ATTACHED

Goose aka Lucy is spending a few weeks up at Holly's B and B..........a romantic rendezvous so to speak. I don't know yet who she will be paired with....but I am sure he will be handsome and well mannered....if not,  Goose will take care of it...........she is not a shrinking violet. Can't tell you how much I miss her.
The first night she was gone I fixed her supper along with the boys and didn't realize what I had done until I had one bowl left and no little girl running to her spot.........did the same thing the next morning.
I miss her most at bedtime.......just before we go to sleep .....Goose always lets out a long sigh followed by a short one.....and then she is asleep quickly.
I was out walking with the boys yesterday when we spotted some folks walking way ahead of us.....Gummie started pulling and off we went.....it's a game with him. He always wants to catch up and greet whoever is in front. But you know I'm not nearly as quick as I used to be and I could see it was going to take a long time to catch up. Luckily they turned around and headed toward us..........and Gummie was so excited that he really started pulling. I think we both realized at the same time that  their little dog was a blenheim cavalier. When we met it was all lovey dovey and wagging tails. These folks were visiting from Ohio and we had the best time talking cavalier. Gummie and their dog, Sunshine, were immediately smitten.....so was I. She even looked a little bit like Goose. We all walked down the path, talking ......with Gummie and Sunshine in the lead.  When we split off the boys and I headed home and all I could think was I can't wait to go get the Goose.
How do I get so attached!!!!
e

CHRISTMAS GOOSE

I have always heard that as soon as you think you know what's going to happen and how it's going to happen....you will surely be wrong. The older I get,  the more true it seems to be. I am a realist but still an optimist....sort of....and  this Christmas season was shaping up in my mind to be ....difficult ....maybe even depressing......but there was that little bit of hope in there.
As it turned out we had one of the best holidays in recent memory. Since I analyze everything........I had to question..........WHY?
I came to the conclusion that it was a combination of things totally out of my control mixed in with a little bit of effort and topped off with what I will name...CAVALIER COMEDY.
This was Lucy's first Christmas with us and she has mixed things up............first, it was the scented tissue paper episode and then the curling ribbon entanglement and did I mention the missing ornaments?
I had a bunch of ornaments laid out on the table complete with the hangers attached and ready to be hung....got interrupted and had to go out for awhile. When I got home I noticed that the only ornaments on the table were the glass balls and a few of those were on the floor. I assumed someone had put them on the tree. So I put the balls on and got another batch ready to hang. Nancy came by and invited us to go out for a late lunch. We enjoyed our meal and a few adult beverages and the tree remained  mostly undecorated.........when we got home the only thing left on the table was two glass balls!
I'm no brainiac but there were no humans in the house while we were gone and  there were no little Christmas elves decorating my tree............my only helpers have floppy ears and huge brown eyes!!!
Brogie, Gummie, and Zeke have never ever shown any interest in Christmas ornaments.
I searched all over the house and got downright worried when I couldn't find anything...........had visions of rushing Lucy to the Vet to have X rays of her stomach and then surgery etc..........my mind was going crazy.
I found 42 ornaments resting under my bed......all intact.....nestled among some of the biggest dust bunnies I have ever seen.  I could have taken a picture but it's one thing to tell people you're a not so good house keeper.....but there's no way I'd take a picture to prove it.
Lucy, who I have nicknamed GOOSE, enjoyed everything about Christmas.
So did I.
e

WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, MOM

I missed the good shot....when I walked into the room they were all bound up with curling ribbon but by the time I got my camera from downstairs Zeke and Gummie had pretty much gotten it off. I have no idea what happened....... but Lucy was definitely the instigator ........her legs were totally wrapped. I had to cut some of it off.....never know what's going to happen next.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Carson Pack!!!!!!!!!!!

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SCENTS

How busy is everyone right now!!! As usual, I am running late with so many things but somehow it will get done.....right?

Last night I was wrapping some presents and I had help for the majority of the time.There are very few things that I do alone. Zeke smelled everything and Brogie snoozed right beside me the whole time. But it was Gummie and Lucy who helped the most.

A few weeks ago I bought three packages of really pretty, scented tissue paper....lemon, cinnamon, and peppermint. I know, goofy, goofy, goofy......but in the boutique it was so pretty and the scent was sutle.......and I was sure that it would be perfect for some super soft scarfs I had for some of my friends.

When I opened the lemon package it wreaked of rotting citrus ....so I tossed it. The cinnamon package was shall we say full bodied.....overpowering. Gummie and I started sneezing and Lucy barked and Zeke jumped off the bed and went downstairs. So I tossed it. I was almost afraid to open the peppermint package.....but it turned out to be really, really pleasing. I guess Gummie thought it was candy because he was all over it and Lucy started pawing at it. It was a hit and even after I was done Lucy and Gummie were still "interested"............too interested. I put the wrapped packages in a shopping bag .....ready to be delivered this weekend.

It was late, I was tired and we called it a night.

I woke up to sounds of Christmas morning when paper is ripped off packages with gusto and there's little concern for where it lands. Brogie was still asleep but the other three were deep into the excitement of Christmas. I saved the scarves but the shopping bag and the boxes and wrapping paper and especially the tissue paper were in shreds.

I was REALLY mad at them, at first...........but when I yelled they all did that cavalier thing........laid down and looked up at me with those huge brown eyes. I am such a sucker but scented tissue paper SUCKS.

e

EDIT

Thanksgiving is usually my favorite holiday....not so much this year. Too much going on and trouble for some friends and relatives and bad news and on and on. I was happy to say goodbye to November........and hello to "the most wonderful time of the year".

I was determined to have the Christmas spirit .....no matter how hard I had to work at it. So with the help of four little cavaliers I got all the Christmas decorations spread out on the garage floor and somehow kept Zeke from peeing on them. Brogie made a bed on a pile of artificial holly and poinsettas and slept while Gummie and Lucy helped me test some of the zillion strings of lights. It was obvious that I needed to edit. We filled four big boxes to donate ...........have no idea how I accumulated so much stuff.

I loaded the car with boxes and dogs and off we went to the thrift store that is run by the local humane society. I'm not sure what the ladies there liked the most .....the Christmas stuff or the dogs......it was a toss up. They got the boxes AND the dogs out of the car.............and took ALL inside. I kept one eye on Zeke but he didn't get much of a chance to lift a leg as he was petted constantly.

The dogs got treats and attention, the ladies got wet kisses and wagging tails, the store got plenty of Christmas merchandise (all sold in less than a week) ..............but I was the big winner........I got a taste of that Christmas spirit that can be so elusive. HO HO HO

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JELLY BELLY

A friend asked me to go Christmas shopping with her and for some reason I said yes. I thought we would meander about for awhile...........get some lunch......check out a few stores and maybe have a glass of wine or something and head on home. No No No! She was a lady on a mission and I was along to help schlep the packages. Turns out her family is having their Christmas at Thanksgiving this year and she will be the hostess.........and the amount of work ahead of her in the next two weeks is scary. All of her children and grandchildren will be gathering together for the first time in many years........they live all over the country so this will be a special holiday for all of them.

I had two small bags in the middle of her many, many, many bags and boxes of Christmas goodies and when I got home I put them on a chair with my pocketbook and jacket and headed upstairs....I was exhausted. The dogs talked me into going back down for one last potty break and I'm thinking that's when they noticed the bags........I was totally unconcerned about them as there was nothing edible in either bag plus I was soooo tired.....besides, I couldn't wait to get a warm bath and wash off the zillions of germs I had picked up pushing shopping carts through every store in the area. Thinking back on it I should have known something was amiss...........Zeke is my baking buddy but he is also my bath buddy and he always visits me as soon as I turn the water off. He prances in, puts his head on the side of the tub, I tell him what a good boy he is, he stretches and goes back in the bedroom........same thing every time......but not this time.

I got all snug in my bed and was so happy to finally be still.

Gummie is my little snitch............he whined a time or two and I tried to ignore it............good luck with that. I heard a little crinkling sound and a little something that sounded like bells. Of course I gave up and the search began........Gummie led the way.

I am the first to admit that I am not very good with discipline...OK, I suck at it but this time I was tired and mad and somebody was going to be in BIG trouble.

There he was....under the breakfast table with a bag full of Jelly Belly Christmas jelly beans....red, white and green. All wrapped up and tied off with curling ribbon and cute little silver bells.

I was poised to give him a tongue lashing........ ZEKE......but then he put his head down and rested it on the bag so that all you could see was the curling ribbon and little silver bells and big brown eyes staring up at me.........and I did what I always do.....melted.

Obviously, I had grabbed the wrong bag when I got out of the car but as far as I could tell there had been no real damage and that should have been the end of it............I reached down and picked up the little bag ........ beans scattered all over the floor. It was chaos as each little cavalier hoovered up as many jelly beans as possible before I could sweep them up.

They were all so happy ..... somehow that makes me happy too.

e

BRAVADO

I have once again fallen in love with a cavalier.......LUCY. Officially, she still belongs to Holly and will go back to Lula early next year to have one more litter.....so I tried, I really tried to just be fond of her and enjoy our time together.....but you know how it is!

She loves to cuddle and she loves to get all up in your grille and she looks at you with those fantastic eyes and boy oh boy does she pull at your heart.

She was mostly afraid of the world when she arrived here. Our first walk in the neighborhood terrified her.......and when someone rang the doorbell, oh no.

Now when I pick up the leashes she runs over and begs to be the first .......but then she likes to be first in everything. Did I mention that Lucy is now a DIVA? She has gone from tail between the legs to "queen of the manor". The boys are sooooo laid back that they allow her to be first in almost everything. She is doing really well meeting new people............still very uneasy with children....but we are working on it.

Late yesterday afternoon Zeke and I were busy in the kitchen baking a birthday cake for an old friend and Gummie and Lucy started barking at the front door........Lucy has the biggest bark of the bunch........and the biggest bravado to boot....all of that from a little girl that three months ago kept her tail between her legs. I looked out the window ...nothing...went back to the kitchen and Lucy followed me and stood in my way and BARKED and BARKED some more so we went back to the front door...........and it was on.

I cracked the door open and didn't see anything....but Lucy sure did. She let out a shrill bark/howl that shocked all of us...to the point we all took a step back.......but not Lucy. As soon as I got the door opened she bolted out and charged a fox squirrel who was munching away in the middle of the driveway. Gummie and Brogie were right behind her but Zeke opted to wait for me to lead the way.

A fox squirrel is not your run of the mill backyard squirrel.....it's about twice as big and has a huge fluffy tail......similar to a fox. Lucy almost got it but it scurried up a big oak tree.......and although Lucy was the instigator she was quickly joined by all the boys. They barked, they jumped up and they circled and I think they had a blast.

Lucy looks like a sweet, shy little girl and in a way she is...........but you know what, she is the BRAVEST of the bunch. Brogie is a close second with Gummie a distant third....and our little comedian, Zeke, is happy to take the last slot.

GIRLS RULE!!!!!!

e

HEAT

Lucy is in heat(she is not scheduled for breeding until next cycle) and we have never had this experience before. Gummie is oblivious to it but Zeke and Brogie...oh my...happy days are here again!!! Both were neutered two years ago but neither got the memo.
Zeke was a stud for only 2 or 3 years .....he was prolific ....guess the ladies couldn't resist his handsomeness(is that a word?) ....whatever, he was eager to PERFORM. Lucy had some thoughts on the subject, however, and they did not include Zeke. He was rebuffed quickly. Zeke is very sensitive and an abrubt rejection like that was evidently more than he could handle....he went upstairs and put his head under the pillows.
Lucy could care less.....she only has eyes for Brogie.....12 year old Brogie...stiff, arthritic lovable ole Brogie. He perked up quickly, muscle memory triumphed briefly but only briefly. Lucy presented herself to him repeatedly with no real results. She was all decked out in a state of the art PINK chastity diaper, guaranteed to thwart any unwanted or WANTED intrusions to her litttle self.
Brogie sniffed it... and her.... and made the right movements but he's an OLD guy....need I say more.
Lucy decided to show him the way to glory.........on his rear at first and when that didn't work .... she mounted on his face. I intervened just to prevent Brogie from suffering any more humiliation.
As I understand it, the heat cycle lasts for 3 weeks and we're half way.....Gummie, Zeke, and Lucy will be fine. Jury's still out about Brogie.... and me.
e

PALS

Gummie and Lucy are best buddies and are almost always together.....so much so that I can hardly get a picture of one of them alone. If I take all of them out for a walk I have to put the two of them together or Lucy pitches a fit. Their personalities are very different but Lucy adores him and Gummie, well he loves everybody, especially Lucy.
Lucy is wary of new people and dogs and I'm hoping Gummie will help her get over it. Her hair is starting to grow and she is looking more beautiful every day. We all love her....EXCEPT....Kissie. The boys all learned early on to pay homage to the queen of the manor but Lucy, not so much. Kissie will eventually win..........she always wins.
One day last week, she smacked Lucy and chased her up the stairs(Lucy barks right in her face)..... Gummie came running to her the second he heard her yelp....and then today Gummie got his paw stuck in some netting and started whining when he couldn't get it out .........Lucy ran over to him and licked his face.
I'm thinking they are BFF's..... we should all be so lucky!
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DAY OFF

This morning Brogie didn't come down for his breakfast, but he has done that before ...nothing to worry about. I pretty much let him determine his own schedule...I think he's earned that. I had a meeting to go to and didn't get back until the middle of the afternoon.
My good friend drove up right behind me .........she had a calico kitten she had just adopted. We went inside and we all ooohed and ahhhed at how cute the kitten was. Gummie was in love with it. They left and I realized Brogie was not there......went upstairs and found him on his pad next to the bed......I couldn't wake him up...... but I was sure he was still breathing though it was very slow. I tried not to get upset but I guess I was thinking maybe it was his time.....and aIl of a sudden I started to cry.......I am not a crier.......never have been, but looking at that sweet boy and thinking maybe this was the end broke my heart. I sat down on the floor next to him and was immediately surrounded by Zeke, Gummie and Lucy......they were soooo sweet and I thought maybe I'd take him over to the vet so I got up and Lucy let out a big bark. It startled me................AND Brogie. He opened his eyes, stood up and started wagging. He was happy and alert...and wanting some attention. Maybe he just decided to take the day off.
We all went downstairs and he went outside to take care of business.......then back in for some rubbing and some lunch. I don't know why I was so emotional.....but I was, and I felt a little silly about it.
They just get into your heart......... and that's that.
e

RATS- PART TWO

My friend "d" sent this update on THE RAT PACK.

So, after the last rat story, the numbers have increased substantially. We had to go to extremes to remedy the problem. The rat poison is working. We placed the pellets in the front yard far away from inquisitive canines. They are dropping like flies (the rats of course) which is a good thing for health and safety reasons, but why they have to die in our backyard is beyond me. I am not talking about cute little pet rat types. Theses are Tree Rats the size of a small cat with verrrrry long tails and small beady eyes. I am thinking it must be some sort of karmic punishment for taking a life. Consistent with the lack of bravery Cooper, Savannah, and Jackson have shown, little Ollie is the first one in the bushes hunting the fresh kill. At least he has refrained from prancing around with them in his mouth and just sounds the barking alert. Well, last week, I was getting ready for work. I was just finishing up my shower when I heard Ollie frenetically barking in the bedroom. That is not so unusual as he is typically very playful at that time of day and egging Savannah on with some sort of game. So I poked my head out to see why he was escalating. Then I saw Ollie on his haunches with his butt high in the air, nose to the ground. Jackson, Savannah, and Cooper, who never climbs the stairs with his bad hips, were there too just starring under the bed. I took a closer look....mind you it is dark under the bed at 6:30 AM. I saw one of their toys and went to pick it up to stop all the commotion. It was wet and slimy. I drew my hand back quickly and took a closer look. IT WAS NOT A TOY!!!!! It was a very dead rat. And, I touched it, ewwwe. I let out a blood curdling scream, cause I hate rats. Bruce came running up the stairs thinking the worst. Of course he disposed of the thing immediately chuckling quietly as he excited the room. I failed to see any humor in it all. It has been a week now, and I have not let Ollie lick me on the face even once. I now associate his sloppy puppy kisses with rodent slime. I have been truly traumatized. Hmmm, I wonder if that equates to a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Early retirement perhaps, or better yet a few weeks' vacation in an all inclusive Cancun resort I'm sure would do the trick. I might even consider a wet kiss on the face from our rogue Cavalier.
d

NEEDY

When I was a little girl I was in love with a real "dreamboat" .......Ricky Nelson. He was on a TV show and had a band. Later on he had a song that was semi popular ........GARDEN PARTY. I always liked that song and recently I lived it.
A friend invited me to be her escort to a party she was attending. I was hesitant .......come on it's summer....a garden party? The heat and humidity here are unbearable during the afternoon and there I was at 4pm walking into a garden full of people. It was a sea of pastel linen draped over sweating bodies....... ambling around gorgeous foliage that was besieged with butterflies and bumble bees. It was magnificent .....but the sweat was running down my face and pooling in my bra.....miserable!!
Mercifully, we were guided to a path that led to a huge tent on the other side of the house. It was air conditioned!!!! They had those portable air conditioners and the inside was beautifully decorated and as cool as my house. I was a happy camper.
Our hostess greeted us warmly and my friend told her that I was a dog lover too.......and that I was the one who had four dogs. That was it.....I was in. We left her guests to go into her house to meet her dogs.
They were tall, thin, angular creatures.....Russian something or others.......and she spent more time telling us about the breed than anything about her dogs. It was ......it was boring. The dogs were well behaved......they really didn't move............just stared at us....creepy. For twenty minutes she gave us the 411 about the breed......at the ten minute mark I was zoned out. I started looking back at Czar, Czar II, Alexandria, and Romanoff. They were undeniably beautiful dogs.............totally well behaved............and yet, oddly, I felt sorry for them.
As we were walking back to the tent, she asked me what kind of dogs I had and when I told her she said..........they're nice dogs. I think if she had left it at that I would have kept my thoughts to myself.............but she immediately followed with.............but they're so needy!
I was almost whispering so she leaned in to hear me say..........I think maybe I'M the needy one. Every day I need to look into those big brown eyes.........I need to scratch behind those long floppy ears.......I need to feel those wagging tails hitting my leg .......I need the feeling I get when they come running when I call them.
We walked the rest of the way in silence but we all enjoyed the party.......and on the ride home I thought about handsome Ricky Nelson and his garden party song........you can't please everyone so you need to please yourself ........I think the " dreamboat" was right.
e

PASSAGE

The first house that we built was on a dead end street that was not paved......it was on the intracoastal waterway and had not been discovered by tourists yet. It was a great little neighborhood and our neighbors had children just about the same ages. The children freely roamed from one house to the next.......somehow they more often than not ended up at our house. It was loud, frenzied, irritating, and .......wonderful.
Daughter Leslie was the youngest..........she will be 27 in a few weeks. Next door neighbor, Jay, celebrated his 30th birthday last month............and today, I went to his funeral...........and afterwards we all got on a boat and went out on the sound where his mama gently floated a wreath of magnolia leaves that cradled his ashes. We watched it float........and then it slowly sank and his ashes scattered across the surface just before the water engulfed them.....and it was done.
On the way back we were serenaded by a string quartet..........we laughed, we cried, we hugged and we cried some more. We sang some favorite songs and we celebrated while we mourned.
When I got home I was emotionally and physically whupped.....yep, I was whupped!!!!!!
I opened the door and a flood of cavaliers swooshed by me. I wanted to nap and they wanted to play.......guess who won. They were soooo happy to see me...how lucky am I to be greeted like that EVERY TIME. I played ball with Gummie and Lucy and rubbed Zeke and Brogie and they were all very happy......
I wanted to be happy too.........but I think I'll have to save that for another day.
e

PERSONALITY PLUS

In one corner of our back yard we have a feeding station.............birds, squirrels, and who knows what else frequent the various feeders daily. I have been watching a cardinal family that has 4 juveniles. They are almost as big as the Mama n Papa but their color is not as bright and their little beaks have not turned orange yet.
Mama and Papa are fantastic parents.....they herd them over to one area and bring each one seed after seed.....then they herd them onto the feeders and show them how to pick out the right ones.
Lucy meandered over there and I was expecting one of the parents to swoop down on her at any moment......they didn't get a chance........as Lucy passed by some ferns, Kissie popped out and tapped her butt.
I was watching this from the kitchen and within 30 seconds I saw the unique personality of each pet.
Lucy jumped into the air, turning at the same time so as to come down facing Kissie.......and barking all the while. I know it scared her but she stood her ground and barked and barked some more.
Zeke was the first to react.....he dashed back into the house and hid under a chair. (He stayed under there for 30 minutes.)
Gummie ran as fast as he could and stood by Lucy's side. I know he was VERY nervous because his tail was in the familiar circular pattern.......but nervous or not, he stood beside her. (He has lived with Kissie since he was 10 weeks old ......so there was no barking at Kissie from him.)
I've always said Brogie is the bravest......since his sight and hearing are diminished his reaction is slower.........but it is always bolder. He charged over there barking his faint, little bark and got in between Kissie and Lucy.
Kissie stood up and s l o w l y ambled over toward the woods. She has their number.
A few hours later, all 5 of them were on the bed, TOGETHER.......sound asleep.
Living in the moment!!!
e

PLAY BALL

Brogie and Zeke don't play with toys or balls ..............it's not their jam. Gummie, however, loves all things " play". He has a squirrel and a raccoon that he brings to me regularly and he will fetch them as many times as I am willing to toss 'em. Balls are even better.
At first Lucy sat in my lap and watched Gummie scurry about shaking his raccoon.....she was calm and content........but VERY interested.
I got some smaller than usual tennis balls, threw one across the great room knowing Gummie would be all over it, and he was..................... but he wasn't alone.
Lucy is agile, quick and enthusiastic...ok, maybe a little too enthusiastic. She is a sweet, loving, absolutely adorable little girl and I love her......you would think she might be a GENTLE player........no way. When it comes to playing ball, she is SERIOUS. (Goes to show you how clueless I am). She even growled at Gummie ......... he is sooo mellow... he stopped in his tracks and looked at me. It was obvious from then on that I have to throw two balls at the same time if Gum is to ever have a chance at another tennis ball.
Double the fun.
e

PLAYERS

Our cat, Kissie, is a hunter. She is mostly an indoor cat but she spends some time each day laying in wait for ......for whatever comes her way. She doesn't go out searching for prey....way too lazy for that......no she sits and waits and something always appears. I've decided that in her mind if anything is crazy enough to get close then it is fair game.....birds, lizards, moths, moles, crickets ....you know, defenseless little creatures!!!
A few days ago she went out before dawn and just before noon I went to the back door as I knew she would be wanting to come inside during the heat of the day.
Lucy and Gummie charged out the door headed straight for her..........I knew something was up as nobody, I mean NOBODY in this family charges Kissie. Brogie was napping and Zeke stood on the patio barking. Gummie's tail was at warp speed and he started circling the cat. Lucy got about 3 feet from Kissie, raised a front leg and stood still...........if her tail had been straight out she would have looked like a bird dog on point.
I'm not sure if Kissie had the snake or the snake had Kissie........it was a standoff, I think. It was a little garden snake and Kissie slapped it repeatedly, when it tried to slither away she grabbed it by the tail and threw it back on the grass, and the snake curled around one of her paws sending her leaping four feet in the air. When she hit the ground the snake was hightailing it to the woods behind our house.
Kissie sauntered over to the patio as if nothing had happened and rubbed her face on Zeke............they went inside.........but Lucy and Gummie were still on the scene. They stood side by side looking towards the woods, barking.........then they sat down and barked. Neither one of them ever took one step in that direction.
So I walked over to them ........they stood up and started barking all over again. I just know they were trying to tell me all about it. All the commotion woke Brogie up and he joined us in the back yard.........then Zeke............at that point it occurred to me that the dogs and I were all huddled up on the playing field but the two players were gone............Kissie, to air conditioned comfort and the snake to his hole in the woods. Game over.
e

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

On the very first day Lucy was with us..... we had a moment.........it's probably the reason she and Gummie are such good pals.
We all went upstairs..........except Lucy, who was stuck at the bottom, shaking. I don't think she had ever seen stairs before and it was too intimidating for her. Daughter,Leslie, picked her up and carried her........... and we all had some lovey dovey time.
Thinking she would be ok going back down we all headed to the kitchen...... noticed Lucy was missing. She was at the top of the stair........nervous but not shaking.....I tried to talk her through it, but nothing was working. Gummie came bounding up with his exuberant little self.......and I guess he knew just what to do.
He went up to her and they touched noses....then he went down one step, .....turned back to look at her and waited.............she slowly came down one step. He touched her nose again and went down 3 or 4 steps, turned, looked at her and waited. She crept down to him ever so cautiously and then they both started wagging.... big time. It was a piece of cake after that.....and these days she is the quickest up and down.
Good times.
e

TENNIS, ANYONE?

Lucy is adjusting to life in a home......doesn't sound too hard but think about it ......she has lived her 3 years in a kennel. Guess what she has had the hardest time with..........TV. At first she barked at anything ................then narrowed it to animals and/or people that moved, but after a few days it mostly went away..................yesterday there was no barking at all.
Sometimes when I go downstairs and know I'll only be down there a few minutes I close the boys (and girl) in my bedroom....mainly so that Brogie won't make a useless trip..... they all follow me wherever I go.........and a 12 year old cavalier doesn't need to make 20 trips a day up and down the stairs. So that's what I did this afternoon.
I was probably down there 15 minutes when I heard Lucy and Gummie raising the roof. I found them at the foot of the bed.....eyes glued to the TV...Wimbledon ...ladies tennis match with Serena Williams and somebody. Both ladies GRUNT when they hit the ball........both dogs BARK every time the ladies GRUNT. When the ladies went to their chairs between games..........the dogs laid back down...but as soon as they heard the next grunt they jumped up ......and got right back into the match.
I started to change the channel but decided to let them work this out.......and thankfully, it was near the end of the match, because they did NOT give it up.
Tennis? Who knew!
e

TRUCKLOAD OF CUTE

Sunday morning a big, shiny black truck(one of those with a big backseat and all the goodies of a luxury car) pulled into my front yard. At the wheel, Steve Crumley, and in the passenger seat, Holly Crumley.....and although they are an attractive duo...........it was their cargo that made this a truckload of CUTENESS.
I have never met any of their three sons........but at least one of them must be a handsome dude. Three year old Bailey Crumley and two year old Jackson Crumley were in the backseat in their car seats.......they were at the end of a very long trip and yet...... soooo sweet and happy. Jackson has blond hair and a smile that he flashes at will......it melts your heart. Bailey has that same blond hair and is a talker........love it.......she showed me her freshly painted finger nails AND toe nails.......and said she was ready to go to the beach because she had been in the truck FOREVER.
As if that is not enough cuteness.......there was another passenger........who had, in fact, ridden all the way in Holly's lap.
LUCY is a three year old blenheim who just finished nursing her puppies...........she is a daughter of our beloved BROGIE...............and we are her new foster parents. She pushed the cuteness gauge into redline territory.
Her coat is blown and she's hanging pretty low..........but when you look at her little face......OMG.
She even has freckles on her face just like Brogie. I was immediately smitten (I love that word, my mama used to use it all the time).
We have had three days with her.............so far her favorite is Gummie. Although she is the smallest, I have the feeling she may end up ruling the roost. Only time will tell.....and I plan to enjoy all the time we have with Miss Lucy.
e

SPUNKY

I went out to get the paper early this morning with Gummie leading the way. It was almost dawn but still pretty dark and when I got to the end of the driveway.......all of a sudden ......barking, growling, and all kinds of commotion coming from across the street. Gummie wanted to zip over there but I said no and we started back up the driveway.
Out of the dark a white fluff ball darted in front of us, trailing a lead line and barking like we were mass killers trying to attack his home. Gummie's tail went into propeller mode and I just watched all the fluffiness running circles around us.
In no time I heard shuffling footsteps coming up the drive......the proverbial "little ole lady" said....I don't think he'll hurt you. I said good morning and we had a nice little chitchat.....both dogs sniffed each other and played chase for awhile.
She was visiting her grandson who lives down the street and had arrived last night so this was only SPUNKY'S second walk in the neighborhood and he was a bit nervous, she said. She was such a nice lady and I enjoyed our talk........... it made me think a bit.
Her grandson is at least 50 years old so she is probably in her nineties. She told me she walks SPUNKY 3 or 4 times every day and he is her buddy.
If I am lucky enough to live into my nineties please let me be ambulatory.................. and please let me have a little buddy to walk.
e

OLLIE

I have a new email friend, "d", who lives out on the west coast and has four beautiful cavaliers, one of each color. How cool is that! She sent me a great little story recently that I would like to share ........hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
e


An interesting story today. We live in a canyon area surrounded by unpopulated hillsides in the northern part of Los Angeles County. Up until this year there were very few wild furry creatures around. There was, however, a large population of coyotes that roamed the area in packs keeping rodents and the like at bay. We could hear howling at night and often saw them roaming the streets just before dawn. With the ever increasing housing developments sprouting up, those coyotes have completely disappeared. Now we have an invasion of jack rabbits, tree rats, raccoons, and opossums. All four Cavs seem quite brave with their barking and noses to the ground, but once confronted with creatures face to face they run for their lives. Jackson and Cooper bark from the door, Savannah will venture out to the yard gates, but little Ollie (Holly's black and tan) takes off for the far reaches of our yard and flushes out four footed invaders. This morning there was more noise than usual. I was at work, but my husband had to call me and recount the story. Ollie cornered the granddaddy of rats. He had it in his mouth shaking it wildly and was headed for the house when Bruce said "leave it". Being the well trained pup he is, he dropped it at Bruce's feet. It didn't move. Bruce touched it with his foot. Since it didn't move and thinking it was dead he picked it up by the 3 foot tail. Suddenly it started twitching and jerking all over the place. It was playing dead, we think. Anyway, Ollie was so proud of himself prancing around. Bruce took it to the trash can with all four dogs now trailing in a single line toward the trash cans feeling brave and adventurous now that the invader was corralled. I guess it is still in that trash can. I am afraid to look!! The exterminator comes tomorrow to do the dirty work. YUCH!!! So much for city life. I think it will be awhile before I let Ollie lick me on the face. Yeah, maybe five more minutes.
d

TRAINABLE

When Gummie wants something from me he talks....absolutely talks.........granted, his language is a series of grunts, groans, and whines (can whine be a noun?), but he communicates and has trained me well. Now I pretty much know what he wants by the sound he's making.
Brogie takes a different tack......he either barks at me or puts his paws on me ......and I have to guess, but with him it's usually potty time or lovey dovey time. Doesn't take a brainiac to figure him out.
Zeke is the laid back type......he only gets excited about a few things.............food, car rides, and chasing things that have a heartbeat. He is a patient little guy and only occasionally needs to get my attention...........he just growls and wags his tail, and that usually means he's got to go. About a month ago he started a new thing to get my attention and it's only when I'm sitting on the patio. He'll growl and wag and then sit in front of me.......and stare at me. After a few minutes he'll stand up, growl, wag, and stare at me. He has big eyes and he STARES for what seems like a long time...then he'll repeat the sequence. We're outside so he's free to go poop or pee..........the patio door is open part way so he is free to go inside and if he wants attention he just rubs on my legs .........................so it was a mystery to me as to what he wanted.
I guess I'm a little s l o w .............but I've never had a dog stare at me for that long. He was probably thinking he'd never be able to train me.....but you know what ........I AM TRAINABLE.
Come to find out he wanted to go inside...........but he wanted me to go with him!!!
He does it every day and even though I don't always go in when he wants me to, at least I know what he wants. Before you know it I will be under voice command and able to go outside without my leash on......just like Gummie.
e

CLOSE

I love soo many things about the boys and I'm including a picture of one of them........I bought three wonderful and expensive doggie beds........they deserve it. You would think they would love that...............nope, they would rather be scrunched up and uncomfortable as long as they are together. I mean how can you not love it!!!
e

PIX

I've had some folks wanting me to post some pictures of the boys and even though I am a terrible photographer (took these with my cell phone) they still look beautiful to me.
They are the sweetest little guys and I don't know how I managed without them.
e



MONTGOMERY CARSON "GUMMIE"


ZEKE CARSON

BROUGHAN CARSON "BROGIE"

LILY PADS

Last fall I borrowed a few water lilies ............OK, I stole a few water lilies from a lagoon here in town. I rationalized my plundering as being helpful to the town because the water lilies were smothering the pond and needed to be thinned out..........geez I can put a spin on anything, even larceny.
I cut all the foliage off, placed the root balls in fabric baskets, and sunk them to the bottom of my patio pond...........where they quietly enjoyed a winter hiatus.
This Spring we had an explosion of lily pads and beautiful , dazzling white water lilies and they have almost smothered the surface of my little pond!
When I first started the pond Zeke got upset about everything I put in there but after a few weeks he got over it ...........Gummie and Brogie never cared one way or the other..........but when the actual water surface began to shrink Gummie had issues.
There is a water bowl for the boys downstairs and one upstairs and Brogie and Zeke use them...........not Gummie. For some unknown reason, he only drinks from the pond. We had a really big pond at our last house and he drank from that one too.
I noticed that it was getting hard for him to find a spot to have a drink and the other day it all came to a head. I think what happened is that he put his paw on one of the lily pads to move it out of the way and when he actually stepped on it he lost his balance and fell in............it was so funny. I guess he didn't see it that way because his eyes got big and desperate........... he looked like he had been thrown off a pier. I jumped up and helped him scramble out of the pond..... he shook off and we went on with things.
I have started thinning out the lily pads every week or so and Gummie continues to use the pond as a water fountain.
I mean, really, what do you expect when you live at the zoo!!!
e

CHASE

Zeke and our cat, Kissie, have an unusual dynamic going on. Gummie and Brogie never, ever bother Miss Kissie.......they go out of their way to show due respect for the eldest pet, and with good reason.
Kissie likes to go outside, come inside, go back outside, come back inside............all day long. She seems to always be on the wrong side of the door. Often when she comes in she will scoot through the house to the stairs and zip up to my desk where I keep a bowl full of her dry food .... and when she does that, Zeke takes off after her, growling and barking.
I think the natural inclination would be to feel sorry for the sweet little pretty kitty....but don't fall for it. No matter how fast Zeke runs he is never fast enough so when he finally gets upstairs Kissie jumps up on the desk and stares down at him with a look of utter disdain and superiority.........and he waddles back downstairs knowing he's lost one more time.
If Zeke doesn't chase her she will wait at the bottom of the stairs until he can't stand it anymore and off he goes............how many times will he fall for it.
The outcome of this game is totally dependent on Kissie's mood..........yesterday, Kissie was in a very bad mood! As soon as Zeke took off after her, Kissie arched her back and warned him to leave her alone..........well Zeke tried to stop, I think.......but in an instant Kissie slapped him, he yelped so what did she do .......she slapped him some more. She got him on the nose once and it started bleeding and he really cried then. He ran over and jumped in my lap and put his head in my armpit which I guess is now his default position.
I was sitting at the breakfast table trying to comfort him when Kissie jumped up on the table. Poor little Zeke buried himself under my arm again and Kissie looked down at him as if to say.......you are soo easy. She sauntered off, Zeke calmed down and the only one still worried was Gummie. He took turns going over to each of them sniffing and rubbing.
I am hoping Zeke's chase instinct will take a vacation for awhile......Gummie and I would like that.
e

WHO'S YO MAMA? POST SCRIPT

I did a dumb thing shortly before we left the party that hurt Zeke and Brogie ...... I have felt bad about it ever since.
I decided to go out to the car and tidy up a bit before we headed home.....I was going to get the coffee cups etc out of the car. Gummie went with me as he can go without a leash and I planned to only be there a few minutes. Just as I reached the car I got a call from a client and I really needed to talk with them. We were parked at the far end of the play area and Steve was still in there talking and I had left Zeke and Brogie with him. After I had been on the phone for about 5 minutes I saw Zeke and Brogie at the fence in front of the car.
I don't know how to describe the look on their faces..........I think panic might be the best word....and the longer I talked on the phone the sadder it got..........panic turned to resignation. I know they're just dogs but they have feelings and they remember way more than we want to admit. Zeke is 5 years old and I am his 3rd or 4th owner.......Brogie lived his first 10 years in a kennel. They've been with us for almost 2 years now and as much as I love them.......they love me more and I think they thought I was leaving them. I mean really leaving them!
Steve went over and put their leashes on to bring them to me and at first they wouldn't budge.....but being the good boys they are.......they finally followed him and when they got out of the fenced area and turned back toward the car... Zeke went crazy.....crazy happy. Brogie started barking and they drug Steve to the car. Thank goodness dogs don't hold grudges.............if I had done the same thing to our cat I would have had some serious repercussions to deal with. Instead, I was rewarded...... with love and affection and JOY.
e

WHO'S YO MAMA?

Last month we took the boys to a doggie party ...I guess you would call it a play date. There were 22 absolutely wonderful, beautiful Cavalier King Charles spaniels in attendance.........15 or 16 females, 6 or 7 males.........1 black and tan, 3 rubies, 6 tri-color, and 12 blenheims and a partridge in a pear tree. It was fascinating. And by the way, all the owners were great.........most of them are as crazy as I am about their dogs...........and they all have cute stories to tell.
Initially, I was concerned about how Zeke would handle the situation.......I knew Brogie and Gummie would be having a ball because they both love people and dogs. As soon as we went in the gate and took off the leashes the boys were into it. Gummie and Brogie visited all the owners and all the dogs and kept running back to me to check in.
Zeke had some visiting to do also.....remember he was a stud dog........and there were many, many little ladies in attendance. I watched him sniffing around each and every bitch there ......he would start on one side, then the butt and end up on the other side..........it kept him very busy and very happy.
There was an Easter egg hunt and Gummie and Brogie walked along with me but weren't into it so much. Brogie stepped on one and pawed at it so I picked that one up and Gummie sniffed at one and I got that one also. Zeke was too busy to play so we only got two eggs.
The last game of the day was called "Who's Yo Mama?" All the dogs were herded into the first fenced area with the gate closed.......then all the owners walked down to the far end of the play area...............lined up facing the dogs......the winner would be the dog that went to his mama first. When they opened the gate I saw Gummie take off ............the others took off too but they went left and right and all around. Gummie had me in his sights and he ran straight to me and at the last second a precious little blenheim female jumped in front of him but she came to me not her mama who was at the far end so Gummie was the winner and Brogie was second!!!!!!!!! Zeke was a little too busy to join us.
The ladies who organized the event did a super job...........they had doggie cake and ice cream and human cake too.....they even had doggie goodie bags to take home............but the best thing was giving all of us a chance to meet and greet folks of like mind and enjoy 22 fabulous dogs. I guess we were there for about 3 hours and during that time I never heard one growl or whine or any sign of any aggression from the dogs .....or the humans.....good times.
I wish all of you could have heard the sounds inside my car on the way home.........Steve and the boys took snoring to a new level ......I turned the radio up but there was no drowning it out.
All of it left a smile on my face.
e

ROYALTY

My friends have all come around to the fact that I have " gone to the dogs". Almost none of them pick on me anymore about having 3 dogs........ they have come a long way. So have I........for awhile I actually wondered if they were right....maybe I was nuts.
Truth is... I really didn't change........they did. In the last few years several of them have either gotten their first dog or have gotten a second one. My dearest friend who adores the boys and is over here four times a week............ opted to adopt a kitten about 6 months ago and the two of them are as happy as can be.
Once a month we all go out to lunch and every few months one of them seems to have some pictures to show. It used to be all about grandchildren.......but nowadays it's more likely to be a puppy picture with the occasional grandchild thrown in. Most of the grandchildren have been fairly cute but the puppies have been absolutely precious. My favorite was an English bulldog named ......are you ready......PRINCESS. She is mostly white with a brown spot on her butt. .... not exactly princess material in the traditional sense. Now I will never have anything other than a cavalier .........cavaliers are perfect for me..........but PRINCESS is perfect for her owner (who is one of my favorite people)......they both have bodies shaped like a barrel and their idea of exercise is a brisk walk from the house to the garage and they really don't like to over do that. The boys have met Princess and they really like her....especially Zeke. At one point they were all laying in the driveway and Princess was in the middle and Zeke had his head on her front paw. Evidently he appreciates the fuller figure silhouette.
Just goes to show you ......it's all in the eye of the beholder.....even a bulldog can be a princess.
e

REUNION

Last month I went to my high school reunion........we've only had one before and it was 20 years ago and I missed it. This time around I started getting emails from classmates that I hadn't heard from in years and eventually decided to go. We had activities all weekend and it was a riot. I must say ...........on the first night when I walked into the room I thought I was in the wrong spot because..........there were a bunch of OLD PEOPLE in there!!! Anyhow it was a great weekend and when I got home Sunday afternoon I was pooped.
The boys ran out to the car and helped me get my luggage...........Zeke really wanted to pee on my garment bag but I saved it at the last second. After hugs and kisses and rubbing we plopped down on the bed and I was looking forward to a nap......the boys were ok with it but they weren't going to take any chances about me getting up any time soon. Brogie draped himself over my right leg.........Gummie was on top of my stomach...........and Zeke was on my pillow with his face on my head.........funny thing is, we actually slept.
It was good to be home.
e

BREAKFAST

I've been having some issues with my back lately..............Bending over to do anything is challenging............and the number of times a person has to bend over each day is astronomical. I can do it but it has to be in super slow motion. One morning I was trying to put Zeke's bowl down for breakfast and he was super ready...........but I was super slow so he decided to help!!!
You can just imagine the chaos that ensued ....as soon as he jumped up his bowl slipped out of my hand and flipped over........hundreds of petite orbs of crunchy processed dog food hit the kitchen floor and bounced all over the place........I let out a little yelp because when I straightened up so fast my back bit me pretty hard.....and Gummie and Brogie were beyond confused. Gummie was so worried about me but there was a lot of free food on the floor..... so he took turns grabbing a little food and coming over to comfort me...........he was sooooo conflicted........but, hey ,there was free food so it couldn't be all that bad, right? Brogie sat in the middle of the kibble and stared at me and poor little Zeke was mortified. I sat down at the table and he immediately jumped in my lap and put his head in my armpit. When I caught my breath and my back eased up a bit I looked down at Brogie and he was laying down in a sea of kibble and Gummie was eating all around him................I had to laugh and that made Zeke come out from under my pit.........so I took some meds and we started over. What a morning!!!
e

BUZZ

Word on the street is that on April 16th, somewhere between Brunswick, GA and Hilton Head Island, SC there's going to be a gathering ....an assemblage...a collection...a cavalier concourse if you will.......whatever you want to call it. It will be a Crumley Cavalier Celebration and I can't wait to see all of that cavalier cuteness in one location. I told the boys about it but you know they did what they always do ............wag and wag some more. They will be excited when we get there but I'm already looking forward to it.
I've had a busy few weeks and late yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the patio enjoying an "adult" beverage..........don't you just love that term.........actually it was just a little vodka on the rocks...........anyhow, Zeke jumped on my lap, it caught me by surprise and vodka and ice went flying all over the place. I wasn't going to be denied so I fixed another glass and started walking out when a bumble bee on steroids swooped down on me and then on Zeke and back on me........somewhere during the buzzing and dodging my freshly refreshed drink went flying over me and Zeke and the bumble bee too. I looked down on the patio and the bee was awash in ice cubes and vodka......he was buzzing like crazy and Gummie was all excited..........his tail was circling itself at warp speed ...........but it was Brogie who charged the bee. Remember Brogie only has a few teeth so I guess he planned to gum it to death.......I got him back and crunched the poor ole bee just so none of us got stung. Sometimes I think I'm a magnet for strange things and strange occurrences......anyhow we all opted to go inside and stay inside.
Brogie doesn't worry too much about his age.......he's an awesome dog and I wish ...........I really wish I had known him when he was young but I am thankful to have him now and I am enjoying every day we have with him.
e

CHEERIOS

My bathroom in this house is smaller than I am used to and as a result I often put the toilet lid down so that I can sit and put on socks, shoes etc. I walked in there last night and Zeke was sitting on the toilet ...........and had a sheepish look on his face. I thought it was so cute and I gave him a little scratch on his back.........he wagged and jumped down.
We settled in and got to sleep soon after but at around 2a.m. Gummie got all agitated and started whining. Being half asleep, I got up and was heading to the stair to take him out but he didn't follow so I got back in bed. As I was trying to go back to sleep I heard crunch...crunch...crunch..........coming from the bathroom. I sat up and saw Gummie at the bathroom ,whining and pacing. So I got up again and peeked in there ......Zeke, Zeke, Zeke.
He was standing on the counter ....front paws on one side of the sink, back paws on the other side......he was really stretched out. And when he saw me he started crunching as fast as he could!! My purse was on the counter and inside I had some cheerios wrapped in clear plastic. (I remembered running out of little baggies and had to use the dreaded clingy plastic wrap). I never put my purse there but there it was and Zeke was not going to miss the chance for a quick snack. Brogie slept through it all but I put Zeke down on the floor and divided the remaining cheerios for him and Gummie.
Giving them the cheerios was probably the wrong thing to do ...........I'm not so good with discipline when it comes to the boys.....but the way I figure it, they make me LAUGH even if it is at 2a.m. and that's worth a few cheerios anytime.
e

PLAYED

OMG......I have been played.....by a dog!
It all started a few weeks ago...........one morning Brogie seemed stiffer than usual and when we got to the steps he hesitated...........I started down and looked back at him and he looked at me with his melt-your-heart little face and I decided to go scoop him up and we all went downstairs. The next morning I went downstairs and heard Brogie barking at the top of the stairs so I went back up and carried him down. He quickly figured out that if he wanted either up or down the stair all he had to do was bark and I'd give him a free ride. You know , I was a little suspicious because he was still walking well and he often chased the squirrels etc .........but I thought the stairs were too painful for him. WRONG.
I was out of town for a few days and when I called home I asked Steve how he was doing with Brogie and the stairs and wouldn't you know it .......Mr. melt-your-heart had been running up and down the stairs at will for two days.
OK maybe he had an injury and needed a little help for awhile ......and maybe his injury was healed by the time I went on my trip.............m a y b e..........whatever, that's how I'm going to rationalize the whole thing. I have to preserve a little bit of dignity, right?
e

SNEEZE

Spring has sprung.......the Bradford Pear trees are in full bloom and they are everywhere. I always think they look like white hot air balloons, still tethered but eager to fly. Next week all of their blossoms will yield to vibrant green leaves and they'll look like huge green tootsie pops. Daffodils are still going strong and I've even seen a few azaleas opening. I am so glad to see some warm weather.
The boys and I have been enjoying more time outside and and I've been noticing something a little different this year. We're starting to get more pollen in the air and I think Zeke might be allergic to it......not bad symptoms just sneezing..........but it's funny because when he sneezes his whole little body does a shake thing that starts at the front and goes all the way to the back and ends with his tail finishing off the sneeze with a cute little wag. It even happens like that when he is sitting down. You can always count on Zeke to put a cute spin on everything.
You know my life is not as hectic as it used to be.......certainly not as exciting........maybe not as happy........maybe it's a different kind of happiness. Whatever.............I am seeing my little world differently these days........the good, the bad, and the unexplainable............and one of the good things is having these kind little creatures in my life.
I have the BEST time with these boys.
e

XL

Ever since September I have been putting on the ole feed bag with real gusto and as a result I can barely zip up my pants. Seriously, the few pants that I can get on are so tight that I really can't breath. So now I'm paying the price and it's back to being "careful" with food and getting back on the treadmill etc............GREAT.
Last night was my first workout and you can just imagine what I feel like today. The boys took it all in stride until I got on the treadmill. They were all on the bed and when I first started walking their little heads turned from side to side ............so curious. Each time I changed the speed or incline they all sat up and moved their heads from side to side....they were sooooo cute and it made the time fly. Brogie was the first to give it up, followed shortly by Zeke.............but Gummie sat up each time for the entire 45 minutes and we talked each time.
Tonight............as soon as I started walking all three boys got on the bed, got comfortable, and went to sleep. I walked as fast as I could, I sweated and I huffed and puffed for 45 minutes...........they SNORED. To them, the treadmill is old news now ............guess I'm going to have to do this on my own. No fun.
e

BIGBIRD

Having a resident comedian is always fun....and occasionally it's hilarious. Occasionally happened this morning.
I slept in because I didn't have anything until the afternoon....didn't go downstairs until 7:30. It was so balmy that after I got the boys fed I took my paper and coffee to the patio and we enjoyed a truly beautiful morning. Steve has all sorts of bird feeders and bird baths in the backyard and the birds and squirrels have a buffet that would rival The Bellagio. There is almost always a squirrel or some birds out there and Zeke loves to charge out the door and chase them off. It is one of his favorite things to do and it gets his day off to a good start.....today it was two fat squirrels and he loved it. He speeds out and they run off and he trots back to the patio and sits down. We lounged out there for an hour and I finally took the boys in and was starting up the stairs when Zeke started barking and growling and having a fit to go back out. I went on up the stairs but soon all three were barking and Gummie ran up to my bathroom barking and begging so I trudged back down and looked out and could hardly believe what I was seeing........a buzzard! Yes the exact same ugly bird you see eating road kill........the one that only flies off at the last possible second.......often making you slow down or brake because they are so slow to get out of the way. If you have never seen one you would never believe how big and ugly they really are............the boys were freaked out.
Zeke was almost foaming at the mouth and so I thought I'd let him out and he could chase the buzzard off and then trot back and we'd get on with it...........sounds like a plan to me. I got Gummie and Brogie back from the door and cracked the door open just enough for Zeke to catapult himself across the patio and zip right over to the bird...........but the buzzard didn't get the memo and instead of flying off it spread it's enormous wings and stood it's ground. How big do you think that bird must have looked to little Zeke...........he tried to slam on the brakes... but it was too late and he stumbled and rolled all over himself as he veered off to the right and skidded finally to a stop on the other side of the buzzard. It is impossible for me to tell you how funny it was. I was laughing so hard, but at the same time Zeke was trapped on the other side and his big eyes were fixed on me.........and the buzzard had his eyes fixed on Zeke. So I walked over to the side of the yard and knelt down and Zeke took off running to me and he ran faster than I thought he could run ......he jumped up into my arms and buried his face in my armpit. As I was walking back to the patio the buzzard started flapping it's wings and eventually got off the ground.
The whole thing was so funny and then I felt a little sad for him.............but when we went inside, I put him down and he ran over to the pantry..........so obviously he was over it and I had had a great laugh ....treat time for sure.
e

STANDOFF

It has been so cold and wet this winter and, of course, I whine about it ............exactly the way I whine in the summer about the oppressive heat and humidity. But there was no complaining yesterday.......glorious sunshine and 65 degrees. I was out and about all day long ..........had a gift certificate that I enjoyed using and had a late lunch with friends....good times.
When I got home and opened the front door I walked into the middle of a standoff. Our stair goes up to a landing then turns 90 degrees another half flight so you can't see the top of the stair from the front door. Our cat, Kissie, was perched on the landing and had that classic cheshire cat grin and I could hear the boys at the top of the stair. Gummie was whimpering, Brogie was barking, and Zeke was jumping around and grunting. Now there is no question that I am the leader of the pack but no matter how much those boys wanted to come running down the stairs to greet me they were totally at the mercy of the Queen Bee, Miss Kissie Carson. Even though all four of them often sleep together, Kissie occasionally has the need to show all of us exactly who is in charge and I don't know what she says to them .........but they listen.
I scolded her and she looked at me like I had lost my mind.........then she gave me a little meow. I sat down beside her and she rubbed all over me, purred, and rolled on her back.
Gummie crept down two steps and waited.............he was so nervous that his tail was spinning around like a propeller........but he inched his way closer and just as he stepped on the landing Kissie slapped him on his leg three quick times, rolled over and rubbed her face on his. The standoff was over........they all ran down the stairs........but we all knew who won.
e

TOUGH ENOUGH

Yesterday Zeke surprised me ...no, shocked would be the right word.........as a matter of fact it reminded me of a famous line from an old movie, NETWORK, I think. It went something like ....I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!!!!!!!
We were on a short walk and a man and his dog were coming towards us and all of a sudden Zeke started growling and then barking. Gummie and Brogie were looking around and both got closer to Zeke and started sniffing him......I felt like doing the same thing just to make sure we had the real Zeke. After the dog passed Zeke put on the brakes and turned around to keep his eye on the dog.....all the while with a low growl. I couldn't get him to budge........so I knelt down and we all loved on him ............he was so happy.........and we went on.
Zeke may have a new philosophy on things but he's no fool.............he knew that dog was on a leash ......maybe he even knew it was a very old boy...........or maybe just maybe he thinks he's tough enough now to take on a CHIHUAHUA.
e

OOPS

Our little Brogie has been having some trouble holding it (me too).....he tries to make it down the stairs and out the door but it's hard .......especially first thing in the morning and he's had some accidents. You remember how touch and go it was right after your children got potty trained so you put a diaper on them at bedtime ...just in case....well that's what I do with Brogie. He has a fancy little doggie diaper.....denim with plaid inside and a hole for his fluffy tail. It works like a charm and he is so used to it and so easy about the whole thing that he doesn't get on the bed until I put on his diaper.Each night he waits beside the bed .......wagging...... and since he's so good about the whole thing I love on him and he rubs his face all over me and of course that gets the other two off the bed....and we have a big scratch and rub session........every night.
In the morning we all go downstairs together and they wait by the door for me to get the diaper off of Sir Broughan. Well that's usually what happens.............this morning we got up really early and I must have had a moment because I opened the door and off they went. I started the coffee and turned on the TV, sat down at the breakfast table, looked out on the patio and there he was..................his stiff little legs were spread out and he was barking his little tiny bark and I knew what I had done!!!!!!!!!!
Have you seen that commercial that's running these days for Huggies or one of the diaper companies that says......what happens in a diaper should stay in the diaper............and they are having a contest to see which baby dumps the biggest load in his diaper........I'll put Brogie up against any of them.
He was wet ....he was poopie ....but he was still wagging and he never got upset. I got him all cleaned up and apologized the whole time but he didn't care.......he loves me no matter what and as far as he was concerned it was over. I felt terrible but he just wanted me to get it all off so he could have some breakfast.............so I cooked BACON
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UPDATE

After our little episode with the pit bull both Brogie and Gummie carried on with life as normal but Zeke , well you know. Could not coax him out the front door much less down the driveway....the fenced back yard was ok but that was all. After a few days of that I decided I had to do something .......tried several things including liver treats (which always worked before) but what worked this time was the car. Zeke's favorite thing is to go for a ride and when I opened the car door he could not resist.........we rode over to a park that is close ............got out and went for a great walk. It was in the middle of the day and we were alone ...........it took 4 or 5 trips for him to really relax but I think it's going well. He will now walk in the neighborhood and yesterday we ventured out on the same path where we had all the trouble.......this time we went the other way.
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SCARED

Well here we are 2011.........I didn't make any resolutions, never do, because if I had I would have already broken it.
Steve hasn't been able to walk with us for several months and so I take all three dogs by myself which requires a little coordination......I put Brogie on a tension lead that extends 15 feet and keep the other two on short leather leads. It works well as I put Brogie's lead in my pocket and he follows just behind us. I've had people ask if I was a dog walker etc. but today I was talking to a lady that I've never seen before and she asked me if I was a HOARDER. I still don't know how I feel about it.............I think I'll just chalk that one up as a weird encounter........anyhow, that happened early on and little did we know what was around the corner.
It is a little over a mile from our house to the entrance of our little neighborhood and just as we made the turn onto the bikepath we saw a lady and her dog way ahead waiting by the road, I think she was waiting for the school bus, and as we got closer I noticed that her dog was not on a leash..........it was a fairly large dog but I really didn't think too much about it as we have never had any real problems. As we got close I heard her telling the dog to sit and she took hold of his collar............we walked on with no problem but I cringed a bit when I realized it was a pit bull..........kept walking and thought all was good......about 3 minutes later I heard her screaming at the dog and I knew what happened........and I knew what was about to happen............as she was screaming I turned around and got all the dogs behind me and I got myself as big as I could and I started screaming at him to stay...... he was coming at us so fast but .................at the same time it was like a movie in super slow motion..........I was so scared but I knew he was hell bent on getting us and there is no way I'll just be a victim without a fight. I have no idea what made him stop except I screamed soooooo loud and had my hands in front of him ..................he stopped less than 3 feet from my hand..................and he growled and I screamed at him to stay ..............he growled and took a step toward me and I dropped the leashes and I lunged at him with fists flying.............I think I scared him ...........he started backing up but he had a mean look on his face so I just stood my ground and his owner finally caught up and grabbed him. Since he had already gotten away from her before, I figured it could happen again so I took the lead off Montgomery and gave it to her and she took her dog
home.
I looked at my three little boys............they looked at me ............they started wagging....... and I
started crying. I hugged them and we headed home. As we passed their house the lady came out to return the lead............she was very apologetic but I was having none of it and told her I would talk to her tomorrow. I want her to worry about this for awhile.
I was so scared today........... On the positive side, I got through the whole thing and didn't wet my pants!!!!!!!!!!!
e

DOGS, DOGS, DOGS

It's New Year's Eve and we just got home from an oyster roast and I'm already hearing random fireworks.............Zeke hates it........and is in my lap right now. Glad we didn't stay long because here in an hour or so he'll really need some comforting.
Right after Christmas we went to visit one of Steve's brothers and they had a 13 week old basset hound............so cute. He loved all the boys but his most favorite was Brogie. He curled up next to Brogie and the two of them slept most of the afternoon. They have a Great Dane named Barkley and his favorite was Montgomery.........they played all afternoon........chasing tennis balls and soccer balls. Their other dog is a Boston Terrier, female named Jessie...........and her favorite, of course, was the handsome boy, Zeke. They walked around together and sat by the fire together and tried to beg for treats together. We had a great time watching them...............when did my life start revolving around the antics of the dogs????????????
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KITCHEN HELP

Brogie and Gummie spent the day napping but Zeke and I were very busy.........we had some baking to do and it took us all afternoon.
When I first started puttering about in the kitchen all of the boys were asleep on their pads and not in the least interested in what I was doing .......it didn't take long before Zeke knew what was going on. I think it's the smell of butter that gets him interested.........whatever it is, he watched my every move for hours. He is the most patient of the three and never gives up. I love it......and now I talk to him and ask him his opinion about how I'm doing things and if it looks done or does it need a few more minutes etc. and he looks back at me with those huge brown eyes ......there is so much hope in his eyes and with good reason. He likes everything I bake....... even fruit cake cookies!!!!
I have never had a dog that liked to help out in the kitchen and I'm lovin' it.
Zeke is going to be very happy tomorrow because I'm baking some peanut butter chewies for Brandon .....and Zeke loves LOVES peanut butter.
I hope everyone has a great Christmas and I hope you have some yummy baked goods and hugs and kisses from those you love.....and I hope you all have at least one furry little friend to help you enjoy it all even more.
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LIGHTS

You should see our little neighborhood........all decked out for the holidays.........come to think of it the entire cul de sac is probably visible from space at night. Well, maybe not, but there are lights everywhere and I've been taking the boys for a stroll just before 8 each night and there is no need for a flashlight. The Christmas decorations don't bother the dogs the way the Halloween stuff did. As a matter of fact, they seem to really like it. One neighbor has a group of three really large snowmen very close to the street.......almost in the street...........they are brightly lit at night and Zeke can't wait to pee on them every time. I saw these folks out in the yard and confessed Zeke's obsession and they laughed and said every dog from the area has had a field day with those snowmen!!! Gummie and Brogie are more fond of a house on down the street that has a long hedge next to the street and has a zillion white lights next to a lamp post tightly wrapped with a million green lights............Brogie pees on the lamp post, Gummie next to the hedge and Zeke takes aim again on the post. And so it goes each night....by the time we get home they are as dry as a bone.
I have a winding driveway and some oak trees and have draped red and green lights from the trees across the drive over to the oaks on the other side and it is really cool. Lots of people have driven up under the lights and asked to take pictures of their car..........it's been fun. You can't see our house from the street but everyone can see the explosion of red and green and it makes you smile. I definitely fit in this new neighborhood......we are all a little over the edge.
e

LOOSE TONGUE

Here we go again......grocery shopping, cooking, running back to the store, cooking, baking, one last minute trip for ice or something and of course EATING. I love Thanksgiving.
We only have a few people coming this year but I plan to cook as if a crowd was coming and we'll have leftovers the rest of the week.
Brogie has 5 teeth and all of his food has to be soft or I have to cut it up into small pieces and that's what I do. He really loves chicken and turkey so I'll be doing a lot of chopping this week. Because of his lack of teeth he has some trouble managing his tongue and it's kinda funny. For instance, when he yawns, and he yawns often, his tongue falls out of his mouth and sort of flaps around ......it's really funny looking but he gathers it up and goes on. After he eats he tries to lick his lips and that tongue goes out to the side and he keeps after it until it's back in his mouth. Well today I baked a pecan pie and after I put it in the oven I scraped the bowl and gave Gummie and Zeke a lick....Brogie must have been anticipating his turn because when I turned to let him lick his tongue was already hanging out to the side.............not to worry he still got a taste and did some smacking and was well satisfied............it's so funny too watch.
He is precious in his old age.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Carson Pack.
e

GLOW IN THE DARK

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween.....we did....even Zeke! We had lawn chairs set up at the end of the driveway as did most of the neighbors and we handed out every kind of mini chocolate bar known to man. The boys sat beside us and greeted every little trick or treater and in reality got more attention than the children. Some folks had dressed their dogs in costumes but we opted for bandannas .............that's about as far as I'm willing to go with that.
Zeke is pretty much afraid of ......pretty much anything big or loud or new or unusual or .....well you get the idea. But you know what, he did great on Halloween. He sat on my lap for the first 30 minutes or so and then he sat under my chair for a little while but then he was wagging and greeting and getting all kinds of attention and he really got into it.
All of our neighbors had these glow in the dark sticks and they gave us a few and when we ran out of candy we packed up and went inside and I forgot about the glow sticks.
Evidently, I put the glow sticks in my jacket pocket when we started to come in and at some point in the middle of the night they fell out of the pocket on the floor next to the bed. I woke up to see Zeke and Gummie tag teaming an all out assault on the glow sticks. It was hilarious. Growling, barking, and charging......... Brogie slept through the whole thing..............too much trick or treating for him.
I don't know if Zeke was afraid of the glow sticks but I know he was serious about defending his home from those scary aliens........you gotta love that!!!!
e

SPIDERS, GHOSTS, & WITCHES

Turns out our new neighborhood is way more fun than I thought. We moved here at the first of July and for awhile I didn't see anyone out and about.............now that I think about it, I guess it was just too friggin' hot to be outside. But with Halloween around the corner you should see all the decorations..........lots of pumpkins of course but also some really cool, really large as in huge blow ups on the sides and roofs. One house has a spider theme and the house next door has a 25 foot Spiderman on the roof crawling over towards the spiders.
The first time we saw the spiders Zeke almost had a stroke........one was hanging in a tree near the street .........it's about the size of an umbrella............and Zeke spotted it as soon as we got to the end of our driveway............he got behind me and peeked around me at the spider. Gummie and Brogie were excited but not afraid.................they trotted over and said hello to the neighbors and the spiders and we went on our way.
Turned the corner and the first house on that street had ghosts everywhere..........all sizes...........hanging from anything and everything, fluttering in the breeze. I thought it was fabulous but the boys barely noticed it because right across the street was a 10foot black witch stirring her cauldron. I guess it's motion activated because as soon as we approached she threw her head back and let out a maniacal laugh ...............all three boys stopped immediately, put their noses on the ground, and crept closer and closer......well, two of them crept......you know who parked himself behind me again.
Neighbors tell me this is a very active place to be on Halloween night...........Gummie and Brogie are going to love it but I'm not so sure about Zeke.
e

THANK YOU

One year ago yesterday Steve, Gummie, and I piled into the car long before dawn and traveled to Lula, GA. It's a long haul but it was a happy day because that was the day we scooped up Brogie and Zeke and became the Carson Pack.
Just a few months before that Holly had saved Brogie's life. His owner was planning to put him down...........for no other reason except that he was old and no longer useful to her. Of course, Holly would have none of that and Brogie went to Lula.
As soon as we saw him we wanted him............Holly agreed but we had to wait a few months and during that time Brogie and Zeke became BFF's. Brogie got into Holly's heart and she couldn't split them up............so we got BOTH of them.
We have had a GREAT year!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Holly, first for saving Brogie and second for letting us be part of it all.
e

SNICKERDOODLES

We were invited to an early in the season oyster roast this weekend and even though the oysters will be better in 4 or 5 weeks I couldn't wait to taste some salty, local goodness. Our host asked me to make his favorite cookie that I bake for him occasionally...........so I got the ingredients out of the pantry and put the butter out on the counter to soften.
I think Zeke was born with some sort of special smell sensors that focus on things like butter, sugar and eggs...........because if any of those ingredients are on my counter you will find him close.
The cookie is a variation on the old fashioned snickerdoodle.........the dough is rolled out and you add all the toppings then roll up like a jellyroll, refrigerate and slice and bake.......pretty simple. Zeke started drooling early on and got closer and closer.........the other two were sleeping together in one of the dog beds in the breakfast room. They could see us but weren't interested.
Whenever I bake cookies I give each dog a small cookie as soon as they cool........it didn't work out quite that way this time................ as I was putting the finished roll into a pan to refrigerate a chunk fell out of my hands onto the edge of the counter and then plopped onto the floor. From Zeke's vantage it must have seemed like the heavens had opened up and delivered a gift from the big man himself..............he got over that dough in a bulldog stance and scarfed up at least two inches of raw egg, sugar, cinnamon, buttery dough and crushed pecans in seconds. Gummie and Brogie hustled over but it was too late. They both looked at me with that wonderful cavalier look of love and hope. Zeke, on the other hand, for a brief moment was a Cheshire cat................. and he looked at them and at me as if to say........ I WIN !!!!
I took Gummie and Brogie outside and gave them a treat and that made them happy too..........but the real winner here is me!!!
e

EAR DROPS

Zeke has ear mites and I have some drops that I put in his ears each morning and again in the evening. Anytime I need to give one of the boys some kind of pill or drops I always finish with a little treat...........they LOVE those tiny liver treats. So yesterday when I put the first drops in Zeke's ears the other two ran to the pantry and waited. Zeke shook his head a few times and zipped over to take his place in line at the pantry door. The phone rang and I had to run upstairs to the office to talk with a client. 45 minutes later I went down to the kitchen for a cool drink and there they were..........still in line..............waiting patiently by the pantry door.
As soon as they saw me they stood up in unison and started wagging........they certainly know how to handle me........and I'm not telling how many treats they got!!!!!!!!!
Good times.
e

DIVOT

A friend asked me to take care of her one year old cocker spaniel one day last week and I was glad to do it as I had no big plans for the day ........what's one more little spaniel, right? These friends are avid golfers and their dog is named Divot.........he is handsome.........he is sweet natured.......and he is a happy boy.
He arrived very early in the morning and my boys were still asleep and he was half asleep as well. They all greeted each other with the usual butt smelling etc........no problems. I started a load of laundry and went back upstairs to get dressed. All of a sudden I heard serious growling and dogs were running around.........I ran back down and found Divot trying to mount Montgomery and he was having none of that.
Turns out Divot is sexually confused.........he is neutered and has been since he was four months old. Somehow Divot didn't get the memo.
It scared Zeke and he hid under the bed but when Divot tried to mount Brogie he was in for a surprise............that ole boy came out with a growl that I've never heard before and Gummie actually charged Divot...............my precious Gummie and Brogie had Divot down on the floor .......I couldn't believe what I was seeing. In a way I was glad to see that they could stand up for themselves. That should have been the end of it but Divot has another problem............he is as dumb as a doorknob........... and wouldn't give it up. I finally put him in a bedroom and closed the door. I tried to let him out several times during the day but each time it ended when he went after one of the boys. When his mama picked him up and they went out the door all three of the boys came running over to me jumping up and wagging ............they were so glad to see him go.
I was too.
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ICING ON THE CAKE

Yesterday was my birthday.............it was a beautiful, clear day and I had family and friends wishing me the best. It was topped off with a yummy meal that I didn't have to prepare and a fabulous birthday cake with raspberry filling and white icing..........four layers, intricate decoration and more candles than you can imagine. We ate ...........we drank.............and we laughed until it hurt. You can't ask for more.
After all was said and done and the goodbye hugs and kisses were over, we sprawled out over the sofa and began the over stuffed routine of vowing never to eat so much again. The boys loved having company and all three got plenty of attention...........who can deny three cute cavaliers? Gummie and Brogie were helping us relax, both were gently snoring. Zeke has the booming snore and it was absent. He is always near so I knew something was up. I found him standing in a dining room chair with his front paws on the table................his tail was wagging and his face was covered with white icing and his nose was glistening with red raspberry filling. He pulled back off the table and sat in the chair licking his face over and over and over. I think most dogs would scurry off knowing they were busted and in big trouble..... but not Zeke. He looked at me and kept licking his face until he had all the evidence off except some stuck under his chin so he rubbed his chin on the table and proceeded to lick the table clean. By this time Gummie and Brogie had joined us .............being the strict disciplinarian that I am, I cut the affected section of cake off and divided it onto three small paper plates that were decorated with birthday balloons .............put them on the floor and all three boys had cake................I could not have had a better birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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