Michael Phelps Mania

So here we are trying to watch Michael Phelps win his 8th gold medal. We haven't been this excited about the Olympic swimming since Mark Spitz. I guess I just dated myself but anyway we are super excited to watch history in the making when Moose jumps up to watch the Olympics.

So we yell "down in front" and he completely ignores us, so my neighbor moves in for the "counseling session." It went something like, "now Moose we all are excited and want to watch not just you." He finally acquiesces and plunks down to watch Michael make history.

I'm calling my attorney

Russ here.

Sorry about this post being so late, but Mom stepped on her computer last night and broke the screen. I am typing from a brand new one--third computer since I arrived last September. When I was a youngster I liked to eat keyboards. But not why I write...

Mom brought home a new puppy Shaker. Cute little guy and I like him a lot. I like teaching him how to play with my toys. And they are my toys I only share with Shaker when I am in the right mood!

But he has this really annoying habit of getting up super duper early in the morning and waking every body up. I mean really there I am trying to catch some beauty sleep and he is bark bark bark time to get up happy. This morning I just looked at him like "you have to be kidding me." I am so going to have my attorney draw up a contract about sleep hours! It darn well will have some whereas and wherefores that Mr. Shaker is going to have to learn to abide by.

Russ out

Corgi Frap Interrupted

Russ and Moose are having a grand frap in the living room. They are romping, chewing on each other, the spit is flying and a general good time is had by all. One of Russ' favorite things to do during a frap is to take off and do Cardi laps. He runs as fast as he can up, over, around and through anything and everything in sight. Moose thinks this looks like great fun and follows after Russ. Except Moose is well he's a moose, so stuff starts flying--baby toys up ended, and the fan is air borne. So I am watching this trying to decide whether to laugh or bellow STOP, when Fred comes charging into the living room.

He lets out one long low growl and both Moose and Russ stop playing and roll over. Fred grumbles something else and they both lie down and go to sleep. Hmmmmm, me thinks Fred is top dog.

Day 1 Walk

Way back in the day--I baby sat my minister's water something dog, so I had a few early lessons in walking 3 dogs. The primary thing I remembered was to keep them out in front. So I said to myself, "Okay I can do this".

Before we set out, I did some sits and downs. Okay I have a modicum of control. Then the next question is how many bags does on take for 3 adult males? Hmmm--I take 5 for Music and Russ so 7 no maybe a few extras--9 bags. Yes 9 bags it is. We embark.

We aren't 25ft down the road, when Fred spots my neighbor. Now with Grandpa Fred and grandson Russ let's say the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. Fred like Russ has decided I need to be protected from all evil--real and imagined. So Fred starts barking at my neighbor, Russ looks at him like "I don't get it", but if Grandpa says he's evil he must be. Now I have two Cardis barking at the neighbor. (Mind you this all happens in just a split second.) I assure everyone that the neighbor is friend.

Then my neighbor wants to pet the dogs. Remember my rule of keep them out in front, well before I knew it they were behind me and all 3 come between my legs with Russ in the lead. (Dang that obedience instructor for insisting that I teach him to run between my legs) Then they split and run back behind me again. It is an absolute wonder that I didn't end up face planted on the pavement. I untangle myself, keeping a tight hold on Fred because he has officially spotted the river and we set out again. (Ooops need bag 1)

About another 100 ft down the road, we encounter a jogger. Oh goody, Russ and joggers. Russ sits on command, as do the other 2, and the jogger thinks they are so cute. Yep you guessed it she wants to pet them. Okay this time I am smarter and keep them out front. (Ooops need bag 2)

We walk a bit further, everything is going great and I spot the neighborhood domestic white geese. Fantastic--couldn't they be swimming just once when we walk by. Three herding dogs and 5 white geese. I tell them to leave it, and we pass, except Fred makes a break for it. Ha I told him--I have been handling your grandson and I know your wicked ways. (Oops need bag 3, 4, 5)

We forge on Moose found a dead fish to roll in. He smells wonderful right now (Ooops need bags 6 & 7) Then Fred finds a mud puddle--he looks great with muddy feet. (need bag 8 and I am beginning to wonder if I have enough)

We stop for a water break under a big shade tree, and start home. We avoid the fish and the mud puddle, but the demented Min Pin out. The dog is barking like a hyena and Moose decides--Game On! I bark--Moose Down. He drops like a bag of feed. (Thank you Cindy for working him!) Of course though Moose just has to lay a pile in the dog's yard--that's bag 9.

The geese were in Mississippi when we walked by again, so the boys finished up the P-mail and I thought I was going to make it home without needing another bag when Russ stops. Tomorrow I am taking 12 bags, 2 water bottles, 1 dish, some snacks and a back pack!

Sorry folks no pictures--maybe when folks get home from work I can entice someone to take a picture.

5 Star Grub

After figuring out that we needed to feed all the boys last night. The one glitch in the great Corgi Swap was we forgot to talk about feeding schedules. Anyway, Kathy, the dog chef, made up some grub for everyone.

Uncle Moose and Grandpa Garbage Gut Fred chowed down. Russ, of course, was trying to send them signals that if they just held out she would bring out the good stuff, but they were too busy gulping the grub to notice.

We were watching the news, and didn't immediately notice that the Foggy Bottom crew "went missing." Kathy got up and found them camped out in the kitchen hoping for more chow! We told them--"sorry guys, you have to wait for tomorrow."

Satin Balls

What do you get when you mix 10 lbs cheap hamburger (high fat %),1 large box Total cereal (about 12 cups cereal)1 large box uncooked oatmeal, (about 15 cups oats)10 raw eggs,1 15oz jar wheat germ,10 packages Knox unflavored gelatin,1 and 1/4 cup vegetable oil,1 and 1/4 cup unsulphered molasses and a pinch of salt? Why Satin Balls of course!

I'll bet you are wondering why on earth I would be elbow deep in 10lbs of cheap hamburger, oatmeal, raw eggs and the like. Well Russ' Aunt Cindy said it was a surefire way to put some weight on my skinny show dog. So I mixed up a batch--what a disgusting process, but all worth it if he puts some meat on his bones.

The first day he ate one just fine, but the second day he decided that he wasn't going to eat them. So here I am breaking apart the Satin Ball feeding little bits to him and teeny tiny bites to Music, so that the little brat will eat the stuff that is supposed to fatten him up. So not only did I have to experience the raw meat, Total cereal, molasses, and such once but I am reliving the experience 3 times a day!

Oh yeah I almost forgot, I have to pretend to be eating the darn thing off a plate before he takes it from me! I can't even begin to tell you how much I hope he puts weight on quickly. Who ever heard of a skinny Corgi?

From the Archives II

I'm on the road for a couple of days--something about meeting my brother half way to deliver a boat, but not important. I left this morning about 10:00am after saying a quick good bye to the family, Russ and Music. I've gotten reports from the road and all seems to be going well. Most importantly Russ is eating but word is that he only eats after Music dashes in to get a nimble of his Satin Balls. (There's a story, but I will save it for when I get home!)

Any way it seemed only fitting to pull a couple pictures out of the archives that didn't make it to prime time viewing. Just so everyone is on a level playing field let me quickly describe my two characters. Russ is a ready for anything, game for a good time kind of dog, while Music is a sweet little girl, with a vamp side but for the most part content to hang out with her human on the couch or chair. (With the new puppy arriving in just a few short days, Aunt Cindy suggested that dear Music had no idea what she was getting into when she adopted our couch.)

I think these two pictures will show the vast difference between them. Russ--rough and ready to take on the fan, and Music snuggled up the the softest blanket she can find.

Addicted to Downy

Music is a funny little girl in her own right. Now she is no where near the character Russ is, but I'm not sure any house is big enough for two Russells. (Although there is a rumor out there that the new puppy Shaker like to rearrange fans!) But I digress...

One of Music funny little habits is her drive for anything that smells like Downy fabric softener. She could be sound asleep, but the instant she smells me coming with clean laundry she's up and in--yes I said in--the pile of laundry. If I happen to drop a load on the bed and can't attend to it immediately, I will find her buried in it with just her big 'ole bat ears showing out the top!

Skinny Show Dog

Russ is at that lanky teenage period of his life, and like so many teenagers he is a skinny guy. We are trying to beef him up, but believe it or not he is a picky Cardi Corgi.

In addition to extra food with good stuff on it, we are giving him treats during the day. He enjoys Wellness Peanut Butter treats, but we wanted to mix it up so he didn't get bored with one flavor. Today I introduced Natural Balance sweet potato and fish treats. To me they smelled like something that the river washed up, but Russ ultimately decided they were pretty good.

However, whenever you give Russ a treat he does the same treat routine. He carries it in his mouth for a time, drops it, does a funny little dance, repeat this a couple of time, then he either eats it or runs a few Corgi laps around the house. I finally got part of the routine on film, but missed the Corgi laps.

It is hard to put weight on a dog that runs it all off while eating the treats!

Obsessed with cats!

Monday night headlines with Jay Leno is a staple here at the ranch, and typically Russ and Music are sleeping soundly by the time we are laughing ourselves senseless at the silly headlines.

Well last night Jay had on Julie Scardina & Sea World Animals, so we thought what the heck this is always fun. The second animal guest was a jungle cat kitten. I swear Russ heard Jay Leno say "oh it looks like a house cat," and he jumps up and charges the TV. He is barking and carrying on like a demented Cardi, until the stage hand takes the cat away.

Now we all know Russ loves nothing more than herding cats and tormenting Stinky cat but honestly I never thought it would transfer to cats on TV. On this Monday night, my buddy Russ was funnier than headlines!

A Coalition?

Russ and I were at Focus and Heeling class this evening. We have come a long way in 6 weeks, but we are still not competition ready. We start a competition style obedience class on July 30, but this is not why I write...

We came home and engaged in our usual routine--sit, leash off, put the obedience bag away, but what do my eyes see--Music and Stinky on the bed together.

Just to bring you up to speed, Stinky Cat is Russ' arch enemy. She is the cat who will wait until he is sleeping and then run up to him biff him and take off. So Music and Stinky communicating and spending time together. It can only spell one thing--Russ is screwed!

Okay we are ready to go outside...

We have successfully convinced Russ that he can't jump up or down from the bed. I am not entirely sure how we did it but we did. Music on the other hand is a regular acrobat and there is no convincing her of the evil of stairs, bed jumping, and other sorts of Cardi misadventures.

So while we were traveling, Music is on and off the bed at will, while Russ had to resort to barking, whining and other cajoling to get what he wanted. On the day the picture was taken Music decided to wait for Russ to make her grand jump and skid across the floor. For a pretty small dog, she makes quite the show of her landing. She lands and slides several feet before her braking system is fully operational. And for Russ' part he decided to save our ears and not bark!

Fresh Air Please

My buddy Russ has become quite the traveler--well at least in the RV. Music heads straight for the bedroom but Russ prefers to watch the scenery. His latest trick is to come up to the air conditioning vent for a breath of cool air. He also likes watching the back up camera especially when Kathy is back there guiding us into a site!

It's Hot in Iowa!

Russ is not a hot weather dog by any standard, well unless someone says football and then he is game, but for the most part he hates the heat. So while we were up north he was a happy camper. But we came home to heat and I do mean heat!

The air conditioner is working overtime and the temperature in the cottage was still rising--it hit 80 degrees at 9:00 p.m. The dogs are walking around with their tongues hanging out, so we went into supplement mode. We drug out every fan we could find, turned off lights, and brought out the cooling mats. Now you would think that Russ would find this to be welcome relief, but no he starts complaining that it's still too hot! Then he decides that the cooling mats need to be relocated. I am telling you sometimes there is no pleasing him!

I am pleased to report that the little monster finally settled down in front of a fan!

Corgi Butts

While on vacation, we took some pretty walks along the lake and to water falls. But the prettiest hike we took was on the Cascade River in Minnesota. So here we are in the prettiest place, and do you think I could get Russ and Music to pose for a photo? Absolutely not, if one was looking at the camera, the other was moving or turning around. Well you get the picture so to say...

Evil Must Be Lurking

Russ has decided that in addition to being a football star that he is also a first class watch dog. He kept the RV safe from all manner of evil lurking in the bushes.

He kept us safe from young children on bikes and trikes, middle-aged couples, birds, and dogs. We finally had to break the news to him that he needed better profiling tools, but he assured us wolves sometimes came in sheep's clothing.

More Things I don't get

Russ here.

I have been on vacation, well sort of, Mom made me work for a few days while we were in Canada. But that was fun too because I cleaned up! Can you believe someone asked my Mom if the dogs knew when they were winning and do they get cocky? My Mom who is usually not so quick says, "Yeah they know" and left it at that. Jesh don't ya think she could have come up with something better than that?

Well before Mom figures out I am near the computer again I have to tell you about a couple of things I don't get.

1. Why do girls like hummus? My Mom makes this gross stuff with garbanzo beans and tahini and calls it hummus. Music is nuts for it and will practically turn herself inside out to get some. My Mom thinks it is really cute and says "oh she likes it as much as Tippy (Mom's beloved border collie) did." Then they say "Russ give it a try." I did and it is gross and disgusting!

2. Why can't I ride under Mom's feet when she is driving the RV? I tried the direct path to sit beside her in the RV, but she said, "No Russ." Then she put some barricades up, but I figured out from the other captain's chair that I could wiggle under the fabric and come out right by her feet. Pretty smart 'huh? Now Mom is ordering a toy sized x-pen to go all the way around her driving seat. She thinks she is pretty smart but I'll out fox her. I always do!

Russ out.

This is Where I Should Ride

Russ here.

We are still on vacation, and boy is it ever fun. But I want to ride in front of Mom's driving chair. She just keeps saying, "No Russ." I don't get it!

Russ out.

Hey Those are My Hot Dogs

Poor Nick decided he wanted to cook some hot dogs over the open fire. The only hot dogs I had on hand were ones I use for training and baiting the Cardigans. That is to say the 100% white meat turkey hot dogs.

So he braves the turkey dogs, but later a request came in for cheese dogs--I digress. He puts the hot dogs on his expandable stick and proceeds to cook. Well the Russ and Music were having none of it. Their opinion was, "Hey those are my hot dogs." They sat at rapt attention on the top of the RV stairs while Nick cooked and ate. Nick ended up feeling like a real heel. Poor Nick!

Corgi Frap

Life is good.

The water has receded to "major flood" stage or at my house we call it out of the front yard. Russ had some good exercise yesterday and he preformed like a rock star at our focus and heeling class last night. And I am happy to report neither tried to take me for a walk this morning, and Music only took 10 minutes to find her spot. Life if good!

We came back from our morning business session and Music is a Cardi on a tear. She wants to frap and frap hard. She jumps on Russ who is needless to say surprised by the whole affair but doesn't miss a beat before joining in the fun. They romped and played and good time was had by all.

The picture was taken a couple of days ago because all the shots from today were too blurry! They are currently passed out in their respective favorite spots--Music the bed with her head on my pillow and Russ Russ on the futon. Life is good!