapes me.  I have a few theories, but I'd really rather not ponder them.  I hope it was just that she likes to keep us on our toes and wondering about what she could be up to.  Sometimes living here is like living in the Bermuda Triangle.

Where Is The Love?

Well, as it happened, Friday night I went out with some friends and the dogs were not involved.  My husband stayed home with the girls and they had a cozy evening together from what I hear.  According to my husband, they all had a good time. 

When I arrived home, I expected to be greeted by the usual fanfare.  However, not a single dog met me at the back door.  I reasoned to myself that it was late and that they were probably asleep and didn't hear me come in.  As I walked into the living room, however, I saw that I was wrong.  All three of the girls and my husband were awake, watching the Late Show and enjoying their own comforts.  Lilac had ensconced herself in my spot on the couch.  Bunny was curled up to my husband under the quilt and giving me a serious case of stink eye.  Blueberry, surprisingly because she is the one who is really my husband's girl, was the only one who got up and came to greet me.  She had to give me a thorough sniff over, her tail wagging gently as she touched her nose gently to my face over and over.  I sat on the couch beside Lilac and got the hairy eyeball for my troubles, while Blueberry still remained by my side.

Bunny wanted nothing to do with me, even when we went to bed.  I got a serious case of the cold shoulder from her.  I'm not sure why Blueberry was so happy to see me.  Perhaps she was giving my husband a case of the cold shoulder after he spent the evening under the quilt with Bunny.  Usually when she's put out with him, she will glance meaningfully in his direction while she's lavishing her attentions upon me, however, this time she seemed just genuinely glad to see me home.  Perhaps she's taken up Hawk's mantle as the family shepard, keeping us all together.  Whatever it was, it was nice to have at least one of them happy to see me!  It's funny how fickle their affections can be.  Blue, the extra cookies are in your food bowl!

Fluffer Nutter

I have mentioned one of Bunny's charming quirks before. What I have not mentioned is something that Blueberry does that often keeps us in stitches. Blueberry is a bed fluffer. If you live with a bed fluffer, then you know exactly what I am talking about and really need no further explanation. For those who do not know what I am referring to, I present the following video for your perusal and entertainment.

You may notice that Blueberry puts a lot of effort into the process of getting her bed fluffed just right. There can be no lumps or knots. It must be arranged in the most artful of positions. Sometimes the arrangement process can drag a bed across the room. Other times, one bed just isn't enough and she has to fluff two or even three at a time. You may also notice that after she went to the trouble of getting the bed fluffed, that it was simply too perfect a job to ruin by laying on it. The final result is always the same -- she fluffs the bed until she collapses from exhaustion. Sometimes that means she lays in the bed, sometimes that means she preserves her work for a later time. It doesn't matter if it was her bed or ours, fluffing is hard to do. Still, she has raised it to an art form, and art must be admired. You have to love living with an artiste!

Wordless Wednesday 11/11 -- Thank You, Veterans!

Thank You, Mikayla!

Bunny here, taking over the computer for a minute!  I want to thank everyone for the birthday well wishes, it's made me feel really special.  I know that now I am a star, since one of my fans, who happens to be in Mom's class at school, read that it was my birthday this morning and made me a birthday card.  I have met Miss Mikayla Pinkalicious in person and she's as sweet as me!  I just wanted to bark to her here and tell her that I really loved getting your birthday card.  My tail has been wagging since I got it!  It's been a great birthday!  Thank you, Mikayla!

P.S.  I even got to wear my Pinkalicious collar today!