Does Dad Know Where We Are?

We seem to be people who acquire quirky dogs.  Maybe all dogs are quirky. Maybe that is the second best thing about a dog. The first, of course, is their extreme loyalty all wrapped up in pure joy.

I have told you a lot about Bode's ability to chew and eat pretty much anything. He started right off by eating our plastic vertical blinds.  That wasn't a good idea. He ended up with a partial bowel obstruction, which leads to all kinds of messy. A month or so after that, he did it all over again. We now have curtains.

Our last dog, Grady, was a wonderful family pet.  He had one giant flaw, though, which caused us a lot of worry. He was a gentle boy with us but he seemed to think all other dogs were a threat to his territory or his people. He was extremely protective. That is a good thing if you have a dangerous invader situation. It is a bad thing if you order a pizza. He also thought most people were a threat, at least at first. He thought WE were scary as well, if we wore hats! 

Anyway, with Bode, we really, really wanted to socialize him and keep him from being aggressive. Well, mission accomplished. Bode loves everyone!  A lot!  Sure, he will act protective with a stranger entering our home, but once he has met someone, they are soon his BFF.

Bode started out loving other dogs as well. He is crazy when our granddogs, Bumblebee and Betty come to visit. Early on, when out walking him, he wanted to greet all dogs and thought they would all be thrilled to play with him. Sadly, they sometimes had a different plan. 

We often encounter loose dogs when out walking, even though we have a leash law.  With our last dog, he would strain on the leash to get a fight started. He was fearless. Bode... Not so much. Bode may be playing it smarter, though. He simply freezes when approached by another dog. He lets them smell what they want. He does not make eye contact.  It usually works out ok for him but it is sad too see him so terrified.

Mike takes Bode for a daily walk. They have a route they enjoy and they know which yards have scary dogs.  Bode enjoy that walk.

Yesterday, I was off work early and we had a lovely day happening. I decided to treat myself and Bode to an afternoon walk. I upset him right away because I started off going the wrong way. He kept trying to explain to me that I was doing it wrong. It reminded me of a story about our daughter, Maria. 

When Maria was 2 years old we moved to the Seattle area for two years while Mike was in college out there. One day, I was driving Maria somewhere and decided to explore just a bit. When she realized we were off the route she knew, she became worried and was questioning my navigational skills. Finally, the loud little two year old voice from the car seat  behind me inquired, "Does Dad know where we are? "

Yesterday, I could tell Bode was wishing Mike was on the other end of the leash so he didn't have to be so worried.

I kept trying to walk with Bode on my left. He kept diving behind me, trying to get on my right. He was so adamant about it, I thought maybe Mike now walked him that way. I gave in to having him on my right and we continued on. He was fine for awhile. 

When we crossed the street and my right side was on the inside of the street, Bode then scrambled to my left side. It kind of felt like he wanted to protect me from the street traffic.

Wrong! 

I started to notice Bode's reaction each time we heard a dog bark. Thankfully most were behind a fence but Bode cringed and pulled away each time. It soon became apparent he wanted to keep me between him and the yards with dogs in them! Whatever, Dude!  

Bode and the Bed

Every now and then we get our hopes up that Bode, now 4 years old, is over his chewing stage. With that hope, he got a new dog bed. He kept it nice for about 6 weeks.

THEN, this happened...

Sometimes I feel like we're living through our own version of Marley and Me.

Project ABC

Last night Cordelia and Elise were over and they had a project to do. I brought out an ABC floor puzzle and they got right down to business.

As you can see, Bode wanted to be helpful.

He really wasn't.

The girls persevered.

Bode continued supervising.

Elise brought the letters and Cordy put them together. With teamwork, even under questionable canine supervision, they did get the job done.  Bode was thankful as he thought they'd made him a new bed.

Anticipation!

When this gate goes up at 

the top of our stairs, 

the stairs going down to the front door,

Bode knows what is coming!

The girls are coming!

He loves our little granddaughters but it is

the four-legged girls he is crazy for.

The gate goes there because he is SO crazy, he

will bulldoze through the people to get to them,

even those cute little people.

Sometimes the waiting is so hard.

Then, it's time for a fun evening!

Once everyone is here, he runs and jumps for awhile

but he does finally relax.

We all relax.

Every little detail is perfect.

The Mean Pastor and Our Spray Bottle

Sometimes, when I don't know what I want to blog about, I look through photos to see if I can find something I think you should see. This is one of those times. Let me give you  some background information first.

It started with Bode.

Bode is naughty. Sometimes he is really naughty. Oh sure, he is sweet and lovable and all that, but he can be really, really naughty. My first tendency is to holler at him when he is doing something he should not, like eating plastic things. As it turns out, hollering does not much affect this particular canine.

Then, we were told about the spray bottle. Maria and Eric taught us about use water for discipline purposes, I think. They found it very effective for keeping their bassett hounds from jumping up on them. Apparently we are too cheap to get more bottles so we use the one I keep for ironing clothes. Let'a get real. It doesn't see that much action by the ironing board anyway.

The spray bottle works great on Bode! All I usually have to do is hold it up  for him to see it and he settles right down. However, I often can't remember where we last set it down, but that's another story.

Anyway, this post isn't really about Bode. It is about Mike. My dear, sweet, saintly (ha!) husband uses it more often than he should! And he doesn't just use it on the dog. When I took this photo, he was threatening me with the squirt bottle! That just isn't right, is it? He doesn't just threaten us, either. I have lost count about how many times I've felt the startling cold, streaming bullet as it was aimed at my.....  self. He even shoots his sweet little granddaughters with it! I'm not kidding; he is ruthless!

Maybe you shouldn't mention this to people in our church. It might blow his pastor image!

Weird Question Number Four

The fourth question Mike asked of me was rather pitiful, really...

1. Who is more annoying? Your husband or your loving dog, Bode?

Is that a cry for attention or what!?

I have to tell you what happened just before Mike gave me that question. It was on a day that was well below zero and I had just come home from work. I was tired and I felt chilled to the bone. For reasons I can not recall he squirted me with a squirt gun. It was soooooo cold! I felt instant anger! So, my first reaction is to give him the most-annoying award. But, I decided to think it out a bit more. Here are some thinking points...

Mike doesn't usually chew up the granddaughters toys.

I don't recall that Mike ever strung toilet paper throughout the house.

Mike never chewed up our vertical blinds - twice.

Mike never ate my fabric measuring tape while I sewed.

Both Mike and Bode are likely to steal cupcakes or cookies as they cool on the counter.

Bode always greets me with a favorite toy to give me. Well, actually, Mike did that not long ago. He greeted me with his favorite toy in his mouth.

That was pretty funny, I admit. However, I tried to get him to recreate that moment so that I could capture it on camera for this post. He wouldn't do it. That was annoying. He did, however, try to knock my slippers off my feet. Bode would never do that.

I don't think I'm going to outright answer this question and I have a good reason. OK, do any of you remember Junior High? I'm thinking of that awkward period where boys pull girls hair and such in order to get attention and to show their love. Well, I'm just saying, some men (and dogs) don't really outgrow that phase. I'm not going to name names. I'm just going to say that I feel well-loved.

Bode Love

Bode is so aggravating as he steals muffins off the counter, knocks granddaughters over with his enthusiasm and poops in the flowerbed. However, he is always, always thrilled to see me and greets me by gifting me with one of his favorite toys. There is something to be said for that.

Similarities Between Bode and God

Driving home from work tonight, a strange thought entered my head. My thought was this... Bode and God have a lot in common.

It's true. Here's a few of the reasons I say this...

• Whether we are gone from him for 3 days or 3 minutes, he is always so happy when we return.
• He loves us, even when we've ignored him all day.
• He doesn't hold a grudge; he's all full of forgiveness.
• He waits for us, and waits for us, and waits for us.
• Bode is always giving us gifts. When we come in the front door, he runs to get his favorite toy and brings it to us.  
• Dog and God use the same letters.

Thankfully, God and Bode are not quite the same.

• God doesn't splatter dog food all over the kitchen floor.
• God loves us more gently. Bode is kind of rough.
• It is appropriate to take God with us wherever we go.
• God doesn't use his big old head to knock everything off the coffee table in one big sweep, just to watch it fall.
• We don't have to clean up the yard after God... or do we? 

 (file photo Oct 2013)

Of note: While typing this post I had to jump up and stop Bode as he was chewing up one of those little blue plastic bags. You know the ones. They are meant to bag doggy doo doo when you take your dog for a public walk. Thankfully, it had not been used. This little side note rather highlights another way that God and Bode are NOT the same.

Anyway, as aggravating as Bode can be, I was feeling appreciative of his loving spirit tonight. 

Movie Review...or Maybe Not

Mike and I went to see R.I.P.D.  last night. I would like to review it for you but you know the saying, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Instead, I will share some photos of granddogs.  I'm always showing granddaughter photos. I don't want these girls to feel left out.

Bumblebee and Betty Sprinkles

 Betty Sprinkles relaxing at the top of the stairs

I told Betty to get out of Maria's garden...

...she just looked at me and laid down right in the middle of it.

Bumblebee Just Hanging Out

Bode loves it when Betty Sprinkles and Bumblebee come to play.

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Do Your Ears Hang Low?
Do They Wobble to and Fro?
Can You Tie Them in a Knot?
Can You Tie Them in a Bow?
Can You Throw Them Over Your Shoulder Like a Continental Soldier?

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Do Your Ears Hang High?
Do They Reach Up to the Sky?
Do The Droop When They're Wet?  

Do They Stiffen When They're Dry?
Can You Semaphore Your Neighbor with a Mimimum of Labor?

Do Your Ears Hang High?

Do Your Ears Hang Wide?
Do They Flap From Side to Side?     

Do They Wave in the Breeze?
From the Slightest Little Sneeze?
Can You Soar Above the Nation with a Feeling of Elation?

Do Your Ears Hang Wide?

Do Your Ears Fall Off?
When You Give a Great Big Cough?
Do They Lie There on the Ground?
Or Bounce Up at Every Sound?
Can You Stick Them in Your Pocket Just Like Little Davy Crockett?

Do Your Ears Fall Off?

We've had our Granddogs, Bumblebee and Miss Betty Sprinkles, visiting us for a few days.

Bode loved having the company!

Sometimes it was kind of loud.

There were sweet moments.

Just look at that face!

They are pretty girls...

...but their ears really do hang low!

Someone is Watching

Last evening I thought for a minute that I was actually going to have a little nap in my recliner. The house was quiet. I felt myself fading so I grabbed a blanket, took off my glasses and snuggled down.

Shortly after I closed my eyes I started getting that weird feeling that someone was watching.

I opened my eyes.

I sat up.

I grabbed my glasses.

And this is what I saw...

For some reason Bode had to stop chewing and watch my napping attempts. He just kept staring at me with his toy in his mouth. I felt I had no choice but to reach for the camera. He's just such a dopey dog!  OK, I admit it. He is also very, very lovable. 

Good Morning, Winter!

What a difference a day makes!  When I woke up this morning I could FEEL the soft heaviness.  If you live somewhere that  gets heavy snows, you know what I mean.  Everything just feels softer, weightier and dulled after a heavy snow.  Our sky is heavy today as well.  It's gray and leaking its contents even still.  It is time for me to get over autumn and embrace this other beauty... winter.

Talk about a late bloomer!  This poor clematis blossom looked like a frozen beauty.

You can feel the heaviness just by looking at this photo, can't you?

It also seems pretty quiet in our backyard.

Bode was pretty surprised about the overnight change.  

  

He got wound up for a bit.

He's quite a princess, though.  He had his fun and then wanted inside quickly.

Viszlas don't have an undercoat so I'll try to not make fun of him.

Now We Can Relax

Since he was a little guy I've noticed how well Sam reads people.  Sam is an observer of people and he figures them out, sometimes before they've figured themselves out.

Since the first of the 7 mysterious fires on our block, Sam has been telling me he had a feeling who was doing it.  His guess was an adolescent child who lives nearby.  I am sorry to say he was right again.  I wasn't surprised when I heard the news but I felt quite sad about it.

But, I am happy to say we feel we can relax a bit now.  Bode is showing us how to do that.

Potty in the Park

So, this is day four of telling you about Monday.  It really was a very full day!

I've told you before about Bode's odd reluctance to urinate away from home.  What a weird feature in a boy dog!  Well, he did it again.

While hiking on Independence Rock,

he held it.

While exploring The Sinks,

he held it. 

While following the path toward The Rise,

he held it.

While wandering around the street by the golf course,

he held it.

Hour after hour after hour,

he held it.

So, we rode on to Riverton, Wyoming.

We went to a park.

The lawn was lush.

FINALLY, he went!  

Apparently he needed a well-groomed 

lawn to potty.

What a weird dog.

Mike's sister and her husband agreed to join us for dinner out.  We were glad to have some visiting time.

It was a pretty big day for Bode!

Drama on the Rock

As I was saying, there was drama this week at Independence Rock.  I am not certain I handled my part well.  You be the judge.

After climbing up on the backside of the rock we wandered around a bit, exploring some of the nooks and crannies.  I admit to feeling a bit tense as there we are lots of places that presented dangerous possibilities.

It was so beautiful, though, it was well worth it.  We had no drama at that point.

After hiking back down (I admit, Mike hiked but some of my descent was on my bottom.) we followed the trail on around, leaving it for just a bit.  We took Bode over to a creek for a time of cool down.

It was quite pretty there as well. 

Nope.  The drama did not occur at the creek.

AFTER the stop at the creek we continued our stroll around Independence Rock.  We'd been following the path for awhile when we heard voices asking us if we knew a way to get down.  It took me a bit of visual searching to discover from where the voices were coming.  Finally, we saw two young boys still up on the rock.  I'd guess they were maybe 10 and 12.  Can you spot them in the photo below?

How about this photo?

Now?

They'd been up there awhile and said they were stuck.  They were trying to find a way down from that ledge.    From our vantage point we really couldn't be sure how to direct them as there are so many tricky places up there.  We kept talking to them and found out they were travelling with grandparents, who were back in a camper trailer in the parking lot.  We asked them to see if there was a way up, rather than down.  Our hope was they could get to the backside where the descent was a bit easier.  As they disappeared over the top, Mike headed back to help them down.  I continued on with Bode to get the grandparents if necessary.  I was so very grateful that Mike went back to help them down.  I had a hard enough time getting myself down! 

The plan was for Mike to call me with details from the other side but cell service was spotty.  I paced and debated for awhile.  Should I go get the grandparents?  I worried about getting the boys in trouble but luckily, they were able to get down and soon I saw the three of them trekking back toward the parking area.

It was fun watching them approach as it was apparent Mike had made some new friends!

Happily the story ended well.  They headed back to their camper and Mike and I found a picnic table to enjoy our lunch.  The part that bothered me was wondering if I should have called the grandparents out there.  Like I said, I didn't want to see the boys in trouble, especially now that they were Mike's BFF's.  However, I was wondering what kind of people would let those two young boys go up there on their own and I kind of wanted to let them know they needed to be more careful.  What do you think I should've done?  By the time we finished lunch I noticed their camper was gone so I didn't get a chance to change my mind.

After our lunch we debated what we should do with the rest of our day.  Go home and get some things done or go the other way and explore a bit further.  What do you suppose we did?  Of course, we decided to follow the road a bit further to see what there was to see.  Monday was such a big day, it is going to take me several posts to describe it to you!