Happy Birthday to Daddy

Uncle Aubert

Aunt Luci and her nurse

Hello Family and Friends, wherever you are,

Poor Aunt Luci. She had a boo-boo in her leg-pit and had to have the doctor put her to sleep and make it better. Mommy went to spend the day with her before her surgery and took these pictures so you could meet her. Mommy wanted to take some others.....like when she was on her way to the bathroom with her jammy flappin in the breeze and her hiney hangin' out....but Aunt Luci threatened her so she didn't. That would have been fun, though, don't you think? Some people in hospitals tend to lose their sense of humor. Oh well.....maybe today Mommy will have better luck!!

Not much other news. Daddy and I went on a short road trip yesterday and I gave him some new socks for his birthday......job insurance, you know. If he's got 'em, I can get 'em and he'll keep me around. Mommy gave him a new shower head but it didn't work so she has to take it back to the store and return it. Oh well......She gave him some other stuff, too......not JUST a shower head. He liked the rain one that Uncle Peter had in his shower so that's what she got him.

Didn't do much the rest of the day.....cold outside and Daddy had to build a fire in the stove so Mommy wouldn't get cold. It's the same today. Daddy and I are going up to see Grammie and Grampie in Burlington, so I'll let you know how they are later.

Have a great day. I love you all.

Juni

Memorial Day Weekend

Hello Family and friends, wherever you are,

I was soooo excited Friday morning.....got all my toys for Mama to put in my travel bag, and I was ready to go. It was overcast, but we didn't care. We were going to the LAKE!! The LAKE THE LAKE THE LAKE!! It had rained all week, but it wasn't raining when we left so we were hoping the weather would stay nice. Don't care. Can swim in the rain and can swim in the sun. All the same to me, you know. I was sooooooo excited!! I knew where we were going and I couldn't wait. THE LAKE!

We got on the ferry right behind Aunt Martha and Sydney, my friend and Aunt Martha's granddaughter. She's thirteen, and she LOVES to play with me in the lake. They got there earlier than Uncle Phil and had the pop-up all popped up by the time he arrived. Girls can do anything they put their paws to. Anything. I helped a little....tested the water out some....took my first pee in the lake. Oh, I do love to pee in the lake. I got started on this in Washington State when I went swimming with Aunt Tammy and her gang. Just felt so darn good! Now, when I'm in water of any kind, I just have to pee. You ought to try it sometime. Really! Cools your hoo-hoo off!

So, Daddy got our camper situated on our site. It was a little....and yes, I may be prone to understatement......wet and muddy there, and the truck got sorta stuck. But he got it out and just worried that he might not be able to get the camper out when we were ready to leave......more rain was coming, we knew, but we hoped for the best.

Checked the water out again. Same as before. Ready to have someone throw my float toy, but everyone's so busy getting stuff put together. It takes a lot of time to get camping gear out and in the right spot, ya know??

Just asking for a little attention here....want to go swimming, want someone to throw my toy......

Off to bed we went. I did get to swim after my toy a few times, but right after supper, it started to rain, so we went to bed fairly early. Sydney sleeps in the pop-up on one side,

And Uncle Phil and Aunt Martha on the other. It rained all night.....heavy downpour, lightning, thunder....and Mommy could visualize the camper, with all of us in it, sliding down into the lake. I wasn't sure that would be entirely a bad thing...we could just take a pee and swim to shore!! See? Positive thinking.

Got up the next morning and just did a little looking around. Wanted to make sure all was well before everyone got out and got busy. Lake was still there, still wet, and I had my first pee of the day. Gonna be a sunny day, I think. But, they boys thought they should try to move the camper before it rained anymore.....so Mommy and all the rest of the girls decided to take a road trip to Ticonderoga and WalMart. Mommy didn't want to watch.......

I didn't mind staying back, but sat or slept right by the tree where they had hung my toy....right above that yellow bag.....right there....too high to reach.......

This is Mommy and Daddy after breakfast...waiting for Auntie Kim, Uncle Will, Sierra....first grade....and Shyanne....age five....come for the day.

Mommy.

Shyanne finally arrived. Yippee-aye! I love her. She had cerebral palsy when she was born, so she has to wear leg braces and she has trouble with balance. But she sure loves me and we play together all the time.

She went to give Daddy a hug.

So, while the girls were gone, the boys got another man in the campground who had a big pickup to come help. They put a chain on the towing thing of our truck, pulled it under the camper and attached it to the other truck. So while Daddy pushed the camper backwards, the other truck pulled it backwards....and out it came!! All's well that ends well, I guess. These were the muddy ruts left by our truck. Oh well.....

Daddy put the camper up on the top of the site so it a.) wouldn't slide down into the lake....b.) wouldn't sink into the mud and get stuck, and c.) would be easy to hook up to and get out of the campground on Monday.

And, when they all got back, we went SWIMMING! OMG OMG OMG....it was soooo fun. They threw my toy, and I went to get it. Now, just to make things a little more fun, I have to play keep-away for a little minute after I've brought it back to shore, and then I drop the toy and let them throw it again. And we do this over and over and over again. They're really good about not throwing it too far so I don't get so tired swimming to get it, and it's just the greatest game. I was tired afterward, though, and took a nap.....Mommy says I snored......

We decided to put up one more shelter over a picnic table, because everyone was staying for supper, and it looked like it might rain again. Uncle Will and Uncle Phil helped Mommy.....or something like that....

Aunt Martha was taking pictures........

I kept watch over my toy......see it there in the tree?? That orange hangy-downy thing?

Uncle Will said he'd play with me. He's such a nice man and he loves me all to pieces......first things first though.....can't take time once the game has begun.......aaahhhhhhhhh........

And we're off!!
looking, looking, looking..........got wound around my tail. Funny.......

Aunt Martha is....ah......well, you can tell what she's doing. Daddy got a big kick out of it and told Mommy to take a picture. But you know what? You guys are lucky you can do that by yourselves. When my butt itches, I have to go ask Mommy or Daddy to scratch me. How do you think that makes ME feel? Hurmpgh

There it is...toy in a tree.....looking a little closer to the ground this time......hmmmmmm.......

Perhaps if I get hold of it and pull just a little bit....

....'cause it's right there........

Just a little more of a tug......CRAP!! I got caught and they put it up higher. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

So everyone settled down on Saturday afternoon. The camper was safe, the toy was too high, the little girls were playing, the adults were reading or talking and......Shyanne tripped on a root and fell......right into the hot hot hot fire ring. OMG. Pandemonium. Ice on the burns and off to the hospital, six miles away. Second degree burns onher arms and her legs. Poor little girl. But she is one brave cookie. She went home with her mother, who came to get her, and was right back on Sunday! She wanted to camp!! She had guaze wrapped around her burns but she said they didn't hurt....and she played and played all day!! She couldn't go into the water, but she still threw my toy for me. And she stayed overnight in the pop-up! And it rained and lightninged and thundered and ohmygod, was an awful night. I sleep with Mommy and Daddy when it gets noisy like that......scared the beejeesus out of me. Not Shyanne. She slept right through the whole thing.

Me and Mommy.....with camping hair.

Oooops....last one of the weekend.

Monday morning......gorgeous.

On the road again.......to home......

We had a wonderful weekend. Shyanne has been to her own doctor and she's healing nicely. It doesn't hurt and she has a heck of a story to tell everyone!!

Tomorrow is Daddy's birthday. I'm going to make him a card if I can. And Mommy has to make him a cake. He'll like it no matter how it tastes!!

Hope you are all well and happy. I miss and love you all.

Juni

I'mmmmmm baaaaaack!!

Auntie Kris from Kentucky...isn't she cute?

Mommy's Mama, Grammie Grace, used to say that if you could see enough blue sky to make a pair of britches, it was going to be a nice day.

This is Phil. All of Mommy's lilacs have names. This one came from Uncle Phil's house which is why he's called Phil....duhhhhh.....and he smells just wonderful. Aunt Martha??? Well, that's another story altogether and for another time....

Here I am helping Mommy plant, transplant, and replant hosta. She likes these because they grow here on the north side of the house where they don't get much sun. Sorry about the strap in the picture....professionals they're not.....sigh.....

So, the one on the left is Cassandra, and the yellow one is Tammy. Callan is on the other side of Tammy....and is another dark purple but not very prolific this year. Paulie is down front and doing well......he came from Auntie Em's old house in Starksboro....she doesn't live there anymore....she's gone to the home of the old people....Florida. We miss her.

Here's Grammie Peck....she was talking to Daddy.

Grammie and Daddy are so silly...they even flash upper teeth at each other.....gross......

There used to be a road over to that house, and to all of the other houses on the point to the left of that one....all under water now. Lake Champlain is still very high.

Road all under water...sad, really.

They're building a new bridge across Lake Champlain and had to build up the spot where the crane sits because it is so high......

the New York side....see how dark it is?? This is our life here in God's country lately....no pair of britches here.......oh, for you younger guys, britches are pants.

On the Vermont side.....

One lane road....lake over that part.....

This is a pier where people would come to fish, or have lunch, or just look out over the lake. Ooooops, now it's IN the lake.

Farmer Dave hoping not to get stuck in the mud.

Daddy has two big garden areas like this but warned Mommy NOT to buy so many sunflower seeds this year. She won't pay any attention to him. Never does. Not when it comes to sunflowers. Did I tell you about the year when Daddy told her she could put A FEW seeds inbetween some corn seeds???? Yup. You guessed it. No corn that year.....not one cob.......all overpowered by the ....ah.....few.....sunflowers Mommy planted....inbetween EVERY corn kernel. So now she has her own bed for the sunflowers and DADDY plants the few in the main garden.......where HE wants them. Oh dear, he was upset that year. Poor Mommy. She just LOVES watching the birds sit on and eat the sunflower seeds. Got her in deep doo doo that year.

Playing with Daddy.....he's such fun.

More playing.

Got his foot.....I win!

There's Phil to the left, and Mommy's deck boxes, complete with flowers. They're lots prettier when they fill out, but she just put them in Sunday. Had a short break in the rain....see how green it is, though?? Gorgiemongous.

Other side of the back deck.

Close up.....gggggrrrrrreeeeennnnn.......

Good Morning Family and Friends, wherever you are,

I'm back!! Don't know where I've been, or how long, but man, have people complained!! Sooooo, once again, I am sorry and will try to do better. I do get busy, you know.......why, just this morning I had to work extra hard to get Daddy going. Mommy had gone off to swim and play with her friends at the club, so Daddy read a little, and napped a little, and it really took me awhile to get him in gear. I tried nudging.....that got me a skritch on the ears, but no real movement. I tried whining....that got me a little time outside, but when it was clear that he wasn't following me, I yipped to come back in. I tried biting on his shoes, but he just pushed me away. Finally, I had to take the matter in my own paws.......I walked down to the bedroom, got his socks from the chair, walked back to the kitchen and just waited. He saw me, I know he did, because in a minute he called me into the living room and I gave him his socks. He told me I was a good girl and he put them on.....and then??? ROAD TRIP!!! Soooooo, now I know exactly what to do if he is taking too long to get going in the morning. I don't wait for him to tell me to get his socks....I just go get them all by myself. Good to have that figured out.

Well, let's see. What's been happening. OK....it's rained.....oh, and then we had some rain.....and one afternoon, evening, and all through the night and the next day, it rained.......good grief!! Will it never end??? Mommy says I'm getting webbing between my toes. Silly girl....I was born with that!! Water Dog?? Duhhhhhhh........anyhow, I will admit to the bottom of my feet being slightly green.....poor Daddy has had to mow when the lawn wasn't dried out so he can't pick up the grass and put it on the compost pile. I try to pick up as much as I can to start my own compost pile in the house, but Mommy catches me before I can get inside and wipes it all off. Geesh. Just tryin' to help, ya know?? People can be persnickity at times. Isn't that a great word? Persnickity.

Besides rain? Nothin' much goin' on. We did go up to see Grammie yesterday and she was in good spirits. She and Daddy play the silliest games, but it gets her to laugh and we all like that. Mommy and Daddy didn't see Grampie 'cause he was sleepin' and they didn't want to disturb him.....or something like that.......

After the visit, we went on a looooonnnnnggggg drive to see how bad the lake had risen. In some places it's really bad.....most of the damage has been done north of Burlington because the southern winds have blown the water up there.......and they had six-seven foot waves up there which really battered the homes on the lake. Sad, really. The place I showed you here in the pictures is where Mommy and Daddy lived when they came back to Vermont from Georgia. Their house was further away from the water, so wasn't flooded......yet......who knows, though, with all the rain still forcast. We went from there to New York....across Lake Champlain on the ferry. I used to be afraid of it 'cause of all the noise, but now I'm cool with it. I did get upset when a man drove on next to us with a HUGE tire in the bed of his pickup.....couldn't figure out what the hell it was but I wanted to warn it away from my mommy and daddy. Guess I did 'cause it didn't come any closer.

So they've had quite a time bridge building.......have had to raise the parts where the cranes sit. It's supposed to be done by October.....time will tell. They've been at it over a year.........

I forgot to tell you about Auntie Kris!! What was I thinking? She used to live here in Middlebury and Mommy met her swimming at the club. She's just a little thing now, but she used to be a lot bigger and she gave all her big clothes to Mommy who thought she had died and gone to heaven 'cause she loves hand-me-downs. Never had a sister, so doesn't know how much sisters hate hand-me-downs.....Anyhow, Auntie Kris had to move to Kentucky with her husband who was transferred with his job. She came back to visit and called Mommy and they got together for breakfast one morning. She's so nice.......at least that's what Mommy says. She'll be glad when she moves back, which she promises she's going to do!! Then maybe I'll get to meet her in person!!

Guess that's really all the news. All is well here. Daddy is slow, Mommy is going out to find sunflower seeds, and me? I'm with Daddy wherever he goes. I'm a truck dog, ya know. ROAD TRIP!! Ya gotta love it.

Hope you are all well and having a good time. I love you all!!

Juni

There, Aunt Norma. Happy now??