Well, that was less than a full success

This weekend was the start of spring break at the university where Benjamin teaches, so we decided to take advantage of his relative freedom and go backpacking. We also wanted to get in at least one overnight trip to the woods this year before I get too big to enjoy sleeping on the ground and tromping through the woods with a large pack on my back. Since it was sort of a last minute trip, and because I had been wanting to give it a try, we took Miikka with us. Now, he is a very good hiker, especially for a dog with such short legs, but, and this is now a huge but, he is a terrible camper.

For starters, the day was quite warm - not for Arkansas in general, compared to the actual heat of summer, but for March, 80 with lots of humidity is still a bit much - and he doesn't really like the heat. I guess that is understandable, what with his fur coat and short legs that put him close to the ground, but it is sort of a pain when it comes to going for walks or the occasional hike. And the path was primarily composed of chunks of crushed granite or other rocks, so I am sure it was not comfortable for his paws. All understandable reasons why he wasn't at his best on the 4 miles in to the campsite. I wasn't at my best either. So, while the hike wasn't his finest hour, the problem that disqualifies him from all future camping trips was yet to reveal itself.

No, that came after dark, once we were all in the tent, preparing to get some much-needed sleep. When he started growling and wuffing at every crackle in the bushes, and every owl hoot. For hours. We would just manage to drift off, and he would hear something else and wuff. It wasn't full-fledged barking, except once (when I went out to find a tree and left him behind), but at close range, in a tent, while trying to sleep on hard ground... As Benjamin put it, the thing about sleeping on the ground is that you have to fall asleep fast enough that you don't really notice how uncomfortable you are. With Miikka grring and wuffing, that was impossible. Also, I am not supposed to sleep on my back, so I had to keep alternating from side to side to keep my arms and hips from falling asleep or getting too sore, but my sleeping bag is a mummy sack that doesn't do well with lots of wiggling - it gets all twisted. It didn't help that I was also trying to cuddle Miikka into submission, so he was on my bag or my arm for quite a while. In hindsight, I should have realized that his tendency to bark at random noises in the dark of our backyard would carry over to the woods. But in my defense, I honestly thought that he would settle down once we got into our sleeping bags and petted him for a bit. I thought he would enjoy being allowed to sleep with us, something he never does at home. I was wrong.

We eventually got a few hours uninterrupted sleep, but it took a long time to get there, and it didn't last nearly long enough.

So, Taking Miikka Camping can go down in the annals as one of those supposedly fun things I will never do again.

Puppy for Thursday

Miikka loves a good sunbeam as much as an cat. In the mornings, a nice big one moves across our living room floor, and given the chance, he will follow it. To the bitter end, as you can see above. Once it disappears completely, he usually goes outside to bask on the deck. Some days, Creamsicle is right there beside him in the sunbeam.

OK, this is getting old

Enjoying the sleeping bag I slept in for a while last night

You are getting Miikka pictures because I have spent four of the last five days on my couch, and he is the only bit of scenery I have had lately. Why would I do such a lazy sort of thing, you may well ask? Because I have a cold. A mean cold that was deceptively mild at first, then started to get nasty. I mean, after spending Wednesday afternoon and Thursday lolling around in a state of malaise, Friday morning I thought myself if not fully recovered, at least well enough to return to work. Wrong - by Friday evening I was worse than I had been, with an unpleasant cough to boot. That cough and its friend sinus pressure stuck around all day Saturday and Sunday, and are just now starting to recede (fingers crossed that they are indeed going away). The thing is, I can't tell if this cold is worse than any I have had in recent years, or if it is just that I can't take any of the most expedient cold remedies on account of the infant inconvenience (to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite novels) and thus just feel if more keenly. Either way, I hope the cold is on the way out, because my couch is starting to feel molded to my body. And as much as I enjoy being home during the day and having the dog sit on me all the time, I am ready to be up and about.

Giving me the stink-eye for disturbing his nap with paparazzi photos.

February snow storm

Sorry it has taken a couple of days to get back to snow storm reporting - it is just that the weather has been so nice the last couple of days, idyllic really, that I wasn't ready to plunge back into snow. And there was quite a bit of it, as you can see. All told, probably 5 or 6 inches on our deck.

It snowed all day Wednesday, from about 7 AM to at least 7 PM.  Thursday, although cold, was clear and lovely.

As you can see, only one vehicle made the trip up (or down, not entirely sure which) our street by Thursday morning. Under all that snow was a sheet of ice that made walking a bit tricky, until the sun really got the pavement warmed up.

The city actually plowed the big hill leading up to our street, and once the sun got high enough, the roads melted quickly. That is the nice thing about living farther south - the sun is pretty strong, even in February.  This expanse of whiteness was already melting about an hour later, and large patches of road were visible.

Despite being buried up to his chest in the deep parts, Miikka loved the snow. He hopped around like an arctic fox and walked with his nose plowing through the snow. No need for a sweater on this one.

I am pretty sure that we won't be having any more winter weather - more cold days, since this 65 degree perfection can't be expected to last forever (not that I would mind if it did), but no more snow. It is getting too close to spring for that now. At least, I hope so. I like winter, and I was OK with having it for 4 months in New York, but people here aren't prepared for it, and besides, it is almost spring.

And Miikka is ready to start digging holes in the dirt - doesn't freeze the snout that way.

Dastardly Duo of Destruction

Upon my return from the gym this morning, I encountered Benjamin in an agitated state, rifling through his school bag. When I inquired as to the difficulty, he replied that he couldn't find his gym membership card, and had been looking for it for the last 10 minutes. Since the last place either of us had seen it was on the bookshelf that Creamsicle uses as her bridge from the living room to the rest of the house, I became suspicious. My initial thought was that she had knocked it off sometime in the last day, and Miikka, ever willing to destroy found objects, had taken his teeth to it. And what do you know, I was right. After Benjamin left for the gym, and I promised to keep looking, I found the card, or what was left of it, on the porch.  Miikka must have carried his trophy out with him at some point when we weren't paying attention. He was in and out so much last night, that it would have been fairly easy for him to do.

Sometimes, quitting is the right thing to do

Last night, I quit Miikka's obedience class. We are half-way through the 8-week course, and I had just had enough.  What I wanted - more practice on self-control for Miikka, more practice on stay and down, and general better home behavior - was not what was on offer in the class we were in. Instead, it was focused on show ring obedience - staying for an infinitely long time with squeaky toys and treats being offered as distractions, heeling perfectly and sitting precisely parallel to my feet - none of which Miikka did well at, nor did I. To be fair, the class was what it claimed to be; however, the description on the website did not make clear just how much emphasis would be placed on show behavior.

So I quit. I have no intention of ever trying to show Miikka in obedience. If I even want to compete in anything ever, it would be in agility, and though we need certain obedience commands there, I don't have to worry quite so much about the eternal stay or the perfect parallel sit. After class, while explaining myself (without mentioning my objections to the assistant teacher - she was totally condescending and didn't even give me a chance to show what Miikka could do before she tried to "make" him do things, not a good idea with him - and the physical correctives applied to the dogs, and the pinch collar incident) the teacher suggested that I might want to try the Canine Good Citizen class instead. And indeed I might, and I might have signed up for it instead, if it was even mentioned on the website anywhere. I just checked, and it isn't mentioned anywhere except on the class application. Sigh. Anyway, the class coordinator suggested I audit a class in a week or so, and if I want to take that class next session, I could do it for free, as a make-up or retake.

I hate quitting anything. It isn't in my nature to give up on something, even when it would be better for me to do so. Taking that step last night was hard, but I know it is the right choice for both Miikka and me. I want my training time with Miikka to be fun and enjoyable, not flusterating (as one of the teachers put it last night). I also know that not every training session will be pleasant, but I am going to do the best I can.

Miikka and autumn

Oh no, my dog lost his head!

 Miikka has been enjoying the fall weather as much as we have. On Friday, when I stayed home from work with a cold, he spent the day lying around near the door (or part way through it) or running around the back yard, playing in the leaves. He has been full of extra energy too, especially in the evenings. Instead of being tired out by the heat and humidity, he is bouncy and mischievous and ready for play.

One content pup.

Some mornings, when he is curled on the couch, and looking oh so cute, it is almost painful to leave. I just want to snuggle up with him and play in the leaves myself.

Miikka and Creamsicle

Miikka and Creamsicle have become good buddies. Creamsicle can't stand the other cats, and the other cats can't stand Miikka, but they get along just fine.  They have a game worked out where Miikka dodges around her, woofing and poking at her with his nose. In return, she hisses and swipes at him. Yes, this doesn't sound like fun or play, but it really is. She flops down, inviting him to go after her, and if needed, she can take him down with a vicious left paw-hook.  When she is tired of playing, she gets on the hatbox that sits in the living room, and he knows to leave her alone.

Puppy Pool Party!

Don't know where all the dogs went during this photo, but there were a lot of them.

On Saturday, the Maumelle Community Center pool was transformed into a puppy pool for a puppy pool party, benefiting the Maumelle Friends of the Animals.  Since Miikka loves playing in water that comes from a hose, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to see if he liked swimming.

Mama, what have you done to me?

Short answer: no. Long answer: still no.  He was somewhat intimidated by all the big dogs and their outsized exuberance - at one point, he and Benjamin were vaulted by a Great Dane - and water deeper than his toes.

OK, you made me swim. Can I get out now?

He followed me into deeper water where he was forced to swim, and he was actually quite good at it (I also took him in to the deeper water and let him go - he streaked back to the side of the pool) but did not enjoy it.

I'd rather just watch from here, thanks.

Too bad.  The retrieving dogs seemed to be having a lot of fun, jumping in after tennis balls.  Benjamin and I decided that, had the pool been filled with mud, then Miikka might have enjoyed the swim more. Ah well. Guess he will have to stick to chasing the hose and digging ankle traps in the yard.

Wednesday Miikka Cuteness

Miikka says "You are too late, I gave it all away already."

 I'm feeling a bit draggy and out-of-sorts today (instead of going to the gym, I ended up sitting on the floor of my closet for 10 minutes, petting cats and dozing, before I went back to bed for a while). So, you get a cute picture of Miikka, the beer delivery dog. He loves him some cardboard boxes, and six pack holders are perfect for carrying and tearing to pieces.

Miikka on Monday

It has been a little while since I posted Miikka pictures, so here are some to brighten your Monday. No, that is not a giant toilet paper tube - if came from the giant printer we have at work. Miikka enjoyed destroying it.

Sometimes, Miikka takes a break from destroying paper tubes and chasing squirrels. Sometimes he even joins me for a relaxing afternoon siesta on the couch.

He and Creamsicle get along fairly well, as seen here. Some days he prefers to chase her though. She does not appreciate such rude behavior.

Me, rude? Never. This is his best cute, I'm-not-really-a-trouble-pup face. It works all the time.

I am about to go get some squirrels for you Mama! Watch me go. See the path he has forged between the bushes? He takes a flying leap and hits the ground running.

We had a cookout/potluck at our house on Saturday night.  Looks like someone had a good time at the party! He was too tired to even start to destroy this box.

Miikka goes hiking

 A view from Mt. Nebo

I have more pictures of Amsterdam to share, but since we just passed a national holiday, it seems like a good time to take a quick break and go for a hike. Not that we actually went hiking this past weekend - this trip was back over Memorial Day, while Benjamin's dad was visiting.  We wanted to show him some of the surrounding territory and go for a good hike that was a good length but not too long or too far away.  Mt. Nebo seemed to fit the bill, so away we went.

The day was hot and sunny, but otherwise not too bad for hiking. Benjamin and I last hiked Nebo in January of last year, when it was cold and ice hid in the shadows under the rocks. No such trouble this time.

Miikka, the Mighty Hiker

Once again, Miikka proved to be a great hiker. He had so much fun bounding over rocks and trotting down the trail.  In a few spots the rocks were too big for him and he had to be lifted up or down, but otherwise, he did the whole thing on his own.

The only hitch was the ticks. Lots and lots of ticks. We named the spot where we ate lunch Tick Hollow, because they were crawling all over us as we munched our sandwiches.  I picked more than 20 off of Miikka in the days following, and at least 10 off myself. *shudder* But, apart from the ticks, I heartily recommend Mt. Nebo. Just bring the super-duper bug spray...

A few Miikkas for a break

Here are a couple of Miikka pictures to hold you over until I return from vacation.  It is really too bad that he had to look up as I took this picture, because you cannot see just how deep that hole is. Very. And oops, it looks like I need to fill the bird feeders.

And here is Miikka, with the remains of his third blankie, looking wistfully at me, waiting for me to come home. I am sure he will have a fine time with my dad, and get to do all sorts of things we don't let him do. Just as long as my couch is intact when I return...

Friday Miikka

Miikka says Happy Friday! I say, Thank Goodness! I am plum tuckered out by this week. I have been working myself hard during my gym trips and exercise video times. Staying up too late listening to Mariners games (of which they have not won a single one). And going to work, of course. But the weekend approaches, and next week is a short one. We are heading on vacation, leaving my dad will be in charge of the house, yard and menagerie (let us hope that Miikka does not drive him crazy. Would such a cute face do such a thing?). Not the blog though, so it will be on a vacation too. Before I go, however, I hope to have a few more rose pictures and a vegetable garden update.

Friday Miikka Flop

A couple of pictures of Miikka, playing tug, one of his favorite games.

It often devolves into Miikka Flop. Then he gets dragged around the living room and kitchen on his back or his belly until one of us gets tired.

Our April Hike

We just managed to squeak in a short hike in April. At one point, I had visions of backpacking and sleeping in a tent for my birthday, but what with lots of grading to be done on Benjamin's part, and lots of gardening and errands on mine, it just didn't happen.  This past weekend, however, we decided that it was too nice not to go hiking.

We chose to go to Hillary Hollow, part of the Ouachita Trail southwestish of Little Rock. We had been there before, the day after Thanksgiving this past year, and really wanted to come back for spring.  It was so much greener (well, duh), and although I think we missed the majority of the wildflowers, there were still plenty to see and enjoy.

Miikka had a bit of a treat: we let him do most of the hike off-leash. On our daily walks around the neighborhood, we have let him do this for very short periods, but there are just too many ways for him to get into trouble: squirrels, cats, cars, the road... On previous hikes, we have experimented with off-leash hiking, but never for very long. I have been nervous to try it for a longer stretch because if he gets interested in something, he goes deaf, and will not come.  But, it was a nice day, there were no other hikers, and I didn't want to hold the leash the whole time, so off he went. 

Miikka, mid-run - notice the ears?

He did a very good job.  Most of the time, he was between Benjamin and I, on the trail.  Sometimes, he would lag behind, and then have to run to catch up. When we stopped for a break, he roamed around the area quite happily, playing in the leaves (and picking up ticks), and romping around. On the way back I had to put him on the leash earlier than I had planned, simply because he no longer felt the need to be a follower, and wanted to take the lead on the trail.  That would have been fine, if I could have called him to me from time to time, but he was rather stubbornly deaf. Ah well. He had fun while it lasted.

The end of the hike did see a little mishap, involving me, a rock, and the round.  Miikka was tugging the leash, and I wasn't paying attention to my feet.  As a result, I stepped awkwardly and twisted or rolled my ankle. Luckily, my hiking boots protected me from too much damage, and I escaped with only a minor injury.

Everybody say aw...

Here is a Thursday dose of cute for you. Notice the dirt ring around his nose that is evidence of his digging. Digging up my rose bush, again, are you buster?

Bulbs, tomatoes, and jessamine, oh my!

I have so many pictures to share, I don't know where to start. This unknown plant is in my backyard. It must be a bulb of some kind, but I haven't a clue as to its name.

Miikka has been helping us around the yard a lot lately. He loves it when I weed, or pick up sticks, or mow the lawn, or dig a hole. Or water the plants, or put up fences to keep him away from the newly-planted plants... On Sunday, I had to lock him in the house while I mowed, because he thought it was so incredibly fun to bark constantly while dancing around the mower.  Now, we have a reel-type push mower, so he wasn't in any danger, well, no danger from the mowing machine at least... And we have had to erect yet another fence, this one around the vegetable garden, to keep him off the lovely dirt and the seeds we planted.

On Saturday, we finally got a chance to go to a garden center and pick out some plants. So far, we have three tomato plants (plus two cherry tomato plants in pots on the deck), and Benjamin planted seeds for lettuce, collard greens, carrots, beans, basil and snow peas. In addition, we have two large pots of potatoes.  Whew. We have so much lovely dirt left that we might just start another garden bed.

In addition to the vegetables, we bought a lime tree, (no pictures of that at the moment), several geraniums, two kinds of peppers, and a small planter of lettuce. They are all in pots on the deck.  I also have mint, lemon balm, oregano, and parsley.  I planted seeds for can nip and sweet peas.

And to cap it off, we have Swamp Jessamine (isn't it a lot prettier than its name?) and a lilac bush. Both smell heavenly and are buzzing with bees and butterflies.

I do love spring!

Dog Camp

While we were away this past weekend, Miikka went to stay at Dog Camp with junior counselors Percy and Jessie.
He fit right in as part of the pack, joining in all the games and generally getting in the way.

Percy allowed senior counselor Betty and Miikka to share the couch, occasionally.

And he learned a few bad habits from Percy and Jessie, and has generally been a bit barkier since he came home, if that is possible. Now he is back to being an only dog, and he seems to enjoy that too. He has let me hold him quite a bit, and he has, for the most part, behaved himself.

Funny Animals

Creamsicle sure likes her cider!

I am fighting a nasty cold and don't have anything insightful or even interesting to say, but I do have some animal pictures that I haven't posted yet!

Too bad the squirrel's legs are too short to get the swing going.

The weather is great today, and the plants in the yard are all starting to get leaves and/or buds. Soon it will be time to plant vegetables. But for now, it is time for naps in the sun.