I'm Calling Shotgun Now

If there's one thing I've learned about living on a farm, it's that springtime means babies. Already we have played foster mama to a fledgling barred owl and four cottontail rabbits. And that owl sure made me nervous, the way he was watching those buns, so we made sure nobody went hungry until they were released (far apart from each other, I made sure of that). But the biggest surprise of all was when My Boy's show heifer, Ruby Tuesday, had her baby last week. Lookee here!

I'm a bit jealous that he has more spots than me. He even has a heart on his forehead. So far we can't decide on a name for him, but it has to be a special one because he will be My Boy's show calf next year. Isn't he a lucky one? We think so.

My new best bud weighs four times as much as me and is growing bigger every day. I have to watch where he steps so he doesn't mash my head in the ground. My Boy is teaching him to lead right now while he's small enough to handle. I just hope that when we all ride in the pickup, he knows I like to sit by the window.

~Tell

A Rose By Any Other Name

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I am a connoisseur of fine smells. I love to use my nose to discover the world around me. Here's a good shot of my beak...

And another close-up of my smell-sniffer...

One good whiff through the air vent in the pickup can tell me all about the countryside we're driving through. I can tell you if there are there other dogs nearby, or cows and horses, what's cooking outside on the grill for supper, and where there's a super odiferous pile of goop to roll in. The nose knows, you know.

So imagine my surprise when Mom started coming home with a new smell on her. I couldn't quite figure it out, never having come across the likes of it in my whole seven years. It always seems to be situated on her shoulder, sometimes on her arm and once in her hair. I puzzled over this for awhile until I hit on a way of finding out. I asked Cap. You know Cap, he's older than dirt and seen it all. And he told me the answer.

"It's baby burp, pup. Haven't you ever smelled burp before, young whippersnapper?" Well, nooooo, if I had I wouldn't have asked. I haven't officially been introduced to Little Guy yet. Mom says grandbabies are not squeaky toys and she won't let us play together until Little Guy is old enough not to get knocked over. So I'll just have to settle for whiffs of milky baby's breath until we actually meet. That and pictures, which Mom seems to have an abundance of cute ones to share. He does actually look a little like my yellow rubber ducky, doesn't he?

~Tell

Little Guy is Here!

Great news, everybody! Married Kid and Her Husband had their baby this week. Little Guy weighed in at eight and a half pounds and was twenty-one and a half inches long, so I guess that would make him a member of the Substantial Baby Club, if there is one. He's nice and healthy, though, and the family is very proud of him. There are no hospital nursery photos of him because Grandma Doofus forgot to bring her camera (Owww! She just smacked me on the back of the head!). Sorry about that remark, Mom. Anyway, we can forgive her this time because it's the first grandbaby and she got all excited and everything when she heard the news.

Here is a photo of the Little Guy when he came home from the hospital. My Boy leaned over and said, "Hey, there, I'm your favorite uncle!" I have a feeling that Little Guy and me are going to be great buddies some day. My Boy and I will teach him how to fish, catch grasshoppers, stomp in mud puddles, run in the fields and go wading in the creek. Maybe chase some squirrels, too. There's no end to the things a couple of boys and a dog can do together, especially when Grandma isn't looking (waiting...waiting...okay, no smack that time). Life is good!

~Tell

Three Sisters and a Little Fellow

There are some big changes coming to our home soon. Big ones, I tell you. And I'm not too sure we wires like change. At least Glynn and I are a little nervous. Cap sleeps through most things these days, so he may miss it all, but I'm happy in my comfortable rut. The Girls are rocking my boat and shaking things up around here, and I'm not sure what to do about it.


First, College Kid (on the right in her Eskimo Joe shirt) graduated and got her DVM degree. The big ceremony was held at the Gallagher-Iba area (think Eddie Sutton Court) at Oklahoma State. Now she's packing boxes and moving to Maryland. She's going to live about 15 minutes from D.C. I just hope when this year is over she doesn't come home and bring a politician with her. Next, My Girl (on the left) graduated from high school, and now SHE'S packing up her laptop and heading for college. Talk about cleaning house! Who's gonna be left around here for me and My Boy to pester? And now I find out that Married Kid (in the middle, who I haven't spoken much about since she had pretty much moved out before I moved in) is expecting a little bundle in a couple of weeks. Married Kid and Her Husband live nearby, and I'll bet we get to see a lot of the baby.

Well, that last part might not be too bad. Having a Little Fellow for My Boy and I to hang with could be fun. That is, if he can learn to throw a ball. Maybe wrassle in the grass a bit. Dig some holes. Drop some Fig Newtons. We'll see...

~Tell