Booming Banter

The bro, who is a person of considerable wealth given the hours he’s working, has taken to buying us all little gifts as a surprise now and then.

Ma usually gets flowers or candy. Today she got a cala lily. Dad got a hat and I got this big thing that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with.

It really doesn’t smell of much but they put it on my daybed and kept telling me to chew it. It was bigger than any chew I’d seen before but eventually I decided they wouldn’t do me harm so I tore in.

Its a bit like eating bacon rinds and takes a lot of effort but I’m enjoying it. There are storms coming in so it will keep me going till they pass and I can get out to stretch the legs again.

We had a good one last night so herself was happy all the things that she’d plant got watered. They darn near got washed away.

The big banner that they put in the yard to celebrate the bro’s graduation almost took off. They had to bang it back in readiness for the next round of gales.

All that lightening and thunder doesn’t faze me at all but if they think I need calming and it comes in the form of rawhide what else could I do but play the game!

Blessing # 698 – Dance in the Rain

The energizer bunny must have passed by last night. Herself has not stopped all day. Apart from taking me for a walk early on she has been constantly on the go.

Must say I am not entirely happy about how she treated me. She was digging holes all around the house. I’m not exaggerating when I say she must have dug one hundred! She thought I couldn’t see her but I was watching from the windows.

No sooner was that done than she hit the clothes cupboard. She’s been watching this woman called Trinny who has a house made of closets filled to the gills with luxury garments. Everything is organized so she’s trying to do the same with her gear!

Total chaos and pandemonium! At least she let me in on this job.

Its better than it was but I do feel so lucky not to need all that stuff!

Blessing # 697 – A Classic Fur Coat

Today was so much more fun than the past days have been. Everyone around me seemed to be full of energy and in a super good mood. It’s incredible what a little sunshine can do.

The chipmunks we’re out in force in the woods on the way to the park. They move so fast even I don’t think I could catch them. They are like mini squirrels. Just perfect Bite Size

I will not even mention what the squirrels were up to. Let’s just say that wedding bells were ringing!! I was blushing!!!!

After all the romping around I couldn’t believe my luck. For the first time in ten weeks I was left all alone in my home sweet home.

The bro was at work and the parents both went out this afternoon so I got a nice chew chew and some much needed time alone.

Bliss. Don’t you just love your own company now and then?

Blessing # 696 – Normal Nonsense

First, let me report that the fish curry was OK it wasn’t as good as Dad does himself but it was all scoffed. Ma hasn’t got the finesse!

Today has been an upside down sort of day. It started with record cold that totally did Ma’s head in.

She started making dinner at breakfast time. Chopping like a serial killer and throwing things in that big black pot that stews for hours. The smell drove me nuts.

The bro was vegetating in the basement till lunchtime so I only had the ancients around. He emerged at midday ate a plateful of chicken nuggets and vanished again. He reemerged at two thirty, wolfed down some of what Ma had cooked and then took off for work.

She then took the big black pot and put it in the sun room and went to bed! At least the smell disappeared. I was perplexed but joined her as Dad was watching that COVID series on CNN again. I do wish that it is soon over.

We took a long siesta and when we got up she started putting a lot of that stuff in the black pot in dishes and stuck them in the freezer. The rest she put on plates. What the heck? I was totally puzzled by this point. Had I suffered for nothing? Should I take a stand and protest?

That’s when the day took an upturn  she scraped what was left in the pot into my bowl and mixed it with my crunchies. Oh yummy mummy it was worth the trauma. I ate every tiny bit before going for my walk.

We were no sooner out than we met Enzo my biggest bud. He’d escaped his yard as he hadn’t his electric collar on. We played chase up and down the street and dodged a few cars before his Dad caught him. It was a good laugh!!

I really needed that little boost of fun. Too much sleeping and eating really wears a body out!

Blessing # 695 – Playmates

I knew from the look on her face this morning when it started to snow at the park that today was destined for dormitory doom.

Sure enough she tore back to home  base at lighting speed grumbling all the long that she was sick of being cold and had had enough of this blasted winter and we’ve been stuck here ever since.

Mercy that it’s the bro’s day off so at least I have a third person to torture to play games with me.

There’s no point even looking out the window for barking opportunities as no one else is out. So, in between shredding rope and taking naps I’m just prowling the palace and pretending to be a cat.

Maybe I’ll hack up a furball just to get some more attention.

The Father has been giving the Mother instructions on how to make his special fish curry. It didn’t look hard at all. I watched from my kitchen throne and listened carefully.

For the sauce two cups of yogurt and one cup of coconut milk were mixed up. Into this one finely chopped large onion, three table spoons of desiccated coconut and one big chili were added followed by his magic mix.

Its a family formula but I’ll tell you what’s in it since you are my pals. You need a teaspoon each of turmeric powder, coriander and cumin powder, cumin powder (again), fenugreek powder, madras curry powder, ginger and garlic paste, a tablespoon of tomato ketchup and a good pince of salt. This is all mixed into the sauce.

Himself tasted this and declared it needed more cumin so in went another half teaspoon of that before he gave the thumbs up!

You then take a big dish and cover the bottom of it with about a third of this saucy stuff. Pat your fish filets dry and put these on top. Then you sprinkle the fish with paprika and then top it with the rest of the sauce and more paprika and stick it in the fridge and wait!

Its been in there for about five hours now and is going to be baked in the oven soon for 45minutes, topped with fresh coriander and served with rice.

I’m extremely hopeful that given the overload of fishiness I’ve had to suffer in the cause of bringing you this banter I’ll be able to report on the finished product tomorrow. If you don’t hear from me I’ve left for another pack!

Blessing # 694 – Sharing Secrets

The Bro and I put our heads together and pondered what herself might like for Mother’s Day.

She has plants sprawling all over the front hall and these impede my games of fetch. My tennis balls get stuck behind the pots which holds back my score. So we had a brainwave instead of getting her a plant we got her plant holders.

A stroke of genius! She nearly tripped over one of them this morning as I didn’t have time to show her where we’d put them! She was well pleased though and cooed and ahhed about them and was all huggy kissy too.

As we got her in a good mood she decided to make a treat for when the other menfolk surfaced. There was a lot of old bread lying around that I’d hoped would find its way into my bowl.

Instead she chopped it up and covered it with a mix of milk, sugar and egg and chucked it in the oven. I could have done that!

It looked horrendous but miraculously it came out good and we all scoffed it up!

Maybe if we got her gifts every weekend she’d make more goodies instead of those boring crunchies!

Blessing # 693 – Return in Kind

My feelings have been hurt several times today. First my Ma rushed me out on a short one mile march and then dumped me in the living room with Dad.

She disappeared without even saying adios amigos for two hours. I could hear her talking and a lot of other voices too. How did all those people get into my home? They were serious at times but then they were laughing and no matter how much I scraped the door she wouldn’t let me join that meeting. Absolutely not nice!

She made up for it a little by fixing a date for me to meet my girlfriend  this afternoon but when we got to our meeting point my girl was not there. It was just her Mom who said my girl had had a little wobbly and fallen down the stairs. Of course I was concerned but also disappointed. She is rather a lot older than me but sure is beautiful. Just hoping she gets better soon.

It’s just one of those things I suppose. A big yawn!

You can’t always get what you want. I’ll just hang in there and dream of my love till next time!

Blessing # 692– Rocking Resilience

Often when we’re out for a trot people will ask my Mom what am I. Rather than just saying she doesn’t know she usually launches into my whole history. This gets a tad boring when you’ve heard the same thing a hundred time.

Yesterday things took a different twist. This masked woman stopped us and said “Oh your dog looks just like my dogs twin”. Intrigued Ma asked what breed that was and the lady said with confidence a SNOODLE.

We checked that out and found some similarities but still go with our original idea that there is Irish Wheaten Terrier in me and a good dose of Poodle.

That would make me closer to a WHOODLE. Pretty good resemblance to the Google image don’t you think?

Given my tail, highlights coloring and ball skills there may be some Golden Retriever in me. My fine behavioral traits of chasing anything that moves at speed also indicate Pointer and Greyhound and the fact I’m still growing hints at a little touch of a giant like a Great Dane or Wolfhound.

All I can say is don’t try to classify me! I’ll never be at the top of the Top Ten Breeds because they couldn’t reproduce me even if they tried. Such a shame that is!

I’m just perfectly mixed up and best described as a BITSA or a HEINZ!

Maybe make that a Secret Scooby that’s a breed you only dream of!

Blessing # 691 – Just Myself

Over the past few days my Ma has received several messages about a big bash they had three years ago for Cinco de Mayo.

We didn’t celebrate this year but seems they really rolled the boat out in the past. Since I’ve arrived they’ve only had one party. I was well behaved so I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with me. I’m really hoping they have one soon. Such a great opportunity to meet new people and grab a snack or two.

Ma was looking at the photos that people sent her of the party and realized that in one picture every single person in the snap except  Dad has left Ohio. Some have gone to Florida, others to Canada, others to Switzerland and others to India.

Three years ago I wasn’t even thought of but one year ago I was living with other stray soldiers in Texas itself.

I could not tell you if I was fighting on the French side or the Spanish side only that I won the battle in finding my home.

I enjoy nachos very much so am certain that now Ma has been reminded that she forgot to celebrate the Mexican win at Puebla she’ll be rolling out the treats tonight.

Blessing # 690 – Taco Time

I wish I could fly sometimes. Those stinking squirrels scoot up trees just when I’m about to catch them. If I could fly I’m certain I could grab one by the tail!

The trees are full of flying objects and some are very colorful. Recently we’ve been seeing small yellow things Ma says are called Gold Finches. She coos over them to the point I get a little jealous.

This morning she was all distracted by those big funky flyers that zoom into our pond at the park because all of a sudden they have a little fluffy family. She got aunt Lori to take this pic of them.

The pair of ducks who are the funniest fliers of all are still spending a lot of time sitting in the ditch close to the road. Who knows why but they are a cute couple!

There are also those birds that go way high in the sky that seemed to have all but disappeared recently. Some of them called JetBlues were in the news today though. Since it’s  National Nurses Day they are giving 100000 Nurses a sky ride. That’s really cool don’t you think. Wonder could I go too?

Blessing # 689 – Flying High