GIRLS GO TO THE SPA

It's BATH TIME! Now, Buster prefers to stay as far away from a bathtub as possible--something about preserving a hard-earned patina of mud--but we girls recognize the necessity of attending to one's appearance. It IS tedious, but Mom insists!



Here's the best part: drying in the sun after Mom completes the ritual of catching us, scrubbing us, and mopping up the small lake left in the bathroom!



Then, the NAP! This grooming stuff takes its toll, and one must be well-rested for the evening Chipmunk Chase!



Buster, of course, has better things to do!



Now that we've dried off, and the sun's still out, it's time. One must really look one's best when terrorizing small rodents!

Buster the Giraffe

Ya know how giraffes are always chewing the tops of acacia trees out there on the savanna?

Betcha you DIDN'T know that Kerry Blue Terriers were part of this delicate ecosystem. We keep the wisteria tree under control!



Supervised by Bailey, Buster the Wonder Dog ensures that the the leaves are well-trimmed.




The main thing is to eat-and-run!

How I spend my summer vacation...by Buster.....

Well.... I went to my gramma's lake...with my hu-momm and the gram &. left the pesky gurleez at home so I could commune with nature and enjoy the air. i've decided that ''the lake'' is a wonderful place to be.



I can lounge on the grass and just walk into the water if i choose to....or go in the paddle boat (but i have to get the hu-momm or dad to paddle the silly thing. we get to say "HI" to all the people on their decks and sometimes stop to talk... when we get back to our dock we watch the canoes, paddle boats, and pontooooon boats sail by (no motors on the lake) it's very relaxing.




The hu-momm and gram were cleaning out the gardens and planting flowers so they didn't bother me a bit... i just snooooozed and enjoyed the quiet....there weren't any other people up there except Doris who came down to say HI to ME...since she hadn't seen me all winter. Heavy sigh... it's nice to be me.....

a test!!! no no not a TEst......

1. Your age? B & P 4yrs -- ms.B 7

2. Your age when came to live with your people? B & P we was born here! ms. B 12 weeks old

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? we're nekked.. no collars unless we're out and about

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? B & P...we like pepe & lisa....ms. B - uncle wayne

5. How much do you weigh?B, 42lbs, P. 34 lbs, ms.B 31 lbs

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? B...the new cherry table ;o[, P. my humomm's cell phone (i called my sister),ms. B if you added alll the paper i've shredded that would be it

7. Do you like other Dogs?B..sometimes, P. uh..most of them, ms.B yup as long as they don't get in my face...

8. Who is your best non-human friend? B. my mom ms. b, P. my mom ms. b, ms. b the twins, buster & persephone

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? B. tennis balls, P. neither i like bones, ms. B squeaky toys

10. Do you like to be brushed? B. yup i do.., P. oh yes - makes me boooteefull, ms. B oh yes..i snooze while it's being done

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? B. peanut butter...cheese..uh...both, P. cheese, ms. B both mmmmmcheese mmmpeanut butter

12. Do your people cut your toenails? B. P. & ms.B nope they grind them w/the dremel...works great!

13. Any formal education? B...obedience, rally-- i got a cgc, P. yes agility, ms.B, yes, agility, rally, i have a cgc

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? B. energizer bunny, P. couch potatoe princess, ms. B energizer bunny

15. Five nicknames your people call you ?B. bluster buster, buster bear w/the curlie hair, booostorious, BOP!, P., purrr sa phone, sephalina Beana, sweet pea,spoo, ms.B...beeeza, balallee balue, whoolie worm,bummbeldebee

16. What is your best trick? B...bop the ball back to my momm, P. double 5's on a sit pretty, ms.B, sit pretty and walk along the back of the couch...agility ''stuff'', tunnel,teeter, a-frame, jumps...i do love to jump

17. Do you like kitties? B, P. & ms B... for dinner they're ok

18. What did you have for breakfast? raw egg, glop, and some canidae mixed in for crunchies

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? B. i'm a peacenik, P. i helped take out a grackle in flight, ms.B a chipmunk and a grackle so far..i'm waiting for dale to come outta the hole..

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? B. a year ago for a check-up, P & ms. B. last week for our check-up we got our titres done...

21. Where do you sleep at night? in our room..in our houses...

22. Do you like to swim? B. well yessss i do, P. and get my curls wet.. yeh sometimes, ms.B. i LOVE to swim

23. Can you make puppies? B. only when asked nicely, P., uh. .yes , ms. B. i made those two ;o]

24. Do you give kisses? B., yes yes i do.. i 'm a kisser, P. i selectively kiss, ms. B oh yes i do love kisses

25. Can you potty on command?B., P. & ms. B... yes we can....

26. To Cuz or not to Cuz? B., P., & ms.B....i guess not.. cuz the last cuz we had buster took the feet off...and then the squeaker... us gurlieez thought it was kinda cute until he did that..

Buster Gets Too Much Attention--Girls Rule!

Notice that it's ALL ABOUT BUSTER? We think his little ego is a just a little bit too, well, "robust."

It's time for the icons of grace and intellect to get some blog-time. Fishing and BusterBall may take a little paw-eye coordination--but brains?

Okay, so here's what we girls, Persephone and Bailey, are up to:



Sephie is completing her survey of Feminist literature and the Postmodern canon.



Bailey is defending the Homeland--doing her part in the Global War Against Chipmunks!



When a chipmunk is sighted within the Green Zone, a Rapid-Deployment Force arrives on scene, and the little critter usually retires to its burrow. Only the GIRLS can coordinate an effective Chipmunk Defense (ChipDef)--Buster just runs around in circles barking!



Persphone is the intellectual of he family--she's studying Quantum Mechanics and Tantric meditation techniques in order to arrive at a higher state of consciousness. Right now, she has discovered that she is the eighteenth incarnation of the Fourth Dalai Lama's dog. She has an active inner-life -- haaa so does her hu- dad.



At the end of the day, Bailey sets the tone. Of course, Buster just barks at the television, but it takes brains--girl-brains--to do the right thing!

A Buster Runs Through It: A Brief Exegesis on the Art of Angling

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

From Song of Wandering Aengus, by W. B. Yeats



Ever notice that some of the best things in life are associated with water? Like Schubert's "Trout Quintet." And the opening lines of Moby Dick. Those memories of long, languid summers at the shore that lie before you like an eternity. And Norman MacLean's last statement in that small masterpiece, "A River Runs Through It":

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.

Well, I'm learning to fish!



Naturally, the first thing you need is proper attire!



The second thing you need this the right spot! My dad says that trout are breathtakingly picky about where they live. Only the coolest, most crystalline waters will do. In fact, most trout fishermen don't really care about the fish at all--they just want to be near them and share the place in which they live. This is Dad's favorite pool, on the West Branch of the Farmington River. Centuries ago, native Americans camped here and fished for salmon.



The third thing you need is, well, trout. This one came from that pool two days ago and measured 24 inches--it's a Brown Trout--not native to the United States, but a fish whose ancestors came here from Germany two centuries ago! In fact, the only "native" trout in our region, the "Brook Trout," is not really a trout at all, but a char: Salvelinus Fontinalis, literally, "little salmon of cold springs," left here when the glaciers retreated. By the way, this fish, like all that Dad catches, never left the water--he swam off to return to the task of sipping emerging mayflies.



The fourth thing you need is a Great Blue Heron. No fishing expedition is complete without "Big Bird!"



Oh, yes...you need a flyrod and reel! And an assortment of feathered imitations of beautiful insects with Latin names.
Right now, it's Epeorus Vitreus, otherwise known as a "Sulphur Dun."


The Sulphur Dun




As for myself, I don't really get this "catch-and-release" stuff. And Dad meditates too much! At the end of the day, I enjoy chewing the head off of a nice rainbow trout!

A Meditation upon the Art of "BusterBall"

Hi, folks--This is Buster, and I'm hogging the keyboard right now! Sephie wants to post the usual array of thoughts on her girl-issues, but she's going to have to wait!

Right now, there's only ONE thing that's important: It's a BEAUTIFUL day outside, and it's time for--you guessed it--BusterBall! I wait all winter for this kind of weather.

The first thing you need is Buster's Official Collection of Wilson-Brand BusterBalls:



Here they are, folks!



I spend night after night DREAMING of them!

Now, the NEXT thing you need for a good game of BusterBall is, well, ONE BUSTER!




C'est moi--Notice the "technique?"

Another highly desirable accessory is a silly hat--like Dad's old Sou'Wester from his Navy days..



Now, this is recommended not just for Kerry Blues--airedales, fox terriers, wheatens, and even aardvarks can benefit from this game. It puts you in a Zen-like, centered, highly focused state, and the cardiovascular benefits are enormous!




Now, it's gotta be obvious that the sustained effort and skill required by a half hour of BusterBall is DEFINITELY a better use of time than, well, what my mom, Bailey, does all the time. She's the aerobic sleeping champ!

SHEEP!

The sheep...the farm ...the dog it's all about the dog! Here's the first instinct test at Raspberry Ridge Sheep Farm -- Note the breathtaking agility and persistence of the Kerry Blue Terrier. Scotty, give me Warp Factor Seven! This folks, is Ms. Bailey Blue commonly known as Ms. Blue aka Buster's mom. She thinks sheep are just fantastic and would like to make this her ''job'' forever. Unfortunately we have no pics of Buster moving the sheep...because the humomm was the one working with Buster... and his human sister was not in attendance to take the pictures.. BUT...we will show some of the sheep later today....Oh not to forget.......we do have Buster the Wonder Dog working a "Wilson" ------------->
read on-------->




-------->"Hi" to all my ''blog buddies'' -- this is a game I play in my back yard --alllllldaylong..... It's called "BusterBall." Dad tosses the tennis ball -- my Humomm tosses the tennis ball -- My Hugramma tosses the tennis ball and of course my human brother and sister....they all have opposing thumbs which seems to be a necessity until I get me one of those tennis ball throwers they use at the ''Club" -- my humomm says something like " in your dream bozo" -- dunno what exactly that means....but it doesn't sound like the fed ex truck will be delivering one anytime soon.... anyhow to get back to the "Buster Ball"...It's also called 'buster Bopp" -- notice the fluid way I "bop" the ball into the air....that's one of the rules I made up...keep the ball in play for as long as possible...and move it from one side of the yard to the other and back again....sort of like herding sheep! This will go on for as long as those lazy humans can throw "Wilson"...

da show on the way to da farm....

hi everyone...
so she wakes me up at 5 in the morning.. to go for a ''nice'' ride to n.y........and then..... i had to go on that table again and get groomed, AGAIN....and then... i finally got to walk to the ring#5 and my number was 11 which is a good number as numbers go. i was the first kerry in the ring.. and then..... i was the last kerry in the ring.. i got 1st place for dogs.... and then..... i had to go back in the ring.....and then i got winners!....but when i went back into the ring for best of breed...the little gurlie that was opposite me was there and my buddy deacon the special....he's been doing this longer then us -- like he has been doing this for a verrrrry longgggg time and he won best of breed -- some day i'll beat him -- (pssst sephie likes him ;o]] ).
the buster.....
ps... and then.... we went to the farm to play with the sheep for the weekend -- the pics are stuck in the camera and the humomm has to let them out so mebbe tomorrow!

Okay, Mom--Can you help me update this blog?

Ya know, it's AWFULLY hard to type with paws! I'm so proud of myself--I'm a sheep-herding professional! But I need those pictures you took at Raspberry Ridge. Can ya post 'em?

Luv,

Buster



Dad took these pix after I got home and got scrubbed up. It was so good to get back to my favorite toys!



This is my favorite: "My Cat!" He and I have quite a relationship. After a long, hard day of striking fear into an innocent herd of lambs, there's nothing better than dragging "my cat" around the house.



Ah...Couch! I'd forgotten how good this could be!



This is my good old buddy, Possum! We spend hours together. He doesn't seem to mind if I chew on his tail.
Marsupials rule!



No day is complete without Wabbit. You'd probably be surprised at my collection of friends, but my human Mom is very indulgent, and she makes sure that I collect the whole set! Things are always okay when you have lots of vermin to play with.



Okay, here's one more--sorry it's so grainy, but Sephie was holding the camera, and it was her first shot of ME, the MASTER BALL-CATCHER, retrieving my beloved yellow Wilson tennis ball. Ah, bliss!

Buster's out herding sheep and all I got was these darned panties!

Okay, like, I get it. Boys get all the attention! Bozo the Wonder Dog is on sabbatical with his Mom, down at Raspberry Ridge Sheep Farm. They're having like loads of fun chasing lambs and learning to creep along like a border collie and give those critters the Evil Eye. Me? I got "girl" issues. I'm wearing my Space Cadet panties with the little rocket ships on 'em, and Bailey my dog-mom is out chasing chipmunks in the garden, ignoring me! She said, "Deal with it!" Can you imagine? Like, I don't get a life too? They'll be sorry! Jus' wait 'til Buster and the Hu-Mom get back. Think I'm passive-aggressive now? Oooohhhhh....

Tune in for the battle-broadcast...

Mournfully,

Persephone the Dark Goddess of the Underworld and Empress of the Nether Regions

a dog show and then playing with the SHEEP alllll weekend!

hi everyone.... this here is buster the kerry...i've been busy getting a bath.. and standing on the grooming table so my humomm could trim my curls and make me beeeeeUteeefull.. arghghghhg! and then i'm off to a dog show tomorrow at Yorktown Heights, NY--
the humomm is muttering something about one more major and then we can go play with the SHEEP more often....
but then she said tomorrow after the show.... i'll be going back to the "farm" to learn some new things...! so i'll be gettin' pretty dirty this weekend ;o] after the beautification program, i'll be wearing eau de sheeppoop...hehehe hey the best part is the SHEEP -- more then a hundred! to check out ...lots of smells.. many trees for reading the "newspaper" -- a pond and a stream....and did i say SHEEP? i guess there will be other dogs too...but there will be SHEEP! i'm goin' on a 'venture.....
i'll let you know how many sheep i see when i get back. have a great weekend everyone.....i'm packing my bags and i'm off to play SHEEP dog!
buster the kerry ;o}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ORIGINAL CURLEEE GURLIE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR MOM, Ms. Bailey Blue -- here's a very young "ms. beeeezer"
she's 7 years old and doesn't look a day over 2!
Course the hu-momm sez she's still a puppy at heart.
Sephie & I think Ms. Bailey Blue is the best mother a pup could have.
She has made me a very patient dog....by stealing the ball right out of my mouth -- course she gives
it back to me--BUT only after I lay down and make myself wait quietly (that took 3.5 years of practice ;0]]] ).
She also keeps my sister, Persephone, in line....Sephie chases my mom around and learns all the proper
dog maneuvers by following ms. blue...she learns how to do her whurl-a-bout turns fast and does a beeeeUtifull play bow....
all that important doggie sort of stuff. Sephie also has learned to be patient, by sitting with our mom
and watching for the chipmunks to come out of the hole in the sidewalk,
then they try and catch them... Our mom is a ''hunter''....she's nailed a chipmunk, and a bird (grackle) in
flight...the hu-momm said she doesn't think she got to the bird in enough time to save it though...wonder
what that means... saved from what??? mom is not a ''scary'' dog to be saved from... but me on the other
hand....i am powerful and i protect my humans from all others....
I am a ''lover''.... ;o] aka kissm-to-death-buster..
help us celebrate...our mom !
WE BE PARTYING HARDY ON THE LEEEVER CAKE AND GUINNESS (pics to come)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. BAILEY BLUE!
buster bear with da curleeee hair