Retirement is Awesome

Happy New Year, Mom!

Lynn tells me the you are in New Jersey and have a new guide named Ursala. Congratulations! I have been worried about you and am glad you have a new dog to not only help you get around to all your commitments, but to snuggle and be friends with, too. Welcome, Ursula!

I am doing great  and love retirement. My days are very full with visits with Mille and Molly several times a week, several walks a day, extended naps on the princess and the pea bed, and lots of belly rubs. Please do not worry about me and just concentrate on Ursula and getting to know her. 

Me cuddled up on top of the princess and the pea bed. See that rolled up blanket on the windowsill? Lynn was concerned that there might be a cold draft blowing on me, so she stuffed it in there to block the chill.

Remember I told you about the neighbors who gave me twenty-six tennis balls? (Lynn would like me to insert here that at least five of them are on the living room floor and do I really need that many out all at once? Silly Lynn! Of course I do!)

Me, lying on the floor in the living room with my head pillowed on a fabric frisbee and a nylabone between my paws. The biggest of my two antlers is next to me, and there is another nylabone and ONE, let me say that again, ONE tennis ball on the floor by my tail. Lynn exaggerates about the number of tennis balls I get out. (Yes, there are six on the floor behind the couch but they don't count.)

Anyway! Lynn and Craig decided that it might be a good idea to keep a couple of the tennis balls outside on the back patio. Oh, how I love to go out in our yard - lots of bunnies hop through it and I love to follow their trails. (Lynn and Craig frown on me eating bunny poop. I don't know why - they look just like Kelloggs Cocoa Puffs and are just as good in my opinion.)

Craig is especially good at throwing the tennis balls for me. The yard is very large and I can stretch my legs out and RUN. I get really low to the ground and twist and turn, chasing the balls he launches. Do I get a workout! (Which helps me keep my body sleek and svelte for Nacho! Swoon!!)

I also help Lynn keep her two bird feeders full of seeds, and I am especially good at vacuuming up any seeds that she spills. Lynn tells me to leave that for the birds and simply will not budge about that, even when I tell her that seeds are healthy and I am just getting a birdie version of granola.

You know that we guide dogs are very smart (and I say that in all modesty) but I figured out how to have a ball handy as I help Lynn work in the yard.

I just drop it right underneath the bird feeder! That way, I know just where to find it when we come outside to play. (And sometimes it has bird granola on it - I can lick that off when I pick up the ball and neither Lynn nor Craig are the wiser! (Lynn would like to insert that phrase, "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed" here. I'm not sure what she means.)

Speaking of beds, you will NEVER guess what! Craig has repeatedly said that he really does not want me to get on their furniture or on their bed. Well, to her surprise, Lynn, who was up very early, walked into the bedroom this morning to get something and found Craig cuddling me! Yep, I was up on the bed and he had not told me that I had to get down. He'd let me stay! After she got over her surprise, she said to Craig, "You old softy!" and went back upstairs to work. Meanwhile, he and I went back to sleep snuggled together. (It was awfully early, after all!)

Oh, my, I just heard the frying pan! Craig must be making eggs, and most days he scrambles one just for me! Gotta go! Say "hi" to Ursala from me!

Happy bounces,

Pepper