the Youngest Snowbird:

Update on Norman, the Animal

If you read the previous post you know that our pup, Norman, nipped a woman on the leg at our RV resort on Monday morning. We hadn't heard from the lady since the incident, but tonight we found out she got her tetanus shot and a check-up and she's totally fine.

And thankfully, she doesn't hold a grudge.

The whole episode has been really unnerving. I know Normie is healthy and has all his current vaccinations, but for the past 24 hours my mind has been bogged down with the worst possible scenarios:

• why haven't we heard from the lady since yesterday morning? 
• did she have a negative reaction to the tetanus shot?
• is she in the hospital dying?
• did she call animal control and file a complaint against Normie?
• will she sue us for a squillion bucks?  (after all, this is lawsuit crazy California)

Turns out our worry was for nothing; and I hope if I'm ever bitten by a strange pup, that I act as classy as this woman did. 

Her doc visit and tetanus shot only cost $40 USD, which we reimbursed her for (it was sooo cheap compared to the $150 I had estimated). We also bought her a $40 gift card to a local restaurant, since she wasted several hours of her day at a walk-in clinic.

My Fella and I are extremely relieved. And although we're already pretty diligent with Normie's training, I think this little scare will make us much better dog parents.

Live an learn.

p.s.  thanks for the reassuring comments on the previous post - we hoped we were doing the right things, but you never know in these kind of situations

Bad Dog

Today was stressful.

Fifteen month old Norman (our Arizona rescue pup) bit someone.

And not just any someone; a really nice lady that I've seen out walking while I'm doing my morning laps.

Around 10 this morning, I dropped My Fella off at the golf course and was strolling back to JohnnyDisco with the mutts. The lady was quickly walking towards us and a golf cart zoomed by so she had to move closer to our path. She smiled and sort of leaned in to say 'hi' to the dogs - and Normie nipped her calf.

It all happened so fast. 

We're still training Norman and I always separate him from other dogs until he's comfy with them, but he's never been aggressive with people before. In fact he wasn't aggressive with this lady; he didn't bark or lunge or growl ... he just quickly nipped her and kept moving, almost like he was playing. It was so unexpected it took me a second to realize what happened.

Normie has sharp little teeth and he ripped the bottom of her leggings, which I immediately offered to pay for. He also put a couple chomp marks in her calf. It wasn't bleeding, but there was definitely a purply-ish spot starting to form. After tracking down My Fella on the golf course, we alerted Kim and Candace at the RV resort rental office (who were very helpful, by the way... another huge check mark for Rancho California). 

In the end we assured everyone that Norman had all his current vaccinations and we made a copy of them for the lady he nipped. Then she went to a local clinic to get a tetanus shot, which we will gladly pay for. 

It's been a pretty crappy day all around. Hope tomorrow is better...

T-Shirts fur Dogs

Here's what this childless (by choice) couple spends our cash on:

Dog clothing. Pathetic, but true. 

Shelbert developed a shampoo rash and she's been scratching her belly lately so we had to get her a snug t-shirt to stop the scratching. The Bert's shirt says Get Your Nose Out of My Butt.  Dog humour.

She loves her new shirt. Unlike most mutts, Shelby really likes wearing clothes. We're not dog psychologists, but we think snug shirts make her feel safe, like a warm security blanket.

While at PetSmart we decided to pick up a shirt for Stormin Norman too.

Probably a total waste of money as Normie is a macho little thing who believes he should be running thru the wilderness, wild and free.  And naked.

He hates all dog clothing, including his new t-shirt. He can't even look at me right now. 

the shirts were $7.49 each, on sale at PetSmart

When Up on the Roof, There Arose Such a Clatter

"Plunk. Plunk. Plinkety plinkety ... rollllllll - plunk."

Just a few of the daily noises coming from JohnnyDisco's roof...

We are surrounded by about a hundred crazed 'Bama squirrels, tossing acorns and other nuts from the bare trees. Our RV roof is the mid-point between the high tree tops and the chilly winter ground.

It's a perfect spot to bounce your treasure chest of acorns down from the trees.

Alabama squirrels are hilarious.

I'm starting to wonder if a small gang of them gnawed thru security and discovered the homemade apple pie moonshine.

Edited to add:  This has nothing to do with the squirrels (I hope) but I keep forgetting to mention the one thing that bugs me about Alabama so far is hearing all the gunshots. Out at these country RV parks we've been hearing random gunshots every few days, at all hours of the day and night. If you're not used to that (and I AM NOT) it's really disturbing.

You Know That Look Little Kids Get When They Taste Something Gross?

Actually I guess some adults get it too.

We just realized Norman gets the very same look when we brush his teeth.

What a ham.

Totally off-topic, but here's another recent discovery:  When travelling almost anywhere throughout North America, we're usually driving the oldest, cheapest car on the street. But My Fella and I noticed that down here in southern Alabama, our little 2002 chevy fits right in. New vehicles are definitely not a priority around these parts.

Indecent Pics

(Bet that title will get me some major google traffic   :)   

Anyhoo, Shelbert is far too cute to ever look indecent ... But what the heck is going on with her tail?

Dogs just make life better.

Wondering About Southern 'Bama Weather?

Since we parked JohnnyDisco here in Alabama almost 5 weeks ago...

• 4 weeks have been perfect weatherwise, sunny and 25C during the day and overnight lows ranging from 7C to 10C
• there's been the odd sticky day with 100% humidity
• we've had two tornado warnings for our area (Baldwin County)
• and there was a massive rainstorm this past Sunday, with 24 hours of very hard rain - when you looked out the window it felt like you were in the center of a waterfall

We're back to beautiful sunny skies but it is starting to get cooler overnight. Which thrilled My Fella since he got to haul out the muttz winter clothes  :)  

Despite the look on her face, Shelbert loves the warmth of her pink hoodie. While young Norman prefers the more rugged style of his camo muscle shirt.

some days the dogs are dressed better than My Fella

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo: Part 3

Last Thursday, My Fella and I went to The Little Zoo That Could.  To read about how the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo got that nickname, check out my previous two blog posts.  And for a quick description of what you're seeing just hover your mouse over each pic:

This final Gulf Coast Zoo post starts with a big batch of cute, in the form of African servals.   Servals are a medium sized tiger cat, weighing only 15 to 40 pounds.  

The two young servals (below) were born at the zoo at the end of August and you can see here how much they look like baby kittens. 

These little guys were snuggling in the sun and wouldn't turn around, but they were adorable even from the back.

The Bengal tiger has the best hair of the bunch in that shot. 

I just shaved My Fella's head so he's hairless. And I am waaay overdue for a Nice 'n Easy root touch-up. Some shampoo wouldn't hurt either.

Mr Barbary Lion was only yawning here, but My Fella and I did hear him roar at one point.  The roar echoed clear across the small zoo so I can't imagine how loud it would've been up close.

It actually sounded like he had escaped and was stalking nearby humans.  When we heard the huge roar, I turned and ran towards it to try see him - while My fella started speed walking in the opposite direction.  You decide who has more common sense in our relationship  :) 

The Little Zoo That Could is a pretty spectacular place and has the best collecion of big cats I've ever seen in such a small zoo.  Or any zoo.

5 enthusiastic paws out of 5 for the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo: Part 2

Last week My Fella and I went to the Alamaba Gulf Coast Zoo, The Little Zoo That Could.

From wikipedia:  In July 1997 Hurricane Danny hit Gulf Shores. Then in 1998, Hurricane Georges hit, causing more flood damage. The zoo evacuated all of its animals in both cases, transporting them 15 miles (24km) inland to higher ground and becoming the first zoo to have a full scale evacuation during a hurricane. These expensive evacuations, and the repairs following the hurricanes, almost caused the zoo to close in 1999, but fund raising efforts were successful in raising enough money to keep it open.  Hurricane Ivan in 2004, caused $500,000 in damage, forcing another evacuation and closing the zoo for 14 months. Several animals were not caught during this evacuation, and were lost. More evacuations resulted from Dennis and Katrina in 2005, but the zoo was able to reopen fairly quickly in October 2005.

After bouncing back from so many fatal hurricanes, the zoo was aptly nicknamed The Little Zoo That Could. And now a local family has donated 25 acres of Alabama land for a new zoo site which is set to open in 2012.  The site is further inland and hopefully out of reach of the many hurricanes that hit this area. 

Shots from our visit are below.  Hover over each pic for a description.

Okay, I'm tired of editing pictures - the lemurs and lions will have to wait 'til tomorrow for their debut.

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo

Yesterday My Fella and I went to the Alamaba Gulf Coast Zoo, The Little Zoo That Could.

From wikipedia:  In July 1997 Hurricane Danny hit Gulf Shores. Then in 1998, Hurricane Georges hit, causing more flood damage. The zoo evacuated all of its animals in both cases, transporting them 15 miles (24km) inland to higher ground and becoming the first zoo to have a full scale evacuation during a hurricane. These expensive evacuations, and the repairs following the hurricanes, almost caused the zoo to close in 1999, but fund raising efforts were successful in raising enough money to keep it open.  Hurricane Ivan in 2004, caused $500,000 in damage, forcing another evacuation and closing the zoo for 14 months. Several animals were not caught during this evacuation, and were lost. More evacuations resulted from Dennis and Katrina in 2005, but the zoo was able to reopen fairly quickly in October 2005.

After bouncing back from so many fatal hurricanes, the zoo was aptly nicknamed The Little Zoo That Could. And now a local family has donated 25 acres of Alabama land for a new zoo site which is set to open in 2012.  The site is further inland and hopefully out of reach of the many hurricanes that hit this area. 

Shots from our visit are below.  Hover over each pic for a description.

Gonna wrap up the zoo tour for now cause it's exhausting coming up with all these witty picture descriptions  :)

But come back for the next post, featuring:

• prickly porcupines
• leaping lemurs
• yawning lions with huge fangs
• a happy fat alligator
• and two very hungry Bengal tigers

Arf, Arf, Oink

Our southern Alabama RV resort is definitely in the country.

I've mentioned this a few times already but now I have solid proof. A few days ago, this German Shepherd from a nearby farm came to visit the park.

And he brought a buddy.

Yup, that's a pig.

It's not like we have local dogs and assorted farm animals strolling through here everyday. This RV resort is actually very well taken care of and on the nicer side as far as small RV parks go.

But sometimes a pig just craves adventure. 

The local farmer who owns this little escape artist was pretty embarrassed when she finally tracked the pig down at our site.  And as I witnessed, trying to round up a pig is no easy task; she had her work cut out for her. 

Although Norman was thrilled to watch the drama unfold before his eyes since he's never seen a pig before.  

Our pup was glued to the dashboard until this little piggy went home.

HARTZ UltraGuard Flea & Tick Drops

Yeah, yeah - I know... boring title.  But here's a scary warning we read earlier this afternoon:

Hartz flea and tick products are dangerous and have caused injury and the deaths of thousands of animals. Please do not make your pet a victim by using them.

For more information check out www.hartzvictims.org.  

We applied a tube of Ultraguard Flea & Tick Drops to each of our muttz this afternoon, but quickly washed it all off after reading online reviews about the product.

This whole thing is kind of a gray area. After poring over pages and pages of sad stories, I definitely feel for the grieving/shocked/angry pet owners.  And moreso for their pets. These products are obviously toxic to some animals. Yet the skeptical side of me suspects some folks didn't follow directions or may have applied incorrect dosages. 

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.  But we love our two fuzzy monsters way too much to take a chance on a product like this. So we washed off the flea treatment and threw the other unopened package in the garbage.   

Happily, both Norm and The Bert seem fine.

Although we're still keeping our eyeballs peeled for strange behaviour, lethargy, shakes, etc.

Update:  There are also a lot of complaints about Hartz products on this Consumer Affairs website.

The Deer Have No Fear

Glad I planted so much deer food on our RV lot.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

Everytime I peek out the RV windows, I spot neighbourhood deer munching our newly planted trees. Guess that's one of the downsides of living out here in the BC wilderness.

The genius that said aspen trees are deer resistant was obviously talking about urban deer, cause our rural deer love baby aspen leaves.

They also enjoy autumn blaze maples.

But their fave snack seems to be the sweet gum trees.

My complaints aren't really serious.  In fact when we see the deer out there, we don't bother chasing them away. They were here first.

I just hope they don't start telling all their friends about our tree buffet ...

12 more sleeps til we hit the highway   :) 

Home, Home on the (Driving) Range...Where the Deer an the Antelope Snack

Our golf course neighbours think of me as The Wacky Tree Lady.  

This is a result of all the potted trees still hanging around the yard while I find them a permanent home in the ground. Those same neighbours also secretly refer to me as The Crazy Woman Who Keeps Moving Her Woodpile.  That one is self explanatory.  

But I swear this is the last move...

On a similar note, my blog buddy Mexi-Croft has nicknamed his wife, The Crazy Deer Lady;  as you can see from these blog posts (one, two, three) their local Vancouver Island deer have decided brunch is in her flower garden.

In a recent comment I mentioned that her deer fence must be working 'cause all the island deer have recently hopped on the ferry and migrated to the Okanagan.  

And now they hang out in our lot at the golf course:

Free entertainment at it's finest...

Summer is Finally Here

Apparently August is the new July when it comes to BC weather.

The past week we've seen sunny 30C days and warm summer nights out here in the BC wilderness. Top priority for me has been finishing several small landscaping projects on our RV site.  We actually may be switching RV lots in the next couple weeks, but more details to come on that.

The summer stock markets have been extremely volatile; popping and dropping with every debt crisis update and jobs report.  Our stock portfolio has lost 20% since the highs of March:

• 10% was a result of the overall drop in the market
• the other 10% loss was my fault for putting too much cash in two spec stocks (Yellow Media, Bio-Exx) - I've made a good whack of cash trading both those names in the past and I definitely got too cocky and ignored my #1 investing rule:  Diversification is the key to protecting capital.

That being said, it's times like this I wish we had more moolah to invest 'cause there are definitely some bargains out there.  We're fully invested right now with no intention of selling anything, although I think the markets will continue to drop next week.

Our portfolio in order of weighting:

• Alaris Royalty Corp
• Student Transportation
• Pembina Pipeline
• Data Group Income fund
• Superior Plus
• Inter Pipeline
• Canfor Pulp Income
• Chorus Aviation 
• BTB Reit
• Just Energy

Alaris (AD.to) and Student Transportation (STB.to) are 40% of the portfolio, only because they've both moved up so much since I bought them in 2008.  I've slowly been selling them down, but they'll probably stay at this weighting until fall-ish.  The rest of our names are evenly weighted, and if I had more cash I'd be adding to all of them at these levels.

Bored with stock stuff?  Okay, moving on...

The mutts are getting regular walks and playtime down at the local playground/dog park.  Shelbert needs a haircut at the moment and refused to sit still for a photo, but Norman is a ham and loves the camera.  

He also loves the BC wilderness and all the cool things to chase:  squirrels, garden snakes, chipmunks, butterflies, tall grass - it's heaven for pups.  Especially rescue pups from Arizona.

My Fella is in his own personal heaven because we're in the midst of salmon fishing season and he's had quite a few bites so far.

mosquito bites, that is ... (the fish always win, honeybunny) 

And this has nothing to do with anything, but instead of eating fruit for breakfast I've started eating vegetables (raw cauliflower, carrots, celery, etc.)  The truth is, I'd rather drink my fruit than eat it and it's hard to justify slurping wine for breakfast... even though it is technically fruit   :)

Another Reason I Like Dogs Better Than People

Picture this.

You're driving somewhere with your family on a sunny afternoon.  Suddenly an SUV pulls up beside you and five brats, aged 11 to 16, start shooting guns at you thru the windows.

The cops are called and track down the SUV, only to find out:

• the guns are actually pellet guns
• mom is behind the wheel of the SUV
• she gave the little monsters permission to shoot their guns out the window

Hard to believe we need a license to own a dog, but any noodlehead can have kids. 

Full story from CBC.ca can be read here.

Can I Borrow Your Umbrella?

It's been a soggy spring out here in the BC wilderness.

A day of sun followed by two or three days of rain*...

Today  Jun 8th	Thursday  Jun 9th	Friday  Jun 10th	Saturday  Jun 11th	Sunday  Jun 12th
Mostly Cloudy with Showers	Sunny	Mostly Cloudy with Showers	Mostly Cloudy with Showers	Mix of Cloud and Sun
22°C 13°C	26°C 11°C	25°C 11°C	24°C 11°C	27°C 10°C

Which explains why one of the locals hopped over to borrow a big golf umbrella yesterday.  

Not a big deal except this particular neighbour is small and green and he was actually hiding in the umbrella.

Scared the beans out of me.

Don't frogs like rain?  Why would he need an umbrella?

* This weather graphic was swiped from WeatherCity.com - my fave new worldwide weather website.

Bears Stand On Guard For Thee

Remember this CBC news story about bears guarding a marijuana grow-op by Christina Lake, BC? Well this Russian news anchor is having a tough time reporting the story.

Dirt and Neighbours

My Fella and I played outside yesterday between raindrops.

First we cruised into town for some groceries and perennial vines.  Then he went golfing and built a birdhouse, while I got some more work done on the RV yard; mainly pushing around big rocks and piles of dirt/sand.

The sand pile that was in the middle of the back yard is now gone. This may sound like work to some folks, but I love landscaping.  Dirt is my friend.

Our next door RV neighbours carted some of the sand/soil mix over to their lot and I tossed the rest over the side of our hill.  My plan is to sprinkle wildflower seeds over the hill and try cover it with California poppies.

The space where the dirt pile was will soon be leveled out and tamped down flat. Then we'll lay down a 4' x 4' brick floor which will be the base of a small outdoor firepit.

We're waiting for the deck guy to build a 12' x 14' platform deck beside JohnnyDisco, then I can install the lattices and start planting some vines.

The deck guy didn't make an appearance this weekend, but we did have another backyard visitor.

Sid the Snake seemed curious about all the action on our RV lot.  But his eyes glazed over within minutes and he slithered away right in the middle of my explanation for our exciting landscape plans.

More yard reno pics coming up in the next few weeks.  Hopefully you're more interested than Sid.

Might As Well Flip the Weather Coin

Apparently the Weather People cobbled together their latest forecast after downing a 40 of rum since our predicted sunny long weekend turned into 1.5 days of sun and two days of pouring rain. 

With a chance of a thunderstorm this evening. 

My Fella is working all weekend so I was free to mess around with our annual budget again.  Some people collect stamps, or do puzzles; I play with my calculators.  And yes, I do have two of them, but one is just a back-up.  

For math emergencies.  :) 

As mentioned in my last post, our RV gas budget for the year was pretty much right on target, but will have to be increased for this winter since we're travelling further than Arizona.  Still working on the final numbers but it'll probably go up about $1600 - from $2400 to $4000.  And of course, that depends on the price of gas this fall/winter. 

Our car gas budget is way under at this point.  31 weeks into our fiscal year we've only spent $546.49 for gas, which means we have $1013.51 left from the total of $1560/year.  (Our budget year is from October 16th to October 15 -  NOT Jan 1 to Dec 31.)

Moving on to our biggest monthly expense - food.  We actually lump groceries together with household supplies, toiletries, cleaning stuff, vitamins, booze, gifts, laundry quarters, stamps, pocket money, etc. - so I just label it groceries & stuff.  

Multiple choice test time... Do I budget this way because:

• a)  it's a pain in the butt to figure out an accurate number for each of those categories
• b)  when I lump everything together, it's easier to hide how much I spend on booze, or
• c)  all of the above

Our groceries & stuff budget needs a facelift since we are over by $118/month. Instead of spending the allocated $750, we're shelling out $868 every month.  We spend about $500/month on food and the rest on everything else. Going thru all our receipts there's really nothing to cut out so I'll just increase the annual number from $9000 to $10,500.  My Fella and I are very lucky that we have a strong free cash flow and don't have to worry about cutting out another category to make up the difference.  No doubt there are lots of families that don't have this luxury, and are forced to work with what they have.

The other category I added up today is cash we spend on the mutts.  31 weeks into our budget year we've spent $789.19.  The Shelbert/Norman budget is $1000 per year and includes food, treats, toys, grooming and annual shots.  That cash isn't used for emergency vet care, but it does include one time items like doggy stairs and a plastic baby gate.  "A baby gate ???"  

Yeah, you read that right.  

Shelby would be fine home alone in any part of the RV.  But since Norman is still a pup, he has to stay in the front room. And the quickest (and most fun) way for him to get thru an RV door is just chew it.

Kids can't chew thru a baby gate;  hopefully pups can't either.

Good Thing Our Floors Are Clean Enough to Eat Off

... cause the kitchen table is a little busy right now.

Spring sun gods are finally on our side and the long weekend forecast is calling for five days of sunshine out here in the BC wilderness. So yesterday I zipped into town and bought most of my summer annuals and herbs.  Guess I could've waited until today but the closer we get to the long weekend, the busier all the garden centers will be.  

Unfortunately, our forecast predicted one more night of freezing temps last night so before bed I hauled in all the plants to protect them from frost.  

And that's when the unthinkable happened...

Keep in mind this pic was taken after I had scooped up most of the wet dirt to stop it from soaking into the carpet.  There's no need for a full play by play, but I will say:  pee on the floor + slippery socks + a heavy flowerpot = big muddy mess on the carpet.

The pee was of the four legged variety.  At almost eight months old, Norman is pretty much house trained but he still has the odd accident in the house.

And his latest accident caused my clumsy accident.  I didn't totally wipe out, but I did slide across the floor like a three year old on skates for the first time.  And that heavy pot full of petunias and wet dirt didn't stand a chance against a puddle of pee. In slow motion I felt it slip out of my hands, bounce off the kitchen stool and crash down onto the carpet; splattering mud all over the walls, floor and computer desk.

My Fella was very sympathetic to the 'incident' but I could tell that inside he was laughing his head off.  And I'm darn sure he wished he'd been home to witness it.

Recent events have convinced me that when you have small kids or dogs running around, life starts to resemble scenes from a bad comedy.

But how can anyone get mad at these two?

Three Months With Norman

Wanted to post this Norman Update for his foster mom in Tucson.

My Fella and I had been looking for a four-legged buddy for Shelbert since we adopted her from A Better Life Dog Rescue in May of 2010.  This pic was taken a few months after we brought her home.  Hard to believe she's 10 and a half years old.

We figured that the best match for The Bert would be another senior dog or a mutt at least six or seven (middle age in dog years  :)  Breed or sex didn't matter, but living in an RV full-time meant we had space restrictions and had to look for a dog under 30 pounds.

My Fella and I were online a few times a week perusing animal shelters and rescues all over western Canada, and when we arrived in Tucson last October we quickly made contact with all the local shelters in Southern Arizona.  

Three months ago today we met Norman thru the awesome ladies at AZ Desert Rotti & Pals Rescue.

Four month old Norman was found wandering the streets of Tucson - skinny, matted and dirty.  We definitely weren't looking to adopt a pup but the rescue gals suggested we foster him for a few weeks to get to know him.

My Fella and I were game but as you can see from this pic, Shelbert wasn't really on board.  

"What is this fuzzy black thing and why is it snuggled up to me?"

Norman has a great little personality and My Fella and I knew within a few days that he would be a perfect addition to our little RV-ing family. Shelbert was a bit leery at first but has since warmed up to Norm and when they play it seems like they're both puppies.  

Norm now weighs 9.4 pounds and will soon need another haircut.  His fave outfit is his little camo t-shirt that says Leader of the Pack on the back.

Normie loves running through tall grass, eating small rocks and sticks and chasing ants with his tongue. He also likes his perch up on the dashboard so he can watch hummingbirds zipping around outside.

Most of all he loves following Shelbert around and being close to her.  

Wait a sec, is she sticking out her tongue at me?

Brat.

Anyway... to the wonderful gals at AZ Desert Rotti Rescue:  Norman (formerly known as Peanut) is doing great.  He's healthy and happy and funny and his new hobby is hiding in the tall grass and hunting ants.  He's very happy to be in Canada, but he hasn't forgotten y'all and we'll definitely visit next time we're in Tucson.  We're so lucky.  Thank you!

And finally, this has nothing to do with Norman but I just had to post this strange pic My Fella took ... 

What the heck is going on with my nose here?  I do NOT have a crooked broken hockey player schnoz, but this side profile makes me look like Tim Hunter   :(

Been A Soggy Spring Here in the BC Wilderness

My pink gum boots have been seeing a lot of action lately.

It's been grey and wet around these parts for the past week, but there's some sun in our weekend forecast (swiped from weather underground):

Friday

Partly Cloudy. High: 19 °C. Wind SSE 10 - 19 km/h.

 Saturday

Mostly Cloudy. High: 25 °C. Wind SE 5 km/h.

 Sunday

Partly Cloudy. High: 25 °C. Wind South 8 km/h.

Monday

50% Chance of a Thunderstorm. Overcast. High: 14 °C. Wind South 5 - 11 km/h.

 Tuesday

50% Chance of a Thunderstorm. Partly Cloudy. High: 17 °C. Wind South 3 - 11 km/h.

Wednesday

40% Chance of Rain. Mostly Cloudy. High: 22 °C. Wind SW 8 - 13 km/h.

Rain or shine, the mutts still have to pee and get some fresh air.  Here's a quick stroll around our neighbourhood:

We saw this dude out in the icy cold river a few days ago.

Our local fly fishermen are just as nutty as all those golfers who head out on a frosty spring morning to whack around their balls.  Someone please explain to me the joy in freezing your nose off.  Guess I could just ask My Fella since he's guilty of both.

Continuing our stroll... Shelbert loves all the neighbours, especially these guys.

When it's wet outside I always wipe off the mutts paws before they run up the stairs into JohnnyDisco.  But sometimes they sneak past me... and end up here.  

eight dirty paws on the bed, twelve paws if you include Norman's Ken doll (the stuffed leopard on the left) ... we named him Ken after My Fella's boss  :) 

We Have Our Couch Back

But it was a hard fought battle, let me tell ya... 

Once upon a time there were two cute mutts named Shelbert and Norman who lived in an RV with their humans.  JohnnyDisco (the RV) had only 300 square feet of living space and the dogs thought the couch in JohnnyDisco belonged to THEM.

The humans didn't have the heart to kick Norm and Shelby off the couch until they found a new pup-appropriate lounging spot in the main room.

The uber clever humans (???) finally decided to clear everything off the RV dash to make room for two dog beds. They also wrapped a piece of spongey cupboard liner on the wooden cup-holder, turning it into a non-slip step for the dogs to hop up on the dash.

The pups are pumped to have their own window seat.  Shelbert loves watching the squirrels and birds in the trees and Norman is happy anywhere he can lie down and gnaw his corn cob Nylabone.

And the humans have reclaimed their couch.  Victory!

And they all lived happily ever after.

We Got Egged

The Easter bunny made a sneaky visit to the RV resort last night.

My Fella found these on our picnic table this morning.

In our case, the Easter Bunny (or bunnies) were tipsy, giggly campers.  Clutching pastel eggs in one hand and a glass of vino in the other, they stumbled through nearby campsites at 2am, leaving behind a trail of chocolate treats.  We've got some wacky neighbours  :)

Hope you're enjoying a happy Easter weekend with your family, both the two and four legged members.

Easter pic from a celebration several years ago. This little guy bit me immediately after the flash went off.  And rightfully so.  

Lesson Learned:  DO NOT make a frisky husky pup wear bunny ears.