Jasper and River - Dog Tales

End of an Era

2012-01-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody,
River and Jasper here. We are sorry to say that our brother Moe is gone and now it is just us golden dogs and Tundra the cat around here. Mommy says it is the end of an era - the M's - Mabel, Max, and Moe - were littermates and they were here lots longer than us so they were kind of in charge. Moe was the last one left. He was something like 14 years old and the vet said his heart was just worn out. Up to the end he still went for little walks with us every day plus his walks all around the yard plus he still had a great appetite, so that's not a bad way to go!

Of course, Mommy says part of his good appetite was all that nice soft canned food he was getting. Chicken and sweet potato - Boy did that smell good! Every day after Moe finished eating, we would run out and see if he left any little smear of his food for us. Sometimes he did!

Anyways, Daddy called Moe a big lug, because if you were a person sitting in a chair, Moe would always try to climb up and join you. He loved people, but he even liked chairs when no one was in them. Here is a picture of Moe in a chair. We miss you Moe!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T07:01:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone!
River here with Jasper to wish everyone a Happy New Year! The weather has been really warm for this time of year and we didn't get hardly ANY snow until today. Here we are! It doesn't look too bad right here but there is something like 10" of snow in the yard and it is PERFECT for running in and chasing the red Kong disc!

It has been so mild here that mommy went biking New Year's day, and Jasper even went swimming in the pond a couple of days before Christmas! I did not go swimming with him, because a couple of days before THAT the pond had ICE on it and while Jasper doesn't seem to mind the cold, there was NO WAY I was going in. To tell you the truth, I have really been enjoying curling up in my big chair. Some days I spend almost all day there!

We had a really super fun Thanksgiving with the grandkids here to visit. I got lots of extra nibbles off the kid's table, which is fortunately just EXACTLY the height of my chin. Jasper got most of his nibbles by licking the kid's faces, especially Nydus'...whose FACE is exactly the same height as Jasper's and who laughed and laughed when Jasper licked him. The kids took us for walks, too! We miss them lots.

Christmas was fun too! Our dog cousins Trixie and Ripley came over for Christmas dinner, then Trixie came to visit another day and it got pretty exciting when Tundra the cat decided to show Trixie who is the boss. Boy, I wish I had a video of THAT to post for you!

Anyways, if you want to have a REALLY happy new year, you should think about adopting a dog or even a cat from a shelter or rescue. Love, River and Jasper

Jasper's Trophy Rock

2011-11-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! Jasper here to tell you about my rock! My friends Kazi (a Brittany) and Libby (King Charles Cavalier) came over to play a couple of weeks ago and they don't like to swim too much so we took a little hike first and THEN came back to the pond. I wanted to show Libby and Kazi how much fun digging is so I started digging by the edge of the pond and found the BEST ROCK EVER! When Mommy saw it she said if the rock wasn't still wet she never would have believed I dug it out of the pond, cause it was so big! It's as big as my head! I admit it was a little heavy so I only carried far enough for everyone to see it. Once I get rocks out I really don't care about them anymore but Mommy kept it and weighed it and she says it was 8-1/2 pounds and I am lucky I still have any teeth left at all. Here is my trophy rock! And my favorite red disk! Today I went digging in one of my mudholes for 2 hours! I hope you have fun things to do where you live.

Fall Mud Season!

2011-10-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! River here! Me and Jasper are both happy! For me, fall allergy season seems to be over. Of course I had to take 3 weeks worth of pills to recover from all my itching and chewing, and my tail still looks pretty funny with a big bare spot then a pouf of hair on the end, but I am definitely feeling better and I don't even have to wear the lampshade! Of course, there goes my excuse for sleeping in bed with Mommy and Daddy but all in all, I am still MUCH happier.
Now Jasper never stopped being happy because that is just how he is. That is why they call him Happy Jaspy! Anyways, HE is happy because it has rained a LOT the last few days and you know what that means...MUD. Mommy and Daddy were working outside and Jasper dug in his 4 or 12 or however many mudholes that he has going, and he barked the WHOLE TIME. Here is his biggest and best mud hole!

River's New Bed

2011-10-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

HI EVERYONE!
Jasper here. Guess what River has been doing again? Yup, chewing. This time on his TAIL and the vet is out of town and Mommy and Daddy are making him wear that lampshade again and he does NOT like it, not one bit. Except...he gets to sleep in the BIG bed. I tried to sleep in the big bed once but I was SO EXCITED that I kept kissing everyone and nudging them to play and stuff and all they wanted to do was sleep but who has time for that when you could be playing? So back in the crate I went.
Anyways, River gets to sleep in the big bed with his big old lampshade on and even though Mommy and Daddy say they don't have enough space with River AND the lampshade, they still let him because if he goes in his crate there is definitely not enough room and the lampshade hits the side of the crate in the middle of the night, then I have to BARK at him, then EVERYONE wakes up.
So, guess who thinks he OWNS the big bed? That's right! And he would not let Mommy make the bed without him this morning, so she just had to work around him. Here is River, owning the bed:

New bones!

2011-09-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Happiness IS a brand new chew bone!

Today's Walk!

2011-09-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Jasper here! This morning Mommy took me, River, and Moe for a walk and guess what we saw? That's right. A BIG BEAR! How did you guess?
We were just walking down the road and then this giant bear walked out of the woods ahead of us and stopped in the middle of the road. The bear was looking at us, and we were looking at the bear and we did not make a PEEP because we weren't quite sure WHAT do to! But the best part was after we stared at each other for what seemed like forever, I guess Mommy got a little nervous that the bear was not moving, because she jumped up and down and waved her arms (which is not easy when her arms are attached to 3 leashes) and yelled "Run Bear Run!"
Well the bear took one last look at this crazy scene and took off into the woods and then and only then did we back Mommy up and start barking and jumping too. It was very exciting and of course I wanted to play with the bear and River wanted to go chase it but Mommy decided maybe we should just turn around and go back home after that in case there were baby bears around. That was our walk for today!

Bye to Mabel

2011-08-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

River here. Sad news to report - our sister Mabel died earlier in July. Mabel is the pretty girl on the left in the photo. She is now with their brother Max, chasing birds all over the place. She and Moe used to howl together every day at the 5:00 pm siren. If you can't tell, this picture was taken at 5:00 pm! Mabel had a good day, and even took a little walk, but we know she was getting weak and she passed in her sleep the next day. Aunt Susan was really really great taking care of her, because Mommy and Daddy were out of town when it happened.
The REALLY sad thing is how much her brother Moe (in the middle) misses her! Me and Jasper spend LOTS of time outside these days keeping Moe company, because if we don't, he barks and barks. Who can blame him? He and Mabel were together for 13 years, and Max was with them most of that time, too. Bye Mabes! Hope you catch some birds!

what River did today

2011-06-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

HI Everyone! Jasper here! Taking a break from my mud puddles to show you what River did to himself today. Mommy was HORRIFIED when she saw this and I don't blame her. I might be goofy and have a few annoying habits, but I would NOT chew my own hair off! I have too many FUN things to do!
So, now Riv has the big plastic collar on which I barked at for two hours til I realized it was River inside there. And he is mad at Mommy for making him wear it and putting stuff on his leg. I hope he gets better SOON because right now he won't even chase me or play tug toy or let me jump on him or anything! Get well soon River!

We had to stay inside for THIS????

2011-06-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! River here!
We missed writing in our blog, but it's just been busy around this place. We had so much rain this spring that Jasper has SEVERAL new mud holes to bark at and dig in. Mommy says she doesn't care, because a few holes in the yard and having to throw sticks in the pond to clean him off is a small price to pay for keeping HIM busy.
So, today, we really really really wanted to go outside and play but Mommy kept us locked in the house! She wasn't trying to be mean but there was a BIG old TURTLE in our yard and then she reminded me about the LAST time I tried to get the turtle out of the yard, how the end of my nose came up missing. Oh yeah, I did forget about that. It is mostly grown back now. So, anyways, here is the turtle. And of course the turtle took her sweet old time getting out of our yard, but finally she was gone and we spent the WHOLE DAY outside!

Grin Dogs!

2011-04-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hey! River here! Wondering if me and Jasper were ever as little as the 8 puppies that GRIN (Golden Retrievers in Need) Rescue has available for adoption. www.grinrescue.org You can watch the puppies on YouTube by clicking here and scrolling down: http://grinrescue.org/featured-golden-top-menu/824-iris.html

AND if puppies aren't your thing (we hear they are lots of work, not easy like when me and Jasper got adopted! Oh wait, what was that Daddy? We were a full time job?) you can see lots of other Goldens that need homes, too! Like Wilson! We hope Wilson comes to play with us pretty soon! Here's Wilson:

Mudlucious Plans for Spring

2011-04-03T13:53:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone! Jasper Here! We had company today - 4 Dogs! Mommy says she did what ANY good hostess would do when 4 dogs come to visit - she let EVERYONE go down to the pond to run around and go swimming and get extremely muddy before they had to get in their car to go home. Sorry about your car, Laura!
Anyways, it was MY FIRST TIME down to the pond since the ice melted and OF COURSE I went swimming. Then the BEST thing happened. I found a good place to dig! And BARK. And Dig. And Bark. And Dig. And Bark. Springtime is SO MUCH FUN!
and e.e. cummings never even met me OR my mudholes before he wrote that poem!

"It's a wild, wild life"

2011-03-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Jasper and River here. We are too young to know who Talking Heads are but sometimes Mommy sings parts of Talking Heads songs...like it's a wild wild life...and makes up new verses. And she thinks WE are crazy!
Anyways, lots of wild life around here this weekend! First of all the red fox has been out a LOT - here we are, looking out the window to see if she is still there! When we see the fox we bark and make lots of other noises and run from the door to the windows and back at very high speed. It's fun, even if we DON'T get to go outside and chase.
THEN, there was this big big dog - the biggest dog we ever saw! Maybe a Great Pyrenees? We don't know exactly why they call them Great. We should be Great Goldens! Anyways, we were outside and she walked ACROSS the pond toward us and we barked like crazy but she did not care. Then WE busted through the dog fence to the pond side and then Mommy came out to try to retrieve us because it was going to be bad enough to have a strange and very big dog break through the ice but imagine all three of us ! So we came inside and Mommy stayed out to try to catch her but finally the dog's family came. Turns out SHE busted through HER electric fence chasing deer and then she got lost! EVERYONE was happy that she found her family.
THEN, this morning when we went for our walk look what we saw! Fresh bear tracks, right in our yard! We did not see the bear but we could smell it in the woods...all 6 of us stopped (Mabel, Moe, Us and Mommy and Daddy) and sniffed...well us dogs did...and sniffed... and we are pretty sure the bear was back in the woods a little ways. It's been another fun weekend !

We Got a Package!

2011-02-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Hey, Look what we got! A PACKAGE!

Jasper here. Our foster brother Luke sent us a package! Tennis balls and cookies with frosting and lollipups! Luke is the best. He was the resident dog at our foster home in Ohio and we miss him. He tried to teach me some doggie manners but I was young and wild then and even now I think manners are overrated. But other than that he was a great big brother and he is still nice to us! Sometimes he comes here to camp Run-a-Lot to play! His dog mom and dad are the BEST EVER. They foster other dogs for GRIN and even adopt some of them! Plus they do other stuff like organize things for the GRIN dogs. We miss them lots and hope they come and visit us soon. You should check out GRIN cause they have 9 brand new puppies plus lot of other golden-ish dogs to adopt and if you want to have fun like we do, you might need to adopt a dog. Just make sure they have tennis balls to chew on and lots of dog treats! www.grinrescue.org

Doggie Hangover

2011-02-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

River here to tell you I am NEVER EVER eating deer intestines again, well, at least not until the next chance I get. Whew. Rough night. Here I am, first to admit, all hungover from yesterday's overindulgence!

It was kind of worth it though. Susan and Randy took me, Ripley, and Jasper snowshoeing yesterday afternoon. It was 5:00 pm - right around happy hour - and I stopped by a deer carcass that they didn't even see. I ate as MUCH as I could before Susan came looking for me, and that was like "last call"...even though I had already had too much, I thought I better get one for the road, as they say:

Well Aunt Susan and even RANDY thought this was disgusting but I wanted to keep it. Just a little section of intestine to go... I held on tight but finally the snowballs in my paws were the size of softballs so I stopped to get the snow out and had to drop it and Randy got the intestine away. Mommy says thank goodness, because that probably smelled horrible...but I thought it would get even tastier in a day or so. Maybe it was just as well. I guess I really did overdo it because I spent the night and next morning barfing up deer innards (5 times) and boy, did I feel horrible all day. Yup, I felt bad. And Mommy and Daddy were not exactly happy with me.

Now I've got to say, one REALLY bad part of ANY hangover is when you have to be with someone who is all chipper and NOT hungover! That would be Jasper. HE got to go snowshoeing AGAIN today with Mommy while she left ME home in the mud room (in case I had to, you know, be sick again.) Here is Mr. Goody Two-Shoes on his snowshoe outing today. And like I said, I'm never eating deer again...until next time!

We Want More Snow!

2011-02-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

Jasper here to tell you we wish it would SNOW so we can go snowshoeing again! We had tons of snow and it was PERFECT until a couple of weeks ago it rained and made a crust and when we tried to walk on the snow we fell through and Mommy said something about not paying for doggy knee and hip surgery...so she would not take us out snowshoeing!
PLUS the driveway was so icy that every morning Mommy and Daddy loaded up me, Riv, Mabel and Moe and drove us to the end of the driveway to start our walk! That was kind of fun 'cause we got a car ride AND a walk! THEN it was WARM for a couple of days and I got thinking about the pond and my mudholes...but today it got freezing cold and super windy so I guess I will have to wait. Maybe March will be swimming weather. Here is a picture of me and River outside today. See, it's not fun snow except for ROLLING in and I do like to roll in the snow. So does River! We only stay out for 5 or 7 minutes then come back inside to wrestle and play tug and "ball in the hall", and Mommy says we have cabin fever but I don't think I have a fever! I just want it to snow!

2011-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! River here. If you have been reading our blog you know that I love my crate, and that Tundra the cat loves my crate, too. Now you will NEVER guess who ELSE loves my crate! JASPER!

I would not have believed it myself except Mommy just got this photographic evidence. A few weeks ago I was on my favorite chair and she could not find Jasper - he was not on any furniture or curled up in any of his usual spots on the floor, and then she finally found him curled up in the back of MY crate. Then it happened again, and then AGAIN, and Mommy wants to know why Jasper, who makes a BIG LOUD STINK about going in his own crate suddenly starts voluntarily hanging out in my crate! And I want to know why I can't just have my OWN crate to MYSELF! He's goofy!

New Cousin!

2011-01-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

Hi! Jasper Here! Guess what? We have a new cousin! Her name is Trixie and she was adopted from a shelter in Virginia by Aunt Kristin. Do you know I've never been to Virginia? Oh, back to Trixie. I don't know quite what to make of her - she keeps bugging me and River and I thought that being pesky was MY job around here! Mommy explained that even though Trix is bigger than me, she is still a puppy. We aren't quite sure WHAT kind of dog she is but we don't know for sure what I am either! Who cares? All I know is she loves the snow as much as I do and that is a LOT. We all went snowshoeing a bunch of times and it was fun, and once Trixie even got a carcass and oh boy, was she ever happy. Aunt Kristin tried to get it away from her and she had to pull it out of Trixie's mouth and then Kristin's gloves smelled REALLY REALLY good! I think we are all going to have lots of fun together.

2010-12-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Story, by River and Jasper

Twas the night before Christmas,
and here in the house
Cam and Scott opened presents
As they sat on the couch

Me and Jasper then jumped
On the couch next to Dad
Hoping Santa would realize
We aren't THAT bad!

We might wrestle every hour
But as you can tell
We do love each other and
For Christmas, all is well!

Wishing everyone peace and happiness in the New Year!

Where is my hair????

2010-12-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hi! River Here!
Aunt Susan and cousin Ripley came to stay with us for a week! Aunt Susan LOVES me and Jasper because we sit still when she grooms us. Cousin Ripley hates groomings. Well, I adore the attention, and Aunt Susan was having SO much fun that by the time Mommy and Daddy got home they did not recognize me! Mommy says I look more like a very dark yellow lab! Hey...she's right...where is my hair?????

Last jump of the year?

2010-11-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! Jasper Here! Thanksgiving was fun yesterday except when everyone tried to make me learn to shake paws, which I just do not do. Hey, I can "sit" on command about 50% of the time...what more do they want from me? Speaking of shake, guess what I did today? You guessed it...I went for a swim! The pond has LOTS of extra water in it right now which I think is just perfect (more to jump in!) but Mommy and Daddy got a little worried because they could not even SEE the overflow grate, which usually sticks out about a foot, so they went down to the pond with a really really long stick to try to clean it out.

Well, water is just FUN and I wanted to do MY part so of course I jumped in! The last thing I heard before I hit the water was Mommy yelling, "Jasper NO it's too COLD." What does she know - she hasn't been in the pond in 4 months!!!! Anyways, did I mention that it was 26 degrees outside and really windy? So I got out and jumped in 2 or 4 more times but then when I got out and River chased me around the yard, my fur froze! Normally I get out, shake, River chases me around, I shake a few more times, chase again and by then my fur is almost dry from the shaking and chasing. But this time when I shook NOTHING HAPPENED! I was frozen! I had to go hang out in the mud room til I melted. But it was still fun. Here is a picture of some of my frozen fur!

Halloween Weekend Tricks and Treats!

2010-10-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! River here to tell you about Halloween day around here! First, do you realize we have been writing this blog for a whole year? Anyways, even though today is Halloween, Trick or Treating was last night and we had lots of kids to bark at - about 12 kids total which is kind of a record out here. Mommy put popcorn and candy bars and rubber mice in the treat bowl and the kids took lots of stuff.

Lucky for Tundra (the cat) there were toy mice left over! She discovered them today and even though I would have gone right for the Snickers, I guess Tundra likes mice better. She tossed a couple of mice out of the bowl and onto the floor to play with but she didn't get a chance because Jasper was waiting right there...and Mommy didn't realize this until she saw him chewing and he would NOT give it up and she had to dig a mouse out of his mouth, but not before he ate the tail! Mommy says she is pretty sure those two are in cahoots, whatever that means!

So then Mommy decided it was time for us all to go outside to play. She came outside, and Mabel and Moe too, and we had fun chasing each other and chasing the orange toy and running down to the pond. THEN, even though it was in the 30's and the pond water is really REALLY cold, you can guess what happened next...of course! Jasper jumped in...and Mommy hadn't even thrown a stick or toy or anything! He just HAD to jump in. Here is a picture of Jasper swimming back. Doesn't that water LOOK cold? BRRRR. I got in too, but only to my knees! So, it was a pretty good Halloween. Maybe you need to adopt a dog so YOU can have more fun on Halloween, too!!!!!!

See, We DO get along!

2010-09-19T18:19:00.001-07:00

Hi! Jasper here. OK, so here we are, holding paws. Just so you know - we aren't ALWAYS wrestling!
And in case you are wondering, I did NOT cause the injury to Riv's leg. He just could not quit licking that spot on his leg so Mommy put some cream on it and wrapped it up. Here he finally got rid of that silly lampshade and he almost had to wear it again! I never get hot spots (maybe because I take lots of mud baths) and if I did I would be too busy to lick them, anyways.

I am SO EMBARRASSED!

2010-08-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

River here. Can you believe this????? I get a little hot spot on my tail and the next thing you know I am at the vet, getting about 8 inches of my tail shaved, AND I have to wear this stupid looking collar!!! Just 'cause I could not leave the spot alone. Can you blame me? It itched!!!! Who wouldn't chew at it a little, just to stop the itching???? Now to make things worse my little brother Jasper will not stop barking at my collar. ARRRRGGGHHHHH.
The only good thing is that Mommy says me and the collar will not both fit in the crate and I bet she lets me get up on the bed. Plus, I have to take some pills and you know what that means - lots of PEANUT BUTTER! I still don't like the idea of this stupid collar but maybe I can work it a little....

Contact Lens Cases Taste Good!

2010-08-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

Jasper here. Remember when I said cats are useful? Well, Tundra (the cat) knocked Lisa's contact lens case (with the contacts still in it) off the bathroom counter and I could not help myself - it just looked like a fun thing to chew on! Plus it tasted a little salty. Lisa says it was a good thing I didn't swallow the contact lenses. She caught us while I was chewing and Tundra was deciding what to knock onto the floor next. Sorry Mommy!

hole in Riv's head

2010-08-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hey! Jasper Here! Mommy went on a long bike trip WITHOUT US! Can you imagine? Something called RAGBRAI and it sounds like SO MUCH FUN! Even though I really don't get the bike thing, mommy said there is lots of food and lots of people and even a few other dogs. I don't know why she did not bring me and Riv! I would have gone! I would do anything! I love everything! But we got to stay home with Daddy and he give us whole treats not half treats like Mommy so it was ok.
Anyways, when she got home me and River did our usual welcome, which means we ran straight at her, jumped up and down, circled, licked, sniffed, jumped some more, wrestled each other and then each picked up a toy and did a few laps around the furniture, like 30 laps, at full speed.
After we finished doing our welcome home laps around the furniture, Mommy was petting River and she said "OH YUCK." SOMEHOW, while she was gone, River got two big holes on the top of his head! There are two big holes and NO ONE is telling what happened especially not me. Here is a picture of the biggest one, and this is 5 days after Mommy came home and cleaned it out. Do you think his hair will ever grow back? See Mommy, you should not go away for so long!

Whew!

2010-07-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Whew - River here! It has been so hot and so busy around here with the grandkids. I love them but I am BEAT! Do you ever feel like you just want to lie on the floor and take a nap? Jasper doesn't, but I do.

Puppies came to visit!

2010-07-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone! We have been VERY busy. We just had more company! The grandkids came to visit for 10 whole days and in case you don't know, "grandkids" in dog language means "lots of treats on the floor!"

You definitely know I love my crate (and Tundra the cat loves my crate too), but Jasper isn't so fond of his. Well, we found someone who loves Jasper's crate! She and her brother locked themselves in it almost every day they were here. They also played puppies and they got really super good at "sit", "shake", "speak", and even ROLL OVER! For the record, me and Jasper do NOT roll over (Jasper still forgets "sit" sometimes) and I was not too excited about being shown up by a kid but since they spilled plenty of treats, I could live with it. Here are pictures of the kids playing puppies! We had fun and we miss them already!

Company! We Love Company!

2010-06-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Jasper Here! We had company today! Three dogs came to visit us - Bob, Kazi, and Libby - and we had fun! We get SO EXCITED when doggies come to visit. We went swimming and running and playing and I LOVE having company because there are more people around to throw stuff in the pond for me. Kazi is a FAST runner and I don't know if even I could keep up with her. She kept taking off and I think she even went around the whole pond once or twice and everyone would look for her and then she would just show up! And Justin threw Libby in the pond and she looked funny all wet. She is not very good at shaking water off - but Mommy says hardly anyone shakes water off like I do. Bob the dog had fun wandering around too and he got lots of sniffin's, and River got to sniff all the company's you-know-whats AND he got to chase sticks. It was ANOTHER GREAT DAY! Here are some photos of Bob, Kazi, and Libby:

Rainy Sunday

2010-06-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

"The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play, so we laid in the garage all that cold cold wet day."
Here's us, keeping Mommy company while she was cleaning out the garage on a rainy and chilly Sunday in June. Aren't we helpful? Maybe you should think about adopting a helper!

Cat in my Crate!

2010-06-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

River Here. Can you believe this? You know I love my crate. Well, Tundra loves my crate, too. Sometimes she goes in there for a nap and then when I want to go in my crate for MY nap, I can't cause SHE's in there and so I have to go nap on the chair. But the chair is good for napping, too, so I put up with it.

So, anyways, today Mommy was heading out for a bike ride and she got the super-yummy treats to entice me and Jasper to go in our crates, so we were VERY excited and we each ran into our own crate and got our treat and got locked in and then she left (Mommy knows she wouldn't have to lock ME in but she HAS to lock Jasper in.... )

WELL, when I ran in my crate I turned around for my treat so fast that I didn't see TUNDRA sleeping in the back, and neither did Mommy! I spent over 3 hours sharing my crate with the CAT! Now, I am a big long dog who likes to stretch out and I could not stretch out with Tundra in there. As if that was not bad enough, when Mommy came home to let me out and she saw ME curled up in the back and Tundra in the front - she didn't even let us out! She started laughing like crazy and went to get the CAMERA. Oh, the indignities. Next time I am checking out my crate BEFORE I go in!

A Face Only a Mommy Could Love

2010-05-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Jasper Here! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my mud holes! One of the best things about digging in mud holes is that Mommy almost ALWAYS comes out and throws sticks in the pond for me to chase before I go in the house! I don't know why she does that, but I don't care because I LOVE to chase sticks! Oh my gosh, mucking AND swimming - another GREAT DAY!

Walk-in Waterdish

2010-05-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

River here. One of the BEST things about the pond is, we can get a drink WHENEVER WE WANT! I try to get drinks before Jasper starts jumping in 'cause he makes the water all muddy.

The Path

2010-05-15T06:18:00.001-07:00

HI! River Here!

Did I ever tell you about the Path? Well when me and Jasper first moved in we saw this path going from the house to the pond. We didn't get it at first because the whole yard is grass anyways, but then the M's showed us that the path is the VERY BEST way to get to and from the pond. In fact, it is the ONLY way they go to the pond!
So now, this is the way WE go to the pond, too! You can tell this is the VERY BEST way because the path is always there. Here is our sister Mabel sitting in the path. You better not sit there too long, Mabel, or you'll get run over!

NOW We Get It - Why Ripley loves the car!

2010-05-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

Jasper Here -
Check out these pictures we just got....Ripley went on a hiking trip WITHOUT US and it looks like she had the best time ever! She got to play in REALLY good mud - the kind that sticks to a dog's coat no matter what. We have good mud here at Camp Run-A-Lot but THAT mud looks AWESOME!
NOW we know why she likes to hang out in the car - I would not want to miss a chance to muck around like that either.
Can someone take US there? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE????

Cousin Ripley's Visit

2010-05-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

HI! River and Jasper here!
Aunt Susan and Cousin Ripley came to visit us for 10 days, but can you believe Ripley spent almost the WHOLE TIME in Aunt Susan's CAR???!!! She didn't care if the car was outside or inside...she jumped in every chance she got and would NOT come out for ANYTHING!
Now, we like the car too but we would NOT just hang out there if it wasn't going anywhere. Especially not when there is a pond to swim in and geese to chase and mud holes to dig and grass to eat and sticks to chew, AND we get as dirty as we want and then Mommy just throws sticks in the pond so we jump in to clean off. (Do you know Aunt Susan gives Ripley real baths with SOAP??? )
PLUS, Cousin Ripley had US to play with, not to mention Mabel and Moe! FOUR other dogs plus Tundra the cat! We just don't get it. Do you get it?
Here is a picture of Ripley when our Mommy got home and Aunt Susan was leaving. Thank you Aunt Susan for taking such good care of us and giving us lots of walks and treats and nice haircuts.

It's like Summer!

2010-04-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! River here. Isn't this weather great? Me and Jasper went swimming and I chewed on sticks and went back in the water and when I was all done I get a nice long roll in the grass. It just feels so good! Jasper likes to roll in the grass, too, and even Moe and Mabel, but not Mommy or Daddy. I wonder why not?

SPRING!!!!!!!

2010-03-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Jasper Here! Guess what??? My mud holes survived the winter!!!! As soon as I found them today I started digging, barking at the mud, and digging some more. This is what I did ALL LAST SUMMER - and it was FUN! I think maybe it started when I saw a frog in a mud hole once along time ago, but digging is so fun I don't care if anything is in the mud hole! I bark at the mud a LOT just so everyone thinks I am hunting. Here is a picture of me with Mabel and Moe (my sister and brother) today after some digging. This was before I stuck my WHOLE HEAD in the mud.

Then, I started thinking...if the MUDHOLES are diggable....I bet the POND is ready for swimming!

I could NOT help myself. I busted through the electric fence to get to the pond. It was only a little shock and SO WORTH IT! Here is me after I busted through the fence. Look, NO ICE! Once Mommy saw me on the pond side she knew what was next, so she got her camera to capture my FIRST SWIM of 2010! Then Daddy said he might as well take the winter electric fence down and now we can swim EVERY DAY! Good thing because River rolled in something and he STINKS so Mommy hopes he goes swimming, too. I LOVE SPRING!

River Has Fun, too!

2010-02-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

HI Everyone! River Here! I want to dispel the myth that I am a chair potato and share some photos of ME snowshoeing. Don't get me wrong...some of my favorite things are my crate, the oversized chair, and treats...but I AM always up for a good adventure, too!
We went out one morning last week when the sun was shining and it was really cold. Mommy let me and Jasper run off leash and I remembered there is a big deer carcass by the pond. I ran over there and was scraping snow off so I could have a little frozen treat when Mommy showed up. I knew I was busted but I didn't want it to be a TOTAL loss so I rolled over the deer and even scored some deer hair on my own coat before I was snapped back onto the leash! Jasper doesn't seem to care much about deer carcasses but I LOVE them.
Even though I was on the leash, we still had fun! PLUS I got lots of nice naps the rest of the day!

Snowshoeing with Kazi!

2010-02-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

Hi! Jasper Here! Today was SO MUCH FUN! Right after breakfast Mommy loaded me and her snowshoes in the car and we went across the lake to my friend Kazi's house. Kazi lives right next to a golf course and even though GOLF looks boring, golf COURSES are fun! In fact I bet us dogs have more fun on golf courses than people do. Me and Kazi ran and ran and ran - we tried to sniff every single tree on the WHOLE course, plus there were snow drifts and hills and ponds and woods and it was just FUN! Oh, I rolled in the snow a lot, too. I LOVE to roll!

River had to stay home because Mommy says it is one thing to have him take off on our property, but if he took off over there we would not know where to start looking! But he got to hang out with daddy and sleep in his chair so I don't think he minded. Here are some pictures of me and Kazi!

ANOTHER happy day!

2010-02-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

Jasper Here! Mommy took me and River snowshoeing today and it was FUN. I ran and ran and ran. Here is a picture of me running back to Mommy and River, after I ran around the whole field. Mommy said she was in a risk-taking mood, so even after River taking off last time, we didn't have to wear leashes! Here is River, licking snow off his snout! Sorry River, I mean muzzle.

We BOTH stopped when we smelled something interesting...but Mommy said if we went through that fence NO ONE was going to get ANY treats. So we didn't go through THAT fence, but we did go through some fences later on. Maybe 2 or 8 fences. Sometimes I have to admit I go through fences and I can't figure out how to get back. I just stand there and bark and Mommy rescues me.

Now, can you guess what THIS is in the photo below? It's ME!!!! I like to STOP running sometimes and just ROLL. This is when Mommy calls me HAPPY JASPY!!!!! I don't really know why but I LOVE to roll in snow. Grass and leaves are ok too but Snow is the best. Especially icy snow. Today was not icy but still fun! Riv rolls sometimes, but Mommy says no one rolls with quite as much enthusiasm as ME.

It was ANOTHER GREAT DAY! If you are looking for a friend to snowshoe with, you should check out GRIN at www.grinrescue.org, or check out the SPCA or other shelters. I bet there are dogs there that would LOVE to take you snowshoeing, and they would even take you for walks and hikes and drives and swimming and play fetch AND keep your toes warm!

Brothers stick together!

2010-02-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

Hee Hee Hee - Jasper and River here. We might not always get along but we NEVER rat each other out! A couple of nights ago our Dog Dad was fixing a nice dinner for our Dog Mom and he asked her to take the bread out of the oven and put in on the table. So she did and she asked Daddy if she should put it on the empty plate on the corner. Well, first he looked confused and then he looked REALLY mad and said what we think were some bad words and then Mommy looked confused, until he told her that it WAS a plate FULL of freshly shredded aged Parmesan he had grated. The plate was perfectly clean and dry and not a shred of cheese anywhere, and since no one saw anything, neither of us were in trouble! MMMMM We Love Cheese. CHEESE RULES!

Just Helping Out Around Here!

2010-01-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

Jasper here. I am a big helper. I (and Daddy but he uses soap and water) like to make sure the dishes are really really REALLY clean so the dishwasher doesn't have to work so hard. River's job is to lick the floor in case any crumbs fell down. Us dogs are so helpful, why doesn't everyone have at least one?????

My Brother the Flight Risk

2010-01-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

Jasper Here! Did you hear about snowshoeing yesterday? Mommy took us snowshoeing before she went to work and she let me and River BOTH run OFF LEASH! We love to run off leash! River doesn't get to run off leash too much because Mommy says he is a flight risk. After all, the nice people at GRIN said he was a stray (even after someone loved him enough to teach him sit, shake, stay, lay down, and even SPEAK!) JEEPERS! When me and River first moved here he took off and Mommy found him all the way down by the road, visiting an all-you-can-eat deer carcass buffet. Then another time Aunt Amy was watching him and he tried to take off but lucky for Aunt Amy they were in a football field with a fence around it. Then another time, we were at the beach and me and River both went in the water after a stick and instead of coming back to Daddy and Mommy, River TOOK OFF down the shoreline. Boy, did he run fast. Mommy and Daddy looked silly chasing him and he didn't listen but finally they got him.
Anyways, we were snowshoeing yesterday and even I was getting a little tired because the snow was really deep and plus I have to zig-zag all over to make sure I don't miss anything. Then me and River chased some tracks and then River just disappeared! I went home with Mommy but River didn't come, so we went back, and we still didn't find him, so we went home and got the car and called and called but he didn't come. Then Mommy put her snowshoes on again and headed into the woods and guess who shows up? Yup! River! He didn't tell anyone where he was or what he found, but Mommy isn't sure she wants to know....and you can guess who is NOT going to go off leash again anytime soon! Sorry River!

Ready for Sand instead of SNOW!

2009-12-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

River here. Jasper is still in love with snow (because Jasper loves EVERYTHING) but I want to go to Florida. Yesterday it was really really freezing so instead of walking Mommy was playing with us outside with that blue and orange thing - Chucky-chuck it - and it was so windy that Chucky landed on the roof and the game was over. Then today we FINALLY got to go for a walk and it was fun at first sniffing deer tracks and stuff. Then we found a deer carcass that the crows were into and it looked and smelled delicious but Mommy pulled us away, and THEN one of my paws hurt so I just sat down in the road. I didn't even care that we were 1/2 mile from home I didn't want to walk any more (except maybe back to the deer carcass). So I just sat in the road and Mommy tried to brush off my paws and then my backside was getting cold from sitting on the road so I decided to walk back. I felt better after we got back up the driveway and I got off the leash and wrestled Jasper in the snow, but I still want to go to Florida.

Trying to Catch Red Dot

2009-12-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

River Here! We just came in from outside chasing Red Dot! I don't know if you can see Red Dot in the picture but this is one of our favorite things to do and it's EXTRA fun at night when there is snow on the ground. Red Dot hangs out in the drawer by the door. We get so excited when Mommy opens the drawer because we know what is going to happen next...RED DOT is getting turned LOOSE and we get to try to catch him! We chase as FAST as we CAN across the yard and back and down by the pond and in circles and then zig-zagging but we never catch him. After about 10 or 15 minutes we are tired, even Jasper, and Red Dot just disappears! Mommy why are you laughing?????

Snow Dogs

2009-12-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

River and Jasper Here. We got lots of snow the past couple of days and now we get to PLAY in it! Mommy just came back from Florida and she couldn't wait to get outside and play with us. Oh wait, she says she COULD wait. Anyways, she put on more clothes than she wore all week in Florida and she did come outside! We chased the Red Kong Disk and wrestled and had fun until we both got big snowballs stuck in our paws. Do you know the best thing to do when you get paw snowballs? Come inside the house where they melt REALLY fast! OH, sorry Mommy - maybe you should wear shoes in the house. Welcome Back!

River and Ripley's Beach Trip

2009-12-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

River here. Just in case anyone thinks Jasper has all the fun...I have to tell you about my trip to the beach last weekend WITHOUT JASPER. Boy, was Jasper ever mad that he had to stay home (in his crate, no less) alone! He barked and whined and carried on but Mommy was firm and said she was just taking ME. She fixed him a yummy Kong with some peanut butter and biscuits and he didn't even care - he just kept squawking. I have to admit, if it were up to me, I would have a hard time choosing between a trip and a stuffed Kong in my cozy crate, because I do love Kongs!
Anyways I am glad I got to take the trip to the beach. It was kind of wavy and I am a little nervous about waves, so I stayed away from the water and spent my time sniffing. Now, you might not know this but there is GREAT sniffing at the beach. Old leaves, sticks, other dogs, and, best of all, DEAD FISH! Cousin Ripley (on the left in the photo) found good dead fish right away and rolled and rolled in them for a long time before Aunt Susan caught her. I am quite selective about what kind of dead fish I want to smell like, and I didn't find quite the right dead fish until we were almost ready to go home, but it was really good and stinky! What a FUN DAY!

Race Day!

2009-11-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Hi! Jasper Here! Another great day! Today I got to RUN in a RACE! There were lots of people and I was so excited. Before the race I could not contain myself and I jumped on a few unsuspecting runners and walkers but hey...how often do you get to run with a few hundred other people? Fortunately (says Mommy) they didn't seem to mind.
Anyways, the race started and we had to start in the back, even behind all the walkers, so we didn't trip anyone up. But then we started passing people and dogs - cousin Ripley walked in the race with Aunt Susan and Grandpa and Aunt Amy ran - and I got in my groove. There were even people dressed up! One girl was a Christmas Tree, and Heat Miser and Cold Miser were there, too! I finished first dog and Mommy didn't place but she it pretty sure she would not have run as fast as she did if it wasn't for me. I love races! They are so much more fun than running alone! See my race number in the photo? I am proud to say I paid for my own entry and I even got a sweatshirt. The race was for sending kids to camp and scholarships in memory of Amy King, who was a victim of the 9/11 attacks. What a great event for a great cause!

Last Jumps of the Year?

2009-11-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Jasper here! It's almost Thanksgiving and we don't have snow yet, so I can STILL SWIM IN THE POND! In the winter, we don't get to go near the pond because Bob and Lisa are afraid of us falling in through the ice. Moe fell through the ice once, and we hear it was not pretty, what with Bob and Lisa being out of town, and Cam calling the fire department, and Moe had to take a warm bath in the bathtub after he got out, and Ellie had to keep taking his temperature (and you know how to take a dog's temperature? EWWWW!) He was fine! Since Moe's adventure the electric fence gets rearranged in the winter so we can't get to the pond. I miss it like CRAZY because I would jump in the pond no matter how icy the water gets! I LOVE the pond!
So, anyways, I am trying to get my pond time in before the fence goes up. Here are some photos of me jumping in the pond last week. I never just run into the water, I HAVE to jump, and I REALLY like to make big splashes! River likes to walk into the water. Funny how people are like dogs...some like to jump in all at once, and some walk in!

Alice needs a home!

2009-11-18T06:24:00.000-08:00

UPDATE NOV. 20! ALICE found a HOME out in the country, with other dogs to play with! HOORAY!
River here! Alice is a red-bone coonhound that has been at the Humane Society Shelter way too long. We hear she is a great dog but she really needs a home with space to play outside AND people to play with. She would love to be your jogging or hiking buddy!
Since she is a coonhound, our cat Tundra said Alice absolutely cannot come live here with us, (daddy seconded that opinion) so me and Jasper want to find her a home. Can you help? If you go to www.spcapets.com and look at available pets, you will see her!

Run Turkeys Run!

2009-11-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

Jasper here. Today on our morning walk we saw turkeys! Lots of them! About 11! They looked funny crossing the road, one at a time, one right after the other. They must know thanksgiving is coming and they are going to hide in the woods til it is all over. OK, so they are not nearly as exciting as the bear, but it's still fun to see other animals. I wanted to go play with them!

We Saw Bears!

2009-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

River here. You won't believe this, I can hardly believe it myself! This morning I was walking with Daddy, Mabel, and Moe, and 5 bears crossed the road in front of us!!!!! One big Momma Bear and 4 cubs. Me, Mabel, and Moe just stopped in our tracks like we couldn't believe what we were seeing. They just kind of wandered out of the woods on the side of the road. We were all too surprised to even bark! I finally recovered enough to let out one of my squeaky barks, and the Momma bear turned and looked at me then looked at her cubs like she was saying "hurry up, kids!" and they took off into the woods across the road. Daddy had all he could do to hold on to us three. Too bad Jasper and Lisa missed the whole thing because they were jogging way ahead of us, but they saw the tracks when they came back. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be fast!

Cats are lucky AND useful!

2009-11-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

Jasper here. I just have to tell you, cats have it made. They can climb up all kinds of places and do fun stuff like knock things to the floor. Today our cat Tundra was sitting on the nightstand and she knocked a chapstick down for me! I LOVE to chew chapsticks!!!!! They are even better than pens and pencils!!!!!! This one was orange-flavored and it was going to be yummy but then Tundra made it roll way under the bed. I tried to get under the bed but I didn't quite fit. Between me and Tundra and the chapstick we made too much noise and you-know-who caught us and got the chapstick out and put it in the drawer. Just think how much fun we could have if me or Tundra could figure out how to open drawers! Here is a picture of Tundra.

Fun Stuff!

2009-11-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Jasper Here! Another great day! Last night I found a cough drop with the wrapper and ate it, but even though my breath was a little honey-lemon-menthol for awhile, I was fine. Lisa thought I was chewing a nylabone till the last crunch, then she figured it out.
We went for a run this morning and guess what we saw? BEAR tracks! It was not nearly as exciting as the time me and Lisa saw a bear cross the road in front of us, but still pretty cool. As least this time she did not scream and wave her arms in the air and generally make a fool of herself like when we saw the bear!

If you love Goldens like Mommy and Daddy love me and River, here are some links you can check out.

G.R.I.N (the organization that rescued us and found us our home) is on Facebook!
click or copy/paste:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=100501817498&ref=search&sid=1410604084.4167097757..1

Guess what else? Some other GRIN dogs have their own Blogs! We are a pretty smart bunch! PLUS you can read all these really neat success stories about lucky goldens who have found new forever homes, or go to "featured goldens" to see other dogs that need homes. WARNING...You might fall in love and want to bring one home, but that is not a bad thing at all!

http://grinrescue.org/success-stories-menu.html

Mommy's Back!

2009-11-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

Lisa's Home! Our dog mom came home yesterday. She was gone for almost a week, but we didn't mind too much because dad gives us whole dog biscuits instead of halves like mom does. Even though we knew she was gone, Jasper still ran to the back of the house to look for her every single day after he finished breakfast, like maybe she came back while he was eating???? As soon as he runs back, I check out his dog dish in case he missed a piece of food. It's been over a year since he last left a piece of food in his dish but hey, you never know, so I check every day! Anyways, as soon as she got home she played with us outside and we chased the red kong disk, went swimming, chased sticks, and chased each other!

Here is a picture of me (River) at the door telling her to hurry up and come out, and a picture of Jasper shaking off after he went swimming in the pond! Look at those ears!
Jasper Here. He should talk, look at how big his paw looks in that photo! Yesterday was fun, and today has ALREADY been a good day! I got everyone up early 'cause I had to go outside. Then I ate, and then I took Lisa on a long run around the big block! I love to run, because I get to move non-stop. Mommy says running is the only time I ever focus, whatever that means.

Bye Max.

2009-11-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

Sad Day Thursday. Our big brother Max went to dog heaven Thursday this past week. He was ready to go, but we and the remaining "M's" - his siblings Mabel and Moe - will still miss him lots! He was our pack leader and we all respected and loved him. Bye Max.

Trip to Barcelona

2009-11-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

Jasper here! Today we went to Barcelona! Me, River, and Lisa! The waves were as big as the ocean and of course I went swimming, even though it was only 46 degrees and the water wasn't much warmer. I went way out and chased waves and chased splashes and Lisa got really nervous. Then I came back and she put me on the short leash and put River on the long leash. Then River started pulling to chase birds and she put ME on the long leash and River on the short leash and I made a total spectacle of myself once again! I LOVE Lake Erie!

See, I run straight into the water until the shoreline drops off and I get body slammed by a wave. Then, I put my head underwater and circle to find the first part of the leash. Then, I hold the leash in my mouth and swim back to shore so I can do it again! I bet I did it 70 or 80 times before somehow I got tangled in the leash.

I tried to swim out again but I was so tangled I could not move, then a big wave came and I still tried to jump in it but Mommy got panicked and came into the water to drag me out. She untangled me and I wanted to go in again but she said no, that now SHE was soaked to the knees and it was time to go home. I don't know why - I was soaked all over but I would have stayed. River says if he could roll his eyes he would have because why does he have to have a little brother who makes a spectacle of himself every time we go to the Lake??

2009-10-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

HMMM...No dog treats???? This isn't a very fun Halloween! Maybe I could play with one of these rats. If dogmom wasn't standing right there with a camera, I would take a rat to play with.

Halloween was fun!

2009-10-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

River Here! Me and Jasper had a fun Halloween. First Lisa put out a big huge bowl of microwave popcorn, candy bars, and toy rats. Jasper and I checked a few times but can you believe there was not a single dog biscuit in that bowl? We decided Halloween was dumb, until the kids started coming!

We had 10 trick-or-treaters and the kids REALLY liked the rats. We really liked the kids! One had a big furry ape suit and mask on and I thought it was a wild animal that I should chase out of the house, so Lisa put me in a room by myself. Once I calmed down and the kid took that mask off, I came out and they all petted me. I was very good. We left Jasper outside for that group.

Jasper jumped on a few kids but the kids mostly liked it. He gave them kisses and he didn't even try to get their candy. I myself went for the candy first...but I didn't get a single piece. Those kids keep a tight hold on their candy!