Good-bye, Jamie

Sailor here.

Mom is sad. She cries. She said that one of my collie friends went to the Rainbow Bridge. He was one of Mom's favorite collies, too.

Mom said she didn't get to say one last Hello to Jamie. That makes her sad, too.

And worst of all, Mom says, there isn't anything she can do to make Jamie's Mom not so sad. Jamie's Mom is Aunt Judy, my Mom's best friend.

So I guess if one person is sad, many people are sad, too.

I will give Mom some extra hugs tonight.

So she won't feel so sad.

BFF's

Jib here.

Will is my boy.

And my neck warmer.

Not that I need a neck warmer.

But I DO need a boy.

Joy to the World!

Sailor here.

I am joyous!

I am bouncy!

I love everybody!

Especially Mom!

Double Bah Humbug

Sailor here.

Bah.

Humbug.

All Dressed Up

Jib here.

Mom and I rehearsed. We were on stage.

We danced. And danced.

Mom says it was a dress rehearsal. I wore my vest. Mom wore her bow tie.

We danced. And danced.

I got cheese!

Awww

Jib here.

Awww....

Bah

Sailor here.

I have a hot spot. It is not hot; it is crusty. Mom keeps it crusty with this powder. And she keeps me from licking it.

So I am in my towel cowl.

I am not happy.

Mom says the BahHumbug season isn't for another week.

I disagree.

Humbug.

My boy

Jib here.

Here's my boy.

I love him.

He loves me.

I kiss him.

He drools in my fur.

Mom says it's Karma.

Whoever she is.

Jib Goes to School

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Me. Baby herder

Jib here.

They left the youngest puppy alone. Alone outside.

They went far away. Far, far away. Some fast trots away. Mom says they were right there. Right on the other side of the bricks. But I thought it was too far.

So I watched the youngest puppy. I made sure he was safe. I made sure he was happy.

I let him pull himself up on my ruff.

I let him poke my nose.

I let him run and followed him.

He let me boop him in the bum.

He let me kiss his finger.

He let me love him.

And I let him love me back.

(Photos © my daughter.)

Thirteen on the Thirteenth

Sailor here.

Mom says today is my birthday! I am thirteen. Thirteen whole years old.

Mom says that's pretty old for a collie, but that I am going strong.

I AM going strong! My front end works great. My tummy works great. My teeth work great.

My hearing is different and my rear end is always confuzling, but I am GREAT!

I am thirteen!

Steak all around.

Funny Tessie

Jib here.

Tessie looks funny. She smells funny, too. She has something wrapped around her tummy. And her chest. And her neck.

Mom says that's because it's winter. She says Tessie is wearing a sweater.

But Tessie's feet aren't damp. Her tongue isn't dripping.

I don't think the sweater is working.

Holy Cow!

Jib here.

Mom is extra happy. I Quited!!!!! No more Not Quite's for me!

I am now Legendhold Two If By Sea, CDX (among

other things).

I sat. And sat. And sat. AND SAT!! And Mom almost cried she was so happy.

She was happy with our green ribbon. She was happy with our red ribbon. And she was overjoyed with our big Title ribbon. It is green and yellow. And big!

I was happy with my cow. My very own cow! It squeaks! It has stuffing! Now, to take it apart....

On Stage

Jib here.

Mom and I can dance. We can dance on stage. That's what that big box is called. On Stage.

Sailor says a stage is something you go through before you are perfect.

I am perfect just the way I am.

And I am On Stage, too.

So there.

My Brain is Tired

Jib here.

My brain is tired. It is wiped. Wiped out. Out of my head. It may have even fallen out my nose.

Mom says I am brain dead. After today.

Today I went to dog school. I played with Mom for a long time. My brain was tired after that. Especially after the Long Sit. The VERY Long Sit.

Then Mom and I went to dance. We went to a new place. It was dark. It was inside. It had scary stairs.

Mom showed me that the stairs didn't have to be scary. They could be cheesy. They could be hot doggy. After a while, they were OK. Going down was easier than up.

Then we danced on a big box. It was a BIG box. A VERY BIG box. The sides had curtains. The back had curtains. The front was a cliff.

We danced and danced. And danced. Mom called it a rehearsal. I call it fun. And funny. And very interesting.

Mom says my brain was on overload.

So that is why I am so tired.

Sit Stay

Jib here.

Mom says she is tearing out her hair.

Mom says she is being driven to d...d... somewhere with a long name.

Mom says it's all because of my butt.

It won't sit. It won't stay. It shifts. It hitches. It twitches.

Well, Mom. Well.

I have a skinny bum. It isn't soft to sit on. It is not soft at all.

So I shift. I hitch. I twitch.

And sometimes I even stand up.

Moms says she is losing sleep over this. Because I am going to be in a dog show very soon. And I will have to Sit. And Stay. And Stay. And Stay.

And Stay.

So she made me sit on a funny chair thing. I couldn't move. Without falling off. Without losing my balance.

I Sat. I Stayed. And Stayed. And Stayed.

And Stayed.

The funny chair thing is soft. I sink into it. It works for me.

But Mom says she can't take it to the dog show.

So she is shedding and going for long drives. Without me.

What's a dog to do?

Again

Jib here.

Mom and I played in obedience, Again. Mom had liverwurst and steak!

I was happy, I was great. I remembered to hold my dumbbell and drop when Mom said, "Drop!" I remembered to jump long and heel, heel, heel.

Mom was proud. Again.

Until the Long, Long Sit. She left me. Again.

All alone. Again.

I sat. And sat. And stood up. And said, "Oh-oh," and sat again. Mom says that was a Not Quite. Again.

Mom says we have to go back to square one. Because of the Sit. We have to learn to do it right all over again. Especially me.

And Mom says she needs to find a jar of Tacky Butt.

Extra Strength.

Green is Good

Jib here.

Mom took me to an obedience trial today. That's where Mom is obedient and I get to jump.

Sometimes, though, Mom is a trial. Mom says that means that things are hard. But not today. She was fun to be with especially when we heeled. And when I got cookies afterwards!

Mom has been working on my Drop. I dropped. I also dropped the dumbbell when I brought it back to her. But she smiled anyway and I didn't drop it again. I got confuzled somehow and my mouth forgot to hold it.

I loved today until Mom made me sit and left me all alone in the ring. Alone without her. Alone with a lot of strange dogs. But I sat. And sat. And sat. And sat. When she came back to me, she was grinning louder than I remember in a long time. Mom says the Group Sit is my hardest exercise.

Mom sang all the way home in the car. She sang, "God is great, green is good, people are crazy."

I think I know who might be crazy around here. And it's not me.

Sailor says I have two legs in Mopin' and tomorrow is another day. He says Mom will be SO happy if I come home with three legs. He says there will be joy in Mudville and no one will be mopin'. I hope it doesn't rain though. I don't like wet in my eyes or mud on my feet and on my belly.

Sailor says I have six Nervous legs from long ago that Mom put in this Compact Disc around here somewhere. Sailor says I have one more Mopin' leg from earlier this year that Mom stashed in my CD, too. And now I have one more Mopin' leg from today.

But I have FOUR legs. See them? They're right there, at the bottom of my chest. They're right here at the bottom of my kilts. I wonder where all those other legs are gathered. And I wonder if there are cookies in my CD along with those legs.

Oh, why is obedience SO confuzling???

Mom Loves Me!

Sailor here.

Mom loves me. She loves me BEST!

I love her best, too.

It's My Birthday!

Jib here.

It's my birthday!

Mom says I've made great strides in the past six years.

Project Dog

Jib here.

Mom is smiling. She saw my page in the book, Project Dog, and is smiling. Again.

I am a star!

Again.

Mom wants me to give the link to the book.

Here it is:

http://www.projectdog.net/shop/

Mom says pretty soon, I will have to give out pawtographs!

I Had a Job!

Sailor here.

Jib is not the only one with a job. I had a job. Last night. A real dog job!

Mom's dog training club had a CGC test. Mom says CGC stands for Canine Good Citizen. That means Pretty Good Dog.

I was one of the dogs! I got to mill in a crowd. I got to walk with Mom. I got to be polite and gentlemanly. I got to ignore all the other dogs.

But best of all, it was PAYDAY!!

Cookies all around.

I Am Better!

Jib here.

Good morning, Mom! Why are you so sleepy? I FEEL GREAT! I slept! I breathed! I coughed, but it didn't hurt.

Where's breakfast? Where's my pill? My get-well pill?

Can I go outside and play?

Can I hunt squirrels?

Can I play Frisbee?

Um, well, maybe I will just look for squirrels and Frisbees.

And not run and play until after lunch.

What? No lunch?? BUT I AM SICK!!!!!

I Am Sick

Jib here.

I am sick. Mom says I am really sick.

I am coughing. I am tired. It is hard to breathe.

Mom says she thinks I breathed something in. Into my lungs. Something that didn't belong there. Like peanut butter. Like Tessie's peanut butter. In her tiny Kong. That I stole. Two dark sleeps ago.

Mom says she got worried when she saw me watching television. She was worried because the television wasn't on. She says I was looking at it because I just trying to breathe.

Yes, Mom, I know. I am sick.

So Mom took me to the hospital. Tonight. Late tonight.

We waited for the doctor. We waited with other dogs. The other dogs wanted to say Hi to me. But I was too sick to sniff them.

We waited with some cats. The cats yowled with big eyes, but I was too sick to chase them.

Mom gave me a cookie, but I dropped it and was too sick to pick it up.

Finally we saw the doctor. He took my picture. A picture of my chest. He listened to my chest, too. With his chestoscope. He patted my head. He said I was beautiful. And sick.

He said I had something like New Moan. Mom says that means I am sick.

Yes, Mom, I know.

Someone did a pinchy thing on my neck and Mom gave me a cookie. I ate this cookie. It was better than the last one. It was worth eating. Even though I am sick.

We got home in the middle of the night. Mom said I was breathing easier. I said I was very tired.

Mom says I will be better tomorrow. I think I can sleep now. With my head on the floor.

I Am a Hero!

Jib here.

Mom took Sailor out. Without me. She left me with Tessie.

Tessie was unhappy. She sat at the front door and barked for her Mom. She even barked for MY Mom. She is terrible at being left alone. With just me.

Tessie barked and howled. She howled and barked.

Then she went and sat on the back of the couch. And cried and whimpered and whined.

Mom came home. Sailor came home. Mom and Sailor came to the door.

Tessie leaped off the couch. She met Mom at the door. Mom opened the door.

Tessie dashed out. She ran. She ran fast. She ran really fast. She ran to find her Mom.

I ran after her.

Tessie ran into the street.

I ran into the street and stopped Tessie. I stopped her and herded her to the curb.

I heard Mom come running, too. I heard a car come driving. I herded Tessie away from the car.

Mom finally reached us and scooped up Tessie. Tessie was frightened at being scrooped. She screeched. She wriggled. She screamed.

Mom held on to Tessie.

Once all the excitement was over, I peed in the bushes. Then we all went inside.

Mom says Tessie needs to learn more door manners. Like me and Sailor.

Mom also said I saved Tessie's life. She said I almost got hit by the car.

Mom says I am a hero. I am proud. Mom is proud, too, once she stopped shaking.

Tessie is Sad

Sailor here.

Tessie is sad today. Every time her Mom leaves, Tessie panics. Then she is sad.

Jib and I are trying to jolly her up.

Jib brought her a squeaky toy.

Tessie didn't want to play.

I lay down next to her couch.

Tessie didn't even smell me.

Tessie is sad today.

Mom says she will help Tessie be not so sad. She took Tessie for a long walk. She didn't even take ME this time. Mom said Tessie was happier on her walk.

Maybe if I act sad, Mom will take ME for a walk.

But I can't fit on the back of the couch. So maybe I can't be sad.

My Dog!

Jib here.

Mom and I have a new dog. Mom says she is just visiting, but Sailor says that the last time a new dog came to visit, I stayed. But Mom keeps saying she is a visitor. Over an over.

What's a visitor?

Zoe says a visitor means we are borrowing Tessie during the daytime while her person is at work. Mom says her person used to be able to take Tessie to work, but now she can't. So Tessie is staying with us during the day.

Tessie looks like a puppy but smells like a girl. She is shy and barks when she is alone sometimes and is getting used to her crate. She is learning to Stay and to Leave It. Mom says she's a love sponge, and Tessie sits on her lap all the time. I tried to sit on Mom's lap, but it was too small. Way too small.

(Note from Mom: good thing)

Best of all, Tessie likes me! She quiets down when I sit near her when she is in her crate. She runs after me when I am running after my Frisbee after I promised that I wouldn't step on her. Tessie squinches her eyes at me and holds still and lets me sniff her tummy. Mom says I have a rude nose and if I learn to keep it to myself, Tessie will like me even better.

I think we are doing MORE than borrowing Tessie. I hope we keep her!

(Note from Mom: fat chance)

My Book

Jib here.

I wrote a book! A book about ME!

Mom helped me with the big words. And the keyboard thing.

But my book is all about ME, JIB!

Mom published it on blurb.com.

Here is a preview of the first 15 pages:

A Job for Jib by Anne Robinson and Jib

Mom is very proud.

I am working on more books, too. All about ME!

Just wait!

Fame! Me!

Jib here.

Sailor is in the 2012 collie calendar again. He is even on the cover!

But I am going to be famous, too. My friend DonnaSue came to take my picture. I ran, I jumped. I played Frisbee and ball and had one. A ball. I had a ball.

And I was chosen! I was chosen to be in an art show. Soon. Here is the link:

http://www.sanchezartcenter.org/EXHIBITIONS.html

I am one of the Dogs at Play!

Me, Jib! Playing! In an art show!

I am famous!

Fame!

Sailor here.

I am famous. Again.

I am in a calendar. I am ON a calendar, on the cover.

Mom is tickled pink.

But she doesn't SMELL pink. What's up with that?

Bah, Bath.

Jib here.

Bah.

Humbug.

Dog hair everywhere. Except on me.

Mom is covered in it. So is the lawn.

I am damp.

Bah.

Humbug.

I'd rather be playing Frisbee.

Bahahahaha, You Say?

Zoe here.

Today, SAILOR is damp.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Mom says tomorrow it's Jibby's turn.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I am finally dry.

Bath Day. Again.

Sailor here.

I smelled a bath coming on.

I ran and hid in the bushes. Jib ran and hid in his crate.

Zoe didn't run. Zoe didn't hide.

Poor Zoe.

Now she is damp and out of sorts.

BAHAHAHAHAHA!

I, Hunter. Again

Jib here.

Mom and I went to the park. Mom and I are practicing for next weekend. I am in two dog shows. Mom says we have lots of work to do.

It was a new park. It has new squirrels. New, cheeky squirrels. Gray, chittering squirrels.

I saw a squirrel. I left Mom. I left her fast. Real fast.

I chased the squirrel. The squirrel tried to climb. It didn't climb fast enough.

I CAUGHT the squirrel! Between my teeth!

The squirrel squeaked. It bit at me. I dropped it so it wouldn't bite my nose. I caught it again. It tried to bite my nose. I dropped it again.

I caught it. It bit my nose. I dropped it and tried to hold it with my paw. It ran away.

So I caught the squirrel. With my teeth. Again. It squeaked. Again. It tried to bite my nose. Again.

Mom ran up to me. Mom caught me. She caught me by the back legs. She held on.

I dropped the squirrel. The squirrel ran away.

Mom didn't let me run after it. She held me. She held me tight.

I was SO excited! It squeaks!

Mom didn't let me go. I am glad she didn't bite my nose. I didn't bite hers, either.

Mom says that when we are training at the park, cookies trump Mom. And squirrels trump cookies. She was not amused.

Dogs Can Dance!

Jib here.

Mom and I went dancing. With a lot of other people and dogs, too. Mrs. Dogs On The Inside and Fyre were there; Ms. I Love Jib and Dazzle were there; Willie and Molly and Watson and too many to sniff were there, too. Mom even got hugged by someone who smelled like paint who she hasn't seen in a very long time. He was important. But he didn't have any cookies in his pocket.

Then Mom and I danced. I got cookies!

We heeled and backed up and serpentined and spun left and right and touched noses-to-hands and circled and had a grand time.

Mom says I was a star. She says she would love to dance with all the collies in her life, too. All at once!

I say, Keep the cookies coming!

New Family

Sailor here.

We have a new family in the umbrella.

Mom says they are Cain or Abel's kids.

Cain and Abel are last season's blue jays. They sit in the trees and scream at each other. All day long. One of them got married and built a nest in the umbrella. The umbrella where they were hatched last summer.

My Mom said the mama bird laid three eggs. And they hatched. All of them.

The nest is a mess. That is how we know Cain or Abel built it. It is scraggly and falling apart and sticking out all over. Like Jibby's ruff.

Mom says the chicks will fledge any day now. They have their flight feathers. They have their screechy voices. They know how to flutter.

I wonder what we will name them.

YAY!

YAY!!!

Mom's home!!!

Suitcase time

Jib here.

Mom is busy. I am having a hard time keeping up.

She is running upstairs and downstairs. And back up again.

She is filling a suitcase.

Zoe says that Mom is going on a trip. And the bigger the suitcase, the longer she will be gone.

Last time she filled up a suitcase, she went to a collie dog show with Aunt Judy. And she took me and Tavish!

Zoe says I will be staying home with Sailor to keep her company. Zoe knows a lot.

If that's true, I hope it's a very small suitcase.

So Far, So Good

Sailor here.

So far, so good, Mom says.

I am fine. Breakfast was great.

I think I'll go bark at the neighbors.