Cole's capers dog days of summer

Cole enjoys the porch. His porch perch.
He watches critters eat from the birdseed holder, and drink from the fountain. He thinks great poodle thoughts and wishes he could share his wisdom with pups coming up. As the heat takes over, he becomes drowsy and decides to pause in his great thoughts and take a little nap. 

 Is there anything as touching as seeing a pet sleep? So vulnerable and peaceful, trusting you'll take their "watch" and have their back. 

Cole has taken to resting like this with his head hanging off a bed. Or propped up on a pillow but never level. He sleeps deeply. His ability to sleep has increased as his hearing has decreased. He must no longer be aware of little startling noises so he rests more completely now.

 I often have to put my hand on him, rocking him gently to wake him. He wakes a bit confused, staring at me to place me. I see the moment when he remembers where he is and with whom. He is awake then, but relaxed. 

Oh yes, the momma. I love her. Wonder if she has a treat for me. 

I used to plan for the moments puppy Cole would nap, tiptoe-ing around so as not to wake the tempest he was. Now I place a hand on his side to feel breaths, slow in... and out... and I sometimes hold his foot while he sleeps.

 I am aware he loves the Daddy most. His play mate and protector. 
The patient one who lets him sniff for hours in one spot. 

But I love him, chose him, wanted him in particular among all the available pups at the time. 

I think, if he could talk he'd say, "love you, Momma. Relax"

Cole's Capers grooming...again!?!

I look good, right?

Hi y'all! Cole here for this week's Cole's Capers. 
First of all, I survived. 
Yet another senseless grooming day. 
I mean what's with my peeps? What's the obsession with cleanliness and smell? 

I mean... take a look at that carnage! I felt like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz after the witch took him apart ("parts of me are over here, and parts of me are over there!!) 

Don't tell the peeps, but it does feel better to be clean and fluffy. Cooler too. But do they have to touch my feet so much? Sheesh!

After that ordeal, I requested room service, just to settle my jangled nerves...

Lee Anna here:
What a drama king... it isn't that bad. In fact, I don't know if Cole is scared of the tub or disgusted with it, but during a loud thunderstorm we caught him daring to climb in by himself to escape the noise! 

We said the storm must be scary to make the tub look like a safe haven! 

(No poodles were harmed in the writing of this post)
 

Couple of concerts later... another Cole's caper

Cole here to tell you about my latest caper! I had a burst of energy one evening after the Daddy came home. We went for a long-ish walk in another neighborhood. Then I still wanted to get out and pet people so we went to the Friday night concert at Annapolis Towne Center. 
What a poodle-icious good time! This store was giving out doggie ice cream, so I dropped my dislike of bananas for the peanut butter and banana fro-yo. Yum! First time I ever had that. 

I met so many people, many had puppies because their other dogs had gone to the great squirrel hunt in the sky. 
They loved on me just the right way! 
There were people, dogs and kids to see, the band played music my peeps liked (how embarrassing! Momma kind of danced! Oy!) 

This little guy was resting in a dog sized papa-san chair, jumped out to come see me. I wanted to take him home he was so cute. Of course he's a puppy so there would be training to do...

I wanted to go shoping, because when we come here I shop. I kept pulling to try to tell the peeps to go into the shops just for a look-see. 
It was in Sur la Table I met a woman that owns a bed and breakfast. 
LeeAnna here: She was awesome! Turns out she had leukemia and a revolutionary treatment three years ago and is in remission. She owns a B & B catering to military folk who have injuries. I encouraged her to write some of the stories she told me. Amazed, she said she had just been thinking that! I think the universe puts us together to encourage each other this way. 

I have been sad about Cole's diagnosis and his lack of energy. Turns out the vet overprescribed pain pills. When we started halving then quartering the dosage his whole demeanor changed. She said it would be weeks at best, but it's been a couple months now. 

Cole is teaching me another lesson. Live for the now. It's all you have, and you'll miss that if you look ahead. I had been watching him, checking to see if he was breathing, wondering how I could ever make the decision to let him go, and it drove me crazy. 

I decided on this night, at this concert, while talking to others who told stories of their beloved dogs who passed, that my lesson is to keep my energy "now". I've heard that for years, but it came home in a real way, not a "should" way that made me feel inadequate as a worrier. 

Cole here: whew, that momma can talk!  As we were walking back to the car these people drove up excited to say they also had a black standard poodle!!! I said, well stop your car and get him out here so I can sniff him! 
His name is Curry, he's 7 months old, and poor guy, going to school. 
OMD, I tried to puppy bow, but my front pins aren't what they used to be, still we had a good time while the peeps talky-talked. He's a big guy, almost as tall as I am, and a good looking guy.

I tried to tell him all my wisdom about life and how to handle people. Gotta pass on that to the pups ya know. 

LeeAnna: from this picture I can see I need to stop having ice cream along with Cole and haven't had any since. 

oy! 


Cole again: Oh Momma! I love you fat or skinny. As long as the ice cream doesn't go away at least.
 

Cole's Capers.... DC Folklife Festival concert

Cole here to tell you about this year's Folklife Festival (Basque) http://www.festival.si.edu/schedule
Momma and Daddy have taken me every year and I just love DC on the Mall. It was a nice night...

Off we went for a ride in the car! We three love going into DC, and have favorite festivals. 

This one has displays and performances from a show cased country or region. 

 We got settled in, and heard musicians playing unusual instruments. They also played with some Basque musicians later.

I played with a maltese puppy, too fast to get a picture but she was cute!

At first the songs sounded all the same to us and I didn't want to lie on my blankie...

I noticed a booth selling gelato and thought we should share a bowl, just to cool off my people you know...

Come on I'll show you!!
 First we'll share cherry, then mango and decide which is better. 

Mmmm, I like my ice cream on a spoon, I'm not uncivilized you know... oh heck! just give me the bowl...

The humans liked the mango, I preferred the cherry.
Momma thought I was feeling bad but I just wanted to get to the squirrel portion of our visit...

Past the band...

the first  time afghans and Basque musicians share a stage!

 past these creatures with wheels for legs...

Finally!

Check out that squirrel.

My dad is a notoriously bad hunter... I mean I got within 2 feet, one poodle lunge, of several stupid squirrels who just stared at me.

As if I couldn't eat them! Fast food! Festival food!

HUH?!!?  Whaaaa??? 
That stupid squirrel just stared at me, and my Momma made a noise (between us I think she did it on purpose) and it went up the tree. 

That was fun!
We walked around the Mall, watched a kickball tournament saw this view

 Another fun trip to the nation's capital, even if I didn't catch a squirrel. 

My peeps will go back to visit Basque this weekend.
Not me as it will be hot.I have too much sense to walk around in the heat!
 

Caption this picture...

Cole is very sick. I haven't shared much but he has cancer. He won't be with us long but every day is a gift.

 He also has old joints that no longer work well when he tries to stand.
One of his habits it to come in from a walk, ditch the leash and sprawl out on the cool tiles.

He sprained his leg scrabbling to stand one day, so we banned the tiles.

 Then we told him he couldn't lie down there. Then we barricaded the area.
So I was surprised to see this one day.

Okay Angel.

Momma can't lift you...

Usually he won't go near a faux barrier.  Our fence is waist high to him now, and poodles have springs, but he respects the barrier.

However habits being what they are, tiles being cool...

Determination.




Another day he was in deep sleep when a squirrel dared to come within inches of the giant poodle teeth.

Can you see it looking in at Cole from the fountain?

Luckily Cole, still the "Great Hunter" was snoozing.

How would you caption these photos?
1. Dreaming of squirrels
2. Let sleeping dogs lie
3. On a dare the squirrel won a pile of acorns from his pals

summer frolic Cole's capers

Momma said, let's go for a walk!
It was really hot, but I indulged her.... then look what I found!!!

Nice of the neighbors to turn on the sprinklers for me!
Why, children, in my youth I loved a sprinkler!

Especially the pointy kind that shoot out water ... 

 I'd jump in, bite at that sprinkler til I choked! HA what a good time! I taught them who was boss and who had big teeth!

 Today I just walked around in it, didn't want to get too wet. That reminds me of a (whispered) bath. 
Don't you love to play in a sprinkler?

DOG-tor, will I ever fly again???

See, it's not like we can't afford a new stuffie toy every time one has an unfortunate accident with dog teeth...

The poodle has his favorites.
He kind of "loves them to death"
(We lived in a kind of terror of his fave fleece ball being thrown away... know what I mean? The poodle on an endless quest, tilting at windmills, seeking the squeaking youthful fleece ball that was gone?)

So my friend Glen (quiltswissy ) told me I could order new squeakers from Amazon

One destroyed squeaker, a bag of new ones

The DOG-tor is in!
The GAME is on!
I replace a squeaker, Cole watches, Cole does his poodle-best to break and remove the new squeaker. I do this sewing by hand. Usually. That's the only safe way. However...

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! I am the only one stupid enough to do this!

For surgery, no need to sterilize your hands... the dog spit does that for you.

I remove the dead squeaker from stuffie through the handy hole my dog made while breaking it.
Lots of opportunities to find a hole here!

It was like an episode of Botched!
Plastic surgery...STAT!

Replace squeaker, push remaining stuffing to side, if there's room because your dog ate some of the stuffing, I then wedge it under the presser foot and sew...

THIS is how I used my creativity today. THIS was my inspiration.

  
A safer alternative for repair when there is no room to put it under the sewing foot...
Some delicate work is needed I hand sew. Double thread, big knot, no need to worry about a scar, it'll be torn out in no time!

I make sure to trim threads close to bird, or my poodle will be flossing. 

All Done! Good as new, but with that old toy smell.
 Chirp! Lots of squeaks left in this one!

Now to sneak it back into the toy box...

before sleeping dogs notice...

Cole's Capers... Art-loving Poodle

Taking a little break to view the event

Can it be June already? We three went to Annapolis for the First Sunday Art's Festival. I love doing that!
There are lots of dogs to meet, and people to pet, and I love to shop!

LeeAnna here, he does. He shops and always has. When we travel and he's with us in shops, he looks at everything on shelves at his level. Luckily he only wanted one thing. Unluckily it was a hand knitted hat of boiled wool and about $100 so we said no.

Right off the bat we got to view the Plein Air competition. The painters had to paint something in three hours the day before. Again, Cole wanted the most expensive one. Cursed with good taste.

He is an artist's poodle, so he's very discerning.
Cole:  Here we were walking along, enjoying the day, and what should jump out but...horrors...

Wha???
Are they shooting a horror flick? BATH tubs in nature? Yikes, welcome to my nightmare

Let's just move on and forget we ever saw this...
My peeps got a little take out lunch to enjoy while listening to music so I chilled under a tree

Might as well take a load off!

Dad talked to the musicians about making their living with music. Well, Dad listened while Momma interviewed them.

They've been a trio for many years. What a cool life, doing  what you love all the time. Daddy is learning guitar so he is a musician too.



I got tired... (I am too young to know the words) so...

I just found a comfy spot and lay down... What? Oh I'm fine, I can hear very well from the middle of the sidewalk... wow, I'm getting sleepy... maybe a quick "cat nap"

Zzzzzzz.....Zzzzzzzz,,,, Crosby Stills and Nash put me to sleep

LeeAnna: OY!
Right in the middle of the sidewalk. I felt like we needed Poodle Cones!
Yellow tape around the body  poodle. Luckily there was very little traffic, and everyone laughed as they went around, since there was space.

The lesson here is rest when you're tired, trust people not to step on you, and don't turn down a chance to listen to live music. Poodle lessons on life!
More Cole's capers under that label on the side   ===>

Cole's Capers.... running the gauntlet

Cole here to tell you how very brave I am!
Every day just to take a walk around the 'hood I have to run the gauntlet.

A new dog moved into the neighborhood and boy does she have a lot to say. She's not the only one.

On our way out to the main street, we must pass lots of dogs.
First it's Lily and Chloe, a lab and a tiny beagle both friends of Mine. I trust them with my favorite toy.
 Next is a new rescue Lab who watches from the door. He seems fine.  Then Tyler, a golden/chow I've been running mates with for many years. We're done with puppy games so we nod as I pass by.

Across the street from Tyler is an older lab and some little white fluffy dog. I don't even know them enough to leave a pee-pee calling card on the mailbox. Next to them is a scary pit who's owner thinks he can be left off leash. So far the man at least holds his collar when we pass.

I hold my breath each passing. Momma asked them to always leash him but they don't.

Next corner is the real deal.

On the right are two pugs and a griffon brussels, the three of them bark so much they attack each other. No problem but it stirs up my my instincts so I  bark  and claw at their fence. All in good fun but once I hurt a foot

Across the street is the latest addition. An enormous pyranese.
She sees us in the street, because we are all three nervous to walk on the sidewalk near her fence. I know I felt her hot breath on me while she was barking me away. She leaps from the deck, runs full speed for the little vinyl white picket fence that miraculously holds her bulk. She flings herself against it repeatedly, causing it to bow.

She did that to Momma while her person was right there, saying how friendly she was.
Momma put her hand near the fence for her to smell, and she curled her lip and growled in front of her person who said, now gracie...

NOW GRACIE!?? Are you kidding me?
So  we have to walk down the middle of the street, equi-distance from all fences just to get to the main road!

I feel like I have to  prove myself and hold my dog breath each day y'all. My heart is old, I can't take it! Pray for me!

Cole's Capers.... eating out

alright!!
"let's go out to eat" said my peeps last weekend. 
I knew my Momma had a birthday and so did I so I thought, finally they will buy me dinner! Nothing special, what they are having is fine. 

We had just settled onto the patio of Brio and told the server what we wanted. I am slightly hard of hearing so when I heard them say two meals I thought surely I had missed something. 

Here she comes back with a bowl of water for me, and the peeps plunk down a bowl of food.

 Wha....? 
Man the food here tasted just like that slop they feed me at home! 
Mmmph... still edible so I had a bite or two while they ate...then Yea! 
A shrimp appeared! Yum! Server??? I'll have a bowl of shrimp please. 

 Oy vey. They paid the bill already? Time to go for a walk? 
Without my bowl of shrimp? 
(put it in a doggie bag will ya? thanks so much)

disclaimer: no poodles were harmed in the above scenario. Cole is allergic to a lot of food so we just gave him one shrimp to try on his own kibble. He did okay! 
Other Cole's capers under the label on the side ==>
Linking to some fun parties on my links page