Kaede Went on a Trip Too

Hi, it's me Kaede. I'll just continue where Freddy left off. Except for one thing. The reason I squish up in a small corner in the crowded car is because Freddy stretches out his very long body and takes all the room!! There, I said it.

Anyway, my trip was pretty much the same as his so I won't tell you about that. I'll start where he left off.

We are on the beach. The beach is really beautiful. There is so much sand and the smells. You can't keep up with the smells. They are everywhere. Lovely smells. Smells of birds and bird poop, feathers, bits of human food, fish, everything all in one spot. My nose was going crazy. My lady and I are pretty good friends, you know, so she is always with me. I keep myself close to her and make sure she holds on tight to my leash so she doesn't get lost. We like the water. The water moves in and then it moves away. It was hard to tell where it was going to be. Suddenly your feet are covered in water, then they aren't, then splash, the water was up to my face almost. We ran and laughed (yes, I laugh!!) and kicked up the sand. 

We watched the birds fly away in fright of me and got wet and ran some more in the sand. It was the best thing I had ever done, I think. There weren't many other people there so our people let us loose and Freddy and I ran as fast as our legs could carry us and jumped up in the air and down again and up and down and bumped chests. When we do that my lady always says that I play just like a Ridgeback. Well, I could have told her that. My mom was half Ridgeback after all.

Then we walked all the way back to the car and Freddy and I were wet and sandy but our people didn't care. They drove us to a place called a Taco Stand where they sat outside and had tacos and beer while Freddy and I laid at their feet and watched the world go by.

This was our first day in the magic place called St. Augustine. I think Freddy and I are going to like this place. There's nothing like snoozing at your ladies feet in the hot sun, your best friend, Freddy, snoozing at his man's feet next to you while the world just goes on by.

Pictures coming as soon as my human person shows me how to put them into the computer without any thumbs.

Until next time,
Kaede

Freddy Goes On a Trip

It's been such a long time since Kaede, my brown mutt friend, or I have written anything I hardly know where to start.

I know. I will tell you about our trip we took to Florida. Our people (who we love madly) packed up the car one day with suitcases. I was getting kind of nervous because I thought we would be left behind. But no. As soon as I saw them open the magic cupboard where our food is kept and put our food in the car I knew. Whereever they were going, we were going too. It was pretty squishy back there with all the luggage and the food containers but we didn't care. Kaede and I hopped up there and laid on our soft comfy beds and had a bit of a snooze.

It's easy to sleep in a car. I just stretch out and get really comfy. Kaede not so much. For some reason she squishes up in a small space.

We drove and drove and drove. We stopped and our people walked us around a bit and then they sat in the car and ate things. We got water. We drove and drove and drove some more until we stopped and went into a room. It was okay because our beds and food went into the room too. Our lady took us for a walk and when we got back to the room she and our man ate their food.

The next day was pretty much the same except I did notice it was getting warmer and our people weren't wearing as many clothes. We all slept in a different room that night.

The next day was glorious. We were in a place called Florida!! We didn't just have a room. We had a whole house with a backyard. Kaede and I ran around the house smelling and sniffing everything and our people made sure our beds were in the perfect spot. They brought all the stuff in and then we went for a walk. It was the best walk of my life!!


This is part of  the backyard. I'll tell you about the squirrels I got to chase later on.


We went to a place called a beach. There was sand as far as I could see. There was also water that I don't like and my man kept trying to get me to put my feet in it but I just wasn't going to do that. Kaede did.



Here we are walking along the beach. Isn't it just beautiful!!

 We walked and walked and walked and walked. It was so nice. The sun was shining on us and the sand was warm on my feet. It was wonderful not being in the car.

We were there such a long time. I think I will have to continue this story because my paws are getting tired from all this typing.

SINGING - by Freddy the Rhodesian Ridgeback

When my man human plays his trumpet, wowzers, something takes a hold of me, right in my heart. I can't help it. My muzzle points to the sky and out of the depths of me comes loud, wonderful music. I just let it rip without a thought for anything else. Always on key, hitting just the right note, singing to the wide open sky. I'm the big guy, the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Boom,there she is, Kaede,right alongside me, singing her little heart out. She feels it too, the wildness in all of us that has been tamed and calmed.

Together, the music takes us to another time and place. We're not sure where it is or when it was but it's in our souls and hearts and memories. It's somewhere wild and free where we run like the wind, we answer to no one, a place without fences or rules; we run the land living on our guile and wits.


Anyway, have to go now; they are opening the magic cupboard where the food comes from and I don't want to be late. Maybe being free and wild isn't all it's cracked up to be in my dreams. There's a lot to be said for a warm bed and three square meals a day.


Until next time, Freddy.

Afternoon Skiing with the Humans - by Kaede

It's been a long time since I have written about my life. Last time I promised I would tell you a bit about my life when I first went to live with my lady but that can keep. I am pretty excited to tell you about what we do here when it's winter time and there is snow. 

We go skiing. Well, I don't, of course. I run and run and run like the wind with Freddy. I jump on his head, we chase each other through the woods and it is just wonderful. We meet other dogs and greet and sniff them then we run on again.

That's me, see, in the front. You can just see Freddy and our human lady behind me. So much fun.

Once when we were out there, Freddy cut himself really badly on a branch in the woods. Our humans made him wear a t-shirt. I have to tell you, he looked pretty funny. So funny that I thought I would let you all see and decide for yourselves.

See, I was right. I was right. He does look pretty funny.  They posed him like that so they could take his picture. I think they laughed at him too!!

I'm also showing you a picture of me and Freddy with our winter coats on. Don't you think we look beautiful? Especially me. Pretty in pink, don't you think?

That's it for now folks. I'll do better and tell you more about my life very, very soon. Gotta' go skiing now.
Love from Kaede & Freddy

IN THE BEGINNING - By Freddy

         Once upon a time I lived with many other puppies who were called 'litter mates'. The other puppies had little collars around their necks but I was very special so I didn't need one. I could be told apart from the others without a coloured collar because I was the only boy who was in the litter who didn't have a ridge.

      That's me you see at the bottom right eating away with the others.
   When I became a bit bigger a lady came to visit. She stroked me and held me. Then she came again and played with me and my brothers and sisters. Then I started to like her and she 'chose' me. That meant that I was going to go and live with her.

      Aren't I just the cutest. Well, she thought so.
      When she took me home with her I got to meet the other pets in the household. First there was HarryBoy. He was older and really didn't like me much. I think I was there a long time before he would let me touch him. In fact, my owner took a picture so that the occasion was set down in history.

      There, that's him. This is the first time I was allowed to touch him. He pretty much stuck like glue to our lady owner and let us youngsters play away our days. In the corner of the picture you can see Kaede. Kaede was pretty cool. She is older than me by six months but anyone would think she's my mother the way she used to boss me around. When I lay quietly sleeping in my crate, the second I opened my eyes what did I see? Kaede's face with the weird blue eye staring at me. The second my owner let me out of the crate Kaede lunged for my back leg and held on to me while I went outside to pee. I liked her though. Here are some pictures of me and Kaede playing.

 We always had so much fun wrestling and chasing each other around the yard where we lived. It was warm there. Usually Kaede won the wrestling matches.

This time though, she didn't. That's me on top winning the battle. We had a rope that we pulled and tugged. Kaede is still my friend.
     Next time I am going to tell you about the move we made from southern California, where it was always warm, to Canada where sometimes it is very, very, cold.
     Until next time. Yours truly, Freddy

The Beginning

     I was born in a place called an animal shelter. My mother was a very beautiful black dog, called a Lab, and she also was part Rhodesian Ridgeback because she had a ridge down her back. She was a most beautiful and unusual girl. I don't know where she came from but she was found walking around the streets in a place called San Diego. That's in California.
     When I was very tiny, just days old, a very nice couple of people came to see me. They scooped me and my brothers and sisters up and my mother and took us to live with them. They had a place attached to their house called a garage and that's where we stayed.
     I don't really remember those people and I don't remember my mother or my brothers and sisters very well. I think I remember a warm pile of puppies but not much else.

         I was actually pretty cute. Anyway, after a certain amount of time in the garage with my family, a very nice lady came to see me. She cuddled me and held me and kissed me. I really liked her too. Then one day my brothers and my sister and I were taken to a place called a Vet's office. We were given shots. Ouch. They hurt. Then they gave me a needle that put me to sleep and when I woke up I had stitches on my belly.
       That very evening the woman who had come to see me so many times met me and my brothers and my sister. There were lots of people there that evening. I learned that we were going 'home'. I didn't quite know what it meant. Anyway, the lady who cuddled me carried me gently, because of my stitches, and put me in a crate in the back of her car. I was still very tired from the operation.

     When we stopped at her house I was amazed to see other dogs already there. One was named Simba. She was an old dog. Something called a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She was extremely beautiful and very kind. She cuddled me and licked me and lay next to me. She let me play with her toys. I really loved her a lot. There is a picture of her coming up.

      She was beautiful. Simba wasn't with me for very long. She was old and one day she got sick and our human woman took her to a place to make her better but she didn't get better. She didn't come back. My human cried but I comforted her.
     There was another dog there too. He was a boy Rhodesian Ridgeback named HarryBoy. He hated me. He didn't let me go near him. He liked Simba but he sure didn't like me much.
     I will show you a picture of him too but not now. I will write next about my first little while living with my new human woman and her two dogs, Simba and HarryBoy.
      That's it for now.
                                        From Kaede

Kaede Tells a Lie

     Well, well, well. What do you know. A funny thing happened the other day. I got my human woman up. The human man had already gone downstairs and left me and Freddy in the room on our beds to sleep. So, anyway. I got my human woman up by standing next to the bed and staring at her until she opened her eyes. That's what I always do. She got up and opened the door so Freddy and I could go downstairs.
     Our human man was laying on the couch and no one seemed to be very interested in feeding us so I went over to him and stared. That got his attention. He got up and fed us and then let us outside to our private backyard toilet area.
     As is our usual custom, we all go back to bed together so upstairs I go but the bedroom door is closed. Now, how's a dog to get back in there if the door's closed? I pace up and down in front of the door.
     Finally, the door opens up. But, instead of letting us in our human woman goes downstairs where Freddy is sitting at the bottom of the stairs and takes us into the room that has the magic cupboard with the food. When we get fed I sit like the good dog I am. Freddy doesn't sit until the food is in his bowl and ready to be put down in front of him. But not me, no siree, not me. The second we go into the room with the magic closet of food I sit. It works every time. And today was no different. I sat and sure enough she reaches into the magic cupboard and I hear the wonderful tinkle of the food hitting the metal bowl.
     Suddenly, and without warning, the male human comes out and says, "They've already been fed." Imagine my disappointment when I hear the food being dropped from the bowl back into the magic cupboard.
     Then they laughed. I heard my woman human say, "I can't believe Kaede sat there waiting for her food as if she hasn't eaten yet. What a little liar she is."

     Well I beg to differ. I'm not a little liar. An opportunist perhaps but certainly not a liar.