Four Legged Views

I am COMPLETELY exhausted. I know I promised a Talkin Tuesday Search Story but Vickie and I have been crazy busy this week and I just never got a minute to sit down and write it.

We are, of course continueing to work on the "Walking Challenge of 2011" and belive me I am loving every minute of it. Like I said last week. There is a ton of beautiful places to see around here. New smells, new sites and tons of water.

The dandilions are in bloom and they are my favorite flower of all. Some people call them weeds but I call them BEAUTIFUL. did you know you can eat most of the dandilion plant. I mean sure, us dogs will eat anything but you humans can make a dandilion salad that is scrupmtious as well as pretty. Well, so I've heard.....

Vickie has had a nasty sore throat this week, but that hasn't stopped her from keeping up our challenge of 10 miles a week.

You might remember how I told you that we were having leaks in the house this spring. We would be sleeping peacefully in our beds and then "Drip, Drip, Drip" Vickie thought it was one of us slobbering on her, but it was just the rain comin through the house for our early morning wake up call.

Well, she put it off as long as she could, but no doubt, sooner or later we needed a new roof. The "Drip, drip drip" was the last straw and this week the roofer guys came and put up a new roof. It was pretty nerve racking for all of us, especialy Vickie cause she still had all my friends who were here to stay and the ones that come every day for day care.

Making sure the roofer men kept the gates shut and picking up stray nails and old wood, well it just kept her mighty busy for two whole days.

Allred was in a particularly foul mood those two days too. He came down from his castle many times to torment all of us. Probably cause he was so bored having to stay inside. Well shucks, I was not so happy about being confined either, but you don't see me going around slashing everyone with my saberlike claws.

I was on "Special Alert" for two whole days. "Special Alert" is a mode we go in when Allred is on the war path. The rules are:

Never go from one room to the other without first checking out to see if the coast is clear.

Never think you are safe just because Allred is in the other room. (He moves with the speed of light, only he is dark, dark and evil)

Never drink from the water dish with your eyes closed. (one minute he is not there, the next, he is)

Never Ever Ever think you are safe by pretending your asleep when he walks by. that doesn't matter to him. To him a sleeping dog is a vulnerable dog. Just as fun to rip your eyes out of your head while you are in a prone position as to if you are standing, or fleeing for your life.

Of course that was the tough side of the week, the up side is that I got to go and show some really cute kids all about us cool dogs. Annie, Murphy and I got to go to two classes of little kids and teach them how to stay safe if they ever get lost.

We also teach them how to meet new dogs and how to treat them.

I show them that us search dogs can look "Just for Them" if they are lost by remembering how they smell and then, even though there are others out there looking, we are not confused cause we know their special scent.

I have them put out a bunch of their shoes, then I smell the sock of one of the kids.

Then I go through all the shoes and pick out the shoe that smells like the sock. It really impressed the kids. But when you really think about it, how many of you want to stick your nose into a bunch of smelly ole shoes.

Sometimes it can get pretty overpowering.

Then after we do the "Teachin" the kids get to pet us and play with us. That is my favorite part, most of the time. I love little kids, big kids, people, other dogs......I just love everything. EXCEPT I don't like it when I have to wear sun glasses, hats or little girls pink head gear.

For Pete's sake people. I am a dog.......(Who is Pete anyway)

I swear if Vickie ever puts a tutu on me........

Heres the video of the week. Vickie is still on a "Sons of the Pioneers" kick so bear with her.

Things got serious this week. I love serious. Vickie pulled out the old hiking hat and the GPS. That can only mean one thing. Winter is over and "Mountains, Here We Come.....

Only problem is the wether man says we are due for another snow storm this weekend.

COME ON.....

Friday we went to take our two mile walk for the Walking Challenge and the strangest thing happened. Because of all the rain, the geese are spending time in places that they usually don't. I found one of those places Friday when we first started and there was the most gloriously huge goose dropping right smack in the middle of a lovely grassy area where we were to start our walk.

Well of course I headed right for it and started rolling. Oh the oder-de-goose.... Nothing better.

I was waiting for Vickie to start screaming at me to "STOP" "OH Bert Your disgusting" "No Bert NO" But to my surprise she just stood there looking at me.

What was wrong with her. I know she hates it when I roll in the good stuff, but for some reason today she just stood there.

Well it didn't take me long to figure out why there was no panicked "no" from Vickie. WATER. WATER WATER....It was everywhere along our walk. and because i was covered in Goose-de-jour it was to both Vickie and my delight that I could swim and play in the water as long as I wished.Thursday was a tough day on me, Scrappy, Abby and mostly for Old Jamie. We all had to go without breakfast. All because Jamie had to go to Dr. Eddies and have her teeth cleaned. Vickie didn't think it was fair to feed us in front of her so she made us all go without food.

Now I feel sorry for the old girl, but really, do the rest of us have to suffer just because she does? Apparently Vickie thinks so....

Anyway she lived through the dental and a few little minor mole removals and old body stuff and thankfully we all got to eat a big tasty dinner in honor of her being ok.

Of course now Vickie is all about brushing my teeth every night instead of a couple of times a week. Somehow I came out on the wrong side of this. Go Figure.....Jamie gets a dental appointment and I have to pay the price......

SAturday training was fun as usual however the flooding has reached the trail again and it is predicted to raise a ton more by the end of the next storm which comes tomorrow. But TODAY was a beautiful day so I'll just dwell on that since I can't do anything about tomorrows storm.

As usual even at obdience training, Murphy draws a crowd. I mean, everywhere we go, he gets people coming up and asking "What kind of dog is that" "Can he do any tricks"

"Can he do any tricks" well yeah......

Then the show begins......He is pretty cool though. He stands on his hind legs and towers above everyone, he plays dead, he waves goodby and takes a bow. La De Dah.....

I can say my prayers.......

Vickie is still fighting her cold and thank goodness her friend Julie came and brought her some soup, really good chicken soup.....and I want to thank Julie for the soup.....Maybe Vickie will share cause it really smells really really good.

She said I have to stop writing so she can go to bed, so

Signing off.

Love

Bert

OH YEAH

Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers and a special Mothers Day Wish to Vickies mom. She is the coolest.......

Heres a mothers day HOWL for you......