The other family members

I think it is time for an update on the two smallest members of the family.

Bugsi is in your left, Missi is on your right.

Missi and Bugsi were condo dogs in Santa Rosa. We took them on 4 scheduled walks a day since we did not have a yard in which they could roam, sniff, play and poop. We tried to make one of those walks a longer one for exercise, but our gang was always on the leash as we tagged our territory with pee so that all the other dog gangs would know that this was OUR hood.

Things are different here in Charlestown. Oh, we still tag our hood up so that all of the homies know whose turf they are on, but we often do so without leashes. First of all, lets talk about the yard. We have one. There is no fence, so we just don't let our gang outside without supervision, but they do not need a leash. Come to think of it, hardly anybody out here has fences, but that may be a topic for another day. Bugsi has been known to run after a cat, but for the most part they stay close and come when called. We live on a culdesac (which sounds much better than "dead end," even if you are not French) so there are no speeding cars going through our gang's neighborhood. When we are outside, Bugsi loves to fetch a tennis ball and Missi loves to fetch Bugsi. Missi is a herding breed, so when Bugsi gets too energized Missi tries to put him in his place. Kayla will sit outside after school sometimes and the dogs will join her. Missi and Bugsi like laying in and sometimes nibbling on the grass while they are out there basking in the sun. Another feature of our yard is that it is attached to Marie's yard. Marie is an animal lover, and has welcomed our dogs to the hood. Sometimes when we get home from a drive in the car, Missi gets out and goes over to Marie's house first.

Whenever we take an actual walk, we put on the leashes. Legally we could go without if our gang was under total voice control, but Bugsi is not quite there. He loves to go after birds, squirrels, cats and bugs. He would never go too far from Karen, but "not go to far from Karen" probably does not fit the legal description of "voice controlled." We have a park in our complex and will let them off leash to run and explore there too.

The other thing that the dogs enjoy (which is a total understatement) is going to Nana and GP's house. We were uncertain of how much mom and dad would would want the dogs over at first. We thought about simply having them stay outside when we were there. They do love their yard too, and often play "Fetch the Bugsi" while there. But inside is where the magic happens. Apparently Mom and Dad love the dogs more than we do. They play the role of grandparents very well. Missi actually cries when we get close to their house because she is so excited. The only other circumstance she has ever done that is when we were arriving at Chris and Kathy's house (or is that Kodi and Thor's house) in Santa Rosa.

Here is a picture of Missi's "Can we go to Nana and GP's house please" face:

While there, they always get a "Hello" treat and a "Good-bye" treat and often get "just because we like to spoil you" treats in the middle of the visit. Karen has to pay attention to how much they get so that we can feed them a little less dinner accordingly. GP also knows how to get Missi in a playful and feisty mood. In addition to the treats, they get lots of loving over there. Between Nana, GP, Lori and Jadon they get almost non stop attention at the magic house across the railroad tracks. And last but not least, there is "the runner." Bugsi was Jadon and Lori's dog in southern CA for a little while before they moved here and Bugsi moved to Santa Rosa. Jadon understandably has a sweet spot for Bugsi. They are a perfect match. Jadon is a very good runner. Bugsi is a very good runner. They go out in the back yard and do their thing. Often, Missi will sit there and play "Fetch a Bugsi" for just a moment as they run their laps in front of her. When we went on a hike last week with Jadon, Lori and the dogs it was quite a show. Jadon and Bugsi would run ... stop and wait for us slow folks ... run ... stop and wait for us slow folks ... run ... well, you get the point.

Overall, it has been a good move for the dogs. Like the rest of us, they miss KJ, Amy, Chris, Kathy, Kodi and Thor. But the Live Free or Die state seems to suit the mutts just fine.