Lake Casitas

This place is beautiful and very large. They have multiple loops for tents, RVs, and day picnics. Of course the best part for us is the fiberglass rally. There is not the selection of old ones I expected - really just a few. Here are three cuties for you to enjoy.

One Day To Go!

Henry and I are getting ready for our Lake Casitas trip. The Bennie Burro is ready and the car is packed!

There are 50 fiberglass travel trailers signed up for the rally. All Henry cares about is attending the Saturday dog parade and watching for interesting dropped food....just to keep the site clean of course.

Unexpected Entertainment

Finally! The tile in the sun room is being put in place. Soon our furniture will migrate back into place.  Right now it is stacked in the the front room - to the point that opening the shutters involves climbing and lots of maneuvering.

The project has had one unexpected side effect. 
The floor work means that the double doors to our back yard are open and Henry is locked away in the play room with me.  Poor guy cannot wander in and out. Bored? Nope! Henry has discovered flies! They are nearly as entertaining as fish at the lake. He is catching the same number too - but it doesn't seem to disappoint him. He just keeps attacking the little buggers.

Broken Promise

Henry is feeling a bit disgruntled. I promised him an overnight trip to the beach in Bennie the Burro before our rally trip at the end of the month.

Too many delays! First it is pulling the sunroom carpet, then it is arranging for termite treatment, now we are waiting for the tile guys. What is a dog going to do?

So....I mixed Bennie Burro travel trailer paint. Filled dings with the appropriate patch stuff and sanded it down. Next we mix the paint with the fixer and cover the problems...wait a few days and wax that little donkey to gorgeousness!

We will miss our per-rally trip, but no one will guess the little travel trailer is 30 years old.

Hum. Henry doesn't seem to care. He just doesn't want the same treatment for his furry little body.!

Entertainment

Henry was a bit bored. We had a garage sale...but in our absence, he taught himself a new trick! No way I could ever have gotten him to do this for me!

New Project!

The computer ink stain Henry generously shared with the sunroom carpet has inspired a new project.

First clearing everything out, then pulling the carpet, pad, carpet strip, and scraping-scraping-scraping the glue. When that is done I will attempt removal of the baseboard without too much damage. Ah Henry. Currently in "jail". There are too many nails in the disaster zone.

Working on Halloween

We ordered a "large" costume from China. I think maybe large is smaller there because Henry's outfit is pretty snug. When I put the hood up the poor boy couldn't see and raced around bumping into stuff. He thought it was a great game!

So, what the heck, he can't help being a cutie.  I'm thinking maybe cutting eye holes and rimming them in black. He can be Henry the super hero...maybe ear holes too.

Toy Carpet Syndrome

Henry has found a new play-thing. Last year, we tiled and installed wood floors in most of our house pulling carpet in all but three areas. The last three days, Henry has experimented with two of the remaining carpeted floors.

Evil me, Henry's Human, left the computer-stuff storage door open and Henry found an ink cartridge to chew. Got to say - it does not come out of carpet willingly.  I quit after attempting with three different products and scrubbing.  It spreads fairly well though.

Evil me, again, left daughter Stephie's bedroom door open and Henry thought, apparently, that it was a "diggable" offense.  Appropriately punished a hole was created.

I am not seeing easy fixes for either of the "Toy Carpet" areas.  Henry managed dead center.  I will try to do better - our guest bedroom remains carpeted without holes or ink.

 Clever Henry is doing fine.  He  was outside when Greg discovered the transgressions, and that gave him time to realize Henry's mother had messed up, not his boy.

Did he earn that nice bone?  Henry thinks so.  He did work really hard on those two carpet sections .... but wait.

Is that a smirk I see on the sweet little face to the left?  Sometimes I am just not sure.  

Sweetie!

Henry is still helping me the the Bennie Burro Travel Trailer renovation. When he think I'm getting to hot and fussy, he barks at the butterflys, squirrels, neighbors and their dogs .... Until I take him in for a rest.

Thank you Henry!

Heating Up

After a trip to Loon Lake, Whittier is just way too hot. I have definitely left behind the start of fall colors and have arrived at water-it-or-it-dies land.

Henry did discover a eater flamboyant hopper on our bricks. Interesting! And had a lovely bath after an enthusiastic roll in the mud. It still smells a bit like wet doggie.

Separation Anxiety

I'm north of Spokane Washington this week. Henry is at home with his daddy - just way too far away to give me puppy kisses. I like Loon Lake a lot, even when I'm here to do the fall trimming and fertilizing. Have to say, it is all better with a licker and barker. I'm going to pretend he is with me.

There. That's better.

Oh Henry!

Henry climbed up on the shelf and made his way - all the way - into the covered kitty litter box. Is nowhere sacred?

Where Is Henry's Mama?

...in the garage all day the last few days. Poor Henry. He wants in, but puppy and fiberglassing do not go well together.

The door is repaired and ready to hang. One day in the sun tomorrow should take care of the heat set. Then we will drill the holes while holding it in place.

Time for Henry and Sue to be thinking about a camping trip!

Yummm

So, what's up Mom? A chew toy is a chew toy, right?

Cozy Baby Bed

What does it mean when your pup spends a couple of hours in his baby bed?  Yes, he is afraid of the cat and the cat has been stalking him.  Yes, he is checking carefully around the corners when he follows me through the house.  Yes, he is looking with pathetic frequency to be sure his Mama is paying attention.

Have you seen "Big Trouble," the Tim Allen movie? If so, do you remember the dog and the frog? Well, that is an exaggeration of Henry and Vivika.  Poor baby. No injuries to date, but Henry seems to be anticipating something scary and serious.

New Family Members

Life just gets better! 

We have two new family members.  Henry has not met them yet, but he is anxious to romp with these guys. 

Wyatt is a new pup living in Okanogan.  Wyatt is planning to keep his mom entertained and busy this school year.  He has a big spot to fill.  Henry's best buddy and Wyatt's sibling recently scampered off to join friends in puppy heaven. 

Wyatt's mom says, of course he is brilliant as well as handsome and funny.

Bentley is the new addition to the Toutle River site.  Daisy Mae is Bentley's sister, and he is just what she needs to keep her happy and busy when her Mom and Dad are at work. 

These two have already escaped their huge yard to spend a day on the river.  I have a feeling they will be collaborating on a regular basis to keep Roger and Karrie on their toes!

....yes. Here they are planning their next adventure. Shhhhh. Quiet. Roger and Karrie are listening.

Sunday - National Thank A Dog Day

Thank you Henry.
You give me puppy sloppy kisses.
You welcome me with enthusiasm every single time I return - even if I've only been gone for a few minutes.
You demonstrate that even a dirty smelly pup can enjoy life with enthusiasm - and humans should should not be so self conscious about appearances.
You categorize life items in terms of their importance:

1. Friends
2. Food
3. Sleep

Henry responds, "What's the big deal? That's how it is, silly."

Sue replies, "And that is why you are so loveable Henry."

Power Shift

After a summer on the road with Henry and our little Bennie Burro, there has been a power shift at home!

Cast of characters:
This is, of course, Henry. The sweet, the loveable, the clueless travel companion.  He is excited about everything and sometimes not quite cautious enough....I mean, as far as he is concerned, who wouldn't like him?

The handsome black and white cat is Otto. He has gained a lot of weight over the summer. His adoring summer pet sitters took great care of him and his sister, Vivika,  during our months away. They both ended up fat and sassy.  Vivika is the charcoal beauty on Otto's right.

When we left, Otto teased Henry; Henry chased Otto; Vivika stayed way out of the way of Henry but occasionally attacked Otto. On our return, Otto sits on the couch top waiting to be petted and admired but lords it over Vivika; Vivika stalks Henry; Henry cuddles with his human watching Vivika with some trepidation. The whole power structure has shifted along some summer fault line.  

As in Rodney King's oft quoted lament, "Why can't we just all get along?"

Rules??

Mama says we do need rules. Humph. So what if it was 107 going over Grants Pass in Oregon. Mom says she really likes me a lot, but with no air conditioning in Benny Burro, there will be no cuddling tonight. The plan is - wait till she is asleep and she won't know I'm sleeping on her feet until morning.