Aunt Kathy had to go back to school today, so no more long mornings talking to her on the couch. That's OK. After the walk yesterday I needed a day to sleep. When Uncle Steve came home we headed upstairs. I got to keep watch out the back window. All I could see was snow. Uncle Steve said there was 8 to 12 inches in our yards. He had to shovel another path for me in the backyard. The Aunt Kathy and Uncle Steve went to the Guthrie for the preview of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" They were all excited about it. There are 9 actors in the play that were trained at the Guthrie/U of M BA program. I am not sure what that means, but they thought it was pretty cool. All I know is that between going to that and shoveling snow, Uncle Steve did not have time to make a movie about me. Now if they wanted to see acting, then that is where the action is!!!
Why is Mom kissing that big, brown, furry thing with the gigantic lips? Should I be jealous? Well, you look like you are having a good time.
Do you know when you are getting back on Sunday? It is Aunt Kathy's birthday, and Uncle Steve wants to make plans.
I knew this day would come. I think Aunt Kathy and Uncle Steve were working together on this. Aunt Kathy took me on those hour long walks just to get me ready for the big one. I thought when we sat around all day Saturday that maybe Uncle Steve had gotten old and lazy and we would not be going on one of us long treks. Wrong. We left the house and went by Dad's office. So far, so good. But then we kept going past Trader Joe's, then to Lake Calhoun, then to Lake Harriet, then to 44th and France, and finally we came home. I walked for two hours. The belly bath actually felt pretty good. Once Uncle Steve dried me off, I really surprised him by just ripping around the house at full speed. I wanted dinner and I wanted it now! As soon as he cleaned up the tub, Uncle Steve fed me a well deserved dinner. However, as soon as I finish today's blog there will be some serious nap time.
Uncle Steve and I are continuing to hunt the hippo. So far it has survived, but the squeak is so obnoxious that Aunt Kathy may weigh in and help us finish it off. As you can see, I get a little crazy went I go hippo hunting:
Your trip just sounds neater, and neater with every E-Mail. Uncle Steve would not let me look at the R rated pictures. He thinks I am so innocent. I'll just wait until he goes to work tomorrow.
Aunt Kathy went to visit her Mom in Iowa, so Uncle Steve and I had a nice quite morning eating coffee and donuts. I tried to get a bite of his donut, but Uncle Steve is really quick when it comes to protecting his treats. I had to settle for dog treats! The sun really comes in nice and warm in the back window. I would sit in Uncle Steve's lap until it got too warm, and then I would lay on the floor in the sun. I'd eventually get thirsty, get a drink, and start the cycle all over again. This is a sweet way to spend a Saturday morning.
Uncle Steve went out for lunch and did his work out at the gym. I did my work out on the living room couch. When he came back he left a bag by the front door while he made himself a snack. Well, of course I had to see what was in the bag. IT WAS A HIPPOPOTAMUS!!!! The chase was on. I tried to kill it right away, but it is one tough hippo. When Uncle Steve heard the hippo squeaking, he came to help in the chase. It would get away, and Uncle Steve would throw it across the room. I was not going to let the hippo get away that easy, so I brought it back. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Uncle Steve made a video of the chase for you to watch!!!
The stuff at the museum sounds even older than Uncle Steve! Those mummies don't come with any curses do they?
Our days are setteling into a pattern here. Uncle Steve gets me up at the ungodly hour of 5:30 am. At least he feeds me breakfast before he leaves. I go back to bed with Aunt Kathy until a more reasonable hour. I try to convince her that I haven't had breakfast yet, but she is too hard to fool. We sit on the couch and read the morning paper. Either in the morning or afternoon we take an hour long walk in the neighborhood. Aunt Kathy has stuff to do in the afternoon so I can get in a beauty rest so I can entertain Uncle Steve when he gets home.
I am beginning to think that Uncle Steve is not as easy to train as I thought. Whenever he calls me to come, I just look at him like he is nuts. I do not come just because someone calls my name. Sometimes he tries to come and pick me up, but I am way too fast. So I have him trained to go get a treat. I follow him to get the treat, and the next thing I know I am in a room with him and not where we started out. I thought I was in control of this situation, and now I am beginning to realize that I am being manipulated by my own stomach. Oh well, the treats are really good!!!
Glad to hear that you are having such a great time. Don't forget the meerkat!
This is how Aunt Kathy and I are spending a lot of our vacation. As you can see, besides reading, we carry on lively conversations. Sometimes I have to interupt and let the idiots outside know they have no business being there. Aunt Kathy understands. I am sure she feels very safe and protected with me standing guard. After awhile of this provactive, and enlightening dialogue, we proceed for our afternoon ambulation. This is usually followed by a nap.
We missed the snow storm today. All the snow went to the south of the Twin Cities, so Uncle Steve did not have to do any shoveling. (Yeah!!!)
Your trip just sounds more and more exciting. The pictures are fantastic. I am having some trouble understanding how big these animals are. Aunt Kathy explained to me that I could not grab the Rhino by the neck and whip it around. I asked her if she was sure, and she said she was very sure. She then tried to explain to me that the giraffes were as tall as our house, and the Hippo is bigger than a pickup truck. So is that Paul Bunyon's watch in the picture?
Uncle Steve and I took one look at that cat, and we both thought, "That is one pissed off cat!!!" Is that what they do when they don't catch the zebra they are hunting? It sounds like you are having a great time. The pictures are really cool! Do you have an extremely powerful telephoto lense, or is Dad getting way to close to get those pictures.
Uncle Steve came home early to take me for a walk. For a while I thought I was going to get to drive the Prius, but he booted me over to the passenger side. We went down to Lake Calhoun and I did 4 miles like a little trooper. We started out going south and it was a glorious day. Then when we turned and headed back north, we found out the day was not so glorious. There is some snow coming tomorrow, and the wind is really blowing in from the north. As you can see from the second picture, I was not happy about this state of affairs. Then when we got home, I got a belly bath. I am not sure that the walk is good enough to justify the belly bath. But we both know that if someone asks me if I want to go for a pedestrian expedition, that I will go nuts.
Uncle Steve showed me the pictures that you took. Didn't I used to have a toy that looked like that Rhinoceros? He looks like he would be fun to grab by the neck and throw around like I do the rest of my toys. Uncle Steve caught me ripping into my hedgehog.
You had better leave the Rhinoceros in Africa for its safety! The meerkat will be enough fun to play with.
This is so much fun having Aunt Kathy stay home with me. We went for another walk around the neighborhood today. The snow is starting to melt, so I got to splash in lots of puddles. My backyard track is now a swamp, so we go out the front door until dry land appears out the back door. Uncle Steve came home in time to feed me dinner before I starved to death while Aunt Kathy was at aerobics. It is still cold enough I need to get under the covers, but you trained Uncle Steve just right. I stick my cold nose in his ear, and he lifts up the covers.
Just in case you forgot, I had Uncle Steve take a picture to remind you how cute I am.
This is so sweet! Aunt Kathy stayed home with me all day today. This is better than the usual vacation at Aunt Kathy's and Uncle Steve's. Aunt Kathy has taken me for a nice walk every day since you left. She did go to her aerobics class, but Uncle Steve got home shortly after she left. I had to let him know in no uncertain terms that it was dinner time. He caught on quick. If I work this right, I might get two dinners.
Your trip sounds really neat. Are you in something safe so the lions don't eat you? And how do you keep the elephants out of whatever you are in? I have never seen an elephant, but it seems as if they are big enough they can do what ever they want to do.
Aunt Kathy picked me up so Uncle Steve could get a good picture of how cute I am. Don't I take a nice picture?
Mom, Uncle Steve said that Aunt Kathy told him that you told her that I can only have one milkbone a day! Mom, I will starve to death! Aunt Kathy has already taken me on two one hour walks, and Uncle Steve has me running all over the house chasing my stuffed animals. True, I am spending a lot of time in Uncle Steve's lap, but that is no reason to limit me to one milk bone a day. Do you know how hard I had to work to train Uncle Steve to give me a treat everytime we come in from outside! He doesn't even notice how often I have to go outside. It must be something old men relate to. So, please tell me it isn't so!!!
It snowed all day Saturday and most of the day on Sunday. As you can see, Uncle Steve has their backyard all set up for me. Also, I saw the basset hounds out the upstairs window. They have no idea how lucky they are theat Aunt Kathy and Uncle Steve didn't let me out of the house. Here again is another reason I need more than one milkbone a day. That took a lot of energy running around the house and barking at the basset hounds.
Hope your trip was OK. That sounded like an awful lot of time to spend in an airplane. Let me know when you get my meerkat.
