Well, I am finally back. Seems Vickie's computer crashed and she has not been able to do anything for about two weeks. thank goodness she has this back up computer given to her by Zeus's mom and dad so we can get back Online. Crazy how important this internet thing is to here. since you last heard from me,

I have been very busy making sure that Abby doesnt eat the baby birds that are just learning to fly. It was so nice to listen to them after they were born. I could sit underneath the nest and hear them asking their mom and dad for Food, Food and more food. They were pretty insistent. After about two weeks, they started hoping in the branches around the nest and it was fun to watch them.

One day I was looking up and one of them pooped. It was like watching a big white wad of gum falling to the ground. It almost hit me on the head but I moved at the last moment. Of course I had to taste the big white glob, just to be sure it wasn't edible. I am still deciding on that one.

Once they started to test their flying abilities Abby began to sit under the tree with me. I was just enjoying their company but Abby was looking for an afternoon snack. Vickie noticed Abbies interest and Abby was banned from the front yard for the rest of the week......

















I like birds, Now I am seeing them everywhere when we go for rides. John took this picture for me the other day when he was hiking up around Ant Flats. check out the birds, pretty cool isn't it. I wish I had been there. I think the little lamb and I would have had a great time too.

On Thursday I got to go with Murphy and Tucker to The childrens Classic where we taught them about fun ways to stay safe. I am still a little wild to be let free among all those kids so I spent most of my day there on a down stay over by a bush. I did get to be petted after the demos was over with though. The kids really like me.......I think it is my innocent sweet face.























Vickie and her friends John and Diane headed up to go ATVing this week, without me. We have all been cooped up in this house through all the stormy weather for weeks and when it finally does get a little sunny, off she goes (WITHOUT ME).

She promised that she would take Jamie and Me up camping just before the fourth of july to make up for leaving me behind and I intend on holding her to it.

When she came back she said it was Most Beautiful up in the mountains right now. All the flowers were in bloom and even the moose were out. As if that would make me feel better.





































I was feeling a little upset about the fact that I had been left behin when we got some really special company. Up drove Vickies mom and vickies nephew Jared's Wife Katie and their son Garret. (Yea, try to figure that one out) Well, I had never met Garret because he has lived his full 2 years in New York. I mean I had heard about him, but never met him. I had seen pictures and read his blog (well had Vickie read his blog to me) but now I get to meet him.

He and his mom went on a little walk through the kennel meeting all the other dogs, then we all jumped into the truck and car and took off for the park. I was gonna get to show him how good I swim. I was so ready to show off for him, cause, well, cause he seemed like such a cool kid.













































We played in the water, I played in the water, but I made sure to get everyone wet by shaking all over them. Then we walked around the lake to the south end and I swam some more. Garret would throw the stick for me and I would jump in and swim to it. He needs a little work on his throwing arm but I think, given a year or two, I am going to have a real stick, ball throwing friend.

So now I have met Corbon, Garrett, Callie and Scott. All the little ones in the family. Vickie says it is a whole new generation of fun and I think I agree with her.

Now it is sunday and we are just hangin......























I am a little bored so I think I'll go get one of Vickies bath towels and tear it up for her. I know that makes her soooo happy. Better yet, I will head out to the garden and eat some peas. Yeh, thats a good idea. I love those sugar snap peas. Lucky for me they are easy to reach.

Have a good day everyone. It is nice to be back.

Love

Bert

Mona says it all.

I knew it, I knew something was up Friday. Vickie was soooo nice to me and Jamie. She took us everywhere with her, First the park, then on her errands……Boy did we really fall for that.

It was all in guilt.. Yep guilt… She wanted to feel good about the fact that she was taking off for the weekend WITHOUT us.

She headed to Boise with her mom and sister Bonnie Saturday morning and didn’t come back until late Sunday night. That is the longest time she has ever left me before and I was a little nervous. I was afraid she wasn’t coming back.

But when she did, she was all excited about all the fun times she had. She said they laughed and talked for five hours as they drove to Boise. Once they had to stop the car and they all got out and tried to catch a big spider that was riding along with them. It came out by Bonnies feet and they were all a little freaked out not knowing where it was.

They couldn’t find it when they stopped so when they got to Boise, Vickie sat quietly in the car with her feet up on the seat until the spider poked its head out. She then flung the spider out of the car and accidentally stepped on it and killed it. She felt a little bad about that but she got over it fast.

They spent the rest of Saturday with Jason, Taya and Corbon. Jason is Vickies nephew, Taya is his beautiful wonderful wife and Corbon is their little boy. He entertained all of them for hours.

I actually remember meeting Corbon when I was just a little guy. He came to visit one day and we played in the water fountain together. That was when I was much younger and smaller though.

Corbon is getting really smart. He doesn't speak much english yet, at least not so you can understand him, but he is learning sign language and Vickie says it was pretty impressive. He would sign, Help, Berries, Please and some other words. Wow, I wish I had hands so I could learn sign language.

I can’t wait until I get to see him again. I also have three other little ones that I can’t wait to meet. Garrett, Scott and Callie. They all live on the east coast right now, but I am sure they will come to Utah this year, if only to meet me……

Tuesday we went to Tooele to a place called Camp Hobe. I got to teach some very special children there about dogs and how cool we can be. Then after that we were lucky enough to watch the people from Great Basin Animal Rescue or something like that release two barn owls back into the freedom of the skys.

Before they released them, I got to listen as they talked about how they rescued these birds after being hurt. They had a bunch of owls and I got to meet all of them. And there was this really cool desert turtle too. He weight twice what I weigh and was really big.

Then there was this big Black bird called a raven. We learned that these birds can live about 30 years when free but can live up to 75 years in captivity. The big black bird was really funny and he could talk like a human.

When they finally released the owls only one owl made it. The other one, the one who wanted the freedom the most, was still not strong enough to fly and so he has to go back to the center where they will help him heal. It was kind of sad, but at least one of them is now free and flying in the sky’s outside of Tooele.

It was a long day with a long drive, but a great time. I love those little children. They are all sick and this camp is to help give them some good times. I am glad I could help.

Oh Yeah, I met my first bear up there. Vickie says it wasn't a real one, just a skin of one stuck in a tree, but it scared the beejeebees out of me.

Night
Bert

I may be in trouble but the roses are still beautiful this time of year so I asked Vickie to take a few pictures to share.


















I have been in the “Dog House” since yesterday. (Monday) It isn’t so bad being in the “Dog House”, at least not as bad as I have heard it can be. You are not really in the “Dog House”, that is just a saying. What you really are is “On the back side of “Whoops, Vickie is embarrassed and ashamed of herself because of something I have done.”

Now why Vickie should be embarrassed or ashamed of something I personally have done is just a little confusing. You would think that I should be ashamed and embarrassed but since I don’t really understand why there is all this embarrassment or ashamedness, then it is hard for me to be, well embarrassed or ashamed.

Let me try and explain just what I think led to this state of quandary. (“QUANDRY” Vickie left out the dictionary and I was looking up different ways to say predicament. I figure if your reading this the least I can do is use some big words now and then. It is like having your own “Word of the Day “ toilet paper.)























Of course you know I want to be a search dog and Vickie wants that too, but she also thinks that I could do good in other ways. Like, I already get to go to retirement centers and be with some really cool folks, but a while ago, Vickie heard of a new program started by some really cool people in Tooele that, if I can pass the muster, would let me be able to be a friend to some really special children.

So Monday after a demonstration for a camp group in the Ogden area, Vickie and I headed to Tooele to meet the people who started it all. After a really long drive, we met with Curtis, Cindy and Bruno in front of the Children’s Justice Center in Tooele.

These were amazing people and Bruno was the coolest. Bruno has been working with the children for a year now and has made a very big impression on all the people who help the children. He is a monster of a dog, but he is so gentle and kind. The children just love to cuddle with him, or pet him, or lay on him…What ever they need to do to feel safe and comfortable after their terrible experiences, well that’s what Bruno helps them do.

I listened to Vickie, Cindy and Curtis talk for a while about what a dog needed to accomplish in able to be a working dog. After a while, I got to get out of the car and show em what I was made of. I did pretty good. I was calm, and friendly. I even stayed close by instead of running out to play with some local children that were running up and down the sidewalk. I was great, well except for the time that I jumped up on Vickie cause I was getting a little nervous.

Curtis and Cindy said I had potential and that with some work, I might be able to follow in their dogs foot prints. Then just as we were ready to leave a little girl came riding by on her scooter and I went over to say hi. I didn’t even touch her but I guess I startled her cause she turned the wheel a little too fast and fell.

Well, she started crying and I was quickly taken back to the truck and put inside. After they were sure the little girl was ok and Vickie had apologized and apologized, we left in shame. (That’s what Vickie says.) I wasn’t ashamed, I didn’t even think it was all that bad.

Vickie wasn’t mad, but she said we had a lot of work to do in order for me to make up for that little stunt. I figured she would be upset for a long time, but just to show me I wasn’t really in trouble, we stopped several times on the way home and played.

One of the cool places we stopped was a place called Saltair. I guess it was a really popular place years ago, but now it is pretty deserted. We walked around and I got to see the Great Salt Lake. That looked like the coolest, biggest lake in the whole world, but I gotta tell you, it is not like any lake I have ever seen. I mean, I ran up to get a big drink of water and whooooa

That was the worst tasting stuff I have ever ever ever tasted. That’s not water, not water like I am used to, that was icky, icky icky.

















So that was yesterday but today we started “Training” This means some pretty different stuff for me. I have to learn to trust Vickie a whole lot. Like on the first training thing we did, she asked me to lay down and stay there while she went a really long distance away. I was getting pretty worried cause I thought she was leaving me.

Then she turned and gave me the command to stay longer and she disappeared behind a tree. I waited and waited and waited. I knew she wouldn’t disappear completely so I waited longer.

Finally she came out and came back to me and said “Good Good Boy” She was very happy and I got to have a treat.






















Then we worked on a few of my tricks. She said the kids might like that. We did “Take a Bow, Spin, Rewind, Say your Prayers” and finally she taught me a new trick. She taught me how to say “Howdy” by waving my front paw up and down. Pretty simple trick but what a crowd pleaser. Murphy does it to the children at the search and rescue demos and they just love it.

Look out Murphy.....I'm a comin

And then we got to play. We played ball and I got to swim in the stream so all in all this being in the “Dog House” isn’t such a bad deal.

Night all
Love
Bert

Well Finally. I am a graduate. Yep. Of course I graduated from Puppy Class long ago. That would be like your Kindergarten. Then I graduated from Clicker Class – Your elementary. Then Advanced Obedience – The same as your Junior High or Middle School. And Thursday night Tucker and I graduated from our Canine Good Citizen class. It would be like High School for you.

Wahoo, I am only one year old and I am a High School Graduate. Vickie was very proud. I did have to take one of the test problems twice but that was only because the problem went past the “Treat Table” and I never forget a “Treat Table” and the joy that it brings me.

Now that I am a graduate, I feel a little bad because I will really miss my teacher Tonia. She is so neat. She is always smiling and all us dogs love her. She never forgets our name, like Jamie said she went into Petsmart with Vickie years after she first met Tonia and Tonia remembered her name….Vickie can’t remember peoples names for more than a few minutes. Tonia must be one of the smartest humans in the world. She never forgets…..

I think it will be ok though cause I heard Vickie and Tonia talking about another class called a “Rally” that starts in the fall. If I am good, maybe Vickie will take me to that class. I would really like to see Tonia again and again.

After class we went outside and met these really cool kids. They were feeding the seagulls. I went over to greet them because they seemed so fun. I got to spend about 20 minutes with them. They had some goodies that the birds liked and they shared them with me. I liked them too but they gave me gas later……They were a bit spicy. I hope the birds were able to tolerate them better than I did. Whew the smell.

We had some really great guests at the day care this week. Hazel, Ollie, Trivet, and Abby the Jack Russell, gave me a great run. We chased around for some time, but then I got tired and begged Vickie to let me out of there. Those Jack Russell’s really can go and go and go…..

And for the best part of my week, Vickie and I went camping. It was my first overnighter in the woods and I think we should do a lot more of that. We drove the truck up to the top where Vickie has the little trailer. (yes, Vickie doesn’t camp camp any more, she figures she did enough of that over the years in search and rescue. She wants to sleep inside on a bed)

So we took up a big cushy thing to go on the bed in the trailer, dropped off our dinner and breakfast, then hopped back in the truck and drove it back down to the main road where we got on the ATV (I hate the ATV) and went back up.

Now Vickie tried to consol me and explained that we couldn’t leave the truck up at the top because it was supposed to rain and she doesn’t have four-wheel drive. She said if the dirt road to the trailer got too wet, we would be stranded up her for days.

I thought that was a pretty good sounding idea, until she reminded me that we only had enough food for two meals. Well I just can’t go without food cause I love it sooo much so I accepted the fact that I would have to ride on that bouncy old ATV back up to the trailer.

It wasn’t such a bad ride and in the end it was totally worth it. When we got back to the trailer, Vickie put the ATV in its spot and that is where it stayed. Instead of riding all over the mountains we hiked them. I have never had so many smells to work with. There were smells of big moose, little deers, squirrels, funny looking birds and flowers flowers and more flowers.

It was so quiet too. And green…. We only saw one human being the whole time we were hiking. By the time we got back to camp, I was exhausted. My nose hurt from smelling so much and my mind was numb from all that I saw and did. It was super.

By the time we went to bed, I could hardly jump up onto my cot. I slept through the whole night without waking up once. Vickie says she tried to wake me up once around 2 am to see if I wanted to go outside to go to the bathroom but I was out cold and she couldn’t get me to budge.

I woke up to the smell of nature at its finest. I know people don’t think us dogs appreciate this kind of thing but “Let me tell you” Nature is the best……..

Vickie promised we would bring Jamie next time and also that we would wait until the weather is a little better so we can bring the truck all the way up to the top and not worry about getting stranded by wet roads. (or having to ride on the ATV. I really do hate that thing)

She also told me that I would have to learn how meet and greet something called a Moose. That I would have to learn to give them a wide berth. Mmmmm I wonder what she means by “Wide Berth”

I bet it means that I don’t’ get to run and play with a Moose. There was a very strange “warning sound” in her voice when she was talking to me about it.

I’ll keep you posted. I am actually pretty excited to meet one of these things. I just hope they like me…….Vickie showed me a picture from one that she had as a neighbor last year. Now that doesn’t look like anything to worry about to me…..what do you think?

Well, I am off now but I wanted to send my get well wishes to Jared cause he got his appendix out. Just want you to know, I understand your pain, I mean, I didn’t have my appendix out (I don’t’ even know if dogs have an appendix) but I did have some rocks removed so I kind of understand. And Whitney, I just want you to know that Vickie is always telling Heavenly Father to watch over you too since you are going to have another surgery on your heart.

She sure talks a lot about all her nieces and nephews. She really loves you guys. I can’t wait to meet you, just to see what all the fuss is about.

Love
Bert

I don’t remember Spring of last year. Vickie says it is because I was too young to really notice. Besides, by the time I came to live with her and Jamie, Abby and Scrappy it was already summer.

Things have changed a lot since I came. Jamie says it is because of me that they have changed. Like first thing is Vickie had to remove all the rocks that were in her front yard because I Eat Rocks. I hear her say all the time, that I am a very expensive dog because of that. I wonder what she means.

Anyway she took out all of her rock yard and turned it into a lovely green grass. Jamie, Abby and Scrappy are continually thanking me for being responsible for that. They say the grass is much nicer to lay on.

Then Vickie had to lay a big slab of cement. She doesn’t blame me entirely for that, but she does say it was just one more expense to remove rocks from my reach. However, I hear her tell her mom all the time, that the cement was the best thing she could have ever done.

There were other expenses because of me, but Vickie isn’t really complaining when she talks about it, because as you well know, I am worth every penny……..

Back to Spring time. First I love the fact that the swimming pools are full all the time. Especially after I get back from my run at the park. Not the park with the lake, but the park where we play ball for an hour. After running and catching and running and catching and running and running and running, I get pretty hot so it is really nice to come back and get in my pool (yes it is MY pool, not Jamies, not Abby;s not Scrappy’s but MY pool) and lay down in the cool refreshing water and relax while my body temperature goes slowly back to normal.

Every one should have a pool.

The roses have come into bloom and Vickie has a lot of pretty ones. See…..

My favorite one is the one she says was planted over Syra’s grave. It is a white rose like Syra. This is a picture of it.

I never got to meet Syra because she died just before I came to live with Vickie, but she must have been wonderful to know. I see her picture on the wall from when she would go up to Sourdough with Vickie in the spring and I want to be just like her. Vickie says she will take me and Jamie camping up there this week and if the flowers are in bloom, she will get a picture just like this one of me to hang next to the one of Syra and Jamie. Just think, I’ll be immortalized.

More fun demonstrations at the parks, and one at Ellison Park Elementary

and one for some really fun boys and girls that live up above Harrison and north of 7th street. On that demonstration I got to show them what a good jumper I am. I can jump six feet in the air and take Vickies hat right out of her hand. What was really cool was when a little girl tried to hide from me by jumping up on the stage and hiding under the curtains, I just ran from the back of the room, sailed up onto the stage and found her….You should have seen me sail through the air and up onto the stage. I am soo cool……Murphy and Tucker may be talented and entertaining as well as great search dogs, but I am the COOOOLEST…

well, I am off to the pool…..talk to you more later.. Oh yeh, Vickie is going to try and download a video from up at Sourdough of a young moose playing in the water. It is a long one so it probably won't work but check it out below to see if it works.