It has been very cold the last few days and Kat says it is going to get even colder in the next week or so. Kat has been busy inside the house painting the rooms and baking cookies. She took the last week off and everyone but Desi has been home. Kat said that Desi wasn't feeling well but she would come in visit as soon as she feels better.

 Doug brought me a new huge bone and Kat got me two bones and a toy to play with. She has let me stay inside as much as I want since it is so cold outside.

 We have new furniture in the front room and I have been super good and not licked it - mainly because Kat spurts me with a water gun whenever I tried.

 It is getting cooler outside and Kat is allowing me to remain inside longer and longer.  She is still painting inside - so far she has painted all but one room that I can see. She says next she will be painting upstairs. I usually go out and play when she paints.  She  only paints one or two walls a day so I do not have to stay out too long.  She says that works best for both of us.

 She is still teaching me new words and things to do, I so enjoy learning. I also really like watching TV from my new dog bed especially when there is a fire in the fireplace. I don't like violent programs because whenever I hear someone scream I run to the TV to help them and Kat calls me back.  It is confessing because I  really need to help and Kat will not let me. She says it is not real ??  looks real to me.

 Kat has been coming home smelling like other dogs - she says she is training others to make better pets. She loves teaching animals new things!

 Not much has happened I have been spending most of the days inside while Kat has been on a cleaning kick. She allows me to stay inside until around noon then I go out into the yard for a few hours before coming back inside. Kat saids I need some exercise and fresh air; however, I think  she just wants me out so she can clean. She has been cleaning everything both inside and out. She even cleaned out the golffish pond - yuck that was messy and she would not let me help but she did fill up my wading pool and let me play in the hose spray.

 Lately she has been painting everything outside that can't run away from her - I even got paint on my face. She said I was not helping and made me go into another area. Now that the weather is getting cooler she has stared painting inside. What is it with her and paint? She told me she was  planning on painting all the rooms. Why? they look the same to me.but she said they need painting.

  We are off again in Bill's car. It was a longer ride and I wasn't sure where we were going but Kat said I would be back home later this evening. We parked in a large parking lot and had to go down some steps that were made of brick. I hve never seen brick steps before and they looked like they were going down into the ground. At the bottom of the steps we walked into a building with a lot of kids and Kat stopped at the desk and talked to the ladies there. We then want across the room to another set os doors  and down the hall to a room that she said was red. Kt talked to a nice lady there and then I saw our photo on the wall. Kat was happy that her powerpoint presentation was working. Soon people started coming into the room -- wow - people were coming  see Kat and me. Kat started talking  and then she brought me in front of the room and ask me to do a few things - which I did. I got a little bored when one lady kept asking Kat questions and Bill was nice enough to wak around with me so that I could sniff out the room.. We were soon on our way back to Seymour after a quick stop at the drive thru.

 Last night Kat told me if I ws really good tomorrow she  had a surprise for me so this morning I was on my best behavior. I didn't let her out of my sight - I was like glue by her side. She let me outside  for a bit but I decided that she really needed me beside her so since I know where to push on the screen door to make it open for me I want back inside. I have such a wonderful lady - she trys not to laugh but I can just see the corner of her monuth go up a bit - she thinks I don't notice that but I do. Kat keeps the tools to put the spine back in the door ,on the entry table and I settle down right next to her as  she repairs the "broken" screen. It's not my fault that she didn't tell me to stay outside. ;-) After awhile she takes me back outside to our grooming area an she brushes and combs me until the brush comes up clean, then she uses the waterless shampoo on me. Humm at this point I begain to worry because that shampoo usually means a visit to  "that place that we do not name." When we get back inside she has my sealbelt harness out and I back up a little - I'm thinking wait a minute we were there two weeks ago. I don't want to upset Kat so I step into the harness and out the door we go. Okay good it's Bill's car - that is easlier to get into then her truck. Kat helps me inside and I sit up to watch were we are going and it does not look familiar. Where are we going? We pull into a large parking lot  and the payment is very hot so Kat and I run to the grassy area and then she washes my paws with some cool water before we go into the building.That's new -the doors opened for us and all I had to do was walk inside. This is so interesting- there are kids everywhere! I am being so good and watching Kat to see what she wants me to do. We are going down some stairs into a room. Next, Bill is sitting with me as Kat and some ladies are doing some weid stuff. I tilt my head watching them stand on a little stool and reach up over their heads. Kat looks worried and the next thing I know more people are comng into the room. Now Kat and the ladies are leaving. Kat comes back in gets us and we move to another room, but the projetor ( whatever that is ) isn't workng, so Kat tells everyone that I wil just have to be her model since the slide presentation isn't workng.  All of the sudden I am the key to her presentation. So told me on the way home that I saved the day and that she was so proud of me. I was so tired when we got home that I ate my food and curled up next to the front door and feel asleep. It's hard work being a hero.

 

Lots has changed in the last week. Doug left and was gone for almost a week and then  he was home for three days and left again. This time he had a bunch of his stuff loaded nto his car. He has not been back since then.. Kat and Bill gave me a scareas well because they came home with a huge truck and the carried a bunch of stuff out if the house and put it in the truck. They even took Doug's sofa - I love that sofa. I tried to grab the blanket off of it but Kat would not let me have it. Bill drove off in the truck and Kat followed him in his car. They came back late that evening and turned around and left eary the next morning. I was afraid that they were not coming back but they finally came home very late that evening. The next day Kat moved all the furniture in the living room and foyer so that she could shampoo the carpet. I ws not alowed in the front rooom for two days.  It was so different when I finally got into that room. I got into a fight with another snake  so today Kat cut the grass real short today.and Kat turned on the outside fan for me today.

 It has been a long day. This morning after training Kat followed me out with a "poop" bag. She made her collection and tied the bag shut and put it in my fanny pack. That was unusally becaise she usually doesn't do that since I have such a large area and I always do my business in the far corner. I watchd her very closely to see what she would do next - well she sit down at the dinning room table and started cutting  some fabric. Now whenever I start tearing fabric she get upset. ?? Then she turn on a white machine and leaned towards it - I saw it moving but I never heard any noise from it at all. Next thing I know Kat is taking my collar off and replacing it with one that has that fabic hanging off of it. She said she had sewed me a new bandanna. A little later Chris came downstairs and Kat came outside with my brush and spray shampoo, then my toothbrush and toothpaste.She then disappeared upstairs for awhile. When she came down Kat put that yellow bandana  with red shoes on my collar alone with a yellow crochet flower. Then she put my hiking pack on my back and my seatbelt harness. Chris and she tricked me into getting into Bill's car. Once inside the car I settle down nicely because I don't mine the ride  just don't like going to the vets. Yes, that is were we went- but wait this is a new place. I wait as Chris opens the doors before going inside where the first thing they ask me to do is walk onto a scales. 82.6 pounds. Okay, into a side room to wait - oh boy, Bill is here with us!  A lady comes in and talks to my family and then the vet comes in. He looks at my past history papers that Kat gives him and answers her questions before he starts to exam me. I was very happy because they did not take me out of the room. I was very good until they tried to turn me over to look at my private paart - hey I'm a lady and I don't like to be touched there. Thank you! I growled a little but Kat told me to be quite and give me a treat. Then he really made me mad when he wanted some of my blood. I really growled and snapped at him then because he missed the vien and had to get a new needle. The lady held my head and Kat started giving me treats so they got the blood. After that I was well behaved when he gave me  my vacciantions , the one that he put in my nose scared me a bit. I thought we were finished but they led Kat and I back to another room where I stood on a table that moved up - that was fun  - but then they started messing with my feet. Kat was giving me treats and one lady was holding my head and the other one was clipping my nails. I tried to get away, I growled, I even snapped at them  but they just kept clipping. After the second paw was clipped I gave up and just let them finish what they were doing, but when I got off that table I ran and pulled Kat back to were my family was waiting for  me. Kat  thanked everyone and we went into the lobby were Kat paid the bill and put my pack and harness back on me. They had no problem getting me back into the car I was inside as soon as the door opened and Kat said "in". We didn't go straight home - Kat  dropped Chris off at the aprtment building  so he could cut the grass. She said that Bill would bring him home later. Home at last and in my yard, Kat put everything away, took a bath and then came out on the porch and layed in the new chaise reading  and petting me. Thank goodness that heartworm test is done for another year!  Now I am going to go eat my dinner and settle down for he night. Mason, the puppy that Kat coached wasn't so lucky today - he last his "balls" and I don't mean his tennis balls.

We have been busy. Kat has been taking a lot of videos of our training sessions and even some of or play time. She said she will be working on filming our agility training next.

 Kat moved everything around outside last week. She moved everything over one section- The achery range is now where the thicket was last year and my agility course is now set up where the archery range was. I like it there because it is in the shade almost all day! She said she was leaving the space where the agility course open as a play yard.

 She worked at the computer for a long time last month but she always took time out to play with me.

 Kat has been trying to get me into her truck. I have never been fond of traveling becuse it is usually a trip to the vet and they were mean to me. They took me away from Kat and then they hit me and struck needles in me, I don't like to go there. Or  even worst  she tricks me into thinking I am going to visit Shawn and then she dsappears for a week or so. Nope I do not like the truck. I have no problem getting itno Bill's car because then we go see other people  and I get lots of treats.  Kat asked me to get into Chris's car  but I didn't like that to well because I didn't know why. Anyways I got in both the car and the truck yesterday because she promised she would not start the motor. But this morning I saw my seatbelt harness and my passport laying on the stool - I bet she is planning on taking me back to the vet's office. (This is Kat speaking - she is correct we have an appointment with a new vet coming up. This vet is a bit more expensive but they said that they will not take her out of my sight  when they exam her. I have all ready taken Shoes there once to get weighed this will be her first meeting with the vet.)

 Lots has been going on lately. The one guy came back and took a bunch of photos of Kat and me. I was on my best behavior that day and now my picture is in the paper. Kat says that  she has arranged for us to  give a presentation at the Seymour Library. Also  Kat said the Bartholomew County Library called  today to set up a presentation in July.

Last Friday we had two stangers come to the house. Kat had me inside my den while they were here. She talked with  them for about a half hour before they left. She said that they were talking about our book. The guy came back this morning and took pictures of Kat and me. Mostly me - I was on my best behavior but I was also showing off. I sit and smiled at him, then I took hiim to my playground ( the agility course) and did all the jumps, ran the dog walk and the teeter. Kat had me on a loose short leash and I actually fell off both of them when Kat never kept  up with me. But I turned right around  and ran them both correctly. I even waved good bye to the guy when said" it was nice tom meet you." He told Kat and me that I was a very well behaved dog.

 Kat has been working outside next to my yard the last two days. I have really like having her outside with me. Yesterday I helped by picking up sticks and bringing them to her. She was chopping vines and sticks out of the thicket and putting them in big piles. Today I just waatched her and barked to tell her when the cats were getting near her. She worked out there four hours without a break , finally she set down next to me and asked if I wanted to play, I hoped she meant out back - Yes she did!!  She want out back and set up the agility course and then she carried out five new pieces which she put together to form a board jump. The Kat disappeared into the house -when she came out with two bowling balls and a yard stick ??? after that she want back and get her targets out for archery. I was worried that she had forgotten me but when she came back inside - she took me out back to the course. When I got back there I saw that she had also set up her archery course , started the garden, cleaned up the back yard and set up the viewing areas. I nailed the broad jump on the first attempt. It took me a little bit of time to build up the courage to ran the teeter ( I still remember that thing breaking on me) but Kat was patient with me and had lots of treats and she was so happy when I did it that I turned around and did it for her again without her even asking me to do it. She says we have to work on my fear of getting into her truck - today she sit  on the floor boards of the truck and fed me some dog food. I did put both front paws on the floor boards to get the food but I never jumped into the truck and she never asked me too. She said that was a good beginning and that she was not going to ask me to get in today.

 

  Weather has been weird - warm one day and snowing the next. Kat lets me inside whenever I want if  she is home. I enjoy playing in the snow but when it is cold and windy I prefer to sleep on my bed in front of the fireplace. I do not like muddy and wet days because I have to get driied off with a towel and stay iinside the crate until my paws are dry. I really enjoy my night walks with Kat - we stay out as long as I want. Kat gets cold when the weather is bad so I get busy and do my best to get her inside quickly. But some night I almost have to drag her inside because she loves watching stars.

  Bill has been off work since Thursday which means I have not seem much of them. They were gone all day Thursday but when they got home Kat gave me a new kick ball. She said it was my Birthday/valentine present.  Kat was gone most of Friday but on Saturday she was home all day and let me inside most of the afternoon. I was very tired and slept most of the evening. They were gone most of today so they did not know the trouble I was having with that stray cat. Kat heard me yelp when she got home but she has no idea how many shocks I took today from that collar just to protect the house. You can never trust stray cats! It has not been a great day - kat didn't have any stuff to fix me "people" food this morning so I had to start my day with plain dog food, then I had to keep that cat away when they were gone, after eating supper I got my back paw catch on my inside crate, then I dropped a coaster onto the same paw, got scared when I rolled overr onto my back and almost pulled a muscle when I tried to jump up to save myself. Kat was worried because I was breathing extra hard and was very restness - she took me out for two walks because I told her I needed to go out. She was going to put me out of leash but I told her I wanted her to go with me and she listened. I felt much better after our  walk and Kat let me sleep on my inside bed while she Skyped with Doug. I had a good nap - I was chasing that stupid cat in my dreams. Kat and I took another walk and then I was ready to go to my room. I bet kat comes and checks on me before she goes to bed .. she usually does when she is wearing that concerned face.

 Kat is now fixing me "people" food for breakfst and it is very good. I tried to get her to give me some of her lunch by carryng my food dish to her when she was fixing her lunch. She never give me much but I did get a treat for  doing this and she said "bowl". I know it's a bowl  - now I have to train her to put more into it then just a small treat.

 I have no ideal why Kat wants me to put my balls into the basket before I go to bed but she hands out a treat for every ball I pick up and puts into that basket. I refuse to put my chew bones in that basket - they belong on my bed!