Dorothy Weather!

Well, burr. There is no sunshine today.  We have rainy and breezy weather - certainly not ideal for flying with gusts and thunder. I would say it is going to be a two Dramamine flight.

Henry tells me he planned the weather to keep me at home. Hum. That is not going to work this time.

Oh, great.  Now Henry has created thunder, lightening and hale.  That pup has talent!

Being Left Behind :-(

Henry's two human sisters are due for visits. So, his main buddy is flying away and leaving the pup at home. Sorry Henry!

Mama's boy is going to be batching with Dad and his two kitties. In preparation, Henry and I made a trip to Petco to stock up on do-not-be-bored goodies. The pup is not accustomed to "home alone" time so a little extra TLC is in order.

He has been testing the stick-in-the-Kong for the last couple of hours and it appears to be a hit. At the same time, he's checking out the other goodies.  Those will have to wait, but I wanted to be part of the fun.

On the Other Side

Sheldon lives across the fence in our back yard. He is a very muscular pit bull with a deep and beautiful bark.  He comes to the border for a visit when Henry and I walk out.  Sheldon and Henry scamper along the chain link and wuff at each other - then eventually both come back to me.  Sheldon on the far side of the fence.  They each get a treat and then sniff my fingers for a bit more. It's my attempt at socialization for the two. Maybe someday they can play in the same yard - Sheldon is in training class.  He still lunges when the fence doesn't separate them. He wants to play, but doesn't know how to appropriately.  Henry would be gobbled up and Sheldon would not even realize he did it.

Real Spring? False Spring?

Who knows. I have not had a fire in the fireplace for several days. Maybe spring approaches. Henry and I hope our awakening garden has not been tricked!

It is not like spring in the northern states - there it is the first hint of green in the hills after a deep sleep.  In Southern California it is more like an awakening from a semi-snooze.

Super Bowl Hero

Sometimes it just takes one hero to make the difference. 
Yep.  It is Henry the super dog.

Now lets watch some commercials.

Back Slide ... Oops!

With visiting guests, Henry has shown some serious backslide on training lessons.  Henry is now one of those irritating little dogs demonstrating unwanted kisses and lap leaps for perfect strangers.  He loves everyone - and everyone is his best friend.

I like his exuberance when I come home.  He is so happy to see me.  He leaps and licks and spins and leaps all over again.  But it is not just me.  Henry is an equal opportunity licker.  It is time for a little remediation.  Some folks do not want to feel the love.

Oh, Dog Whisperer, where are you when I need you? I've heard you have gone to Europe and are dealing with the big boys now.  No more little white fluffy pups showing themselves just a shade off perfect. Sigh. What would take Cesar Milan two minutes to fix will take his bumbling human forever.  Forever with Henry is, fortunately, a fun thing.

Working Day!

Henry is exhausted from the emotional upheaval yesterday - arranging to take Vivika to the Valentine's Ball.  So today, he kept it to the minimum.  Whew.  It is all done.

The Valentine Ball Date

Vivika is a bit hissy about this, but Mama insisted.  No one came up with a date to the Valentines Day Ball for Henry and you know the story.  Little sister gets forced into the position of going with her brother - and she really doesn't appreciate him all that much.

The lovely Vivika wanted to go to the dance too, but certainly not with Henry.  She was thinking more in terms of the Meow Mix cat, or even the cartoon Garfield.

Mom hopes Henry and Vivika  will not spend the "date" as bickering siblings.

Benny Back Home

So silly, but it is lovely to have Benny the Burro back. He went into the fix-it-shop to have a list of fixes done. Now he is back in the driveway. Henry and I are putting all the stuff back into its snug little body.

Half way done, so Henry is napping and I'm reading Dick Francis. Lovely!



There is Henry's little nose poking out on the left.

Looking for a Date!

Molly and Ranger are hosting a Valentine's Day Ball.  Henry really wants to go, but he doesn't know who to ask....and he's kind of shy anyhow. He'd ask his kitty sister, Vivika, but thinks she might not get along with the other cyber doggies. If you are interested in a date to the cyber shindig give us a bark or a wuff.

Handsome Henry needs a date but really doesn't want to go to one of those Match.com sites, so we'll do it here:

Henry likes running on the beach and chasing seagulls
He likes barking up any tree with a bird, squirrel or fluttering leaf
He loves cheese and hot dogs and anything his folks are eating (but he can't have)
He likes going to the dog park and sniffing doggie butts and every interesting scented bush
He enjoys chewing on stuff - Moms glasses, Dads cell phone...
He loves getting into the kittie litter box when his mom forgets to reattach the doggie gate

If this sounds like the dog for you, give us a bark.  We'd need to coordinate our outfits and get the picture sent in soon!  (I thought we could do a white background sheet so it would be easy to photoshop together.) A friend, a stranger, a cousin.....its all good as long as you like dress up!

Come on!  Who wouldn't want to pair up with this handsome fellow on Saint Valentine's Day?  He is such a cutie pie and has personality plus.

What do you mean, "That sounds like his Human talking."?  Okay.  Okay.  It is his Human talking, I'll admit it.  But just the same, he is one handsome fellow.

Don't Worry. Henry is Safe!

http://youtu.be/u5VvCT3JJRs

Just click to see the excitement!

Doing Your Taxes

     Well,  here is a possibility!  I am just getting the taxes organized. Henry does not have fleas -- but they would be my dependents, right?  Grand-fleas in my care.  I take care of Henry, and naturally claim him as a dependent.
     There is a temptation to withhold the flea meds for a few months.
     What? What? You say I'm not allowed to claim my pup Henry as a dependent?  What are you talking about? He costs nearly as much as either of my two human children maintenance wise! ...and is certainly more demanding than they ever were - and not as cute, although nearly at times.

San Elijo Camp Out

This place is beautiful. The camping is surrounding a busy surfing beach. Kids and dogs are everywhere - except  on the beach no dogs there unfortunately. We had a pod of whales spouting anemone the kelp beds to watch.I've never seen that before and although Henry could care less I thought it was amazing.

...and our very own birthday girl surfer. And coming back from the beach freezing ready to warm up in the burro. 

Several days later, Henry is paying the price.  His human is battling a huge cold. Boring! No walks, no tug-a-war. The camp out walks don't count. That was then, it is all about now. Payback time when the coughing stops!

Life Advice

So, here you go.  Important life advice.  Henry and I read this on my Facebook feed from "Life and Dog." Just a little heads up from Henry - the "...pee on it and walk away!" part - humans can take as a figurative suggestion.  We don't want to get anyone into trouble.

Where's Henry?

Tucked and cozy, Henry is supervising the cleanup from last trip in the burro.

Next up? Advice on what to pack for a trip on the 18th! It is going to be chilly at the ocean.  I'll have an electric hookup again so Henry won't freeze.

The next trip is to a coastal section where they do not allow dogs on the beach - so poor Henry will not be able to chase waves and collect sand.  So unfair!

Fountain of Youth

Humph.  Well, it didn't work.  Henry and I went to the Fountain of Youth Spa near Salton Sea.  I expected Henry to become a puppy and me - a 30 year old.  Didn't happen, but we had a great time.  Henry met his cousin Gus.  They are really perfect pals now!


Handsome Guster is on the left and he really let Henry in on the secrets of cousin-hood.  They wrestled, chased, shared and romped together.  Talk about a perfectly matched twosome.

We took Bennie Burro to the Salton Sea.  We had not seen it before and it was both impressive due to its size and sad due to the pollution in that huge body of water.


The arid landscape around the Spa was covered with hiking trails for walkers and their dogs.  Really nice dog friendly environment - on leash though due to coyotes.  At night Henry and I admired their singing.  There were a lot of them out there inviting pets to come out to "play".

We found the stone maze on our walks.  Someone went to a lot of work creating it.  In the center is a gong to ring announcing your success - and a note explaining how to produce the purest sound.

Henry and I both wanted to stay another night - but the Santa Ana winds are scheduled to seriously pick up tomorrow. So we packed up the burro and waved goodbye to Gus and his parents, Rick and Leslie.   We will definitely return to the spot.  It was worth the four hour drive.  The return trip was just enough to give Henry nap time after his workout!

Sooooooo Fluffy

If you can think back to Henry's New Year resolutions ... you will recall #10 was fewer baths.

The sad news is that his human ignored #10 but the happy news is that she listened to #1 (more treats). Henry is now fluffy and very handsome and he has a bag of treats and a new squeeky monkey toy.

Another plus, he is satisfying #8 (go with human when the burro is hooked up to the car). Mom is off to the desert tomorrow for an overnight camp-out visit with her brother and sister-in-law and their cute puppy (satisfying #5 visiting doggie cousins).

Not bad. Addressing three out of four resolutions this early in January is pretty impressive.  Got to say though, a trip to the groomer is exhausting. We have got to work harder on #1.

Dog Park Hopes

On the agenda next Tuesday - Whittier City Council is looking at formulating plans for a dog park!

That does not make it a done deal of course. They have been lobbied over the years. But at least this time it is on the docket!

Whittier has some places that would be great - here is one we visited today.  Probably not a popular option with the neighbors, but the dogs and puppy owners would love it.

Anyhow, fingers crossed!

Resolutions for 2013

Henry has thought it out - he is one smart dog if I do say so myself. I realize I'm a bit prejudiced in his favor being his human.....but here are his resolutions. Not being much of a typist, he asked me to record them.

 1.  Eat more treats in 2013.
 2.  Take my human for more and longer walks.
 3.  Nap on Mama's lap more often.
 4.  Work on my wave catching abilities.  I just know I can get one!
 5.  Go visit my doggie cousins when ever possible.
 6.  Continue to perfect my squirrel and bird chasing skills.
 7.  Get more tennis balls so I can chase them and not bring them back - and the folks will still have more to throw.
 8.  Join my folks camping out in Bennie the Burro whenever Mom hooks it up to the car.
 9.  Chase Otto and Vivika Cat every time Mom or Dad pet them.
10. Take way, way fewer baths. Swimming in the lake is great.  Baths are yucky!

.....but he looks so sweet after a bath.  I don't think that is going to happen.  Sorry Henry.

Happy Cozy New Year!

Henry is attempting a quick snooze in front of the fire - catch up after barking at New Year's Eve firecrackers.

If midnight cheering and celebration is a threat, Henry demonstrated that he can take care of it for sure!  Oh, mighty pooch.

If he was not so pooped from his excellent work last night, he'd be wishing you the most wonderful 2013!