Privacy, please!

I have absolutely no privacy in my house, thanks to the four legged members of the household. Every day, when I am showering, usually when I have shampoo in my eyes, I clear them to see this. It's Travis trying to get into the shower with me. I tell him to get out.
Then I see this. Travis tries to come in the shower from the other end. Again, I tell him to get out. He then tries in the middle. I don't have a photo of that one and can I tell you how hard it is to take photos while showering? You have to wipe the steam from the lens right before you snap!

So, finally, he gives up and when I get out of the shower, this is what I see, Travis taking a nap, waiting for me to get out. He then tries to lick my legs dry and gets scolded. Then, he tries to lick all of the lotion I put on my legs off of them.

What's that? Why don't I just close the door? Well, I do. The problem is, my cat doesn't like it so she knows how to open doors and she lets him in. I really need to get some good locks!

Dog Pile

Sometimes, you just have to let things roll off your back. You need to kick back and let off some steam. Nothing makes you feel as good as jumping into a dog pile. I am talking real dogs here. Tonight, I just jumped on the bed while Travis and Riley were romping. OMG did that feel good. I got licked, nipped, Travis even ripped my bandana from my hair.

I was screaming and laughing until I was crying and nearly peed my pants. What a release that was!

My boys rock at making me happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've got a swimmer!

Last year, I purchased a large blow up pool for Riley. To my dismay, he refused to get in. This year, I decided to blow it up again, knowing that Travis wouldn't hesitate. I wasn't wrong. As soon as I opened the door, he ran out into the back yard and proceeded to bark at the strange, new, purple thing in his yard. It didn't take too long to encourage him to jump in.
He already knows the first rule of pools - NO PEE IN THE POOL, he jumped out and proceeded to pee in the grass.
I started to throw the ball into the pool, Riley wanted the ball so badly, but there was no way he was going in.
Instead, he let Travis have all the fun!

Travee Tails......

I guess it's time for an overdue Travee update! Travis is now 7 months old. He has grown into a little stinker. He is the typical mischevious little brother. You have to always be on your toes when he is around.

Last week, I was working in my office and I smelled a horrible smell, like something was burning. I asked Nick what was burning as I walked into the kitchen. There was smoke in the kitchen. Nick, who is surfing the net on his laptop said that he didn't have a clue, that it was coming from the dishwasher, but couldn't figure out why. I walked to the dishwasher and opened it, difference is, I acutually "pulled out the bottom rack" and low and behold, I saw what the problem was immediately! Down, on the bottom, laying against one of the heating coils was a PIG HOOF, burning. Now when the boys chew on one of these things, it smells like a dirty butt. My house and dishes now smell like burning, dirty butt.

I remove the pig hoof, at which time, Travis strolls in with a look on his face like "Oh!, That's where I put that" I have to totally rewash the dishes and can't get that smell out of my head for days!

Fast forward to Thursday. Travis is following me around the house with a tennis ball, begging me to throw it for the millionth time that day. I am taking my dish to the kitchen to put it in the dishwaher. I open the dishwasher and just slide the plate in. This takes me about 2 seconds. I go to shut the door and it won't shut. I try again, still won't shut. I open the door fully, to see his tennis ball wedged between the door and the bottom shelf! My clients seem to think that he either wants his stuff cleaned, or he thinks the dishwasher is his new toybox.

This morning, I go to let him out and I see this. It acually makes me chuckle. Earlier this morning, when he went potty, he found a ball that he left outside. This was a special ball that he loves, Auntie Suzan gave it to Riley at Goldstock. I guess he wanted to put it in a safe place so he wouldn't lose it again.

Riley and Travis have become snugglebugs together. They spoon often, especially in my office. My office is small and cluttered, but they don't care, they want to be with me at all times. Here's a shot of them this morning, wearing the wonderful, matching collars from Auntie MJ.

Here is one from a couple of weeks ago with Riley using Travis as a pillow.
And the time I found them spooning in bed.

Travis likes to lay like an alligator, some call this laying like a frog. It freaks me out, it makes him look double jointed.

The boys still love their walks, especially now that it's spring

They really enjoy sitting out on our back patio (we are all here right now). We have a pond, with a frog living in it, bird feeders and bird houses with a family inside and a squirrel feeder that has two visitors daily, a gray one and a brown one.

Travis is a hunter!

Ladies and Gentlemen...........................I have a hunter! Yes, Travis is a ferocious hunter! To my horror, yesterday morning, he took off like a bullet towards the edge of our yard where the woods starts. I thought, great, he's going after a bunny or a deer, this is going to be a long morning.
Imagine my surprise when he started attempting to attack his prey......................................a BUTTERFLY! LOL It was just like in the cartoons with him jumping and flopping around like an idiot. I need to try to get photos of his hunting abilities.

**Disclaimer**No butterflies were harmed in this announcement

Travis Pupstranna

Travee Update: He got groomed for the first time last week. He was a little naughty! I was told that she had to muzzle him, because he kept trying to bite at the scissors to play with them. She didn't want to cut his mouth or tongue. Then, when she was grooming Riley, she let Travee run loose, she didn't want to put him in a cage, because of his past, I guess he faked her out and gave her a scared look when she walked him to the cage. Anyway, as she is grooming Riley, she sees him helping himself to her half eaten peanut butter sandwich that was in the trash! LOL Travee loves peanut butter. All in all, it was good, she said that he can come back! Also, he still has his mop top!

Travee has a number of nicknames now. Travee. Kissie Face. Little Pye. Most recently, Einie, short for Einstein as we feel that he looks like Albert Einstein with his fluffy hair.

I was away last weekend, so Nick was in charge. I called home and asked how everyone was behaving. He said "They're bad!" He said that they had ripped Caterpillar apart and disembowed him in the living room. I asked what he was doing while the carnage was going on. (He likes to surf the net on his laptop and is oblivious to anything going on around him). He said that he was using the restroom and in that short amount of time, they ripped the toy open and when he came out of the bathroom, both of their heads were bobbing up and down, as fast as they could, ripping the stuffing out as a team! I can just imagine them saying to each other, okay, here's our chance, we've got about 80 seconds, let's go!

Travis at six months

Travis is now nearly six months old. He is doing wonderful, considering his sad start. He is really a part of the family. He still does get a little rough with Riley every now and then, but after a time out, he seems fine. Most are happy to see that he has till managed to keep his little "mop top"
He is definately going to be a dock diver. He jumps on and off the bed with such enthusiasm. His front and back legs are stretched, straight out and his ears are flapping. I swear, he looks like underdog, flying through the air.

He is going to get groomed next week for the first time. I am sure he will do fine. His feet are getting to the point where they need trimmed.
He is entering the gangly stage. He's growing up, but needs to fill out. He needs to grow into his long legs and his ears! He is going to be beautiful when he is full grown.

Panic Attack!

Travee and I went to puppy class this afternoon. After class, I needed to get a few things at WalMart, so I thought I would just run in real fast. I left Travee in the car, it was 28 degrees out, so I cracked both windows about two inches.

As I was walking into the store, I started thinking to myself that I hoped that no one could get their hand/arm through the crack and unlock the car. I know I have very small hands/wrists and I could do it. I started thinking how awful it would be to come out and find that someone had stolen him. I have a tendency to worry about things. I kept thinking this all while I was shopping, then telling myself that I was being silly.

I finished my shopping and headed to my car. As I came up on it, I decided to look in and see what he was doing. I looked in the back seat and OMG......................he wasn't there! I then thought that he jumped into the front seat, looked up there and OMG...................he wasn't there either. I blinked and looked again. NO TRAVEE!

At this point, everything in my stomach is rising into my throat. I am about to throw up. I am shaking and nearly starting to cry, thinking to myself, how could I do this???? Leave him in the car and someone stole him!!!!!!!!

I am nearing a panic attack and reaching for my phone about to call 911. I looked in again and noticed, that my dear, sweet, precious baby was sound asleep on the floor of the backseat, almost totally out of sight, oblivious to his mother's spontaneous combustion outside.

I nearly cried in relief. Isn't if funny how you can totally psych yourself out? I was never so happy to hug that little guy!

Riley is gettin a little brother!

On New Year's Eve, a friend, that lives in Lancaster, PA, went to an Amish farm with her father to sell the farmer horse feed. In the barn, she found a 10 week old Golden Retriever puppy in a guinea pig cage. She was horrified.

The farmer, of course, wanted to sell the puppy. She left and posted on a forum that we all frequent, asking what she should do? We all suggested that she find out how much the puppy is and get some information on how he aquired the puppy and it's history.

Turns out, the puppy was born on the farm. He was in a litter of nine and the only survivor. It seems as though his mother couldn't produce enough milk. It is pretty much assumed that they allowed the other eight pups to starve to death.

We all imediately told her that we would send money and for her to get the puppy out of there. We would then work on finding it a home. During this time, Nick and I talked about adopting him. We've been taking about getting another dog for some time now and I've always wanted to do a rescue.

Nick and I decided to adopt the pup if Pam could foster him until we got back from vacation and could get him. We immediately sent the rest of the money to pay for the entire amount of the pup. We wanted the donated money to be used for a future rescue.

We then needed to decide on a name so that Pam could work with him until we got him. We named him Travis Patton Kibuk! Travis is for our favorite motocross freestyle rider Travis Pastranna and Patton for Pam, his angel, since that is her last name.