Groundhog Day

So Mom came home from work and said, "C'mon Ax, let's go to the park, it finally stopped raining." On the way to the park is a railway crossing surrounded by high weeds and lots of mud. As we crossed the street into this wasteland, Mom and I spotted a fat groundhog -- he looked like that fella at left. He was almost as big as me!

I must take a minute to compliment my Mom. I am a good teacher. The old lady learnt from her prior experience. Of course, the minute I saw the groundhog, my terrier instincts kicked in and I pulled that leash like there was no tomorrow. Mom had the sense to let go of me before I pulled her over head first into the mud. I took off after the hog, and followed him into a grassy mound of earth. At that point, Mom reached me somehow and took off the leash so I wouldn't get caught on the undergrowth. She also, generously, decided to let me enjoy myself. (Not like she had a choice, I was NOT leaving!)

There was an entrance on both sides of the mound, so I stuck my whole body in there, and then started digging and digging. Mud was flying everywhere! When I couldn't find the hog at one entrance, I ran over the top of the mound to the other side and tried from the other end. I could smell the rascal, but I couldn't get him. Throughout the pursuit, other dogs walked by on the way to the park and I raced to the top of the mound and barked at them -- this was my groundhog and I was NOT about to share it!

I know its hard to make me out in the photo at right - it was taken on Mom's cell, but you get the idea. That's my bum and tail you see sticking out the hole.

An hour passed by, the sky had blackened and a downpour was imminent. Mom was now worrying about how she was going to leash and drag me home - you can't really see so well in the pic, but the mound was surrounded by bramble, rocks and undergrowth. When the rain came down, Mom took the plunge and managed after some time, to catch and drag me away. Man, I was pissed. I could have stayed there all night.

Of course I was filthy by this time, and Dad was not home, so I knew no way was Mom going to manage to bath me alone. I was excited to think that I'd be able to stay this dirty for a while. I love being dirty.

No suck luck. Mom sequestered me in the kitchen. Dad came home and 5 minutes later, lured with a big piece of provolone cheese, I found my self in the bath being shampooed. Drat!
I'm gonna get me that groundhog!!! He lives to see another day, but not for long. Heh heh.

AGC

PS Happy Passover and Happy Easter everyone. How come the Jews get the bum deal again - cardboard, yuch, even I won't eat that! And the Christians get gaily painted chocolate eggs? Geez.

What I've been up to...

Yeah yeah I know. I've been on blogging sabbatical. Sorry fans. Mom has been hogging the computer building websites and working a lot. I've been busy myself:

First, I've been busy playing with my favorite toys - we call them Snax and Little Snax. You remember Balloon Man, right? He is now renamed Snax and you can now get Little Snaxes at Petco. I love them. Ok, I'm obsessed! I can't get enough of them. I now have one Snax and 4 Little Snax. I love them all. I take a Little Snax with me on my walk practically ever day. Mom pockets them if we are around big dogs cos she is afraid they'll swallow them. They squeak until I kill them, but even without their squeak they are such fun to play with and I amuse myself for hours throwing them up in the air!

When I get tired of Snax and Little Snax, I wrestle with Ike, my stuffed Wire Fox. Mom puts him on her lap and pretends to cuddle him. This gets me very riled up and jealous so I attack Ike and shake him about. Then we throw him all over the house and I retrieve him. Poor Ike is now blind, I took out his eyes and there is not much left of his nose. Oh, and he's missing some stuffing too.

Which brings me to Duck. Duck was a challenge. He was a gift from Miss Amelia for Hanukkah. He made (notice past tense friends) this amazing honking noise. I tried for weeks to kill him, but he would not die. However, after days and nights of persistence I got that bugger. Duck is now honkless and missing most of his body fat too. Heh heh!

Now that its cold, I have not been groomed for a while. My coat is thick and rather shabby, but it keeps me nice and toasty. Mom doesn't have much body fur, so she relies on hot baths ever night to warm her up. I always accompany her into the bathroom as I'm sure she gets bored lying there sighing or reading her book. I like to hop about and put my front paws up on the bathtub rim. The bath is a clawfoot tub and rather high, so its not easy for me to jump in. Which I do so like to do. But at least once a week, I succeed and SPLASH, Watch out Mom...you got company!!! At which point, Mom jumps out just as fast as I jump in. She's no fun. I then take to drinking all the warm bath water and wading about... When I finally jump out, I always run like the dickens down the stairs and out the back door for a very long pee-pee!

So as you can tell, I have not been just sitting about doing nothing (or watching 14 episodes of Dexter in a row MOTHER!) while you were all left to wonder why I haven't blogged!

AGC

P.S. Snax also make neat hats!

Oh no, Bath time?

The vet gave Mom and Dad special anti-itching shampoo, so they decided to test it out on me today, their helpless guineapig! The minute I heard the bath running in mid afternoon, I just knew what it meant, so I stayed downstairs. But then Dad started making all these eating noises and repeating my favorite words, "snack" and "treat" and gourmand that I am, I fell for it, and went up to investigate.

Once they had me in the bathroom, I still thought I could prevent them from catching me. So I crawled between the tub and the inner wall...

But my luck ran out! Dad managed to drag me out, and the rest is history. Bath. Shampoo. Not much fun, even for me, a dog who usually LOVES water. But as I tried to explain when I was hunkered down behind the tub, bathing and swimming are two different things!!!

When it was all over, I was hoisted out looking like a wet (thinner) rat. Oh I am ashamed to show you this photo. I look like a candidate for the Ugly Dog Contest!



After shaking in the shower, running about and rolling on towels, I jumped on the bed and relaxed while Mom blow dryed me. Ah, I do like that warm machine.



I heard Mom tell Dad that I was in for another bath on Thursday, the night before I go on vacation to Ricky Pepper's house!! I'm sure Ricky Pepper wouldn't care one way or the other if I smelt like roses or poopie! Grrr, parents...I'm looking forward to 2.5 weeks of peace away from them!!! heh heh.

AGC