Patiently Waiting For Spring

The snow is melting and Rox sits patiently waiting for more warm weather....

How Can I Refuse?

The weather here has been brutally cold for the past 8 weeks. Temps ranging from -14 degrees to a warm of 10 degrees. Bob won't take Rox out for walks unless it's at least 10 degrees so she has been "severely deprived" (her words).

On the rare occasions when the temp and depth of snow has allowed, they go out for short periods. Rox's shaggy feet gather snow dingles and ice balls. When it hurts she stops and raises her paw. Bob picks her up, takes of his glove and digs out the ice ball. A couple of licky kisses and off they go again.

But returning home is a real show... she comes in the door with a white, ice-ball beard, snow dingles decorating all her feet and her entire underbelly, and uncomfortable ice balls in her toes.

Oh, I should say here that Bob always gets up before me. I'm a Life-Long Late Sleeper and not ashamed to admit it.

Anyhoo, one morning I happened to get up early (before they came back from their walk) and I was horrified to see her condition when she walked in!

Immediately I wrapped her in a bath towel, sat in front of the heat vent and started picking ice balls out from between her toes. By the time I got all the snow dingles and ice balls off her, she was sleeping in my arms, wrapped burrito style.

I held her feet to my skin to warm them and rocked her until she felt warm enough to wake up again and demand her post-walk treat.

See where I'm going here?....

Now, every morning, Bob lifts her off the bed and she runs around to my side and talks to me until I get up too. Ra-roo, ark ark, wah-oooooo......... She won't go downstairs until I'm up and going down as well!

Sometimes it's hard to believe that animals can be so smart - but she continues to train us. I often wonder if she thinks we are slow learners.

Walk, Quilt and Spaghetti Dinner

Today I finished a quilt for Roxie. Only took me 4 years to put the final touches on it.... I asked Bob and Rox to show it; Bob is camera shy and Rox is playing Peek-a-Boo.

She likes it - is laying right on top of it as I type. Won't get under it.

Today it was warm enough for Bob to take her to the park for a walk. For the last three weeks we've had sub-zero weather and hellacious snows which ruled out walks for safety reasons. Rox didn't like it! It was devastating to have to explain to her she wasn't getting a walk. I think she understood, she just didn't accept it!

So today it was 28 degrees with no wind and they headed out to the park. Rox was psyched! Bob says she ran the whole way, darting back and forth on the paths, running from one scent to the next. Usually she will amble part of the way, stopping to look around and leisurely smelling the flowers. Not today... she was just wild with pent-up energy. She LOVES her walks!

And the final high note for the day: we just finished a TASTY, TASTY spaghetti dinner. Full of carbs and wheat, but hey! It tasted divine....

Baby Girl is sleeping, Bob is watching TV and I....... well, I'm going to hijack the TV remote. Wish me luck....

Sweet Dreams Pillow

After her walk in 10 degree weather, and a warming blanket on mom's lap, she retires to the front room. Her comfy bed apparently isn't enough; she moved the pillow into position herself and zonked out in the warm sunny room.

Life is good.

Pepe Le Pew on a Recon Visit

Poor Baby Girl got only one trip out tonight, although she still got her three treats.

Most of the year we leave the outer screen door open about 8 inches in our sun room, making it easier for Rox to go in and out. The cooler weather has just made us change our minds.

Bob let Rox out for her first trip and she immediately did the circle and sniff bloodhound maneuver. Bob says he smelled skunk! Could Pepe have come into the sun room and left without causing a problem?

Another call to arms - we rushed for the Flashlight-That-Shines-To-China (now also called the Flashlight-For-Coshing-River-Otters, or just "weapon" for short) and searched the porch for the sniffee. Rox had no luck finding Pepe on the porch so we assume his visit was just a recon trip. If so, he'll be sorely disappointed to find the camp has closed the gate.

She made it out and back without getting sprayed, so we decided to maintain our good luck and keep her in. Hope she did her bidness in the first trip tonight....

The Dark Side Prevails

Seems our girl can tell time... or can she?! She has always gone out for her 3-times, 3-treats bedtime potty break at 9 PM. Sometimes it's 8:50 or so, but never later than 9...

So now the days are shorter, fall has arrived. And Baby Girl comes to get us at...... 8 PM !!!! She's shifted a whole hour now that it's getting darker sooner.

I have to wonder how she does it - it is exactly one hour earlier.... the only thing that hasn't changed is the 3 trips, 3 treats ~

We're pretty sure she thinks she's pulling one over on us.... she always looks so proud of herself accepting the third treat.

Sshhh, don't tell her --- we break one treat up into three pieces!

Folks peeping in our windows will scratch their heads at two people laughing hysterically and one dog smiling smugly.....

No harm, no foul.......... We all three go to bed happy...... :-)

A Mystery For Your Viewing Pleasure

Remember the red plaid bed Rox got when she came to live with us? Remember the red chairs and the blue chairs and the laps?

Somehow, for some reason, Rox decided to try out less commodious accommodations this summer. Who can figure what goes on in her sweet little mind?!

Behind things and underneath things seemed to be the order of the day. Sleep comes in strange places.....

Corn on the Cob!

Another first - this is the first August Roxie has been with us. And we found out today that she loves corn on the cob and is a whiz-kid at eating it... right off the cob!!!

First she licks, then she nibbles kernels off with her front teeth, row by row......

Fresh corn right from Long's Farm, right off the stalk. Sweetest corn in the whole world. Some days we get it into the pot within 2 hours of picking. No need for butter or salt, it's that sweet..... you could almost eat it raw.

Roxie has good taste when it comes to veggies!

So... I Was Just Playing Around One Day....

..... and lo and behold, I figured out my camera has a macro setting! And of course while I was just sitting around, Rox was sitting around ON me..... and so the subject of my first set of macro photos was ... ta da! Roxie's butt hair................

Well, not really butt hair - this is her southside top rump as it rested ON my lap.

Pretty hairs, yes?

Spring: Same Pose, Different Chair

The Roxie and Bob Show moves to it's new springtime location. This is a pre-plant sunroom view. The next photos will have the seasonal plants in place.

Getting Her Spunk Back?

So, she ate a wasp.

Bob noticed and tried to get her to leave it. That made her all the more determined. She leapt for it........ and SCORE! We can only hope the little bug was already dead. Ick.........

Sigh.............

Call to the vet. They love me there.

"Yes, Mrs. Flatley... what did she do now?" It's such a pleasure to provide them with their daily humor.

Check her lips and tongue. Watch for sneezing or excessive licking. Bring her in if she acts strange.

So far the only strange thing is her smug look of pride as she reclines on her bed in the dining room.

She seems to be communicating "you're not the boss of me, you can't tell me not to eat bugs".

Another day in the life of our girl........

Sigh again............

Ever Hopeful

Last night it snowed again. 6 inches. You know how I feel........

The night before last Roxie went out at 8:30 and stayed out until 11 PM when we went out and made her come in.

34 degrees. No moon. Neighbor lights were not on. Very dark.

She stayed in the way back on patrol, we figure. Ever hopeful, waiting for the possum, we figure. Bob and I both looked out at different times to make sure she was OK. She was. She patrolled back and forth, stopping to listen and look. Like a soldier on perimeter patrol.

She was tearing down little trees and sapling branches. We figure she smelled something on the neighbor side of the fence but couldn't see it. Methodically she was making a clear field for battle. No branches to get in the way.

This dog is different from our last three who were feminine or who just didn't like being outdoors. Roxie is a "real dachshund" who likes to go after the badgers. She's not afraid of anything and is perfectly comfortable in rain, ice, snow, dirt and mud...... much to my surprise and displeasure. Icky dirty when she comes in sometimes.........

We love her to death of course, but she's her own person. Her personality is definite and while she loves to cuddle and get pets, she is seemingly becoming (or returning to) an outdoorsy girl.

It's interesting to watch what she does. Just amazes us........ It's so clear that she thinks and plans. Again, I return to the thought that she is reincarnated. She is so human in her approach to things...........

Summer will be fun............. we hope!

Be Careful What You Wish For...... Bob........

Bob has always wanted Rox to sleep in bed with us. I always said I didn't want that. "Thirty years is enough. No more dogs in our bed!"

So Rox started out the first couple of months in her fancy bed on the floor beside us. Bob would sneak her in when I went to bed later than he did... like I wouldn't notice a 30 pound dog sleeping crosswise on the pillows.... ha!

Gradually I caved ... she is such a sweetheart. So I gave up and snuggled, pushing her out of the way when she took over my pillow. Braved her rumbly growlies as I pushed her into a more central location.

Well, I had to get up and leave the room last night about 4 am because I was laughing so hard........ Rox had one of those doggie dreams where her legs were running and she was barking in her sleep.... you know the kind. She'd awakened me and I look over - she's got her head on Bob's pillow with him, her nose in his ear and she's pasted to his side like a spoon with glue. Bob was on the edge of the bed.

Today as we drove to Brighton to have dinner with his brothers and their wives, Bob says casually "I think she's gonna have to go back to her own bed. You know where she was last night?!" And he proceeds to tell me, with frustration, amazement and pride in his voice "she was stuck to me like glue, with her nose in my ear... I could hear her 'snuff snuffing' as she exhaled" "She was on MY pillow!"

And then I heard the story of the dream, the running feet which scratched him, and the "ra ra ra ra ra ra" barking as she chased the possum in her dream.

He couldn't decide whether to be proud or put out - it was hard to keep a straight face. He campaigned so diligently to get her into the big bed, and now he's thinking she needs to sleep in hers.

The most ironic thing of all is this: Roxie sleeps where she wants. She varies her beds according to how well she slept the night before, I think. If she's with us and we toss and turn, she tries the dining room bed the next night.

Seems she values a good nights' sleep like we all do.

Who Needs Warm Weather?

Couldn't find Baby Girl. Looked and looked. Who would have thought she'd be out on the porch in 30 degree weather?! Seems the sunshine has tricked her...

Take a look at the background - still snow and ice... she wouldn't come in! Finally had to haul out the ole "steak bits" trick.

Roxie, the Nature Queen. She's gonna shed like crazy this spring when she doesn't need her thick fur coat anymore....

I'm inside under two quilts.

This summer she is going to have a ball outside; I wonder if we'll even see her during the day...

The Cure for Winter Blahs

I was taking a little snooze after lunch when Rox flew up on my lap. Not to be ignored, she turned and twisted, rolled and wiggled to make sure I knew she was there. As if a 30 lb dog on your lap could be ignored! ha

Next came the stealth approach, trying to see if I was really asleep or just faking. She took at least 5 minutes to make her move, edging forward quietly, shifting from foot to foot all the while moving the quilt down lower and lower. No hiding from Baby Girl.... sigh........


At last, THE ATTACK, wet and wild! Her style is to lean into your face, putting all her weight behind that hairy little snout. She pushes hands out of the way like a tank rolling through a war zone. The wagging tail seems to propel her like kicking legs move a swimmer through the water.

It's a challenge to laugh with a closed mouth. Open-mouth laughing leads to the dreaded frenchy-licky kisses........... haven't learned to appreciate those yet.

I Was Going Shopping...

I was going shopping but now I'm waiting.... waiting for Herself to get tired of the outdoors....

I let her out for her potty break before leaving and she obviously isn't thinking about my schedule - she took off straight across the backyard through the deep snow. As I type, she's in the way back sniffing, dawdling, looking at squirrels in the tree, chopping (chewing) down a little tree. She won't come in!

True the sun is shining, but it's still cold out there. She is oblivious to the cold I think.... Her coat is thick and shaggy, and I guess that helps, but geez louise, I spent 10 minutes taking pictures from the sunroom and I'm snowblind and freezing....

Here she is in the way back where the snow is less deep. She's looking at two squirrels in a tree who are chattering at her.

UPDATE: 25 minutes it took for her to get cold enough to come back. As I was picking ice balls out from between her toes she showed me all her pretty teeth. We had to have a discussion about that!

Wrapped up in her quilt, she's back asleep. How she does that I'll never understand. Head on the pillow, and she's out.

Uh.... or else she's keeping her eyes closed so I'll leave her alone.... sigh........

Another Grey Snowy Day in Michigan - Roxie's Ecstatic

Standing at the edge of the patio, watching for snow critters and possums. She stood there about 10 minutes, head moving back and forth in surveilance mode. I didn't tamper with the lighting in the picture. This is how dark it was at 3 PM.

The Patio Potty Spot that Bob cleared for her is in need of another shoveling... Roxie spent about half an hour sniffing the whole area. Not sure what she was checking out, but she was thorough.

Crossways in the Middle

So........ I go upstairs and what do I find?! Seems Mr. Daddy felt bad that Herself had to "go through a mani-pedi today" - Mr. Daddy has no clue...... sigh.....

Anyhoo, they were snuggled in bed, in the dark and snoring away, both of them. I find it curious that Herself got the whole middle while Daddy was clinging to the edge of the bed. What am I saying?! Of course she'd take the middle, and crossways too!

Off to the family room to find the camera, quick snap a couple of pics, and neither woke up from the flash. They were sleeping hard!

I was marginally annoyed because we (read: me) had decided that we'd have no more dogs in bed with us. Bob was of a different opinion. But Roxie likes her bed on the floor and very rarely asks for uppie-uppies, so this was the first time I went upstairs to find her there.

As I lay there in the dark thinking of the years to come of fighting for my space in my own bed, Roxie decided apparently that we move around too much for her. She asked to get down, went outside for a big poop and ran back upstairs and got right into her own bed. Under her own covers.

Yay! Dilemma solved.

Cabin Fever

Michigan, 7 degrees; -20 with wind chill factor.

Early evening, full moon.

Too cold for long walks today. Bob made it to the Far Corner (10 houses down) before he was frozen and made Rox turn around. She acted like it was 70 degrees.......... didn't show any awareness of the temp......... amazing!

As a result, Rox has been a Royal Pain today. Begging to go out for more walks, executing Fake-Out Potty Trips to the back yard for treats, insisting on More Food. She sits with us for a few minutes then off she bounces to do some attention-seeking dance or song. Restless....

She spent 30 minutes sniffing the family room in CIA mode. Every corner, under every chair, every pile of stuff...... she criss-crossed the carpet like she was looking for dead bodies. A bloodhound would have been proud of her........ and that adventure done, she jumped back up in Bob's lap to disrupt his studying. At sixes and sevens, as Agatha Christie would have said.

She's really being cute, and she has no idea she's as transparent as glass. We assume she is full of energy to burn and can't sit still. She's become addicted to her three loooooong walks a day and like a well trained athlete, she's chomping at the bit. We think. Could be she's just being a pain today.

At any rate, we all are looking forward to warmer temps. And the retirement house in Phoenix is looking better and better!

I tried to get some pictures today but she is so darned aware of the camera - everytime she sees me with it she runs over to my feet and rolls over. I could have 1000 pictures of her belly and feets. What a publicity hound!!!

Huh?

We have two red Pottery Barn chairs in the family room. Yes, the ones you always see Bob sitting in......... can't help it -they're very very comfy!

After dinner tonight, Bob went to watch TV and I stayed at the table, thinking about a second helping of the pasta and spaghetti sauce dinner. I heard the funniest sound and turned because I couldn't figure what it was.

Roxie was sitting in one of the red chairs. I had watched a couple of minutes earlier as she circled, scratched the seat for comfort then lay down. She had put her head down, settling in.

The next thing I heard was Rox JUMPING off the chair and RUNNING over to the other one, where she JUMPED in, circled, scratched and lay down. I was looking at her. She was looking at me.

Then she JUMPED down, RAN over to the first chair, JUMPED up, circled, scratched and lay down. She was looking at me. I was dumbfounded. She lay her head down and stayed there for a couple of minutes. Long enough for me to decide to pass on the second helping.

Then off she JUMPED, RAN to the second chair for the second time, JUMPED up, circled, scratched and lay down. This time she stayed, and as I write this she is covered with the familiar plaid flannel quilt.

I have no idea what she was doing running back and forth between chairs. They're both lit the same, both are equally warm. Both afford good views of the kitchen and computer. She seemed to be looking at me for my reaction. Honest and truly!

I really, really think she's reincarnated.