Holidays

Whew, what a topsy-turvy time it's been! And Mom is still at it. People coming and going, crazy schedules, and yet it's been fun too! Mom's either been home with me or we go to the grandpups together. And there's even more people when we're there! Mom's litter-mates were all here at the same time - I can't remember the last time that happened. But then, you know I live in the moment. Right now Mom's up in the middle of the night. I couldn't believe it when she woke me up and asked if I had anything to say on my blog! I mean, where was she when I was UP? I was telling her all sorts of things, but noooooooo, she just kept doing her own thing. Well, okay, so maybe all I was telling here was that the people downstairs were coming in, or going out, that a car went by, then someone walked by with another dog, then I just wanted some good scritchy-scratches, and after she spent WAY too much time at the computer, I wanted some good night treats! I guess that doesn't make for good blog copy, eh? Well, she may be wide awake, but I'm not, so I'm signing off. Happy dreams!

No Treats

BUMMER! The post office does not permit letter carriers to give treats to dogs anymore. I'm a little fuzzy on the reason, but it's true. Seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me - after all, it's a community-building activity! And how better than to build community than to bring treats to the four-footed residents? They love it, the owner's love it, and everybody loves the letter carrier. How is that a bad thing? I guess us fur-faces just don't get human logic.

New friend!

Wow - Mom actually came HOME for LUNCH today! How wonderful is that? Pretty darn wonderful, I say. And THEN she tells me that we have a new friend she just met today. His name is Joseph and he says he'll come to Mom's website launch party on January 31!

Hi Joseph! I hope Vino 100 will let me attend the party so I can meet you in person!

Oh oh - letter carrier coming - BOW WOW!!! Gotta get mom to take me outside to get my treat! Bye now....

Conversation?

Does it count as conversation if I bark and Mom says "Enough!"?

I think she's caught on to the fact that I know I can bark, and if she says to stop, and I do, that I'll get a treat. It used to work, but I think this past week and weekend I've crossed the line. She was quite firm in her "Moxie, that's enough!" yesterday, and this morning there are no treats. Instead she has some kind of annoying shaker thing if I bark (or even growl) after she says enough.

So maybe it's not conversation, but there's definitely been some communication going on!

SNOW!

And high time too! AAAAaaaahhhhh, but snow feels GREAT! I run, I jump, and delight of delights, I ROLL in it! Mom thinks I keep asking to go outside because, well, I have to 'go'. Silly Mom! Once I realized what was happening I just HAD to go back outside ... again ... and again! What fun! Plus, I'm getting the strong impression that Mom will be home with me ALL DAY tomorrow! At least that's what I THINK she's trying to tell me. Snow AND Mom. What could be better? Enjoy my friends!

Expanding our friends!

Well, I was left all by myself, all day, on a SATURDAY! Saturday is supposed to be OUR day - mom's and mine! I know - we had a nice long walk this morning, including the off-leash park, and the downstairs neighbors let me out when they got home in the late afternoon, so maybe it wasn't so bad. And I guess I DID sleep on the bed much of the day. And when Mom got home, she fed me, and took me for a good walk. Then she gave me lots of great scratches while she explained that she'd been on a trip to Chicago, and met new friends for us in someplace called Naperville! She even said she'd found some Christmas presents for me! Ooooooooh boy! I'm excited now! New friends AND presents! I guess it WAS a great day! Happy dreams, cyber-friends!

Friday Night - Ahhhh

I guess Mom was listening when I dictated my blog last night, cuz here we are again! And I did want to sharehow much fun we had in the park this morning meeting two new friends! These guys liked me but totally respected my personal space, and you KNOW how important that is to me. I liked them right back, and so much that when Mom asked me to do my tricks I leaped to reply (pun intended!).

What? You don't get it? Haven't you seen my version of the Lambeau Leap? Well, all I can say is - words cannot do it justice. I am poetry in motion, even if I don't have gold pants and fans all around me.

It was a long day without Mom though. And seemed longer than usual. When she came home with lots of bags I knew - she ran errands on her way home. Harumph! But she did feed me right away AND then took me for a walk, so I guess I'll survive. Hope you will too!

Catch up 4

May I be honest? I HATE it when Mom doesn't translate for me for a while and then wants me to catch her up on what I want to say. Doesn't she know that dogs live in the moment? NOW is what counts! I don't remember what I would have asked her to write yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that....

Okay, so maybe I am more together than your average pup. I guess I can think back a few days at least.

OH - Of course! We met AC! AND went to a new dog park! There is nothing, absolutely nothing, as wonderful as being able to wander and sniff at my own pace OFF the leash! Well, riding in the car with my head out the window IS pretty terrific too. But back to AC. She is quite something. She respected my personal space right off the bat, which is tops in my book. I don't know if she was aware of it, but I was eavesdropping on her conversation with Mom, so I heard her admiring me and comparing me to her dog in a very nice way. When we got to the park, she continued to keep her distance. How did she KNOW? I think she just must have a good sense about animals. Anyway, she's aces in my book, and - wait! THAT'S a better name for her than AC - Ace! Okay Ace, we are now officially buddies!

That is absolutely ALL of note in the past several days, because Mom was gone A LOT. She says it's an exception. I sure hope so. *sigh* So long for now cyberfriends....

New friend?

Well, I was quite miffed when Mom left me home alone tonite, even though it WAS a doggy day care day, but it appears it was for a good reason. She did tell me (and has told me for several days now) that she was going to meet a new friend for both of us, but it just didn't sink in until she came home tonite. Good grief! She was bouncing when she came in the door. Really! Bouncing! She said we have a wonderful new friend and I can call her AC for Animal Cop. No, she's not one yet, but that's what she'd like to be, and thank goodness I say. We four-footed folk need more 2-leggeds on our side, especially down in the trenches!

So when do I get to meet this friend, says I. On Saturday, says Mom. We're going to pick her up and all go for a walk together. REALLY?!? That soon? Well YEA MOM! (She doesn't always get her act together that quickly you now, so AC must be a real go-getter.) *YAWN* well, doggy day care did pretty much tucker me out, and after all of the excitement of hearing about a stellar new friend I'm beat. See you Saturday AC. In the meantime, happy dreams...........

Mid-week

I dictated my blog in double-tie to mom so I could crash early. It was a doggy day care day, and I'm beat. Hopefully Mom won't mess up my words too much.

Where to begin? There was Halloween, with lights at night and the bell ringing waaaaay too many times, especially because this year Mom didn't let me sit out with her. Harumph. Just because I get bored, and then scare the kids, and then bug her doesn't mean I shouldn't be there! After all, she got grandmum from assisted living. So what if I had a good snooze? I should be at Mom's side, especially with all the little ghouls and goblins out!

Sunday was better - I got to laze round in the yard while she worked. I gotta tell ya, there's nothing quite as satisfying as lolling on the grass when your Mom is raking away! She was gone for too long, but when she came back she worked inside with the TV on. I got to do my "TOUCHDOWN" trick once or twice, but she was NOT happy with whatever was going on on the TV. So out we went again. Fine with me - outside is definitely better than inside while it's not cold and icy.

Mom says I'm going to meet a new friend - her 'student' she says. Something about being a mentor for a girl who likes dogs. We'll see - and of course, I'll let you know!

That's it for tonite. Happy dreams cyber-friends!

Wierd sleep

I don't know quite what happened, but I seem to have lost a day. One morning Mom put on my special 'doggy day care collar', and I hopped into the car, all ready to see my buddies at Central Bark Tosa. It sure seemed like a longer ride though, and sure enough, when we stopped and got out of the car it was at Spirit of 76th, my vet. What's that all about? I'm feeling fine, I know I've had all my shots for a while, but come to think of it, Mom had forgotten to give me breakfast before we took off. What's going on?

We went inside, and of course everyone was glad to see me. But then I had to go in the back and wait. Usually, when I go in the back, they poke and prod, or give me a shot, and I go back to Mom. Not this time, although everyone was really nice to me. I waited and waited, and a sweet person talked to me and took me to a different place. I felt something, and then, DREAMLAND. Ohhhhhhhhhhh, I was floating and soaring and cruising among the clouds. It was FUN! When I finally came to again, I was back in the waiting area. But OH the attention I got! No wonder mom likes to bring me here! People came and petted me, and talked to me, and asked me how I felt, and told me I was SUCH a good girl, well, it was quite pleasant! Next thing you know, they put my leash back on and take me out of the waiting area, AND THERE'S MOM! It's time to go home, and joy of joys, time for SUPPER!

I hit the sack early for a day in which I didn't seem to do much, but it sure felt good. I do wonder what was going on when I was dreaming though....

Wierd!

Just when you think you've seen it all, something comes along to surprise you. Mom and I were enjoying the true Wisconsin autumnal (isn't that a fun word?) weather, strolling through the neighborhood, checking in with our friends, and then running through the park. What did we come across? The weirdest thing! A man was sort of walking, but had to drag one leg because something had clamped on to it and wouldn't let go! We stopped, and the man was very nice, but the thing on his leg ducked away so we couldn't really tell what it was. And then it moved! I saw a little head, and put the rest together and thought it must be a little boy! But could it be? He dodged away from me - from ME Moxie T! I'm a kid-magnet! Whatever it was, it kind of rolled around the man's leg as we talked, and wanted nothing to do with either Mom or me. We enjoyed talking to the man, and suggested he go to our friends at Bark and Scratch to help him with the growth on his foot. I know they can help him, but I'm not sure how he'll be able to drive to get there...the thing was on his right foot, and from what I see Mom doing, humans need their right foot to drive. Good luck new friend!

Catch up 3

Hello! Can you believe it? Mom FINALLY agreed to a new posting! So much has happened that I'll probably forget some of it, but I'll share what I remember.

First - we met Colby and his mom and dad at the park. No, he's not a cheese. He's a handsome little cocker spaniel/lab mix pup. Mom, of course, gushed all over him. Me? I think he's okay but has a LOT of growing up to do. Can you believe it? He didn't know what to do when I finally broke down and flirted a bit! He ran away! Mom says it's because I scared him when we first met - like a growl and snap means I'm going to attack him or something! I just figure you have to let other pups know that you're in charge right away, or they'll try to get away with murder later.

OH! I nearly forgot! The people downstairs brought home a DOG! To STAY! Not only that, but a dog I'm supposed to share my yard with! Can you believe it? I'm supposed to be gracious and give way, instead of protecting my territory. It's very confusing, but he seems okay, so I'm going along with it for now. [Note from Mom/BJ: Logan is a wonderful gentleman who's getting more comfortable with his new home every day.]

Mom's been having people over more and more - talking about her company and her website and the pictures for the book she wrote about me. It really takes away from our time together, especially when she doesn't appreciate my warning barks about strangers being here! Something's got to give here... [Note from Mom/BJ: Something indeed - Moxie needs to accept visitors as part of life and work that keep her in liver biscotti.]

I'm sure - Mom says that's enough for now, she has work to do. This after I've waited more than 10 days to talk to my cyber-friends! WELL! I'm just going to have to open a Twitter account to communicate more often I guess. Now if Mom would just leave her laptop signed in so tomorrow I can get to the Twitter website....

AAACK! Camera! Pictures!

You will not believe what Mom put me through yesterday. She KNOWS I hate cameras, but she let this lady into the yard with the biggest camera I've ever seen! That thing could not only steal a piece of me, but swallow my whole spirit! I avoided it as best I could, and CLEARLY communicated that this was NOT something I wanted to do, but darned if the lady wasn't really nice and very patient. And then Mom brings out the most incredible treats. We sat and talked. The lady (Mom says her name is Caroline) complimented me profusely, and knew just where to scratch on my back, so I let Mom talk me into doing a few of my tricks for her. Well then I got into the tricks and treats, and by the time I wound down, I finally heard the clicks that said she was taking my picture! And I was okay! I was still me! I was also still kind of nervous, but she and Mom brushed me and talked to me, and it dawned on me that Caroline's taking pictures was just another way of admiring me - and you KNOW how I like to be admired! I'll have to think on this a while, but maybe cameras aren't so bad after all. Do you like them? How do you feel about having your picture taken? Please let me know - I need some help understanding this.

Feelings

I feel different. I don't know why, but I feel better. I have a little more energy, and when I jump up on Mom's bed for a good scritchy-scratching session, it seems easier than it did before. Mom says it might be the new collar Carolyn made for me. It is gorgeous! The brown leather complements my red fur, and the bling on it is snazzy without being too flashy. I may actually let her take a picture of me in it, but I have to think about that. Something about cameras still make me nervous.

Mom's been on the phone and the computer a lot, and doing a lot of cheering and dancing around. I catch 'Castle Course' here and there, so it sounds like she's making strides in setting up her business. I hope that doesn't mean less time for me. She's already gone all day most days, and I miss her. Doggy daycare is fun, but that's only once a week. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Oh, Mom asked if she could add some links - to Carolyn and some other places. I said sure - makes no nevermind to me. But you may want to check them out. Enjoy cyber-friends!

A Day with Mom

What a lovely day. Mom was only gone for a little while, running errands for Castle Course. Castle Course is the name of her new business. She says it's because it's her castle, of course! That's why she's been gone so much and on the computer a lot when she comes home. I asked her about my books, and she said she has to talk to some people about illustrating them because she's decided to self-publish, whatever that means.

Anyway, we had a nice leisurely walk late this morning (I let Mom sleep in cuz she was really tired), then a nice long time relaxing in the yard - for me anyway - Mom was doing chores. And joy of joys, I was actually on the front lawn when I saw Mark, our terrific letter carrier, coming down the street! Mom didn't even holler much when I trit-trotted down to see him. It was a good thing I did - he gave me a biscuit for each house we visited!!! That's lots more than I usually get! He was all smiles too. I don't think he has too many pups who will walk with him so nicely. Of course, I am also pretty cute, which helps.

When we took our evening walk, we went south of Center and around the block there. We saw a mom and two pretty girls riding bikes up ahead of us, but I didn't think too much of it until we got to where they were putting their bikes away, and the little one saw me. I thought she looked familiar, and guess what? SHE CALLED ME BY NAME!!! "Moxie!!" she yelled. She was so excited to see me again! Gosh that felt good! What felt even better was when she and her sister stroked my fur and admired me while Mom and their mom talked. Mom told her about the terrific Enderis Park Halloween and to watch the website for other stuff. The girls will love it!

So now Mom is going back on the computer, and I'm snoozin'. Happy dreams friends!

WAg Fest & New Friends

By the time you read this I'll be SOUND asleep, but I shared it with Mom and asked her to puhleez post it tonite. (If she doesn't do it tonite, she'll forget.)

Saturday Mom tood Granddog and I to Wag Fest in Brookfield. It was a perfect day to be outside, although the pools they had scattered around the grounds were a welcome break from the sun. Thank goodness Mom didn't have me try the lure course again. She finally figured out that I have no interest in chasing plastic bags around a field.

We strolled, ate, drank, visited, and of course, I was greatly admired. Mom put my 'Diva' scarf on my harness (bright yellow with copper print - it goes wonderfully with my coat), so people were especially impressed. Granddog had Mom get my fortune told. The gypsy was quite correct - I do like to dress up, including my Halloween and Christmas collars with the special trim.

Granddog got tired about the same time I did, so Mom took us both home. What a great day though!

Tonite was a totally different story. Mom asked if I wanted to go for a ride (duh, is Lassie a Collie?), and I said YES! But she didn't tell me we were going to visit some wonderful people, and that's exactly what we did! They had a nice house with lots of good smells, and two wonderful children who thought I was 2C4W (that's too cool for words). They were noisy at first, but I forgave them because their noise was excitement at seeing ME. Jumping Bean, the little boy, could barely hold still long enough to give me treats. The little girl, Charm, was just bewitching. She learned to scratch my back, how to tell me when to sit, and then got them to take me outside! She took the leash and we ran up and down the driveway, walked around the grass (there are some things dogs have to do on the grass, you know) and she showed me their backyard. Then she would just look at me and smile that charming smile, and I just melted. I told Mom that we HAVE to go back there, both soon and often!

Oh, I almost forgot, the kids have parents who also appreciate my type of dog. Where other people see aloof, they see classy and tidy. They don't want one of those dogs that jump up on people and slobber all over them. Obviously my kind of folks!

Life just keeps on opening doors and offering new experiences. I sure hope you have some of the same. Happy Dreams cyber-friends!

Uh oh

Mom's gone back to school. One night a week, that is. *sigh* Another night alone. And now she wants me to try some of her homework! Just because I have a blog doesn't mean that I want to actually learn to write you know. But since she does the typing for me, I'm kind of stuck.

I'm supposed to give her a six word memoir. Right. After she explained what a memoir is I just stared at her. Six words to describe my life? I have to think about this. She said not to for now - just say whatever pops into my head. I can write another one after I've thought about it. OK, I told her, if you think it's so easy, YOU do one. Wouldn't you know - she had. Here's her first thought: People-pleaser no more. Happy me.

That's it? Huh. Okay. Here's mine: Lonesome puppyhood, miserable youth, happy adult. Hmmmm, I'll think on it some more and try again. Good night friends.

Where is everybody?

Mom and I have walked north and south, and have seen very few of our friends. No more baseball games with the Tosa Staff, I haven't seen the huggy sisters in weeks, and only saw my Touchdown Trick friend once. I miss them. Luckily I saw some of my pup friends on Saturday and Sunday morning in the park, but now I hear that people don't know we're allowed to be off-leash in the morning and are complaining. *sigh* Mom said she sent a comment to the blog explaining the agreement. I hope it helps.

Do you ever feel like things have changed over-night? That's how I feel right now. I'm confused, and a little sad. Mom says it's the pending change of season and school starting soon. Why does that make people act differently? Why can't they come out and romp and play whenever we come by? That's what dogs do.

This is a lot to think about. I'm glad that I have mom. Whenever stuff confuses me I know I can count on her to give me a hug and a rub and a scratch, and we're both happy. I hope you have someone who can do the same for you. Take care cyber-friends.

MT

Catch up 2

My mom is sooooooo sorry that it's been so long since I've written, but she's been very busy. My grandpup and grandmum both celebrated birthdays, and my uncle came all the way from North Dakota, and we cooked and shopped and ate and talked and laughed and even cried a little, but it was a wonderful several days.

THEN she left me alone all weekend. Going off with friends SHE said. Abandoning ME said I. Sure my favorite neighbor came and stayed with me both nights. Yes, he fed me wonderful food, and yes, we went for long walks together, but STILL!!!

Well, she came back, and we're settling into a routine again. I even got to go to doggy day care today! All morning and all afternoon OUTSIDE, with a nice nap in between. It helped to erase last night's post-walk b-a-t-h experience. Harumph. She caught me in my swimming pool and there I had to stay until she soaped me up (okay, so the scrubbing did feel pretty good) and rinsed me off, then rinsed me off again. Something about not wanting to leave any soap in my fur. Duh! Then why did she soap me up in the first place? I was finally smelling good!

Hey, I think I forgot to tell you about the three handsome young men we met before things got so busy! Oh my goodness, they were tall, charming, and soooo goodlooking! They asked what kind of dog I was, and before the cat could lick her ear mom had me performing all my tricks right there on the corner for them! I must say, they were a most appreciative audience, so I did my very best for them. Then they asked if I would do tricks for someone else. She rightly replied that I did, but only sometimes! Well for these gents I was definitely up for it! They quickly learned that they had to take turns, and say my name so I knew who to look at. Whoa! I must have bowed, shook hands, toasted (our version of sit-up), Lambeau Leaped, and even my new rock and roll for hours until the treats ran out and our new friends strode away. I was sooo tired, but I felt sooo good too! I hope we see them again - or that they come and see me online.

Mom says she's given my card to lots more people. Here's hoping they'll say 'hi' when they come to visit me online! And now it's time to turn in. Happy dreams my friends!

FINALLY!

You'll never guess what FINALLY happened on our walk tonite!

Go ahead - guess!

Okay, I'll tell you. One of my friends saw us coming a half block away, and I heard her call out my name with great joy. (I LOVE it when they do that!) She was so happy to see me she did a cartwheel! A beautiful, graceful cartwheel! And she's just a young girl! And THEN guess what? It got even BETTER! Are you sitting down? SHE actually did tricks for ME!!!! For real and true! She did more cartwheels, the splits frontways and sideways, and something she called 'the bridge'. I'm going to call her GG from now on; GiGi if you prefer, for Graceful Gymnast.

I could not believe it. I just laid in the grass, and she did all of these tricks for mom and me. And THEN she came over and gave me a big hug! Wow. I can't wait to see what she learns to do next! What a great almost end to the day.

The nice little PS was that we walked down a block we don't visit often, and made two NEW friends. Lovely girls who thought I was way-cute. I thought they were too. The youngest was so funny - she kept running around me and then petting me just a bit, as though I might get upset with her or something. Of course I didn't. They were both really polite, and very nice. Their dad was great too. He came out of the backyard to see what they were up to, and said he was very pleased to meet me. (Well of course!) I didn't get to meet their mom, but those three were quite delightful enough.

My but I have some nice people to dream about tonite. Time to get to it......

Week in Review

Ahhhh, this is the way life should be. Walks in the morning. Walks in the evening. Good food. Good scritchy-scratchy sessions. Doggy day care. Mom and me in a good routine.

This morning I woke up and felt less stiff. In fact, I was able to jump up on mom's bed for the first time in months! Sometimes that's the only way to get her going on a Saturday morning. I know mom's been adding something to my food, cuz it takes her longer to make and there's extra good stuff in it these days. Whatever - I eat good and feel good!

When we run into people on our walks a lot of them complain that it's not hot enough. Silly people! It's great for me! And it's warm enough that mom doesn't take forever to get ready for our walks (in winter it is unbelievable how many things she puts on!). That's definitely warm enough for me. I really like not getting worn out by the heat in just a few blocks, so we walk a lot farther.

I had to laugh at mom this morning though. It's cloudy, and anyone can smell that it's going to rain, but after our walk she filled up her watering can from the rain barrel and watered the vegetables. Then the trees. Then the flowers. Then the raindrops started. HA! But I enjoyed laying on the grass watching her work and the people walking by. It's a nice way to start the day.

So enjoy the day, regardless of the weather. That's what I do!

Hellooooooo!

Boy, mom goes on vacation and my cyber-friends are left in the lurch. And did I get to go with her? Nooooooooo. She left me behind - can you believe it? She figured I'd be just fine and even happy spending a week at Central Bark, but just to be sure she had them give me an awesome bone every other day.

Okay, so she was right. I had plenty of snooze time, the full doggy day care schedule (playing twice a day, with swimming pools, and different dogs every day), plus visits in the evening by different doggy day care pals. They know me very well, so nobody was upset when I didn't chase tennis balls or play tug or rough-house with the rowdy pups. When I was hot I got into one of the pools. When I was tired, I snoozed. Life was good, but I really missed mom. And my yard. And our walks. And all of my park and walk friends. And the good scratches mom and my friends give me. I'm really glad to be home....with mom.

Tuesday Night Baseball

Our evening routine is really quite wonderful! We head south to watch the kids play and learn softball at Roosevelt School, and meet such terrific people! Tonite there was a gentleman who truly knows how to make a dog happy. Scritchy scratches on my head, around my ears, down my back, and all around my neck. Ahhhhhh, they felt soooooo goooooooooooood! Then to find out that he's taught the young man with him how to do it too! We watched this boy really hit the ball and solidly run to first base - he was safe! And when we saw him after the game he came up to me slowly and asked mom if it was okay to pet me. When she said yes, he correctly moved slowly to me, extending his hand so I could check him out first, and then scratched the top of my head in a most satisfying fashion. So when he and the man were together, I got stereo scratches and was one happy pup! We GOTTA keep going to the ballfield!

Catch up time

Sunday night. Even though mom left me for a long time today, we enjoyed a nice morning and evening walk. Mom's worried about my front left paw/leg though. It's starting to give out on me when I least expect it, and then it fixes itself. We almost missed our walk this morning because of it! Fortunately it started working again in time to get to the park and spend a few minutes with two handsome goldens, out for an early morning run. They might have been on their way out of the park, but we squeezed in a bit o' fun before they actually left!

We were so early the other pups weren't at the field, and since neither of us had eaten yet, we didn't wait around for them. Mom mixed up something fantastic with gravy and crumbled up chicken, and some other flavors, and, well, just YUM! Trust me, I slurped that bowl clean before she turned around! Thanks mom!

Back to catching up though - yesterday our former neighbors came to see us! That is, Neighbor Joe brought his daughters. Neighbor Sue was having coffee with another friend. Those two little girls were really something! They know from dogs, they do. I got some good scratches around my ears, and on my neck, and the littlest one followed me around for a bit. She said the water in my pool was icy cold! Can you imagine? What good is a pool if it doesn't cool you off? Anyway, it was very nice to see them again. Even though they didn't remember me from when they lived here, they're old enough to remember me now - and they promised to read mom's books about me!

Oh, back to today. Mom spent a lot of time standing at a tall, skinny table with her clothes this morning. She said something to me about 'becoming a billboard for Moxie T', and held up a shirt with some stuff on it. I didn't know what that was all about, but whatever it was, it worked! When she came home she said it caught the eye of a human who, get this, actually knows McGruff!! You know McGruff - the big, strong, crime-fighting dog? Oh man, I would LOVE to meet HIM one of these days. Mom said that this human might visit my blog. If he does, and he reads this, maybe, just maybe, he'll say something to McGruff, and then maybe they'll call mom, and, well, you know, maybe I WILL get to meet him!

Mom and I spent some nice quiet time in the yard and on the porch, just enjoying each other, the weather, and our neighborhood this weekend. We really like it here. It's quiet, and then all of a sudden some kids will ride by on their bikes, or some moms and dads with kids on trikes and scooters come by a little slower. Mom says a neighborhood isn't really a neighborhood without kids. Considering how much they like me, and how much fun it is to bark at them when they come by, I guess she's right.

I hope you have kids in your neighborhoods too. And I hope you had as nice a weekend as we did. Happy dreams.....

They got me!

How'd they do this? I dodge cameras very well, but the other day at doggy daycare I came around one of the playground buildings, and SNAP, they got me! I know mom was VERY excited, cuz I'm never in the action videos Central Bark takes, and only rarely in the background of pictures of some other mugging pooch. What can I say? I like doggy day care, but I'm not your average plays-well-with-others pup. You want play? Get a lab.

Fabulous Friday Night!

Can you believe it? Mom and I were out in the neighborhood almost 2 hours tonite! And do you know why? PEOPLE who are now FRIENDS and FOOD.

We went away from the park first, and were lucky to find two of my little girl friends out in the yard. I haven't seen them for a while, but they remembered me! And what's best, is that they like to HUG me! Oh, can't you feel the love? First one, then the other, and then, oh my, both at once! Oh they made me sooooo happy! While all this was going on I think I heard mom talking about the book and my blog, and that the girls' mom was excited about it. I hope so - I'd love some new cyber-friends!

They finally had to go to dinner (and their dad invited us to stay - how's that for a gentleman?) but mom said maybe next time, and off we went. From there, the nieghborhood was really quiet for blocks and blocks, except for a couple of dogs in houses that had to warn us to stay away, or wanted us to come and play.

Then we rounded a corner and there was the Purple Princess! She wasn't in purple today, but I remembered her because she has a beautiful smile, and loves to run and play. Since I'd had plenty of attention from my two huggy girlfriends, I didn't mind. She has a little brother who got some help from dad in learning to pet me. That was very nice. I like helping people learn how to be around dogs. OH - the Purple Princess is going to ride her bike in the Enderis Park parade tomorrow morning! Her mom (would she be the Purple Queen?) was decorating it as we visited, and it looked really jazzy! I can't wait to see her tomorrow and bark as she rides by!

Even though we'd been out for a long time, mom thought we should go to the park. I agreed, and thank goodness I did! That's where we met the Huffmans! Oh my, they were so COOL! They thought I was so pretty and smart and nice and did they ever let me know it! They asked ALL sorts of questions about me and how mom and I met, and what we did together, and they said they could tell that mom has as much fun with me as I do with her. And then their kids and grandkids came over! You never saw such handsome boys and beautiful girls as this family! And I'm NOT just saying that cuz they shared their barbecue with mom and me (total YUM). They loved the fact that I'm in a book - even if it is about poop, and they're very excited for mom. What a night! And it wasn't over yet!

Just half a block from home these three gorgeous young women on hot bicycles came up to say hi and ask if we remembered them. Well, they'd grown up a lot, but we sure did! So we talked and mom told them to visit me online , and then one of our other neighbors came up on her spiffy scooter with a friend on HER scooter, and didn't they just look gorgeous too! I looked at mom and wondered why she doesn't dress up when we go for walks. I love her, but these 5 girls sure put her in the shade! And when we were talking our neighbor friend actually said that the book was good! I remember her saying she liked it, but to hear her tell other people that made mom and I just glow!

Whew. I was limping a little by then - my left front leg hurt a bit for some reason. Mom was worried, but I just walked on home. Then we sat in the yard until it got dark, talking about our Fabulous Friday Night. Thank you friends!

WI Humane Society Visit!

Guess what? Mom took me back to where we met tonite - the Wisconsin Humane Society. I LOVE going there cuz mom tells everyone our story, and they're all excited to see ME, Moxie T., prancing, healthy, and happy! If it weren't for them, mom and I wouldn't be together, and that just doesn't bear thinking about.

There was a very sad man walking out of the building when we arrived. He had to leave his dog there. Mom said we should say a prayer for him, because it's so hard to say goodby. So before you go to bed tonite, please say a prayer for the sad man and his dog.

To happier news though - mom bought something called raffle tickets. She said she's going to win a new car for us to ride in. That would be okay, but I really like our car. I can stretch out or curl up in a corner, or stick my head out the window to smell the wind. Works for me!

Oh - there were also WONDERFUL visitors at the Humane Society! These kids came over and asked mom if they could pet me, and of course she said yes. THEN the lady behind the counter brought out TREATS for them all to give me. And they were GOOD treats. After THAT, they scratched my head and my back and all the itchy places. Mom gave them my card, so I hope they come and see me online. Maybe they'll even write a comment. I'd like that!

*YAWN* it's time for bed now though. Happy dreams friends!

New Toy!

It flies, it squawks, it's fuzzy, it's FUN! It's my new outside toy; at least, it's the only place mom brings it so far. She holds it, points it straight up in the air, lets go, and ZOOM it flies across the yard squawking like crazy! When it lands and I grab it (CHOMP!) it squawks some more! Then it's munch, munch, munch as I chew it up. Oohhh boy, it's the BEST.

Hi to my Friends!

I have a new friend! Mary's with me in cyberspace! Mom says she's someone who can talk to me, and hear me back. I sure hope so, cuz mom doesn't always get what I'm trying to tell her.

And Bliss said she came to read my blog too! Wonderful Bliss - we saw her again yesterday morning, and true to her name she scratched my back and my belly. Thank you Bliss!

Mom's tired, so I can't share any more tonite. Happy dreams friends!

More pictures of me!

Mom said people wanted to see more pictures of me, so we looked through some albums and I like these the best. Hope you do too, because I'm no longer fond of cameras, and it's pretty darn hard to catch me unaware and snap a photo!

Picnic!

After a crazy day of watching mom and her friends haul things out of the basement, we all went to relax in the yard, visit, and eat. YUM! Except that these people didn't share much! Of course, I'm not that fond of chips and salsa, or of whatever vegetables they were eating, but I KNOW they had some cheese up there, cuz I could smell it, and I didn't get ANY of that!

HOWEVER, after they stuffed themselves with some great smelling meat, they finally wised up and shared bits of burger with me. Oh, that was good, but even better was when they finished their dessert - that cold, creamy, wonderful stuff (Note from mom: frozen custard - a Milwaukee staple) AND LET ME LICK ALL THE BOWLS! I heard mom say that lots of dogs can't handle dairy, but it's never bothered me, and this stuff was the best of the best! Oh man, I LOVE picnics!

From Chaos to Bliss

Quite a crowd at the park Saturday morning! Pups from six inches to four feet tall were there. And just guess who was chasing whom! It got too hectic for me. Any time I found a good spot to roll in, at least two or three dogs would come running over to check it out, and away would go my chance to really roll and thrash around. The sun also got pretty hot. Even though I'm almost done shedding, my coat stays thick all year round and I get hot. So much for the chaos.

When I finally got mom to leave the field for some shade, and our own yard, we ran into some neighbors just arriving at the park. Zoe and I don't get along all that well, so I just lay in the shade while she fussed. Well, maybe I fussed a little too, but then I really did lay down! My mom and her mom started talking. And kept talking. Zoe's dad finally took her for a walk. And that's when the bliss started. Zoe's human sister came and sat by me, and started scratching my head, right around the ears where it feels soooo good. Then she got into the whole-body-scratch, and oh my, I was in HEAVEN. Talk mom, talk. We're doing just fine here! And they did. What a great way to spend a morning!

It Begins

June 23, 2009. That's the day. Or the night. Mom sent the book to her first choice of literary agencies, 3 Seas in Madison, WI. Now we wait. I figured that meant snooze, but mom says no. Now we officially notify all of our friends that we're in the market. I think that means she'll be at the computer a lot, which is no fun for me. She's talking about New York book launch parties with something called a Charm City Cake. I heard her say that some of the cake has to be canine-compatible, so I'm happy!

Keep your fingers crossed friends!

Water SHOCK

Ohmigosh. You will not beLIEVE what happened to me yesterday.

Mom took me on a long car ride, and by the time we stopped I was ready to get out and walk around. I did, and we walked up to a house, in the front door, through the house, out the back door, onto the patio, and I kept walking when all of a sudden I was over my head in water! HELP! I bobbed up to the top pretty fast, especially since someone helped me. And my paws just started moving like they knew what to do, so I let them carry me right to where there were steps that I could use to get back to land. AAACK! WHAT was THAT?!?

Turns out it's what people call an in-ground swimming pool - but there was no warning or anything! All the other times I've seen water I could just walk into it and lay down to cool off, but not this time! Noooooooooo. I stepped and sank! A little while later I had to try it again, and sure enough, the same thing happened! After that I let mom carry me in to cool off, then let me go so I could swim (that's what my paws were doing) to the steps. Now THAT was dandy! And there were quite a few people there who admired me, and one very handsome chocolate lab gentleman, so it turned into quite a good afternoon, but the beginning was enough to turn my fur white! Watch out for water my friends - you just never know how deep it is!

Walk Bonus!

Okay fellow pups, if you want to get as much outside time as possible, look for stuff in yards. I don't know what it is, but this morning we walked and all sorts of yards were filled with stuff. That's good because my mom stops to look at the stuff, talk to the people, and I get to sniff amazing smells! Some of the stuff has been places where it collected all sorts of wierd smells. And I get to wander around the yard if there aren't too many people there. Usually there are though, especially today, but that was okay because some of them really liked me! I got great back scratches from this wonderful boy who actually got out of his stroller to meet me, and scratched up and down my back with both hands. THANK YOU!!!!

[Note from mom: This is the annual Enderis Park Neighborhood Rummage Sale - a great reason to troll the area for bargains.]

Life is good

Ha! I FINALLY got mom to get up when I wanted her to, and it was BEFORE her alarm went off! The trick was to live up to my name and work my thunderpaws on the side of her bed! Hey, it worked, didn't it? And it meant that we got go to the park in the morning, AND got there in time to see some of my buddy pups. Okay, so I don't really play with them, but the point is to BE there when they are. There was one over-excited dog that I tried to teach how to be cool, but he just didn't get it. I pranced off with my head high and tail straight up in the air looking quite the thing, but I have a feeling he didn't appreciate it at all. Pity. I was quite stunning.

Hi to my Blog Friends!

I'm sooo sorry! I forgot to say hi to Penn and Linda and Shana! Thanks so much for signing up as my friends!!!

And hi to my friends from the Wisconsin Humane Society! Mom said she stopped there tonite and dropped off my card so they could visit me and see how I'm doing. They loved hearing that one of their very own pups has a blog, and mom promised to do a book signing there (WITH ME of course) as soon as it's published. She better get an agent soon and get this book out there!

More friends!

Ohmigosh, I met the coolest people last night! We took our walk in the other direction, and as we went by the baseball field the game ended and people came running over. They came running to ME, Moxie T.! I was very gracious and let them all scratch my head and my back while mom answered questions about me. She talked about The Book again, but I heard her also mention my blog. YES. VISIT ME! I like online attention just as much as attention in person!

And I did talk to mom about the embarrassing book. She explained that many, many people need help understanding a puppy's point of view when it comes to learning where to poop. She said that it's also important to have fun when you're learning, and the way to have fun was to think of me. Okay, so I'm glad she thinks I'm fun, but I told her it's still kind of embarrassing. She promised that the other Moxie books (Moxie Says and Trit Trot Moxie so far) will show my real personality and intelligence. We'll see.

The Book!

Well. Mom finally told me what the book is about, and I am so not impressed. Can you believe it? She actually wrote about poop! Worse yet, it's supposedly about me as a puppy, before I knew what do to and where to do it. How humiliating! Have you ever been embarrassed by your mom? Do tell me, as this is going to be tough to work through for me. Harumph.

Full dog body massage

I LOVE my mom. She took me to the most wonderful place today. There was a lot of noise, and lots of people and dogs wearing black leather, with bright orange symbols, whatever that means. [Note from 'mom' - we attended Hal's Harley Davidson's Dog Fest.] Anyway, there were lots of great dogs and people who thought I was just gorgeous! There were free treats too! But the BEST part was when mom talked to some people who had a pool just like mine at home. They let me go in the pool, got me all wet so I was finally cooled off, and what was even better - they gave me a full body massage! Oh sure, there was soap involved, so technically I suppose it was a bath, but let me tell you, when you're shedding it is absolutely heavenly to have not one, not two, but THREE people scrubbing away at all of the itchy spots! Oh my - what bliss! And when it was over, mom gave me one of her primo towel hugs (smart mom - she had my big towel in the car). Mom's towel hugs are the best in the world, especially cuz I don't end up completely dry. That means I get to keep the cool of the water!

Hi to all the great dogs and people I met - hope you visit me here in cyberspace soon! Say hi if you do!

Friday Night

What a terrific walk tonight! Three wonderful kids scratched and petted me while I rolled in the grass in the park. Then, on our way home, we rounded a corner and a whole chorus of kids called my name and came to meet me! ME! MOXIE T! Best of all, mom took off my leash, so I could stroll around the kids and the one dog that was in the yard. He was totally into his ball, so didn't bother me at all. Mom was talking with the other grown-ups, so I snuck around the corner of a house into their backyard. HA! The motor mop in the next yard went nuts barking, which set off the big dog in one of the houses, and made the grown ups come running. I ran back to the front just as the motor mop got out of his backyard and we circled each other barking up a storm! WHEEEE, that was fun. I got bored with it before the little one did though.

Mom gave out business cards with my blog address. I sure hope they read this and know how much fun I had with them!

Tomorrow mom say's we're going to some big dog event at a Harley Davidson dealership. Thank goodness I heard her say we're not entering the costume contest! I look great as Princess Leia, but it's really hard to walk in, and they usually want you to strut your stuff in contests like that. I'll let you know in my next posting. Till then, enjoy!

Doggy Day Care RULES!!!

My mom sings this song once in a while "Sometimes you gotta go where everybody knows your name..." and today I got it! It's doggy day care! (Mom says it's really Central Bark, but I couldn't say.) I always know it's doggy day care day because mom puts on my yellow collar instead of my harness. (And she cheats and hits the snooze alarm a few more times so we don't go for a walk.)

ANYWAY ... we walk in, and no matter how many other dogs or people are around, more than one person calls out "Hi Moxie!" They LOVE me there! So much that I don't have to go into a crate to 'calm down' before I go out to the playground. Sue (the alpha of doggy day care) always says I get to go to the playground right away!

So I had a great day while mom went to work. And get this - mom even took me for a walk tonite! She usually poops out on doggy day care day, but I guess she really wanted to be out and about. We went all the way to the park, where people were playing basketball, softball, and the BEST part was the two boys who wanted to meet me! Mom gave them treats to give me, so I did a few tricks for them. Mostly they wanted to ask questions about me and pet me. Works for me! I do love the attention I get at the park.

*sigh* I sure wish more of my real life friends would sign up here on my blog. It's no fun barking if no one pays any attention.

Freedom of the Porch!

HA! Mom forgot to close the porch door before she left for work this morning! Ooooooh my, what a GREAT DAY it was! In and out and bark and snooze and all my favorite ways to spend the day. Way to go Mom! And you should have seen the look on her face when she pulled up to the curb after work, heard me bark, and looked up and saw me OUT ON THE PORCH. Somewhere I heard the term for that - aha - PRICELESS.

My friend, Sibinka!

All right! Sibinka came today! She's comes when mom's not home, and though she works like crazy she talks to me the whole while she's here! She must have done something different though, cuz when mom came home and went to open the porch door, she couldn't! I was busy chewing the new toughie treat she brought me, so didn't pay much attention. She was really struggling though! All of a sudden she gasped. It looked like she was fiddling with the door knob, and suddenly the door opened! "She locked the d*!# door!" mom yelled. "It's never been locked before!" Then she burst out laughing and said something about "At least now I know it works." and kept on laughing.

Did I tell you my mom can be a little wierd at times?

OH! I almost forgot! Mom told me there's a Follower on my blog! It's a penguin image, so she thought it was her friend who collects them, but no, she tells me his name is Bill. Hi Bill!!

Whew!

Thank goodness the party's over! Mom had all sorts of people come, and did I get to do my job and guard her? No! I was relegated to the bedroom the WHOLE TIME! Let me tell you, I lived up to my Thunderpaws name though. If I wasn't barking I was bam-bam-bamming at the door. Really, how rude!

But when everybody left we went for a good long walk - and it was GREAT! The sun was shining, the smells were rich and fresh after last night's rain, and there were at least a few people out and about to admire me.

Now, I'm justly tuckered out and *YAWN* ready for bed.

Happy dreams friends-I-haven't-met-yet......

Introducing ... ME!

FINALLY, mom created a blog for me. I'm a foxy female who loves to be admired - but don't get too close. The Chow in me doesn't appreciate close contact all the time. Kids are okay, especially as someone has to teach them that dogs are great to have around, and I'm just the pup to do it. I don't jump up and scare the dickens out of them. I don't slobber all over their faces. I sit quietly and let them come up and pat or stroke me, as befits one of my breeding.

Today started out fine, although the walk to the park was much faster than usual. Turns out mom thought the temperature would be as warm today as it was yesterday. HA! I had to trot just so SHE could move fast and get warm. *sigh* lots of missed smells there. But the park was fun. There were a couple of handsome gents, and some slightly interesting other females. I got in a couple of good rolls before we headed home for breakfast.

Now mom says she has to do chores, so this is it for my first message. Let me know what you'd like to know about me and I'll see when I can get mom to post the info. In the meantime, hope your waggin' beats your whinin'.