Dust...

Dust was flying today. Ralph the Mouth and Sir Licks A Lot are busy playing with Monster and I, Buddy, am as usual sitting back and referee'ing. Sometimes they tackle me back to back and most of the time it is 2 on 1. H1 hollers at us, but we only stop for a minute and then the attack resumes. Whoops... gotta go...

There they go...

Sprinting pace.

Bam.... take down. Monster on the ground, RTM and SLA are on him. RTM got him by the neck and SLA is tackling his legs. Monster doesn't stand a chance.

Bark. That'll get them to settle down. Well I guess that was only short lived. There they go...

Sprinting pace...

Bam... take down. RTM and Monster have Sir Licks A Lot on the ground, neck and legs getting tackled.

Hey, how come Ralph The Mouth is always making everyone else do all the work on the take down. Then RTM jumps in for the neck grabbing. Hmmm... this is something to ponder....

.....

Aging....

Not all of us are spring chickens here on the farm. A lot of us are older and that means we are aging. We know it, H1 knows, but that still doesn't make it ok for H1. H1 is a very compassionate and loving person and loves us all with her whole heart.

So it should come as no surprise to anyone that she is in tears. Just today we learned the The Queen has Kidney Disease. Due to Queen's age we know that this isn't something she'll recover from. So all H1 can do is make her as comfortable as possible until...

The until is what has H1 so depressed.

It's all just too much right now with the loss of B and now this news. H1 knows understands the life and death cycle, but it doesn't mean she is happy about the ending.

What's that?

I can hear it, can you? Hmmmm.... where's that coming from? Do you hear it Droopy? Yes, I hear it Monster. Let's find out where it's coming from. Hmm, not back here, or here... Come this way Monster I think I'm on it... There it is... there it is. Get it!

Hiss.
Bark.
Hiss.
Bark. Lunge.
Hiss. Strike.
Bark. Lunge. Got it. Swing. Drop.
Hiss. Strike.
Bark. Lunge. Got it. Swing. Drop.
Hisssssssssss.

Woohoo, we did it Droopy, we did!

Uh-oh, here comes H1. What, what? We didn't do anything. Um, why are you chasing us around with that intruder? Why? What do you mean I shouldn't have done that?

What? A Bull Snake? So. What? It takes care of Rattlesnakes. No, you aren't mad at us are you? No, just we can't play with snakes? But H1!!! It's an i.n.t.r.u.d.e.r!!

Whine.
Droopy eyes.
Whine.
Bark.
Wag tail.
Lick.

C'mon you know you want some licks from us.

Ok, ok. H1 says just say no to snakes. We better listen.

Still struggling....

Things are still difficult for us all here at the farm. A lot of people think that life just goes on. Well it does, but not without pain. Not without wondering. Not without questioning. We are doing as best as we can be. H1 and H2 are still struggling greatly.

However, play has resumed on the farm and we have been very mischievous so stay tuned for more updates....

Mourning

The last month has been difficult on the farm. H1 and H2 are still struggling with the loss of Bruiser, Phat Boy. We still look for him. We still miss him too....

RIP

12/04-7/2/10

Bruiser, Phat Boy, Bruiseman, B Dog



Reach for the sky mister. Reach for the sky.

We love you and miss you.

Mama and Sir Licks A Lot miss you tremendously.

Don't know what happened. Don't know what caused it. Don't know why I couldn't save you. Wish I could have. I will forever remember the look of fear in your eyes. I will never forget the 1 minute I tried to save your life only to have you take your last breath. I was at such a loss. I still can't believe it. We love you so much. We miss you.

Thank you for being a fantastic buddy. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for making us laugh. Thank you for protecting us. Thank you for being a good, kind, loving, caring friend. You will never be forgotten. I wish I could have done more. I wish there was a way.

I hope you have endless treats in Heaven. I hope you have numerous friends. Remember to be nice. Remember we love you.

Storm....

Droopy

Storms a coming. Buddy's been crazy the last couple of days. The wind has not made him a happy camper. Now my leg is a twitching. Storm must be coming. I don't like storms. Buddy gets in a tizzy and I get all hyped up and H1 starts a hollarin' at us to settle down. Which doesn't work.

Why does H1 think I'm going to listen when Buddy is in a tizzy. Doesn't she know Buddy runs the show. She's only our pet... errr... I mean human. Buddy is in charge of us canine. He barks we listen, he snaps we surrender, he stirs, we jump, he flies into a tizzy, I fly into a tizzy. No one else does though. Just Buddy and I.

I look up to Buddy. Well that's not really hard. Buddy does tower over me. I used to be the shortest dog on the farm that is until Ralph the Mouth joined us. I was also the lowest in the pecking order until Ralph the Mouth. It's funny that everyone thinks I'm part of the pecking order around this place. Don't they know I march to the beat of my own drum. Except when Buddy's leading or talking.

I get away with a lot around here. I've got the corner marketed on easy street. All you have to do is snuggle up to H2 and H1 lets everything slide... I mean it too... easy street. Just don't let my friends catch on as to how I do it!

Wind...

Buddy

There's a storm a brewing. I can smell it in the air. The wind is blowing. Hard, not softly. It's a hot wind. I don't mind the wind too much. I can live without the heat and the freezing storms, but I don't mind a subtle wind. Not the winds coming in off of a hurricane. Storms a coming. Best baton down the hatches. I got to get this group in line. They run around here crazily when a storm is coming. They act like it is no big deal. They never pay attention to me and I am always left trembling. I don't like storms. I don't like loud noises. Makes me too nervous. I'm an ol' fellow now, life is suppose to be easy. Storms aren't easy.

It's hot....

Phat Boy

Wow, temps over 100. Buddy doesn't like this heat. He says his joints feel better in cooler temps even though they make it more difficult to move around. Big Guy wishes he was white instead of black. It's hot. It's going to get hotter.

Fortunately, we all have fresh running water anytime we want it. H1 makes sure of that. We spend a lot of time lounging around on hot days. H1 says it's just plain too hot to do anything! I think we all agree. I personally prefer cooler weather. As a light colored dog I tend to get sunburnt pretty easily. H1 has to put sunblock on me sometimes.

What's hard is that I'm not really a cool weather dog either. I have really short hair. So spring and autumn weather is my friend. My mama is the same way. Well I think we all are the same way.

Farm living...

The other day I heard something. Since I'm still a young pup I, Monster, wasn't sure what it was so I enlisted my trusty ol' friend Droopy in searching out the culprit. Droopy's got a nose on him, you see, he can sniff out a 3 day old trail and sure enough Droopy found the culprit. We started barking madly. Then Phat Boy, Ralph the Mouth and Sir Licks A Lot started barking. H1 was inside, busy nursing a head cold. Oh no, what were we going to do? Woof, WOOF. Still the culprit wouldn't leave. Woof, WOOF. H1 began hollering, she says because the barking was echoing off the stuffed passages in her head. We didn't listen. Hmmm... why not? Well now H1 was in danger, we had to protect her too. Then H1 realized we were concentrating on a tree. Barking. Barking. BARKING. Oh crap!

H1 flew out the house, hollering at us, she was clearly not happy. I can't understand why doesn't she know we are just trying to get this intruder to leave. OH NO shouts H1! STOP! STOP! RUN, RUN, GET AWAY! BACK, STAY, INSIDE, BACK, NO, NO!! CRAP!!! Shovel. Yes, shovel. H1 puts herself between us and the SNAKE. She's clearly more experienced at this then I am, I best listen if I want my treats later. Back. Back.... back.... Ok H1 I'm back. I hear H1 say, dogs safe, H2 safe, H1 NOT! NO, NO, don't lunge at her. BACK. OUT! GET OFF OUR PROPERTY! CRAP, it's a rattler! LUNGE, NO! H1 SHOVEL................

When you live out in the country you know you are going to encounter some critters, some wanted, some not. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that sometimes a snake crawls through the yard. H1 tells me we've had snakes in the yard since she moved here 12 years ago. They have always been harmless snakes, bull snakes, red racers, gardner snakes and king snakes and she always let them go on their merry way.

Flat Mia, day 3....

Let's see where did I end off. Oh yes, the race. Well Sir Licks A Lot was winning until Phat Boy came in for a sideways tackle which caught Sir Licks A Lot off guard, but it did not deter him. He managed to finish the race with Monster gaining on his backside and Ralph the Mouth barking eagerly along side the gang. Of course, Buddy sat by and watched their crazy antics and Droopy had his nose in a gopher hole. Droopy is always on to the scent of something and H1 is always hollering at him to leave the other critters alone. That Droopy, he is a character.

So today, I got a chance to ride Black Beauty. Well I thought I was going to ride him, but he was cranky because he was eating breakfast. H1 told me we would have to come back later. Just then I saw a Coyote walking down the road and I high tailed it back inside.

And later we did. I met up with H2 who couldn't wait to go for a ride. I asked H2 about using a saddle and the response I got was a little alarming "Silly, this is the Wild Wild West we don't need a saddle for this adventure." Hang on to your cowboy hats boys and girls we are off. As we walked along I got an opportunity to see high above, Black Beauty is the Gentle Giant of Horses. He is tall and likes to just walk along and check out the sights just like I do! Oh what is that? H2 says not to worry, it is just a Jack Rabbit. A what? A Jack the Rabbit? No, a Jack Rabbit, apparently it is the larger version of a rabbit here in the southwest, though they do have Jack Rabbits and Cottontails. Pretty tall too, but not as tall as Black Beauty. H1 tells me that over yonder are some Petroglyphs, but unfortunately, it is getting too late in the day to make the trek that way. H1 tells me I should learn all about the prehistoric Hohokam people of this area and their drawings. She promises to tell me more later.

Stay tuned next Monday for the final update of my visit...

Flat Mia... bump in the night...

It's 8 p.m. again, time to settle in for the night. Just got done enjoying some BBQ Chicken, roasted corn and potatoes. I sure am enjoying country meals, scrumptious food and great company. Well I'm off to bed now. I hear I am heading out in the next day or two. I'll check in with everyone again tomorrow....

.... Yip, Yip, Yip, HOWLLLLLL.... Huh? What's THAT? Did you hear that? Is that the owl again? No, it can't be the owl. HOWL. Is that one of the dog's, it kind of sounds like a dog. Hmmm.... what could it be? H1 assures me it is just a Coyote passing by. A COYOTE!?! I look out the curtain, but the night is black and I can not see a thing. I can only hear the Yip, Yip, Yip of the Coyotes talking to each other. I close the curtain and snuggle back in my bed and try to sleep... try to sleep... finally the Coyotes pass and I can barely here them in the distance...

Stay tuned for the next update on Wednesday.

Flat Mia, day 2 part 2

I learned a lot from Buddy. He tells me you must slow down and smell the flowers or else you will miss out on the beauty of life. He also tells me that you need to rise as the sun is rising to know what the day will bring.

After a nice lunchtime nap H1 tells me it is time to meet the rest of the gang. Now remember, she doesn't know this rowdy group was already playing with me when I first arrived here. I'm next introduced to Mama, Monster, Phat Boy, Sir Licks A Lot, Droopy, Ralph the Mouth and the Queen.

Mama made her way to the farm 6 years ago. Someone dumped her in the desert and she found her way to the farm. She ended up being pregnant and two of her boys still live on the farm, Sir Licks A Lot and Fat Boy, the other 5 siblings were adopted out. Of course, you wouldn't know that Mama, Sir Licks A Lot and Phat Boy were related because none of them look alike, but they are and they are the best of friends. As a matter of fact, if one of them ends up trailing behind or gets shut out of an area the others whine and wait for H1 to take notice and reunite. Even if their separation was for only a split second they get excited and start jumping around.

Monster is a funny dog. He loves to play! He also likes chasing after H2 especially when they play hide and seek. He always finds H2 hiding under the blankets, it is his favorite game. Monster and Droopy are H2's favorite playtime friends. Ralph the Mouth is the noisiest of the group. Ralph the Mouth constantly barks at anything that moves. Yes, she might even bark at the wind. She is a high alert dog which is probably due to her breed. Ralph the Mouth has a lot of charming qualities, but she also gets into a lot of trouble. Mostly trash trouble. Yep, even though she is fed well she likes trash. You will often here H1 hollering across the way telling her to stay out of the trash. You really can't blame Ralph the Mouth for liking trash, it just means her nose is working.

What I'm learning around here is that love is plentiful and discipline is short. H1 may holler a stern warning to this rowdy, mischievious group, but that is all. H1 says "We are only keepers of God's creatures and our job is to provide comfort, warmth and love to all of mankind's best friends".

Well it looks like the evening race is going to begin. I put my bets on Sir Licks A Lot he seems to be the most built for a scrimmage across the farm.

Stay tuned next Monday for another update...

Flat Mia, day 2....

Today, H1 introduced me to some of the 4 legged critters that call Dusty Creek their home. Shhhh... yes, I know I already met some of them yesterday, but H1 doesn't know the mischief that this rowdy group was into yesterday. Tee hee! H1 tells me all about her friends here on the farm and how well they get along with each other. H1 mentions all the play time and activities that are scheduled to keep the critters happy and healthy. They are spoiled if you ask me, they want for nothing here and it just goes to show you how much love H1 has for all of them.

H1 introduces me to Black Beauty and tells me that he is 30 years old. That is old for a horse as they usually only live 20-30 years. H1 tells me that Black Beauty has had an easy life over the last several years because since he has grown older he has slowed down. Though I am told that Black Beauty was a Grand Champion at horse shows back in the day. That's a lot to be proud of if you ask me! No wonder he is taking it easy.

H1 then introduces me to Buddy. Buddy is the oldest of the dogs that reside here on the farm. He is also the mellowest and wisest. Apparently, Buddy has not gotten in trouble since he was about a year old and that was only because H1 left the laundry out to dry too long and well you know Buddy got all excited when he saw the sheets blowing in the wind and thought they wanted to play with him. That was 12 years ago and Buddy is now 13; he moves a little slower, but he is still loved greatly. Buddy and Black Beauty are the best of friends. He and Black Beauty used to ride together and often when Black Beauty is being exercised on the farm Buddy happily walks along side of him. I can tell from looking at Buddy he has a lot of stories to share, but he also has a lot of love to give. So for now, I'm going to sit down and enjoy Buddy's company.

Stay tuned on Wednesday for another day 2 update....

Flat Mia, bump in the night....

Well it is my first night here on the farm, after feeding the critters we had a good grub of steak and beans for dinner. H1 is really happy that I had made it here and can't wait to show me around. It's been a long day already and just now 8:00p.m. it is barely getting dark. The sun sets late here in the west. Well I'm off to sleep now I'll check in tomorrow.

....Who - who.... who-who... Huh? What's THAT?! Did you hear that? Oh my gosh what was that sound? "H1, H1, H1!!!!" H1 assures me it is just one of the Great Horned Owl's that come out late at night searching for food and to explore. As I peak out the window I can see it, sitting on top of the Giant Saguaro right out front. What I see is the big bird with what looks like horns on top of its head. I quickly close the curtains so as to not scare it off and I fall asleep to the lullabyes of the who-who's....

Stay tuned next Monday for another update...

Flat Mia, day 1....

May 3, 2010

I have arrived at Dusty Creek Farm. Woohoo! Wow, this place is dry and dusty. I now understand what they mean when people say "Yeah, but it's a dry heat". I was greeted by the critters that call the farm home and boy are there a lot of them. Those nosiest of all was Black Beauty, he rescued me from the mail carrier. Just kidding, he snuck me out, but told me I had to be back in with the rest of the mail by feeding time. Buddy told Black Beauty it wasn't a good idea and that they should wait until H1 checked the mail, but of course, no one wanted to listen to the old fella. When I arrived there was a lot of barking and fanfare, I guess my arrival has been much anticipated. I met a rabbit named Rock and spent some time getting to know her. She told me about all the events she has seen while residing at the farm. She says there have been turtle and chicken races and an iguana race. She says that now Monster, Sir Licks A Lot, Ralph the Mouth and Phat Boy race from one side of the farm to the other all day long. It's more of a who can tackle who kind of race. She says they are all silly and a little bit crazy. I learned that H1 and H2 don't have much, but they have a lot of love and open their homes to all the needy animals that come across their path. Rock tells me she often sees H1 stopped in the middle of the road waiting for a mama Quail and her family to cross the road. Most people would just drive on by and possibly end up hurting the Quail family, but not H1. She must have a big heart if she has the patience to wait for a Quail family to cross the road. Have you seen a Quail family before? Rock tells me that she has seen a family with 10 babies before. Wow! I think Rock really knows more about this place then anyone else around here. I wonder how old she is?

Oh wait.... what's that... uh-oh, that is one of them there SNAKES! I asked Rock what to do and she tells me to get high. So I started climbing the Saguaro Cactus. That snake spent his time searching for food before slithering away. I clung to the cactus for so long that I think I got a thorn in my hand. Rock tells me he is not the only snake here. I really hope I don't see anymore! Stay tuned until Wednesday for another update....

Phat Boy...

H1 found out today that my name was spelled wrong. Apparently, it is chic to say that's so Phat. H1 thought it was weird that kids now-a-days say fat so often. Imagine the surprise when someone corrected H1's spelling. So I will go from Fat Boy to Phat Boy beginning today. Thank goodness H1 has the hindsight to realize this error. I don't want to get a complex about my name especially since every person, critter and thing comes in all different shapes and sizes. That is the beauty of the world, our differences. What's even more important is that I have a name that reflects just how cool I really am. And now to find a pair of sunglasses that fit with my coolness.

Flat Mia has arrived.....

May 3, 2010

Flat Mia arrived today from New York. Don't tell H1, but when the mail carrier delivered her we snuck her out for a quick romp around the farm. Really it was Black Beauty who started all of this, I mean he does have the longest neck in the group and thus was able to reach her first. I think our excitement may have scared her though as she quickly began climbing the Saguaro. LOL! Oh well, Black Beauty snuck her back to the mailbox and H1 is none the wiser. Tee hee! Stay tuned next Monday to learn what she did next.