Dez & Ms Jo Jo, that's MY pool  Nuthin' better on a hot day than laying in cool water.  I share with the boy mostly because I can't keep him out, and we both get pretty wet. A good shake and he's got almost as much hair and water on him as me.

And Ruth, I hope you're right. I know dogs like me often get sick with lumps and bumps. Sometime people come up to me and stroke my head with sadness in their eyes and hearts, and talk about their Golden or Lab who has gone away, and how much they miss them. Makes My Lady worry...

white hairs. Around my eyes. And a little around the nose.

I'm only 5 years old! I still have a lot of things to do, squirrels and possums to chase, females to smell, males to fight, and mostly...

...a boy to train. He can't even throw a ball. Still sticks toys in my face and dumps water on me. Sheesh, how's he ever going to be a man if I'm not around to teach him??

Oh, I'm a bad dog JoJo *hang-dog look* Been going on walks and playing with the boy, who finally learned how to throw a ball...kinda.

Joint pain is not something I want to have, but I know I will one day. I think the treatment is the same for dogs as for people. Big pills are no fun. I've had a few shoved down my throat. If you can coat it in olive oil and do it really fast, we hardly notice. Stand behind your dog with his head between your knees, tip his head straight up, put the pill in the very back of his throat, close his mouth and hold his head with nose towards the ceiling while stroking his throat until he swallows. Then give him a big ribeye steak with baked potato and cheese.

Fuzzy, what if the dog blows first? *hee hee*

CK can't log in, so I'm here to say she's shocked and dismayed to hear this news.

Eat well Lil, and take care of your body so it can fight again. We love you

That's really nice Jojo, to have family. I usually go with them, but this time they flew to Las Vegas. I guess that place isn't 'dog friendly'. Dez, you should ask Fuzzy to take you. Seems like an exciting place

They brought stuff back Ruth, but nothing for me *pout*. Oh, that's not true. Brett-man pulled a soup bone out of the freezer for me.

Actually I had a sleep over once before, with the neighbor-Brett at the old apartment. That wasn't fun. Late at night he took me for a walk and a man was sitting on the stoop, very sad. There was shouting and banging all night downstairs.The next morning I heard very loud "Pop-Pop-Pop-Pop" outside. I ran to the kitchen and tried to hide under the table. We went out and there were lots of cars and people, policemen, neighbors. I smelled gunpowder and blood. The man was dead.

*shiver* don't want that to happen again.

She's just testing as to how much pressure it takes to pierce the tender skin on that child.

And in about a year, the cat will be subjected to unspeakable horror at the hand of said child.

*snicker*

They left me all alone...in the house...by myself...

I knew they were going somewhere. Big bag and packing clothes and hurrying around. First it was my Lady; she hugged me and said to be good. After a few days Brett-man left. He gave me a Bully stick, ruffed me up and hugged me tight. Man hugs. They're the best. But then he took a bag and clothes and went out the door.

I chewed up the Bully stick first; that was gone in about 45 minutes. Then I laid on the sofa and slept. Then I laid by the window and watched the people walk by. Then I went upstairs and shopped around for a dirty shirt. Found my Lady's tee shirt and brought that downstairs. I don't chew it or do anything to it, I just like to hold it and smell her and it makes me happy. If I could put it on and wear it I think I would.

When it was dinner time, someone came to the door. It was Mike, from Cafe' Anglais. He's Daisy's owner (old Yorkie gal I know) I was happy to see him and zoomed around for a minute to show him just how happy. Dinner in my bowl and I ate it fast, then Mike took me out back for a pee and poop. But he didn't stop there. He got the leash and we walked downtown and back to his place. It smelled so good cuz the kitchen is downstairs and the smells come right up through the floor.

Mike didn't take me back, he let me stay the night. My first sleep over! He let me up on the sofa with Daisy. He also had a cat. I LOVE cats, but this cat didn't like me. Not at all. I followed her around and tried to make friends, but she wouldn't have it. I paced from room to room, my toe nails going 'ticky-ticky-ticky' on the hardwood floor. I guess my walking around for hours was too much for Mike and he took me home. He grumbled about why wouldn't I settle down and sleep like a normal dog.

The next day Mike came and gave me breakfast and let me out, but left me home for the day. I laid around and did the same thing I always do. He came back to feed me dinner and go walkies, then back to his place to try the sleep-over again. This time I didn't keep him awake with my ticky-ticky-ticking. I left Cat alone and slept on the sofa. The next day it was like I was living there. Mike sat with Cat in his lap, Daisy next to him and me curled up at the end of the sofa, all watching TV. I was getting to like this a lot.

Then my people came home, and everything was back to normal. Mike dropped me off at our house, and when he left I wanted to go with him. I stared out the window and watched him walk away...down the street... out of sight...*sigh*

It was fun while it lasted

shhh...no one's supposed to know...she goes on walks with me to get away from politics.

Since we got the new window in the back room I can look out into the courtyard. So far the possum hasn't come back, not that I know of. Maybe we scared the crap out of it?

I don't know how smart they are. Judging by looks, I doubt a possum has any brains at all

s'okay Fuzzy, I'm a lover, but pussies don't do anything for me.

Actually bitches don't do anything for me either.

Ice cream. Ice cream gives me a red rocket

Some dogs have extraordinary love for their humans...

Disgusting, hideous, stupid, ugly possums are coming into our back courtyard. They are eating the grapes and walk along the top of the solid wooden fence, which is out of my reach. It has become a bit of a game; I know they are out there, so I woof to go out, then bark and jump around while my Lady pokes at the possum with a broom until it runs away.

So Saturday night, after 1 am, my Lady lets me out and sure enough, there’s Ol’e Ugly sitting on the fence. Lady is mad, has had enough of ‘goddamn possum eating and shitting and bringing its filthy fleas and pestilence’. She takes the shovel this time, and I bark frantically and jump around like my ass was on fire and my head was catching. She tells me to go back inside the courtyard while she pokes at the possum with the shovel. I don’t listen…I run back out to the driveway and jump and bark…I’ve lost my puppy mind by this point. She shoves at the possum and it goes back over the fence into the courtyard. I dash back into the courtyard, ready to do battle. Brett-man is out there now, and he’s shouting my name and telling me to stop. I can’t. I went crashing into the big terra cotta pot of herbs, knocking it and the stand over, breaking the pot. I jumped into the flower bed and trampled the lilies. I leaped over the pond and destroyed the pepper plants.

Yup, I made a hell of a mess. Got in big trouble, but that was later. We still had a possum to catch.

Lady was on the other side of the fence, out by the driveway. I could hear her yelling and clanking the shovel against the fence and concrete, so I dashed back out the gate while the man yells at me. The possum gets shoved from the other side by Brett-man, my Lady shrieks and jumps back, and there's the possum on the ground.

Lady called for her fearless companion to attack. Who? Oh, that’s me!!

“Get ‘em Watson, get that possum!!”, she commanded, “Sic ‘em!!”

Oh man, this is what dogs are born to do! I charged at the possum and grabbed it by the back of the neck. It just sort of kept walking, so I let go and then chomped him again. Then I let go…and looked back at my Lady. I didn’t really know what I was supposed to do. I don’t know how to kill anything. Grabbing the possum with my mouth was kinda gross, so after a few attempts to “Sic ‘em!!” I stopped. Not much of a dog I guess, can't even kill a stoopid possum.

Lady took the shovel and pinned the possum by the neck to the pavement. She told me to back off, which I did. The possum hissed and snarled, baring its fangs. Its tail curled up around the shovel handle. That is one ugly animal. Brett-man came around the fence. He took the shovel and my Lady walked me back inside the courtyard.

I heard clanking and whacking sounds. Brett-man came back with the shovel. No possum. He said he beat it up pretty good and was hoping it didn’t come back.

Broken pot, ruined lilies, destroyed peppers...yeah, it was worth it

Oh never Ruth, never never. I know the difference between a pet cat and wild vermin. I love the kitties. When they run, I chase. When they stop, I stop. If I got close enough to touch the cat, I would be smelling it and licking it and slobbering on it. Of course a strange cat frightened to death would probably scratch the hell out of me. That would make me back off real fast.

The only animal I have ever caught was a bird. I stuck my head in a bush and came out with a sparrow in my mouth. It happened so fast. But I spit it right out and looked at it. Poor thing was flopping around, but I didn't want to kill it.

I know there are cats in the neighborhood. I smell them all the time; around cars, in bushes, in alleys. I see them sometimes but they usually run away, and pretty fast. They slink low to the ground to make themselves smaller, but I still see them.

The other evening we were walking. It was very dark and the air was clean and cool, and we cut through the park. It’s not a big park, just a small one for little people. I like to go down the slide and ride the roundy round thing. The ground is covered in mulch and I can smell the animals that walk there. Dogs of course, and squirrels, possums, rats and oh, cats, most definitely cats. I was let off the leash to run and instantly picked up the scent of a cat. I think my Lady saw it because she started to yell just as I took off at top speed. The cat, a black and white local pet, shot along the fence line with me hot on her trail. When I reached the gate, guess what? It was open. I charged through the gate and out of sight of everyone.

Of course I could hear a lot of shouting. My Lady calling my name, Brett-man yelling my name, and Rachel calling my name. Everyone was saying “WATSON COME!! WATSON HEEL!!” I didn’t stop running. That cat was just right in front of me. How could I stop now?

I ran behind some houses and through a yard, and then found myself blocked by a wooden fence. Brett-man was coming; I could hear his boots stomping the ground and his voice shouting commands. The cat was gone…disappeared through a hole in the fence. No fun now, not with the possibility of capture gone. I wouldn’t have hurt her. I like cats; I have two of my own that I don’t see much anymore. It’s the chase that’s fun.

And here comes the Man, leash in hand. I trot over with head high; no shame in a good chase if I come back. There were no cars, nothing that could hurt me. I didn’t plan it that way, but it turned out okay. I didn’t get in trouble.

On Saturday night I was let out with Rachel. I love Rachel. She’s young and fun and plays with me. She’s bigger than my Lady, but I can still toss her around with a pull toy. She takes me out back in the parking lot and throws the ball for me. I got a couple of good throws in when I caught a scent. Yup, Black And White Cat was somewhere in the parking lot. I shot from one car to another, zipping at top speed with my nose to the ground. I’m no hound, but I can still follow a scent pretty good.

I saw Cat, and she jumped up on the white solid wall and disappeared. I jumped the wall too and chased her through the neighbor’s yard. Down towards the street she went, and then she was gone. I ran right up to an iron fence. Cat had slipped between the bars and went down between the cars.

Rachel is calling me, and then it was everyone again, all shouting for me to COME!!! Yeah yeah, Watson Come, I know. But the Cat, I could still see her. I went reluctantly back towards the voices, but then heard another one down by the street. I ran to the fence and there was Mike and Daisy. “Hello Watson”, he said, “I thought that was you.” The voices kept calling me so I went back towards the trees. Mike must have told them where I was, because here they come, all three of them, out of the driveway and down the street to where I was. They’re laughing with Mike and petting Daisy and thanking him for helping find me. I was led through the gate and back towards the house when I saw…The Cat. She was slinking along a car, and she looked back at me and laughed. I know she was laughing. Cats do that, but people can’t tell. Dogs can, because usually they are laughing at us.

Till we meet again, Cat

I'm so sorry to hear about Max's accident. Glad to hear nothing was broken or damaged. Does he chew on the bandage? I like to take mine off. I've even worn the Cone of Shame.