Another Dog Adventure!

Here is the higher and improved gate for our driveway, which CB built yesterday. Notice the gap on the right, so I can easily reach the latch from the outside!


Although CB boarded up the bottom of our backyard fence back in July 2010 (pictured here) , he did not do that behind the bushes. This morning, Cisco disappeared--and when I went to investigate where he had been spending a lot of time recently, I found the missing board as pictured below. Cisco loves to dig and discover rotten boards that can be chewed and pushed away. Luckily, Maisie could not fit through that hole. Plus, Cisco comes when he is called, so he did not go far.

Now CB is outside, repairing this part of the fence. I'm glad he is so handy at fixing and building things.

Over the Fence!

This is just a random funny picture of dogs jumping a fence, but it gives you an idea of the way Maisie jumped over our gate two days ago. Ever since we moved into this house, we've had a rolling 4-ft. high fence across the driveway--to keep our young children and their dogs safe. Now it's just to keep our three dogs in the backyard.

On Thursday CB and I came home to find Maisie gone. Remember she's the yellow lab mix (with hound!) that was left in our yard the day after Christmas two years ago? There was a message on the answering machine from our postman, telling us that he'd found our dog some blocks away. Finally, we got her back and learned that she had leaped the fence after Cisco had gotten through a hole nearby--Maisie couldn't fit through that opening and so followed Cisco running off!

The quick remedy CB found was to nail boards on top of the gate so it would deter Maisie from jumping until today, when he began building a newer and higher gate.

Today CB is building the new gate in this wonderful weather that a cold front brought to us--it is only 68 degrees F. (on Thursday it got up to 92!).

What Maisie says today

You may (or may not) recall that Maisie is our 1 1/2 Year old Lab mix dog who was left in our backyard the day after Christmas 2009. She loves to bark!

Spring in Corpus Christi, Texas

Bright, bright green leaves on the mesquite trees herald spring here.

Spring in south Texas is short and sweet; it is almost over already. The temperatures are so much like summer-days in Bellingham, WA that I feel deja vu. But now the humidity keeps rising, as do the temperatures; sadly, few cold fronts are getting through--soon they won't at all.

So before going to Spain tomorrow, I wanted to post some Texas spring pictures, which I have now deleted from my camera (along with Avery's) so I'll have a lot of room for all the images I record in Spain!

New green leaves on my live oak tree 2010 Christmas present from my kids!

Another sign of spring here is live oak pollen.
It piles up on roads, sidewalks, driveways, and
other places like the angel statue friends gave me for my 50th birthday.

My Christmas poinsettia is also going to be my "Easter poinsettia."

Soon it will be too hot for pansies to grow here.
They are spring/winter plants in south Texas.

Maisie excitedly looks for birds and squirrels,
as well as geckos in the other direction.

CB's tomato plants, which are the new ones, proteced by two fences.
Maisie kept digging them up.

Maisie's wet adventure

CB bathing Maisie

This morning Maisie ran away and had a joyous run in the rain as a cold front was blowing through here with thunderstorms. Usually we close the driveway gate when one of us leaves, but this morning CB forgot. I did not realize that and put the dogs outside; after an hour or so, I wondered where Maisie was because the other dogs had come inside. That is when I discovered the gate was open!

I very slowly drove around in the heavy rain, trying to spot her. After 30 minutes, I called CB who was working at a Habitat house, wailing that Maisie was lost. So he drove back and started looking, too.

Eventually, he called to say he had found her but that she kept running away from him. I drove to meet him; luckily, by then CB had gotten her into his truck. YAY!! I was so worried that Maisie was gone.

The result for Maisie was a bath. Now she is whimpering because she is stuck in the laundry room until she dries off; she can see Baillie and Cisco--and me typing on the computer through the French door.

It is a good day, after all.

Cozy Chair

Maisie loves to climb up into CB's lap. In this chair, she likes to sleep on his lap. (In TX, CB often wears shorts in the winter. Today it was 89 degrees F.!)

A BIG Mistake!

Today the sectional couch we ordered on Sept. 24 was delivered.
Look at it!

We needed it to fit 68 inches of wall space, and it was 10 inches too long! The images we were given to fit into our space on paper indicated that those two pieces would be 26 + 42 inches. We were never told that those were the inside measurements.

Much waiting and many phone calls ensued, with the two delivery men standing around, chatting amiably with us, for 1 1/2 hours. It was finally determined that the end piece would be returned and a new long piece equaling 68 inches in total will be manufactured. We just hope it will not take another two months. . . .

This is what we have now, which looks much better than it did.

Cisco and Maisie sniffing the new couch

The dogs have been sniffing the couch and the various cushions. We hope that Maisie will not climb up on the sofa, as she did with the old love seat.

Here is guilty looking Maisie, who is trying to get down before I see her.

My mother helped me pick out that love seat when we moved into this house in 1987. It is now sitting in BJ's old room, awaiting MJ having her own apartment in fall 2011. (Trinity University requires its students to live on-campus for the first three years of college.)

We also hope that Maisie will not chew and rip the new couch as she did with the above pictured love seat. Go here if you want to see what damage she inflicted upon it.

Friday Five: Unexpected Thanks

With the American holiday of Thanksgiving being less than a week away, I tried to think of some questions for Friday Five that could be connected to this, but in a new way. So here is my one try:

Name five things that were unexpected in your life that you are now grateful for.

1. Our fourth child MJ, who is now 21 years old. She was a big surprise and is 4 1/2 years younger than her closest sibling (BJ). God blessed us with her, and we have never ever thought of her as a "mistake."

2. The arrival of a little flea-ridden yellow puppy on Dec. 26, 2009. Maisie is a wonderful and energetic member of our family.

MJ and Maisie
December 2009

3. Hydroplaning on I-37 about eight years ago, returning from a class at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. The car skidded off the highway onto the grassy median, but did not collide or turn over. I was very lucky. That taught me not to use cruise control on wet pavement and/or while it is raining.

4. Writing weekly to my sister-in-law Chris brought an unanticipated and an unusually strong connection between us, even though she lives in WA State and I live in TX (and have lived away from WA since 1972).

5. My mother's sudden death from pancreatic cancer in 1992 brought me to an awareness of and yearning for God. There was also grief and depression in ensuing years, which eventually drew me closer to God.

Sun and Drizzle

Washington State has been in the sunshine for two days and now is back in the clouds, which is more normal for November. Today it is gray and drizzly and is about 50 degrees F.

When CB and I flew here on Wednesday, we were shocked to clearly see all the mountains from our plane. The woman sitting next to me said she had traveled to Seattle on business trips for the last 12 years, and this was the first time she had ever seen Mount Rainier while in the air! When we arrived in Seattle, it was a record 74 degrees F., which was warmer than the weather we had left in TX. It was beautiful; I went around taking pictures of brilliantly colored Japanese maple trees.

We flew here for my father-in-law's 85th birthday. The party was last night in Bellingham, and it was full of laughter, fun and love. All four children and their spouses were there. It was one of the nicest times we have had together. There were three birthday cakes--for beloved dad, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law (me), so there was a lot of blowing on many candles. Oddly, I had the most candles; my sister-in-law Chris said that candelight was much kinder to older faces.

Now in Seattle, we are visiting friends and daughters AE and KA. I loved meeting AE today near the University of Washington Quad. She looked lovely in a brown sweater and jeans and took us to see her office. It is wonderful to see the girls again so soon after their surprise visit to Austin for my birthday.

Two days in Bellingham and two days in Seattle, then we whiz back to San Antonio, TX, so we can take daughter MJ out for her birthday dinner on Sunday night.

We are fortunate to travel here and also to have a friend, who is also my massage therapist, stay at our house taking care of our three dogs and one cat. The first time Denise met Maisie, Maisie kept leaping on her, leaving muddy pawprints. Denise was a little worried about being with Maisie so much and kept those muddy clothes to be worn just around the dogs, calling them her "Maisie clothes." However, she says that Maisie has calmed down and all the dogs like her.

Weekend Pictures

Here are a few pictures from DC and AA's visit with us, along with their English Bulldog Sampson.

Jan and AA at the baby shower.

AA with Sampson chewing on one of Maisie's toys.

Maisie and Sampson liked to play tug-of-war,
though Sampson tired sooner than Maisie.

Maisie is barking at Sampson because he has the tugging toy.

More Maisie pictures!

Maisie loves to climb up on to CB's lap when he is at his computer.
Baillie is to the right.

Maisie wiggles on CB's lap and usually chews while squirming,
but she's kissing him here.

During the thunderstorm yesterday,
Maisie lay quietly under my computer desk.

Maisie Pictures

Cathy told me that she would like to see some pictures of Maisie. The most recent ones are with MJ after we returned from WA State a few weeks ago. Maisie loves MJ, and MJ adores Maisie.

Maisie is hyper and excited, as usual.

Can't you see how much Maisie loves MJ?

Doggy Pictures

Maisie and Cisco like to take naps in these locations, but I woke them up when I got the camera out. You can see various spots on the chair and table where Maisie has chewed.

After a hot day working at Habitat for Humanity, where CB works four days each week, CB is down on the floor playing with Maisie and trying to placate Cisco.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. . . .

CB and I are starting to make decisions about what we want to do in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau. Which tour, which path, which way to go?

As we ready for our big trip, other thoughts flutter around:

• I've met for a Monday lunch with three friends since 1995. Last week DHT was telling us how her elderly father is so much fun that his grandchildren love to do things with him. Then everyone decided that we need to be "FUN" people; but I am not that type of extroverted person. Today when I voiced that doubt, the others told me I was a good listener and was interested in all sorts of things, so I'd be okay. (whew!)

• The Wisdom Class finishes Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird tomorrow. We will not meet again until after Labor Day. For the first time in years, we will take a long break. In this time, I need to decide upon our next book; I am seriously considering The Case for God by Karen Armstrong, which comes out in a paperback edition in September.

• I signed Maisie up for a training class that will meet for eight weeks starting on August 18. That will be good for both of us!

• Even with the Kindle, I'll be taking too many books on our trip to Alaska. There are a few I want to finish and then leave with AE and KA. My friend PD gave me some interesting books about Alaska that will be good to read. It is always my tendency to bring along an excess of books, as if there are no bookstores anywhere I am going. . . .

• CB's 60th birthday will occur while we are on the ferry from Juneau to Bellingham. It will not be a big celebration, and he doesn't seem to care, which is good. It is odd to me not to be baking him his usual chocolate cake.

• I typed up the short section about pain from chapter 6 in Into the Silent Land. I emailed it as an attachment to several people I know who are suffering. If anyone is interested in receiving that, please email me and I will send it to you.
  

Maisie's Latest Chewing Endeavor

Unfortunately, out loveseat is Maisie's latest chewing desire. This has been going on for the last week or so, and we have not been able to stop her. She rarely is left in this room without supervision now. She has various chew toys to choose from, but this seems to be her favorite. No other dog we have ever had has chewed on upholstered furniture before. We are not happy.

Dig-Free Fence?

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that our two youngest dogs Cisco and Maisie like to dig under the fence--to freedom. Ever since Maisie arrived, Cisco has been showing her how to do it! We've placed bricks to stop up the holes, sometimes belatedly.

Today my wonderful and diligent husband CB spent hours before church and after, digging, moving bricks and nailing fence boards to the bottom of our fence. It is hot and humid and felt like it was 100 F. degrees most of the day.

You can see how thrifty CB is--he used an old fence board (that he replaced) on the bottom of the fence to the left. Below is where he took it!

This was the major opening for the dogs' last escape. You can see how the boards start to rot and then the dogs chew and push at the bottoms.

It was so hot today that I was able to hang two different loads of clothes on the clothesline, this one being the second at 2 pm, when I had already taken in the first load (dried) inside to fold.

Maisie is looking through a knothole at CB talking to our next door neighbor on the other side of the fence. This is another "skill" she learned from Cisco!

Maisie jumps up

Maisie jumps up on CB's lap when he's at the computer, which he allows and then helps her to get onto his lap. Sometimes Maisie pounds on the keyboard.


Cisco usually stares quite jealously at Maisie on CB's lap. When I asked him why he never had Cisco on his lap, CB told me that Cisco had never tried. Poor Cisco has much better manners.

Unfortunately, Maisie thinks she can jump up on anyone, and I get irritated when she jumps up on me, especially when I am typing.

Since both Cathy and my daughter AE want more pictures of Maisie, I'll try to remember to do that.

Dogs Dig Out (again)

Just one of the boards they chewed on to get out.

As I got out of the shower this morning, the phone rang--CB was calling me from the Habitat site to tell me that the dogs were OUT! All three had been outside in the fenced-in yard. Maisie and Cisco had dug out again. I blogged about their digging awhile ago here.

BUT how did CB know this when he is across town doing construction? Our nice neighbor, who sometimes takes care of the dogs when we are gone, called him, since I was not available to answer the phone.

When I went out the backdoor, I was surprised to find Maisie there! Only later did I learn from our neighbor that he had hauled her by the collar into the backyard and then blocked the hole, but he said Cisco would not come to him. By the time I got a treat and the leash and went out the front door to find Cisco, Cisco was sitting there waiting to be let in! Cisco always comes back home, but not Maisie (yet).

Here is Maisie sniffing at the blockage to her hole:

And here are tired Cisco and Maisie:

A Dog's Thoughts

BJ's dog Troy was here for about 40 hours, much to Maisie's delight. Troy runs and runs and runs, always looking UP.

Troy must be a bird dog. He'll run looking up, then stop and look up, and go off again running. I feel like he's always saying in his mind, "Bird? Bird? Bird! Bird!"


Imagining that Troy is thinking mostly about catching a bird (or a squirrel) reminded me of the wonderful children's book Barney Bipple's Magic Dandelions by Carol Chapman and illustrated by Steven Kellogg, which unfortunately may not be readily available for purchase. Barney's book has his dog voicing his canine thoughts!

Barney is given three magic dandelions by this amazingly eccentric woman named Miss Minerva Merkle. He wishes to be eight years old like his big brother; he wants his dog Snoozer to talk; and wishes for a big, shiny car to drive. The funniest part is about his dog's thoughts:

Barney asks him, "Wouldn't you like to tell me about some adventures?"

"What adventures? All I do is eat and sleep. I did have an interesting dream about a steak once," said Snoozer.

Steven Kellogg's illustrations have images of Snoozer's thoughts that go like this:
eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep. . . . . That's what I remembered when I imagined Troy's chasing thoughts. When I reminded both BJ and MJ of the book about Barney Bipple, they both remembered it!

In contrast, I think Maisie's thinking might be more sophisticated in that she skitters among many topics: eating, drinking, chewing, running, playing, chewing, sleeping, on the couch when no one is around (to be repeated over and over again).

Maisie sneaks up here, which is supposedly not allowed. But our kids let their animals on the furniture more than we do so Maisie has gotten used to doing that, especially with MJ.

Four Dogs!

Baillie, Maisie, Troy, and Cisco

BJ and MJ came home this weekend, so BJ brought Brittany Spaniel Troy. This is the first time I've ever managed to get all four dogs in a picture together, as they collapsed after being outside in the heat. You can also see our two computer desks; mine is the messy one on the left, where I am typing right now.