Preacher Found Alfonsina's Camera

Dear Alfonsina,

I was vacuuming the floor today, and Preacher 
and Sonya wouldn't stop bothering me. 

At first I thought that they wanted to be vacuumed. Sonya looooooves being vacuumed- by me, anyway.

Preacher doesn't like to be vacuumed, so I was very confused as to why he kept walking in the way of the vacuum cleaner. And then he sat down right in front of me with THIS:

Preacher found your lost camera!


Three things:
1. Your camera was NOT stolen.
2. Your DID bring your camera to my house on 
   Thanksgiving night.
3. Meat sauce (for spaghetti) has been cooking 
   all afternoon.

We'll see you tonight for Boardwalk Empire.

Love,
Netty

Eat Your Vegetables, Terri!

My friend Ann recently adopted a new companion, Terri. 

Terri is a red male Doberman Pinscher. 

I've fallen in love with Terri already. I can't help it; he's kin to Preacher & Sonya. And I just love, love, love those natural floppy ears!

So my most recent FB posts with Ann have everything to do with Dobermans: their individual personalities, their general demeanor, what they eat, what they shouldn't eat...

Just remember the big No-no's:

NO GRAPES!

NO CHOCOLATE!

NO COOKED BONES!

Other than that, eat your vegetables, Terri!

Say Cheese!

It's fall, and there's no coat thick enough to keep the cold at bay anymore. So Sonya and Preacher have been hesitant about stepping outside. They'd rather sit at the doors and windows and enjoy the view from  inside, where it's warm and cozy.

 Sonya:

Heeeeeere squirrel, squirrel, squirrel, squirrel...

Preacher:

Squirrel? Did you see a squirrel? Where?

Cheese? Did Netty say CHEESE?

Apple Pickin' Sonya

I have an apple tree and two pear trees in my backyard. I've made a few pies off the fruits. I'd make more, but Sonya and Preacher don't leave enough for me by the end of the growing season.

Braeburn apple.

Sonya has been eyeballing the fruit since they were merely blossoms.

Checking on their readiness everyday through the summer.

One day, in the warmth of August, Sonya picks the first fruit.

And so, everyday for the rest of August and into September, Sonya becomes a very adept apple pickin' dobie.

While Preacher supervises... 

And eats what Sonya is willing to share. Stems, leaves, and all.

Do NOT Fall in Love!

It was another typical day in Cebu. It was too hot to do anything but sit and regurgitate every topic already discussed in the last two days, but this time addressed with new opinions.

Whitey: Papa Val you got any bananas to share today?

Papa Val: Go away, Whitey. I don't feel like touching a banana today.

But then, something new came along. It was soft, cuddly, friendly, insistent and persistent. If it didn't purr, I would have mistaken it for another dog. And of course I gave it - him - a name. Ming.

Ming: Hello. Purrrrr. Pet me. Purrrrr.

Ming: Pardon my rudeness, Papa B. Bless. Amen.

Whitey: Oy, sip-sip! (Brown noser!) These are my humans. Scat! Shoo!

But Ming stayed put.

He purred away, like he owned us.

He hissed at the pups, even swatted them away when they got too close and personal.

What was very doglike of Ming, was that he came running when I called him.

Meeeeeeeng!

Unlike Blackie and Whitey, Ming came to the edge of pool to greet me.

Fearless, Ming was!

Even Mama Tiny couldn't resist saying hello.

And of course, the inevitable happened. I fell in love with Ming.

Word of advice to all you soft hearted pushovers like me: do NOT fall in love when you're on vacation. Because it will just break your heart when you have to leave your Ming-Ming behind.

Blackie: are you saying you're NOT in love with me?

Blackie: YOU break my heart. I'm just going to find a twig now, and chew on it.

Me: Aaaw, Blackie, I didn't mean it like that. You know I love you.

I'll prove it. It's against the rules of the house, but come upstairs with me. (Just this one time.)

It's the cutest thing to see a dog that's never been on stairs before.

It took a lot of coaxing to get him up and down.

Back downstairs, it was Whitey's turn to feel dejected.

Whitey: so, I heard you're not in love with me...

And of course, I had to repeat the whole "oh, but I do love you" shpiel.

And just like that, Blackie and Whitey were back to their antics of fighting over who I love more. Blackie or Whitey?

Banana, anyone?!

Did Netty just say banana?

The Unconditional Love of a Puppy

It's been 4 months since I last saw these puppies. They were the tiniest, chewed up little critters you ever saw. Now, they're bigger, leaner, stronger, healthier, and getting better and better looking by the day!

I was a little worried that they'd forgotten me all this time. But as soon as I whistled...

Hurry Blackie, I think it's Netty!

Oh, pet me, pet me, pet me!

Um, you're not Netty!

Excuse me, Papa Val, have you seen Netty?

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, it is Netty!

She's MINE, I found her first!

Not if you can't get to her, she's not!

Oh yeah? Well, I got moves that put SuperDog to shame...

Take that, you stinky black stub you!

I am Whitey! I can take you down with one eye closed!

And this is what happens when two puppies go at each other blindly: they run into Mama K's shin.

They stop fighting for one second when they get yelled at, but then they resume without missing a beat. And eventually Blackie gets onto my lap.

Oh Netty, where have you been? It's been too long since laid on a human.

Oh Netty, the things that have happened since you've been gone...

Hello! Are you listening? I said... [woof-woof-woof-woof], [pant-pant-pant]...

[Slurrrrrrrrrp!] Oh how we've missed you so much.

Aw, Whitey, Netty missed you too...

She's MY Netty!

No, she's MY Netty!

Oh, Netty was so flattered to be fought over by two hyperactive, sweet, kissy, fussy, inquisitive, unconditionally loving puppies.