Too much holiday fun

I haven't been able to post to the blog because we've all been having too much holiday fun.

First there was Thanksgiving, which we hosted. In our experience, dogs love Thanksgiving. Even if they don't get a seat at the actual table, turkeys produce many edible scraps. And the whole feasting business generates a Macy's Parade of wonderful smells.

Because Dionne is an unusually curious pup, we thought she'd be spellbound by the turkey. But something about it made her uneasy; she had to be aggressively coached to come near the roasting pan before it went into the oven.


And once it began to brown, her nervousness and suspicion only seemed to intensify.

"It seems to be…. dog-sized!?! That's scary." 

The next day (Friday), Steve, Tucker, Dionne, and I set out on an adventure that offers dogs more unalloyed bliss -- our annual excursion to a little Christmas tree farm not far from the Mexican border. It's one of the few places left in San Diego County where you can still pick out a tree to cut down. More important for visiting dogs, the owners don't mind if they run free.

Sooooo many fascinating smells!

There's little trouble dogs can get into. I noted with pride that Dionne invariably returned when I called her -- even from a long distance. (My strategy of ALWAYS rewarding such returns with excellent treats appears to be paying off.)

Tucker was the one who got in trouble, disappearing altogether at one point. I discovered him inside the owners' house, where he was making himself at home.

This morning we set up the tree without incident. Tomorrow we'll decorate it.

Dionne's never seen that before. But she says she's sure she'll approve.