Dogventures #3

Jeepers folks, I am having an one exciting month. My lady Briggie, went to beach, leaving me to take care of the Chief all by myself. This is good.

Today we went shopping. Chief needed gunpowder and primers and …I am not supposed to tell…lizard litter! He made me swear to never divulge what a registered republican would do with that stuff but…if someone sent me a dog biscuit or an old pork chop bone… I could give some hints.

We left house while still cool, stopped at favorite gas station for coffee, and then we went to Sportsman’s Warehouse! This is where real dogs and real men go.

Chief made me stay in the car because he didn’t know dogs could go in there. Wow what a place. Every grown man in the place except the chief wore camo pants and hunting boots. It was amazing. I think Chief kept me outside because there was a bull elk standing right inside and he figured I would take it down.

There were some people took a really big dog in and nobody bothered them.

Chief got his powder and primers, came out and we headed up the road to Vancouver and stopped at PETCO for lizard litter. Now this is really a wimpy place. There were lots of ladies with lap dogs, and dogs that behaved and didn’t bark or try to fight. Chief took me inside but wouldn’t let me run loose.

We stood in line a long time to pay for the lizard litter. Finally the lady gave me a miniature dog biscuit. The biscuit was so small it looked like it was sized for a Chihuahua or some such small dog. The biscuit didn’t taste good, so I spit out ½ of it and tried to start a fight with a beagle. Chief grabbed me. Rats.

Then we went to Nancy and Mack’s. Mack has staples in his tummy, so he wouldn’t wrassle with me. They let me check out their back yard. Clearly there is some animal trespassing here, I need to return and catch it.

Came home, watched Chief wash the van. We are going to Shelton shooting tomorrow. Like all shooting ranges, this is an absolutely great place with trees and room for dogs to run. Chief lets me run there when Briggie is not along.

Bye-
Charlie Brown

Flying, Swimming and Fencing

We are having a wonderful month here. Uncle David and Aunt Susie are here from Pennsylvania! We are learning: flying and swimming and fencing.

Flying: Yup, I have learned. Who would’a thunk it? Chief was working on the battery, because car wouldn’t start. I was guarding the inside of the car. Briggie decided to clean the inside, and her hand invaded guarded space. Whack!l

My mistake was that Chief was right there! I flew about 15 feet and landed in the sawdust chip landscaping and then “”ouch”, Chief was “ouch ouch” throwing these sharp little “ouch ouch” gravels at me till I ran up into the woods and hid. I will not whack on Briggie again when Chief is around, let me tell you!!

We picked up Dave and Sue at airport. That was neat. When we came home, Dave tried to make friends with me by giving me food. Good plan. Then he tried to take food away from me. ½ Whack! Got away with it because Chief wasn’t there close.

Swimmin’: I took all the people for a walk at Lewisville Park. Then Chief started jumping on rocks out into the river, and wanted me to come along. When I wouldn’t wade any deeper than my paws, he tried to help me out onto the last big rock. Somehow he dropped me into the river, clear at the far end of the dog leash and I had to swim back. (that almost seemed like flying again)

Everyone laughed at my swimming skills. Yeah right. What they didn’t know was that a Yorkie can carry 9 pounds of sand in his coat, and it all went into the Mercury when we got to the car. The last laugh was mine.

Fencing: I am still waking Chief at least once each night, usually twice to chase fat raccoons out of the yard. Chief and David put lots more wire on chicken pen, we are down to three chickens now and the raccoons are getting really fat

Chief is sure slow. There was a raccoon on the tied up chicken carcass, and he messed up getting flashlight and rifle ready the other night… I treed the raccoon down over the hill, but Chief only went a little way into the briers and poison oak. He was mumbling about wearing only skivvies and sneakers.

Briggie was laughing about that, talking about the crazy man running around in the moonlight, waving his flashlight into the trees, and all she could see was white skivvy shorts.

- Charlie

Translations-
Chief: Refers to RFE, the owner of this blog.
Briggie: Wife of Chief.
Whack: To try and slice someone with your little, sharp dog fangs.

The Hut

Well folks, I have great news. The Chief and Briggi, (people I take care of, guard, wake up when they need woken, etc) like me sooo much, they bought me my own trailer!!!

We call it “The Hut”. Its 14 feet long, just right for a Yorkie. It has sleeping for 5 dog friends, and lots of space under the table for nipping toes and stealing socks. There’s air conditioning, and a real furnace to keep me warm at night.

I persuaded them to drive to Everett last Thursday, Chief got the walk over training on the trailer while Briggie did paper work. Briggie did a good job, we found out later Chief was pretty clueless on all this newfangled gizmo stuff.

Then we drove to Sea Tac airport to pickup uncle Joe. I guarded the merc in the parking garage while brigge and chief tried to find joe. Naturally he found them instead.

So we drove back to Everett, hooked up the trailer, and went to big shoot at Marysville. We had the whole parking lot to ourselves, nestled in the shade of big cedars. It was perfect. I had figured out earlier that this is where chief should park, so I wouldn’t get too hot during the day.

Night got a little chilly but naturally Chief couldn’t figure out how to get the furnace running. Lucky for me, joe was along and figured out that pushing the switch in the ON direction, would work. It did.

I guarded them really well that night, got chief up at least 6 times to check out strange noises in parking lot. Briggie got cold, needed more blankets.

During Saturday day, I guarded trailer, but that was easy, no raccoons or kids around to chase. Saturday night, we took briggie to Lee house, when we arrived there were two strange cats in their back yard. I took care of that little problem quickly.

Joe and Reuel and I returned to Marysville, and we all slept good on Saturday night. Sunday I guarded trailer till briggi and martina and zander and mikki showed up. That was fun.

Then we came home….I ran off, ate some good neighbor’s raccoon food, returned home and threw up in living room. Chief cleaned it up. At night, raccoons were outside, chief let me chase em. After I returned at 2am, I thanked chief by throwing up in the bed really quietly…..You should have heard him when he rolled over into it.

Briggie slept so soundly, she heard none of that.

Nuff of that weekend-
Charlie Brown