Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

Hello most humans and many others,

I guess Missy Linda wasn't paying attention to the weather dudes and gals. She says she knew it was going to rain, but she didn't expect this much. She is glad, glad, glad that it finally did happen though, and that it's more than she expected. We needed it and much more.

Mr. Nelson was surprised and very unhappy though. He is hiding upstairs because it has been thundering. He did go outside to potty during a break in the noise and when the rain wasn't coming down hard. He doesn't mind getting wet because it doesn't get down to his skin. Missy Linda gets annoyed because he can't help but get things in the house wet. He does stop as soon as he gets inside to get dried off some, but doesn't like for it to take too long.

There is still going to be a battle with the mud on his feet, though, even if he stops to get his feet wiped. He runs back and forth by the back fence so much that he has literally worn ruts. It looks like a track used for biking or racing of some kind, Missy Linda says. It is going to be hard to get any grass to grow back there this spring because it has, so far, been impossible to keep Mr. Nelson away from anywhere in the yard that he wants to be. Last summer, he pretty much killed Missy Linda's sad attempt at a flower bed because that's where he wanted to play. I guess Mr. Nelson is more important than grass.

Getting Sensitive

Hello most humans and many others,

Well, I finally got a turn at the computer! Missy Linda and Tio Kane have been hogging it lately. They say they have papers due for classes- - -like that's important.

Missy Linda is not in any mood to discuss things with me right now- - -the usual thing around here, it seems to me. She is getting all sensitive these days- - -again, nothing new. This time it is about her leg and foot. (!)

It seems that an increasing number of people at the store, ask Missy Linda about either her foot or her knee. They say something like, "Doesn't your foot or knee hurt because it is crooked like that?" Missy Linda has been aware for most of her life that her knee was crooked causing her to be knock kneed. She had problems with her ankles when she played basketball, possibly because her crooked knee caused her ankle to turn to the inside.

She says she had noticed a grinding noise that her knee has been making for a few years. Sometimes when she would play with the girls down on the floor, it would pop out of place, and she would have to pop it back with a little yell. She never had to answer for it to other people, though.

Although she realizes it is obvious, she is sometimes surprised that so many people seem so willing to tell her what to do about it. There's a coworker who tells her that herbs would help, and another coworker whose dad is a physician who tells her several things that she should do to help. Still another girl at work sing the praises of the chiropractor. The other day, a customer slipped her a note with the name of an orthopedic surgeon.

She says that she is beginning to feel weird about the whole thing. It's not enough that her knee hurts, she whines, she is getting paranoid about people watching her all the time! She says she is not comfortable beinga spectacle. I find that hard to believe, knowing some of the things she does sometimes!

Wild Things Are Stirring

Hello most humans and many others,

According to Mr. Nelson, things are stirring in the evening out behind the fence. If he is not barking too much, he is allowed to stay out there until ten o'clock or so to keep guarding the yard. If he cannot shut up, he has to take breaks inside while he reconsiders being so loud. We have very nice neighbors who have dogs, but Missy Linda doesn't want to push it, she says.

Missy Linda says getting a Sheltie to be quiet is like---well, it's not like anything because she can't get him to hush if he feels he just has to bark about something. Sometimes Tio Kane can get him quiet for a few minutes, but not always. If Mr. Nelson gets scolded by Tio Kane, he goes to Missy Linda, and gives her the sad eyes, and gives her a big hug. Of course, she pets him and hugs him, and he's off again!

Hello most humans and many others,

Well, I hear that the weather is supposed to be springish this week. I suppose that you humans are mostly happy about that. I am not affected as much as you all. Missy Linda said that yesterday at work, people were sneezing all over the place. She hopes it was just allergy juice and not germ laden phlegm flying all over the place!

People were saying it was probably just the weather changes causing the problems. And let's face it, around here, that is all the time! There were a couple of warmish days after the big blizzard before this last storm. Now, after being thoroughly blanketed with snow on Wednesday and many schools still out of session as late as Friday, it might be seventy degrees today. Missy Linda says that definite seasonal normalities might be nice sometimes.

On the other hand, I look at it like this: If a person is tired of her winter wardrobe, a few days like today come along, and she can wear completely different kinds of clothes. I try to look at things like this in a positive fashion light because my main goal is getting new dresses! You humans should try to have a positive attitude like mine!

Armed Rooster Kills Man

Hi there most humans and many others,

I suppose that you are wondering why in the world I would have a title like that today, huh? Well, I don't completely understand it, but I thought that Missy Linda was going to come unglued at the seams this morning when she saw this on a crawl while watching some news. It seemed like a really sad thing to have happened to me. I don't think she felt sad about it at all, judging from her reaction, which was laughing so hard that I was worried about her.

After she had somewhat recovered her senses (?), she called Mr. Nick at work to tell him about it. Then the laughter started again. I guess he was laughing, too, but I'm not sure.

When I heard the whole story, I discovered that Missy Linda wasn't quite the unfeeling woman that I had assumed- - -although, I wouldn't call her a truly sympathetic person. Anyway, it seems that Mr. Nick was put into his place, in this case, back into his car, by a free ranging guard rooster. He arrived at someone's home, with an actual appointment, but they weren't home yet. He said that out of nowhere this big ol' rooster came after him! He used his brief case to shield himself while he scurried back into his car. He cowered there until the people came home and escorted him inside.

Well, OK, then. Now, I get it a little.

Back to School

Hey there most humans and many others,

Well, I am glad that Missy Linda goes back to school today, and she is scheduled to work tomorrow evening. Then, they are saying, the blizzard machine is going to crank up again. I saw this morning on the weather that we are expecting 4 to 10 inches with high winds again. Even though most schools are open, Missy Linda says she can't believe how many schools are still closed from last weeks' blizzard.

I heard Missy Linda say that she is getting her groceries and stuff today after class, and she is hoping it is not as much a nightmare as it was last Monday. At least there is another day this week before it hits. That also means that Missy might get to work more hours this week. Her store was closed last Tuesday, then they closed early for a few days. Missy Linda didn't work much last week.

I would have to say that even though I don't get to go with them, I am glad that she and Tio Kane will be getting back to their usual schedules for a couple of days. I'm kind of sick of them.

Thawing

Hello most humans and many others,

Well, finally! The temperatures finally rose above freezing yesterday, and that should continue today. Around here, one of the main things that means is MDF (Muddy Doggy Footprints.) Mr. Nelson has quite enjoyed the snow, and there's plenty of that still around, but he definitely likes snow plus mud even more!

One problem with Mr. Nelson is that he insists on playing in what were once intended to be flower beds. They are next to the fences, and one of his hobbies is poking his nose, literally and figuratively, into whatever is going on in the neighbors' yards. There are three dogs each in the yards on either side of us. One little terrier who moved in recently is just as nosy as Mr. Nelson. He even escapes into our yard sometimes. I think that he wants to play, but Mr. Nelson will have none of it.

What Mr. Nelson really wants is to run around in the snow and mud and bark and then run inside to tell us what all is going on out there. The only problem is that by the time he is ready to come inside, he is covered in mud. He is so happy about being wet and muddy, he is hard to catch to wipe off his feet when he runs inside. There will need to be a lot of mopping today---which doesn't necessarily mean it will happen.

Cabin Fever?

Hello frozen humans and many others,

Have you all who might happen to live in this area got cabin fever yet? I heard Tio Kane and Missy Linda talking about it yesterday. They don't seem to be bothered by it, but they have heard other people are. I think that they could just stay here in the house forever and not have any problems (that they would be aware of!) Either of them could be that person about whom the "friend" who is being interviewed on the news would say, "He/She was a good neighbor, never causing any trouble, always staying to himself/herself."

The schools around here have been closed since Tuesday, and Missy Linda's work days were canceled. One day was Tuesday, as you know, then last night the store closed early. The university is actually in session today, but neither student here has class on Fridays. Missy Linda doesn't have to work again until tomorrow.

I certainly don't have any change in my life because of the weather- - -except what I see out the window from where I sit. Speaking of what I see- - -I see that it is snowing again!

The Arrival

Greetings most humans and many others,

Well, the blizzard slammed into us in the wee hours of the morning, as predicted. We got 12 inches of snow right here, and east of here they got up to 20 inches. The punishing winds with the thundersnow and the especially cold temperatures all add up to a humdinger of a storm.

It has not been bothersome for me, particularly since I don't go out with Missy Linda in bad weather. It didn't even bother Missy Linda because her boss called early this morning to say that the store would be closed today. She was glad he decided because that way she didn't have to call the district manager to say she wasn't going to open the store. The boss said he made his decision when he went out to his driveway, and he couldn't see the house across the street.

It doesn't seem to bother Missy Linda and Tio Kane to be locked in the house for a few days or even a lot of days. They are all stocked up on pop and milk and the other essentials to last a while- - -most importantly dog and cat food. Mr. Nelson does not like the extreme temps, but he does enjoy the snow. When it gets a little warmer in a few days, he will be able to play outside longer than two minutes at a time at five minute intervals!

I'll keep you updated.