Hobbit: My Big Day!

Well, yesterday was my BIG day! The photographer, Mr. Cunningham, came to our house to take MY picture for Guideposts magazine! My Poncho wanted to dress me up in little tan and white striped seersucker pants and brown saddle oxfords, (that would have gone nicely with my coloring, I think), but Mommy said Guideposts probably didn't want us to get too fancy. The photographer was very nice and I won him over quite quickly. I felt very comfortable around him. Maybe too comfortable because I kept falling asleep. For the first portion of the session I was lying on my back in my Poncho's arms, (my usual position), and when I do that I instantly doze off. I was getting tired of them waking me up, but Mr. Cunningham said it was important to keep my one eye open to show that I have just the one eye. 

Things got more interesting when Mommy got out my little red Kong toy. That perked me up right away! Mr. Cunningham liked that and he took lots and lots of pictures. After more pictures of me with Mommy and then all three of us, it was time to photograph the whole family. 

Mommy, Poncho and Mr. Cunningham were all a bit concerned that it would be the most trying part of the day. They were right. To make things as easy as possible they decided to have us all sit on the couch. Huck and Abby couldn't sit still and were climbing all over us. I don't think Gus ever looked at the camera. He seemed to be doing his best to not participate. And I could tell Buster was starting to get aggravated with Mr. C repeatedly snapping his fingers over his head trying to get his attention, saying, "Buster! Buster! Buster!" Boy, you should've seen the look on Buster's face. Mommy and Poncho knew he was getting perturbed, but they didn't tell Mr. Cunningham that. Didn't want to make him nervous by pointing out that the 90 lb. dog was about to have a melt down. Even with all that going against him, I think Mr. C was able to get a couple of good pictures. He was patient with us and he is a talented photographer.

We ended the photo shoot with a walk outside. That didn't go as well as hoped. I think it was just time to call it a day. A three-hour photo shoot can make a dog "dog tired!"

It was all in all very exciting and our whole family is thrilled about Mommy's article being published in June. 

Good night, Diary!

Love, 

Hobbit

Abby: I'm a good girl!

Mommy and Daddy were worried for no reason! I was a good little girl while Mommy was out of town. Daddy was quite pleased with me! Huck is another story. Looks like they should have been focusing their worries on him instead. Daddy caught Huck chewing on the corner of the new area rug. He explained to Huck that such behavior will not be tolerated. Huck was a good boy and stayed away from that rug ... only until the next morning. Apparently he forgot what Daddy told him just several hours earlier. I think his attention span needs some work. Anyway, Daddy talked to him again and when Mommy got home from her trip she sprayed Bitter Yuck on the corners of the rug. So far, so good. There is an obvious takeaway from this story: Abby is a good girl! Huck still needs work.

Oh, and something exciting is going to happen tomorrow! You see, my mommy wrote an article for Guideposts magazine and it will be published in the June issue. It's a story about Hobbit. Anyway, Guideposts is sending a photographer to our house in the morning to take pictures for the article! Of course, most of the pictures will be of Hobbit, but the rest of us get to be in some of the pictures, too! So, Mommy and Daddy have been busy straightening up the house and bathing Hobbit and trimming his nails. Mommy also and gave me a trim around the eyes and mouth, washed my face and brushed my fur. I think I look kind of pretty! Tomorrow morning the big guys will get their turn. My mommy and daddy are kind of dreading the group picture, though. We all know how the Christmas card photo shoot went. Let's hope things will go smoother with a professional photographer in charge. 

Well, I better get my beauty sleep.

Love, 

Abby xoxo

Abby: Uh oh.

My mommy is going out of town tomorrow night and I was supposed to go to Aunt Mary's. I love going to Aunt Mary's. She has five dogs of her own and I just love playing with them. I'm sure they feel the same way. Well, maybe not Sassy. Anyway, I was really looking forward to visiting with them and then I heard Daddy tell Mommy that he would like for me to stay home while Mommy is gone. Mommy said she was trying to help Daddy by sending me to Aunt Mary's, but Daddy said he thinks we should have Daddy-Daughter time. I'm not sure what to think of this. Daddy said that he would have a little talk with me. I think he is concerned with my management skills, which I believe are quite effective and necessary. For example, what would Mommy and Daddy do if I weren't around to manage Buster and Huck when they decide to get rowdy? My bark and perseverance come in handy in a household of five dogs. I mean, my mommy and daddy can't do it alone! Hopefully, I will be able to remind Daddy of my valuable role in our home. If that doesn't work, I'll have to pull out the "daddy's-little-girl" charm. Wish me lucky, Diary.

Gus: Happy New Year!

My mom got real busy during Christmas, so she kept forgetting to remind us to write in our blog. Sometimes we need a little prodding. Besides, there are five of us and we each figured the other one would write. Nope, turns out Huck and Buster were spending their free time chewing on the wooden planters and playing in the snow. Abby spent hours barking at Buster for no apparent reason and chasing the purple ball, while Hobbit and I got in a lot of holiday naps. Well, it's a new year, time for a fresh start, so we're making a resolution to write in our diary more often.

I think the last time I wrote I was recovering from our Christmas card photo shoot. Phew, that went on a bit too long for me. I even got up and walked off the set a couple of times. I mean, 30 pictures is quite enough, don't you think? Well, out of the 30, Mom managed to find one to use for our Christmas card. Here are a few outtakes from the debacle, er, photo shoot.

Happy New Year! Here's to good health, yummy treats, and snuggle time with your loved ones.

Signed,
Gus

Huck: PINE!

Oh my gosh! What is this stuff? It's sticky and tickley and smells so good! I love to fling it in the air and then catch it. Then I like to do it again. And again. And again! My mom doesn't seem so thrilled though. She said it doesn't belong in my mouth. In my defense I found it hanging on the deck railing - at snout height - and thought she had left it there for me. Maybe she is not happy because she spent time hanging about 40 feet of that green stuff. She loves to decorate for Christmas and one of her favorite things is "draping the garland" (her words, not mine) on the deck with white lights. Um, I don't think that's gonna happen this year. Well, I'll let her worry about it because on top of this great find, it's snowing again! Woo hoo! 

Gotta go. I'm pining to get back outside. *Bada bing*

Signed,

Huck

Notice the missing strand of garland from the deck railing. Mom's right, it really was kinda pretty.

Huck: SNOW!!!

I woke up this morning and there was white stuff falling from the sky! I ran outside and jumped for joy! SNOW! I've heard my mom talk about it and I couldn't wait to see it for myself. I like how it tickles my nose and crunches under my paws. When I run across the deck I slip and slide. Oh, what fun! My brothers and sister even joined me. They wouldn't play with me outside last night because it was raining so hard, but they were out there with me today. Gus was like a puppy again! Abby was chasing the big blue ball through the yard and Buster kept poking at me to play with him. (Hobbit kinda just stood there, but he did bark at us a couple of times.) I wish it would snow everyday!

Signed,
Huck

"I would like to go back indoors now. Thank you."

Gus: Phew. Glad that's over.

Hi, Diary. I'm Gus. I know I'm the last to write, but my other siblings were so eager to introduce themselves, I decided to let them go first. I'm a patient boy, so I didn't mind waiting. Besides I'm in no hurry. I spend a lot of my time napping. I'm 11 1/2 years old, my legs are arthritic, I'm losing my hearing, and I live in a house with four other dogs. That can make an older guy tired. The great thing is I get to sleep upstairs on Mom and Dad's bed anytime I want - and that's pretty much all the time. I lie there with my stuffed animals Molly Meerkat and Sebastian Bunny. My mom gives me kisses and my dad does a great job scratching my back. I don't think life could get any better.

My full name is Augustus McCray. My dad named me after a lead character in the movie Lonesome Dove, one of his favorites. As you know by now, my dad is big on nicknames. Mine are Gussie, Big Bunny and Roo Bear. I've been with Mom and Dad since 1999 when my mom found me wandering the candy aisle in a 7-11. I was just a little pup, only six months old. She couldn't leave me there, of course, but she couldn't take me home because Dad and she were leaving for vacation the next day, plus they already had two dogs, Bogey and Annie. (I miss them. Annie and I understood each other and Bogey and I were buddies. The two of us snuggled and he licked my ears a lot. Oh, I looooooved that.) So, to Mom and Dad, two dogs were plenty. (Can you imagine?) Mom's only option was to take me to the local animal shelter. She left me in their care with directions to contact her if I didn't get adopted. She called to check on me when she got back from vacation and they told her I had found a home. Well, three months later at the Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade the shelter director told Mom I was still there! Mom was really upset that such a mix-up had happened causing me to live in that shelter for so long. She came home and told Dad and he said, "Bring him home." I was pretty frisky those first few months, but I eventually grew into a very well-behaved doggy. I do have a few nervous ticks, though. For example, I nibble on the bedspread a lot, and sometimes I chase my tail when I get excited. But Mom and Dad don't mind my quirks. They say I have a sweet and gentle soul. They call me an angel.

Yesterday, though, I'd had enough. It was the day that Mom planned to take our picture for this year's Christmas card. She'd spent time searching the right location to take the picture, moved a bench to that spot, set up the tripod, checked the sun and shadows, and tested various settings on her camera. Then she ushered Dad and the rest of us outside for our portrait sitting, which involved a lot of tangled leashes and some confusion. As hard as Mom worked to make everything just right, it still ended up being the worst photo shoot to date. I have to agree. First of all, I just wasn't in the mood. Because I am such a good boy, it's pretty well established that I can do whatever I want around this house, and, well, I didn't feel like sitting still for a picture. I even got up and left a couple of times. Buster wasn't exactly doing his part either. I guess we older guys have done one too many of these things. Anyway, Mom took 30 pictures. Yes, 30. And only one may be good enough for the Christmas card. Mom is kind of disappointed, but she is going to do her best to make the picture work because she doesn't want to go through another portrait sitting. She's not the only one.

Phew. I need a nap.

Signed,

Gus