White Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody.  I'm on holiday at Jack's house with his human family.  As you can see I've made myself at home and made friends with Marmite the cat.  It's not all lazing around though, I get to go out loads of times during the day, I must say it's very nice.

Christmas Day was a bit upsetting not being with my human and not getting any presents either.  Santa Paws clearly didn't get the message that I'd moved so I guess he must have left all my presents at my house.

I was so excited Christmas morning.  I helped Santa put the presents under the tree the night before, point of interest, reindeer stink!  Not surprising really with the amount of work they have to do - it's one BIG sleigh they are hauling.  I was awake bright and early waiting for the little human to get up and run downstairs all excited and ready to tear in to the wrapping paper.  Five O'clock came and went, 6 O'clock passed.  Come on, what sort of 4 year old isn't awake at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning?  I couldn't contain myself any longer so I started making a fuss to be let out.  They were all up pretty soon after that... works every time! 

It started snowing mid morning - how cool is that, a proper white Christmas.  

Princess Ben

A windchill of -16oC for this morning's walk - if that doesn't wake you up nothing will.

I must pack my bags for my holiday at my mate Jack's.  I'm so looking forward to it.  His little human is wonderful.  See how she looked after me at Thanksgiving....

The gloves are on

My human has bought new gloves.  No more makeshift hand warmers for her. 

Is it wrong?

If it's 7 degrees below with a windchill doubling that, is it wrong for your human to warm her hands on your poop?  It is bagged but it feels wrong.

That's better

Oh boy that feels so much better.  I had my anal glands squeezed last week, well the technical term is 'expressed' but they were squeezed by a rather nice doggie doctor.  If you are not a dog you won't understand the utter relief of having them cleared.  I tell you, it was the best 19 bucks I've ever spent, worth every cent!  Even my human benefited as the doc took me into the back room for the 'procedure'.  The first time I had it done my human nearly threw up, it was so embarrassing.  If she doesn't like it out, imagine how I feel having it inside me.   

Early Riser

I'm struggling to adjust to the time change.  Why do you humans insist on playing with time twice a year?  It plays havoc with my body clock and it puts my human in a real grumpy mood.  Take Sunday morning for example, she was not impressed when I woke her up at my normal weekend 7 am, how was I supposed to know her human clock had gone back an hour?  And Monday morning... well it's best not to repeat the language that came out of her mouth when I gave her a wake up kiss.  She twittered on and on about it being 'only 5 O'clock', what, all of a sudden 5 O'clock is the new 6 O'clock?  I can't tell the time, how am I supposed to know?  I can't wind my body back an hour just like that.    

Belated Halloween

I live in the safest neighbourhood in the world.  Why the bold claim?  Well last weekend I saw 3 Buzz Lightyears; 2 Spidermen; Superman; Batman; a doctor and a mortician.  OK so the mortician didn't make me feel safe but all those superheroes did.  What I want to know is if they are all here who's protecting the rest of the world?  

And if you are wondering, no I didn't get a costume despite my human dragging me to the pet store to look at them.  Can you really see me as a pumpkin or the devil - although I have to admit I do look good in red!  I did see a 70lb chocolate Lab dressed as a fairy.  I should have phoned the SPCA as that is really cruel.  I saw the best dog costume on TV.... Dog Yoda - it's so cool.

Chocs away

My human really must pay closer attention to packaging.  She got in from work today, ripped open a parcel containing two advent calendars and ate both chocolates behind door number 1.  You'd think the picture of the cute doggie in the santa hat on one of them would be a give away that they weren't both for her.... serves herself right for opening them early.  She owes me a doggie chocolate!

Not again

Late last night my super sensitive hearing alerted my human to an alarm sounding outside.  We bravely went on to the balcony to investigate and saw lights flashing inside her favourite restaurant just across the street.  Fearing for the safety and supply of the rather excellent chicken with hot garlic sauce, she called 911.  The cops arrived within minutes and, as you can see from the video, it wasn't someone stealing the fortune cookies.  Mental note for next time... flashing lights and siren equals fire alarm not burglar alarm.  Thankfully the only damage was to the door the firemen kicked in to vent the smoke from the building.

 

Here we go again

You'd think by late October all the nasty weather would have passed by just like the summer.  But oh no, 'fall furry' is on the way.  Yet again the news channels are predicting doom and gloom; the end of the world is nigh: high winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, tornado watches in effect until morning.  Looks like I'll be sleeping in the closet again.

Neighbours

Everybody needs good neighbours... preferably not ones who start vacuuming at 6 am or put their noisy washing machine on in the middle of the night.  The guy upstairs does 14 star jumps at 11.30 each night right before he goes to bed.  I'm not joking, bump, bump, bump 14 times every night 11.30 on the dot.

I wonder what the new downstairs neighbours think of me?  I wonder if they can hear me wandering around in the middle of the night, or the woofing and howling when I dream.  One thing is for sure I'm a lot quieter than the two dogs that have just moved in.  Talk about letting us know they are new.  Yap, yap, yap all day long.  I was watching them move in the other day.  It's amazing the amount of stuff they've crammed in to their apartment.  There can't be any room left for their dogs to stretch out but judging by the doggie push chair outside the door they are probably not that active.  Promise me, no matter how sick I get, no matter how rickety my legs get, never, ever put me in a pram.  I'd sooner suffer the indignity of dragging my arse along the ground before being pushed around in a pram.

Top Tip

No matter how much I beg, or dribble, or give the doe eyed look you adore so much.  Never, ever feed me cheese puffs.  The pile of bright orange vomit on the cream carpet should be proof enough that I can't stomach them.

Routine

My routine has been shot to pieces this week.  Normally it's up at 6.30 for a brisk walk around the lake, back at 7.15 for breakfast, keep an eye on my human until she leaves for work at 8 then sleep on and off for the rest of the day with the odd wander around the apartment to stretch my legs and check everything is ok.  With my human on 'staycation' this week I don't know whether I'm coming or going.  Some mornings we are out early, others it has been 8 am before I can partake in my morning ablutions.  Some days it has been two walks, others 3, 4 or more.  I'm constantly on alert for the next walk.  Don't get me wrong it's great having her around but I'm used to my routine, I know where I am with it, it gives my day structure.  At the moment I don't know if I'm supposed to be sleeping peacefully or begging her to take me out.  I've had to adopt a whole new strategy in the morning.  At 6 am I move into the bedroom doorway and lay there quietly.  At 6.30 I move into the bedroom and lie in the path from her bed to the on-suite.  If there's no movement by 7 I move next to the bed and sigh loudly.  If that fails to work I jump up on to her bed at 7.30 and lie next to her and if she still refuses to get out of her pit by 8 I give her a friendly lick across the chops, which usually has the desired effect.  Hee hee hee.

Mommy's here

Obviously not my mommy, my human's mommy arrived last week.  It was a bit stressful at the airport as we lost her.  Well, it wasn't really our fault, the pilot hadn't put enough fuel in the plane so they had to stop off at the petrol station in Baltimore for some.  I kid you not, he didn't have enough to circle for 20 minutes waiting for a landing slot so he went to Baltimore fill up.  We eventually found her 3 hours later.

It's ace having 'granny' around.  She brought lots of nice things for me to eat including two packs of custard creams, one from her and one from my lovely neighbours back in England.  I'm limited to one a day though.

Stormy night ahead.

Watching the news last night made it sound like the world was going to come to end.  I was a bit nervous when I went out for my morning ablutions.  Would I have to swim to higher ground before I could cock my leg?  Nope!  I was a bit wet when I got back but nothing worth moaning about.  One of my neighbours was amazed that I went for a walk this morning... I still need a wee even when it rains.  So far we've got off lightly although more rain is on the way tonight.  The drainage lakes are really full but no flooding as yet.  The local amateur weather station has recorded 7.26 inches of rain so far today.  I live near the red blob on the map below.

Noah's Ark

OK, I'm looking for a lady Labrador, two elephants, two giraffes, a couple of polar bears, two giant pandas, two ladybirds, a handful of dung beetles, no make that a couple of thousand dung beetles they'll have their work cut out, oh and a dove....
Sorry, no snakes allowed.

Sink or swim

Time to get the wellies out or maybe a lifeboat.  It seems the extreme weather isn't over yet.  Not quite a hurricane but maybe a tropical storm to drench me later this week.  Boy am I looking forward to a few days of gentle English drizzle.  Labrador's are good swimmers aren't we?

Missed Me

Danger over with - Earl missed us completely!  There's still a few weeks of hurricane season left so we are not out of the woods just yet.

Keeping on the subject of weather you'd be forgiven for thinking the weather around here is controlled by some kind of intergalactic thermostat.  The holiday weekend marking the end of summer comes around and the temperature instantly drops by 10 degrees - the weekend was beautiful.  No more sweating like a polar bear in the Bahamas', just beautiful mid 20's and blue sky.  My paws hurt like heck though as my human decided she was going to be fit and healthy and walked the socks off me (if I wore socks that is).  I really enjoyed it but I wish she'd remember I'm not a teenager any more, I'm geriatric, the vet said so!

I had an early start on Saturday thanks to the Kentlands fun run.  The finish line was right outside my apartment and they started setting up at 6am.  After the third rendition of 'testing, testing, one two three' over the PA system I had no choice than to get up and out of the apartment.  Watching the runners from the window was pretty cool though.  As you can see not all the dogs were as enthralled as I was with the action.  We walked the 5K route on Sunday morning, nosing at all the big houses along the way.

I went to the park twice over the weekend which was cool.  Don't tell anyone but I had a little paddle in the lake to cool my aching paws.  It was a bit odd that my human was around all weekend.  Usually she takes a big bag containing funny looking sticks and little white balls and disappears for hours when the weather is nice.

Oh yeah, excitement... I'm going on my holidays on Thursday.  It's been months since I've met up with my friends at the kennels, I'm really excited.

Eh dogs, the action is this way...

Now that's the way to travel.  I wonder if it's big enough for me?

Weather Watch

This year I've survived record snow fall, record high temperatures, tornados and an earthquake.  What does that leave then?  How about a hurricane?  Oooops don't speak too soon...

Hopefully it will veer out to sea and won't affect me but I am keeping a close eye on the forecast and don't think I'll be booking a beach side hotel for the holiday weekend!

Wash Day

Life has been pretty boring for the last couple of weeks.  No storms, tornados or record high temperatures, in fact the weather has been really nice; not too hot and nice and sunny.  I can finally go for a decent walk without nearly fainting through heat exhaustion.

I came over all domestic today and gave my toys a wash because they were a bit stinky.

Before the trip to the 'whirlie washer' at the theme park.

Enjoying the ride.

Checking for predators while the toys enjoy the view and dry off

Time to bring them in after their adverture

All sparkly clean

 

Lively Start

I had a nice early start this morning.  It took a while for me to persuade my human to get up, but some pathetic whining and a quick lick of the nose soon woke her from her snoring slumber.  She mumbled something about it being too early as it was still dark.  There was a reason for that, my super-senses had detected an approaching storm, and I really needed a pee before it arrived.  Talk about good timing... I'd just finished at the first fire hydrant when the thunder started.  Two hydrants, a lamppost, a tree and two bushes later and the rain started.  It was amazing, in a scary, hide in the closet, cover your ears, close your eyes and kiss your arse goodbye kinda way.  I thought last week's storm was a biggie, this was the mother of the biggie.  Some local folks across town had a lucky escape when a tree crashed through their apartment building.  Luckily it fell through the stairwell so there were no serious injuries.  A house was also crushed by a tree and God clearly has a sense of humour as a church roof collapsed and, just to balance things up, the roof of a pub was ripped off.  Amazingly there were no serious injuries but plenty of cleaning up to be done.

I was brave enough to take a bit of video from behind closed doors.  Turn the sound up and wait...

"Bing, bong.  Clean up crew to the patio doors please, clean up crew to the doors."

Boy am I looking forward to getting back to the benign British weather, two tornado warnings in one day is two too many in my book.  

Wildlife update

Another first for at the weekend... I saw a humming bird.  Being geriatric (see previous post) I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of it but my beady little eyes spotted the little fella.  They are so cool.  I've lived here for over a year now and didn't realise they lived this far north.  Not as cool as a hummingbird but I did get a shot of a hummingbird clearwing moth.

 

Reflections

Out and about over the weekend I came across a memorial to the victims of the Beltway sniper.  I vaguely remember it on English TV when I was puppy but he was known as the DC sniper - I never realised it happened so near where I am or that so many people lost their lives.  It's a sad reflection of the times we live in and a reminder that we never know what is around the corner; personally I'm hoping it will be a massive lottery win!

Vets

I've taken an instant dislike to my new vet.  Why? I hear you ask... because she called me geriatric!  So I've got a few grey hairs, and maybe a touch of arthritis and my hearing isn't as good as it used to be and my eyesight is going a bit but geriatric - I'm insulted.  What's wrong with mature, or distinguished, or middle aged, getting on a bit or even elderly?  I got my revenge though.  I looked at her with my big brown puppy dog eyes, head slightly tilted to the right, ears slightly pricked in curiosity.... then peed on her floor!  Geriatric indeed.  Oh and if you were wondering, my physical confirmed I'm as fit as five year old.

Itchy and scratchy sitting on the sofa is driving me nuts.  All I can hear is scratch, scratch, scratch.  If it was me scratching like that she'd have me in the bath then covered in flea powder.  If she doesn't stop soon I'm going to duct tape oven gloves to her hands when she's asleep.

DC Nights

I saw a whole new side to Washington DC at the weekend... DC at night, it's rather nice.  All the monuments are illuminated and look a bit different to in daylight.  It was a bit cooler as well which was nice.  I didn't get to see all the monuments this time but I did stop by the Korean War memorial for the first time.  I couldn't help but smile when I overheard an American woman asking 'why did we fight the Korean war?"  Even I know it was so they could make the TV series M.A.S.H!

My human has been moaning ever since we got back.  She got bitten by something and both her arms have swollen up, are bright red and are giving off more heat than the centre of the sun.  She looks like Popeye with sunburn but the way she's been going on you'd think she'd been bitten by a shark or something.  She spent all last night scratching like a cat with fleas... she's driving me nuts.  I've tried my best to administer the healing lick of Ben but gave up after becoming dehydrated due to loss of slobber.  She's currently sat on the sofa with ice cold towels wrapped around her arms... very fetching indeed.

Extreme weather

Just when I thought it was safe to come out of the closet.... another storm hits.  Given the blisteringly hot weather of late it wasn't a surprise we were going to get a storm but I wasn't expecting one quite so violent.  Thankfully it was short lived one but it didn't half cause some damage.  It must have been scary because this morning I passed two cars that were still hiding under trees, nice to see I wasn't the only one hiding from it.  Every severe thunder cloud has a silver lining though, my human got the day off as her work didn't have power.  We were lucky as we only lost power for a few minutes, there are still thousands of people without it more than 24 hours later.  Luckily the storm brought cooler temperatures, well I say cooler, I guess it's all relative as 90 degrees probably isn't that cool to a Brit.  My human displayed remarkable bravery stupidity and shot a bit of video from the safety of the apartment.  I'm not sure if the shaking is due to poor technical ability or nerves, either way I think you get the idea of how intense it was.  Note: I had to mute the sound due to the prolific cussing and swearing from my human, she really doesn't like storms.

Feeling hot, hot, hot

Oh boy what a hot weekend.  It's been boiling for days now, far too hot for a black-furred quadruped to enjoy himself but boredom got the better of me and I just had to get out and about.  I headed to the calm waters of the C&O canal down near the Potomac river.  Ok so it wasn't any cooler and despite the warnings of dangerous heat and rabid animals I did manage a nice stroll along the towpath and a little dip but don't tell anybody that as it's not allowed.  If I thought I was hot spare a thought for the mules that were pulling the boat along.  I know my nose is like a million times more sensitive than a human one but it didn't need my supersensitive sniffer to figure out working mules in 105 degree heat equals a monumental whiff.  Poor guys, surely there's laws to stop the exploitation of animals in this country isn't there?

  

Wake Up Call

OK, that's enough excitement for one dog this year.  First it's snowmeggedon; tornado warnings and violent storms that set buildings on fire; gun men walking around petrol stations; record temperatures and now an earthquake wakens me from my dreams.

It was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced.  My apartment building shook and groaned quite a bit but the sound... well I didn't expect sound.  It was like a huge train rumbling down the street.  See look Gaithersburg, that's where I live.

Record breaker

First it was record snowfall and the coldest temperatures since the ice age.... now it's hotter than the centre of the sun, well the tarmac roads feel like it by late afternoon.   Morning walks are just about tolerable but the after work walk is now down to a slow plod around the block.  I don't even mind wearing the wet neckerchief any more, in fact loads of people have stopped to admire it.  I have a carefully worked out route with as much grass to walk on as possible.  If it gets any hotter I'm going to have to get flip flops to protect my paws.  Thankfully my human is sensible enough not to shave my fur off.  I met a shaved golden retriever the other day... oh the indignity of it.  His owner said he struggled to get the dog out of the house.  I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to walk the streets naked either.  

Not surprisingly I haven't done much recently.  We can't go anywhere in the car as I would cook in about 2 minutes if left alone.  Not that my human would do that but now and again she needs to pee and you humans aren't as evolved as us canines so have to use restrooms which, oddly enough, dogs aren't allowed in, unless of course it's a 'seeing eye dog' although how they can help a human pee is beyond me.      

The birds and the bees

And the deer and the turtles and, of course. the rabbits are all at it.  There are mini-versions of every conceivable animal around here.  The mummy turtles have ventured out of the lake to lay their eggs.  I met this mom-to-be the other morning.  I think she was a bit shy, she definitely needs to come out of her shell a bit.  

I've had to modify the route of my morning walk due to a rather aggressive bird.  I have no idea what sort it is but it's about the size of a black bird with a very loud screech.  He dive bombs me every time I walk down the street.  The other evening he damn near landed on my back.  It's not like I'm going to climb the tree and eat his kids is it?

Thankfully the ducks and the geese are more laid back.  The big lake resembles an avian nursery right now.  There must be at least 15 families floating around.

The good, the bad and the down right scary

I had a play date with my mate Jack yesterday.  He's really lucky as he lives at a house with loads of trees in the yard and he's allowed to run around off his lead.  We had a blast running round chasing rabbits and fireflies.  He's still a puppy and has a lot to learn like don't pee on visitors shoes.  I couldn't help but chuckle when he came running up to my human and weed on her shoes....and being such a hot day they were sandals as well.  Heee heee heee.  That was the good.

I went to the vets today for my wellness checkup.  I've put another couple of pounds on.  That's a total of 11 since I got here!  I now weigh as much as a new born hippo!  Luckily I carry it well and black is very slimming colour.  I really need to get back to England and the freedom of running off lead and some cooler weather.  I'm not very impressed with those vets, they just seem to want to take money off my human.  Last time they said I had a heart murmur and should consult a doggie cardiologist, no mention of that this time.  They still want me to have my teeth cleaned but I don't fancy being knocked out in order to have pearly whites.  I'm a dog for goodness sake, we don't do cosmetic dentistry.  The latest (money making) diagnosis is I may be developing cataracts and should consult a doggie ophthalmologist.  No need to worry, I feel as fit as a fiddle.  That was the bad.

The down right scary was the storm that interrupted my last posting.  It was horrible!  It didn't last long but it was really violent.  The power went off, trees were knocked down, an apartment building near us was struck and set on fire, no one was hurt though.  So you can stop laughing at me hiding out in the closet, I did the right thing.  My human wasn't too impressed when I dribbled on her fancy laptop.

Fireflies

It's officially summer - the fireflies have returned.  As bugs go they've got to be one of the best around with their little butts lighting up all over the place.  At first I thought I the light they generated was the equivalent of humans lighting their own farts but I can't smell anything when I pass them so I assume it's some other form of chemical reaction.  They are cool though.  I love going out after dark to watch them.

OK I have to cut this short - a huge crack of thunder has just scared the heebee jeebies out of me.  No idea where that came from but I'm off to hide in the closet.

A year on

It's a year to the day that I set paws on US soil; well actually it was tarmac but you know what I mean.  What I have learnt in that year: everything is much bigger than back home.  The cars I've been driven around in are huge and need to be because the drivers are mad.  I've spent more time in kennels this year than in all my previous 8 put together - and I've loved it.  The weather is more extreme than back home.  Thunderstorms are still horrible: tornado warnings are scary.  I've sniffed snakes and turtles and seen more snow than you can ever imagine.  My boyish good looks and English woof made me an instant hit in the neighbourhood which, to be honest, is more like a film set than a village.

If I had to name three things that I miss from back home they would have to be: bacon, being let off the lead to run as free as a 9 year old black lab can and custard creams.  And 3 that I like the most about living in America: hot dogs, hot dogs and hot dogs....  hmmmmm sausages!  

Ah Bless

I just had to share this article with you - a lab went up a mountain and had to be carried back down.  I can sympathise with him.  It's so hot I can barely make it round the block without passing out. 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/wales/north_west_wales/10307426.stm

Abandond

It's amazing how one's day can change in the wag of a tail.  Take today for example, we were out in the car and stopped at a petrol station.  While my human was struggling to figure out how the pump worked I noticed the woman at the pump in front duck down behind her car; then the guy next to us got out of his car and ran behind the shop.  It wasn't until someone told my human to get down that I noticed a guy about 30 feet away with a hand gun.  Being the brave soldier that I am I ducked behind the front seats just as my human ran behind the shop abandoning me all alone in the car.  No sense drawing attention to myself, he might not have been a dog lover, so I kept my head down until the police arrived.  Thankfully they were there really quickly and the drama was over in a matter of minutes.  I've no idea what was going on; whether the guy was trying to rob the place or what but I was a little bit scared.  It was the reaction of the people around us ducking for cover that scared me - my doggie years flashed before my eyes.  One thing is for sure we'll have to change the rental car because I don't think we'll ever get the smell out of the leather!

It's all pants

I'll get to that in a minute, first an apology for the lack of posts recently.  I've been on vacation, not the whole time but a few weeks.  My human took off to California earthquake hunting or something like that.  I'm not going to tell you about her holiday because this is my blog - she can get her own.

So what's pants then?  Or maybe that should be who's pants?  Remember soon after I first moved here a single sock appeared in the middle of the bedroom carpet?  It wasn't mine or my human's although I did use it to cover my sore paw during the winter.  After any vacation there's a certain amount of washing to do.  Imagine the quizzical looks when my human went to the laundry room and found a pair of ladies pants sitting atop the washer.  They're definitely not mine and far too small to be hers.  The apartment was shut up for two weeks so the mystery is where did they come from?  Maybe our laundry room is a star gate to someone else's laundry room.  So if you've lost a sock or a pair of pants drop me a line.  

Birthday treats

Look at all the treats I bought with my birthday money. We went to the pet store and I got to choose whatever I wanted. I felt like a, like a.... dog in a pet store - it was brilliant.

I feel a bit bloated after pigging out on the T-Bonz. Or maybe it's the hot weather that's making me sluggish.

Movie stars

We had a visitor tonight, the woman from next door. Well I think she is our neighbour because she smelt of cats - not in a nasty way, just to my supersensitive nose. She seems quite nice but can't half talk. She used to work in the movies with Lauren Bacall, Bing Crosby, Tony Curtis, John Wayne and knew some bloke called Elvis, she even showed me a photo of her with him. I've no idea who these people are but she seemed to be very pleased to talk about them. She was a stand in most of the time but did appear in some old film called Stagecoach. It must be old as colour hadn't even been invented; the whole world was black and white!

Happy Birthday to me

Yep, another day older but now I’m 9 not 8.
Am I too old for a mid life crisis? Of course I am, 9 is 63 in your human years isn’t it? If I were a working dog I’d be making retirement plans now. Endless days with my paws up on the sofa watching the weather channel. But I already do that so I guess no change there.

Not like it!

Storm season has arrived! The weather people weren’t kidding when they issued the strong thunderstorm warning. It was a cracker, if you like that sort of thing. I don’t and that’s why I hid in the closet all night. Don’t laugh I wasn’t the only one! At the height of the storm when the hail was lashing down and the wind was trying to blow the windows in and the thunder was shaking the apartment and the lightening was so bright it hurt my eyes, my human came to join me. She tried to make out it was to comfort me but I could smell her fear –the people in the next apartment could probably smell it as well.

Thunder and lightening

Yep, looks like I spoke too soon.  Just had a severe thunderstorm alert flashed up on the TV.  This alert issued by the weather people...

... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT WASHINGTON... CARROLL... FREDERICK... MONTGOMERY... NORTHERN FAUQUIER... WARREN... CLARKE... LOUDOUN... JEFFERSON... PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK AND SOUTHERN FAUQUIER COUNTIES...

AT 911 PM EDT... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MYERSVILLE TO ROSEMONT TO 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOVETTSVILLE TO 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF PARIS... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

PENNY-SIZE TO NICKEL-SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

Where did I put my Valium???

Oh I do....

Like to be beside the sea side.  No brass bands playing but there were a couple of folk bands in St Michaels.  Another road trip, this time to the ocean with a couple of stops on the way.  Ok so it wasn't really beach weather but it was the last weekend I was allowed on the beach so we had to go and, to be honest, I prefer the 'off season' as I get more of the beach to myself.

We headed to Ocean City which meant a trip across the 4.3 mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge which was really cool.  We stumbled across a quaint little town called St Michaels which was having a wine festival or something.   I think the Wikipedia description is a little harsh - there weren't that many old people there. [Wikipedia: Currently the town attracts old people that are looking for somewhere more boring than death and an eternity of nothingness to make sweet release seem that much better by comparison]  There were plenty of interesting little shops, although I thought it a bit odd that Flying Fred's gifts for pets didn't allow dogs in!  

Chesapeake Bay is an impossibly beautiful place.  There are hundreds of nooks and inlets with magnificent houses with huge boats tied up at the dock.  Goodness knows how much they cost, certainly more than a lifetime's pocket money that's for sure.  I definitely need to explore the Bay more, although most of the shoreline seems to be privately owned.

Another stop on the way was at Assateague Island National Seashore.  It's an amazing spit of land south of Ocean City with the Atlantic on one side and Chincoteague Bay on the other.  Wild ponies roam the island and you can camp right on the beach.  And best of all dogs are allowed all year round, oh and it was free when we arrived.  By the way, it wasn't as cold as it looks in the photos.

Overdeveloped is the best way to describe Ocean City.  Being the closest ocean development to DC I expected it to be built up but I wasn't prepared for just how built up and what an odd layout.  Most British sea side towns have the beach, the promenade, the main road then the hotels.  OC had beach, boardwalk (dogs not allowed in summer), huge hotels, then road.  The beach was beautiful; it's been a long time since I've had sand under my paws but soft, deep sand is hard work.  The boardwalk was fun and much easier to walk on.  At the far end was a fun fair but we stayed up the quiet end.

Sadly the weather didn't hold out so Sunday we headed back earlier than planned.  We took the coast highway towards Dover which looked great on the map but due to the beach, hotel, road layout they have it was a pretty dull journey.  Still, at least the thunder storms didn't arrive as promised.

The bridges of Frederick county

As you can see from the remnants of snow this road trip happened a while ago.  For such a high-tech country it's nice to see something old, simple and functional.  And no, I didn't pee on them.

Quick update on Stan and Hilda the squatters - hey look if we are sharing the apartment I can't keep calling them bird squatters can I?  No flutter of tiny wings yet but based on the squabbling that goes on all day I'd say Hilda is definitely 'with egg'.

Snake talk

I did a huge poop next to a snake yesterday, not because he was there it was just such a good spot.  My human wouldn't pick it up (the poop, not the snake) so we had to go back later in the day to pick up once the little fella had moved on.  I don't see what she's so afraid of.  They don't bother me and considering the list of things I am frightened of, that means they must be ok.

Mountain Dog

I went on a road trip at the weekend across the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia to Charlottesville.  Anyone who has met me knows I'm not a fan of cars but I managed to keep the nervous dribble to manageable levels.   Luckily trips in the car mean something fun at the other end.  We stopped off at loads of places and went for a really long walk at a place called Big Meadows.  At 3500 feet it's officially the highest walk I've done.  The weather was perfect for me being 10oC cooler than in the city.  Being black isn't so great when the temperature rises above 20oC, so 21 and clear mountain air was absolutely perfect.  I was shattered by the time we got to the hotel, as you can see.  I learnt something new as well: I'm scared of elevators (lifts to you English folks).  It doesn't help one's self esteem when the hotel receptionist laughs at you being coaxed into a metal box suspended on wires.

I've officially found the quietest place in America: the university of Virginia campus before 9am on a Sunday.  Beautiful and desolate sums it up; not a patch on Cambridge but pretty and very white. 

Holidays, squatters and sad news

Yep I've been on my holidays again whilst my human went back to Blighty to check on our house and stock up on tea bags and chocolate.  I have noticed a distinct lack of custard creams in her suitcase this time but I'm not making a big deal of it as I'm on a diet.  At 9 years old I can't exactly claim the extra pounds are puppy fat, more like too many hot dogs and peanut butter covered biscuits - ahh the American dream.  I really have to start watching my weight as I don't get the exercise I used to do back home.  It's being on the lead all the time that does it.  Back home I used to run for miles, until my human was just a red faced dot in the distance.  Sometimes I'd run so far away I couldn't hear her bellowing at me to come back.  It's just not the same on a 10 foot lead.

My human came back with some sad news: Cindy, one of my doggie pals, has passed away.  She was only 8.  I think it was cancer or something like that.  Her last day was pretty special; playing ball with the little humans then quietly slipping away in her own bed.  Her house mate Bobby is now showing the new rescue 'sprolly' (Springer/Collie cross) the ropes.  Poor dog hasn't had the privileged upbringing I've had but he's got a really good home now and hopefully he'll come out of his shell a bit.  I'm looking forward to meeting him and his human: she makes the best liver cake ever.

As I said, I've been on holiday and had a great time.  Some of the Christmas crowd were back and it was a holiday this time, no puppy sitting.  I've had a wash and brush up and between you and me I'm looking pretty damn handsome.  I might need to start dying my fur soon as there is an awful lot of grey showing through - at what point do you go from distinguished to old?

Can you believe it, squatters have moved into our apartment whilst I was away?  A young feathered couple have made a nest in the air duct from the bathroom.  I haven't seen them yet but they don't half make a racquet at sunrise.  It's quite nice having a bit of company during the day.  I wonder if I'll be an honorary uncle when they have chicks?
  

Armchair sports fan

The incredible dog challenge was on TV this morning.  It's like the doggie olympics sponsored by a well known dog food company.  As expected the collies were top dogs on the agility course but the Labs triumphed in the diving.  Yeah, honestly doggie diving!  No, not with scuba gear, it's where a human throws your favourite toy into a pool and you run and dive in after it.   The dog with the furthest jump (measured to his nose) is the winner.  It was ace.  The top athletes were jumping over 20 feet. I tell you if I were 5 years younger, and not quite so scared of water, I'd have a go at it.  The Jack Russell hurdles was nothing short of hilarious and the agility of the flying disc competitors made my joins hurt just watching it.

Take a look at the diving dogs (Click here)  (you might want to skip the ads)

Roller derby

I was almost mown down yesterday by a woman on roller blades pushing a pram, closely followed by a man carrying shopping bags - also on roller blades.  It was like being in a tampax advert!

Snack attack

I've found a new human snack I like - raisins.  They're a bit like rabbit droppings but not as earthy and a lot sweeter.  My human prefers that I eat them instead of rabbit droppings so I guess it's a win win situation for me.

Grass

I walked on grass today for the first time in over two weeks.  Ah it was lovely, so soft and warm - well actually it was wet and muddy but it felt so good after weeks of snow and ice.

Here are a couple of then and now shots.

Where's the fence gone?

Hey look, they put the fence back....

Dig out + 7

It's been 7 days since the last snowflake fell and the dig out continues.  Diggers and lorries have been hard at work removing snow from the streets and most of the pavements are clear.  There's the odd householder who is too lazy to clear their sidewalk so I save my pee for outside their property.   It's a valuable service I provide, although I am in danger of serious dehydration on some routes.

Ice is the biggest problem now; not under foot as I use 4 paw drive when it gets slippy, it's the stuff that is falling from the roofs.  Some of the icicles are over 2 feet long: if one of those fell off it could skewer me like a suckling pig.

The salt is really starting to hurt my paws.  It gets between my toes and itches like mad, so then I start licking them and they get all red and sore.  My human has started washing them after my walk which at first was a bit odd but now I'm really enjoying a soak and foot massage after pounding the streets.

I'm very disappointed by the lack of snowmen, woman or children.  The only one I have seen is the one in the picture below.  Nobody seems to play out.  The only people I see are a handful of other dogs and their humans and even then it's only the hardy breeds like me that are out.  All the little yappie things must do their stuff indoors when it's cold or wet because you never see them out when the weather is bad.

Normality

Some semblance of normality is returning to my life.  My human is back at work meaning I can get on with my day in peace.... sleeeeeeep!  There is still loads of snow around although people are starting to dig out - I even saw a sidewalk this morning.  It's really dangerous getting around, most of the sidewalks still haven't be cleared so I have to walk in the road a lot.  There are huge piles of snow at junctions and most of the roads are still only single lane so I have to be really careful I don't get squished by some nutter in an SUV.  I  have to keep away from buildings as huge chunks of snow keep sliding off.  I tell you, if I'm in the path of a roof avalanche I'll look like the abominable snowdog.  Lorries loaded with snow have been passing my apartment all day.  I think they are taking it to Vancouver so the olympic athletes have something to ski on.

For the record: official snowfall for 'Snowmageddon' and 'Snowmageddon II' was 48 inches!  And there may be more on the way.... brilliant!

Snowmageddon II

Can you believe it, we've had another 14 inches of snow today - that's a total of 44 inches since Friday. It is now officially the snowiest winter in DC history. It's ace!!! I love it. I managed to get out this morning for a quickie but I've been confined to barracks for the rest of the day and I am sooooooooo bored. It should be great having my human here all day but she's working and doesn't want to play. She wouldn't take me out as the government were advising people to stay indoors as it was so dangerous. It cleared up a bit at 4 so we ventured out. I wish I could get off the lead and go for a proper run in the stuff. The square across the street from us reminds me of being at the seaside, the drifting snow looks like sand dunes, I begged to go for a run through it but she wouldn't let me off.

Still not sure what is going on with the videos so you'll have to make do with photos for now.

Video problems

There appear to be problems playing video's on my blog. It appears to be a problem with the provider who say they are working on the issue. Please try them later. Sorry.

Blizzard

It's a good job I'm a hardy dog and my human loves me enough to take me out in this. To be honest I didn't really enjoy this morning's walk but when nature calls one has to answer it. She's at home again today so no rest for me. Come to think of it it's about time she was at her computer working hard.

Snow joke

It's snowing again - yippeeeee!!!! We are supposed to get another 10 or so inches by tomorrow night. I hope they don't bring that blinking snow blower out again though. They woke me up this morning with their noise. Don't they realise I need my beauty sleep? Talking of which I haven't been able to get much these last few days as my human has been working at home. When she's at work I spend most of my day asleep on her bed. When she's working at home I have to check up on her every hour or so just to make sure she's working hard, earning money to keep me in the lifestyle I'm accustomed to. I can't have her slacking off.

Get out there

Ok it was nice when it was coming down but now the dig out has begun I'm starting to loose interest. It's also getting really difficult to get around. It's freezing out there, literally. The salted roads and sidewalks are sheets of ice. There is so much snow the only way I can get around is either in the road or where the sidewalk has been cleared but they are as slippery as an eel. I look like I'm break-dancing when I try to walk, and as for cocking my leg, well forget it. I need all paws on the floor for stability.

We tried to get out in the country in the car this afternoon, after she'd dug it out of course. The 4x4 was struggling for grip on the main roads which were little more than sheets of ice. If it wasn't for the other cars on the road it would have been brilliant fun but most of the drivers that were out were complete idiots.

The Day After

I went out early this morning. It's a beautiful day but really, really cold. Navigating is a bit tricky at times, I walk down a dug out path only to find a 10 foot wall of snow at the other end. I got through to my favourite walk which has been partly cleared. Outside of the trench is still far too deep for my little legs. Unofficial estimates are of 30 inches: my human isn't very tall and the snow comes to the top of her thigh. My estimate is... it's deep, real deep.

We are going to the country this afternoon for a run in the snow.

The storm is over

Hours of snow: 28
Accumulation: at least 28 inches
Conditions: Damn it's cold out there.  Stopped snowing.
Walking difficulty: 4 - very icy where the snow has been partially cleared but way too deep to walk where it hasn't.
Peeing difficulty: 2 - operation splash and dash in full operation - it's blinking cold
Four paw drive: Intermittent use and traction control required at times.
Number of times the plow has been passed: 5 - I can almost see the tarmac.
Excitability factor: 7 - it's too cold to enjoy myself
Traffic level: the cars came out as soon as the snow stopped.
Number of snowmen: I can just see the head of one
Number of fallen trees: 5
Observations: Temperatures are falling rapidly so my human started to clear the car.  It took her 40 minutes to dig it out using a floor mop and an ice scraper.  

Winter storm walk: number 4

Hours of snow: 26
Accumulation: about 28 inches - nearer 4 feet in the drifts
Conditions: Strong wind, moderate snow fall
Walking difficulty: 9 - haven't seen a plow for hours
Peeing difficulty: 7 - plenty of yellow snow around.
Four paw drive: Permanent 4 paw drive, traction and stability control in full use.
Number of times the plow has been passed: I haven't seen one for hours
Excitability factor: 8 - the novelty is wearing off a bit and my paws are cold
Traffic level: skiers and walkers only.
Number of snowmen: 0 - all the kids are helping clear the snow
Number of fallen trees: 5
Observations:  Still snowing but not as bad as earlier.  More humans out enjoying the historic event and taking photos

Some Pictures

Click photo to see full size.
This album will be updated throughout the storm.

What the?

I wanted a wee against that tree.

The road had been plowed several times but was still about 5 inches deep. I went for the pavement....

Winter storm walk: number 3

Hours of snow:  20
Accumulation: about 22 inches - nearer 3 feet in the drifts
Conditions:  Strong wind, moderate snow fall
Walking difficulty: 6 - where the plows have been - impossible where they haven't
Peeing difficulty: 7 - again only where the plows have made a route for me.  There are some huge piles of snow which I'm using as substitute trees.
Four paw drive: Permanent 4 paw drive, traction and stability control required
Number of times the plow has been passed: I've lost count.  They come passed every hour or so .  One plow was stuck in a drift outside our place this morning. 
Excitability factor: 10 - still loving it.  The plows are losing their battle meaning deeper snow on the roads for me to play in. 
Traffic level: Just the plows and a couple of hardy dogs.
Number of snowmen: 0 - they've been buried.
Number of snowmen I've peed on: 0
Observations: I wouldn't be able to get around if it wasn't for the plows and blowers. It's deep, really deep, and brilliant.  The power keeps going off which is a bit worrying as there is a Law and Order marathon on TV.  

Winter storm walk: number 2

Hours of snow:  8.5
Accumulation: about 5 inches - nearer 10 in the drifts
Conditions:  White out
Walking difficulty: 4 - the drifts keep catching me out
Peeing difficulty: 2 - Under the trees is a good spot but branches are starting to fall off so I'm going to need a hard hat.
Four paw drive: Full on 4 paw required
Number of times the plow has been passed: 5 
Excitability factor: 10 - still loving it.  The plows spoil it though.  
Traffic level: Just the plows.  The county have banned cars unless they have snow tyres.
Number of snowmen: 3
Number of snowmen I've peed on: 0
Observations: I didn't realize you could lightening storms with snow.  It's going to be a long night for Mr Plow and his mates.  You have to wonder if it's worth trying to clear it when it's falling at a rate of 2 inches an hour.  There are even some home owners who are out shoveling their sidewalks.  I'm curling up in front of the fire for the rest of the evening.

Winter storm walk: number 1

Hours of snow:  4
Accumulation: about 2 inches
Conditions:  It's belting down!
Walking difficulty: 1 - it's a bit slippy and slushy in places
Peeing difficulty: 1 - once I've got a firm footing no difficulty whatsoever
Four paw drive: Minimally required
Number of times the plow has been passed: 0
Excitability factor: 10 - it's brilliant, I love the snow
Traffic level: Low for a Friday afternoon
Number of snowmen: 3
Number of snowmen I've peed on: 0
Observations: More dogs and people out than expected.  Plenty of kids out with sledges and one rather strange human with long planks tied to his feet: I think you call them skis.  

Bring it on

 I've just read this on the weather channel..... Think I better stock up on dog food.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW WITH NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE... HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 16 TO 24 INCHES.

* TIMING... SNOW WILL BEGIN MID-MORNING FRIDAY... AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON... WITH HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURRING BETWEEN SUNSET FRIDAY TO SUNRISE SATURDAY. THE MOST HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY NIGHT... WHEN THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE... PRODUCING NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* TEMPERATURES... HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY... TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID 20S.

THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE SIMILAR TO THE 19 DECEMBER STORM. PLAN FOR SUBSTANTIAL DISRUPTIONS TO TRAVEL FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT.

Brrrrr

You know how I make fun of dogs who wear overcoats... not any more.  Cold just doesn't begin to describe what it was like this morning and it's going to be even colder tomorrow.  The air temperature was a rather bracing -10oC - tomorrow it's going to be -15oC - imagine how cold my paws are going to be.  With temperatures that low I'm going to have to put operation 'splash and dash' into action - I don't want my bits to freeze.

Coming or going

I'm so confused these days I don't know if I'm coming or going.  Three weeks on holiday, one week back at my place then back to the kennels for a week while my human jets off to California of all places.  I tell you I don't know where I'm supposed to be put my bed.  I've given up unpacking my bag, it's next to the front door ready for next time.

I just thought I'd post something so you know I'm ok.  LIfe has been really dull so far this year.  No new walks, no new places to visit, not even snow to play in.  I did see a fox in the neighbourhood the other morning: I soon shooed her off with a woof and a short chase.

I did meet another girl Lab whose human thought we'd make excellent playmates as we looked similar ages.... hmmm not quite, I am nearly 7 years older than her.  They were both amazed at my youthful good looks and athleticism.  I should write a book about my diet and exercise regimen.

Kennel tales

Yeah I'm back with my human - she didn't forget about me.  Don't get me wrong I've had a great holiday but you can't beat sleeping in your own bed (or your human's bed anyway).  It hasn't been a complete holiday though.  I managed to land myself a job as a puppy sitter to a 14 week old German Schnauzer.  She was in the kennel next to me and got a bit home sick on her first night so I moved my bed to the other side of my kennel so I could snuggle near her.

It was really busy over Christmas and I met lots of new dogs.  My favourite was another black lab girl.  She was a rejected seeing eye dog (guide dog to you Brits).  She was rejected for being too friendly, instead of getting on with her job she kept stopping to say hello to people, a bit like me really.

The week before Christmas was really quiet, so quiet I was all on my own for a couple of nights so the nice lady took pity on me and invited me into the big house.  I repaid her kindness by frightening the living daylights out of her.  It wasn't in my file that I have active dreams: imagine the fright when I started running, barking and growling in my sleep.  Poor Michelle thought I'd been tasered by burglars and was having some kind of fit.  All I remember is dreaming of chasing bunnies in the fields.

We had a party on Christmas day with peanut butter covered treats and presents.  The only downside was having to wear reindeer antlers!  Thankfully there are no photos to embarrass me.

My human brought presents back with her.  Apparently Santa left them in England so she had to bring them back with her.  I got a big tub of biscuits from Brandy's mum; some doggie chocolates and bling for my collar from Merlot; a doggie stocking from Lin and Roger my next door neighbours and favourite dog sitters back home and a superb reindeer tug toy from Victoria, supplier of tummy rubs and cool tug toys.  Thank you all for my Christmas presents.