Spring VS Winter

I'm not sure I'm ready for spring yet! Yes, I love helping mom in the garden and I like the smell of the earth but I love the cold weather and I like snow.
Today mom was trying to convince me that spring is better. I'm not sure yet! I'm still trying to hang onto winter. Which would you choose?

Spring or winter?

Love ya lots,

Maggie

We Have Snow!!!!

It snowed here last night - only about 3" but it's fluffy and white and cold and fun!
Mom and dad were shoveling early this morning and when mom got finished she clipped my flexi-leash on me and off we went to explore. I noticed lots of tracks in the yard. Wonder who would have the nerve to come in my yard - AGAIN??!! Mom suggested that it could have been a bunny and as you can see I really need to find him so I can chase that fluffy white cotton tail! You can hear voices in the background. That's dad and Augusta. She got locked out of her car and dad is trying to help her break in so she can go to work!



Mom and I stayed out for quite awhile trudging through the woods and making footprints. I made lots of yellow snow too!
This is the most snow we've gotten all winter! I sure hope winter never ends. It's my favorite season!

Until next time..................

Love ya lot,

Maggie

Friday With the Cousins

Mom and Dad have cousins in Rhode Island and yesterday we spent the whole day with them. We left at 9AM and didn't get home till 8:30PM. It was a blast! We went down in dad's pick-up truck, which is so much more comfy than mom's car for trips - at least I think so! The backseat of the truck is fixed up pretty fancy for me. Dad put a piece of plywood over the backseat so that I have a whole playpen to spread out in back there. Then they put carpeting over the plywood so it's nice and soft for me. Yesterday mom put one of my beds back there too so it would be even nicer and more cushy. Rhode Island is an hour and a half ride for us - one way - and mom wants me to be happy. I was! She filled the water cooler and she packed my dinner. I didn't need any toys because I always steal Jenna's raw hides! Mom doesn't give me these at home so it's a special treat to be able to swindle one of Jenna's!!

This is Jenna. She's a Vizsla and she's the Princess at her house. She's allowed on the sofa and yesterday mom and Aunt Karen were sitting on the sofa talking and obviously mom was in Jenna's spot! Jenna jumped right up on the sofa behind mom and pushed her off! hehehehe

This is the two of us getting love pats from cousin Thomas!

Jenna and I have a strange relationship. Because she's a princess and I'm a princess we interact pretty much from across the room. Sometimes we have to share the same room - like the dining room when lunch was being served, and we choose our spots to beg at opposite ends of the table!

This seems to work out best for us!

After the hoomans had their lunch I went on a search to find one of Jenna's tasty rawhides and fortunately for me I found one laying around! I did manage to eat the whole thing pretty quickly! yummy!

This is Jenna sitting on Aunt Karen's lap. I think Jenna likes people better than she likes me. That's okay - I really don't mind. I just like the fact that I can spend the whole day with mom and dad in another state and have a change-of-pace adventure and I love my cousins! They're all so nice to me!

Around 5PM the cousins all agreed to go out to a favorite restaurant of theirs to have fish-n-chips and clam cakes. Mom says these clam cakes are to-die-for! I wouldn't know because I was left in the truck to wait for them. I did have some entertainment while I was waiting. A pretty black and white kitty was hanging out in the parking lot, possibly waiting for a free fish hand-out! Mom and dad did bring me a dinner roll for our trip home for being such a good girl and waiting for them. Thanks!

Yesterday was a really fun day! Thanks again Auntie Karen and Uncle Michael for showing us such a great time!

Until next time....................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

A Valentine ME!!

My mom just loves Barbara Keigher's art work and anytime she has Airedale paintings for auction on ebay mom is always watching what's happening. A couple of weeks ago Miss Barbara told mom that she was painting a pic of me! Mom was very curious which photograph she was painting from and she couldn't wait to see the finished product. I think my mom might be part Airedale! She's a very impatient waiter - just like me! hehehehe

This is the photo and this is the painting. Didn't she do an awesome job!

You can even see my toofies on the painting!

We just love all of the hearts!

Miss Barbara recently did the Boo painting and she's done Sunshade too.

What an awesome Valentine gift!

Thank you so much for painting yet another painting of me Miss Barbara! We love each and every one of them!

Love ya lots,

Maggie

My First Cuz

Mom ran lots of errands today - without me! She told me that I wouldn't have any fun on this trip seeing as I'd be locked in the car most of the time so before she left she gave me a dried chicken treat (thanks again Bogie) and told me to be a good girl and she'd be back real soon. I knew she went to the bank and I was soooooooooo disappointed because I lost out on two cookies right there and I knew she was going to the fresh fruit market. She was also going to buy duckie food at our local Agway. It's a feed and grain store but they also carry doggy beds and treats and toys and all sorts of fun stuff for us furbutts! Mom was back in just over an hour smiling from ear to ear. She walked in the door calling to me and telling me, just you wait and see what I got for you Maggie! She drove me nuts taking off her coat and putting other stuff away! Geez, hurry and get to the important stuff here, wouldja!! She pulled this big orange thing out of the bag and told me that this was a Cuz - especially for me! Oh boy! A new toy and one that I've wanted for quite awhile now!

I ran into the family room with him so I could investigate on my own without fear that someone would steal my new gift. Mom says I'm really stingy with new toys! Now why would she say that! hehehehe This is sure a funny looking ball with feet! Nope, his feet don't stink!

For the next two hours I played keep away from mom. She kept trying to offer me a piece of banana and a piece of an apple and I told her, no way! I'm not falling for that!

So at this point it's time for my big meal of the day and I know that evil woman is going to have some sort of trick up her sleeve so she can squeeze my Cuz and make him talk! It's the funniest noise I ever heard and I haven't actually squeezed him myself yet. Hey, I wanna be first!

Geez, does she ever

give up??!!

Does she ever get tired of trying to get my special toy?!

I'm an Airedale ya know and us Dales just don't give up and we never give in! Mom eventually got tired of losing so she gave in! hehehehe

Toldja!!!

Score another one for ME!!!!

Until next time..............

Love ya lots,

Maggie

A Belated Valentine from Butchy

Butchy sent me a Valentine card for Valentine's day only - it never got here! Either the evil mailman gave it to his sweetie because it's just so pretty or else it got lost in the snow pile! grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
In any case, Butchy's mom and my mom have been emailing back and forth wondering what happend to it! So today Butchy emailed my card to me! It's so pretty and I wanted to share it with all of you. Not only is Butchy such a stud muffin but he's an artist too!
Butchy, I'll be your Valentine girlie every day of the year, not just on February 14th!
Thank you so much. I'll treasure my card forever and ever!

















Love ya lots and lots,

Maggie

My Mardi Gras

Today is Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana - not that I've ever been, and neither have mom and dad, but mom's brother and sister-in-law used to live in New Orleans and they're big time fans!

Gram sent mom Mardi Gras beads awhile back and every year mom lets me sport these beads on my morning walkie.

This is a pic of me trying to decorate elephant baby so he can get into the spirit of things too.

We had GREAT temperatures for our walk! It was almost 30 degress and this is wonderful news! It means that hopefully some of this horrible ice will melt and I will have some decent sniffs to do my pee and poo. This yucky white stuff is sure making it hard on a girl!

Mom meant to bring the camera on our walk so she could get my beads swinging and rustling but she forgot! DARN!!!

When we get back home, I always get a treat. It's hard to tell by this pic but mom is handing me a heart-shaped cookie. She says it's a little "lagniappe" in honor of Mardi Gras! I think I really like this holiday.

Until next time............

Love ya lots,

Maggie

My visit to the Vet

Yesterday mom took me to visit my vet. She discovered this big squishy lump on me right behind my left front leg. I had one other problem too. I've had this horn shaped growth on me for awhile. Mom and dad discovered it this summer and thought it was a tick and tried to yank it off. OUCH!!! I don't think they realized at the time that it was a part of ME!!!! I kept giving them dirty looks and skirting away and they kept chasing me to keep on yanking! YIKES!!! They finally gave up realizing that it wasn't a tick. DUH!!! Geez, I kept tryin' to tell ya!

Well, the week mom was gone I was a bit more stressed than usual and I kept biting at this horn-shaped thing. Mom discovered while she was grooming me on Wednesday that it was all irritated and red and she thought it best to call the doctor. So I got 2 needles yesterday - one in my fatty tumor lump (thank goodness it's benign and just a fatty tumor) and the other needle went into this cyst to make sure that it was not the bad kind. WHEW! It turns out that I passed the grade and I'm okay!

The good part of yesterday was that I scored lots of cookies! I got two at the vet's office for being a good girl and I got 2 cookies at the bank right before we hit the vet's office and mom and dad bundled me up yesterday and we went for walkie and I scored 2 cookies from mom! I'm a very happy girl having had all those yummy cookies!

Until next time.................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

Snow for Valentine's Day

We had snow for Valentine's day! It started as sleet and then it changed to snow and then back to sleet. We ended up with only about 3" and it's very crusty. Mom and I can walk on this stuff without sinking and I'm having the hardest time sniffing good smells to go pee and poo. This is the worst part of the snow! I like to see grass and by the time mom and dad got out there to clear the white stuff it weighed a ton so they didn't shovel me a grassy area. Today mom and I took a walk out in our woods to check stuff out.

I'm looking for duckies and I see them on the other side of the pond. Darn, I thought I might like to chase them!

After sniffing for a bit, I discovered that someone had been in my yard and had done peepee. Who would have the audacity to come in my yard and pee!!! Then mom tells me that it was me! OOPS! Okay, I forgot! This isn't my normal peepee spot! The snow has me all confused!

It sure is pretty out here today. It's cold but sunny. I sure do love the snow.

Until next time..................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

More Mail from Putter

Putter sent me a Snoopy card while mom was away so I wouldn't feel so bad while she was gone but dad just put the mail aside and didn't help me open it or read it to me. That's okay! When mom got home she helped me out!

I gave the envelope major sniffs. I knew I recognized her scent! This is my second card from Putter. She's such a sweetheart!

This is Putter's friend Froggie. Froggie doesn't have a tongue anymore because Putter ate it off! hehehe Putter tells me that she likes to sit on the couch and she asked me if I was allowed on it at my house. Well, the answer is a big fat NO!!! Mom has never allowed it! She keeps buying me new beds and making me new covers so I'm most happy on the floor! I'm sure it's not as comfy as the couch but that's just the way that it is here. I'm glad you have a more lenient mom Putter!

This is the back of the card. You can see Putter with Froggie in her mouth. Isn't she just such a doll? Thank you so much Putter! You're so thoughtful!

Putter also sent me a couple of pics of herself. It looks like her collar matches Froggie! So Putter, does Froggie have a squeaker or did you eat that too? Curious minds need to know!

Mom was reading blogs today and she noticed that Oscar got groomed so mom decided that it was time for me to get a trim job too. Gee thanks Oscar! Life was just fine till you had to go and post that! So here's a pic of me with my Valentine hairecut! Mom keeps telling me that now she can see my big brown eyes! Oh well - whatever! I really don't mind hairecuts much. I would rather be cool than hot!

So life is pretty much back to normal now that mom is home. We're getting a lot of sleet mixed with snow today and we heard that the aireport that mom flew into yesterday was closed! Thank goodness mom flew in yesterday or she would have been stranded in Florida thousand of miles away from me and dad! Yesterday must have been my lucky day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Love ya lots,

Maggie

My Mom Is Home!!!!!

I'm so happy! My mom is home from Florida! Dad and I went to pick her up around 11:30am. She was waiting right next to the curb with the biggest smile on her face! I was so excited to see her!!! Mom has been telling me since she's been home how much she missed me and she won't stop hugging me or kissing the top of my head. She keeps telling me how wonderful I smell! I'm sure glad she's home!
I got packages in the mail while mom was away and dad wouldn't help me open them! I guess he was saving that chore for me and mom so that the evil camera could be back on the scene!
The first package was from Bogie

I could smell something really yummy inside and I couldn't wait for mom to help me open it. Geez Bogie - you sure used enough scotch tape!





Bogie sent me a beautiful Valentine telling me that I was the most beautiful Aire-girl in the whole USA!!! I'm so touched Bogie! Yes, I'll be your Valentine! I would be honored to belong to a handsome super stud like you!

Bogie also sent me dried chicken finger treats and told me that they were his favorites! Mine too Bogie and you'll never guess what mom brought me from Florida?! Chicken finger treats -so our Airedale mom's think exactly alike! Isn't that too cool and now I have twice as many treats! I can't wait to dig in!


The next gift mom helped me open was from Boy and Baby . This package came all the way from
Singapore!!!













You guys are both so sweet! This valentine was on red paper with a little gold heart at the top of it. They even signed it with a very creative doggie paw!
And not only that they sent me this really cool magnet that goes on the frig! I just love it! It's me!!!!! Thank you so much!

















I feel like the most special girl in the world right now - mom is home and I got Valentines and gifts from my very best pals in the whole wide world! I have more news to report but right now I gotta go snuggle up with mom. It's been too long.

Till tomorrow.................

Love ya lots,
Maggie

Hello From Sunny Florida

Hi Maggie,
This is mom writing to you from sunny Florida. I miss you terribly! I miss hugging and kissing you more than anything! I hope you're doing okay with dad. I'm sure he's taking good care of you. He didn't forget to feed you, right? You write back and let me know and I'll be on that first plane back to you! Did he remember to kiss you goodnight just like mom does?

Guess what? I met Coco the kitty yesterday! I can hear you barking - lemme at him! LOL
He's a very pretty kitty and weighs 21 pounds!!! He's a big kitty! Aunt Kathy got him a haircut so he looks like a lion. His body is shaved down and his fur is ohhhhhh so soft - but his head has all of his normal length fur. His tail has this big lion puff on the end of it that would be just too temping for you to latch on to!! Coco sleeps in a baby carriage that's all made up like a real bed with a blankie and pillow. It's too cute! Do you think he could be as spoiled as you are?! I wish I could send pics but Gram and Gramp don't have a digital camera and mom is stupid with someone else's computer anyway so it would never work! Do you think that Coco is considered your cousin?
Did you get to go for your walkie yesterday and did dad remember to put your coat on you?
We had 75 degree temps here yesterday! You would have been panting up a storm and hating every minute of it.
That's all the news for today. Please remember that I think about you all the time and miss you like crazy. You be a good girl for daddy and give him a couple of extra licks from me. I love the both of you very, very much.
Gram and Gramp send their love too.

Mom

Mom's Trip to Florida

Mom will be leaving me and dad alone together for 6 whole days while she visits Gram and Gramp in Florida. Gram and Gramp are the ones that built the dollhouse that you all saw. I'm not sure how I'm going to like mom gone for such a long time. There have only been two times in my life that mom has not kissed me goodnight before she climbed into bed - the first time was when I was staying overnight at the animal hospital after being spayed and the second time was when I was 4 years old. We spend a week on Nantucket almost every summer and this one year in particular was different. We normally spend a night on Cape Cod before sailing to Nantucket the next day or we may spend a night in a hotel on Nantucket before we get to move into the house that we stay in for the week. The hotel that happens to be right at the top of Main Street used to allow pets to stay in the rooms. But this one particular year, the hotel changed hands and pets were no longer welcome. grrrrrrrrrrrrr They were letting guests know that dogs could be boarded at the local animal hospital. Remember this is a small island.

Mom was not thrilled with this idea at all and it took her some time to come to accept this fact. She called and talked to the people at the animal hospital and decided that they sounded pretty nice and MAYBE, just maybe, it would work out. So when she dropped me off on this particular day, she was dead set on seeing where I was going to sleep and who my roommates were.
To make a long story short, mom was not happy about any of it. That night in the hotel room, she missed me and she had a hard time facing the fact that I wasn't at the foot of the bed. The next day she couldn't wait to pick me up and give me big kisses and hugs. But she came to realize that I wasn't as happy to see her as she was to see me! I was mad and I wanted her to feel badly for leaving me in a strange place with strange people.

Mom has not forgotten any of this and she's not happy about leaving me alone again - and it's not that I'm really alone - I'm with my dad. It's just different!
Mom has been writing a manual for dad on how to take care of me - things that dad just doesn't get involved in because mom is around! Dad has never even fed me or brushed me! He doesn't have to! Mom does it all! This manual is a small book already! I'm checking the list to make sure nothing was forgotten!

So on February 7th mom is jetting off to sunny Florida for 6 whole days. I'm going to miss my mom terribly and I KNOW that mom is going to miss me and worry about me. She and dad will keep in touch by phone and on the computer but it just won't be the same till mom comes home on the 13th. I'm sure I'll be spending lots of time in Dad's workshop because that's where he spends lots of time! And dad has promised me that we'll go out for burgers (hey Bogie! My first burger!) and he promised that we'll get pizza while mom is gone too, so maybe it won't be so bad. We'll walk every day, just like when mom is here, only dad will be hanging onto my leash and mom has already instructed dad that when the temps are cold, I need to wear my coat! I'll probably have to remind dad about that!
Awwwwwww mom!!! I miss you already! Do you really have to go!!!!

Mom has been upstairs organizing and getting out the suitcase. I'm totally bummed! It's freezing out today and I won't get my walkie and my mom is preparing to leave me for SIX WHOLE DAYS!!!!!

I'm really gonna miss my mom (and I'm going to miss you too sweetie, more than you'll ever know)

















So that's my big news for today and for the week! Dad has told me that I can go with him on Wednesday to drop mom at the aireport - our first date together!
Will you write to me while you're gone - pretty please? I'll be checking the mailbox in hopes that you will. I'll miss you lots and I love you.
Your bestest girlfren and daughter,
Maggie

Double Disappointment

The bad news is that I didn't get to attend the pawty no matter how much I begged and pleaded. Mom said that I would have been just too much energy for so many people!

And the even sadder news is that my friend Daisy Mae stayed home alone while her mom and dad came and had a great time. My question is, how come Daisy couldn't come and stay with me while the pawty was going on - us girlz could have had our own pawty??? Huh mom? How come?

Look at that face! Is that the face of a happy girl?

Hopefully my mom and dad and Daisy Mae's mom and dad will read this and see just how utterly crushed we both were not to be able to hang together while the grown-up hoomans had their fun. So next year changes will be in order, right hooman parents??!!

Until next time....................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

Snow and Pawties

Last night mom heard rain going through the gutters as she read doggie blogs. When I did my final pee of the night, I stepped outside to snow, but not much of it - barely any really! Overnight we heard the plows going and I had such high hopes! Okay, so it wasn't all that much but it's white and it's cold and it's beautiful!

I'm so excited!!! Isn't it so pretty!

Even the waterfowl seem to love it!

Mom and Dad are havin a party today and I'm really sorta not too happy about it. I've been helping them clean and prepare all week long and this morning I was even helping Uncle Phil cube the cheese and helping mom fill bowls with potatoe chips. I heard something about the musicians being on the way and I was hustled inside - something about them not liking their guitars being jumped on! Pawty poopers the bunch of them for not letting me come!!!

Here's a pressie for ya dad - meatballs for your soup!

I know, I know - not nice but I am sorta upset about it! Mom did say she's sneak a piece of pizza into me and thanks mom but I'd much rather attend the pawty. Won't you reconsider?? Pretty please? I promise not to jump on any of the guests and to be a good girl!

Anyway mom said she'd see how it goes. So cross your paws that I get to go to the pawty too!

I leave you with a video of me in the snow this morning before the sun came up to melt half of it away!

Tuna and Walnuts

My dad's lunch almost every single day is tuna on Ezekiel toast and a handful of walnuts and I have learned to just luvvvvvvvv walnuts! Ocassionally he'll have a handful of blueberries and they're yummy too but those walnuts are just the bomb! Dad just handed me one and mom caught me chewing with my mouth open. Sorry, very un-ladylike- it's that darn camera again!

I have learned just the right technique for begging in hopes that dad will share that lunch with me! I stare long and hard at his face - really concentrating hard - looking like the sweet little angel that I can be! It gets these hoomans every time!!! hehehe

The most unfair part is when dad decides he needs to actually eat his lunch and his arm goes up in front of my face and I can't see!!!! So then I have to take my paw and place it on his arm so that he remembers that I'm there and that I'm very patiently waiting for that tidbit that I "need" to stay alive. He seems to forget a lot that I'm a starving girl! If the paw on his arm doesn't work then we try the paw in his lap. One of these actions is sure to work!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww he took pity on me! I sure do love my daddy! He's so good to me!

Until next time............................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

January Walkie Day

Going for a walk is not a different daily adventure for me - it's routine and I love it! The days that it rains or is much too cold to walk are depressing days for me because I really, really love my walkie!
We walked this morning and mom forget her camera at home, so when we got back she grabbed the Kodak and we went for a second walk on our property. We have 5 acres and 2 ponds and there is always an adventure or a sniff or two that's new around here. It's about 35 degrees here right now and the sun is out and it's just lovely. You can almost feel spring in the aire - oh how I wish! (That's mom talking about spring, not me. I love winter)

I'm over by our small pond in this pic - sniffing for something tasty. Nope, it's all frozen!

The above photo is the large pond in our back yard. This pond is home to our mute swan Dauby and three Greylag geese - a mom, a dad and a child Greylag. The mom and dad had 4 goslings in 2005. When autumn arrived, 3 of them took off (like they're supposed to) but one stayed behind. I guess he didn't want to leave the cushy life here! He's actually the smart one - he gets fed every day - no hunting for food to stay alive here!!! We also have mallards that come daily for the free hand outs!

This next photo is Dauby and the menagerie of waterfowl up close. We have a device called a bubbler that sits on the bottom of the pond and keeps an area of water defrosted in the winter so that the birds have fresh water to drink and swim in. Depending on how cold the weather gets, their swimming area can either be larger or very small. They actually have a pretty good area for swimming so far this winter.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm off to see if maybe mom won't want to go for a third walk!!!

Until next time....................

Love ya lots,

Maggie