From the Three of Us!

Happy Thanksgiving! Wish we could share our holiday treats with you.  Our Papa Peep is making pies.  Mama Peep is watching Stretch save the world in Independence Day and enjoying the sunshine.

Since you can't be here, we are sharing with our fence buddy, Sheldon. He wishes you a wonderful "Wuff" right along with Henry.

Scary Snowman

Don't you just hate it that it is not even Thanksgiving and the winter holiday music is already playing?  Me too.  This is not taking it that far -- but it did make me laugh.  I wonder how our boy, Henry, would react!
http://news.yahoo.com/snowman-prank-video-140020945.html

Henry attacks falling leaves.  He goes crazy when the squirrels visit our orange and avocado trees.  I would imagine there would be a whole lot of barking going on with the angry snowman!  That snowman is earning a noisy Henry attack in return!

And, from Pet Blogs United --
1. For those of you up north, be sure to give your cow time to get off the warm hood before you move the car…..and

2.  This is for my brother and sister, Randy and Misumi.  I think this would be a great look for Billy and Momo.  Get busy with those knitting needles!

Scary Vet

Time for Otto and Vivika to go to the vet for an update on their shots.  Out come the two carriers.  The cats disappear.  Really disappear.  Guess who gets to go for his shot today instead of Monday?  Henry.

Still pouting - 

No problem getting Henry in the car -- but when we arrive at the vet's office he does not want out of the car. He definitely does not want to go through that office door.  Even worse: Henry trembles so much that there can be no doubt that we abuse the poor boy.

The shivering pup goes in for his shot with mama leading him to the scary stuff, and two minutes later he dances out attempting to jump and run in circles on his leash.  Joy, joy, joy!  The peeps in the waiting room laugh at the before-and-after demonstration by our little wuss.

Pouting? I'm in too!

Otto and Vivika reappeared when Henry comes home.  They have the weekend to get used to the re-emergence of their carriers.  We'll try again on Monday.  For Henry, next time I'll consider leading him with a nice marrow bone.

Otto and Vivika seem to know my evil plan.  A marrow bone will not work for those two!

Cookies

I heard a bump-thump, bump-thump and checked the kitchen for the source of the sounds.  Henry, probably encouraged by his success with Stephanie's birthday cake, was doing his best to jump up to the counter.  (Scroll down three stories.) I am sure he was only trying to capture the cookies to save his peeps from themselves.

Henry Staying Hydrated

 What is it about dogs?  Henry has two perfectly good water bowls outside.  They are clean and changed regularly.  Humph.  Where does he belly up to the bar?  The water fountain.  Do I clean it?  Nope.  Do I rinse it out? Yes, but rarely.

I am counting this as an example of sympathy drinking. I mention this because Henry is still not helping with the removal of the oleander hedge.  The work has progressed up to radically cutting back the fourth oleander with  more to follow.  So, of course hydration is important.  Henry watches for awhile, takes a few slurps from the fountain and has found a lovely spot in the 95 degree heat to snooze until he deems it necessary to give his peeps more oleander encouragement.

Marmaduke's creator, Brad Anderson has come up with the perfect solution for the hefty root balls we will be dealing with soon.  Unfortunately Henry does not bury his bones.  He collects them in his toy box for further action.  Maybe I can trick him--doubt it though.

Laughing at the Peeps

In Henry's backyard, there are about 45 feet of oleanders creating a very solid hedge.  Well, it was once solid - still solid but now scraggly. The oleander bug has got the plants in its greedy little clutches and the hedge is dying.  The plants were installed many years before we moved in -- and have continued to grow during the 15 years we have lived in the house.  Until about a year ago, the plants were trimmed to 8 feet tall and about 4 feet deep.  They were happily thriving with their foot of oleander mulch. Now the poor darlings are dying out and looking pretty sad.  

Now I ask you, is it too much to expect Henry to do his part in the removal of these old monsters?  I made the request politely and all I got was an enthusiastic head shake.  Pretty rude if you ask me!  When my folks wanted work to be done, it got done (well, most of the time anyway).  Ah this younger generation - what is he? Generation X or Y or Z?

Worse than that, he laughed at me and the whole concept of helping out at home. He did watch the instructional pulling-the-roots video with me.  He just needs to dig down two feet around the plants in about a four foot circle cutting the roots as he goes along.  He can't officially count, but perhaps he understands the concept of 10 huge root balls.  Smart puppy!

Sneaky Little Cutie

Henry is a good boy, but sometimes life is so dog-gone tempting! What is a dog to do when the peeps take their dinner guest through the house on a mini tour.

Look! The birthday cake is on the table and short legged Henry is just too tempted with no peeps in the room. Ah!! The chairs are not pushed in! This is the first time Henry made it to the table top. Bliss!!

Mama peep has never seen Henry scoop so much into his mouth in such a short time - and has never heard many little puppy burps.  It was so yummy…but to eat that fast, a lot of air was gulped too.

The Bad Hair Day

Recently my Auntie Lola gave us Grandma Wallitner's bread recipe. So Stephie and I made bread with the able but part time  assistance of Henry.  Very part time. Henry went in to have a comb-out and trim -- but there was a bit of a language barrier apparently (or maybe just a new groomer) and Henry came back looking pretty short haired and ragged. 

I did explain that the plan was to allow his locks to lengthen with a bit of managed care. It was about two and a half inches long in the short areas pre- grooming. Instead Henry got all but an inch cut off and that remaining fur even looks a bit whacked. Henry's mama is disappointed. Good thing he is such a sweet loveable little guy, because there isn't a lot to love about the $45.00-plus-10% tip grooming.

So, back to the bread. It fills the house with great memories of Grandma-who must have been about my age when those memories formed. I'd visit their three story shingle house in Port Angeles. When I'd hear Grandma and Grandpa were up, I'd go down the steep stair case into the kitchen. She'd fix me creamy sugared coffee and toasted fresh bread with cinnamon and sugar. So, that's what Steph and I did this morning.

Henry did not get any of the bread, much to his disappointment, but he did get lots of hugs and sympathy for his bad hair day and some bacon as a consolation prize.

Henry and Sue - (Maybe) Getting in Shape

Henry and I are trying. We've been walking too fast to whip out the camera on our walks, but as you can see, that 5k isn't going to happen anytime soon.  We are heading in the right direction but at the end of our "briskness" this is where we end up. A short crash to recharge.

11/5 -- Other neat stuff? Stephie arrived yesterday for a birthday visit.  So nice to have her home for a few days.  Today Steph, Henry and I went to Ikea (Henry in the basket) and then to Anaheim Wholesale Nursery and Landscape Supply.  Henry was such a good puppy.  Ok course he got lots of "Oh, he is so cute" comments…

Steph and I attempted the removal of an oleander when we returned - so of course Henry got lots of rake attacking and dirt collection done.

If Henry's admirers at Ikea could only see him now with his lower half coated with dirt they would not be so enthusiastic.  Lucky Henry, I am too pooped from attacking the oleander to give him a bath.

11/1/13:  33 minutes brisk walk.
11/2/12:  We won't even talk about the 2nd. What an embarrassment.
11/3/13:  29 minutes brisk walk.

11/4/13: 21 minutes brisk walk.
11/5/13: No walk day!  ….but Steph and I spent a couple of hours cutting down and cleaning out a dying oleander bush (one of many still to go).