(Orion) Mom started hauling stuff out of the attic. I know what this means. This means they are going somewhere without me. Aquila doesn't know or understand, and I can't convince her something is going on. She believes Mom won't go anywhere without her. I used to think that, too, until I found she does go places without me. The whole pack does, and they are gone for, like, forever. I'm sulking.
(Aquila) Orion's in a mood, he has this idea that Mom is going someplace without us. Now I know Mom is an awesome hunter, but she doesn't take very long to bring back some cow, pig, chicken, and lamb, so I don't see what the big deal is. What is she gone, maybe an hour? I don't understand what these totes and stuff are for though.
(Orion) The truck is packed, that means I'm going to Grandma and Grandad's, maybe? I like visiting them, they spoil me. I can handle that.
(Aquila) Well, my crate is in the truck. Wonder what that's about. Are they going to send me away? Oh no! Maybe that's it! Was I naughty? Maybe I shouldn't have gotten into the food and ate it all. I wonder if that's it. When I knocked over the plant Mom didn't seem to care, she said she knocks them over all the time. Maybe that was it. I thought Mom loved me. Why would she send me away? She wouldn't, she couldn't, could she?
(Orion) Mom and Dad took us to visit our newfie friends, Mackenzie, MuggS, and Mulligan. They are fun, MuggS is huge and very playful. I like visiting with them. Then Mom and Dad left and told us to be good. They left. They left without us. They left us....here.
(Aquila) I love visiting my friends, but I couldn't believe when Mom walked out the door and left me here. She gave me a kiss, told me she loved me, and then left. Of course, she'll be right back, she always comes right back. I'm not worried.
(Orion) I'm giving everyone the cold shoulder and not eating. I'm going on a hunger strike until I am hand-fed. Works with Grandma and Grandad. Doesn't seem to be working here, though. Wonder when Mom and Dad are coming to get me. I think I will go play.
(Aquila) Okay, I'm worried. I slept here all night. I miss my Mommy. She didn't come back. Did she give me away? Where is she?
(Orion) Another day, no Mom and Dad. 'Kee seems to think they have left us for good. We are now in a new pack. I miss my kids, but a kid comes here to visit so I have taken him as my own. I follow him everywhere and try to kiss his face. He's pretty cool.
(Aquila) I'm so sad without my Mom. I guess we have a new pack now. Just when I got comfy in my old pack. I just don't understand it. I love my Mommy so much, I just don't know how she could have left me.
(Orion) I've had to take up eating, no one is going to fall for my tricks here. It's eat-it or lose, so I guess I'll eat. I still feel in my bones that Mom and Dad will come back soon. I know they go someplace without me, but they do come back, so I'll just keep a look-out.
(Aquila) Another day, no Mom.
(Orion) Another day, and it's almost bed time when the doorbell rings. All the dogs line up quietly to greet the visitors, when who walks in the door? Mom, Dad, and kids! They're here! I KNEW they'd come back for us! I have to count them, are they all here? Yes! Wow, they were gone for so long, I wonder what they were doing. Oh Mom, I'm so glad to see you, I could just eat you up! Are you coming for a visit or to take us home?
(Aquila) Another day, no Mom, but I am getting used to my new pack. The doorbell rings and I see someone walk in who looks like Mommy. I must be dreaming, that can't be Mommy, can it? Whoa, Orion is going nuts, it must be Mommy. She says, "Aquila, my baby girl!" and I know it is true! She came back! She does love me! Boy I sure hope she brought us back a bison or something, they were gone so long I'm sure they hunted something delicious!
(Orion) We get in the car for the ride home. I'm sitting next to Mom and Dad, I won't let them out of my sight. Oh I just love them so!
(Aquila) We are going for a ride, are they taking us home? It's great to be back in the truck with my humans. I sit between the kids, I missed all of them.
(Orion and Aquila) Yeah! We're home! Oh my yard, I love my yard! I must mark it here, and here, and here....Oh, you wnat to play chase? Look there's the potty pen! Let's go check it out. Look, my house, and my favorite ball, and my...Oh, this IS heaven! I'm so glad to be home. Now, where's the goodies you hunted for us?
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Vacation (Mom's version)
Ahhh, there is nothing in the world like a few days basking in the sun on the glorious beaches of NJ. Really does a body good. This was our tenth year going to the same spot for vacation. Where we go, dogs can't come, so we made arrangements for our good newfie friends to take our two for the five days we would be gone. This left them with a total of five nooves in their house! The dogs got along very well, ate, slept, and played, and since I knew they were in good hands, I did not worry about them.
We camp in Cape May. You know, the whole tent and sleeping bags sort of thing. Not the kind where you bring your TV, fridge, and everything else. We prefer to "rough" it, as long as it's not too rough. Like tenting in a rain storm, now that is rough.
Day 1
We arrived bright and early and headed straight for the beach. The ride went quickly, it took us 4 1/2 hours. We spent the morning and early afternoon on the beach, where Thing 2 found some really awesome fossils. He is very good at fossil hunting, and has found the beaches of Cape May to be great sources of small coral and other fossils. After some sun, sand, and waves, we headed to the campground to set up the tents. The boys each set up their own tents, with help from sis. I usually set up their tents, but figured by now they ought to be able to set them up, and they did a great job. While setting up a line to hang wet towels to dry, we spotted our neighbor next to us who was camping in a trailer. They had a small yappy dog they thought was so fierce. While the wee thing was yapping at me, the woman said, "Oh, he gets riled up when he sees another person or animal." Hmm, now I'm wishing I had brought the newfs. That would give him something to yap at, from the safety of a tree. They might not think their dog was so fierce and scary if they caught sight of almost 300 lbs of black fur and spittle. Orion would have thought it was a "keeetty!"
Next we met a young boy walking a teenie dog, and I ran to ask if I could pet his dog. He told me the dog was 9 weeks old, they had had him for two days, and he was a chihuahua/poodle mix. The wee thing might have weighed a pound, if that much. I told him and his friend that I had two newfies. He didn't know what newfs were, but his friend's eyes got big and wide and he said, "Oh man! Those dogs are HUGE!". They sure are, compared to this wee beastie. This tiny pup might have been the size of Orion's snoot. Funny how when we are not with our dogs, we seek out other dogs. We found ourselves doing this for the remainder of the trip. We did find a doggie day-care on the way to the beach, so who knows, maybe we will bring the newfs next time.
Day 2
Another perfect day at the beach. Lots of sunshine, the waves were great, and the weather perfect. We went up to the Lobster House and bought some fresh salmon (caught that day!) then headed to the lighthouse beach where hibachi grills and picnic tables are set up. After rubbing pepper seasoning on the fish, we grilled corn on the cob, veggies, and the fish for a delicious dinner that beat any you could find in a restaurant.
Day 3
More perfect sunshine and waves. I found reason number 2 for not wearing a one-piece bathing suit to the beach. I was in the water when a huge wave came up and I faultered. Should I take that wave or should I duck under? That split-second thought was just enough to have the decision made for me, as the wave roared over me, knocking me under and dragging me through the sand and rocks. The force knocked the top of my suit down (but I repaired that quickly while still under) and used it as a scoop to pick up rocks. I scraped my shoulder and I was so mad at myself for not being quick enough. I went back in the water to try to dislodge the rocks from my suit, and thought I got most of them until I headed for the ladies room and ejected the rest. A kid with a bucket and a shovel couldn't have scooped up as many rocks as my suit. That was the last time I wore a one-piece. We won't even get into the rocks and sand in my hair, which was up in a braid. I had to shampoo it twice to get most of them out.
One thing about leaving the nooves at home was that I was able to wear (gasp!) WHITE PANTS. Anyone with a huge black slobber dog knows white is never worn, so I was thrilled to wear my favorite white cropped pants. This is the only place I get to wear them!
For dinner we stopped and bought a couple of steaks, some salads, and fruit. Back to the lighthouse to grill them, then we hit Washington Square for a round of shopping. Washington Square is one of my favorite places in the world, all these tiny shops open until 11 pm. The kids got custards while I bought a fruit smoothie. Yum!
Day 4
This was our last "beach" day, and some clouds and wind came through. Enough wind to blow sand in my ears while soaking up the rays. We sunned ourselves until afternoon, when we headed back to the Lobster House for swordfish (caught that day!) for dinner. Picked up some more corn, rubbed the fish with pepper rub, and served some more side-salads and fruit. The fish was the best fish we have had since, well, last year when we came here. Really, fresh fish is like home-grown tomatoes, the store bought stuff just isn't the same. Hubber took the kids to Stone Harbor for ice-cream and shopping while I took my ease at the campsite, visiting friends who were there.
Day 5
Today we headed home. We decided to skip the beach because there were a few things the kids wanted to do (like visit Clary's Country Kitchen in Cape May Courthouse for breakfast). After breakfast we took down the tents, loaded the truck, and checked out. The kids wanted to visit Sunset Beach (Thing 2 wanted to get a few bags of rocks there), so daughter and I hit the stores there. They have a couple of nice shops there, so daughter got herself a few articles of clothing and jewelry. I bought Thing 1 a tee shirt I though he should really have. Once he saw it, he agreed. By now I am really missing the babies, so we headed to the Lobster House for a lunch of fried seafood (I skipped the fried seafood, had some smoked fish I picked up in the fish shop), then hit the road for the ride home. We were making great time until we hit a spot of "repaving" in CT which held up traffic for over an hour (and no one was paving at that time, either; guess people were just afraid of the bumpy pavement?). We arrived at our friends' house to get our babies, and at first 'Kee just stood there, looking at me as I walked in the door. Orion knew we were there to get him and ran to "count" everyone, jumping to kiss me and bite my chin. Once 'Kee saw Orion kissing us, she burst into the room for her lovin's. These were two very, very happy dogs, and getting them into the car for the ride home was no trouble. Once we arrrived home they tore out of the car and raced around the yard, jumping on each other, wrastling, and coming back to make sure we were for real. I've never seen such happy dogs in my life, and their joy at being home made my heart burst with happiness.
Overall, a great, relaxing, and fun vacation. I can't wait until next year.
We camp in Cape May. You know, the whole tent and sleeping bags sort of thing. Not the kind where you bring your TV, fridge, and everything else. We prefer to "rough" it, as long as it's not too rough. Like tenting in a rain storm, now that is rough.
Day 1
We arrived bright and early and headed straight for the beach. The ride went quickly, it took us 4 1/2 hours. We spent the morning and early afternoon on the beach, where Thing 2 found some really awesome fossils. He is very good at fossil hunting, and has found the beaches of Cape May to be great sources of small coral and other fossils. After some sun, sand, and waves, we headed to the campground to set up the tents. The boys each set up their own tents, with help from sis. I usually set up their tents, but figured by now they ought to be able to set them up, and they did a great job. While setting up a line to hang wet towels to dry, we spotted our neighbor next to us who was camping in a trailer. They had a small yappy dog they thought was so fierce. While the wee thing was yapping at me, the woman said, "Oh, he gets riled up when he sees another person or animal." Hmm, now I'm wishing I had brought the newfs. That would give him something to yap at, from the safety of a tree. They might not think their dog was so fierce and scary if they caught sight of almost 300 lbs of black fur and spittle. Orion would have thought it was a "keeetty!"
Next we met a young boy walking a teenie dog, and I ran to ask if I could pet his dog. He told me the dog was 9 weeks old, they had had him for two days, and he was a chihuahua/poodle mix. The wee thing might have weighed a pound, if that much. I told him and his friend that I had two newfies. He didn't know what newfs were, but his friend's eyes got big and wide and he said, "Oh man! Those dogs are HUGE!". They sure are, compared to this wee beastie. This tiny pup might have been the size of Orion's snoot. Funny how when we are not with our dogs, we seek out other dogs. We found ourselves doing this for the remainder of the trip. We did find a doggie day-care on the way to the beach, so who knows, maybe we will bring the newfs next time.
Day 2
Another perfect day at the beach. Lots of sunshine, the waves were great, and the weather perfect. We went up to the Lobster House and bought some fresh salmon (caught that day!) then headed to the lighthouse beach where hibachi grills and picnic tables are set up. After rubbing pepper seasoning on the fish, we grilled corn on the cob, veggies, and the fish for a delicious dinner that beat any you could find in a restaurant.
Day 3
More perfect sunshine and waves. I found reason number 2 for not wearing a one-piece bathing suit to the beach. I was in the water when a huge wave came up and I faultered. Should I take that wave or should I duck under? That split-second thought was just enough to have the decision made for me, as the wave roared over me, knocking me under and dragging me through the sand and rocks. The force knocked the top of my suit down (but I repaired that quickly while still under) and used it as a scoop to pick up rocks. I scraped my shoulder and I was so mad at myself for not being quick enough. I went back in the water to try to dislodge the rocks from my suit, and thought I got most of them until I headed for the ladies room and ejected the rest. A kid with a bucket and a shovel couldn't have scooped up as many rocks as my suit. That was the last time I wore a one-piece. We won't even get into the rocks and sand in my hair, which was up in a braid. I had to shampoo it twice to get most of them out.
One thing about leaving the nooves at home was that I was able to wear (gasp!) WHITE PANTS. Anyone with a huge black slobber dog knows white is never worn, so I was thrilled to wear my favorite white cropped pants. This is the only place I get to wear them!
For dinner we stopped and bought a couple of steaks, some salads, and fruit. Back to the lighthouse to grill them, then we hit Washington Square for a round of shopping. Washington Square is one of my favorite places in the world, all these tiny shops open until 11 pm. The kids got custards while I bought a fruit smoothie. Yum!
Day 4
This was our last "beach" day, and some clouds and wind came through. Enough wind to blow sand in my ears while soaking up the rays. We sunned ourselves until afternoon, when we headed back to the Lobster House for swordfish (caught that day!) for dinner. Picked up some more corn, rubbed the fish with pepper rub, and served some more side-salads and fruit. The fish was the best fish we have had since, well, last year when we came here. Really, fresh fish is like home-grown tomatoes, the store bought stuff just isn't the same. Hubber took the kids to Stone Harbor for ice-cream and shopping while I took my ease at the campsite, visiting friends who were there.
Day 5
Today we headed home. We decided to skip the beach because there were a few things the kids wanted to do (like visit Clary's Country Kitchen in Cape May Courthouse for breakfast). After breakfast we took down the tents, loaded the truck, and checked out. The kids wanted to visit Sunset Beach (Thing 2 wanted to get a few bags of rocks there), so daughter and I hit the stores there. They have a couple of nice shops there, so daughter got herself a few articles of clothing and jewelry. I bought Thing 1 a tee shirt I though he should really have. Once he saw it, he agreed. By now I am really missing the babies, so we headed to the Lobster House for a lunch of fried seafood (I skipped the fried seafood, had some smoked fish I picked up in the fish shop), then hit the road for the ride home. We were making great time until we hit a spot of "repaving" in CT which held up traffic for over an hour (and no one was paving at that time, either; guess people were just afraid of the bumpy pavement?). We arrived at our friends' house to get our babies, and at first 'Kee just stood there, looking at me as I walked in the door. Orion knew we were there to get him and ran to "count" everyone, jumping to kiss me and bite my chin. Once 'Kee saw Orion kissing us, she burst into the room for her lovin's. These were two very, very happy dogs, and getting them into the car for the ride home was no trouble. Once we arrrived home they tore out of the car and raced around the yard, jumping on each other, wrastling, and coming back to make sure we were for real. I've never seen such happy dogs in my life, and their joy at being home made my heart burst with happiness.
Overall, a great, relaxing, and fun vacation. I can't wait until next year.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Wow, a whole month has gone by...
I can't beleive Mom hasn't posted anything on my blog in a whole month. Now is she lazy or what? I had so much going on, you'd think she'd be filling pages and pages.
First, there was my long awaited visit to the library! Of course, Mom forgot the camera (sigh, she'll never learn, will she?). Aquila and I were rushed to the beauty parlor for a bath, then whisked to the library before we even had time to drool on ourselves. Mom took the advice of her friends and told the kids how to approach an unfamiliar dog, then she brought us in. The usual "Oooohs and Ahhhs" ensued as Mom talked about Newfoundland dogs, what we were bred for, our webbed feet, and then answered the usual questions (Do we eat a lot, do we shed, lol, do we always drool that much, etc.). She also explained what dog shows were about, why a reputable breeder is important for any breed, and about newf rescue. At the end, the kids and families came up to adore and pet us and give us cookies. Aquila got way too much attention, probably because Mom likes to put a bow in her hair.
The next big thing was MY BIRTHDAY! That is just my favorite day. I get blueberry kuchen, lots of presents, and the day is all about me, me, me. I love it!
Shortly after that Mom took Aquila and me to the nursing home for a visit. I hadn't been in a while, and this was 'Kee's first time. She did very well, she really loves be petted by everyone. Mom is going to take her back for another visit, but hasn't figured out how to bring us both, and you know she wouldn't want to leave ME home.
So that's what I've been up to, summed up in a nutshell. Maybe Mom will stop reading books and spend more time writing down my every move for your enjoyment. I'll keep pestering her, and reminding her that we are due for some new photos.
First, there was my long awaited visit to the library! Of course, Mom forgot the camera (sigh, she'll never learn, will she?). Aquila and I were rushed to the beauty parlor for a bath, then whisked to the library before we even had time to drool on ourselves. Mom took the advice of her friends and told the kids how to approach an unfamiliar dog, then she brought us in. The usual "Oooohs and Ahhhs" ensued as Mom talked about Newfoundland dogs, what we were bred for, our webbed feet, and then answered the usual questions (Do we eat a lot, do we shed, lol, do we always drool that much, etc.). She also explained what dog shows were about, why a reputable breeder is important for any breed, and about newf rescue. At the end, the kids and families came up to adore and pet us and give us cookies. Aquila got way too much attention, probably because Mom likes to put a bow in her hair.
The next big thing was MY BIRTHDAY! That is just my favorite day. I get blueberry kuchen, lots of presents, and the day is all about me, me, me. I love it!
Shortly after that Mom took Aquila and me to the nursing home for a visit. I hadn't been in a while, and this was 'Kee's first time. She did very well, she really loves be petted by everyone. Mom is going to take her back for another visit, but hasn't figured out how to bring us both, and you know she wouldn't want to leave ME home.
So that's what I've been up to, summed up in a nutshell. Maybe Mom will stop reading books and spend more time writing down my every move for your enjoyment. I'll keep pestering her, and reminding her that we are due for some new photos.
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