Get Her, Charlie!

Now that Charlie's best friend, Gabbie, has grown bigger and stronger than he, she is the Alpha. But they still have fun, and Charlie still manages to get a few good licks in. And of course a little encouragement never hurts!

8 Amazing Facts

Having been tagged by new friend, Techie, here are 8 Charlie factoids:

1. Charlie loves to eat. No, make that "LIVES to eat".


2. When I brush Charlie, he puts his jaws around my other wrist. And as long as I don't pull at his fur, he doesn't clamp down very hard. But the more it hurts him... the more it hurts me...

3. Charlie's favorite game in the house is "Chase Charlie" with the ball. I know it's time when he gets his ball and gives me "the look".


4. Even though he's 3, Charlie still gets the tucked-tail zoomies outside.


5. Charlie acts ferocious when he's inside and others are outside. The UPS delivery man, for example, is terrified of him.


6. Charlie can sing and insists that we do it together every night.

7. When he wants to go somewhere, Charlie never barks; instead, he paws at the door.

8. Charlie is afraid of the babygate. You can just lean it against a door and not worry about his coming through or over.

Now, tag, you're it! And go visit Techie and his cute new little sister, Izzy!

My Bro

Meet my brother, Jake!! Isn't he handsome?!


I'd kinda forgotten I even had a brother, and then he left a comment on my blog... and sent a picture... and... there he IS! That's HIM! THAT'S MY BRO!!

The last time I saw him, we called him Chief and me Bailey, and he looked like this:

He's in the blue collar; I'm snoozing next to him in red. We did a lot of snoozing in those days.

Sometimes we'd hang with our sister Sophie (in the pink collar on the left). She was always a real live wire --
No, seriously, no one could mix it up like Sophie! That's her chewing on... I think it's Jake!
Thanks for stopping by, Bro, and come back again. We may be older, but we're still two wild and crazy guys!


"Speaking of which... let's go bug Sophie!"

Charlieball - The Finer Points

Gabbie has become so much bigger and stronger than Charlie, that she easily strips the ball from him. Right out of his mouth. Consequently, he is having to learn to play smarter. And, seeing as how Indiana is the "Land of Basketball" and is where Charlie was born, he seems to have adopted some basketball moves - namely dribbling, picks, and spins.


The dribble is Charlie's tease -- he takes the "ball" (usually a Cuz) near Gabbie and briefly drops it and retrieves it. If he's lucky, it bounces and he catches it. In any case, it causes Gabbie to lunge for it.

Then there is the pick. A basketball "pick" is a screen -- one player plants himself in place and his teammate with the ball cuts past him so closely that a pursuer has to break off chase to avoid running into the (planted) player. I don't set a pick intentionally, Charlie just treats me as a permanent one. He grabs the ball and whooshes right past me, Gabbie hurtling after. To avoid running into me (which, fortunately, she does), she has to veer off. This gives him a little breathing room... for a little bit.

But, by far, Charlie's best go-to move is the spin. Ball in mouth, he pivots around her, blocking Gabbie with his body. This is almost always successful, almost always good for keeping Gabbie at bay awhile... at least until he gets dizzy.
The spin
Staving off
The inevitable

Dona Nobis Pacem

“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?

We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?

You must work, we all must work, to make the world worthy of its children.”

- Pablo Picasso


Dona Nobis Pacem - "Give us peace"

Monday Morning Stretch