Meet My Guest!

This is Gertie. She's visiting for a few days while her peoples are out of town. She's a very nice beagle, and we get along just fine. Don't we look cute together?

Dirty Dog

I had to have another bath yesterday. I really was a mess. Bridget and Jake were picking blackberries at the reservoir, and I was trying to be helpful by running around under the blackberry bushes, taking care of any critters that might have lived under there. In all my running around, I managed to get a big purple blackberry stain on my back, as well as some seriously dirty paws from all of my digging and scratching. Since Bridget and Jake were having guests, they insisted on a bath. I am very reluctant to go into the downstairs bathroom these days, but she lured me in with many, many treats.
I like treats.
I do not like baths.

My Brush with the Police and Adventures in Ice Cream

I got in trouble yesterday, but not the kinda trouble where Bridget and Jake tell me to get off the couch. Nope, this time, I was in trouble with THE LAW. Yup. We were out for a walk with some of the local dogs (Sammy and Joey) and their people, over in the Reservoir Park, when all of a sudden, the black and white pulled up and told us (very nicely) that we weren't supposed to be there. Yikes! There are signs saying no dogs, but there are ALWAYS dogs there (usually a half dozen or so) so no one took the sign very seriously. But I guess they're stepping up patrols, and we gotta stay out. Sigh. The officers were very nice and didn't give us a ticket. But wow, my first brush with the law! I feel like such an outlaw!

In other news, I have had ice cream, and now I am completely unsatisfied with any food that is not ice cream. Jake and Bridget and Paula (the peoples) and Bus and Marlin and I (the dogs) walked to this very nice ice cream stand where the workers saw us and said "Do your dogs want some ice cream?" What an excellent question.

Here is what I have learned: Ice cream is delicious. Oh so delicious.

All this police and ice cream stuff happened since my return to 83 Durant. As you probably know, I've been off vacationing at Aunt Paula's house with her awesome dogs. It was a good time. I learned that I am obsessed with mice (the kind that hide in your house). Here is what Aunt Paula said about me:

Carter clearly knows where [the mice] are, and gets a little intense in his stalking of them. One day I couldn't find him -- I was calling and calling, no response -- and it took 20 minutes for me to spot him: buried in furry toys (e.t. style) with his head jammed under a bookcase. I believe the spot is a mouse thoroughfare, and he was pretending to be a tunnel.

Someone has pointed out that this is some very cat-like behavior, but I'm just a very complicated dog.

I got to go swimming at Aunt Paula's, and I hung out with all kinds of dog friends. Aunt Paula is the best!

Couch Dog

I got a new couch and it's MINE ALL MINE!!!!

Back home again!

I just got back from a week at Aunt Paula's Sleepaway Camp for Furry Creatures. It was a grand time, as always.

However, something very shocking happened. Bridget and Jake are horrified, and I'm feeling a bit sheepish. One night, while I was sleeping in Paula's bed (she's super-awesome, and lets me do this), Paula tried to make me move over, because I'm a big bed hog. I was immovable, so she had to try very hard to move me. All this prodding got me really annoyed. I'm kinda grouchy sometimes. So then, in response, I did the unthinkable:

I peed on her bookshelf.

I should not have done this. Punishment was swift and just. I was totally in the wrong. I can't believe Paula didn't call Bridget and Jake immediately and make them come home and pick up my spiteful peeing self.

Paula and I have made up, because she is an incredibly generous and kind and pooch-loving lady. I am very very sorry and will be on my best behavior from now on.

Bridget and Jake remain freaked out.

Of Baths and Cats

On Thursday night, the humans gave me a bath. I endured it only because I am a sweet sweet dog, and they gave me lots of treats. But I didn't like it. Here I am wrapped in a towel, post-bath.

See how I'm on the couch? So apparently, it's fine for me to be on the couch if the humans are on the couch and they invite me up. But for some reason I can't fathom, I'm not allowed to be on the couch BY MYSELF. I think this is tremendously unfair. Some mornings, after Jake leaves for work and Bridget is still upstairs, I like to get on the couch. Or when Bridget goes to the basement to do laundry, I like to get on the couch. She seems very exasperated with me when I do this. But why do I have to always only share the couch?

Another thing that annoys me: that Cat Who Refuses to Acknowledge Me. There's this cat, and he has a real attitude problem. Most of the cats around here, like the two orange ones on Beacon run away when they see me. But this cat, boy he has some nerve. he doesn't budge an inch, no matter how much I leap and bark and whine at him.

For those of you who are interested in may daily comings and goings (for instance, my internet stalkers out there), I've created this map of my world for you:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&t=h&om=1&msid=106394747322388434320.0000011357e9848c36973&ll=42.650486,-71.292747&spn=0.005618,0.009259&z=17

I think it's pretty cool.

Long-awaited Update

It's been a busy time in my life, and I haven't had much time to get onto the blog lately -- sorry to all my fans out there! I'll try to fill you in on all the excitement.

You'll be pleased to know that I continue to be a flatbread bandit. Bridget and Jake had their friends over to rip out the plaster in this room where I'm not allowed to go, and they ordered all this awesome food for lunch. While no one was looking, I stuck my head in a bag and pulled out a big pita bread, then ran with it. Jake eventually caught me, but it was still pretty fun. Here I am among the rubble they created:


The next most awesome thing that happened was that I went to Aunt Paula's sleepaway dog camp while Bridget and Jake were away. I love Paula. She took me out to this rally downtown, and I met all these nice people and kids. I even met the Episcopal minister, who invited me back to church. How cool is that? I had a great time, and I was especially interested when a giant tray of deli meats walked by. It was a very fun evening.

On a previous visit to Aunt Paula's, she was surprised to discover that I enjoy drive-thru windows. Who doesn't love a drive-thru window, especially the one at Top Donut? Aunt Paula was shocked to find me crawling across her lap and out the window, attempting to climb in through the drive through window. But I thought that was totally normal behavior.

I do have a couple complaints after my visits with Aunt Paula. Her dogs, Cerebus and Marlin, get to have THEIR OWN DONUT when they go to Top Donut, but Jake and Bridget say I only get dog treats. PLUS, Cerebus and Marlin get this awesome wet food, but Jake and Bridget only feed me dry kibble. I think this is an injustice. Please write letter and make phone calls in support of my campaign for a better Carter diet.

Here I am, enjoying my DRY KIBBLE outside on the deck. I guess it's not that bad. And I am pretty cute.