In the land of the giants

No. 1, No. 2, and I took another car trip, to a place called the city.

It was very different from our last road trip, when we went to a place that had a wooden house, trees, places to run around, and no other humans anywhere you could see. This new place had lots and lots of people, and almost no ground at all! It was all asphalt and concrete, everywhere you looked. Where’s a dog supposed to pee? No. 1 and I looked and looked, and we couldn’t find any grass or ground cover or even any mulch! What kind of place is this?

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do until a city dog came along and showed me. There are little grates, about one foot by one foot, with some ground underneath and a tree in the center. Sometimes there would be a little square without a grate, and that was the spot for a potty break. Pretty pitiful if you ask me.

Aside from the lack of facilities, it wasn’t such a bad place. We had a really comfy bed, at least until No. 2 got up at a ridiculously early hour.

Can't you see some of us are still sleeping?

To get to our room you would get in a little closet with a metal door, and then a motor would whir and you’d feel as if you were moving and yet everything in the closet would stay in place. Eventually the motor would stop whirring and the door would open, and then we would be in a different place! How do they do that?

No. 1 was busy most of the day, so No. 2 and I got in the car and drove around the city. We stopped at a place where No. 2 said the giants played. It’s funny, though, I didn’t see any giants, just normal-sized people.

The park where the giants play.

No. 2 took this picture of me with a plaque, which he says shows one of the most famous giants. This one was named Willie, just like me! Willie Mays. Have you heard about him?

My favorite giant.

After visiting the park we walked along the waterfront. And walked. And walked. It was a looong walk. I still didn’t see any giants, but it seemed as if you really would have to be one to live in a place like this. No. 2 walked the legs right off me. Later that day, I slept in the car almost all the way back home.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: October 16th, 2011

It’s just me and the Pale Tiger

Nowadays it’s just me, the humans, and the one Klingon. She’s the one that looks like a white Klingon and a striped Klingon collided at 60 mph. In her younger days, back where we used to live, she was quite the hunter. She caught her prey and flipped it high in the air to display her prowess. No. 2 dubbed her the Pale Tiger.

That was a long time ago, and those days are gone. Now she is much more rotund and she mostly sleeps. Since I like to sleep too, that means we end up sharing quite a bit.

Aw c'mon. Lay on somebody your own size.

Patooey.

Oh, I guess she’s not that bad.

More like a beached whale now.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: October 9th, 2011

More good nap spots

You can’t throw a biscuit in our house without hitting a good place to settle down for a nap. Here are some of my favorites.

On No. 2's pjs.

No. 1 objects when he leaves them on the bed, but I don’t!

On my throne.

We have this ginormous pillow on the bed that the humans prop themselves up with when they’re reading. Other times, I like to get on top of it. It’s just right for a dog to relax on. No. 2 refers to it as my throne.

Under a blankie.

Sometimes in the chilly weather, No. 1 decides that I look cold, and she tucks me in. No. 2 thinks I don’t like it. Do I look like I don’t like it??

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: October 5th, 2011

There’s no place like home

I want to show you another of my happy places. I know that it will surprise some of you.

Welcome to my crib!

Like every dog, I like my pack to be together. If I had my druthers, we’d stay home as much as possible and when we went out, we’d always go out together.

But humans are funny. They’re restless. They have Things to Do. And so sometimes they have to leave me at home alone (well, with the Klingons for company, but you know what I mean).

The smartest thing they ever did was give me this little den to stay in while they were gone. It’s hard to explain what it means to me. It’s my personal private nook, with my favorite blankets. And it’s their personal promise that they will come back for me. I know that all I have to do is curl up and go to sleep.

We have it all down to a routine. (You know how dogs love routines.) When I see them putting their shoes and jackets on, I’ll get up and start watching them closely. I’m always hoping that they’ll get the leash and stand by the door. That means I’m going for a car ride! But sometimes, instead, they go over to my den with a treat. I know what I’m supposed to do. I run over to my den, jump in, they give me the treat, and they close the door. Then they’re on their way to wherever.

Silly humans. Don’t they know there’s no place like home?

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: September 20th, 2011

I’m a movie star!

Did I ever tell about the time that my humans decided that they had to go off to some place called Hawaii? I don’t know where that is but I understand it’s across a lot lot of water, and you know my feelings on that subject. I’ll stay here, thank you very much.

They dropped me off at Puppy Camp. If you’re going to be away from your pack, at least this is a better place to stay than That Place. I stay with the small dog posse when I’m at Puppy Camp. Most of the small dogs like to visit and play and tussle around. Thankfully, there are also comfy cots where us more mature canines can take our leisure in comfort. I’m on vacation… I’ll leave all that milling around to the young whippersnappers.

At Puppy Camp they take moving pictures of us and put them up on the You Tubes. My humans love this because they can see what I was doing when they were away. I was very busy that day taking a nap. You can see me if you wait until the 1:52 mark.

If you want to read about the Hawaii, No. 1 told all about it over on her blog that she writes about making blankies. Looks like they had a good time, but I was just as glad to stay home and rest.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: September 13th, 2011

A dog of many talents

I’m so happy being in a family of writers, because it means my humans are home most of the time. Also, they need my help now and then. Here is No. 2, writing his first book. I’m the proofreader, of course.

That should be a semicolon.

I guess I did a pretty good job. His book finally came out and some booklist place said it was one of the best books of the year! You’re welcome.

I have other talents, too. Most of them have to do with technology. No. 1 used to have a gadget called a veecee-r, and she would sit on the sofa and turn it on. I was always glad to see this, because it meant I would get a lap.

The veecee-r did three different things. One sound meant I could go to sleep. That seemed to be the part No. 1 was interested in. There would be people talking inside the teevee box, yada-yada-yada, and it would go on for a long time. Perfect for a nap. Another, more whirring sound, meant the teevee box would start going real fast and the sound would stop, but nap time wasn’t over.

Then we would get to the third sound, a kind of a grindy sound, and that was my cue! I would jump up out of her lap, because I knew she would be getting up soon. I think it is really great that the veecee-r makers put an end-of-laptime signal on their machine.

Same thing with the computer. No. 2 had a computer called a peecee that played a little melody when he turned it off. Even if I was fast asleep, when I heard that melody I would wake up and jump off his lap.

This one doesn't have the end-of-laptime melody.

But lately my skills seem to be obsolete. My humans “upgraded” from a veecee-r to a deevee-r, and it’s just not as good. It doesn’t come with an end-of-laptime signal. Same with the computer. No. 2 got rid of his peecee and got an apple (funny name for a machine), which just turns off and doesn’t sing about it. I guess it’s all just as well… seems like I don’t hear all those signals that I used to anyway. Now the humans have to wake me up when laptime is over. They don’t seem to mind.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 25th, 2011

Helping with the newspaper

These days I’m more of a lap dog in the wintertime… you know, when the weather is chillier. Laps are warm so they’re very good at that time of year.

One thing I like to do in the cooler weather is to help No. 2 read the newspaper every morning.

Anything exciting?

Slow news day.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: July 20th, 2011

Bootsie

The humans took me to Puppy Camp and went away for a few days. Puppy Camp is not as bad as all that, still I’d rather be home. Finally they came and picked me up.

No. 1 kept apologizing to No. 2. Apparently, No. 2 had won a stuffed toy playing something called Fascination while they were away and No. 1 had gone and lost it.

No. 1 went out and when she came back, she had a stuffed toy with her. She showed it to me. “See?” she said, “It’s white and it has pink ears. It’s really exactly the same.”

She gave it to No. 2, who said, “But that was a bunny and this is a poodle.”

No. 1 said, “It was the best I could do.”

No. 2 named it Bootsie and it stays on our bed. Bootsie is the one stuffed toy I am not allowed to bite.

He makes a good pillow though.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: June 16th, 2011

This blankie is dog approved

No. 1 says that there’s only one thing that I don’t understand.

I'm checking out this nice blankie.

She puts her hands on her hips, looks at me, and says, “You cannot lie on a quilt while I’m quilting it.”

Why not? I’m just doing my job. I am the Quilt Puppy after all. It is my solemn duty to check out each and every blankie, to make sure that it holds all the properties that a dog desires. This is a very nice one, very comfy, and from here I can supervise your activities closely.

“What am I going to do with you?” she asks.