Happy Birthday Freddy!

Fred is 4 years old today!

As cliche' as it sounds, it really seems like it was just yesterday when we first met. 

You are my little ray of sushine! 

Happy Birthday big guy!

Flea Market Style Givaway!

My friend Misha From My Front Porch In the Mountains has a neat give away going on, on her blog. I spoke about her in my last post. She truly has the magic touch when it comes to decorating on a budget.  Tell her Freddy's Mom sent ya. 

Fred's Wrath, Or How To Entertain A Boston On A Budget

Hmmmm, what on earth is Fred doing...

I was perusing one of my many favorite blogs From my front porch in the mountains. (Neat blog by the way, you should visit) In this particular post Misha talks about the never ending task of inspecting and sorting through the myriad of dog toys that she has. She mentioned that she goes to thrift stores to get some of the toys for her furry friends and I thought to myself, "what a great idea". I hate spending incredible amounts of cash on toys that Fred will destroy in mere minutes. So last week I headed out searching for toys for Fred that wouldn't break the bank. It didn't take long until I found the mother lode. I knew I didn't want plush toys that had those bean things in them, I just wanted plain old stuffing. I narrowed my purchase on two.Total cost, $2.00, even I can afford that.

 The first of many "victims"

 This is after Fred has had his way with them for a while...They are actually holding up better than I thought. He made quick work of the eyes though. I don't blame him, I really don't like to be watched by my food either. (why do some people leave the heads on trout when they serve it to you?)

Fred was in dog heaven! He immediately got to work...

"Nrr grr grr nrrr..snort"

"I need to get both of these guys at the same time, they are goin' down!"

 I think he is in a trance. Somehow my socks got in the mix too...

The following week I took another trip to the thrift store. Just one this time. $1.00

Deeno the Dino?
Fred had already got to this one before I could take a picture.

This poor guy didn't have a chance, the velour covering was no match for Fred. Which leads me to that noise your heard earlier...

He's really going to town.

Here is a little clearer video, oh, what I wouldn't give for a decent video camera.

The good thing is Fred won't eat the stuffing, he just enjoys the destruction. Well, at least he doesn't actually try to swallow any. I was cleaning up the yard the other day and I did see some bits of white here and there, which is really a bummer for Fred. When that happens, he usually ends up with some "hangers on", or what I like to call them, "danglers" after he does his "business". This is a problem for Fred, he doesn't know what to do about it and he ends up staring up at me with big wide eyes shivering pathetically, and won't move, seriously, like a statue. At least not until I figure out what the problem is and deal with it...then it's completely my problem.

Any hoo... Back to the fun stuff. It is really amazing how much stuffing can get stuffed into one of these things. It's like it grows after he pulls it out. It just keeps coming and coming endlessly.

He went right for the jugular

" Um, do you mind? I'm kinda busy right now"

 So for the last few weeks, I've been picking up the "entrails" but you know, I really don't mind. It fun to see Fred have so much fun tearing it up. He's in heaven. and it's easy to scoop up and toss in the trash.

 Ahhh, my little carnivore...So precious!

I bought this one at Petco quite a while back. I'm pretty sure it set me back $14.00 bucks. "Guaranteed" indestructible. I am so gullible. This one had three different squeaky thingy's in it. Fred made quick work of those and I really had to watch him when he was tearing it up too. I think I have finally learned my lesson.

The aftermath

Total Carnage

There's still some stuffing left in the feet, well, 3 anyway. Now it's really fun for him to just shake the crap out of it. I mean, he shakes it so hard he actually comes off the ground while shaking and twirling and snarling! I have never seen him do this so vigorously, cracks me up every time. He's really having a blast with his new friends.

The Master!

Fred's New Boots!

The other day my daughter and I were out shopping around and she picked up these little numbers and I knew right then, Fred "needed" these. We were in for a "snow event", in my neck of the woods that means it may or may not snow, mostly not. I looked at the price, they were marked down, pretty reasonable and went for it. Giggling the whole time. We couldn't wait to get these things on Fred. Poor guy, he had no idea what was to come. After much wrangling and finagling, We finally got them on.

"What am I supposed to do with these things?". "What just happened?"

Naturally, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to record his "first steps". I was going to try to edit and clean this up so to speak, but I gave up, so here is the unedited version of Fred's first attempt. Please pardon the giggling and shaky camera work...
The ticking noise you hear right at the beginning is Molly making brownies. If you look close, watch his little tail, it's wagging like crazy.

I quickly grabbed my other camera that still had battery power and continued...At about the 45 second mark, Fred makes a pretty "slick" little turn move. I was surprised at how quickly he started to get pretty used them. I think he enjoyed the attention too.

He was really a trooper throughout this ordeal.  Soon after the "filming", I took the boots off. I think he probably would have left them on, silly dog. I did end up returning them. It was pretty difficult to get them on and I'm pretty sure Buddy would have given Fred plenty of grief. So I spared him the humiliation, from the cat that is...

"What's so funny?"

Oh, and the snow event?  Well, it snowed all night, I guess, and was gone before I got up...Naturally. That's what we call a non event.

Just a Little Something

Happy New Year!

This has nothing to do with Fred, I just wanted to share something I found while I was looking for a creative way to say thank you for the gifts I received for Christmas via online. It's called Paperless Post. I still think it is always nice to receive  and send a thank you note or just a regular note through the regular mail. Sometimes, I just want to send an quick something to someone and I think this particular site was pretty neat. This site doesn't make you download any "extras" onto your tool bar or anything,. In fact you don't have to download anything at all. For starters, you get 25 free "stamps"  which for me, will last quite some time I also noticed that if you need more "stamps" the pricing is very reasonable. Anyway, I just thought I would pass along. I just sent a card to my sister and it turned out pretty nice. Here is the link if you are interested. Paperless Post

There are ways to "earn" stamps too by inviting friends, or "liking" it on Facebook. I don't think I did that by sharing it here, that wasn't my goal. I just thought it was pretty neat.

Semi Wordless Wednesday

He worships this space heater...

"zzzzzzz"

"what?"

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Your giggle for the day

I just had to share...Gotta love those Bostons! Please click on the link.
2011/11/boston-terrier-mashup-sexy-and-i-know-it

Wordless Wednesday

Fred, A Fashion Show

I know it's been a while since I have posted a Fred ism. Since the season's have changed, our activities really haven't been that blog worthy. Thank you to those who have checked in with with me, it means a lot.

Thank you for all of your comments and ideas that you shared on my last  post. I am happy to report that we have reached an agreement and Fred is now perfectly fine sleeping in his Snoopy bed as long as he is covered up. We have yet to get seriously cold outside, maybe one or two nighst of frost. When it does come, I think we are prepared...
Since my last post, I have managed to pull out the cold weather attire that I have for Fred and I thought I would share a little fashion show of the various articles of clothing that I have for Fred for the crummy weather that is now upon us .

Lounge Wear

The "Snuggie"

"You look ridiculous Fred!"

"C'mon Buddy, we're still friends, right? I feel ridiculous. I can't move my legs!"

Day Wear

I love how the pockets are set all the way up on the the middle of his back, not sure what the deal is.

"Again, limited movement here Mom."

"And...it's ITCHY!"

Outdoor Wear

"I like this one. It's comfortable and I can move my legs."

Last year, we had a pretty decent snow "event" and somehow, Fred managed to lose this one in the snow and I had to wait quite a while for the snow to melt until I could find it. I think the cat ripped it off of him and hid it. It was in a very obscure spot.

Running errands, traveling clothes

Fred is glued to that sunny spot when the sun shines. The only time Fred is not in the same room with me is when the sun shines in the front room. He got very excited when I put this on him. He thought we were going to go somewhere. It was difficult for me to get a decent picture.

I have to say, this one is my favorite coat, I like the red and black combination for Fred. Very outdoorsy. I think he likes it too.

Stylin!

Going for a walk wear

This little set up has made our walks so much more enjoyable. A regular collar just chokes him, even if there is very gentle pulling. This completely eliminates that problem.

And of course, you all remember....

Swimwear!

You can read about this one here

I hope you have enjoyed our little pageant. I know I did.

As for Fred...you be the judge ;-)

Fred Woke Me Up This Morning

I woke up a little before 4:00 AM. I had no idea why I was awake, I just was. Something woke me up.

Soon after my home improvements this summer, I decided to adjust the sleeping arrangements between Fred and I. As you well know, I love Fred, dearly, not to the point of weirdness, but he means the world to me. Pretty much all of his little life, he has slept in the bed with me, under the covers.  For the most part it’s worked fine, kind of. His hair is very coarse and he sheds plenty of it. It can be penetrating at times. This can drive a person crazy, it’s itchy. Once, I was walking in my bare feet around the house and one of his hairs poked into my foot like a sliver. I had to get the tweezers to remove it, it was weird and it really hurt. That’s how coarse it is.

Well, it was time for Fred to sleep in his own bed, his snoopy bed, which he readily sleeps in during the day. It was going to be a warm night and I just didn’t want to deal with the “snuggler”, the hair, or the occasional kick that he’s famous for. I put the snoopy bed on my bed, had a “conversation” with Fred about the new arrangement and he reluctantly agreed. That was about mid July when we started our  new “arrangement” and it has worked out very good since then, actually it’s worked out really good, for me anyway. Fred, not so much.

Even though it’s getting into the upper 40’s to low 50’s at night, I still like to have my ceiling fan on and my window cracked open just a bit when I sleep, I just do. It is very stifling for me if I don't have at least a window open a little. I know this can be an issue for Fred so I have tried to make sure that Fred will stay warm while he is in his snoopy bed. It is a challenge. You see, Fred won’t get a winter coat and the Boston breed only has one layer of fur, unlike most dogs, or animals for that matter. Most animals have 2 or more layers. He just isn’t very well equipped for the temps to be too hot or too cold. So before I go to sleep at night I make sure Fred is comfortable and covered up. By covered up I mean covered up. Completely tucked under my old sweatshirt that I use for his top blanket. No nose peeking out, nothing. Most nights he stays that way all night. He really is a funny little guy.

Very cozy snoopy bed

I tucked the snoopy bed into my old robe for extra comfort.



Obviously he's sticking out here, it wouldn't really be that interesting if he wasn't.




Apparently at some point very early this morning, his covers came off,  he made sure I was aware of his plight. He was cold.

As I lay there, trying to figure out why I was awake, I started hearing various noises coming from Fred's direction, not ordinary Fred noises, I heard heavy sighing, an occasional high whine, and a teeth chattering like sound. Ah Ha! Mystery solved! Fred was cold and he needed me to do something about it...NOW. As soon as I glanced in his direction, he POPPED out of his snoopy bed like a shot and stood above me, stared at me with his huge eyes and shivered.

Now here’s where it gets tricky. I know I could just I let him climb into the bed with me and get right back to sleep, that would be the easy thing to do. However, if I do that, I am basically telling him it’s OK to wake me up in order for him to get under the covers. This just isn’t OK for me, I’ve really been enjoying my space a lot and I want this sleeping arrangement to continue. If I let him do it once, it will become his norm, one time, that’s all it takes with Fred. So I compromised, in a way. I let him sleep on the pillow by my head. At first, Fred was quite happy just to be near me and I almost dozed off. Then the whining, chattering and shivering started, again. He was still chilly and I knew it. He was totally flying off the charts on the cuteness scale too. So of course, I started smiling because he was so cute. I probably laughed out loud. Well, since I was smiling and laughing, that was his cue  to really turn on the pathetic adorableness, the whole thing was perpetuating. It was all I could do to not just grab him and snuggle the crap out of him. But I didn’t, and it was very hard for me to resists. Fred knows very well how to push my buttons in order for him to get his way, and that’s one of them. Instead, I got up. By then it was a little after 5:00 AM, I was wide awake.

"What? No, I don't want to get up, it's too early. I can't open my eyes."

I came downstairs, made my coffee and I have been cuddling and snuggling with Fred ever since. It’s now 9:30 AM. I have been up for hours.

"This was NOT what I had in mind"
Me neither pal...

I am really not sure who the winner is here.

Tonight, I think I am going to put a heating pad in his bed, set it on the lowest setting and see how that goes. It has an auto shut off feature and it's pretty much brand new, which is good, just not sure if this will be the solution.

Any thoughts?

Fred's in love...

The other day, I blogged about Fred's swimming adventure. While we were there, every once and a while Pup would actually stop swimming for a bit and try to relax. When she did this, Fred figured it was a good time to try to get "acquainted" a little better. Granted Pup is a girl and Fred, well, he's a boy, but that's about it. Both dogs have been responsibly, "altered". However, Fred spent most of his spare time, trying to get Pup to notice him. Poor guy, he really gave her his best "moves" too.
Alas, she just wasn't interested. I guess size doesn't matter, not in Fred's world anyway.

"Hey baby, wanna get lucky?"

Fred Swims!

I am sorry it's been so long since my last blog. The weather here finally started acting like summer, so I've pretty much been doing things outside as much as possible.

Anyway, today, my daughter and I went to the river with her room-mates dog Pup, and of course Fred.

She's only 4 but she really didn't want anything to do with Fred. Great dog though.

It was a terrific day to be at the river. Not too much wind, just enough to keep it pleasant. It was a perfect day to take Fred for a swim.

Fred's not real fond of the water and I don't think he ever will be. He will never go in the water by himself, I don't think. He might go in if I was all the way in, but, like Fred, I'm not a big fan of the water either. Who knows. I think it was good good for him to see another dog fetching and swimming though.

If you look close, you can see water drops flying off Pup's tail. (above), you probably have to click on the photo to see it better.

Here is a little video I put together of Fred swimming.

He so funny. He actually climbed up into that chair, I am sitting in a chair next to him. He would've preferred to sit with me, of course, but that wasn't gonna happen. So he sat in that chair and acted pretty pathetic.

I like the way Pup's tail is flagging by in this picture. Not sure if Fred appreciates it though.

It doesn't get much better than this for me!

Not long after, we set the chairs up on dry land. The wake from the boats and jet skis was getting pretty obnoxious and my chair kept shifting. So we moved onto dry land and I set Fred up on a towel.

Much better!

There are some very nice homes on the other side of the river from where we were.

They were too far away for my camera, but I think you get the idea.

The weather is predicted to be like this for quite some time. All I can say is it's about time time summer showed up! I am looking forward to a few more trips to the river while it lasts. (Sorry Fred, you're coming with)