(almost) Wordless Wednesday

Hey guys - do I have food on my face????

There are monsters lurking in the grass

 

I was sitting out on my deck a few days ago, shortly after sunrise.  The dogs insist on getting up shortly after daybreak, and it's been so hot here lately that's the only good time for them to be outside.  So we were all sitting there peacefully, enjoying the early morning calm & quiet.  Naturally, I had my camera on hand, just in case.

All of the sudden there was this strange sound - ppppffffffffffffttt!

 

I had forgotten that the sprinklers were set to come on at that time.  To Carmen they were some kind of subterranean monster rising up out of the grass.  Brutus, being the chivalrous older brother he is, went out to investigate the threat.

Following her big brother's lead, Carmen decided to go investigate another sprinkler head.

Getting closer....

Closer....

Closer still....

AAAAaaaahhhhhhh!  It got me!!

 (hides) 
Phew!  That was TOO close!

The result: two wet (therefore unhappy) Frenchies.

Oh Brutus, hide me!  That spitting monster tried to get me!

Stick with me, Carmen.  You've got a lot to learn!

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT (drumroll, please)

I've been hinting for so long it's almost hard to finally come out with it.  Some of you were very keen and picked up some teeny hints as long as two months ago.  Others have ventured some more interesting guesses as I got more blatant about the suggestions.  Many of you were right.  So here is goes....

BRUTUS HAS A LITTLE SISTER!!!!!!!!!!

(warning, cuteness overload and a photo-heavy post to follow)

I proudly introduce Carmen, a 15 week-old brindle Frenchie!  Officially known as Drama Queen d'Assisi (her registered name with the AKC),  she was bred & lovingly raised by our vet/friend Dr. Lori!

I've had the honor of knowing her literally since the moment she was born on March 8th.  This photo was taken within her first hour of life.

Happy Birthday, Carmen (on the right)!  Pictured here with her sister, Vera.

Carmen is from a litter of six - impressive for a Frenchie - two girls and four boys, all brindles (she's second from the right in this lineup, the yawning pup).  

Her parents are the handsome Doug (the fawn I showed you a few weeks ago) and lovely Gena, both owned by Lori. Both are Champions, have their CGCs, and are all-around great dogs that I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the past few years.  So when Lori told me they were expecting, I was so excited to be offered the chance to have one of their pups!

The proud new mom, Gena, with 2-day old pups.  She did a great job with her first litter!

I could go WAY overboard with the photos, since Lori was nice enough to send frequent "pupdates" from the very beginning.  Here are some snapshots of Carmen during her first few weeks of life, trying to keep the cuteness moderately in check.

2 weeks old, fat and happy!

Eyes newly opened, not quite 3 weeks old.

Up and getting around at 3.5 weeks.

I actually met Carmen and her brothers & sister in person when they were 4 weeks old, just starting to explore the little world inside their whelping box.  Since then I was able to spend a some time with her almost every week.  It was so special to have the opportunity to watch her grow & change, and I just can't help but share it with you!

A little more sure of herself, just over 4 weeks.

Ears at half mast, 5 weeks.

Looking more like a Frenchie at 6 weeks.

Already a show-off by 8 weeks!

My first photo with Carmen, 10 weeks old!

11 weeks old, with sister Vera, Carmen (sitting) came to visit and meet her future big brother.

Carmen came home a little late due to our Earlventure, as we didn't think taking a new (un-housebroken) pup on the road was the right thing to do for many reasons.  My biggest worry was how Brutus would accept her, but thankfully now that Carmen is finally here he has risen to the occasion.  Turns out that Brutus is a good big brother after all!  He and Carmen have spent the last few days playing for hours on end.

Someone new to play bitey-face with!!

Yikes, I think I've met my match here!

Then curling up together to recharge their batteries.

Mason, our tribal elder, is a little more reserved with his opinion on the bouncing bridle girl.  He pretty much ignores Carmen, unless she happens to be chasing/hanging off of his tail - in which case she gets a stern (but fair) warning.  They have interacted a little, but for the most part Mason is just glad that Brutus finally has someone else to mess with!

Young whippersnappers, wasting all that energy.  I tell ya....

Unlike her brother, Carmen is a real lover & cuddler.  She is a lot more independent than Brutus, and can play happily in her pen by herself.  She also sleeps contentedly (and cleanly to boot!) in her crate all night.  Carmen is far from housebroken, but shows signs of understanding the whole "potty outside" idea much more readily than her brother (who I still don't trust 100%).  I spend the most time with her, but Carmen also is fond of Paul (unlike Brutus, who won't give him the time of day).  To sum it up, I couldn't have asked for a classier, more beautiful, more fun little girl.  So Lori, if you are reading this - thanks again for allowing Carmen to come into our lives - she is all we hoped for and so much more!

As you can imagine, you'll be seeing LOTS more of Carmen in the coming months.  We're still getting into a good routine, and need to figure out how I'm going to "handle" Carmen on the blog.  Brutus and I need to sit down and have a heart-to-heart about that, in all fairness to him.  He'll still have his spotlight - both here and in the agility ring - and he'll always be my "mama's boy!".

Thanks for all your patience and putting up with my taunting and teasing about the news.  Just wanted to get Carmen home and make sure everything went smoothly before spilling the beans.  Have a great weekend, and tune in next week to see lots more Brutus, a little of Mason, and plenty of guest appearances from new sidekick Carmen!

We're Home!

We made it!  After nearly 20 straight hours on the road, we're home! 

Hey, this is finally starting to look familiar!

Our Wild West Earlventure is officially over.  Here is Captain Paul completing the final hurdle, backing Big Earl into our driveway.  

Over the past (almost) three weeks, he safely piloted us through three time zones and 12 states, complete with some really impressive maneuvering in tight spaces!  In case anyone wants the official trip statistics, here they are straight from the on-board computer:

Yup, a whopping 7.9 miles per gallon.  At 32,000 lbs. Big Earl is not exactly a green vehicle...  But that's the price we have to pay for having all the comforts of home wherever we go.  Can't believe we logged over 90 hours and almost 5,000 miles!

Other than lots of wet, cold weather, the trip lived up to our expectations.  We saw all sorts of wildlife, from bison & elk to bald eagles & pelicans.  Never saw a moose (to Paul's great disappointment), but I was able to corral and tame the elusive jackalope!  Who knew they were so big!

We never really did "see" a bear - save this one that was just a speck on the horizon, even through binoculars.  You'll have to take my word for it, but this really is a grizzly according to the ranger who pointed him out.  See that little black dot right in the middle of the photo? That's our bear!

Admittedly, we were hoping for a little closer bear encounter than that.  However when Brutus showed up with his guy, I was glad it wasn't the real thing (although it is supposedly life-sized).

Hey, mom - look what followed me home!  Can we keep him?

Sorry Brutus, he'd eat us out of house & home.  Literally.  Why else would we have found this sign:

So no moose or bears, but otherwise the trip was a complete success!  Speaking of which, there's one more important thing I keep forgetting to mention:  Mason accomplished another milestone in his personal quest!

Can a guy get a little privacy out here??

Yes, Mason pooped in every state we went through!  That brings his grand total (including the New England States from last fall) to 21 states!  Quite the prolific producer our old boy is.  Seriously, how many dogs can claim that kind of statistic????

All in all, I took well over 1000 photos, so what I've shown here on the blog is only a little taste of the fabulous things we saw & did (I'll save the bulk of them for torturing my family by making them sit through slide shows LOL).  I could go on & on, but you've all been patient enough, think I'll leave it at that!

I see it Mason!  I see our house!

It feels so good to be home safely.  Now it's time to clean out Big Earl so that he can rest for a few weeks.  Since several of you asked, there's not much planned for B.E. in the near future, just some weekend trips here and there.  The coach will be home away from home from me & Brutus at an "away" dog show in August, then maybe a trip south in the early fall.  Finally there's Ohio State games to tailgate before Big Earl goes into hibernation for the winter. Maybe some day we'll get to use him when it's NOT raining - that'll be a new experience!  But you know what they say, without rain, there'd be no rainbows!

Well, time for me to get to work.  Thank goodness it's easier to unpack than it is to pack.  Then maybe I can get a little rest in preparation for tomorrow's post.  Are you ready?  Wait for it........  The torture will finally be ending....

I can't believe mom has drug it out this long!  What the heck is she up to?  We're really suspicious....

Yes, our much-heralded BIG ANNOUNCEMENT will be posted tomorrow.  After all the build-up I know no one will believe it until they see it.  I promise, you'll know tomorrow, and it'll have been worth waiting for :)  See ya then!

(almost) Wordless Wednesday: Home Security edition

Our RV and home both share a very sophisticated security system:

You are Getting Very Sleeeeeepy

It's the long haul home.  We're making our way across South Dakota (man, its a WIDE state!), Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and finally the western half of Ohio.  Lots of hours (about 20) to log on the road between here and home, so we're burning them up as fast as we can.  We've got a few drivers on board (Paul and his dad), so no real reason to stop for anything other than gas.  Riding as a passenger has always made me sleepy, and apparently it has the same effect on the dogs.

Both Brutus and Mason have been great little travelers on this trip.  They adapted to the new routine (or should I say lack of routine) without getting too discombobulated, and basically slept any time we are on the road.   As you can see, the remainder of the trip will be accompanied by lots of snoring!

They find the most interesting places & positions to sleep in!  The laptop was where Brutus wanted to lay (my lap), so instead of finding another spot, he just laid on top of it.

Can you even see Mason amidst the pillows and bags?

Brutus thought he had found a way to keep my from taking photos of him while he slept (he's laying on the camera).  Good thing I brought along a back-up!

Brutus is a very relaxed sleeper.  He gets all floppy, like someone took all the stuffing out of him!  This is my view of him napping on my lap, legs dangling down on either side.

Not all the positions they choose look so comfortable.   Here Brutus is pretty much standing while he sleeps, head propped up on the back of the sofa.

And how can he breathe with his nose pressed up against the wall like this?  Maybe through his ears?

Um, Mason - I don't think that's the best way to use that chair.  He really is asleep in this awkward position.

That's more like it!

Of course if Mason lays in the chair, Brutus needs to test it out too.  He fits in a little easier.

Sometimes everyone wants to lay in the same place - the more the merrier, I guess!

But with three on the couch, it gets a little tight!

Anyways, we hope to be home by sometime tomorrow afternoon.  Just a few more fun photos to share and the Earlventure will be over by the end of the week.  Once we get home it's a day of work to get Big Earl unpacked & cleaned up so he can rest for a few weeks.  Until then it's back to everyday life, although I'll refrain from calling it "normal" (nothing around here is normal).  

Lots of other things to catch up on once we return, from Flat Brutus to surprises I've been hinting at for what must seem like forever.  Hey, you've waited this long, what's a few more days? Besides, if you are tired of waiting, take a tip from Brutus:  

   

Nap - it makes time pass faster!