Dexter and Tucker Bear

Good day, world. This is Tucker's sister, Dexter.

I will be keeping things going here because Tucker can't get to the computer right now. I am a little older and a little wiser, I think. He was way more trusting of others than I have ever been. I was raised in a city during my formative years. I learned myself that those were not tobacco cigarettes the kids were smoking in the park back in San Francisco.

But the truth is that Tucker's magnanimous spirit and goodness needs a place to inhabit online forever. So I will share some of the good things that I see around me to honor that.

Besides, I like to make lists. And tell other dogs, babies, and short people what to do. Just like I told Tucker to go sit in the snow the other year. And he DID IT! Ha!

Anyhow, here is a song that makes me think of him. Music is a good thing, and it brings joy to the world. He was my friend, Tucker Bear. I just change the lyrics to be Dexter and her Tucker Bear. Works for me. My dad changes song lyrics all the time (although I don't think he is aware he is doing it).

This Is My Sad Face

Things happen, not always for a reason; sometimes the effects of these things cannot be undone. Some things make us feel good and some make us feel bad.

When it is time for the bad things to happen, we just have to get on with it the best we can. Over the course of a day or days, we find ourselves forgetting about the bad things and back to our normal selves.

But it doesn't mean we forget that it happened or that it didn't happen.

And then a song or a picture or a misplaced motion in a routine make us remember the bad things and we start to feel sad again.

This can go on forever and can make us forget to remember the good things.

Which means we let the bad things win, like a naughty squirrel who escapes out of the yard by jumping from tree limb to tree limb. And this is not a good thing at all.

Rather, I like to look at the bad things as opportunities to inventory the good things I have and have had and make sure I appreciate them as much as I can when I have them.

That way, when I don't have them anymore, I can know that I treated them well and wore them out with love.

And then my sad face resembles more of a perplexed face gazing into the distance of a happy memory. It also helps me save money on tissues (which are fun to eat, by the way).

So , now, let's think about happy memories and remember to forget the bad things. Because those bad things don't help the sun come out at all.

OK folks. Remember to stay curious and stay positive. Because life is a good gift; the best gift is the goodness you give to those you love.

A New Hope

The past few days have witnessed Tucker on the mend. He is sitting and laying down on his own accord, able to smell different things and appears to make out more distinct shapes. His appetite is mostly up and he is drinking like a champ. Most importantly, he is no longer pacing in circles to the point of exhaustion and he seems to get sleep. That may be a result of the medication or the reduction in swelling in the brain, but it is welcomed news all the same.

This was the first morning in a week that he was allowed out of the safety of the kitchen to wander the hous

e and only got stuck once under a side table. He even came up to me at the table to press his cold wet nose against my hand as he has done for so many years.

Things are looking up and we're hoping for a major recovery and our old friend back.

The other dogs, however, have grown accustomed to sleeping in all the large beds and are now a bit perplexed why they have to move to make way for this guy who should be sleeping in the kitchen by their accounts.

Tucker the Dizzy Dog

Tucker doesn't feel very well right now. He would prefer it if the world's axis moved much more rapidly in a clockwise fashion. That way, he could stand or lay still and let things move the way his brain wants them to move.

But soon Tucker will be a happy dog walking straight and smiling. Because he made promises and we are going to hold him to them.

Tucker is love and kindness

The Tucker we know is kind and loving and a goof. He likes playing in dirt, playing in snow, playing on asphalt, playing on grass, playing on carpet, playing on rocks. He would probably enjoy playing on the moon if he could devise a master plan to get there.

Tucker is happy and he is happiness.

Dear Dexter, I bring the world nothing but joy and love. Here is an open-mouth kiss for you.

Much More Than A Pretty Face

So it seems Tucker will rise above the antics of his meddling little brother, Young Harlan Pepper (YHP). It seems that for the past month or so YHP has been telling Tucker to erase his digital footprint for fear of a cyber-attack or worse. So, Tucker, always erring on the side of what would keep his secret identity secret, chose to stop blogging.

Ahem. Then one fine day, Tucker came across this Blog and realized he had been duped once again by the disreputable YHP. Oh, the blood boiled and the whiskers flashed on Tucker's face. But only for a minute, because beneath 60 pounds of fur, Tucker is magnanimous and understanding. And in his wisdom, he knows that he is more than just a blogger with pictures and snappy phrases. He, Tucker, is a dog of deep thought, warm feelings and flickering tail. So he has decided to revise his text and image foray into the electronic note keeping world. And he will welcome, even follow, the fun picture-based blog of his brother, YHP.

Because Tucker, unlike the vain YHP, has been paying attention to the flurry of excitement and the changes around the house. And he thinks his parents might be getting another puppy soon. He will keep everyone posted. Although, his father seems a bit distracted to take the time to help him with the longer posts (he thinks his father may secretly be helping YHP with his blog).

baron is the baby 4evah! (or, an open letter to everyone)

dear everyone,

my name is baron von dachsund, and i would like to point out to you all that i am now, and will forever remain, the baby of my mother's heart. she loves me best among all my siblings, even if she pretends otherwise. who gets the bread crusts? ME! who gets to be on the couch whenever he wants? ME! who gets to sleep under the covers? ME! who gets daddy's undivided attention during fetch-the-sock? ME!

all i'm saying is, any new babies out there, look out. there's already a baby here, and i'm him, so keep on moving. find someone else to play fetch-the-sock with, because there's no more room at this inn.

signed, yours barkingly,
b.v.d.

Apologies to the Squirrel King

Tucker would like to take this time to make his apologies to the squirrel kingdom public. Yesterday, Tucker did something not so nice. There was this nice fluffy tailed critter running along the chain link fence. Tucker decided it would be loads of fun to play with him. So the two of them played "hi there, I am a dog and I will chase you, squirrel" back and forth and back and forth. It was a good game.

Until.
All the fun and excitement caught the attention of Tucker's somewhat less than friendly brother, YHP. YHP, it has been noted in the past, will stare for hours at squirrels like Michael Myers of Halloween lore. He can be a ruthless killer like some prohibition era gangster. YHP has in fact asked for a tommy gun and fedora for Christmas in the past.

Anyhow, once mean Mr. Pepper got involved, there were some regrettable fouls made. And if Tucker's dad hadn't grabbed YHP and helped the little squirrel, it could have been worse. All the shouting of his father and mother even raised the attention of the neighbors. Tucker, for his part, didn't understand that the squirrel was not having fun as he previously believed.

Accidents happened. Mistakes were made.

And for this, he is sorry.

Grandmother Uber Alles

Tucker & co. were happy to have their grandmother come visit them recently. They like her a lot. She is very nice and pets them a lot. She also feeds the apples every day -- something his parents can't seem to grasp as a good idea.

They spent almost 2 whole weeks playing with grandma. They played "everyone crowd the bed" and "let's all follow this person around the house" indoors and "let's run like crazy monkeys" and hey, let's bark at the tree" outdoors.

Tucker thinks it would be super nice to go visit his grandmother in California. He remembers her house as a puppy. He visited his cousin Coco there in 2005. He also remembers Mr. Ninja -- the desert tortoise who nipped at his tail and chased him around the yard. Tucker is 50-50 on whether he wants o hang with Mr. Ninja. But that tortoise is a fun guy when he isn't on a mission to eat flowers.

Tucker's brother, Baron von Dachshund has never been to his grandmother's house. Tucker tells him stories of palm trees and lemon trees and other exotic plants. There are lizards, too. Baron just stares at him dubiously, as if Tucker is making all of this up.

"And where is this magical fantasy land you call 'California' meine Tucker?" Baron asks.


"It's not far. Let's get in the car and go see for ourselves," says Tucker.


"Maybe one day, kids, we will move back there and then you all can see or yourselves," says dad.



"What's this maybe? As if there is any doubt," says mom.

The Path Less Taken

Tucker gets a lot of compliments about how he is such a good natured kid. The truth is, Tucker likes being good. This doesn't mean that he is always obedient or always listen to his parents. Sometimes he makes up his own mind.

And this leads to Tucker's personal philosophy -- "Why take the path less taken when this one is paved and has lots of nice new things to smell?"

dog day

Sometimes summer days are good for staying inside and doing just about nothing. YHP likes to lay on the bed and think about space travel, Mayan architecture and nibbles.



Sometimes, though summer days are perfect for putting on obnoxiously loud clothing and going outside where the neighbors can see you. Once outside you can have a picnic or a bbq or even a mixture of them with lots of things to drink, like what Tucker's father likes to do. In addition, you can set up a movie screen and speakers and wait until dark to watch.


But the best thing to do on summer days is to just hang out with your friends after a long say of chasing each other in the yard and playing with lightning bugs at night.

Tucker likes summer days the best because his daddy seems to spend less time at work. It may be that there is more sunshine; and it may be that his dad likes to leave work on time when he has the opportunity and nice weather to play with the kids.

On the set of "Indiana Baron and the temple of Woof"

Tucker likes his big back yard. Especially in the summer when it is wet and soggy and fun to romp in the mud.
This year, the father is building a patio at the top of the yard. It looks like the movie set to some Indiana Jones type movie.


He and his brother Baron like to run around where his father is working and get messy.



And then come inside and live like adventurers on the nice pillows their mother makes for them.

Summer Tuck

The greatest thing about summer is that the sun and the rain and the WSSC water and the stuff from Home Depot makes this place grow and thrive.

Jinxy No Like

Poor Jinky cat. He got sick and had to go in the pokey to meet the good doc.

The humiliation of having to ride in the carrier was bead enough. But the cries of the other cats in the M.A.S.H. were too much for him and he had a little accident. What? He was nervous. Last time he was in a clinical environment, he lost two very valuable appendages.
Mr. Jinx had a decent time, all in all. Sure he is still FIV positive, and sure the doctor suggested his eye was a result of Feline herpes or chlamydia, but, hey , he's a pretty rough and tumble sailor. I mean, he lives with four dogs and can hold his own at dinner time!

"No worries, young Chester Copperpots," says Young Harlan Pepper. "If you are too unhappy to eat your breakfast, I will help you finish it off. "

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

More Sun Makes the Green Grass Grow

Some sunny days


The kids just like to play outside in the nice green grass.










This makes it a wonderful place to live.







And soon, the vegetables will be up and there will be fun things for dogs to eat.