A (Sick) Day Gone To The Dogs

Tonks engages me in a staring contest out on our back deck today.  

I had to call in sick to work today.

A really nasty early season cold. Actually, I probably could have soldiered through the day except for my voice. The cold rendered it totally nonexistent.

Most people would rejoice at the news that I was finally silenced for at least a day. (SHADDUP Already!!!! is something I tend to hear a lot.)

But my job entails talking with customers and clients, pretty much constantly for eight hours on the phone. That wasn't going to work.

Tonks concedes she lost the staring contest.  

This afternoon, feeling a little down in the dumps for being sick on what looked like a gorgeous Vermont autumn day, my two dogs, Tonks and Jackson looked at each other, looked at me, and then ordered me outdoors into the sunshine on our back deck.

It was nice out there. And all I had to do is sit and relax. No exertion to make my stupid little illness worse.

To cheer me up, Tonks and Jackson struck a few poses. They really were voguing. It did cheer me up.

Luckily I had my iPhone with me to grab a few of the poses to cheer you up, too.  

Jackson trying to look cool and world-weary. 

Tonks laughs at a joke, but Jackson doesn't seem to get it.

Jackson thinks he's livin' the thug life here.  

All Dogs (And People) Deserve To Roll Around In the Green Grass

Jackson the Cocker Spaniel tells us to
stop and roll in the grass, and smell
the spring air.  

Here in northwestern Vermont, Thursday evening brought us perfect spring weather. The sun was out, the sky was a deep blue.

The air had the first hint of summertime warmth and a strong, steady breeze made the air invigorating, and kept the black flies to a minimum.

In other words, I had to get busy, busy, busy with the gardening, the landscaping, the yard care. Pronto.

Jackson the Cocker Spaniel would have none of that. He ordered me to go outside with him, pointed at the new green grass, and said he must lie down in it.

And stay there.

Yep. The dog told me to Sit! Stay!

I complied, but was antsy at first. But soon I watched Jackson rolling around in the grass, and then face the wind. His nose twitched in a thousand different directions at once, absorbing every scent in the gusts.

Soon, I found myself doing the same thing. Just enjoying the different fragrances that flew past me in the breeze. The musky smell of the daffodils. The organic tone of the nearby forest coming to life. The season's first sweet hint of lilac.

I felt myself truly relaxing for the first time in days during this busy season.

Jackson the Cocker Spaniel was right as always. We're lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy moments like this, so enjoy them, dammit!

Which made a video I came across yesterday all the more poignant. It was another one of those beagle rescue videos from the Beagle Freedom Project that have been circulating around the past few years.

The beagles had been kept in cages all their lives for medical and beauty product testing. The video shows the beagles experiencing sunshine and green grass for the first time in their lives.

These are the moments Jackson, me, and most of the rest of us take for granted. That the beagles in the video, at first terrified of the brightness and the soft ground, waited so long to enjoy that is disgusting.

I can arguably see the need to test medical procedures on animals, but lipstick and eye shadow? Please.

Soon, the beagles in the video come to life, and discovered what Jackson the Cocker Spaniel already knows and what Jackson had to remind me of the other day.

To have a truly productive life, you need to stop and have "unproductive" moments of springtime bliss.

That means rolling around in the grass from time to time, and literally stopping to smell the roses.

Here's the beagle video, I told you about, but warning: Kleenex alert!!

A Weekend Gone to the Dogs

It's a slow, cold winter weekend here in  St. Albans, Vermont. It just snowed. It's windy and cold and I don't feel like going outside just yet.

Bailey on high alert last fall. 

There's not much happening out in the world, it seems, except for that blizzard in other parts of New England.

So, I'm giving the day over to the dogs. I've been editing photographs, including some of our dogs. Jackson, the black cocker spaniel, and Bailey, the tan, well, I don't exactly know his entire lineage, will have to fill in and grace this page for now with random pictures of themselves.

But nobody can resist adorable or handsome dog images, so it's all good.

Jackson on not-so-high alert last fall.  

Bailey strikes a come hither pose

Jackson embraces winter

His day as guard dog and old sage finished, Bailey
gets some well deserved rest.

But as always, Jackson demands attention

My Dog Jackson Insists on Frisbee Match.

This morning, Jackson, our cocker spaniel, was a bundle of energy.  Which was problematic, since it was a lazy Sunday morning.
But as always, Jackson was convincing. He wanted to play, and play we did. Below is a photo illustration of what Jackson said once we got outdoors.

 Hey! Let's play Frisbee!

Anybody?

Please? Is anyone there?

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, somebody DOES want to
play! Yippee!

Jackson the Puppy Weighs in

Editor's Note: Two days ago, Darlusz Zabagaiski, the Polish frog/muse  wrote a guest post on this blog about his reaction to Jackson the puppy arriving to live with us. Today, Jackson offers the following guest post. Jackson is a nine-week old cocker spaniel. Here is his report:

Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!

Matt took this picture of me at the front door
of my new home in St. Albans, Vermont

I'm Jackson. What a week it has been! Last Monday, I was adopted at the tender age of eight weeks from where I lived with my mother and brothers near Springfield, Vermont. I now live with two guys in St. Albans named Jeff and Matt. I've been with them for a week now.

I like them, but boy, people are weird.  They have strange rules for me, and they behave really oddly. But they're fun.

Jeff came and picked me up last Monday. I was scared and pooped in the car, but he didn't seem that upset. But now both Jeff and Matt get mad when I poop in the house. But they call me a good boy when I poop in the grass outside. I just poop sometimes. I don't understand why it matters where.

Jeff gave me a little squeaky toy that's OK. But Jeff thinks it's the enemy. He has this thing called a TV, and a voice on the TV said some guy named John Boehner is mad about something called the debt ceiling. I don't get humans. How can a ceiling owe money?

Anyway, Jeff says the squeaky toy is John Boehner.  Jeff gives me the John Boehner voice of the squeaky toy. "I'm John Boehner! I'm a Republican!" I guess that means Jeff thinks he's bad. But I'm here to protect Jeff so I attack the squeaky toy named John Boehner, grrrr, Woof!, grrrr!!!! and I POUNCE on him. And I shake him like mad dog. I've got to keep John Boehner away from Jeff! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Matt needs my protection from bad things too. This morning we both went outside and there was a plastic Polar soda bottle out there. I was worried it would attack Matt. But I saved him. I barked and barked to scare the bottle, but it didn't move. I growled and pounced and I bit it! GRRRR!!!!

The bottle tried to run away by rolling down the hill but I caught that bad thing and bit it again and again. That'll teach the bottle for scaring Matt!

Jeff and Matt protect me, too. Jeff seems to be the ringleader, the one who watches over me most of the time. Matt isn't home as much, but he has his role. He comes home and I run to him every time. He knows what to do. He gives me the belly rub I need all the time to stay happy, then we wrestle. He's a lot bigger than me, but we have a pretty even battle.

Matt has this weird habit of getting this sort of black box like thing out of a bag and putting it up against his face. The black box thing has a big round front that looks like a big eye. He keeps looking at me through the box and the box goes click, click, click. Sometimes a flash of light comes from the box.

I worry that the black box is attacking Matt, so I attack the black box. But Matt pulls it away and protects it from me. Why would he protect something that's attacking his face? He's weird sometimes.

I think Jeff and Matt like me. They sit in the living room sometimes and watch TV. The flashing lights are fascinating, but I think I'm better. Cuter, too. Matt agrees. He says he's more entertained watching me than watching TV.

 I have to admit I'm more fun than the Desperate Housewives, whoever they are. I'm glad I don't live with them!  I wouldn't have gotten in the car if the Desperate Housewives came to adopt me. I think they're mean. The ladies on the Bacherlorette are just as bad.

Matt and Jeff says we're never going to watch TV when the Desperate Housewives and the Bacherlorettes are on. Jeff and Matt are so nice to me.  Although that Lady Gaga that Matt likes scares me a little.

I like to follow Jeff and Matt around, like a little shadow. As soon as they get up and walk, I run right after them. Maybe they'll give me another toy to play with, or wrestle again, or giving me one of those yummy doggy treats. Plus, Matt is sloppy when he eats. He drops things and then I can eat them up off the floor. I want to help, so I keep the floor clean, see? Woof!

The poop and pee problem is going to be an issue, though. I still don't understand why they want me to do it outside. Jeff and Matt pee inside the house, into these big white chairs. So why can't I just pee in the bedroom, in the corner? Or in the kitchen, next to the refrigerator? But I'll try to be good and go outside, if I remember to.  I promise. Woof!

I like Darlusz the Polish frog, too, but he doesn't do much. And he's got too many round shapes to chew and wrestle. But he's nice. And he says nice things. He wants to go chasing bugs with me. That will be fun. I'm glad he likes me.

I hear all these awful stories sometimes about people being mean to dogs. It makes me sad. People lock them in cars on hot days, hit them hard if they make a mistake, kick them, or abandon them. How could anyone do that to us dogs, who just want you humans to be happy.

 Jeff and Matt are such big men that at first I worried they would be mean like that. But they're softies, who treat me gently and I'm glad. They both almost cry when they hear of somebody being bad to a pet. Then they get mad at those mean people. They told me they want me to be a happy, healthy, active dog who lives with them forever.

So I'm going to do my part and make Jeff and Matt happy too. I heard Matt tell Darlusz that we all love each other, so we'll all laugh when we're happy, help each other when we're sad, and make the house a nice refuge to feel good about. I promise I will do everything I can to make that happen.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Darlusz Meets Jackson

Editor's Note: Darlusz Zabagaiski, the Polish ceramic/plastic frog that lives in our house and serves as the household muse, is guest writing today's blog post:


I dunno. Dis Jackson, I dunno what to tink. Monday, Jeff come home, he got furry little animal wit 'im. Black curly fur, really, what you say, hyper. Jeff say furry ting is a called a puppy. Jeff say it name Jackson and it live wit us. Is cute.  Still, I worry.

Matt come home soon, I thought. He fix this. I worry dis Jackson iz too much. Maybe Matt tell Jackson live somewhere else, I hope.

But when Matt come home, he all thrilled wit dis ting Jackson. He lay down on driveway with little animal and start play wit it. Matt no like me no more? I tot we team. I get sad. Maybe he want me leave? Where I go? I not like da other frog who can live in da swamp. I get cold. Scared big animal come eat me.

Finally, Matt notice I in corner and I no look good.

Jackson the puppy and Darlusz the Polish
frog introduce themselves to each other. 

"OK, what's wrong, Darlusz,?" Matt asked, as Jackson, dat little black animal follow Matt, playing around Matt ankles.

I tol Matt why I worry.

"You worry way too much," Darlusz said. This is Jackson. He is going to live with me and Jeff and you for as long as we are all alive. Jackson is a dog. He's fun. He'll get bigger and a little less hyper in a year or two, but he'll still be fun to play with."

"But dare room for all us? I have to go live somewhere else? Where?," I asked.

"Why would you think that,?" Matt said. "There's plenty of room for all of us. You'll stay here. I told you from the beginning you can stay here forever."

"But you pay attention to dog. You just put me in corner and forget me, right,?" I asked. If you do dat, I must leave. I no want get in way.

Matt laughed and said, "No. You'll always be part of the family.  But Jackson is going to need lots of extra attention, especially when he's young.   He's a puppy, so he's like a little baby. We have to protect him, feed him, keep him out of trouble, and teach him how to live so he doesn't make messes and we all get along. But we'll all be a team. You included."

While Matt talk, I watch da Jackson. I little afraid of it. He smell me. Tug on da foot I hurt last winter.

"When Jackson get bigger, will he eat me? I worry. He has big teeth," I said.

Matt said he would protect me, and Jackson will be my friend.

I had other worry. "Will he eat bugs? I like to eat da bugs around here. I no want Jackson steal dem," I said.

Matt thought about that. Then he said, "Well, he'll probably eat a few. But we'll give him his own food. It'll be just like me and Jeff. Jeff and I eat our own kind of food, and you can have the bugs, which Jeff and I don't want. They'll be plenty for you."

Matt look at me. He see I still worry. But he good. He try to help. Here what Matt said.

"Remember when Jeff moved in? You worried I would blow you off. But what happened? We got much happier when Jeff came here.  The added person, especially with it being Jeff, just made things so much better in the house. For a million reasons. It will be sort of the same with Jackson's arrival.  Love, respect and friendship don't come in limited quantities. If you add more happy beings to a household, and you make the effort to support each other, laugh in the good times, help in the bad, the good vibe in the house, the love and warmth and trust just grows and grows."

"Yes, we'll all have to adjust our lives a bit with Jackson here now, but dogs like Jackson are innocent beings who will love and protect you unconditionally. He'll make you laugh, and he'll cheer you up when you're sad. Think of Jackson as a magic little animal that spreads cheer and kindness everywhere. I know you like magic, and happiness and good feelings, right?"

Matt smile at me as he finish da talk.   Dis animal, Jackson, lick my face, like he kiss me. Den he hop around me, like he jump for joy.

I tink maybe Matt right. I be friend with Jackson.  Maybe we have fun. Maybe da two of us can hunt da bug together.  I give it try.