It's a Pup's Life

I have been traveling, virtually, to Kazakhstan, on traipses around Edinburgh, and camping adventures in the Australian outback, all of which make my feet itch. Edinburgh, in particular, makes me long to live somewhere so similar to where I grew up, although the weather would probably immobilize me! Meantime, I have not been sitting home, wishing. Those itchy feet took me north recently, to visit Daughter, Lily, a once-upon-a-time blogger, who, sadly, no longer has the time to blog. That's what two small boys will do to you! Seven and a half and six. It's go-go-go from morning 'til night. But, as busy as her boys keep her, Lily, who always had canine friends growing up, recently adopted a puppy!

The trouble with being an absentee grandma is that you don't know your grand children as well as you would like to......

I got to see them in all their sports.......Training for the world cup.......................

      

In center field....

#2 Grandson as goalie.......

And as goalie, relaxing while the ball is at the other end!

Laying the groundwork for the NFL.......................

Endlessly riding their bikes up and down and around------Tour de France, watch out!..

 But with puppies? No obstacles. You're here now---let's be friends!

Barely three months old, cute as a button, very calm, very friendly. And as you will see, very chatty! After he exhausted himself playing he'd sit by my chair in the garden. Between snoozes, we chatted. Of course I had to really guard my knitting from him as all that flickering yarn could get a guy very excited! When I wasn't knitting, he had a dozen suggestions for what we could do......

"Oh! You want to tickle under my chin? Here, let me move a little bit to the left, make it easier for you!"

"Perhaps you'd like to play tug-of-war with my squeaky toy? It's loads of fun....c'mon!"

"Say, do you like to dig? I can show you how! I love to dig! Especially right here, near these herbs....the soil is especially cool and muddy...."

"I can share my sticks with you if you'd like...They're lots of fun to chew on!"

"Come with me! Let's run around back and dive into the jungle [Lily's vegetable garden!] There are the prettiest round, red peppers in there. I'll pull one off and you pull one off [just grab it in your teeth and yank!] Then we can lie down in the grass and chew their deliciousness for at least half an hour. I do it every day. One drawback is that you get all these seeds in your poop, but Lily picks it up with her handy dandy pooper scooper;  she doesn't seem to mind! I think they're all past being good for canning or freezing anyway..."

He twitches his ears and glances furtively around, then whispers  "There's a lovely carpet in the living room. It's my favourite place to piddle. Lily gets very bent out of shape when you piddle on this carpet, so you have to be super sneaky. As soon as you feel the urge, don't wait. Scamper in there [make sure she doesn't see you] and do the deed. For some reason she thinks I should enjoy piddling in the grass. But between you and me, the grass can't even begin to compete as a primo piddling spot!"

"I absolutely love going for walks! I wish they wouldn't put that red, leash thingy on me though! It sort of cramps my style. For instance, every morning I get to walk my boys to school. You wouldn't believe how many other dogs we see along the way. I know they'd make great buddies, since they live in the neighbourhood, but that dang leash pulls me up short every time I try to dash across the road to say hello and indulge in a little mutual sniffing. It's enough to make a fellow feel downright downhearted! But, on a positive note, there are all kinds of pee-mail messages to sniff, at trees and bushes on my side of the road, so I guess I should be content with that. 

"I really wish I could go to school with my boys.They have this rule about no dogs on the playground. I don't feel that should apply to me. I'm just a wee pup. Don't they know that wee pups need to bond with their boys? It makes me sad that they spend so much time at school! But oh, the joy! At three o'clock, I get to walk them home again! And Buck, the neighbour dog, sometimes walks with us. Buck is only a few months older than me but lots bigger. He's a black lab, very big, and sleek and he likes to play just as much as I do, except that one of his paws could squash me.  Buck is my hero! Sometimes I hear him playing on the other side of the fence and I wish so much I could go and join him! He's a bit stingy with his toys when I do get over there. But I don't mind. It's enough for me to be on the same side of the fence with him for a while!"

# 1 Grandson

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Marty Moose, # 1 Grand-dog. 

It was a lovely visit. The weather produced some Indian summer days, especially for me; I got re-aquainted with my grandsons; introduced to Marty-Moose, so called because of very large paws---we all know what that means, right? He might soon be as large as his hero, Buck! Lily and I drooled over yarn and she produced some of her stash so I could knit! Will show off my scarf when I finish it.....Regulars here will know to keep breathing in the meantime! And now, I'm back in my own nest, having satisfied the wander-itch without having to travel all the way to Australia. It's lovely to go, but being at heart a homebody, even nicer to come home again!

Note: And as easy as Blogger  makes it, having gotten into this "caption" mode, I have no earthly idea how to get out!

What Would You Write On Your Hat........

........If you were lost in the desert for six days and beginning to think the jig might be up?

Today is Friday. I'm off to visit Lily and family, which has grown to include, not only two grandsons, but a brand new grand-puppy, on Sunday. Soooo.....The List is longer than usual. But  nevertheless, I carried my coffee back to the sewing room this morning for a quick e-mail check, and to see what was going on in the world.

Edward Rosenthal, a fit and enthusiastic hiker of 64, took a wrong turn after a hike in Joshua Tree National Park and wandered in the desert, like Moses, but only for six days [and I assume six nights too.] Mr. Rosenthal had a bit of a name for himself as a writer of poetry and such area in the Los Angeles area, so never left home without a pen in his pocket. He decided to write some thoughts for his wife and daughter, whom he was increasingly convinced he would never see again.  He had his trusty pen, but no paper.

So he spilled his heart out on his hat.

By the time I finished reading about it the screen was kind of blurry. I sat there for a long time wondering....

What would I write on my hat if I were lost in the desert and thinking the show was over?

What would the OC write?

What would my children write?

What would you write?


Mr Rosenthal was eventually found, weak and dehydrated, but otherwise in good spirits, and is expected to make a full recovery.........I wonder though, if he will look back on this as a life changing experience?
Sometimes we need to take a wrong turn to see what is really important in life.

His wife is planning to frame the hat....Naturally!