He doesn't have a name yet.  He's 8 weeks old. I can't wait to play with him -- and I can forgive him for being a Border Collie.

After Easter, my Aunt Maureen and her family stayed with us. I made sure to jump and climb and growl all over my Uncle John. I guess my puppy charm musta really worn off on him.

I plan to teach him how to be naughty.  It's what I do best!

Here I am at camp last year.

 Here I am at camp this year.

As you can see, I'm still being starved!!!

Remember my HUGE infrastructure destruction project -- the one that was mysteriously taken away from me?  Well, you can't keep a busy bee from buzzin'.  This is me, next to one of my small side projects.  I polished this one off after tackling the door mat outside the backdoor (that was the one that said "Wipe Your Paws."  Yeah, like I'd even consider doing that???).

 

Anywhoooo I tore up the little rug that has been in front of the sink from before forever. I don't know why it suddenly occurred to me to do this, but I am sure glad I did!  CM used to  notice all my hair on it, which would lead her to bring out my arch-nemesis, the VACUUM.

Just wanted everyone to know that I have not been slacking...

Really!!! Like I'd forget how to swim?  I don't think so.  I'm a Golden Retriever and that means I am a water dog -- and I can take it cold too!

I swam in the bay the first day out since the wind was from the North and the lake was a bit rough.  The next day, the wind was from the South so I swam in the big water!

I was pretty good about bringing the stick back, but no swim is a success unless somebody ends up with at least one totally wet sneaker!

While I think my body is in gorgeous swimsuit shape, I don't need a bikini -- but maybe a few more meals might help?

As a part of the various economic and job stimulus packages being undertaken by our new President, I hope no one will ignore my need for constant employment.  Here I am at work, cleaning out the rest of what's left from a jar of peanut butter.  

 

Really, I need more work!

CM has a phrase which she uses on me.  I've referenced it above.  Every night, I try to play with everyone -- BD, CM and KB.  My method of harassment is to put the green fluffy ball or Big Mean Kitty in my mouth and then approach anyone seated on a couch.  I hit them with my toy and growl.  If I get no feedback, I attack feet.  Since everyone has feet, I am never without a subject to antagonize.  It's fun to play foot games with a person who is walking!

I also like to climb on top of people, but am not really able to get away with that much now that I am 56 pounds (but in my mind, that is immaterial). Mostly, I want to tug and play fetch, so I just make sure that I am constantly soliciting for play.  All night, every night. Well, except during dinner.

When I harass CM, she says "I'm Not Playing With You." Then she ignores me.  So, I go to BD.  Immediately.  He will sometimes play with me, so I  know he's a good resource to fall back on.  What I've learned, though, is even though he sometimes tells me he won't play....he gives in!  Even better, is that once BD refuses to play with me, there's no one else to bother -- since I know CM really won't play with me (she is sooooo lazy).  This means that the only person I need to stop bothering is CM.  KB has this annoying habit of jumping up on things I can't reach.

Sometimes they call me "Jerky Girl."


 

Well, it's not like I can point because I don't have fingers (that is what a mouth is for!).  Remember how I was a VBG last week?  You know, the day I tore up things in the parlor?

Did you notice how there were at least five bones, a big orange ball, a small blue chewy thing and my fluffy ball all around? It wasn't as if I didn't have something to chew or occupy to my time with.  No, it was that I CHOSE to be naughty.  I don't want CM to try to take the credit for my behavior.  It was all me.

Oh, and did I mention that the book I destroyed is out of print?  CM does not know where to get another!!!

btw...it snowed yesterday and I had a fabulous time plowing my nose through it!!!
 

If you think my CM is busy (she's really not, she's actually very lazy and needs to play with me more), you should see my real momma -- Momma Scandal:


Look at all these little piggies my momma and her last boyfriend made!  When I was born, I only had to hog milk from three other pups.  This time around, she had a whole lot more!

Now this is a busy mommy.  Maybe I'll have 12 friends over all at once and see how well CM does with it...

There are two important words I hear most nights which serve to regulate my behavior.  

CM and BD eat at the parlor table so they can watch TV and keep their food from me.  BD sits on the couch and CM gets on the floor.  Prior to eating, CM says "Pulling" so that BD knows she will be pulling the table towards her.  Once she says this, I know I am going to be ignored.  


Oh, I've tried to get food or some play time during this period -- but alas, it's futile.  So when I hear the word "Pushing" I settle down under the table and rest my head on CMs legs.  I get bits of food if it drops or if it's something CM can't chew.  But I am mostly denied.

When CM and BD are done not sharing their food with me, CM pushes the table away.  Before she does that, she warns BD by saying "Pushing."  This is when I spring back into action.  As soon as I hear that word, I am up and rarin' to go.  CM finds this particularly annoying, but I know she has to eventually push the table away.

Every so often I manage to make myself an annoyance and cause some peripheral damage.  Like on Monday.  CM was eating a big slice of birthday cake.  It had strawberries on it and chocolate icing.  CM was giving me the tops of the strawberries and I was jonesin' for frosting too.  But she was keeping that from me.

Suddenly, she dropped a blob of frosting on her shirt.  I got to it real quick and managed a few good licks.  It was delicious!

Best of all, I left a big stain on one of CM's favorite polo shirts.  It wouldn't even come out in the wash!  Now that's what I call PUSHING IT!!!


 

Dear Ms. Lynn, thank you for pointing out the neglect I have been suffering over the past few weeks.  I too feel the world has not been seeing enough of me.

Last night, I took matters into my own hands -- err... I mean MOUTH!  
 

CM was late getting home because she jogged in the park.  Then we had a lovely outing at the marina.  She then left me alone while she showered.  I made all sorts of noise. I think she mistakenly believed BD was home early and playing with me.  No, I was amusing myself!

Here is the first clue of what I was workin' on:

 But this was just starters.  It's a page from an atlas!

Are things becoming more obvious?

Not only did I get the Atlas, I got a number of magazines, a folder -- and I did a very nice job on a book by someone who calls herself  "Ms. Manners!"  In fact, when I was discovered, I was running circles on the couch with pieces of the section on Diplomatic Courtesies in my mouth.
 

Am I somethin' or what?  Manners, who needs 'em!!!
 

I have 12 more brothers and sisters.  This means if they are anything like me... there's now a whole lot more trouble in the world!!!!!!

My momma scandal makes pretty babies...

Chewing, it's what I do.  I chew whatever I can find on the ground.  CM says "Drop It" before she will let me inside.  Sometimes I manage to sneak something by.

If I can't sneak it inside, I'll try to chew it up and swallow it rather than give it up!

CM didn't take a picture of me last night.  She didn't have the stamina to wrangle my dirty self into the tub, grab her camera and rid me of the layer of mud I'd acquired during my mad romp up at Aqua Lane.  CM has a sore back and I know I'm not helping matters, but I'm basically unconcerned about that.

Last night, the winds were awesome -- like 40 miles per hour awesome.  Lots of leaves blowing around -- but I insisted on chasing those that were getting caught in the temporary deer fencing.  This makes CM nervous because she fears I will run right into the wire that holds the mesh to the posts.  I probably would too.  That is so totally something I'd do.

While CM's feet got slushy muddy cold, I romped with reckless abandon through mushy dirt and mucky puddles.  Inside the car, it looked like someone went off-roading.  That would be me!  And I was sure to rest my muddy paws on CM's shoulder repeatedly on the way home.

I understand I will be neglected tonight since CM's back is really sore.  I have anticipated this disappointment and already acted atrociously.  I have chewed up the small dog-bone shaped matt in the powder room.  It was being hid under the claw-foot tub, but I found it this morning and dispensed of it.  BD cleaned it up and when he came to visit at lunch.  Then he called CM and tattled on me.

I'm a VBG!!!!!
 

First off, let me tell you how unfair life is.  I am always hungry -- but I only get fed breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.  CM is always hungry and she gets to eat whatever she wants whenever she wants!  This often means she gets up out of bed at 3AM in the morning to make herself a snack.

Now as if that's not unfair enough... the other night, she made herself an egg sammich in the middle of the night.  Would you look at this:

She let KB do my job!  She let him lick the plate!!!

This is what you get when you let a CAT do a DOG's job.  What a slacker.

Luckily, I was willing to pitch in and clean up the mess he left behind.

If you want a plate licked clean, just ask me -- I do good work!!!

This is Aqua Lane.  Right now, it is one big mud puddle... which I looooooove!!!

Dirty Me!!! Again!!!!

Super Bad!!! I jumped out of the tub twice...

All that romping and bathing did not tire me out... I ran and got my ball.

I ran around all night, getting my bad wet-self on EVERYTHING!!!

I turned one.  And I was one muddy pup!

Just call me "Miss Muddypaws!"

I am not easy to bathe -- just ask at the groomer's. I climbed out of the tub once!

CM rinsed me but didn't have the guts to soap me.  She figures fast is best when it comes to me.

Look at what I left behind!  BD cleaned it up...

... this is what I got today -- a Kong and abandonment!

This is my baby picture with CM.

I am accepting gifts of food!

Listen to this song and then think of me.  First of all, if I were a person, this is probably how I would dress.  

  I can toss this toy and play with it but haven't figured out how to destroy it.  It used to belong to the GC and CM found it while she was organizing the front closet (that's also where she found my sweater).

When I first got it, I ran up to KB and whacked him with it.  He lifted his head and looked at me, then ignored me.

Amazingly enough I got the hint!

And we didn't even need any diplomatic intervention!

I start out on the couch intruding upon CM's personal space.  This is at 7:50PM.

Then I calm down and think about my bone.  For a few minutes.

The I snap out of my state of complaceny and commence chasing my tail.

Of course, I always catch it.

I run through this cycle repeatedly until BD comes home.  Then I pester him to play fetch.

You don' t get this until around 10:30PM!