One thing I know for sure, Mom needs to lighten up a bit around here. Lately she seems to be thinking too much. I'm taking over for today. It's my first real try at doing anything on the site by myself as I said but Petey gave me some tips before he went away which may help. So just remember, I'm only 2 years old and don't have any experience at this stuff so make allowances ok ?

We need more play and less serious stuff so she pays more attention to me, which would kinda be nice. Not that she doesn't pay attention to me but I'll take all of that I can get. Dad does spend a lot of time with me and we have some really great times together but he can't get down on the floor with me like she usually does.That's a hoot. Watching her trying to move around on all fours like I do is really funny. No way can she keep up with me.

She brought me home a couple of neat new toys lately when she went shopping but its way more fun when she plays with them too.The first one really cracked me up. If I shake it hard enough it sure gives me a lot of backtalk. Mom says it's the sound a cow makes but I have to take her word for that as I have never even seen a cow, let alone heard one. What is a cow anyway ? Sure doesn't sound like a bark so guess its not a dog.

The second one barks, and that is more like what I'm used to but I haven't quite got the trick down pat to get it barking. I need Mom to help me until I get it figured out. It has long ears and a tail but I keep trying to get it barking by pulling on its ears and that doesn't work. I think I better start concentrating on the tail. I think that's what Mom does.

That dumb bone she keeps giving me is no fun at all. It doesn't talk back, it doesn't move around, it just lies there looking ugly. It sure isn't a bone I can chew and it tastes like an old sock. I keep trying to hide it way back on the shelves where I keep my toys but she finds it all the time. And what the heck she thinks she's doing trying to make me wear clothes is really starting to bug me. I have a perfectly good coat, thank you very much, I don't need her covering that up! Besides ... dogs are not meant to wear clothes. Wonder how she would like it if I told her to take off her clothes ? Yeah, I know that is the opposite to what she does with me but it makes just about as much sense. And it is different from what she always says. I have heard her tell people that she will not put cutesy clothes on me except for maybe a coat when we go outside in the winter if its really cold. But take a look for yourself up above. Does that green thing look like fur to you ? Sure sounds like one of those "flip flops" I hear them talking about on the TV all the time these days.

My toys are fun and I sure do have a lot of them but none of them are as much fun as the game Dad and I play every night. I have a real schedule every evening. Regular as clockwork. First we have dinner, then Dad takes me out with him to the fishpond and he feeds the fish while I chase squirrels, then we come indoors and I have to be real patient until he gets another coffee and gets settled into his chair. Then I get my real exercise. Dad bought me a really neat little flashlight. Its a funny one, it is really small and it has a tiny bright red light. Dad shines it on the rug and I chase it back and forth all over the family room until I am completely whacked out. By the time our game ends I am dying of thirst  and my tongue is hanging out.

At times after we have been at it for quite a while I am really hoping he'll say "Ok Tuff, that's enough, time to put the light to bed" but as long he wants to play I humour him. Mom makes sure I have a fresh supply of water waiting when we finish and I make pretty short work of that, I really need that water by the time my exercise is done for the night. But I'll let you in on a secret. It may wear me out but its the most fun I have all day. Hey, it has a lot of pluses, including the fact it keeps me from getting too fat  Something Mom is always mentioning. She even checks me out every so often to be sure she can still feel my ribs for crying out loud. She says its not good for little guys like me to get fat. In case you haven't noticed, moms can be a bit of a pain at times and they worry too much. I think it must be a part of their job description.

 We watch TV for a while, I might doze a bit, and then I get to play with Mom. I know its getting close to bedtime so I sneak under the couch in the family room and hide. I know Mom can't get under there and its so much fun when she tries to catch me by reaching under the couch. If she is doing something or watching TV I will hide for a while and if she doesn't come to play our game I'll stick my nose just far enough out that I can see what she's doing and I stay there until she spots me and as soon as she moves I scurry back under the couch  and wait for her to come and try to tag me. I call the shots. I make her work at it. She gets close to me but as long as she hasn't touched me the game isn't over. She reaches in where I am and I move out of reach. This goes on until I decide to take pity on her and I let her touch me. Then I give up and she pulls me out, all pleased with herself because she thinks she has won, and cuddles me.  I kinda like making her think she has won because it makes her smile and feel she's so smart but between you and me ... she hasn't really won even once. By the time the game ends I am more than ready to go to bed. Besides I love how she tucks me in to my bed for the night.

 Its not me being bad or disobedient. Its our bedtime game. The only time the game gets messed up is if that darn commercial comes on the TV with that blasted little white dog. Its funny, other dogs or commercials I don't give a darn about but when the music for that commercial comes on I know that little white menace is about to invade my space again and I have to stop whatever I'm doing and attack that TV and sort him out. He looks a little too much like me for my liking. Not the same colour  because he is no where near as interesting looking, he's all white, and I am brown and white, but he could be my brother and no way am I sharing my family with him ! It really freaks me out when he shows up. Mom and Dad think its funny. I don't. And he shows up at least once a day, usually right in the middle of my game with Mom. You'd think he'd get the message by now but I don't think he is too smart. I know one thing for sure.. if Mom ever shows up carrying a bag of that dog food he is hawking I just might run away from home.

 I really don't mean that, I would never want to be anywhere else but exactly where I am. I really love my family, even the birds who drive me nuts at times with their singing, and now even Kacey and Tiny have taken to joining the two boys. At least they don't sing as loud as Buffy and Benjie, that's one blessing. Being girls they are no where near as noisy. Petey would definitely laugh at me for complaining about their singing. After all, he is the one who taught them to sing. Who knows maybe he is encouraging them even now. I sometimes think he is still keeping an eye on all of us.

 If he is, I do hope he thinks I've done OK with this first try at filling his shoes here on the site. I sure tried. But now Mom wants her computer back so I better get off here. I may think I call the shots in our bedtime game but when it comes to REALLY calling the shots around here I know there is no way it's me. Hope you enjoy your visit and come back soon. Bye for now.