Wrestle, Rest, Repeat

Dogs
(with a nod to A A Milne)

Round about and round about
and round about we go
Round about the birch trees
The birch trees in the garden

Round about and round about
and round about and round about
and round about and round about
and round about we go!

Wow! Company!

You haven't heard from me for a while, but man have I been busy! The new dog, Mossiford, arrived last restday, late at night.  Since then we've been wrestling pretty much full time. He's a Sumo wrestler, I'm a welterweight - he probably weighs twice as much as I do.  I have the quick moves, though.  Roly stands next to Curlmom and Curldad and watches mostly.  He does take over when I'm in need of a rest. At the moment I'm panting after another game of chase, so I think I'll let him fill you in on his adventures.

Finn, tired but alert

Rose-hips and Foie gras

So I sometimes get in trouble for my “I want to MEET you!” bark, but Rolydog gets in just as much trouble for stopping suddenly to eat.  He’ll lunge for a French-fry in the gutter, or a fallen persimmon (all slimy and soft – gross!) and just about anything else that looks tasty to him. And believe me, just about everything looks tasty to a Labrador.  He’s forever saying, “yum, you should try this!” and after a while it wears a guy down, so I figured, since we’re stopping anyway…

The first thing I’ve come to enjoy is rosehips.  On one of our walks we go past a yard full of rose bushes, and even Curlmom lets us stop there.  It’s a great place to read the news from other dogs, and the ground has lots of what Roly calls rosehips: small hard crinkly shapes, sort of like his dog food (which I’m also rather fond of), that taste like Springtime.  It’s easy to crunch them and they’re good for the digestion.

You do have to be careful, though! Some days when it’s been raining there are things that are rosehip size and rosehip shape, but when I started to bite one it had a hard shell and was persimmon-slimy inside! Then I noticed another, and it was moving slowly across the sidewalk! I sniffed it – it didn’t smell like rosehip. I learned my lesson: always sniff before you bite.  Roly said I’m catching on.

The other treat I tried was the foie gras.  You can find it on the grass at the kidplay place, after the geese (Roly says that’s the short name for fatflyingsquirrel) have been there. It’s hidden in the long grass, so having a sensitive nose like mine is great for searching them out.  They’re little tidbits, but oh! so delicious!  Curlmom tried to put it on our list of “not your job” foods, cause evidently there are parts of the world where foie gras is frowned upon, but then she gave up, saying something like “chacun a son gout!”

Translation Trouble

One day when I leapt after the brown-van driving past, and a duck flying low, and a dog on the other side of the street, all in one walk, Rolydog asked me what I was trying to say, cause I guess my leaping and barking sort of makes Curlmom grumpy, and she’s less likely to let us stop at interesting bushes.

I explained that I was barking, “I want to MEET you!”  I met a nice man driving a brown-van long ago (he used to throw me treats) and I was surprised to see exactly the same brown-van driving down the street, so I was hoping for treats.  As for the dogs, they all look like they’d enjoy a good circlerun and romp, and birds, well I’ve never even gotten close to one before.  Besides, I’m just a friendly guy, so “I want to MEET you!” is a nice thing to say, isn’t it?

Roly says it sounds to the humans like I’m saying, “I want to EAT you!”

Guess it’s my Eastcoast accent.

How to get a Human's attention

I've come up with several ways to get a human's attention - mostly to get them away from those tapboxes they stare at all day... if the human (usually Curldad working on his art website) is sitting in a chair using the big tapbox Roly is big enough to bump his elbow.  Roly gets lots of attention this way especially if a cup of hotstuff is nearby. I prefer the cuteness gambit, where i sneak up and put my head on the lap of the person (or right on the tapbox if it's Curlmom sitting on the nodogsonthecouch); then i look up under my wonderful eyebrows with an incongruously serious look on my face.  Gets 'em every time!

Another attention-getter i've only tried for the first time today goes like this:
Usually in the morning Roly goes out to help get the paper, you know, and i wait at the door til he gets back and gives it to me so i can deliver it to the kitchen (or the dogbed, or under the table).  Well today Curldad told us BOTH to sit at the door, and then when he said "OK" i thought he meant both of us, so i followed Roly out the door.  We both checked out the front lawn, with Curldad very interested in our activities.  When Roly ran back inside i followed, of course, and Curldad was very delighted to see me come so quickly.
Easily amused, and so amusing, these humans!
Finn, on patrol

Finn and the Fatflyingsquirrels

On a rainy Saturday Curlmom Curldad, Roly and I went down to the school.  We got to the quiet end of the field where they usually let roly go and i run on the double-long leash.
But today, since it was rainy and empty, they actually let me off leash, so i could run too - and run i did! it was FANTASTIC: over to the right behind the littlekid rooms, then over to the left to look through the fence, then over to Roly, farther and faster and farther and faster... and then i spotted, way across the grass, some grey hugethings, moving slowly away.
I realized that as i went toward them they started to move away from me, and the faster i ran, the faster they moved. It was irresistible! I ran, they moved, i ran some more, they started to lift off, half running half flying, onto the blacktop.  I cornered and kept following, i'm sure i was gaining on them. I could hear shouting behind me, my name called and whistles, but they must have been cheering for me to go faster, so on i chased.  The bigflying things lifted off - i was almost up to them going faster than i've ever gone and they soared over the fence! it took all my braking power not to crash. whew!
when i looked around i saw Roly, and Curlmom and Curldad calling my name, so i ran back to them.  they were so glad to see me! I agree, i am a great chaser of... what were they...
Since i only chase squirrels, those things must be Fatflyingsquirrels, right?

We've been dried off, dinner's been served, i'm quite tired now.
Finn, thinking the outside can take care of itself tonight...

Happy St Patrick's Day!

When i went to the vet yesterday with Curldad for my pokemeinthelegwithasharpsticktilibleed the vet said he thought i was about 2 years old,  so Curlmom thinks today might be my birthday... might be a good birthday for a guy named Finnegan, she says.

They even dressed us both up in green pulltoythattheotherguywearsaroundhisneck...

didn't last long....

I went for a nice walk with her this morning, and just finished a good run with Curldad, and there's a good smell in the kitchen, sodabread they call it, and they gave us each a nibble.  Now they're all dressed in green, and heading out to Tinker's house.  They have LOTS of bottles with them, and keep using the word Guinness.
More later,
Finn, on patrol

The Wren

Rolydog and I have been donating our fur lately.  One morning early as the humans sat on the nodogsonthecouch and we slept under the table, a Bewicks wren came hopping by the water bowl, just outside the door, and stopped at the dogbed to pick up scraps of dog hair, soft and silky.  Then he swooped off to the cherry tree and away.  Just think, somewhere a tiny bird is going to be warmer this Spring because we were here!
Finn, on patrol

Rolydog and the Ching!

I think i remembered to tell you they keep the ching! things on the handopeners of the glassdoor. I know how to touch it with my nose and go out, but this is a story about Rolydog.
Silly Rolydog sometimes rings the ching! with his nose, but sometimes he just looks at the handopener, and doesn't touch the ching! with his nose.  The other day he just looked at the handopener, but when Curlmom and Curldad reminded him to "ringthebell" he turned around to look at them, and rang it with his tail! they were happy and let him out.  He told me later he's never been so confused.

Finn and the Spinnylegs

So I think i mentioned that i don't lunge at the humans with spinny legs anymore.  At first they scared me, coming up so fast from behind us on our walks.  i'm very alert to surprises, and a human who is half metal and has those dogbowlshaped legs is, you'll have to agree, surprising.  then i started to figure it out: curlmom and curldad  turn into spinnyleg humans too, tho of course when i see them the spinny just being carried down the hall and out the door.  They wear really notdogwalk shoes then, so disappointing, because they come home all tired and happy, and Rolydog and i think "we could have gotten you that tired and happy, if you'd taken us out for that long!"
Where was i? oh, i remember now.  Anyway, one day curlmom and curldad set curlmom's spinny up on metal things, and she put on those notdogwalk shoes, and suddenly turned into a spinnyleg human.  I went over to investigate, watching her feet - but not getting too close - as she spun. Now i understand that spinnyleg humans are just humans plus a spinny thing, and i just look at them and feel sorry for the dog that they left at home.
Finn, on patrol

Rolydog - smarter than we thought

So we'd had a long day, yesterday, and I was napping on the big dogbed, by the glassdoor.  It used to be Roly's bed, but nowit belongs to whoever gets there first.  It's the softest bed in the house.  It's almost big enough for two, but not quite. Anyway, I was resting right in the middle of the dogbed.  Roly walked over and rang the bell to go out, with his "something's exciting is happening in the yard" urgency.  I'm always up for an adventure, so I followed him out.  But the moment I went through the door, he turned around and came back in, and plunked  down on the dogbed!  The rascal!
Anyway, I found enough room to share part of the dogbed with him, and we napped happily together
Finn, almost always on patrol

Finn says hello

The other day Rolydog and i took curldad for his walk down to the grasskids place at the end of the block. the kids weren't there - they never are when we go down, but i can hear them during the day, and i can smell their many kidsmells when we walk. i haven't met many kids around here but they seem nice, i did meet the tinykid across the street.  i was very polite and just looked at him, Rolydog licked his face.
Where was i? Oh, now i remember. So we were down at the grasskids place and Curldad did the usual thing of letting Rolydog go and adding his leash to mine, so i have more room to move.  Rolydog goes over to visit other dogs sometimes, and this time the other dogs followed him back to us! There was a small brown and white dog with big ears, and a black wide dog like Kingdog. they came right over all friendly, and i was all friendly back.  it was fun!
i always bark at dogs when they walk by on the other side of the street, but that's just because i'm hoping they will come over to say hello, like those dogs did.
Finn, on patrol

Finn entertains

The other day curlmom tried to take my picture, but i'm not sure why.  i was just finishing a patrol of the backyard.  I had checked the lemontree by standing on the doghouse (it makes me a bit taller so i can look into the tree and see the fence better).  I had checked the far corner where there's a tiny hole in the fence and the loudnoise humans come once in a pattern and let a loudsmellymetalsheep eat the grass. So everything was safe, and I was just resting, standing with my head on a chair, thinking about something (don't remember what), or maybe just enjoying my safe space.  Anyway Curlmom came up with a camera, so i went over to see what she wanted. She called me sillydog, which means i did something cute, and i so i followed her inside where she can sit and pet me.
Resting now, will patrol later,
Finn

Many Days Pass

Well, many days have passed.  Most days Curlmom gets up first, then Curldad gets up and feeds us. Curlmom puts on those goaway shoes and vanishes.  Then curldad takes us for a walk and we start our day together.  What does he do, you ask? He's mostly working on those flat boards with the nopaintbrushforyou sticks,  and the smellsawful gray stuff. That pretty much keeps him busy while we keep an eye on the yard, until we ask for attention by nudging him on the arm - you have to do that gently of course; bump him too hard and he gets grumpy. then he takes us for another walk. Most days dogwalkergirl comes by too and so we've been going for ...1,...2,... um, more than 2 walks a day!

Then there are the days when they get up early and sit on the nodogsonthecouch to watch the oh!itsagoal! box.  On those days they both take us for a walk. Curldad takes Rolydog and Curlmom takes me. I'm very good at heeling, and I don't even lunge at those humans with the round spinny legs anymore!
Finn, on patrol.

Finn and the Flat Box

It's early on a stayhome morning and the Curls have been awake for a long time, sitting on the getoffthecouch staring at the flatbox (the one that sometimes has a doorbell or a dog in it, which is exciting, but usually just makes noise - the humans stare at it, though). They say things like "goal!" and "yes! He's on my team!"
I thought they were going to get up and take us for a walk, when one of them said "Hey, the Arsenal game's on!" They sat back down, and even though they pet us, they're distracted.  Rolydog and I have tried looking cute, putting our heads on the table, or a knee, or even on the lapfingertap box.  We even sat with our noses pointed at the glassdoor.  When they yell "Oh, Van Persie, so close!" we think they need our help to cheer them up, but they still sit.  We could make they feel better; besides, if they don't take us out soon, water will start to fall from the sky!

Wait - late breaking news - they yell "hooray Van Persie! Happy 91st Birthday Opa Wim!" I know that an Opa is a grandfather, cause that's what they call Uncle George

Curls are happy, but still no walk
Finn, wishingiwasonpatrol

Finn and the Weather Report

It's been cold around here, but nothing has fallen from the sky until today. In fact I was hoping this was one of those places where there wasn't EVER anything falling from the sky.  Rolydog and I like to keep our feet dry, but today there was water falling, and it got the grass all wet.  Water belongs in a bowl, in our opinion.  There is one nice thing: when it's wet, somehow my paws stay dry, but Rolydog's paws are all muddy when he comes in the house.
Finn, on patrol - well, looking out the window

Finn and the Scent of Home

Tallsister and Abiman came through the door tonight! They have been gone more than 2 days (remember, counting's not really my strong suit).  I know this because Abicat has been in charge of the house while they were gone.  But the most important part of them coming through the door was I caught the scent of Bestmom and Bestdad!! I investigated their trouser legs and baggage and I'm sure I could smell them ... it made me happy to know my bestpeople had visitors at their faraway kennel.  I can tell it was faraway because there were many other interesting scents to read: I could tell they had spent a long time sitting close to lots of people they didn't know (dogs can tell if people know each other, of course). I even smelled egg salad sandwiches packed for a journey.
Now I'm going to settle into MY kennel, a little sad they're far away,  but happy to have news.


Finn, on patrol