Hell no, I won't go!

When I was in high school, draft dodgers protested the Viet Nam war by yelling, "Hell no, I won't go!" at peace demonstrations. Polly wasn't even a twinkle in her daddy's eye then, but that's what she's crying today.

Mr. P. came home from work and reported that Jack, the guy who gave us Polly 3 years ago because his dachsund hated her, now wants her back. His son moved out and took the dachsund with him, and big, strong Jack wants a little dog to cuddle again.

But Mr. P. told him, "No way. Polly is the wife's favorite dog. You're not getting her back."

I said, "Jack couldn't wait to get rid of her before, and now he wants her back? Oh, no. No, no, no!"

While we discussed this, Polly watched nervously, her big bug eyes sending us messages like, "Please, Mom. Please, Dad. I can't go back there. Don't make me. You can't make me."

As soon as there was a break in the kitchen action (supper preparation), I scooped her up and kissed her and told her, "Don't worry, Polly. You're my baby now and you'll always be my baby."

A weird fungus growing in my study

Yesterday I noticed a weird fungus or mushroom growing in the dusty darkness under my desk. It bears a striking resemblance to Goober, but (unlike Goober) it doesn't screech or bite.

And the walls came tumbling down

I'm not saying that the 9 Dogs Howling HQ is anything like Jericho in the Bible, but it is our own little fortress, and I fear that its walls will soon come tumbling down.

When I left for work yesterday, I managed to get all the big dogs outside except Jinx. I foolishly delayed the dog organizing until after I was dressed for work. Jinx is about the size of a horse now and when I try to bodily move him, he pees on me. Plus, shoving him out the door while 5 other dogs are trying to get back in is not a one-person job. Knowing that Mr. P. would be home in 1-1/2 hrs, I left Jinx with Polly & Georgie and hurried out to work.

And Jinx managed to get quite a lot done in that 1-1/2 hrs. He's not owning up to anything. In fact, he has implied that the crime was most likely committed by one or two snub-nosed dogs, not a long-nosed dog like him. But Georgie is far too lazy to do anything like this, and Polly wouldn't do it unless the wall had been soaked with popcorn flavoring.

So, what was Jinx thinking? Something like this...

Hmmm, she went out that door, maybe if I go after her I can get her back. I'll just chew a little opening here...no, that won't work...maybe here?.....no good....ah, this is the spot!

And he chewed away until he heard the sound of Mr. P.'s truck in the driveway...

Hi, Lukie!

I persuaded my friend Lukie to visit the 9 Dogs blog, so in honor of her visit, I'm posting a photo of Lukie's favorite breed, the Shi Tzu. Don't be fooled by the disguise. These are big, fierce, terrorist dogs in a small, cute, fluffy dog costume.

Is it my turn now?

Goober puts his paws on my leg, thrusts his eager face at mine, and says, "Is it my turn now? You've been playing with the computer for like 89 hours already and you haven't petted me once. Meg won't play with me and I'm so bored! Can we go to Dairy Queen? I'm in the mood for an Oreo Cheesecake Blizzard. C'mon, let's go!"

Blackberry Jam

We have a bumper crop of blackberries this year. Some of them are so big, you could slice them into blackberry steaks. Big, black, juicy, sweet-tart. Just like our other Blackberry (seen here in earlier days). Who, by the way, does not like to eat blackberries. He'd eat pig slop, but not blackberries. Maybe that would be cannibalism?

Fresh from the oven

Nothin says lovin like fresh from the oven...the heiny oven, that is...and Teddy says it best.