A Day in the Life

My brother, Baxter, woke me up at 4:15 this morning by walking on top of me to get to where the Mom was sleeping.

I sleep under all the covers with the Mom ‘cause I sleep happiest when I’m touching her. Baxter prefers to sleep under just his one special little soft blanket up on top of the bed, right between the Mom and the Dad.

Anyway, he tromped across me and climbed up on the Mom to tell her he needed to go outside.

I don’t understand why Baxter doesn’t just go tell the Dad right off the bat and not bother me and the Mom. She just reaches a hand out, taps the Dad and mumbles, “Baxter has to go out”. Then the Mom goes right back to sleep.

Good thing the Dad doesn’t mind waking up early.

Normally, I sleep right through Baxter and the Dad getting up, but since my brother had so inconsiderately stepped right on my head, I stretched, groaned, peeked out from under the blanket and reached out to lick the Mom’s cheek.

We’re on what the Mom and the Dad call “a vacation”, so I guess that means we can all get up early! Besides, it’s daylight outside. Maybe it’s later than I think.

Well, I discovered that being on vacation does NOT mean I can wake the Mom up. She mumbled something that sounded like “Arrghh-urr ” and rolled over again. She even pulled the blanket over her face.

Lucky me, though. The Dad said I could come outside along with him and Baxter! But he didn’t put my sweater on and I was a little cold right there by the big water. I think I’ll wait for the Mom next time.

Later in the day, a great big floating building went right past our campsite (that’s what the Mom calls the fenced-in area where Baxter and I play while Mom and Dad sit in chairs and drink hot stuff while we all watch people walk by).

The Mom and Dad take me and Baxter on lots of walkies here. We mostly stay on the walking path or the grassy area because I don’t want to play in the cold water that splashes up on me. Baxter doesn’t like the splashes either. The Mom says we are both “wusses”, whatever that is.

A little while ago, the Mom and I were walking along, and Mom got real excited, picked me up in her arms and pointed at something out in the water.

She told me it was a sea lion. That sounded kind of scary, but it looked more like a wet dog. Maybe even a really big dachshund. It looked like it was having fun, even going underwater and coming back up all wet.

Sometimes, we watch and watch … and then this happens.

I still don’t want to go swimming. 🦭

When we are inside Roada, Mom’s house that takes us places, I like to sit on the tall cushions on the front seat so I can watch the people and especially the dogs that walk by.

I’m glad the Mom made our campsite right near the walking path. I don’t bark at the dogs because the Mom says if I bark I have to get down and not watch. I like to watch!

About the same time in the day that Baxter and I usually start hinting to the Mom and Dad that it must be almost dinner time (and they tell us no, it’s not for another hour – whatever that means), the Dad surprised us and fed us dinner early! It was delicious!

Then they put their going-on-walkies coats on, told us to be good, quiet dogs … and left us inside?! Baxter saw this as an opportunity for a nap and curled up on a blanket.

I did NOT. I barked, and barked and BARKED! Just as loud as ever I could! The Mom and Dad (OK, mostly MY MOM) had left and had forgotten to take me along!! It had to be a terrible mistake. “Mom! Mom! I’m right here! Come back! You forgot me!!”

It turned out that Mom hadn’t forgotten me after all. She and Dad left us home on purpose – Baxter and I were not invited. The Mom told me I had to get over myself, whatever that means. Probably that I talk too much. I think I should always go anyway, but the Mom says sometimes I can’t. I don’t think it’s fair, but it’s a rule.

The Mom did come back, but it didn’t go at all as I’d pictured. She scooped me up without a word and quite unceremoniously dumped me in my kennel.

I guess Baxter had the best idea. He got to nap in the sunny spot on his favorite blanket. I had to nap in my kennel.

The Mom and Dad were only gone one nap, so it wasn’t all that bad. When they let me out of my kennel, Baxter and I each got a yummy piece of people food! The Mom called it “Hal-butt”, or something like that. It smelled real fishy and was pretty great. I’m glad the Mom was happy with me for napping instead of yapping (Mom’s words) while they were gone.

After that, Baxter and I got to have our leashes on, and we went for a long walk down the path by the water. We saw lots of people and some dogs. I didn’t bark, but Baxter did a couple of times when a dog walked too close to him. The Mom says Baxter has anxiety issues. I think he just gets cranky because he’s old.

Well, it’s bedtime now. Baxter is already asleep in a ball between the Mom’s and Dad’s pillows. I’m waiting for the Mom to come to bed. It’s hard to wait because I’m really sleepy.

Thank you for listening to the story about my day. Nite nite.

Love, Rhonda