Spaz -- October 17, 1994 - October 23, 2011

We miss you, Spazzie. Thank you for being a part of our lives.
Have peace.

Happy Birthday, Spaz!

Fifteen years ago today (give or take a couple days) Spaz was born to a black lab and a border collie back in Hampton Roads. I'm not exactly sure which day he was born, but I know he was a month old when I got him for my 17th birthday.

Anyway, even though fifteen years translates to, like, 100 in dog years, Spaz still sometimes acts like the crazy little puppy who chases his tail for hours on end. Though he's mellowed out a lot these last few years, he's still kickin' it. Happy birthday, Spaz!

When Spaz Met Keina...

So all this time, Nakko's big belly had nothing to do with too many strawberry smoothies or ice cream. Which is good because I was getting worried. Apparently, she was carrying a little tiny person inside her! Amazing, isn't it?

They named her Keina, but I call her Kiki. She is very sweet, but she's also very noisy. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a week and a half! But it's all good.

I actually met her before she ever met me. It all started on the morning of July 2. Just like any other morning, K took me for my morning walk. Then he and Nakko had breakfast and everything was hunky-dory. But they never actually went to work. They stayed at home and I was getting confused. I mean, I was happy I didn't have to stay home alone, but something was different. Every five minutes or so, Nakko would grab her belly and take deep breaths, like she had a tummy ache or something. Eventually, they left and I was alone for a long time.

Eventually, K came back... with a present, no less! He placed a blanket and a tiny little hat on the floor, and kept saying "This is Keina." Even though I was worried sick, I sniffed this blanket with a lot of curiosity. I hadn't smelled anything like it. I kept thinking, "Who was this Keina he keeps talking about?" Also, I was still worried since Nakko didn't come back with him. After only a few minutes, K left again. So it was just me and the blanket for the night.

And before anyone calls the SPCA, I wasn't really abandoned for three days, Mom came all the way from Virginia to take care of me. That was awfully nice of her. Thanks, Mom!

A few days later, everyone finally came home. Inside the carrier was little Kiki. I recognized her scent right away. So now I have a little sister. I know K&N are going to be great parents. They've done a great job raising me, so that counts for something. I also plan on helping out as much as I can. If they need me to watch her, I will. I am her big brother, after all. (Though, in dog years, I'm more like her Grandpa). It might take some adjusting, but we are going to be a big, happy family. One thing's for sure, this little baby barks louder than I do!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

It's official. I've been a Maryland resident for exactly one year! And what a year it's been. Looking back over these last 365 days, a lot has changed. First and foremost, I've gotten another year older, and for dogs, that's really old. Also, I think I've given K&N a few scares over the past year. Luckily nothing was too serious, but emergency trips to the vet = not very fun.

But most of all, I've received a lot of love from K&N. They don't take me for walks as much anymore. And when we do, we don't walk very far. That's okay since I get tired pretty easily these days. Also, Nakko walks me very slowly... which I appreciate, being an old dog and all. Speaking of Nakko, her belly's even bigger nowadays! I don't know what it is she's eating, but her belly is as big as Dad's used to be!

Also, the house has been getting a little crowded lately. They've been buying all this strange looking furniture, and it's taking up all my space! My little bed was moved to the other side of the room a few weeks ago, so now I don't even bother sleeping in it. Plus, they're always in the other bedroom folding these tiny little clothes. I think they keep shrinking their laundry in the wash and hiding the shrunken clothes in the dresser. I tell ya, K&N can be really weird!

Anyway, I have to admit, after a rocky start, I'm really enjoying living with K&N. I still miss living in VA with Mom, Dad & Raymond, but they visit once in a while, so I can still see them. I even hear they're coming up this weekend! Hopefully, my second anniversary will be just as great! And maybe next year, K&N will actually give me something to celebrate the occassion. I think it's time for a new toy anyway. After all, I've been chewing on the same bone for a while now.

Still Trying to Catch Up

I'm still behind in my blogging. So much is happening, I don't have time to sit in front of the computer and type!

Well, as you know, I've been on the case of Nakko's Ever-Expanding Belly! And I think I know the culprit: strawberry smoothies! I've been observing her these last few months, and I've witnessed her drinking these sometimes. Hmmmmm.....

Now that the weather's gotten nicer again, we've been going on our walks around the neighborhood. The pictures in this post actually represent a much cooler day (you can tell by the jackets K&N are wearing). In fact, these pictures were taken on a very special day. March 3 is Nakko's birthday. We celebrated by going out for a walk.

We don't walk as far or as long as we used to. I am getting old, after all. But they're still fun! But sometime around the 30 minute mark, I look up at Nakko to tell her I'm ready to go home! Fortunately, she and I have excellent communication!

This is How I Roll...

One of my all-time favorite activities is rubbing my back frantically against my chewtoys. It always happens out of the blue. I'll be lying on the floor, gnawing away at my favorite bone, when -- all of a sudden -- I start rolling around on my back.

I can't do this for long periods of time anymore. (When I was younger, I could do this for hours. Seriously.) Only a couple minutes at a time for me now. I'm an old dog; what can I say?

With the weather acting all crazy (one day it's 75 degrees and we're going on a long walk. The next day, it's snowing and my feet ache!), I don't get to have consistent exercise. So rolling on my chewtoys is my activity for the day. Either way, I'm usually pretty exhauseted afterwards.

What I Got for Xmas

Since Christmas was over three months ago, this is a little late. But like I said last post, I was busy taking care of Nakko. (Whose tummy, by the way, keeps getting bigger and bigger everyday!)

Speaking of tummies, K&N were nice enough to give me a rawhyde bone for the holidays. Unfortunately, I ate the whole thing in one sitting! Seriously. I just sat there, underneath the table and ate until my tummy hurt!

Needless to say, that was the last time I ate an entire bone in one sitting. Now, KC or Nakko will try to distract me while the other hides my bone somewhere. They're afraid I'll eat the whole thing again. But I know better.