Backyard Fun

Visited my friends the McGoverns tonight for a barbeque. Rich and Kristi and Carly were there as well. I played with a hose; got to know Guinness, who barked a lot at me (maybe it was because I was biting his tail). I ran around like a maniac. I had fun. Now I'm fast asleep. I'll wake Barbara up around midnight for a potty break.

A Baby Gate? Why Do I Need a Baby Gate?

My crate is normally not in the kitchen, but it is. The door is open, though. That's strange. Usually, I'm in the crate and the door is locked. What's this Cuisinart box doing here next to it? Blocking some gap it looks like. Barbara went somewhere and I'm roaming around the kitchen. I think I've got it in me to clear the box. I want to be able to greet Barbara when she returns. She'll like that, right? I was wrong. Barbara was surprised to see me greet her at the door. She didn't seem too upset. I wagged my tail to exaggerate the cuteness factor. She called me clever. One day later, though, there's a thing called a baby gate in our home, thanks to her friend, Kelly. I thought Aneke, Max and Carolyn were on my side after giving me a toy and some treats. Instead, we left their house with this baby gate. I'm not a baby. I'm almost 10 weeks old.

Stop For Me, It's the Paw

I took a trip to Seattle Academy today with Marc. He wanted to introduce me to some co-workers. Everyone thought I was cute. It was nice to take a ride in Marc's car. Barbara retrieved me so Marc could get some work done. On the way home, she remembered she wanted to show me this cool sign and this festive, patriotic tree. Seattle loves its dogs!

Happy Anniversary!

Marc and Barbara, my human parents, recently celebrated two years of marriage. They seem very happy. And now I complete their family...or am at least the furriest, cutest addition. Here are a couple of photos of the happy couple on their recent Alaskan Cruise. Barbara, feeling just a little guilty about all the time she's spending helping me with the blog, told me to make sure to let everyone know she loves Marc very much.

Good Dog, Carly

I love Blondie. When Debbie Harry sang "The Tide is High," she was right. My friend Carly and I had to be quick at the beach today. Just time for a little peak. Carly discovered a seal waiting for it's mama. I felt badly for the seal, and hoped that its mama was coming back soon with some food. The waves kind of scared me. Barbara and Marc had to carry me around a bit. Uncle Rich invited me back when the tide is low. Back at Rich's, Carly and I had fun in the backyard. It was a great afternoon, but once again, I'm pooped.

Ballard Buddies

Napping. Dreaming. There's a knock at the door. It's Eli and his Mommy, Kelsey. I was still a little groggy so played it sweet to start. Then I helped Eli knock down the magazines and tear some pages out of them. Oh, yeah, maybe that was just me. Eli was better behaved. It was great meeting Eli. Like Fiona, he checked out my crate, too. He's cool. He's just about walking, too. Someday, we'll have a race.

Friends

Guinness and Caddie playing in the water on Whidbey Island; Guinness in the snow; Marc and Caddie at Whidbey; Barbara and her ring bearer, Carly. Good dog, Carly. And, of course, cousin Lucca. These are my friends.

Sunday School, aka Puppy Catechism

Today, Barbara took me to a puppy play group at Dog's Day Out. This is where my friends Guinness and Caddie hang out occasionally. It was fun, but these puppies didn't look like puppies. They were big! Wylie befriended me quickly. He's a Doberman. Lola was there, too. She's a Pit Bull. And Mimi was there. She belongs to the owner. I think Mimi is a Spaniel. We had fun, but I was pooped.

Saturday School

This is my new friend, Ryker. We met at Fuzzie Buddies on Saturday. At first, I was a little shy of this Crazy Corgi, but then we had some fun and by the end of the hour, I had him pinned and hiding in the leashes. I hope I see Ryker again next weekend.

Stop Making Sense

Marc and Barbara are making me watch Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense. Great movie, but I prefer Three Dog Night.

Ice Cubes and Hot Days

It's been hot in Seattle, but I lay on the cool tile in front of the door and that feels good on my belly. Barbara gave me an ice cube to play with as well. That was fun. I'm also loving running around the yard. The perimeter along the fence is my track. Marc takes me for walks in the morning. It's nice. I like to smell everything as we venture out, but on the way back, I like to run more and get home.
Today I bumped my head on the coffee table because I was excited. Marc and Barbara didn't like that. Barbara was worried. She told Marc is was time to sell the glass table and get something else. Marc doesn't mind. We might go shopping today. Gotta run - I'm headed to my first puppy training class. Wish me luck.

Beckham, Who?

I'm a soccer star. Just thought I'd let you know. GOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLL!

Beach Blanket Bingo

Today we went to Shilshole Beach. I think it was a reward for sleeping through the night. That's right. I'm 8 1/2 weeks old and I slept through the night. Thanks, yeah, I'm pretty proud. Marc and Barbara and I just popped down to Shilshole and sat on a blanket on the grass. The Man, whoever he is, wouldn't allow me and my dog friends on the beach. I liked laying on the grass. A bunch of people thought I was super cute. I know. I can't help it though. I am!

New Home, New Friends

My pedigree name, if you want to get picky, is Benevolent Ballard Boy, since that's where I live now. It's a cozy condo, with a yard! I love the yard, but Barbara follows me all around it taking strange things out of my mouth and repeating, "Go Potty." I'm slowly getting the hang of it, but I'll be honest, I have made a few mistakes inside. Funny, the humans have forgiven me for those. I cried a lot the first night. I think I missed my brothers and sisters and family in Oregon. Barbara lay next to my crate and soothed me. I fell asleep, but had to go potty around 1:30 a.m. I like my crate. So does my new friend, Fiona. She came over with her sister, Lucy and their mom and dad, Vince and Jenny, to say hello. It's been fun meeting new people, but I'm sometimes a little shy. I also got to meet my cousin Brett. He was cool.

Ruffing it in the Rav4

Marc and Barbara are pretty cool. They didn't crate me for the drive home. Marc held on tight and I slept in his lap the whole drive home. We stopped for a few potty breaks (mostly for Barbara). I didn't like the leash much. I drank some water and ate some treats. Overall, the five-hour drive wasn't too bad. But then, I was asleep for most of it. Marc doesn't remember much either. He was asleep, too. Barbara just wanted to get home and play with me.

Saying Goodbye

Marc and Barbara got a tour of my birth home. They met some of my brothers and sisters and my dad, Gunner. I know, they're all redheads. What happened to me? I'm considered Apricot Cream.
I'm unique.

My New Family

It's Monday, July 13th, and I'm running around my birth home.

I think some of my brothers and sisters are still outside. I think something's up. I'm usually not allowed to just hang out in the house. Wait. I hear a knock at the door. I'm going to hide until I'm introduced. Two people walk in, a girl and guy. They seem pleasant enough. I hear them called Marc and Barbara. Hmmmph. I play shy. Barbara sits down on the floor to meet me. She seems to know what she's doing. She holds out her hand, palm down and let's me sniff at it. I like the smell, but still hang out with my human birth mom. Now, the guy, Marc, is sitting on the floor. They're talking about how cute I am. I guess I am. I'm a puppy, and this is my story.