Not complaining…hmmm..ya I am…:-) Nah….what my issue is today is I never realized I had dalmations.!!!

My plan is to set up a blank canvas and have Fergus paint..he’d be great. Sophie is the princess..somehow she just stays pristine.

On going into the kennel, I pay. I always say..”Please don’t bring them til after I load the van”…however they seem to come right away. First Sammy and Fergus, who bunk together, then Sophie. The van becomes a rocking thrill ride. Thankfully I have learned so keep the keys with me. Sammy is a door locker!!!

Sophie then went to her back seat where she sprawls and waits for the Egyptian fanners to arrive with buckets of grapes. Fergus takes the co-pilot chair and Sammy’s new position is sitting with his butt towards the window on the console. Hey..He used to drive!!! I think now he’d be considered the coxman if that’s what you call the man who yells “row”…”row”….

I take 95 south to the next Palm Bay exit just to miss lights through town and when we reach our turn off the tail wagging and barking begin. It’s a great celebration…”we’re home!!!! woof, woooof…we’re home…..come see us..all hail woooooof” Thankfully they all know I let them out of the side door so after opening the house door I release the 3 demons. Well 2….Sophie is such the lady!!!!

I played ball as they leaped into the pool…water through the house, hair is beginning to accumulate..the cat food has been eaten by long necked Fergus….let’s see…The cat has been chased…Sophie has come into the office and has shut herself in and now is scratching the door to get back out…and I hear plastic crunches..that’s either a pen being chewed or the remote control….ahhhhhh..Life is finally back to normal!!!

I’m covered with paint now as we are getting ready to have dinner but wanted you to meet my heart dog Sophie.

So…the 4th of July…it was truly a spectacular site. So without further comment…..

So Sammy finally graduated to sleeping outside his crate at night. He barked to get out the other night and on returning to his “house” I kept his door ajar. He scratched and the door moved, and then he jumped onto our bed next to Fergus. After awhile he jumped off and returned to the crate and slept there. Perfect!!! Ah…but wait!!!

Last night was the second night. They all jumped on board so to speak and snuggled in. Then we heard Blue, our half Siamese come in and then Wolfie, full Siamese who cries loudly and likes to sleep on our heads arrive. Probably about 2 am I heard Roger flipping out because his legs were sandwiched between Sammy and Fergus and the cats were on either side of his head. Cats flew one way, dogs ….moved to my side of the bed.

We made it through the night. Sammy woke first and went over to Blue’s basket by the window to “chat” with him. Blue wapped him on the head and went back to sleep. Sophie, who sleeps in her bed, growled that everyone was making way to much noise and were coming much to close to her stash of objects near her pillow. One of which was a piece of paper. Sigh.

I haven’t had breakfast as yet…but 2 cups of coffee. Roger and I are going up to hopefully see the shuttle Discovery launch today and the kids will be minding the house here.

We hope you all have a terriffic and safe 4th!!!!

So he’s back in training for agility and swimming and running like a crazy man with Sammy and yes….Sophie. I got this “goop” to give them with vitamins and green algae and all sorts of “stuff” in it. Sophie’s energy is back, and strangely, her hair is growing back in and becoming darker!!! Well actually it looks brown!!! Fergus’s muzzle looks like it’s turning…Blonde!!! Oh no…this could be a Guinness Book event..the calico Labs!!!

Sigh..going to have coffee and some breakfast. “Some” meaning sharing most of it with the 3 amigoes here.

Fergus was coming towards me as I left the room and was picking up one leg as if he had a splinter in his pads. Then he started to do it with the other leg. I called him and it was at this point he stopped altogether and looked as if he was standing on his toes.

Within the next few minutes, Roger picked him up and placed him on the couch. He was panting wildly and his hocks were swelling terribly.

Now in Florida, Sunday mornings are bathing suits, or old shorts, a rumpled T-shirt and mussy hair to have coffee in to kick start the day. So when I heard Roger say, “Fergus has shallow breathing let’s go!!” , I just grabbed the keys, my flip flops, and put my hair up with a pen and off we went to the E-clinic. They brought us right in with Roger carrying Fergus. He temp was fine, but in order to give us anything for his pain and swelling he needed a series of tests. Roger stayed with Fergus as I drove home like a crazed woman to find THE credit card with anything on it.

I picked up a cheeseburger for Roger since it was close to 3pm and we left before 10:30 am with only coffee. When I got there the tests were complete and Fergus was painfree. The Dr. Said his bloodwork was fine, his exrays showed no sign of arthritis , and the fluid in his hocks looked good. So…samples were sent out for more scrutiny, looking for Tick born disease or not. The vet also said 6 large dogs came in last year and had similar symptoms and it all cleared up within days.

It’s almost a week, haven’t heard any reports but Fergus has no swelling, chases Sammy all around, looks totally fine and I’m expecting miracles.!!

As I was paying the $800.00 vet bill, (I’d do it all again in a heartbeat for him) I turned to see Roger and Fergus sitting side-by side, sharing the cheeseburger. I believe both were drooling abit from hunger and alittle bent over from the ordeal of the day. And needless to say there was great jubilation upon seeing Fergus from Sophie and Sammy. The sniffing and questions went on for at least 15 minutes.

And we all slept incredibly sound!!!!

I bought a maniquin years ago as a wild , crazy, thing to do. She was my alter ego, tall. stately, thin and dramatic with one arm arched to the sky. I named her Sophia. When moving to a new location she comes apart and one may see an arm or leg appearing from a truck. Sophia is on our back porch and the boa was a gift from family for her.

Ok…one cannot have a boa in a home with labs. Especially an impy Lab!! The boa was hidden. It was placed high in the front closet. If a Labby paw hits a folding door in the center and then gets his Labby nose at the opening , that Labby can open it!!

Need I say more??? Where’s my broooooom!!!!!!!!

Actually I discovered a new fun item to paint. While wandering thru Ebay I saw Art cards, also known as ACEO’s. Art cards, Editions and originals. They have to be exactly 2.5 ” x 3.5″. You can paint whatever you want on them. They have been around for ages as artists used them as trading cards. A fun way to obtain other artists work. They weren’t mean’t to be sold, however, it would be difficult for people all over the world to be able to get some fun art work if they weren’t. I just prchased a fun art card of a calico cat by an artist in Boston. A wonderful piece of art for $7.00. not bad!!!

Here’s one of mine.

Mum was painting the other day and missed us so closed the garage door and opened the door to her studio so we could come out. WELL…the garage door opened again. She was in the house so Sammy and I decided to take a look at what the world looked like beyond the front door.

We ran like the wind across the street and behind the houses. The canal road is back there and Sammy and I ran, and ran, and ran!!! When we got to the big street with all the traffic we just decided to walk along and sniff. That,s when Mum’s big green van pulled up and we jumped in. It was great to see her and we sat there in the van for a long time getting treats for coming to her. Gee, it was good to see her!!!

When we got back to the house Sam and I were super tired. We went to the studio and slept together. I heard Mum on the phone to Dad saying something was awful..what if…the traffic…and that our angels must have been right with us. That’s a nice thought.

Well I guess that was it for adventuring..I also heard her say she’d be extra careful about doors from now on.

Fergus