KAEDE AND FREDDY TALK ABOUT CHRISTMAS

 Freddy here.....our people, who are very nice by the way, do a very strange thing every year. They do it when there is snow on the ground and it's very, very cold outside. I know you probably won't believe this but they put a tree in the house. Honestly, a tree. Right in the house. No kidding. Have you ever heard of such a thing. And, I'm not allowed to pee on it. Look, look. Just below. There it is. That's the tree and that's our man watching Kaede kiss me.

Here I am. It's me, Kaede. Over to the right. If you think I'm not looking too happy you would be right. First of all they put a silly looking table napkin around my neck and pretend it's a very cool accessory. Not! It's a table napkin. Then they make me sit for hours and hours and hours while they try to take my picture wearing this ridiculous thingy. And they wonder why I look away every time that bright light goes off in my face. Ha ha - it's pretty funny really. I look away but Freddy. You won't believe what he does. Freddy.....well it's a bit embarrassing but I'll tell you. Freddy..just before the bright light goes of he.....well....he....ha ha ha...turns his head......looks down......and.....licks himself. Yup. And you know where he licks himself.....right? I think it's pretty funny. Then our lady sighs. She mumbles a bit and guess what? We're in another position. Then, you guessed it, right before the light goes off again, I decide to lay down and Freddy turns his head, looks down and, slurp, slurp, slurp has a little lick.

The pictures you are looking at on here took ages and ages. Freddy and I look pretty good considering we were bored senseless.
                                                                        

It's me again, Freddy. So, let me finish about this tree they put up in the house that I'm not allowed to pee on. Well, this is even more weird. They hang things on it. Not things like you'd see outside in a tree. No real squirrels that we could chase. No real birds that we could chase. Not anything that you see outside. Nope. They put balls on it. Yup, you heard right. Balls. And fake red flowers. And little hangy thingys. Then when they finish with that they put things under there. They put boxes that they decorate with paper. Oh, I almost forgot. They hide things in the box first. Then they decorate it with paper. It's almost scary. Then little things begin to appear all over the house. And, like Kaede already told you, the darned red napkins. I lose mine a lot but my people have a drawer full. I lose one. She finds one. I lose another one. She finds another one. People come over every day. They bring more paper covered boxes and we have to be good. We aren't allowed to sniff the boxes. We have to sit quietly wearing our table napkins. 

Finally it's all over. Thank doggie God. One morning it's just me and Kaede and our people. We sit in the room where the tree is and the paper covered boxes are opened. Inside there are what they call 'presents'. They seemed to like it. I kind of slept through most of it. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere. They give something to me. And then Kaede. We have Presents!! Our presents are hidden in a sock. Imagine that. A sock. It's a big sock. Mine is red. Kaede has a green one. Anyway, they hide something in the sock for us. They are called treats. I really like treats. Treats are one of my favourite things. They come in all sizes and they all taste so good. I have to 'perform' for my treats but I am happy to perform. I'll even perform in my red table napkin if I get a treat.

Hi again. It's me Kaede. Now you know the secret. It's the treats. That's what we're looking at. We're looking at the treats. If we sit there and stare at the treats it makes our lady and her flash very, very happy.

Until next time, good-bye from me, Kaede. And goodbye from me, Freddy, (the licker hee hee hee hee hee)

KAEDE AND THE BOAT

It's me. It's me. I'm back. I just read what Freddy wrote and I want to say this. I am not a whiner. Not like him. I run and play and jump around and try very hard to be good. I don't whine. I like the snow but that's not what I want to talk about. I want to tell you something else.

I'm going to tell you about the greatest thing ever. Truly, ever. In the summer time when it's warm our people bought a boat. That's right a boat. It's the most wonderful thing. Freddy and I go with them on the big water and we float. They eat and laugh and I watch the world go by. Freddy.....ahem....he just.....well....he sleeps.
Sometimes we stay on it for days and nights and then more days and nights and we sleep there. Our beds are with us and they somehow manage to bring our magic cupboard where the food is hidden. It's all good.

 There it is. There it is. There's our boat. Don't you just love it? That's our man human looking inside it. Don't you just love it?

 There I am. There I am. I'm on the boat. I love it on the boat. I'm on the boat and getting ready to set sail. Just kidding. It doesn't have sails but I'm on the boat. I love it.

 I love love love looking out the side. The engine purrs and next thing you know, we're off on the big water. I love it. I love it.

 Here is what I see. Don't you love it? I do. I love it. Love it love it. It's the big water. Our humans call it the St. Lawrence River. I love looking out the side of the boat. I do it all the time.

 See, what did I tell you. Here I am looking over the side of the boat. I love it love it love it. I'm a real sailor(ette) because I'm a girl.

Freddy comes too. That's him with me looking at the water. I love it love it love it. You would too if you could come on our boat on the big water.

Here's Freddy and he's looking out at the water too. Our people have so much fun on this water in our boat too. It's not just me who loves it loves it loves it. Our people love it and I love it. 

Til next time
Kaede

FREDDY DISCUSSES AGING AND SNOW

Oh my goodness, it has been a long time since I wrote anything. I am going to try and catch up with what is happening in my world, the world of Freddy, the handsome and exceptional Ridgeless Rhodesian Ridgeback.

I've had a couple of birthdays since we last met. My people say I am now a mature dog. I don't feel it. I still look handsome even though I am going grey around my lips. My people call it it muzzle but I know it's my lips. What do you think? I look handsome and young still, right? I think so.

I'm going to talk to you about the weather. You will remember that I came from California where it's nice and warm and sunny most of the time. Look at this picture. Does this look to you like California? No I didn't think so. Not only do my people think it's okay to LIVE in this they also think I WANT to go OUT in this. So, they take me out on these walks and set me loose thinking I'll run around and play. Kaede does, but I'm not Kaede. I'm not covered with lots and lots of brown fur. This boy is a Rhodesian Ridgeback and that's special. It also means I only have one coat. Yes, one coat. What's so hard they can't remember that? Huh. ONE COAT. Not warm.

Now this picture. This is better. Inside, snuggled up on a nice cozy rug, Kaede keeping me warm. That's what a boy wants this time of year. Warmth, warmth, and more warmth. Don't you agree.

Until next time........stay warm.....OR move to California.

From     Freddy

Gidget Has Moved In!!! by Freddy and Kaede

Gidget just appeared out of nowhere. Goodness knows what they were thinking but our humans brought her home. That's right. They brought her right into my house. They let her walk on my grass. They even gave her food from my magic cupboard. 

If you don't know who she is, well Gidget is a nuisance. She's six months old, wiggles around all over the place and she just plain got in the way. Look at this picture. That's Gidget standing near me. Don't you think she looks annoying?

I'm the big handsome Ridgeback on the left. Gidget is the dopey looking one.

She slept in a crate and cried the first couple of nights she was here. Sometimes she peed on the floor. Can you believe it? Our people just quietly wiped it up and took her outside. That's when I would come inside. She kept trying to kiss me. Here is another picture of her trying to look cute. Well, I have to admit it. She was cute and after a couple of days I quite got used to her being around.

Gidget looking cute.

 When we were in the house Gidget had to stay in the kitchen and family room because she couldn't be trusted. I already told you she peed on the floor? Well, I'm telling you again. She peed on the floor!!

Here I am ignoring her in MY backyard.

 If you notice, you will see that there are no pictures of Gidget taken with Kaede. Oh boy, oh boy. Gidget wasn't even allowed to sniff Kaede. Oh no. Kaede gave her that evil stare of hers with that weird blue eye, growled in her direction and Gidget would run as fast as she could in the opposite direction. I'm a bit more subtle. I just would wander into another room where Gidget wasn't allowed and sleep. Gidget was active so we went to dog park a lot. When we were there Kaede played with Gidget a lot and I did too but as soon as we got home she was sent back to the kitchen and got the silent treatment from us. A couple of times, though, I let her come up and lay next to me in the sun. She wasn't that bad really. Once I got to know her.


One day at the dog park a dog named Tater was there with his people. They are people who love Rhodesian Ridgebacks and had always wanted one. That's when our lady human told them about Gidget. Seems Gidget was only visiting. Did I hear right? Visiting? Hmmm, I was liking the sound of that. She's a rescue? She's a rescue and adoption applications are being accepted for her. Wow. My lady human was telling them how good Gidget was. Ha! She peed on the floor remember. But I wasn't going to draw it to anyone's attention if it meant she was going to live with them. They were talking about 'procedures'. They were stroking Gidget and she was being all cute and cuddly the way puppies are. 


A few days later our lady human and Gidget went for a walk and Gidget didn't come back. My lady human said that Gidget was last seen happily laying on Tater's bed and chewing on one of his bones. Tater sounds like a pushover to me!! Then both of our humans took down her crate, packed up her silly squeaky toys and her bed and drove away with all that in the car. Then they came home and washed the kitchen floor and got rid of ALL EVIDENCE that Gidget was ever here. Today we got this picture in the computer.

That's her. That's Gidget with her new friend, Tater. She doesn't look so bad after all.

 They said she's happy and Tater likes her. Well, Tater is still a youngster himself. Of course he likes her. And they will get to go on long walks and go to dog park and to the beach. Wow, good for Gidget. I think I liked her after all.


Gidget Has Moved In!!

Kaede here. Gidget came and ruined my life. Then she left. The end!!

Freddy's Exciting News

I have some pretty amazing news to tell you all. My man, who you have heard me talk about many times, decided to try an 'experiment'. He likes to ride his bicycle and he wondered what would happen if I went with him.

He didn't know that I was just going to love it to pieces. The first day we didn't go far. He walked beside the bicycle and I walked beside him while he held our leash. Well, let's face it, anyone can do that!! But he thought it was pretty darned good that I could walk next to a bicycle that he was rolling along so I let him praise me. After we walked around a bit he started to ride. Well, that was different. Walking next to wheels is not the same as walking next to legs. For one thing they go faster and I like that. I have very long legs and the people don't so we always go too slow for me. This bicycle business, I liked it a lot.

We rode down a hill and through a park that had grass in case I ran off after a squirrel (which I would do!!) and my man fell over or something. Then we went home. He was very pleased with himself that he had taught me how to walk next to a bike!! Please refer to my second paragraph - it's not rocket science - walking next to a bicycle. But, my woman human was all excited and he was all excited so I let them praise me to the skies then left them to it and went to have a nap.

That's not me, of course. But it's my man and my woman and their granddaughter showing off their matching helmets.

Now, he takes me all the time with him and we go on much longer walks. I love it. I get 'exercised' and so does he - that's a good deal, right? We don't have to go on the grass any more because I don't run off or run into the wheels, I trot along beside him at a respectable distance and watch the world go by. It's nice to spend time on my own with my man. It's nice too to do something that Kaede isn't pushing her nose into. She's not invited on a bicycle. Only me.

The only thing my man doesn't like is when I stop suddenly. And I stop suddenly every time we go out. You see, it's my bowels. Clockwork. And when a boy has to go a boy has to go.


The end.

Freddy Talks About the Beach

The beach. What can I say about the beach. It is the best place on earth probably. You can get dirty and smelly and there is always something to investigate. It's just plain wonderful.

Our first trip to the beach was probably the best. There weren't many people there because it was windy and people don't like it when it's windy. Our people unhooked us from their leashes and Kaede and I ran like the wind, jumping up and down, bumping chests and sniffing and smelling and running wild. She even ran into the water but not me, no siree, not this boy. I  don't like the water!!

After that first time we went to the beach nearly every day. We weren't allowed to be free anymore because the people were there. Lots of them. Lots of dogs too, walking along with their people, and lots of birds flying low. I don't bother much with birds but Kaede likes to chase them if she can. I kind of walk along at a nice leisurely pace with my man while Kaede and her lady go ahead of us and put their feet in the water.

 One day we met some fishermen. My man is interested in doing that so he talked to the fishermen and he was told they catch something called a Pompano. That's a fish. This person is sitting staring at the water hoping a fish will  jump up into her lap.

Here is a picture of the beach where we walked and walked.Don't you think it is just super?


I know Kaede thought I would talk about the beach a lot but no. I really want to tell you about the squirrels. There were millions in our backyard. That was the most fun thing in the world. The beach was good but the squirrels? Nothing better than chasing a squirrel up a tree and barking at him with my deep voice and scaring him to pieces. Nothing!!



Here I am on the back deck keeping an eye out for squirrels.

It didn't matter where I was or what I was doing (except eating of course) I knew when there was a squirrel around. I would rush outside barking my head off and chase that squirrel up a tree and sit under that tree to make sure he didn't come back down. Sometimes I almost climbed the tree myself. I did this six or seven times a day sometimes. I never got tired of treeing squirrels. Sometimes my people would try to make me stop but nothing could stop me. -people sure do make a fuss about being woken up in the middle of the night!! Even people who love you.



The best tree in the whole world.

I love, love, love this tree. Want to know why? Because it is in the backyard of the Florida house and the squirrels eat this. That's right they EAT THIS fruit. If they want to EAT THIS fruit they have to come into the BACKYARD, into MY backyard. Then I  get to bark and chase them. So, you can understand why I Love, Love, Love this tree. 

St Augustine loves Freddy and Kaede

It's true. St. Augustine loved us. We, Freddy and me, were treated like, well...like people.



We are on the bridge looking at the 'old' town of St. Augustine.



Almost every day this is what we did. First, our people would talk to us and say stuff like, "Walk? Kaede want to go for a walk?" "What about you Freddy? Freddy want to go for a walk?" Well, it was kind of embarrassing so Freddy and I would jump around all excited and they would leash us up. We figured that's what they expected so we did it every time. Danced the 'happy' dance for them.

Off we'd go through the streets where our house was and then over a bridge. The bridge was very long. My lady and I were both a little bit nervous about the bridge because it had a part where we could look down and see the water and I thought my paws would go through. They never did. One day some bells rang very loudly and we had to stop while that scary part of the bridge went up and some boats floated under. We just sat and waited.

On the other side of the bridge was the old part of St. Augustine. The streets are very narrow and there were always lots of people walking around. Lots of them stroked us and made a fuss about my blue eye. I like that. Freddy was popular because everyone seemed to know  that he was Rhodesian Ridgeback and I guess people in St. Augustine like those kinds of dogs. I like him too but, jeez, I'm very cute.

Walking through those skinny streets was lots of fun. There was lots to look at and see and so many really fabulous smells. After walking for a long time our people would take us somewhere they could sit down and drink or eat and Freddy and I would wait patiently at their side. Oops, ha ha. You know I meant to say that Freddy would wait patiently at their side. There was always too much going on for me to do that. I had to look around and check everything and everybody out.

Here is a picture of a restaurant we went to a lot. One of the people who brings food and wears a uniform said we were her favourite regulars. Ha! Regulars. Pretty cool.



This is the restaurant where we were 'regulars'.



While our people eat and drink the uniformed people bring us our own bowl of water. There were other doggies sitting at tables with their people but I was not allowed to go over to them and play. I could only look.



Freddy lounging, me not lounging. outside a restaurant.



When our people had finished their food it was time to walk back over the bridge to our Florida house. After a rest our people would put Freddy and me in the back of the car and we  would go to the BEACH!! I loved the beach. More about that later. Or,  perhaps Freddy can tell you about the beach when he writes. He's right beside me itching to get his paws on the computer. :)