Here Comes Santa Claus!

Mom took me for a walk in the dark.  We NEVER walk in the dark (except to do YouKnowWhat after I've had dinner because YouKnowWho won't do YouKnowWhat in our back yard).  But other than that, we don't walk in the dark.  Cuz, well, javalinas and rattle snakes and coyotes and bob cats.  That's why.

So I was surprised the other night when she drove up to the Rec Center and then told me to get out in the dark. She started singing "Here come Santa Claus, Right down Santa Claus lane!"  (Believe me, you don't want to hear Mom sing!  But that's not the point.  At least I don't think so.  No, the point was she was singing about Santa Claus Lane.  And what do you know?  There we were on Santa Claus Lane!

Santa had a list of all the good boys and girls and dogs and cats.  Mom said my name was on it!  I didn't see it, but I'll take her word for it.  Why wouldn't it be?  I'm such a good dog!

We stopped in front of my friend Pooh Bear!  He's my favorite bear.  Actually, he might be the only bear I know.  Whatever.  I like Pooh Bear! 

We kept going down Santa Claus Lane. 

We saw presents and sparkly snow on the trees, just like at my cousin's house in Massachusetts!  Where I've never been, but I know about snow cuz I met it in St. Louis once.  It's cold.  The snow on these trees wasn't so cold, but it was pretty.

I tried to pretend I was a wolf howling at the Christmas moon...

It was all so pretty.  But my favorite part...except for Pooh Bear.  I really really really like Pooh Bear...Did you know that?  ...my favorite part was at the end.  That's where we got to wish everybody, Happy Holidays!  

And so from Santa Claus Lane and My House, to you:  Happy Holidays.

Love from G

(And from Mom and Dad, too)

I have a new cousin!

I haven't met my new cousin yet, but I saw a picture and she sure is a cutie!

Oh, no!  That's not my new cousin!  That's Javelina!  She was watching Mom and Dad play golf last Sunday.  She's fun but I don't think I'd call her a cutie.  Wait, let me find the right picture.

There she is!  Her name is Vicki.  She's named after my Grandmother.  She doesn't really look like my Grandmother.  My Grandmother was pretty.  This Vickie is just a cutie.  Don't you think?

Maybe someday I'll get to meet her.  Mom says we need to get the airlines to let pups like me fly with my parents.  Little dogs get to fly, but us big dogs have to go in cargo, and she says I wouldn't like it.  I think it's more that SHE wouldn't like it.  She likes me to travel close to her.  I don't think she likes to travel by herself.  That's why she takes Dad with her when I can't go.  Maybe we can start a petition to let big dogs fly in airplanes with the people.  Would you sign my petition?  I really want to go and see my new cousin.  Actually, I would like to go and see my old cousins too.  I've only met, let me see, my cousin Zach, and my cousin Frosty, and my cousin Kyle, and Meagan and Kelly.  I think I have a lot more cousins.  Cousins are neat.  I would like to fly and see the rest of my cousins.  I have an Uncle who flies planes for American Airlines.  Maybe he can get American Airlines to let me go see my cousins!

That can be our goal for next year.  All of us can work together to get American Airlines to let big dogs like me fly in the plane with our humans.  OK?

Anyway, my cousin Vicki, sent me another picture.  And it made me think of Christmas.

I guess I'd better start thinking about my Christmas blog.  It's coming up soon.  And I've been very good so Santa Claus will bring me good presents.  I'd better tell Vicki she needs to put the fire out so Santa can come and give her presents too.  It's tough being an older cousin, but I like being able to tell her about life!

Hope you have cousins you can talk to, too.

Love, G

Voted Off the Island - AGAIN!

I screwed up.  Yes, again.  Mom took me to the Dog Park.  We haven't been there in a long long long time.  But Dad was playing golf and so we went.

It was good to be back.  I sometimes am a little shy when I get there, but usually I find a pup that will play with me.  Like Shawn.  Shawn is one pretty pup.

 We spent some time getting to know each other.

I let Shawn know that I was really interested.  In playing together!!  What were you thinking?...I don't even know if Shawn is a girl or a guy.  I don't much care; I'm neutered anyway.

I'm pretty sure Shawn was interested, too.  Unfortunately, this is the last of the pictures, 'cuz then I tried to h**p Shawn and Mom didn't like it.  Neither did Shawn's Mom -- she said, Shawn doesn't like that!"  Which is how I know Shawn doesn't like that.  I'm not sure Shawn didn't like it, but Shawn's Mom didn't like it, so Mom grabbed my leash and off we went.

That was OK, though.  Cuz we went to breakfast at the General Store.  Which is another something we haven't done in a long long long long time.  And I really like breakfast at the General Store, 'cuz, well BACON!!

Hope you have lots of friends to play with and lots of BACON.  

Love, G

On the Road Again!

We took ANOTHER trip!  Dad's trying to make up for all the trips he didn't take last year, and I get the benefit.  That's 'cuz he only wants to travel in the U.S. until the COVID stuff goes away and I get to go with them.

So we got in the car and travelled up to Sedona for a few days.  It was lovely.  

They have a GREAT dog park.  It does have a plastic swimming pool but Mom wouldn't let me get in it 'cuz the water was really really really muddy.  I tried, but she pulled me out.  She said it was pretty ironic (I KNOW what that means, it means why would I get into a plastic swimming pool full of mucky water in the dog park when I won't get into the plastic swimming pool she fills for me with cool clean water at my house?)

I met a really cute friend at the park.  She showed us how we could go behind the main park and there was a whole 'nother part of the park that went way up a mountain (well maybe not a mountain), but it had lots of trails and I could run with my new friend and Mom couldn't see me.  She wasn't worried, though, cuz it wasn't a very big area and she spotted us soon.  I tried to pretend that my new friend and I had some "fun" when she wasn't looking, but she didn't believe me because, well, you know, I can't!  We had fun anyway.

 There was a beautiful trail near the dog park and the three of us hiked up it.  There was a lot of red dirt around.  Something tells me there's a bath in my future when we get home.  Better enjoy this while I can. 

We went out to eat at a neat restaurant called Creekside, because it was...creekside, that is.

But the wierdest thing we did was a jeep tour.  I've never been in a jeep.  I didn't know what to expect.  It started out OK.  I got to sit on a cushioned seat next to Mom.

 But once we got started, I had to get down on the seat.  Mom even tried to strap me in with seat belts, but she ended up just holding on to me.

We went on some pretty bumpy roads.  Lots of pretty sights, but mostly I was trying  not to fall out of the jeep.  When we finally got back, I posed with the jeep cowboy.

Then I got a drink of water, got in our car, and threw up in the back seat.  (Mom's glad we have a washable seat cover in the back.)

I slept really really really good that night!

Hope you have some wierd and wonderful trips (but don't get sick).

Love, G

The Bestest Part of the Colorado Trip

 So I have one more story for you about our Colorado trip.  Dad got bored in Boulder.  I don't know why.  We had that big, beautiful dog park with a lake to walk around.  We could Eat in the Buff whenever we wanted to.  And we could play "Open Says-a-me" with the doors in the hotel.  What more could he want?  But he decided we were going to Vail.  To the Grand Hyatt.

That sounded pretty good to me, too.  I like Grand stuff.  And boy, was it!

As soon as we got to the front door, I hopped out.  There must have been at least 3 people in funny uniforms who ran up with treats for me and lots of petting.  I was in heaven.  They must have known I was coming and got all this ready, just for me.  Dad didn't tell me he had planned all this just for me.  He's a great Dad.

Later we went for dinner, but it was raining.  This Hyatt place said I could sit inside in the Fireside Lounge with Mom and Dad and have dinner there.  I didn't have to go out somewhere.  I could be just like everybody else!  It was great.  And the waitress was all over me just like the people at the front door.  She even took a picture of us.

I don't usually let Mom and Dad get in my blog pictures.  But there wasn't much I could do about it.

In the morning we had breakfast on the deck overlooking a bubbling brook.  

And then, Mom took me down to the brook and I got to play in the water.  It was just my kind of water.  Only 6" deep!

Later I got to ride a bus into town and we walked all over.  We even found a store that my cousin, Meagan used to work at.  Only hers was in New York City.  It was something to do with Pianos and something else.  (I told Mom to crop dad out of the picture, cuz he had been in too many of my pictures this blog.  But she said it wouldn't work, cuz then no one could see the name of the store.  So I guess he can be in 3 pictures.  As long as I get to be in more than him.)

We left for Arizona soon after that.  It was a great vacation from the 115 degree heat, but I was ready to get back to my own bed and my own back yard.  

And already, Dad is thinking about the next place to go.

Will you look at that?  Mom snuck Dad into another picture.  She and I are going to have a talk.

Hope you get your own blog with your own pictures!

Love, G 

Colorado Rocky Mountain Swimming Hole

 Actually, there weren't any Rocky Mountains involved in this story, but it sounded kinda nice.  Like I'd heard those words together somewhere before.  Anyway, this story is about the neatest swimming hole I ever saw!

First of all, there aren't a lot of swimming holes to compare it to, because, as you know, I live in a desert.  Having said that, I did tell you about the best Dog Park in Phoenix which did have a lake in it.  But this was even better.  

After we had Breakfast in the Buff (actually, we had breakfast at The Peep, but it's much more fun to say we had Breakfast in the Buff than we had Breakfast in the Peep.  I mean what's a Peep?  Mom says it's what baby chickens say.  I've never seen a baby chicken.  In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a chicken.  So what would I care what a baby chicken says, and what does it have to do with having breakfast?  And...Uh, oh, I'm diverging again, aren't I.  Where was I...)

Oh, right.  After breakfast, Dad said we were going for a walk.  But we got in the car.  Which is confusing, as WALK means go out the front door.  (And I do like going out the front door of this hotel.  I told you about the doors just open when I tell them to.  So yeah! I liked the idea of a WALK and go out the front door.)  But no, we went out the back door to the car.  That's not a WALK.  That's a RIDE.  Maybe Dad is losing it.  He's not as young as he used to be.  In dog years he's 504 years old.  But wait, that doesn't make sense, does it?  If I multiply my age by 7 to see what my age is if I were Dad.  Then does he multiply his age by 7 to see what age he is if he were me?  I didn't do well in math class.  I'm all confused.  Oh, dear, there I go again.  Back to the WALK that was really a RIDE.

So we rode for about 15 minutes and then got out of the car, past a big wooden fence, and then Mom took off my leash.  Oh, joy!  I was in this huge place with a big ol' lake and grass and weeds and lots of other dogs.  We walked all around this big, huge lake.  Once in awhile, I would see a break in the bushes and I ran down and did my signature sit in the water!

That felt so good!  

So I got up and rearranged myself and flopped again.

Then we kept going and I ran up ahead for awhile, and then waited for Mom and Dad.  (They're kinda slow on account of their age you know.  I mean if you were 504 you'd be slow too!)  But up ahead, I found a place with lots of other pups.  So I jumped in and joined them.

Dad got bored pretty soon and we had to leave, but it was a ton of fun!  That's my rhyme for today.  A TON of FUN!

Hope you have a TON of FUN every day!

Love, G

Boulder or Bolder?

 And then we were in Boulder.  I was bolder in Boulder 'cuz it was cooler in Boulder and I could go out and about being bolder in Boulder.  (Tee hee, but not really.)  

In fact at the first place we stayed, Mom and Dad took me with them to go to dinner.  It was right on the main drag and just as I was going to cross the street, a big ol' white car drove by and made really loud shooting noises.  It sounded like thunder and fireworks and gun shots.  I turned right around and headed home.  That didn't make Dad happy, and Mom had to coax me across the street so we could go to dinner.  Which I did.  Though, not just right away.

So that's when Dad decided we needed to find another place to stay.  And one day we had breakfast at this neat restaurant called Buff.  "Eat in the Buff" it's sign advertised.  Of course, I always eat in the Buff, so what the heck.  I really liked that restaurant.  They brought me water and treats and treated me like a king.  So I was happy when Dad decided to stay at the Residence Inn right next door to the Buff.

Now that was a place that really liked me, too.  They had a door that I could open all by myself.  I just walked right up to the door, and said, "Open Sesame!"

And right away, the door opened and in I went.

We need one of these at home.  Mom says they cost too much.  But I'm willing to chip in to buy one!

We walked to a French restaurant that night on Pearl Street and I got to munch on fromage (that's cheese in French, you know).  I didn't end up eating my own dinner that night.  

The next day, Mom left my dinner AND my breakfast out.  (I figured if I waited long enough, I could get some really good stuff off their plates instead of my own.)  But then they took me to Camp BowWow!  And they left me there!  For a bunch of hours.  I was getting rather afraid they might not come and get me.  I did play with some of the other doggies there, but I tried to pretend that I didn't and that I was mad that they left me there.  But I think they guessed that I must have had a better time than I was letting on, 'cuz when we got home, I drank three bowls of water and ate all my breakfast and last night's dinner in about 6 minutes.  Actually, I had a really good time at Camp BowWow!  

And now I'm tired just thinking about it.  So I'm gonna go now.  I'll tell you about the swimming hole next time.

Hope you have a good time and eat all your food!

Love, G

 

Road Trip Commenced!

So we were on our way!  I had decided that we would go to Boulder, Colorado by way of Santa Fe.  (Mom always wanted to stay at Santa Fe but Dad would always keep chugging by whenever we passed Albuquerque on our way from St. Louis to Scottsdale.  That's why I said we had to stop in Santa Fe!)  So away we went.  I started as the navigator, checking out the windows to be sure we went in the right direction.  Sometimes Mom gets her right and left mixed up and sends Dad in the wrong direction.  But they seemed to have everything in hand.

So I decided to check in the cooler to see if there were any treats for me.  All I could find was Coke bottles and water.  Not even any carrots.  Rats!  (Why do people say "rats" when they don't like something.  Do they not like rats?  Why not say "Mouse"?  There are so many more mice in my world than rats.  But mice and rats are just cute little animals like me.  What's not to like?  I don't understand the English language many times.)

Whatever,  we're on our way.

And Santa Fe was very nice.  We stayed at a Hotel that Mom reserved on "Bring Fido".  That way we knew they would welcome me with open arms (and treats!).  It was called Las Palomas which means "The Pidgeons".  They try to say it means "Doves", but I only ever saw pidgeons. 

First order of business was to find a restaurant where we could all sit together.  Wasn't as easy as it should have been.  There were a lot of restaurants that were expensive, but they wouldn't let me in.  Didn't sit so well with me (and not with Mom and Dad either) so we kept looking.  We finally found "Fire and Hops" and the owner was really nice and said, of course we could come and he'd meet us at the gate to let us in the outdoor patio.  It was very nice and they brought me water and treats.  Always a plus for me!

The next morning, we ate at the hotel 'cuz it had a free breakfast.  It also had a pretty outside dining room where we could eat together.  Nothing better than eating with Mom and Dad.  (Especially, Mom 'cuz she shares a lot more than Dad.)

After breakfast, we were on our way again, headed to Boulder.  That will be the subject of my next Post, because, I'm a little tired and I need a nap!

Hope you have some fun travels this summer!

Love, G

Road Trip!

 WE are going on a road trip!  By WE, I mean Mom and Dad and Your's Truly.  I'm ready.  I don't always get to go.  If they go somewhere like St. Louis (which they did), I don't get to go 'cuz Mom says she won't put me on the plane.  She says I can't stay in the seat with her.  I don't know why not.  I sit on the couch with Dad all the time.

Anyway, Dad's been trying to figure out where to go.  (He's a little bit stir crazy, 'cuz we spent most of 2020 at home on account of the COVID and stuff.  He's been planning lots of trips, but everytime he finds a place to go, and Mom makes the reservations, he changes his mind and we start all over again.

So I decided that I would help him out.  Last night I got on the couch with him and we checked out the maps of the US to find just the right place to go.

I have a better way of doing this.  You see, what he does is look at all those tiny roads and tries to figure out where they go.  Then he gets frustrated and Mom goes to the computer and figures something out.  But me?  I just slap my paw down on the map, and that's where we should go.  

So that's what I did and we ended up in some place called Boulder, Colorado.  So that will be our next trip.  They're having a "heat wave" right now.  It's been getting up to the 90's and high 80's.  Those people don't know what a heat wave is!  I'm not going to tell you what it is here in Scottsdale.

But anyway, we're going to get out of this heat sometime in the near future.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Hope you have some plans to get out of the heat!

Love, Guinness 

I'm Baaaack

 Sorry we've been AWOL for a little too long.  It's Mom's fault.  She hit the wrong button on the iphone when it asked if she "Trust this computer?"  She said no.  After that we couldn't get the computer to read any photos from the iphone.  I think she got frustrated for a while.  But she came back like a trooper today, and finally figured out how to fix it.

It just goes to show that you should never violate someone's trust, 'cuz it's really hard to get back.  That's what I told Mom.  

Anyway, I do have a funny story for you.  You remember my friend Cufy, the robot vaccuum.  Well she got herself in a pickle.  I was standing in the hall, when I saw the oddest thing.  The placemat that Mom keeps next to her chair was travelling down the hall.  All by itself.

Well, I decided not to stay and see what would cause a placemat to travel down the hall and I turned tail (get it?  Turned Tail, like my tail was heading one way and after it was heading another way.)  I started to head toward the bedroom where I'd be safe on the bed.

But then I noticed something peaking out from under the placemat.  What was it?

What do you know?  It was my friend Cufy.  I decided to help her out.  I don't know how she got under Mom's placemat, but I took it off her.  Now she can go about her work like normal.  

Maybe she was just trying to be funny?  It did look funny.  Ha, Ha, Cufy, you little fooler!  Maybe that's why I like Cufy.  Sometimes she's just like me.

Hope you have a funny friend to play with.

Love, G.

Life really IS getting back to normal!

 Yesterday, Mom and I dropped Dad off at the golf course.  Just like we used to BC (that's Before Covid, in case you didn't know.)  That usually means that I get to go to the Dog Park.  And YAY!! That's exactly what we did.  \

This time was even better than before.  That's because there was a water leak in the Big Dog side, so we all went over to the Little Dog side with all the Little Dogs.  They didn't mind, in fact they invited us over, so we had big dogs, and little dogs, and dogs like me, medium dogs!

I even met a little dog that reminded me a lot of a friend I used to have when I would go and visit Mrs. Jan when Mom and Dad would go away.  (They haven't gone away in an awfully long time.  I kinda wish they would so I could have fun with a dog sitter.  They give me more treats!)  

Anyway, this is a picture of some of us big and smalls:

Sometimes I rather play with the small dogs.  They don't do things like those two who are play fighting.  Even though I know they are play fighting, I don't like someone biting on my cheek.  With little dogs, I let them jump on my head and we have more fun that way.

After the park, we went to breakfast.  There was a nice waiter who asked me what kind of bacon I wanted.  I said crispy and so that's what Mom got.  But she did share it with me.

We had a great morning and then we went home and I went to sleep.  The only thing that would have made it better is if my Dad had been there to take a nap with me like he does when he isn't playing golf.

Hope your days are getting back to normal and you get to meet with your friends big and small and medium!

Love, G

It's Spring!

 And the birds are mating and the cactus is blooming and I'm enjoying the weather!  (AND Mom is cleaning, but that's her problem!)

Mom showed me a picture of an Owl that is having new babies. She made her nest in a flower pot on the balcony of Mom's golf club.  Luckily it was outside the LADIES locker room.  They were real careful and quiet so she could have the babies in peace.  Probably if Moma Owl had picked the men's locker room, she wouldn't have had a nice time of it. 

And now her babies popped up and here they are:

Wow!  They are so cute.  

Then a couple of Mourning Doves got a little frisky in our back yard and what do you know?  Moma Dove is sitting on a nest with her babies, too.  I sometimes don't like Mourning Doves 'cuz they make so much noise in the morning.  It's noisy when mourning doves mourn in the morning!  Tee hee...

This is Daddy Dove.

He struts around like he owns the place.  But hey, he brings Momma Dove food while she sits on the eggs.  I think I would rather be Daddy Dove than Momma Dove.  It must be really boring just sitting there all day.

And sometimes, she must get really scared, 'cuz the Gamble Quails come and make noises near her.  They look like they are taunting her and calling her names.  She just closes her eyes and ruffles her feathers.  But I chase the Gamble Quails away.  I yelled at them twice and they haven't been back since!  I may not like the noise that mourning doves make, but they shouldn't be mean to Momma Dove when she is trying to have her babies.

The other spring thing that I love is the Giant Argentinian Cactus that lives down the street.  It blooms for only a couple of days, but it is SO pretty.  It's right on our way to my usual green spot so I never miss it when it pops up its pretty flowers.

Yeah, I like spring.  

Hope you are having a beautiful spring, too.

Love, G