See you in May

Phillip and I leave for Jamaica on Wednesday! We’re going to the same resort we go to every year. The boys will stay with Buddy and Holly (and of course Audrey and Kevin), while two grad students will stay at our house and water the lawn every day.

Feel free to carry on conversations. I’ll be back on Monday, May 5th.

Models

I’m not allowed to call Phillip’s helicopters “toys”. They are “models”. He recently bought not one but three mini-copters and he has another on loan from a guy at work. They’re all charging on my kitchen counters; it’s quite a mess.

I don’t complain. Why? Because I am a saint.

Enrique

Edgar writes:

This is Enrique from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was born on May 2, 2003. He went to the Rainbow Bridge tonight (April 15, 2014). He adopted our good friend Maria Isabel Viscasillas around the same time my Sara adopted my wife and I to keep Spike (also a tri-color beagle who turned 15 on April 10) company when our oldest daughter was born. Enrique and Sara were brother and sister. He bravely fought cancer to the bitter end. He was kind, chivalrous and witty as only a beagle can be. May God give his human family comfort in this difficult time.

Bear and Roscoe

Bear and Roscoe from the house next door spent part of the weekend with us. I think you’ve met Bear. Roscoe is their new pup, another cocker spaniel. He’s a lover, like Sherman. The weather was perfect and we spent most of the weekend outside. I sat and read.

And the boys barked at every walker and bicyclist, of which there were many.

Buddy boy

Buddy used to live next door and would come out to say hello when we brought the boys to the back woods. Buddy was Scooter’s arch enemy (though not the other way around). This is not a play bow but rather a “get out of my woods!”

Clayton got along fine with just about any dog.

ADA approved

We are bad beagle parents. Stanley had to have three teeth pulled on Friday. He is none the worse for wear, but we feel very guilty. The vet sent us home with toothbrushes and toothpaste. I thought I’d try sticking a finger in his mouth before a toothbrush, and he squirmed and squirmed. This is not going to be easy!

Chomp, chomp

Have you ever seen Sherman look so ferocious? He was having so much fun with this basket (and had already ruined it) that we let him chew it up for a little while longer. And speaking of chewing, the boys are back at the vet today for their teeth cleanings. Wish us luck!

Crunch crunch

I love the Internet. I asked Google “why do dogs’ feet smell like Fritos?” and got 15,500 results back. The answer is, no surprise, bacteria and it’s nothing to worry about. Scooter’s feet used to smell like Fritos and Sherman’s feet do, too.

Whirrrrrr!

Phillip has had this remote-controlled helicopter for several weeks now and he’s really getting good at it. It puts out quite a breeze and here he is drying my green onions. He’s so thoughtful. The boys are not fond of it, particular Stanley who runs out of whatever room the helicopter is in.

Poor Stanley.

Clayton, NJ

For all you Clayton fans.

Clayton was an SOS Beagle Rescue alum and Linda named him for the town where she sprung him from the local pound. Yup, Clayton, New Jersey.