Foxtails, Furminators, Doom and Groom

Since I last blogged, I have been in way too many stickers. As it turns out, the California state burr is a foxtail, a devious little sticker that burroughs into my skin and can become infected. Dad checks all the time and still I get some. Aunt Mary said that one summer when she was just learning to use Quicken, she discovered she had spent $575 on removing foxtails from the dog.

When I got to Larry and Lori's house, mom let me run free. Five minutes later I was yelping in pain as I tried to lick stickers from my fur. Mom got scissors and gave me a haircut. All this was setting me up for the inevitable. Dad began saying the groomer word, over and over, and Aunt Mary found me one called Ruff House. It was one ruff day. I was an all day dog and the lady had to call an assistant.

Next I met Tom and Misty in their pet store. I walked around eating treats off the shelves and Tom said no problem. Misty looked at me and declared I needed a furminator. So far I don't mind the furminator. It does not pull like a brush.

I am coming to the conclusion that I am just not a country dog.

Kidnapped!

 

Help! If I go missing, I want you to know where to find me. I'll be living with this family from Lehi Utah.

They miss their departed Sammy Simba so much that mom let me spend most of a day with them at Capitol Reef National Park campground.

I have never walked so much in my life. Simba must have had a VERY active life. I was so tired from all the walking that honestly, I couldn't move the next two days. (Dad says second day sore is the worst).

All that said, they are a very very nice family, and I sure hope they get another Sammy soon. I think their Dad will be online looking for one the minute they get home from vacation. Probably another boy to balance out the four girls in the family.

I LUV NM

I've been a laid back dog this summer trip. Never give anyone a problem at all. Highlights have included meeting Pepita the chihuahua at the habitat build and the dogs at the Questa Lodge RV park. Pepita, like most of her breed, wants nothing to do with me! Check out my greeting below...who could resist me?

Next you see me working on the beams for the porch. A dog's got to earn her keep. At the Habitat Build I hang out on my long line all day, or sleep in the RV. Dogs are not allowed to hammer and nail, but I do my best.














Last, here I am in the snow on my perfect day. Memorial Day the entire family went to visit the Wild River Recreation area and then to Taos Ski Valley, where mom took me hiking on the williams lake trail. There was still snow everywhere, which I jumped in and took big bites of. I just love this stuff. Felt like I was back in Alaska.
Then Mom and Dad had pizza while I rested in the car. Mom says Taos Out Back Pizza is great. Seems to be a cult like Star Pizza.

I'm on a diet. Mom rations out 8 treats per day and that's all I am allowed. She says I am getting too old to be such a puppy cookie eater. Rats!

My life after Ike

It's back in the RV for me. Not that I was tired of my back yard yet. It has only been a week since I got home. But lots of wind came, and it became quite warm in the house. I began to pant and pace. I really do not understand mother nature.

So, off we went, on another adventure to Austin to Camp Sierra. I used to love Camp Sierra, but now, I am so afraid of being left there I can't enjoy its amenities, such as five acres to roam, squirrels, deer and chickens to chase. I used to chase them with the rest of the pack.

Miss Terry feels badly about all this, because she likes me to visit and she swears she never mistreats me when I stay there, which is true, and I really like Miss Terry. She keeps telling me to stick up for myself. Mom says she is going to take me to a doggie hynotist to see what deep dark secret is haunting me.

I have become deathly paranoid of Sierra, who has always been alpha. Now either she is super alpha, or I am super zeta. Just to make matters worse, there were two more dogs visiting after the storm. One of them alpha'd me into a corner, and I never left, not the whole time. I sat at the gate waiting to leave. I came inside only to sit under my dad's legs, and sometimes I moved to the corner of the yard where he was working.

Guess what we did. We built a greenhouse. That's me and Terry and Dad and Scout showing the frame off. Then at the end, I'll show you a completed project photo. By the way, Scout grew up in a crawl space, so you would think he would be grateful to me for bringing Aunt Terry to Yoakum to rescue him. But you know what he is doing instead of being grateful? He's practicing Alpha on me. He knows Sierra won't put up with it. Sure knows how to take advantage of a dog when I'm down. Please, I want to go home!

Well, here's the final project, folks! What is the deal with the see-through? Why go to all that trouble for an invisible shed? I don't get humans sometimes.

16,200 miles, and then some

Ooiyy! I am one tired dog. How many dogs you know have traveled this far? Anyway, here's a movie of me the way I look in the RV, sleeping my life away.



The next video is me back home, re-adapting to my big old yard.



So, just to show what a smart dog I am, here's a few mileage facts.

We went over 16,000 miles, left May 13, got home September 5th. We bought 957.7 gallons of diesel.Remembering my long division, that's about 17mpg, not bad for a house, I guess. And the cheapest diesel we found was back home in Texas, in Ozona, at $4.09. We paid a high of $6.812 in Bell, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere on the Cassiar Highway. Who's going to argue with them about their price when they are the only gas station in the territory? We could have paid over $7 in Dawson City, Yukon, but luckily the guy in Chicken Alaska warned us to fill up on his $6 something cheap stuff.

We left that bear Rosabella in Johnson City, and if you ask me, that's a good thing for her. Have you seen the hurricane coming here? I have NEVER been through a hurricane, and this one is a doozie! It's humongous! Tomorrow I will be in the eye of it, and I have to say, I feel a little scared! Mom's been telling me that eye is no big deal, it's the before and after that gets you.

However, I just want to say that I am no wuss! I don't cowar at the least little drop of rain like some previous sammies did. I am ready. Bring it on, Ike!

14,553 miles

 

This is my day in the Park in downtown Santa Fe, taken over by a little boy named Tiger who was named for his Grandfather. There I was, minding my business, watching the pigeons and barking when I could get away with it, and here he comes. Actually, as kids go, he was a real keeper. Not afraid of anything, open to the world, listening to bees and birds and picking up leaves.....He made me live in the moment, which is where we should all be, no? And, I also met a Sammy dog in the park, not a full Sammy, but quite a love. All this while Dodie and Margaret tried drawing buildings and using pastels and water colors on a one size fits all paper.

This morning, we woke up early from our spot in the parking lot by the cathedral and moved to McDonalds. I was really asleep when we did all this, because I was catching up from waking both Dodie and Margaret up in the middle of the night to walk me. How often do I get to walk in a church parking lot? There was a security guard for the site, a man charged with guarding an archeological dig in the area, so I could have just slept. All the same, I felt better getting folks up all night.

I must say that since Dad has been gone, there's less treats, but more dog food. I am having to adjust, and midnight poops is just one of those consequences.

After our morning about town, I got to stay in the RV while Dodie and Margaret went into the International Folk Art Museum. The collection of miniatures there will blow your mind, 106,000 folk art items donated by an architect and designer named Girrard. He also set up all the little vingnettes that display the objects. Mom had seen it before, and she thought Dodie would like it. She was right. It was overwhelming.

Then they went to Jackelope, which is like a folk art museum where you can buy everything. It is over the top. While there, Miss Dodie met Luis Blanco, who made her a special flower out of Oxacan clay. She was so flattered she bought a little vase from him too, and paid his double for a tip. Later she read his biography, and found that he learned his craft from his mother, who originated the Chia Pet. Now she has a collectors item that will grow in value year after year. She was feeling confident in her investment till she noticed all the women in the store walking around with one of Luis' just for you flowers. This was right after she took Luis' picture with Mom, who makes him look Lilliputian.

After that Mom was bleary and said Lets to to Albuquerque, we've had enough. So off we motored, but not realizing that I needed another stop. After I crawled off the seat and paced about a dozen times, Mom said, we better stop for Daisy. All was well again.

Tonight we are camped south of Albuquerque with a casino on the hillside and a lake below us. The lake walk was wonderful at sunset. Hope I get another shot at it tomorrow.

Miss Dodie has to go home, finally, tomorrow. Mom said she can't talk her into changing her flight one more time. This means I can go back to being a spoiled brat and not have to hear what the dog whisperer show says I should be doing. AND, Dad is coming on Friday.....I am so excited, I cannot sleep!!!! Puppy treats, here I come!

13,000 miles more or less

I have had such a time since my last blog.

I spent five nights at Home Away from Home. Mom has been asking me if they were wonderful to me. I don't answer, because I really don't remember. All I really know is that I got groomed while I was there and for two days I was beautiful and fluffy again. Then I got into burs and dirt and pinecones as usual, and the cycle began again.

I have seen so many redwoods I can't begin to count. They are all several thousand years old. There's one in Yosemite that is 21 feet diameter. They call it Grizzly. That is one big tree. I like their hollow trunks that I can explore.

The RV is a bit crowded. There's Mary and Terry and Me and all our stuff. Plus Mom. You would think I would get more walks with that many people, but it ain't so. After the redwoods, we came inland, and I got to meet Audrey Lincoln. Her cat's smell was all over her house in Healdsburg, but I couldn't find him anywhere. She is really in great shape for being almost 92, I thought. Still pretty fun to look at. She wanted her son Tim to meet me, a beautiful dog, she said, but Tim was busy with grandkids while we were there. I stayed in the RV while Audrey and Mom had Pizza and caught up on old times.

Next day the girls went to get mud baths in Calistoga. Now that I can't understand. How can a mud bath make you clean? I hear it was 108 degrees, so I am ever so glad they left me out of the girlfriend package deal. I would never get that mud out of my fur, you know. They were very relaxed when they came back to the RV, so I guess it's okay.

I got to walk with mom in Beringer Vineyards while her friends tasted some wine. I don't get wine either. Grapes I like, but no thanks to the wine!

We dropped Mary off at the Sacramento airport, and then Terry and Mom went to Lake Tahoe. They camped next to a curious group of little boys. One wanted to know if I was going to get any fluffier. Imagine that? Am I not fluffy enough? He came over to pet me all the time, and he wanted to see the inside of my RV too. He said there was a baby across the street named Daisy. Sure enough, there was. She's from London. I wasn't allowed on park trails, but I could walk the park paved streets. Nice views of Tahoe from everywhere.


Then things got very exciting for me. We dropped Terry at the airport in Reno and took off for Angels Camp to meet cousins. Mom chose the route that Garmain suggested, and she nearly frightened herself to death. Route 4 across the High Sierras was scary. Ebbets Pass was 8700 feet, and the road was one lane. No dividing lines. Very scary. She went about 20 mph for 4 hours to cross is. The scenery was rocky alpine wonderful, but she missed most of it peering around winding bends and switchbacks praying she wasn't going to meet anyone.

Finally we reached Angels Camp and found out that we were still 20 miles from Larry and Lori's house. That's dad's son and his wife. Mom had never met Lori, so she wanted to visit. The road to their house was just like Route 4, but smaller and less smooth. By the time we arrived, Mom had had enough.

Lori was just wonderful to us. She gave us her bedroom. I got along great with George the black lab, the Spotz was another story. Spotz is a black little something mix that Lori and Larry rescued. She is very bossy, and she spent the night bossing me until I had had it. Then I began to chase her around the house in a frenzy. Mom said please stop! She separated me from Spotz.

I was allowed off leash cause it was very remote. I collected a fair number of beggars Lice, which are little burrs in my coat. Lori cooked dinner and breakfast, and we ate both out on the deck looking at far away hills. Lori is an artist, and she has about 10 landscapes in progress for a show. She also teaches art. I really really like her.

After we left Lori, we went south to meet my other cousin Raven. Raven lives with Dad's sister Mary in Merced. Raven's got a great house with a nice back yard and a doggie door. I was a little wide for the door, but mom fixed what I broke with duct tape. Raven and I were compatible, but we were jealous of each other in the human affection department. I got so wound up that I peed on Aunt Mary's carpeted floor twice. I NEVER do that.

Mom and Mary went to the country on Saturday and left me and Raven to play. We did just fine. Aunt Mary and Raven like to dance. Raven is pretty funny.

Then I discovered that someone was joining us for the trip to Texas. Her name is Rosabella Violet Plum. She's a purple bear from Aunt Mary's third grade class, and she travels a lot. Mom says Rosabella is going to blog this section of the trip for us.

Good, that will give me more time for walks and harassing Balto.