It’s Hot, Not just heat hot but humid.  I can’t find a cool spot in the shade!  OOOHHHHH isn’t this September!

“I don’t want any treats.  It’s too hot to eat!”  Gus walked away, just as Fozzy lunged for the kitty treat bits.

“What were Mom and Dad thinking? Turning off the air conditioning now? And Mom was SO HAPPY ABOUT IT! The heat has affected her."  Fiona left Fozzy eating the treats.

Fiona sounded her bark alarm, “whoof whhhofffff oooofff WHHHHHHOOOOFFFFF”

“SSHHSSSHHSSS!, their back.” 3 men in ball caps walked in with lots of tools and stuff.  Humm? 

Fozzy walked up to inspect the men, “We’ll they’re friendly enough.”  Fozzy stood there shamelessly getting is ears rubbed.

Mom leashed us up and we headed off to DayCamp. We love DayCamp so many buddies and peanut butter treats!

“Hey Gus” tired Fozzy rubbed against Gus. "Back from Dog Camp"

“You Stink like DOG!, You all left.  I was forced to stay with the pounding, and people up and down the steps and more people and doors opening and closing.  OH Yeah, and HOT!”  Gus was in a bad kitty mood.

“Dinner time, with cold carrots.”  Fozzy bolted out of the chair.  Fiona was so tired she didn’t want to move.

“Peace and quiet. I’m going to bed!” Gus stretched.

“It’s too hot!” Fiona complained.  Fozzy and Gus just walked off to cool spots in the house.  “huh, figures, it’s hot (pant pant) even the water bowl water is hot!”  “MOMOMOMMMMMMMM!”

“Fe find a spot and cool off.  The new AC will be in soon. Foz and Gus are dealing.” 

  “but (pant pant, dance dance) it’s hot! FINE!” 

  

"Fiona Pouting WILL NOT HELP"  

"Thanks MOM, FINE!"  When is the AC done?

 

 

p. 

 

 

There’s pros & cons to back to school.  Our mornings change a lot.  Move Move Move, I think Mom likes that word Move.  She sings...”you go to move it, move it”… 

I have a different strategy.  I find the best places and wait patiently, trying to stay awake. 

What makes this a best place to wait?  See all that peanut butter on the counter?  Fiona is still sleeping upstairs……mine, all mine!

 

Here come’s Mom “we got to move it move it”. 

Ok, I’m moving it

Lunch box time! Oh Boy OH BOY!  I moved it!

 “Mom, I volunteer to help with peanut butter!”  Assume peanut butter position.   “But, I need help opening the jar.”

 

“Are you ready to help, Foz?” Oh Mom, those are the words I’ve been waiting for you to say! “taste test”.

“I love back to school.”  Wonder if Fiona is awake yet?  No peanut butter for sleepy heads.

 

 

 

 

Doo Doo Doo looking out my Front door

Just got home from running errands with Mom.  The bank, our favorite, we get cookies at the drive thru window.  Then all of a sudden it happens! My eyes are fooling me! Is that really happening outside my front door?

Chatter, chatter, scratch. “Hey dudes.”

“Fiona, I think the squirrel is talking to us!” Fozzy’s eye just got large.

“What are you doing?” Fiona knew that squirrel.  She had chased him the day before. 

“Just hanging.  Look no hands, cool.” 

“He’s been eating too much bad bird seed!” Fozzy walked off.

 

Just found a comfortable, soft, aaahhh nap time.  “HONK AH HONK” what the heck!”  Fozzy leaped over Fiona raced to the window.

Peacocks 2 by 2 eating bugs and honking!  “It’s not morning guys.  It’s not time for The Peacock Parade.”

“Cover you ears!” Gus mewed the warning, while laying there, just looking out his back window.  “Mom has the records out…”  Fiona just rolled over in time! Mom put the record on the record player resting on Grandma’s Victrola. 

Crack, pop, white noise then Buck Owens BELTED, “I’ve got a tiger by the tail it’s plain to see…”. 

“Hhhhoooowwwlllll!” Fozzy let out another “HHHOooowwwwllll!” in time with Buck Owens. 

“STOP IT, FOZZY!” Fiona demanded.  

“I can’t.” He howled it’s to late the song is already stuck in my head! “John Fogerty wouldn’t believe this is really happening!”

 

Fozzy’s version:

Just got home from errands, lock the front door oh boy!
Got to sit down take a rest by the porch.

Doo doo doo lookin' out my Front door.

There's a squirrel hanging in the tree
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
A dinosaur Victrola list'ning to Buck Owens.

 

Doo doo doo lookin' out my back door.

Every now and then Mom paces around the house moving this & that, getting close our cookie jar but no cookies.  Fiona, Gus & I know what this means right away, Mom is in a mood.  She put on walking shoes and poured a mug of BLACK COFFEE. 

BANG! The Screen Door, Mom’s gone.

“Ok Lady, I know I did this trick yesterday. I know it will work again.” Choice stood focused in front of the hay storage door. 

“I saw you do it last time, it was amazing.  You stood in front of the hay door really focused until pooooffff; the hay door latch magically opened.  Keep trying!” Lady encouraged Choice as she snickered and walked off to eat summer grass.

“CHOICE!” Lady Cried “Mom is coming!”

“Uuhhan” Choice grunted.  Choice collected himself just in time to meet Mom at the gate and check for carrots. 

“NO Carrots, Just midday BLACK COFFEE!”  Choice backed off and softly cried to Lady “Mom’s in a mood!”

“Mom’s been in the barn a long time.”

“Yeah, it’s quiet, to quiet.  Lady looked at Choice “you go check”

“Why me?”

“Maybe she left and we missed it.  Besides the hay door is still waiting to be opened.”  Lady waved her head in triumph as Choice peeked around the barn door.

The elusive hay door. “Focus, concentrate, easy now door you can do this.  Just a little to the left, just a nose width.”

Nothing! Glad Mom can’t see this.  OK, this time with my new trick. Lady couldn’t watch; Mom was standing right in the middle of the hay room looking at the half eaten bales from yesterday when she had left the door unlatched. 

Choice took a step back “focus.”  All at once, Choice threw his foot and ear forward “hay is good, hay is great.” 

“Bahhhhannnhahhhaaa” Mom was laughing so hard!

Choice jumped back, “How did she get there! I don’t know if I like this trick.”

Mom walked in the house humming and headed for the cookie jar.  “Cookies for my little guys?” Mom was fixed! She smelled like hay. 

Must be magic in The Barn.

 

 

Mornings here start early.  Dad gets everyone up and going, no time to waste.  It’s going to be hot and humid so get it done early.  We think, Mom has a different idea about mornings.  She makes HUGE mugs of coffee.

I figure, if it’s in a mug that looks like me then I should be able to have some too.  I wait till Mom leaves the porch and my mug then I sneak onto her chair, lean over and lap up creamed coffee! Aaaaahhh, I so enjoy when she does that.  Mom hasn’t caught me yet, but she’s noticed there are drips and coffee missing.  I let Fozzy take the blame. 

We walk around and check on things.  The world smells different in the morning.  Mom talks about the peacock parade, sometimes we watch them.  They look so big and move so fast we stand very very still.

Mom really likes them because they eat so many bugs.  She says we get less fleas with them around.  I like when they leave feathers, they smell so good.  

 

We (Fiona, Mom and I) let the horses out, their food doesn’t smell as good a Gus’s cat food.  Fiona actually told Choice that his food smelled bad.  Choice gave her ‘The Look’. Oh but Lady made Fiona mad be saying, “Good, more for me.” I like Lady.

We get to see, omens Mom says.  “Look at those geese.”  She sighs “What a spider web!”

We see all the poop treats the geese leave…..Spider webs are ok.  She thinks geese and spider webs have something to do with snow, but we think she needs more coffee….

 

 

Mostly it’s been hot and humid. Mom has been getting us out of bed SO EARLY to do chores.  We could stay in side but that’s no fun.  By the time the afternoon comes were just worn out!

So outside we go.  The garden dirt smells so …..ahhhh compost….perfume.  Fozzy & Mom looked up just as I couldn’t take it anymore.  Ears first, rolling, side scooting, back scratching,  “FOZ, come on in the compost is great!”

Mom turned around just in time to see me drop down near Fi and roll and snort in happiness. 

Mom Gasp, “NO NO!”

We Gasped, Fi looked at me, I looked at her.  THE MOM NO NO! Don’t  Move.  Maybe she won’t see us! 

All three inches of beautiful bichon hair, damp from the heavy dew and now ground-in garden dirt. 

“Pisst, did you see Mom drop her head”

“Oh, yeah, here she comes, get up quick! Smile pretty.”  Fiona flashed her toothy smile.

“You Beasts! Enjoy yourselves now?”  Hand on hips. “Your getting a bath and shave when we’re done here.”

Good thing Mom taught to hold still and lay on our backs for nail trims and belly shaves.

  I’m so tired from rolling.

  

An that’s how we ended up looking like this! IT WAS WORTH IN (don't tell Mom).

 

Mostly it’s been hot and humid. Mom has been getting us out of bed SO EARLY to do chores.  We could stay in side but that’s no fun.  By the time the afternoon comes were just worn out!

So we're up and going outside.  The garden dirt smells so …..ahhhh compost….perfume.  Fozzy & Mom looked up just as I couldn’t take it anymore.  Ears first, rolling, side scooting, back scratching.  “FOZ, come on in the compost is great!”

Mom turned around just in time to see me drop down near Fi and roll and snort in happiness. 

Mom Gasp, “NO NO!”

We Gasped, Fi looked at me, I looked at her.  THE MOM NO NO! Don’t  Move.  Maybe she won’t see us! 

All three inches of beautiful bichon hair, damp from the heavy dew and now ground in garden dirt. 

“Pisst, did you see Mom drop her head”

“Oh, yeah, here she comes, get up quick! Smile pretty.”  Fiona flashed her toothy smile.

“You Beasts! Enjoy yourselves now?”  Hands on hips. “Your getting a bath and shave when we’re done here.”

Good thing Mom taught to hold still and lay on our backs for nail trims and belly shaves.  I’m so tired from rolling.

 

An that’s how we ended up looking like this! BUT IT WAS WORTH IT (don't tell mom that)...

 

The Days the Ground Shook

Boom, BOoom, BOOM…the fence pounder was impaling the earth with 6 inch square fence posts.  The vibrations from the tractor and pounder alike caused me to lose my balance, thankfully Mom had me on a leash and harness.  We sat at the window and porch all day and watched the posts go into the ground.  Boom, BBOOmm, Boom.

 

 

Almost 2 two weeks later, just had just gotten to know the guys on the fence team, then fence was done.  Mom and Dad and I drove all around looking at it.  We have never rode so much in the middle of the week!  Whhoo HHHOoo...oh no,  even Rhi had a turn at driving us around the fence. 

So, Fiona, Gus, and I have a bet going…who is the fence for?  It’s not like the play yard fence.  Hummmmm.  I think it’s for Fiona!  House, treats and bed to myself. 

Silly Fozzy, “the barn and fence are for you and Gus.” Fiona says smugly. “There are two bedrooms and two of you.  Besides, Mom makes boys sleep in one room and girls in the other.”

Silly Fiona, “It could be all of us.  Did either of you pee on the floor! You know how Dad stomps when that happens.  I wished you’d consider using a litter box like civilized pets.”  Gus turned tail, rubbed against both Fiona and Fozzy, and defiantly strolled away.

THEN IT HAPPENED!  NO! Mom said we’re going to the barn in a happy voice…almost as if it’s a treat! Fiona could not believe her ears.  

“There’s stuff in the truck and hay and that’s not our cookies and WAIT!”  Fiona and Fozzy looked at each other and ran to the barn.  “ I know them!”  Choice and Lady Had come home to Mariah-Belle Manor. 

SO....every morning Mom would take us out and then run out to the car and leave us!  In the Evenings Dad would do the same.  Where do they go?  They are happy when they come home.  Then we got to go to The Little Red Barn. 

 

 

We know this place…Mom & Dad smell like this place in the morning and evening…The Little Red Barn.  Hummmm the places to roll.  What’s that….It’s huge. 

As the human watching and listening the conversation when something like this….

Choice and Lady out in the field just munching away.  I rolled down the window and make my standard kissing sound that means, “ Mom’s here, I have goodies, I have love for you”

Choices ears twitch “Don’t look it’s Mom’s truck,  she’s making that bug sound,  oh yeah treats.  Wait till she stops in front of the gate.”   Lady slowly repositions herself for a clean run around Choice if needed.

 

Door bang, “GO” Lady looked up and came full speed to the gate.  Choice tring to cut her off or out run her.  “NO, me first, treats.”

“ooofff, who are you?” Fiona barked as her head popped out of the truck window, followed by Fozzy’s nosy head.

“whoa” Choice looks at Lady “ that’s not a treat”.  Approach slower.  “Yes, Carrots”. 

“Watch out.”

“Me First”

Mom thinks it's funy to watch my eyes open wide once i get to the creamy penut butter on the inside of these ice treats.  So, of course, I play it up get get more.

 

Here's how to: (warning you may need owner's thumbs for some steps)

Penut Butter Filled Ice Cubes

1. Fill ice cybe tray 1/2 fill with water and freeze

2. Coat a small scoop with non-stick spray or your choice of oil 

3. Scoop up peanut butter and level into your scoop

4. Pull out the ice cube tray with 1/2 filled frozen ice cubes 

5. Release the Peanut Butter onto the frozen ice layer

6. Fill the remaining space in cube area with water 

7. Freeze and serve.