The Tennis Ball Diaries

Learning to Swim

2008-04-02T20:06:00.011-06:00

Hi everypup!!!

A few days ago, I got to go to the best place in the world...the dog park!!!! Yup, mom packed me up into my car along with some water, towels and my frisbee!! Oh boy!! Now, the park that I go to is in the Cherry Creek State park. It's a wide open space and has a creek running through it. It's kinda dry and brown this time of year but that doesn't bother me! Lot's of room to run and catch my 'bee, meet other pups and jump in the creek to cool off or slurp up some quick refreshment. My mom didn't throw frisbee often enough for my liking.

Throw it! Throw it now!

I may be 11 years old but I can still jump like a champ!:

These pups are telling me that the water is a little chilly, but it's clear and fun!!!
So, usually we walk along the path and my mom throws the frisbee for a while and then puts it away so I can meet other pups - she says I tend to obsess but... whatever. When she puts the frisbee away she says "stay with me" and I usually listen. Usually. This time, things got a little more dramatic. This time, as we got closer to the creek, I just couldn't help myself and I jumped down into the creek. The bank was much steeper than I anticipated and so I had no choice but to jump in! And the water was so deep, I couldn't reach the bottom! Now, I've mentioned before that I can't swim so I was in BIG TROUBLE!! I tried climbing back up the bank but it was too steep! I looked up at my mom to come and get me out but she was waaaaay up there! Then I saw another dog...she was a little Labrador puppy who was learning to swim. I looked at her and followed her to a sandbar. I just moved my legs like I was running, just like the puppy was doing and then I was on solid ground! Yay! I can't believe I swam! It was so easy!

Mom didn't get any pictures of me swimming because she had thrown her camera off onto the ground and was frantically trying to find a place to jump in the water to save me. Silly mom, I had everything under control! ahem

So I finally found a place to climb out of the water and I was so glad!: *grunt* It's still pretty steep here but I think I can make it:

Did you see me mom!?!? I swam, swam!:

So mom, you know that frisbee isn't going to throw itself....

So, that was my day at the park. Time to go home and get a bath. Maybe next time we come here I'll listen to my mom....yeah, probably not.

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

Wishing for Snow

2008-03-17T19:17:00.008-06:00

Hi everypup, it's me Ginger!!

Look what I got this morning...

Snow!!! It tastes great!

I made it snow...yup...it was me. I wished that we'd get some snow and we did! You see, the other day I was taking my mom for a walk and it was so warm and sunny and I was sooooo hot because I still have my winter parka on. I thought, "I wish it would cool off & snow!" A few days later it did! I'm goooooooooddd!

So it's been a long time since I posted - so what's been going on? My people have been skiing a lot so I was away for a little while. Then my dad started barking! Can you believe it? Mom says he had the flu and he was coughing but it sounds like barking to me. He still barks a lot but he went back to work today after being home for like a hundred days!! Ok maybe it wasn't a hundred days - but it seemed like it to me! I really liked having him home so when he left this morning I howled extra loud for him.

Speaking of howling, you should hear my mom complaining about the pesky squirrels that have been stealing the bird seed that she puts out for the birdies. Look at this guy, he's verging on obese! He's trying to make the jump to the feeder -

Made it! It's chow time!

I'll catch up with everyone in the next few days, OK?

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2008-02-14T16:07:00.004-07:00

Hi Everybuddy!

Ginger's back! Happy Valentines Day to all of my blogging buddies out there!

So yesterday when I took my mom for her walk I met up with another pal of mine, Sid. Like my BFF Sandy, Sid's yard backs up to the park also so I get to see him a lot. He's such a swell guy! We alway play bow and start doing zoomies up & down his fence, which is hard to do since I'm on a leash.

It's been cold & windy here lately so my mom wears these ear warmer things on her head. My ears get cold too so thought I'd try them out.
Sporty, no? I can't hear very well with them on though.
What's that? You want to teach me MATH?!?!
No? Or did you say you want to give me a BATH?!?

UH OH! Whatever you said, I think it's time to hide under the bed for a while. Maybe I'll find a long lost rawhide or something under there!

Gotta go!

Nubbin wags
Ginger

I'm Back! And Gone AGAIN!

2008-02-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Everypup!

I'm back from my weekend at Club Pet and boy, did I have a great time - it was an action-packed weekend of playing, barking, playing, going for walks, eating & playing!! I was happy to see my people again though, and I was soooo tired on the way home:

Look what I found when I got home - a ball magically appeared in my backyard!
It's not my regular tennis ball - it's all rubber and a little smaller.

Where did it come from? Don't know.
How did it get there? Don't know.
Whose is it? It's mine now!!!!!!!
I DO know that I want to play with it!

Throw it mom! THROW IT NOW!!!!!!

Well I'm off again to Club Pet again for the weekend because my people didn't get enough of that crazy skiing thing that they do. That's ok - my friends at Club Pet are a blast!!!

And OH, I almost forgot! Velcro nominated me for the Thinking Blog award - thanks Velcro! I'm going to have to do some homework on that one and get back to it soon, I promise!!!

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

Cows, Sheep & Toenails - Oh My!

2008-01-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hi there everypup!

There's something about this picture that makes my people want to drive up to the mountains, strap two boards to their feet and slide down those mountains. So I'm headed off to Club Pet for a long weekend while they go crazy up there - I guess we all have our obsessions...
But before I go, let me tell you about what's been going on. First, my mom dragged me to the vet to get my Leptospirosis booster shot, yuck, and toenails clipped. I know one day they're going to slip & cut off all my toes...I know it!! Sorry we didn't get any pictures of this torturous excursion but mom says that when she takes me to the vet, I'm kind of a "handful". You bet your bippy I'm a handful! Because when I go to the vet I have one aim: ESCAPE!!!!!! I just don't know why my people bring me there - whatever happened to the belief that if your dog's nose is cold & wet, your dog is healthy!! My nose is cold & wet - so I'm doing GREAT! Why do people have to make things so complicated!?!?!

OK enough of that terrible experience - last weekend my people went the National Western Stock Show here in Denver to watch the stock dog trial competitions. That means they got to see a bunch of Border Collies & Cattle Dogs chase cattle & sheep around. Mom took some pictures and it looks like those doggies had LOTS of FUN!!!
(some of these pics are a bit blurry because mom is messing around with the settings of her new camera - she'll do better next time, right mom?)

I'll bark atcha on the other side of the weekend!

Nubbin wags,

Ginger

"Funny" Feet

2008-01-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

She's doing it again...
...a girl can't get a decent nap in without being snapped! Apparently my feet are a topic of much amusement because I've sprouted fur in between my toes. So let's get it out in the open - yes, I have furry paws & yes, they smell like fritos.

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

What's New With You?

2008-01-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everybuddy!! Wow, I kinda fell off the face of the earth for a while, didn't I? I hope everyone had a fun Christmas and a fabulous New Year's! Did you all get some good loot for Christmas? I got some pretty neat stuff, like these new treats & rope toys. (Those sprinkles on that treat that looks like a wreath? Those are colored sesame seeds!!)

The red rope toy is my favorite because it's kind of like a tennis ball and rope toy all rolled into one. When I'm done chewing on it and chasing after it, I can roll over on my back on it and it makes a WONDERFUL back massager! AHHHHHHH!

Mom got a new camera for Christmas so while she's learning how to use it, she's been terrorizing me with that thing, chasing me all over the house and trying to take pictures of me. Just because it's a new camera doesn't mean I have to like it any more than I liked that last one!!!
Anyroo, on to a more pleasant subject...let me introduce you to my BFF Sandy! I just LOOOOOVE Sandy! She's a sweet puppy that lives near my park where I go for my walks with my mom. Her yard backs up to the park so she gets to see all the dogs that go by. She knows ALL the good gossip! I run right up to her yard every day and say HI if she's outside. She used to be able to stick her head right through those bars (which really freaked out my mom!) but she's grown in the last few weeks so her head doesn't fit through anymore - although that doesn't keep her from trying! Sometimes she reaches out her big, soft puppy paw and pats my head and sometimes we just catch up on what's been going on in the neighborhood.

Hey mom!!! Can Sandy come over to our house for a sleepover? I think she's potty trained!!!! Please?!??!!?

Sorry I've been away so long, I'll try to catch up with everyone in the next few days!!!
Nubbin wags,

Ginger

Comings and Goings

2007-12-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

What's up everypup? I've had an exciting couple of days!!! First, Hero is back home, safe & sound with his people. He only stayed one night but that was enough for me - I was soooo happy to have my people back all to myself! Hero left behind a lot of half eaten, slobbery chew toys which I have to say, is pretty nice - he got them started for me & they have a neat pre-chewed taste.

Second, we've been getting some snow!!! Not a lot, but enough for me to run around & have a good time:Best of all...last night my people went out and came back with Oma & Opa!!! They're visiting from Vah-jin-ya for Christmas. Grandma is also coming from Mizzuree but her flight was cancelled so she won't be here until Monday. I love all these folks because they're all about playing with MEEEEE!! They like going for walks (I sometimes get 2 or 3 walks a day when they're here!!) and they bring me stuff. Like this:I've never had an outfit to wear before. I think I like it, I'm not sure yet. Don't I make a good model? I think it makes me look very regal! My dad says it makes my butt look big - what do you think?? I wish all of you and your people a very merry Christmas! Hope all of you get lots of toys & treats and belly rubs. I don't know if I'll be able to post in the next few days as I think all of these visitors are going to keep me busy...but I'll try!!!!

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

I'm a Donner

2007-12-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

I just visited Tosca's blog and took the test to see which one of Santa's reindeer I am:

You Are Donner

The most loveable and sweet reindeer, you're also a total dork!

Why You're Naughty: You keep (accidentally) tripping the other reindeer while flying.

Why You're Nice: You're always smiling, even if you've fallen flat on your horns.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

I also found out what my elf name is:

Your Elf Name Is...

Pixie Snaggle Tooth

What's Your Elf Name?

The Invasion of Hero

2007-12-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everypup!!!

Yes, it's been a while since I posted but there's been lot going on at my house! First, my dad left for a business trip and took the computer that mom likes to use. Bad news is that she doesn't like to use our other computer so she tends not to post to my blog. Good news is that she spends NO TIME in front of a computer at all so I get a LOT more attention!! Then, my mom left on a trip to see her family as soon as my dad got home! I tell ya, I try keeping my eye on these people but they're always going somewhere! I tried telling my mom that I could come with her if she packed me in her suitcase - I fit perfectly...

...but she said that wouldn't work. So I did the next best thing - I made sure she took a little bit of Ginger along with her. She had laid out all of her clothes for her trip on the bed & then left to run some errands. That gave me the perfect opportunity to take a nap on her clothes, depositing a good coating of fur on everything! I try hard to make sure she doesn't miss me when she's away!!

So, what's this "Invasion of Hero" thing that I'm talking about in my title? Well, this is a Hero:

Hero's an 80 pound, 1-year old, German Shepherd mix that was recently adopted by his people from the Denver Dumb Friends League. His people had to go away for a few sleeps and so he came to live in my house and I don't like him! Mom says that I'm getting grouchy and intolerant in my old age but I think I was very patient with him. He helped himself to all of MY rawhides and chewsticks that he could find.

Then he stole and just about KILLED MY kong!
He slurped up 5 bowlsful of MY water and he dribbled it all over! He pooped and peed in MY backyard and ate some of MY snow. Worst of all, he kept getting ear scratches and butt rubs from MY mom!! He generally made himself right at home in MY house! To top it all off, when he wasn't eating my stuff he decided that he wanted to play with me, smacking me upside my head with his massive puppy paw and nipping at my butt and THAT IS NOT COOL! So, I snipped at his snout a few times and growled every time he came within a few feet of me.

We went for a walk (it was snowing!!) and he didn’t know any of the walk words like "stop pulling", "leave it"' "sit" or "I mean it, stop pulling!" (and trust me, you better pay attention to that one)! He didn’t have a clue! Mom would have liked to take some pictures but well, she only has two hands and Hero required both of them. I can pretty much walk myself, thankyouverymuch.

So far, I see no redeeming qualities in Hero. Well, wait – he IS big enough to counter surf. Hmmmm. So when he's finally learned the fine art of counter surfing maybe he can come back over to my house we can talk about a deal. I'll be hiding under the table until then.

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

Super Dooper Snow

2007-11-23T16:07:00.001-07:00

Hi there everypup! So have all of you lucky pups here in the U.S. been able to get a few pieces of Thanksgiving turkey??? Hope so! I had to repeatedly nudge my mom's leg with my nose and give her the "I'm-starving-feed-me" look before I got some...my perseverance paid off!!! She calls it annoying, I call it fortitude.

I spent yesterday going to the park and enjoying a bit of snow that we got the day before. Mom let me off my leash for a bit so I could run amok:

And then I stopped & had a bit of refreshment:

Ahhhhhhh!

Bark atcha later!

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

She Works Hard for the Money

2007-11-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings everypup! I had a productive day today helping my mom rake up the last of the leaves in our backyard. I had a couple of very critical jobs to do in this project. First, was to closely monitor and oversee the raking of the leaves. This required walking through the piles of leaves to inspect the integrity of the piles and standing between my mom...I mean the Raking Engineer's legs as she was raking to make sure she's gathering ALL of the leaves. My more important job was that of Twig Shredder. You see, when the Raking Engineer saw a twig that she was about to rake into the leaf pile, she tossed it my way for me to crunch into smaller pieces. Consequently, when all of the leaves were stuffed into plastic bags, the large twigs wouldn't poke holes through the bag. It's a very important job and all twigs and sticks must pass through my department and be processed before being bagged. This is a BIG ONE - might require some overtime!
I also pointed out a dead bird that I found behind one of the trees. (If you're squeamish like my mom, scroll real fast past this next picture)

When my mom...I mean the management came over to inspect what I was sniffing, she screeched! Honestly! I bring her a live bird she screeches...when I show her a dead bird, she screeches!!! It's hard to work under these conditions! Anyway, I tried convincing management that I had not done anything more to the dead bird than sniff it but I later gave it away when I burped up a feather. More screeches.

See that? Two bags stuffed with leaves and no twigs poking through - I'd better be getting a bonus!!!

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

Autumn Fun and 8 Random Things About Me

2007-10-21T08:10:00.000-06:00

Hi everypup! Wow, it's been a long time since I blogged! Sorry, 'bout that - we've just been enjoying the great fall weather here and haven't spent much time in front of the 'puter. So let me catch up on some stuff even though I'm a little late - Look what Lorenza gave me!!! Thank you Lorenza!!!

I had a great time on Halloween, barking at all of the hairless pups ringing the doorbell and begging for treats!!

A while ago, River tagged me to tell you 8 random things about me and here they are...

1. I have black and white eyelashes. Can you see them here?:

2. I HATE to have my picture taken!! I can hear when mom pulls the camera out of its case or turns it on. I usually pin my ears against my head, unless there are treats involved, of course. Generally I hate to sit still while mom has that thing in front of her face so most of my pictures end up like this:

3. I'm from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was a stray there and was picked up and thrown in jail and then transferred to a shelter here in Denver, Colorado where I had a better chance of being adopted.

4. I'm ambidextrous (big word, hunh?) I can Shake with my right paw and High Five with my left. Here's a picture of me shaking but mom couldn't get one of me High Fiving. (see Random Fact #2)

5. I only chew on my rawhide toy when both mom and dad are home. I get so worried when both of my people aren't home, I just can't relax and enjoy a good chew.

6. I'm missing my two front teeth! Last December when mom took me to the vet for my yearly poking and proding, the vet lady pointed it out to my mom. I haven't told her how I lost them because it's a great source of guilt for my mom - she has no idea how it happened and feels bad about it so I'm keeping it a secret. Mom took a picture of my missing teeth but it looks quite disturbing so we won't post it. And no, I DO NOT bark with a LISP!!!!!

7. I have a tattoo - yup - aren't I cool?!??!! It's on my inner left thigh and right now it's all covered with fur. When my people adopted me and took me home, I had just been spayed so I was all shaved and someone tattoed a symbol that looks like this: It means that there is no possible of any Gingerettes ever being produced.

8. I go ballistic when the phone rings. The way I see it, when that phone rings, it's an indication to go get my rope toy and play!! I get so excited!!!

So that's it, 8 random things about yours truly! I promise I'll keep up with my blogging a lot better than I have been, ok?

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

Morning Maneuvers

2007-10-17T19:14:00.000-06:00

Hi everypup!!!! River tagged me to come up with eight random facts about myself - I'm still workin' on that so I'll post them in the next day or so. In the meantime, I'll answer a question that River asked me about the bunny in my last post. He asked me if I had ever chased that bunny, even just a little bit. And the answer is.....YESSSSS!!!

Back when mom was working, she would take me for my walk really early in the morning, even before the sun came up. So one morning, we were coming back from our walk and we were almost home so mom let me off my leash like she always does. I don't know if mom was really tired or if it was just still really dark but mom didn't see that bunny sitting in the front of our yard.

But I did.

Just at the moment I saw him, he saw me and he took off running!! Of course I went running after him in HOT PURSUIT!! I chased him around the side of our house into the lawn of our neighbor Randy's house across the driveway around the side of his house through the flower garden and under the tree and past the trash cans then I followed him toward the road and then he curved into the street and we headed back down toward my house in the middle of the street as we came down the straightaway I started gaining on him, my Gingerlegs pumping as fast as they would go - it was glorious, I tell you, GLORIOUS!!!

And then mom appeared as I was running down the street and she pointed to the sidewalk next to her & she growled, "Get over here!!" (it was too early in the morning to yell, so she growled) As I neared her, I considered my options: I could either keep running after this bunny and eventually catch up with him or I could obey mom and end the chase now. It was so tempting to keep chasing bunny but if I ignored mom, she'd be MAD.
And I thought, if mom was mad at me she might not take me for walks anymore...
She might not rub my belly anymore...
She might not feed me yummy treats anymore...
She might not throw my tennis ball anymore!!!!!

So as hard as it was, I listened to my mom and followed her inside where she fed me my breakfast and gave me a bellyrub.

And the bunny ran off down the street to live another day.

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

Wild Kingdom

2007-10-03T17:28:00.000-06:00

We have an agreement, this bunny & I...if he stays out of my sight, I won't chase him.

Ginger

Don’t carry anything that’s too big to fit in your mouth

2007-10-01T15:14:00.000-06:00

Hi everypup! It's been a while since I've blogged - mom has a lot of excuses but we've just been kind of busy here in Gingerland. I had two really exciting days when a man came to my house & replaced all of the eyes! Yep, mom calls them windows but they look like eyes to me. He came into our house, made lots of banging and drilling noises and then put the new eyes in. I tried to investigate and inspect what the man was doing but mom wouldn't let me. She made me stay close to her and "out of the way" - whatever that means. She kept a lot of treats in her pockets so I had no choice but to stay close to her! I did have a chance to check out one of the new eyes:

Yes, this meets my high-quality standards but it's missing one thing...a nose smudge! I can take of that!!!!

Bark at you later,
Ginger

Hikin' the Wag 'n Trail

2007-09-16T12:46:00.000-06:00

Hi everypup! I had such a good time on Saturday! Mom volunteered at a Denver Dumb Friends League event called the Wag 'n Trail. Since mom was working, my Dad took me on the hike. I don't know why they called it the "Wag 'n Trail", all I had to wag was my little nubbin tail. They did have doggie ice cream! It was pretty hot outside so I was ready for something cool. My Dad squeezed it out of the container so I could woof it down...yum! We went to the part where I could run around without my leash - twice! I even got my pic taken with my dad. Then Dad & me waited in the shade for Mom to get done working. What a great day!

The event website posted a bunch of pictures of the event & they kinda got one of my mom: She's the short person on the right in the purple jacket - she's helping people get registered. I think the pic with my dad & me is much better!

Type to you all later! *sniffs around for more ice cream*

Nubbin wags,
Ginger

It's coming! It's coming!

2007-09-11T14:52:00.000-06:00

Fall is coming! Can you feel it? I don't know about where you live but here, after eons of hot days, it's finally starting to cool off. I love this time of year when we can go for our daily walk any time of the day instead of ohdarkthirty to beat the heat. Also, Fall means that people stop using those blasted sprinkler things in their yards - I HATE those things! Fall means that I can sit outside and take a nap without melting into a puddle. It means that mom gets my blanket out & puts it in my bed so I can snuggle up, and it means I get to run through the fallen leaves in the backyard and make lots of noise. All good things!!!!!

Fall means that warm instead of cool air comes through the magic holes in the floor, mom starts wearing slippers instead of bare feet and she starts sharing her oatmeal with me for breakfast instead of yogurt.

Aaaahhhh, I feel so good that I rolled in something good-smelling in the backyard this morning. Mom is grumbling about needing to give me a bath but I don't know what she's talking about - I think I smell DIVINE!!!

I hope you are all getting cool weather where you are and enjoying all the good smells life has to offer!!

Lastly, but certainly not leastly...

Nubbin wags,
Ginger
*snuggles in for a nap*

What Happens in the Oak Tree Stays in the Oak Tree

2007-09-01T10:14:00.001-06:00

Hi everypup! I'm back! Whew! That was a long visit to Club Pet - I had fun though. I thoroughly sniffed mom & dad's luggage when they got back and I'm happy to report that none of it smelled of other dogs, so they haven't been cheating on me! Their stuff did smell slightly of smoke though - apprently they drove through some areas that had wild fires burning, they even saw some fires from their car but no one was in danger. They went to a place called Montana and saw things like this:

When I came home from Club Pet everything looked normal except for our front yard. There's a big oak tree that has been very prolific this year and has produced TONS of acorns!

So while we were gone, the squirrels decided to have a squirrel convention in the tree! Squirrels have come from miles around to participate in the eating of acorns. This has become the Oak Tree Hotel and Conference Center:They've just been have one heck of a pawty in that tree, gorging themselves on acorns, scaring off the birds, taunting people that walk by and throwing half-eaten acorns and their husks everywhere!
Mom tried raking up some of the mess they've been leaving on the grass and they started dropping acorns on her head and then laughing at her. Poor mom, if she's not careful she's going to become known as "that crazy neighbor lady that yells at squirrels"!!

Anyroo, on my way home from Club Pet, I was successful in using my nose to smudge up EVERY single pane of glass in the car!! I'm so pround of myself! Every one! Well, except for the big one in the front of the car - I just can't reach it and when I try to hop up on the dash board to get to it, mom starts screeching at me. So, I'm very proud of the artwork I created on the glass. This one I call "Rope Toy on Floor" and this one is a self portrait: Does my butt look big?

I missed you all and will be sniffing around your blogs soon to catch up on what's been going on!

Ginger

A Bloggin' Paws

2007-08-16T14:44:00.000-06:00

Hi there everypup! Mom took me to my favorite place again - yup, Club Pet! My mom is going on a vacation & won't be able to blog for a little while. When I get back I'll be good & tired and mom will of have lots of pretty pictures - none with me though. Anyroo - take care everypup and I'll be back in about 2 weeks!!!

Bird Envy

2007-08-13T14:32:00.000-06:00

Hi there everypup! Now, I don't think much of birds except as messy, noisy things that are fun to chase. For some reason, my people like to feed them and keep a bird feeder filled in our front yard. The bird feeder was inside my house because it was empty and mom was going to fill it up. Mom put it on the floor and therefore, I assumed that it was ok for me to investigate - there was still some bird food on the bottom so I took the liberty of helping myself. I had no idea that those silly birds get such good food!!! It was so tasty and nutty and, best of all, CRUNCHY!
I delighted in the way it sounded when I bit down - I could hear the crunch crunch crunch all through my head. It made me so happy! But, the very thing that gave me such pleasure is the very thing that gave me away - mom heard the loud crunch from another room away. Apparently my ears amplify the sound like stereo speakers. No Ginger no, she said, that's not for you, it might make you sick!
*Sigh*

Do you think they'll share?

Ginger

Things I Know and Things I Don't Get...Part1

2007-08-06T14:44:00.000-06:00

People can be very strange sometimes - they always keep me guessing. In fact, since there are so many things that I've figured out about people and not figured out, I've decided to start a series of posts about things that I understand and other things that I just don't get.

The first thing I know is what "Go for a walk" means and what "Let's get the mail" means. Go for a walk means that mom leashes me up, puts her cap on and I lead her to the left at the end of the driveway. Yes, I always go first.We usually walk around the neighborhood a bit and to the local park. There's always a few dogs there to meet, lot's of peemail to keep up on and we usually go every day.

Now, get the mail means that I lead my mom or dad to the right at the end of the driveway. We just go to the end of the block so they can pick up a bunch of paper from a little tiny locked up box. I know both of these really well, as soon as someone says either of these phrases, I know exactly what we're doing!

Here's what I don't get - this thing - this monster in the basement:
Scary, no? Mom & dad will start walking or running on this thing and I'll stand right in front of them but they NEVER GET ANY CLOSER!!! I don't understand! First of all, why would they want to run without ME and second, why aren't they going anywhere!?!?! Has any pup figured this thing out? Mom says it's exercise. I don't know. I used to go running with my dad in the park. Oh, yes, I loved going running with dad! As soon as he started running, my herding instinct would kick in & I would run around and around and around him! What FUN! Come to think of it...we don't do that anymore. Gee, I wonder why?

Anyroo, speaking of exercise, sometimes my mom does other exercise stuff in the basement, which I don't really understand either. She gets on the floor and stretches out and does yogurt. Which reminds me of a really neat trick! When you see your mom or dad on the floor doing yogurt or better yet, just napping, sneak up on him or her very quietly without anyone hearing you....and then....BARK!!! Really loud!!! Use your alarm bark, you know, the one that is extra loud and means "DANGER someone is walking by our house - they've come to steal all the cheese!" Do that and see how high your person jumps in the air. Score extra points if you make them yelp! Ahhhh good fun!!! I've done this a couple of times to my mom & it's always good for a chuckle!!!

Gotta run! (get it?)
Ginger

Life is Good

2007-08-01T16:17:00.001-06:00

Ok, so remember in my last post I said my mom went away for a few days to see her family & littermates?(she has a brother & twin sis) Well, as soon as she got home I KNEW she had seen some other pups. I COULD SMELL THEM!!! First she met up with her brother's pup, Roxie. I guess that would make her my cousin Roxie, right?
Apparently, Roxie has plumped up a bit because her doggiemate, Zach, went to the Rainbow Bridge a few months ago and she doesn't have anyone to pester...I mean play with anymore.

Now, my mom has a sister and her dog's name is Jeannie. That's her, she's the Chocolate Lab. She playing with a JRT puppy named Mike - he's living with Jeannie for the summer and Mike likes to wrestle with Jeannie. Jeannie puts up with it even though he tries to do the bitey face thing - it's all good doggie fun.Mom tried getting a better picture of them in action but they kept going under the table. So this isn't a very good pic because they're...well...under the table. So, there's my mom having all this fun with other dogs. I'm not sure I like it. In fact, I KNOW I don't like it! I want her all to myself. I don't like it when we're at the park & she pets other dogs - I know she's just being friendly but....I just don't like it. Even when my dad tries to give her a kiss, I don't like it - I start barking at him!!
I DO like it though when she brings me stuff to eat! She went shopping for me at a cool doggie store in Annapolis, MD called Paws and she got me some treats! Here's me eating one of them:There was another one in the shape of a sailboat but I insisted on eating that one as soon as she got home - I could smell it in her airplane bag! As my cousin Jeannie says "The nose knows, ya know?" YUMMMO! She also got me a new collar and leash and she got herself a matching cap so we're color coordinated. And my collar is pink so everyone will know that I'm a GRRRLLLL!All of these items say "Life is Good" on them. Yeah, I've got my mom & dad at home, I've got a full belly, I've got my ball - so yes, life is good.

I've been tagged!

2007-07-29T12:00:00.000-06:00

Hi pups! Sorry it's been a while since I've blogged. My mom went away for a few days to visit her family in a place called Viginya and also her sister in Merryland. So I had lots of quality time with my DAD!!! Since mom's been back she's been seriously neglecting my blog. So, the pups at the Army of Four tagged me for this fun game - that should get mom going again!!!! Here goes:

Where is your favorite place to sleep?? At the top of the stairs - from there, I can see out the front door and have a view of all the exits in the house. So that prime spot is where I take all of my daytime naps. Also, if I get bored, I can take my ball or rope toy and gently nudge it down the stairs - it makes a lovely sound of THUMP...THUmp..Thump.thumpthumpthump.

Is there a specific trick your humans make you do to get treats?? Oh yes! I have a whole repertoire of tricks that my people make me do - sit, high five, lay down, rollover. Sometimes I just do them all at once for good measure.

If you could spend an entire day doing anything at all with anyone what would you do and with whom?? I would spend it with my dad. I really love my dad. Mom's my bestest friend but dad's my favorite! I would like it if he would throw my ball for me once or twice & then would take a nap - then we would go play ball again and then nap again. over and over and over.

What is your favorite toy?? My ball of course! My rope toy and frisbee take a close 2nd and third though. I'm only allowed to play ball outdoors - my rope toy is my indoor toy. My people learned early on that balls can take unpredictable bounces and since nothing stops me from getting my ball, I ran into walls and furniture - I even left a tooth mark in a wall once. So "for my own safety", balls were banned from indoor play. That doesn't mean I don't still try!

If you could change one thing in your life, what would you change?? That both my people would stay home with me ALL the time! I got mom to quit her job and spend more time with me but my dad still spends lots of time at that place called work and he travels a lot more too, so he isn't home at night sometimes - which really disturbs me! I like to have my people close to me so I can make sure that they're ok!!!

Ginger
*high fives*

The Heat, My Gawd, the Heat!

2007-07-19T12:13:00.000-06:00

Hey there every pup! I don't know 'bout where you live, but where I live, it's HOT HOT HOT!! So I thought I'd "dig up" some pictures from this past winter out & try to cool off. Denver had lots of snow this past season & mom got some good pictures, so I'm going to treat everyone to some ice cold memories!

How's that for a before & after? Here's some more:

Oh no! Trapped in the driveway!

Things are a little greener now. But I still don't like to have my picture taken.

This is the park in our neighborhood where mom takes me for a walk every day:
It's a lot different-looking now! The grass is a bit scorched from all of sun & heat. These days, we have to go on our walk really early in the morning before it gets too hot. That's when this pic was taken so the mountains are still hidden behind some haze.

So are you cooling off a bit? No? Well ok, here's some more chilly pics:

Here's the side of my house with lots of snow drifts. You can see where my mom had to clear a path for me to get to the backyard so I could do my business:

And here's what it looks like now. No more snow, just some of mom's herbs that are clinging to dear life:
Horror of horrors! The snow was too deep for my to play with my tennis ball - it kept getting lost it the deep snow! I played with my frisbee instead, it was hard work!!!!
Mom & I would go on walks in our neighborhood and mom couldn't work her camera AND wear her glove at the same time so she gave me her glove to hold for safekeeping.
Now, I'm an Australian Cattle dog & we were bred to be able to work hard in hot, dry conditions so it's in my blood to like the heat. But I have to admit, I looooooove the snow! I can roll in it, flip it up with my nose do zoomies in it and when I get thirsty, I can just reach down with my mouth & scoop up some nice, icy, cold refreshment!

Can't you just feel the coolness? One thing I don't like is when the snow gets stuck between my toes...that HURTS! So when that happens I hop around on three legs - I'm sure you know how hard it is to do the poop shuffle while holding one back leg up in the air. It's a very precarious position! Fortunately, my mom never took a picture of me while I was doing that - she was too busy pointing at me, doubled over with laughter. *glares at mom*

I hope these pictures have cooled off all of you hot dogs. *giggles* If not, I recommend that you go to your people & demand a frosty paw or something like that! (I tried some icy cold watermelon the other day YUM!)

Ginger

*wags tail*

Great Weekend!!!

2007-07-16T13:33:00.000-06:00

Hi all - did you have a good weekend? I certainly did! It started off with Kaos nominating me for the Rockin' Girl Blogger. How cool is that? Thanks Kaos!!

Then, on Saturday morning, mom gave me some extra food for breakfast. Usually, I just get some kibble in the morning and for dinner I get kibble and canned food. But I got extra canned food in the morning! YAY! Mom & dad were rushing around as if they were going somewhere so I thought I'd be left alone, but nope - mom said, "Come on, Ginger, get in the car. You're coming with us." Yessssssss!
At first, I thought maybe they were going to take me to the vet - but no, we didn't go that way. (whew!) Then I though maybe we were going to the off-leash doggie park - but no, we drove right past it. Club Pet? Nope. Instead we got on the fast road & drove for a while. I repeatedly licked mom's ear to let her know that we needed to go faster to get to wherever we were going. Finally, we got there and I realized we were going HIKING! Yeah, I love to go hiking with my people! We went to Mt. Falcon Park with some of mom & dad's friends. I was the only dog & everyone loved me, of course!

I got to walk with my mom at the start of the trail. You can see some burned trees to the right of us where a wildfire had previously burned.

I also walked with my dad - he carried my water bottle. It was really hot so we had to stop for lots of water breaks.

It was a bit hazy out but here you can kind of make out some snow on some of the mountains in the distance.

We even saw this funny looking dog. This picture is a bit blurry - the funny looking dog did not comply with mom's request to hold still while she took pictures.

Did I mention it was hot? I was hangin' out in the cool shade wherever I could find it. We ended up walking for about 4.2 miles. For me, that was just right! I met some new people, got to sniff some dogs that we saw along the way (including the funny looking dog) and explored all kinds of new sights, smells and sounds.

I was so happy to get back into my car where the air conditioning was blasting!!!

You know, it's strange...the drive to the park took FOREVER but the drive home took no time at all. In fact, I don't remember ANY of it!!!

Ginger

Eau de Hot Dog

2007-07-12T13:35:00.000-06:00

Ah, the glorious smell of hot dogs! Mom worked her voluteer shift at the Denver Dumb Friends League yesterday & she always comes back smelling of other dogs & hot dogs. See, she works as a Head Start volunteer, helping to socialize dogs & teach them good behavior such as how to walk politely, not jump up, sit and stuff like that. She and the other volunteers use cut up pieces of hot dogs & cheese to "motivate" the pups that they work with.

Yesterday, she told me she got to work with three dogs. The first was a little black lab puppy named Cleo. You know, one of those cute, wiggly, waggy bundles of soft fur that has the attention span of a flea. Mom called her to come and as she paraded over, she weaved because the strong wag of her tail.

Next was a beautiful husky named Koi. Mom says she has learned a lot about Huskies from reading these blogs and knows some of the Husky tricks! Koi was very vocal about the amount and frequency of hot dogs mom was offering her apparently Koi felt it was not enough. But mom's no pushover - she made her sit and behave for every piece of hot dog. Koi had a blast jumping around the kiddie pool in the dog run and afterwards proceeded to do several zoomies! Mom also has learned that Huskies do have very strong prey drives so she always loops the leash around them to make a harness. Good thing she did, because as they were walking, all of a sudden, Koi leaped up in the air after a bird that was flying tantalizingly low!!!! Mom says "Nice try, Koi, but you weren't even close!" Arooooo!!!

The last dog mom worked was a dog that had kennel cough so she couldn't work with her too long. She was a Cattle Dog/Border Collie mix named Tobie. Mom says Tobie was super smart and loved to play with tennis balls! A girl after my own heart! Mom says that when she sat down on a bench to take a quick rest, Tobie got right underneath her & stuck her nose in between mom's knees so mom could rub her head. Awww, Tobie, with moves like that, you'll be adopted in no time!

Anyway, mom came home & quickly changed her clothes because Tobie sneezed all over her & she didn't want me to get sick too. Usually, I get a chance to get a few really good, longs sniffs but not this time.

Mom can't take any pictures of the dogs she works with but in the side bar of my blog there is a randomizer from the DDFL that shows dogs that are available. If you hit refresh and these three dogs haven't already been adopted, you may be able to see a picture of them!

Mom doesn't know it but even after she changes her clothes and washes up a lot, for the rest of the day, she still smells deliciously of HOT DOGS!

Ginger
*wags tail*

Hi, I'm Back!

2007-07-09T16:45:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who left comments on my blog welcoming me - you all are great!
I had an AWESOME time on my vacation at Club Pet! I got to see all my friends who work there and got to take lots of walks, played a lot & got treats. Since I'm a regular there, I know just where they keep the treats! Mom picked me up this morning & drove me home. While I love going to Club Pet, I miss my mom too, so I tried to help her drive - she didn't let me. So I just kept her company & insisted that she rub my ears while she drove 'cuz no one rubs my ears like my mom!
Here's my report card from my vacation:
I got a frozen Kong treat! When they gave it to me I couldn't decide whether to lick the stuff out of it or give it to the lady to throw it for me again. So I did both!
Sorry, this may be hard to read. It basically says that I had a great time, played a lot, pooped a lot and barked a lot.
I love this place because they are in the country so there's lots of room for me to go for long, sniffy walks and there are no people setting off fireworks, which I don't particularly care for.

So after such a great weekend, I'm pooped. So is my mom - we're going to take a nap!

I've decided to get a head start:

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Ginger

Happy Independence Day!

2007-07-04T09:35:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful & patriotic holiday!

I'm off to Club Pet for the weekend because my people are going to a place called las vegas to watch a bunch of people play cards - the game is called "poke her". I guess the 100 degree temps here in Colorado aren't enough so they're going to a place where it's even HOTTER. Maybe they want to see what it feels like to spontaneously combust!

Oh well, no skin off my snout - I LOOOVE going to Club Pet, it's my home away from home. The people there like playing with me a lot because they like the way my eyes bug out when I see a tennis ball.

Come on mom, get in the drivers seat & start moving this thing - my peeps at Club Pet are waiting for me!

I'll be back on the other side of the weekend!

*Wags tail*

Ginger

Getting to Know ME

2007-07-03T14:39:00.000-06:00

I've seen that a lot of you have answered these questions on your blogs so I thought I would answer them too so you can get to know me!

1. Your age? 9 or 10 - but I act 2 or 3!

2. Your age when you came to live with your people? I think I was around 2ish

3. What color collar are you wearing right now? It's a really cool graphic design with red, tan, blue & gold - very Colorado-y!

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? My grandmas & grandpa- they're always willing to throw my ball for me again & again & again...

5. How much do you weigh? At last check it was about 29 pounds but mom says I probably lost about 2-3 pounds in fur the last few weeks (do you think she's serious?!?)

6. Most expensive thing you ever chewed up? Hmmmm. I never really got into the chewing-things-up stage. I did chew up one of mom's slippers once and pretty much all pens that I find on the floor get my signature chew marks on them

7. Do you like other dogs? Oh yes yes yes!

8. Who is your best non-human friend? Probably Trevor the Pug. We did the Furry Scurry together last month. We don't see each other too often but he's a good guy.

9. Squeaky toys or tennis balls? While I love to see how fast I can disembowel squeaky toys, my favorite is, paws down, TENNIS BALLS! (have you seen the title of my blog?)

10. Do you like to be brushed? I tolerate it for exactly 3.2 seconds - then I run to the treat distribution area & demand my treat for putting up with it.

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Peanut butter...no, cheese. Well pb is so creeaaaammy but cheese is so smelly. So, my favorite is cheese...no, I mean pb.........

12. Do your people cut your toenails? I get a walk every day so the sidewalk generally files them down for me. The nice folks at Club Pet clip my dew claw nails when they get long.

13. Any formal education? Nope, strictly OJT. But mom volunteers at an animal shelter as a dog trainer & she's taught me some cool stuff so maybe that counts?

14. Couch Potato or Energizer Bunny? Definitely Energizer Bunny, even when I'm sleeping I'm dreaming about chasing bunnies!

15. Five nicknames people call you? Gin, Nucklehead, Nubblehead, Nubble, Nub

16. What's your best trick? I can catch some serious air when I'm jumping up after my Frisbee!

17. Do you like kitties? Never had one, yet. I'm sure they would go lovely with a bit of mint jelly! *grins*

18. What did you have for breakfast? A scoop of my Natural Balance food & a bit of mom's yogurt leftover from her cereal. (don't tell dad!)

19. Can you hunt and have you ever killed anything? Yeah, a baby bird that fell out of its nest in our backyard. I killed it and brought it to my mom to show her but she just screamed & ran in the other direction.

20. When was the last time you went to the Vet? Last week - had to get my Bortadella squirt up my nose. I made sure to take the advice of some you & whipped my head around at just the right moment. Worked like a charm - EVERYONE got a little Bortadella spray!

21. Where do you sleep at night? I start out in my crate which is in my parents bedroom - then I move to the floor by mom's side then dad's side & back. I want to make sure no one gets out of bed without me knowing about it.

22. Do you like to swim? Can't swim...sink like a stone *hangs head in shame*

23. Can you make puppies? Nope, that was taken care of years ago. I do have a pretty cool tattoo of a spade symbol on my inner thigh to commemorate the occasion!

24. What is your favorite place to visit? The Cherry Creek Dog Park!!!! I start screaming when I realize we're going there!!!

25. Do you give kisses? Of course!

26. Can you potty on command? I can but I prefer not to. Sometimes when mom tells me to potty, I'll do an obligatory squat just to appease her.

Greetings from Colorado!!

2007-07-02T14:42:00.000-06:00

Hi, I'm Ginger! I've been lurking around for a while now and finally convinced my mom that I need my own blog!

A little about me: I adopted my mom and dad about seven years ago. They had just moved to Denver from a military assignment in Germany and decided their first house wouldn't be a home without a furry friend. So, they headed over to the Denver Dumb Friends League and found me. I was a transfer from a shelter in New Mexico so they had no info on me regarding my age or background. That part of my life is a secret that will stay with me forever...I'm not telling!

Anyroo, I didn't know how to play or do anything so my new people decided to introduce me to tennis ball. Little did they know how much I would fall in love with tennis ball! Mom says I'm a obsessive compulsive disorder with four legs. Not sure what that means but I'm pretty certain it's a good thing.

I'm excited about telling you about my life and learning things about other pups!

That's all for now, but I've got more to tell you later. I'm a little girl with a LOT to say!!!!!

Ginger out!