Prevention

Is better than cure so they say.  If that's the case I never want to be sick.  I went to the vets for my booster vaccinations and ended up having a full medical.  Eyes, ears, nose, bum, full blood work up, Lyme disease check, heart worm, neurological exam and a few other tests I better not mention in case you have eaten recently.  The result.... I'm in excellent health.  Well d'oh, I could have told you that without being poked and prodded in areas where, quite frankly, human hands should not go.  

Here's another saying for you: when in Rome.... I'm having my teeth cleaned in a couple of weeks. Pearly  whites, how American is that?

It's been a tough week.

Not so safe

It would appear this area isn't as safe as I thought.  Accroding to the local paper six people were arrested for drug offences in the square opposite our appartment and a man was robbed at gun point just down the road.  So far I haven't seen any trouble unless you call the little terrier type dog that tried to bite my nose off the other day.

My human went on a trip without me last weekend to Luray caverns.  It was quite a drive away and dogs weren't allowed so I stayed home and watched TV.  She asked me to put these photo's up for you to see.  It's all real, not a film set or make belive, althoug the photo's don't do the place justice according to Rachael.

Luray Caverns

Snake

Yep I saw my first snake today, it was no big deal, I'm a laid back kinda guy.  Yeah right who am I kidding?  It scared the heebee geebees outta me.  It was the surprise factor more than anything.  Not the surprise of seeing the snake, the shriek from my human.  I was just going about my business sniffing along through the grass and there he was, all curled up in the sun at the side of the path.  He did look rather cute.  I got pulled away before I could have a sniff of him.  I'm no expert but I think it was a garter snake like this one.  A pretty small guy really.

    

Legal

I'm a legal resident dog of Gaithersburg which means I can go to the dog park and not get fined. To celebrate my new status I ate all my dinner, had a huge drink of water, walked into the lounge and vomited!  Did I mention we have cream carpets throughout?  Ooops!

Ghostly goings on

Did I tell you the apartment is haunted?  The human thinks it is anyway based on two facts: I will not go into her bedroom even though she keeps putting my bed in there; and the sock!  About a week after we arrived a sock appeared in the middle of the bedroom floor one morning.  A single white sock with a red top.  It's not one of mine and it's not one of hers so if you are missing a white sock with a red band then get in touch.  We are obviously at the other end of your sock vortex!

Cool Dog

I met a really cool dog the other day, a Siberian Husky called Indie.  I know, not the best place for a winter dog to be living but he seemed to be coping better than me, I guess he's 'acclimated' as the Americans say.  He had the most amazing blue/white eyes.  The humans were talking while me and Indie exchanged business cards (that's butt sniffing to you humans).  Indie goes to doggy day care three times a week and is training to be a therapy dog.  He also likes to play with snakes which is bad - number one rule in these parts, don't play with the reptiles!

There are two poisonous snakes in Maryland: the copperhead and the timber rattlesnake both of which inhabit Sugarloaf mountain which I was made to walk up at the weekend.  OK, so the view was pretty good but did we have to walk in snake country.  Everyone says they are more scared of me than I am of them... they clearly underestimate how scared I am! 

Happy Birthday

To the 300 million Americans who celebrated their independence on the 4th.  It was a low key affair for us British folk - probably best to keep the plum English accent under wraps for the day.

My human was very cruel to me that day.  She took me for a walk past every BBQ in the area I think.  Ah the smell of fresh steak on the grill, my nose was in over drive.  Not a single scrap for me though.

Bill Oddie Returns

Did I tell you I saw a bald eagle on our way to Harpers Ferry.  It was majestically soaring on the thermals, we couldn't stop to get a photo though.  We did take this one of some kind of heron I think near Harpers Ferry.  Like I said, I'm no twitcher.

I've seen a few other birds as well this week: Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove, Red Cardinal and there's a family of barn swallows living in the stairwell of the apartment building.

I can also confirm I'm not going mad! Remember the moving rock from last week?  I saw one in the water yesterday.  He was a bit shy so doesn't show up very well but if you look really carefully you can just see his head poking out of the weeds.  

  Still waiting to see a humming bird.  

Observations

I thought I'd share a few observations I've made during my first few weeks here.

The people are very friendly.  Nearly everyone we pass on our walk says hi.  

They love their flag.  There's at least one house on every street that has a flag flying, and that's before 4th July.

People like to exercise.  There are loads of joggers and walkers in a morning.  I've also seen some people standing around moving their arms and legs really slowly.  I don't know if it's because they are old and can't move very fast or whether it's some kind of exercise, either way I don't like to interrupt them.

TV is weird.  You can be watching a show where all the bad words are edited out which is fine when they are on before tea time then the ad break will come on with ads for Viagra and other things I better not mention on a family blog.  Oh and the adverts drive me crazy, just as you get into a show the ads come on.  

Worrying times

I'm getting worried about my human - she's started listening to country music!  Don't get me wrong I like it but I didn't think she would - although she's always been a closet of Dolly fan.

This weeks new experience... drive through ATM, it was so cool.  I wonder if they still have drive in movies - that would be great.  I also want to try a drive in restaurant with waitresses on roller skates and my human would love the drive through beer and wine shop.  I wonder if we could live in the car???  Ok, maybe not it would probably get smelly.

Oh get this - the shopping trolleys at the supermarket have got cup holders on them!

Road trip

I went on my first road trip this weekend.  We went to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia - yes, of John Denver fame... not my pictures.

Forgive my ignorance, I know it's a historical place but I didn't pay much attention to what happened.  Something to do with a bloke called John Brown who wanted to free the slaves (good old bloke if you ask me).  He got a bit upset and he and his mates went to Harpers and had a fight with some other blokes who thought slavery was good.  Sadly he got caught and hanged [is it hanged or hung ] for treason.  Anyway that's what started the American civil war (so I read).

We drove the back roads which gave me a real sense of America.  Other than the freeway from the airport and the short walks near our apartment I haven't seen anything of America - I liked it though.

Early finish

What a nice surprise, my human came home early today.  Apparently there was a problem at work that needed the fire department to sort out.  Must have been a big problem, look at all the fire trucks.

For once I hope the noise that has just shook the windows in the apartment was thunder and not a result of what is happening where she works.  The weather channel said we would have a storm tonight and it feels like it's here...  I'm off to hide under the bed!