Oh Dear!

It is tough getting a hair cut.  Going from fluffy and insulated to short and trim is a bit embarrassing for a pup even when pa peep says he looks great. Poor Henry - his dust mop fur will be much easier to handle now that the mop of wavy hair is trimmed to 1/2" - but Henry knows he is going camping and likes to gather pitch, twigs and dirt.  The gathering process will be much more difficult now.


Mama peep says "yay!" Henry just looks long suffering.

He will get over it.  I promise.

Mutt and Jeff

This I must share. These two sweeties are the current foster kitties at my daughter and son's home. Mutt and Jeff are their second set of fosters - the first set was a mama with five kittens. Mama Cat and the fostering couple were all overwhelmed with those five darling rug rats! I met these two the other day and they are adorable. I already have two, Otto and Vivika plus Henry the pup or I'd steal them away. I had forgotten how fragile baby cats feel when held. Under that fluff, there isn't much. These two are working on gaining the weight needed to have their pre-adoption surgery. I am sure they will be snapped up by new loving parents.  Hope they go as a set!  Henry was not given even a glimpse of the two babies. This is Henry pouting. He loves trying to herd the cats.

New Fishing Season! Yay!!

The best of times is fishing for Henry. Every year the season crops up and Henry races down the stairs to (unsuccessfully) capture the elusive trout.....okay, sunfish.....under the dock.

Imagine his disappointment when we made it to the lake and the dock wasn't prepared for summer yet.  The ramp still tied to the dock top and no way to get out there!  So there he sits looking for barking distractions. 

And then, yes! The guys come to put out the ramp and here he goes.  Fish.





 

     

Henry and Another Dinosaur

Henry is showing hints of being a social animal. I'm not saying he always chooses his buddies appropriately but this one was a winner.  The large hard shelled lady is located at the entrance to Wenatchee Washington's main drag.  Our fearless pup approached and tucked right in at the foot of the giant.

A little eye candy - we stopped to take a photo of the river as we travelled near Leavenworth. There is still plenty of snow on the hills and the water flow was showing the amount of melt that has already found its way down the mountain.

Young Man, FIVE, V, 5 !!

Henry's birthday slipped by when I wasn't watching.  His last few days of not feeling so hot distracted his peep. He is now back to his wonderful bouncy self...so, here is his five year old picture.  Still so handsome.

Shh.  Time for a bath. Lets not tell him before I lure him into his bathroom with a birthday doggie biscuit.

Trees Flowering, Puppy Dragging

     We have blossoms! Apple, plum, cherry and pear are all budding.  There is eye candy everywhere. 

     Spring has sprung.  Anacortes is even forecast for five days running with sunshine - and one day 70 degrees.  Oh my :-)

     And then there is Henry.  The pup has a case of the springtime blues or something.  Ever since his haircut he has been dragging - even when I get out his leash for a walk, he just looks instead of his typical leaps and wiggles.  He has been wearing his sweatshirts for warmth and still has his shivery moments.    

  

     Poor baby boy.  Papa peep thinks he might have picked up a bug at the groomers. Mom peep sees he is eating his kibble and chicken and has a cold damp nose as usual. Adoptive doggie parents worry.  

 

     

Brrrr!

Dang! It is tough when all that fluffy fur gets trimmed off.  The poor pup is used to the coat and can't figure out how those short hairs cousins deal with it.  Henry has been wearing sweatshirts around the clock to prevent shivers.  Summer cannot come too fast for this boy!

Bowing to the Inevitable

Before: Mourning the anticipated loss of his fur coat.

Fluffy Henry is bowing to the inevitable. His furry little body is warm and soft and lovely until you work your fingers into that curlier fur inside those delicate legs - but then there they are, the dreaded matts - no place else. The little tight bundles would be painful to have worked out so off to the groomer we go. Once again, Henry's peep has failed in her grooming task.  :-(   He is going to be so skinny when I pick him up. No fur coat. We will be heading back to sweat shirts for the boy.

Please tell me if other pups or peeps out there have found a good detangled. I've tried several with no success.

After: The all new "improved" Henry :-)

Erika's Pet Grooming had pups running around free and happy as the Erika and her trim partner worked in the grooming area. Talk about happy dogs! Henry was excited to see me, but he seemed very comfortable with the other six or seven dogs running about. What a relief for his peep.  He does tend to be a bit stand offish until he gets to know the pecking order of the pack. Apparently this was a pack that met with his comfort zone requirements.  Yay!

Beach Running

The chilly breeze and wet sand are pup-love-wonderful.  Not a lot more fun than running between the peeps on the beach opposite Guemes Island. Especially nice, according to mom peep, mom and dad get to take a break in their walk.  Lazy guys.

  

Eating Grass

Here we are in our northern piece of paradise  and who is only interested in sniffing the air and chewing grass on the verge?  Our boy Henry. That's who.  The pussy willows are lovely - they are just starting to bud out.  The daffodils are in bloom.  We have gusty coastal breezes and sailboats taking advantage of the opportunity - and Henry chews grass.  He's a dog.  Good boy! I guess it is time to head for the doggie park.  There will be so many delicious smells there and the bonus pooch company.

Helping Mom Knit

Does Henry look like a whipped puppy? We have had several conversations about the baby blanket and Henry's lack of respect for my efforts - his peep's first attempt at something that large.

His favorite place is my lap and that is where Henry parked himself for much of the work.  Now in preparation for the blocking (also a first for the peep) he has claimed it as his own.  Hum. It is cozy, but I don't think that is going to happen.

Henry and Marilyn Help with Pasta

It started as a project for Auntie Joy and Henry's mom. We had thoughts of chicken noodle soup and a whole afternoon to make it happen.  Henry and Marilyn parked in the center of the kitchen from the start - it is always more of an adventure cooking when stepping over the pups is necessary.

As you can see from the intense look in their eyes, they did a great job guarding the goods...and cleaning up tiny dropped bits.

In case you are curious, the soup was delicious!

Chilly Winter Adjustments

Winter is almost behind us.  It is groundhog day! Henry and her cousin Marilyn are looking forward to laying out in the sun a bit, but as you can see, it isn't happening quite yet here in Anacortes.  When there isn't frost on the ground, the ground is soggy wet.

Henry did do the fake unicorn attempt, but that didn't make summer magic happen.  I think maybe he overheard too many Harry Potter readings over the years - he thought he could make it happen.

Some great news, we found another Red Shirt for Henry and cousin Guster.  He is the favorite toy out of the baskets full of goodies the boys play with.  Red Shirt one is a year old and has held up with amazing determination.  One leg has been sewn back on and Gus chewed the ears off, but the squeak still works and the rustle material still crinkles.  Great toy!  Henry does the terrier attempt to shake it apart and it holds.

:-)