Heaven in a Box

"More stuff, mom?
"For me?
"Oh, YEAH, baby!"
"sniff... snort... Dog, these smell good!"
Moving on to the eating portion of the program.
"Mmmmmmmm..."
Thanks, i-pets! And thanks, Freda, for turning us on to them last year. Charlie loves those clear-basted chews.

 

Do You See What Charlie Sees?

Can you see them?

How about now?

Now?

We are entering what has to be Charlie's #1 favorite time of the year.

The cherries are starting to fall, and Charlie's ready!
Raking will not be required.

 

4th of July

Not Charlie's favorite holiday. And the big fireworks haven't even started yet.

Clean Bill of Health

"Mommmmm... let's go!"

"C'mon, let's GO!"

"OK, I'm ready! Are we going someplace FUN?"

"Uh oh..."

"I weigh HOW much? I TOLD you I need to eat more!"

"I'll play nice if you play nice..."
(And we'll just skip the part where Charlie got his temperature taken followed by the Bordetella intranasal vaccine and the nail clip, but suffice it to say it was not his favorite part. Except for the treats afterward, of course.)

"Mama, they tortured me back there!"

Free at last!

Thanks, Dr. Tokar, & everyone at Powell Boulevard Vet Clinic!

 

Evil Squirrel

The truth is that I wanted it to be this way, but it wasn't, really. Yes there was the squirrel, chattering and watching, and yes, there were Gabbie and Charlie, all in the same place at the same time. But I think Charlie has squirrel-blindness. No matter how hard I try to point them out, or how close they come on our walks, or how prominently they run the fence and chatter, Charlie just doesn't see squirrels.

Two of them had a little fight on our roof last week, and since the roof is at eye level in our up-terraced back yard, Charlie and I got ringside seats. But did he watch? No, I couldn't even get him to acknowledge the squirrels. Our previous goldens used to run back and forth under trees and phone wires, having a great time, apparently expecting the little beggers to fall into their mouths. And I know Gabbie can see them - she about pulled my arm off once on a walk trying to go after one. But not our Charlie. Maybe the guy needs glasses!

The Jawbone's Connected to the... Cuz

Run and Jump and Play

There's nothing like hanging out with a good friend on a pleasant day!

 

How to Make Charlie Really Really Really Happy...

Take 1 big sweet potato/ yam:


and cut into 1/3" slices:


Microwave the slices until they're soft (sounds crazy, but it took 10 min. for these):


Bake (raised on a rack) at 200-250' F (95-120' C?) for hours (4 in this case) until they're dry but still flexible (note: they didn't ooze at all):


Cool.    (Note that at this point, the 2 end pieces are missing, having been commandeered by the quality control team of Charlie & Gabbie, who pronounced them 'fit for consumption'.)


Feed & repeat:

"Gimme that!"
I don't know if they're as good as Sam's Yams, but they're a whole lot cheaper & Charlie likes them just fine!!

 

Bored

What I See When I Look up From Doing Dishes...

"How 'bout a round of Chase Charlie?"

Hi, Pouncer!

Ransum Note

Deer Gabyz moM,

U lefft yur shurt here yestirday and now it is myne. If u want it bak u bedder bring Gaby bak rite away. Otherwize I eat the shurt. And u know i can du it.

- - cHarLy
 

Catching Up on Pmail

Charlie Gets a Callback

After an earlier audition with Uncle Ben, Charlie got a callback to try jamming together!


Will the other band members accept him? Will he get the gig? Stay tuned...

Waiting...

"Now?"
"Now?"
"How about now?"
"Yippee, she's here at last!!"
"Now I'm happy!"

But thinner and with more hair...

Like Bella the Boxer and Big Charlie and Opy, Charlie took the Dogster Celebrity Quiz, but with rather different results.


"Green through and through, Charlie is super-careful about how he marks his territory and goes out of his way to cover his tracks. Though Charlie is a lover and not a fighter, he won't stray from your side when trouble flashes its ugly fangs. Not bothered by superfluous detail, Charlie can be counted on to report back to you with the facts at hand, no matter how nasty they may be. Not one to rely on his top-notch genes and breeding, scratching and clawing his way to the top is Charlie's modus pawperandi."

Yep, that's my Charlie! Now I just have to clear off the mantel so there's room for the Nobel, Oscar, and international Emmy I'll be expecting him to bring home!

Charlie "Plays" Haydn

Definitely Allegro Molto. And so's the music. ;)


Cello Concerto #1 in C Major, 3rd Movement

Duet

Uncle Ben is visiting, and Charlie thinks he's wonderful! He's been singing every night for Ben, and last night he finally worked up his courage to try a duet. I think he heard that Ben's band, Blackwater Collective, is moving to town and is trying to wangle an audition!

Wooooooooooo...