My First Birthday--by GrrrrrAcie the Grrreat~

It came and went and my huMOMM didn't even let my new blog buddies know.
It was Mother's Day, and she may have, sort of forgotten the fact it was also
MY, ME, GrrraCie the Grrreat's FIRST birthday ever...
like, I was a whole year old!

Here I am -- I am verrrry cute -- my huMomm took a first picture of me ever, up at the Lake!The Following pictures were taken whilst I grew into the GREATNESS that I am today.. so check it out!

Notice the surprised look? Well it's just a trick of the camera -- my NOSE is not that BIG! But it looks pretty funny. My HuMomm says I look like a cute flower with the bottle-brush beard...


The Yellow Collar was my new collar, and it has my name "Grrracie the Grrreat" on the blue tag...and where to take me if I am lost.



As I got older and outgrew the pretty yellow collar, I borrowed one from Ms.Blue (she has the most beautiful collection of collars! -- She's like the Emelda Marcos of the Kerry Blues...only collars not shoes!) To get back to Me Me Me...notice I'm flirting? Well I decided I needed to cultivate this here flirting thing!

WAIT WAIT... I WANT TO SHOW MY REAL COLLAR!!

Fast forward to "spring" and my sore nose..........

; I wasn't feeling so well, I had a really sore nose! It was swollen and my eye on the right side was running and I had to see a "vet".... she was nice vet. When I got home, I had a prezzie waiting for me.

My humomm said she was saving my new collar for my birthday but thought I needed it then...
It's got purple in it and it's a Celtic chain... and I'm an Irish dog.. so
it really looked pretty on my curls...and I'm pretty vain.. so, well,
it did help me feel better, because
it was verrrrry pretty, with my swollen nose.






Back to our regularly scheduled program...


See how quiet and demure I look, holding my new leash w/the purple salamanders? Purple is my color... This was also a "Lake Picture" -- I do like the lake.


I like this picture of Me Me Me and Ms. Blue -- I sure was a little pipsqueak, because Ms. Blue is a bit on the vertically challenged end of height. She was teaching me to watch for chipmunks and to be patient. I looked now what are we gonna do??? hmmmmm




Oh another Lake picture--we went to close the cottage up for winter and it was sooooo cold my huMomm thought I needed a jacket, so I borrowed Ms. Blue's...it was toasty warm and I was getting reeeeeally tired.



Oh sure, they had to put this picture of me and the purple (my favorite color) ball in there.. I was zonked out from carrying it all over the place... zZZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZzzz

HAH!
theBUSTER and I were playing Cerberus...only Ms. Blue hadn't jumped up to be the third head. The humans think this is soooo funny, theBUSTER and I play this all the time. The GNAH GNAH noise is pretty intense.

Well, here's a picture of FALL' when I couldn't help myself but pick up leaves with the ball, then role around in the leaves.




When Fall comes, everythingfalls from the trees and boy it doesn't take long for it to fall......

I think I must have just had a bath and haircut in this. My huMomm just loved all the colors on the ground and her little blue dog in the middle....she said I was "Cute!"

She also said, "Wait 'til the snows come, Grracie..... you think this is neat!

What are snows anyhow? I mean it just doesn't make sense to me......

O.K. I think I've got it! Not yet, you say? How do you
know...this stuff is kinda cute as a moustache . Besides, I'm cute too, I have a snow-stache!

O.Keeeee , the above may have been my "first" snow... but this one below it is...

MY FIRST REAL SNOW!

Oh my! I feel sooooooo small... Look, I can't even see the shed! I can't even see theBUSTER, or Ms. Blue? Where am I anyway? HELP!!! ANYONE OUT THERE??? HELLLLLLLOOOOOOO..
Can someone please help me? Puleeeeeze?

Alrighty, they didn't really leave me out there to be an icicle; it just seemed that way! They all thought it was pretty funny, because I had never seen SNOW! Well, I bet there was a time
when they had never seen the stuff either... so there!

************* ----snowflakes---- ***************

'Tis the SEASON TO BE JOLLY, FA LA LA LA LA!!!!

This is embarrassing....they said I was an elf and needed to dress up for the
OH K sion ...whatever that means! I am soooo cute.

Santa Paws and elves and trees in the house..
what else is gonna happen in my first year?

OMG
wOw!!!!

They got the rest of them in their elf costumes too!
Then they made us all sit and stay •OR• in Ms.Blue's case lay down and stay... The humomm said it
would make for a more interesting family "portrait"...

Like what is this portrait thing anyhow?
People are strange about this SEASON thing.
I sat, but then after 100,000 pictures I just figured I would rush the photographer....arrrrrrgh!
I showed her my pearly whites...and then hurled myself towards the camera person...

HAH!

Hee Hee, Ho Ho...that was my first Christmas!!!

Would ya just look at that... Christmas was just a while ago, then New Years, now I'm getting all gussied up to go to
Florida with my humomm and make my debut!
I'm special...I'm going to the specialty!

This is me getting my hair cut of the century.. getting ready to take a ride to the "Kerry Specialty".... what is a Kerry Specialty? I mean really, I am special already, I don't need to do a "Kerry Specialty"....do I?

Uh Huh... I did have to go... and I gaited! See how cute I was! I got prizes, and I got to meet my daddy dawg.... ----------

He is sooooo handsome.
I don't know if he realllly noticed me; he didn't play the gnah gnah game and make lots of noise like theBUSTER , but I sort of liked him anyhow!

I was in a crate right next to him and he did make me happy and felt a little like I was at home. Daddy-Dawg is theBuster's cousin.





When I got back, I was very happy to see my people, my BUSTER, & MS.Blue, so I stole theBUSTER'S Wilson..... and made up a song ---- "Ode to theBUSTER & Wilson" by G.
Listen closely, it's a fugue!

The "SNOWS" are gone and the birds are out, chirping, but the grass hadn't grown up yet, so everything was kinda .....brown. I was chewing on my favorite stick. My people said it's "spring-time"....so this is spring, my first spring. Much has happened, winter was very busy with snow and ice storms and more snow ....and more ice storms.
After all, this was GRRRRRacie's First Winter! Now it's my first SPRING!

SPRING is kind of WINDY, and warm and busy!!!
We can run around outdoors because it's SPRING!

theBUSTER said let's play "Wilson", so I said, "HEY, it's Spring"... so we can play ball now! He was kind of silly about it -- told me I was a little sprout the last time we played...hee hee...check this out! I'm NOT a sprout anymore.....

I'm a big Kerry Girl NOW! I like playing ball with theBUSTER, but, I also like just chilling with
the little blue ball that I had when I was a little sprout. It looks very small now.



I got a new purple chain for the summer, because the humomm said we would be going to school! I'm not sure I'm ready to go to school yet -- those yellow buses are awful big
and, well, I kind of like being at home with my peeps.
&
Getting into trubble----that's my middle name.









My huMomm said I looked as "happy as a piggy in s®†¥˙¨t..."
Wonder what that means?

I was just digging a hole to China via Australia so I could see my buddy
Noah.






Well blog buddies, she cleaned me up so I could say 'bye.'
Stay tune for my Summer-time escapades at the lake!

We will be at the lake for the fourth of JULY.
I don't remember what happens on the fourth of JULY,
but theBUSTER says it's lots of fun....



Bye blog-buddies..until I get back from learning to swim!!
One Year Old, Grrrrracie the Grrreat, coming to you Live...


p.s. isn't she cute? theBUSTER

P.P.S.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!

FROM: theBUSTER, Ms.Blue, Ms.Persephone & me, Grrrracie the Grrreat!

My New Career as a Digger--by Gracie

My Uncle Buster has lately been spending hours telling me tales about the fabled Noah and his Clan of Diggers, down where they have to wear suction cups on their paws to avoid falling off the bottom of the planet.

I made up my mind that I WANT TO BECOME A DIGGER, just like Noah!




Uncle Buster described how he and Bailey learned the craft and spent many hours trying to tunnel to New South Wales! He was VERY proud of his work.



Just like the ANZAC Diggers of old, Uncle Buster and Bailey Blue trained day and night, focusing their energy, and dedicating their souls to the objective of reaching the Blue Mountains of the Antipodes!



With an appropriate sense of humility and dedication to the task at hand, I began my work!

Not bad, if I do say so myself!



Of course, I was caught red-handed by the feared Digger-Polizei! I promised I would NEVER confess!



The Digger Police lined me up against the Wall and asked me to say some last words.

Nice wall, don't 'cha think? It was actually constructed as a result of my recent training as a Digger!




It was my good fortune to escape before it became necessary to blather something like, "It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done..." But La Guillotine was not in my Karma. I howled at the rabbit sitting in the front yard, and he returned a contemptuous stare.

Uncle Buster came to my rescue and escorted me inside.

We settled down for our evening Ear-Licking Ritual, and I dreamed of Australia.

Your faithful correspondent,

Gracie

Digger, Second Class

Critter Status--by Buster

Hey, blog-buddies--it's Buster, bringing you the latest news on my personal collection of wondrous critters!

Yes, you probably figured that I'm particularly FOND of critters. I chase them. I dream about them. I bark at them. And I have an awesome collection!




Here's my good buddy, Big-Bird! Back as usual to his favorite perch on the dock next door to my very own estate on The Pond in New Hampshire. Big Bird out-fishes everyone, and he likes to strut around and act, well, big !



Mr. Loon has returned.

No sign of Mrs. Loon--but no matter. He enjoys the solitary life. He's competing with Big-Bird to see who can empty The Pond of trout the fastest.




Then we have The Vile Rodent of Whom we Do Not Speak! I will follow him 'round the Norway Maelstrom and through Perdition's Gate...Oh, never mind!



Mr. Catbird is pleasant enough...

Perhaps with a garnish of whole-grain rice and the proper herbs.



You know, I love a parade!

I especially love a parade of fuzzy, goose-stepping little critters with nasal-sounding barks.

I love the spectator watching the parade!

Life is good.




Looks like my gosling friends are old enough to drink! Party time?



Well, that's all the critter-news for now.

I'll keep you posted!

Your friend,

Buster

Once More, to the Pond! -- by Gracie

This is where I came in!

Buster and Persephone and Bailey
adopted me last summer--
with the help of my human mom.

My first memories were of the magical
place they took me.

The Pond!

Now I'm back!

And it's as breathtakingly beautiful as I
remember it.

Mr. Loon was cruising about
in his customary spot to greet me.

The tadpoles scurried around...

Evening approached, and the wind died down.

Trout rose.

The vexatious water pump was connected,
and it worked.

Two adolescent bald eagles came to fish.

And I remembered being a puppy one year ago!

The trip back was pleasant, but I wanted to stay.

Next time...

Your friend,

Gracie

Goose Report

Hey, Foie-Gras fans!

Your friend Buster, here,

with an update on

MY GOOSE BUDDIES!

The little guys are getting

MUCH BIGGER...

They're gangly and awkward,

and they're very much into

SOCIAL NETWORKING!

Mom takes them out individually

and provides the very best

goose-step lessons.

They march together like the Prussian Army!

Here's the whole thing in action:

Pretty cool, huh?

Your friend and keen observer of

Ornithological wonders,

Buster

My Fuzzy-Critter Friends--by Buster

Guess what just came to a store near me?

You guessed it--the fabled Goosapedic, Sleep-Number Bed!

Guaranteed to provide your goslings with the very best
in high-quality, deep-REM sleep!

Of course, there are a few problems to be overcome
when you visit the Goosapedic Showroom
nearest your house...

Specifically, the Security Guards!

This was the first thing I saw that indicated
a potential problem...


And this was the last!

Anyway, my adventures will continue.

Next time:

Non-aggressive, napping mergansers,
doing what every boy-child does
when the ladies are out doing all the work
supervising far-too-many kids.

TTFN,

Buster

Irrational Exuberance: Delirium Gracilorum

Gracie vs. Buster in "BusterBall Smackdown"

Friends, it's Buster, the All-Time, World-Cup Champion of the Fabled Sport of BusterBall, here to announce that a Challenge has been issued and I must respond!

Gently.

Discretely.

With Compassion.

I must take pains not to humiliate!



She really has no clue what she's up against...

Gentleman that I am, I shall give her a trial run:





Now, that was interesting!

Okay, I'll show her my stuff...





Good Heavens, DID YOU SEE HER? Where'd she come from?
Area 51?

Did you see those defensive moves?

The girl's a BusterBall Machine !

Should I retire my jersey? Sell insurance and coach?

Oh, the Humiliation!

You're deflated correspondent,

Buster

The Sort-of Wonder Dawg