Finding Happy

Being at the beach is really a lot of fun.  I had a terrible run in with a hermit crab and he grabbed onto my face without letting go.  Luckily, John was there to get him off of me and Belinda had some ice for my cut.  It hurt really badly but I wasn’t going to let that ruin my whole day!  I’m a really tough little 

Chihuahua and I have too much to see and do to let a little crab ruin my fun!

After my accident, John made some lunch on the grill at the beach.  We had potato salad, pretzels, and hot dogs.  Hot dogs were my favorite because Belinda always sang a funny song about them and it made me laugh inside.  Hot dogs tasted and smelled like pure Heaven.  The only thing better than tasting them is rolling on them!  I wish I could smell like a hot dog all the time but Belinda would strongly disagree!  I quickly ate my foot, snuck a little piece of hot dog to roll in, and ran off to play in the water.

Belinda was worried to let me go after that horrible crab incident, but John told her to stop worrying and let me have my fun.  So, off I went!  I ran toward the water and watched a red boat zoom by.  He was very far off in the water but sent rolling waves into the shore.  I started into the water which rose up to tickle my wet nose.  The waves were a little wild and lifted me right off the ground and plopped me back onto the beach where I had to start all over again!  After a few minutes of being washed back to shore, I was finally able to start swimming out into the lake.

The water was still very warm, even at the end of summer.  It was very relaxing and I was a really good swimmer.  I glided, effortlessly, through the water and I looked around at all of the water birds who were fishing and screaming at each other.   Once in a while I would poke my head under the water to see what was happening below me.  Every time I lifted my head out of the water, I would sneeze a lot.  I could hear Belinda laughing at me from the shore and I would bark at her a few times so she knew that I knew! 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some fish jumping from the water.  They would come right out and dive back in.  I think they were dodging the birds who were trying to scoop them up.  I felt something brush against my little foot and quickly looked down.  Underneath me was a little sun fish, nibbling at my blue shorts.  I swam right and then left but I couldn’t shake him.  It was alright though, he was very cute and he wasn’t bothering me.  There were some little minnows swarming around and as we passed through a seaweed patch, I thought my little friend had gotten lost.  The slimy green weeds felt funny as they tangled in my short Chihuahua fur.  Once I got out of the patch, I noticed the little nibbles again and knew my friend was back!

My short, little legs were getting really tired so I decided to head back to shore.  I swam back and as the water got shallower, it got warmer.  I was so tired and relaxed that I could have fallen asleep right there in the water!  I finally made it up and felt the little pebbles under my feet.  I walked up onto the beach and turned to take one last look at the lake before I went back to Belinda.  To my surprise, the little blue sunfish was swimming in little circles, like he was waiting for me to come back into the water!  I ran down the shore and he followed.  I ran back the other way and he chased me.  I barked with excitement and he swam in little circles!  How funny this little fish was!

I ran to get Belinda and barked at her sharply.  She knew I was trying to get her to follow me so I took her back to where the little fish was.  I showed her the tricks he could do and she couldn’t believe her eyes.  “I guess you have a friend, Buster!  Should we take him home with us?”  I barked and hopped up and down so high that I fell right over and landed on my side in the sand!  Belinda got a bucket and scooped up the little blue fish.

Once we packed up all of our things, we rushed home and put the little fish into our gigantic fish tank in the family room.  He fit right in with our other fresh water fish.  He looked so happy, swimming up to the top for some food and diving back down to explore the tank.  He would always come to look for me and follow me as I ran circles around the tank.  We named him Happy and I think he was very happy to be a part of our family!

CHI_Buster Finds a Hermit Crab

We were all so bored this afternoon.  John didn’t have to work and Belinda just got home from her job.   John and I were playing a game in the backyard when she got home so she caught the tail-end of our romp.  John would put his hand over my eyes and toss a piece of his hamburger into the grass and then tell me to go find it!  I have to admit, it was an awesome game and it had two purposes; to be fun and to fill my tummy with yummy burgers and cheese!

“Hey boys,” said Belinda.  “Who’s up for going to the beach?”  I love going to the beach!  I get to play in the sand and the water and sometimes I even see some fish swim by!  John went to pack a lunch and Belinda went to go find our swimsuits.  I tagged along behind her, barking excitedly and wagging my little tail the whole time.

As Belinda was rummaging around her dresser drawers, I started sniffing through my box, looking for my favorite beach outfit.  I had so many 

Chihuahua clothes and Chihuahua collars.  I have furry and fleecy outfits for Christmas, fancy outfits for Easter, pink and romantic outfits for Valentine’s Day, and dozens of sweaters, pants, tee shirts, and jumpers for everyday wear.  “A ha!  Here’s my swimsuit, Buster,” exclaimed Belinda. “I will wear this and you can wear your yellow tank top and blue shorts.  How’s that sound?”  I barked in agreement and we got ready to go.

John met us outside with the cooler and we headed off for the beach.  When we got there, there weren’t too many people.  It was a hot day but it was near the end of the season so a lot of people had already packed up their summer things and got ready for fall.  We found an empty spot and set up our chairs and our little grill.  I ran off to explore the sandy environment and Belinda sat down under her umbrella to watch me.  I felt my little paws sinking into the white sand.  It was warm and dry and felt good.  I made my way along the shore, sniffing shells and seaweed along my way.  I saw a large curly shell and gave it a good sniffing; to my surprise it started moving!  First one orange leg poked out from under it and then a tiny head peeked around.  Soon, seven more legs followed and the shell scurried along the sand!  I couldn’t believe my eyes when that creature started creeping around so I pawed at it a little bit.  When I touched it, the creature disappeared and when I was quiet, he came out and started running again.  It was the most curious thing I had ever seen!  I decided I wanted a really good look at him so I used my wet nose to push him right over.  There was nothing there!  It was an empty shell.  I licked it and sniffed it and suddenly, with no warning or sound, a big red claw came out of the shell and grabbed my cheek!  “Arghhhhhhhhhhh, wheeeeeeeeeep!”  I ran as fast as I could back to Belinda and John.  John jumped away from his grilling and pried the claw from my face.  The little creature plopped onto the sand and quickly scurried away.  “Oh, Buster, are you alright?  Poor, poor baby!” crooned Belinda.  She grabbed some ice from the cooler and held it on my cheek.  I curled up next to her on her beach blanket.  It would be much safer for me to just wait for some lunch, right here!

If you ever go to the beach, make sure you watch out for moving shells!

The Grand Vacation Part 3

We got back into our van with full tummies and started rolling down the highway.  It was really relaxing to sit back and look at the night sky.  Bright stars were twinkling in the black sky.  The big, full moon was shining down on me and I imagined that other 

Chihuahuas were up there looking down and seeing me. 

John was driving and Belinda was snoring.  “I think we should find a place to park, Buster” said John with a sleepy yawn.  I barked in approval and curled up inside my travel crate.  I had a fuzzy blanket and silky pillow inside.  I turned a few circles to fluff up my bed and hunkered down for the night.  John pulled into a 24 hour parking lot and pulled the beds out in the back of the van.  Belinda crawled back there and covered up with the fluffy sleeping bag.  Soon, the sounds of passing cars and snoring were all I could hear.

Even though I wasn’t really outside, like in a tent, I was still outside.  Sleeping in the van with the moonlight shining on me was serene and relaxing.  The cars whizzing by lulled me off to sleep and before I knew it, I was dreaming of the lobsters and fish I saw when we were in Maine. 

I woke up to the smell of bacon cooking in the microwave and coffee brewing in the pot on the counter.  “Good morning, Buster!  Are you ready for another great day?” said Belinda as she filled my dog bowl with eggs and bacon.  I jumped happily around the van, barking and spinning around John’s feet.  Today we are going to see the beach and swim in the ocean!  We finished up our breakfast and headed out for an early start.

After a few hours in the van, we arrived in North Carolina.  There were tons of people on the beach and I could show off my little Chihuahua tank top with the blue and white stripes and the anchor.  Belinda and John were wading in the ocean and I jumped around, splashing between their legs.  As I looked around, I saw a sea of different colored umbrellas, people of all ages and shapes, and smells coming from every direction.  Hot dog vendors were calling to people and handing out their meaty treats.  Cotton candy and salt water taffy carts strolled up and down the beach, peddling their sweet confections.  The smell of fish tacos wafted toward the water and made me really hungry!  As we made our way through the crowd of sun bathers, we finally reached our destination!  In front of us was a little hut, painted with white-wash and decorated with thick ropes and starfish.  The sign over the window said “Crab Cakes” and the sign that pointed to the back of the building said “World’s Largest Sea Cucumber.”  As Belinda and John waited in the short line for some crab cake sandwiches, I snuck off to the back of the hut.  Nobody was in there so I quietly climbed up the stairs to see the giant sea cucumber.  The giant, prickly sea creature certainly was amazing!  It was almost as big as John and looked creepy and all dried out.  Still, a cucumber is a cucumber.  I leaned forward and took a big bite out of the bottom of the oddity.  Yuck!  That tastes nothing at all like a cucumber!  I cried and yelped before I tried spitting the nasty thing out of my mouth.  Belinda heard me and came running in.  “Oh no, Buster!  I can’t believe you just did that!” she cried. 

Belinda snuck me out of the hut and grabbed John by the arm.  She whispered to him what I had done and we quietly left the beach.  After they thought about it, everyone broke out in laughter!  We hit the road again as we all looked at the photo Belinda snapped of me and the world’s biggest sea cucumber; which was just a little bit smaller than it was before!

The Grand Vacation Part 1

John and Belinda decided to both take a vacation from work at the same time so they could take a long road trip.  Of course, I was absolutely delighted at the prospect of traveling all around to see the sights and smell the smells.  This would be the perfect opportunity to relax, wear all of my awesome summer 

Chihuahua clothes, and taste all the excellent vacation food!

They decided to tour the United States and hit as many vacation spots as they could fit into two weeks.  Two weeks!  That’s a really long time!  I will have to pack so many Chihuahua collars, t-shirts, toys, and treats into my comfy carrier.  I am so excited to pack!  “Bark, Bark, yip, yap!”

“Ok Buster, let’s get your things together first and then you can take a nap while John and I pack our things,” said Belinda as we went to my clothes trunk.  “You are going to need a lot of things to keep you busy in the car.  It’s going to be a lot of driving!”  Belinda grabbed my yellow backpack and started filling it with toys.  She packed my cat-sized jingle balls, some small tennis balls, my stuffed pig, rabbit, and turtle, a bunch of plastic squeakies (which were my favorites since they were so festive), and a little plastic ball that had Belinda’s voice on it every time I pressed it in the right spot.

After all of my toys were packed in my backpack, we moved onto the clothes; that is the best part!  Belinda pulled out a red suitcase with little wheels and opened it up on the bed.  She began sorting through all of my Chihuahua clothes; and there were tons!  Into the suitcase went four different colored tee shirts, a pair of pajamas with hearts on them (a little girly but very comfortable), two pairs of shorts, my favorite green sweater, a yellow sweatshirt, and a raincoat and rain boots.  “That ought to do it, bub,” said Belinda.  “You definitely have more clothes than I do!” she laughed. 

The last thing I needed was snacks.  We were going to be in the car for days and days so I would need a lot to keep me busy!  Belinda went to the kitchen and I was playfully nipping at her heels.  “Buster, you really are excited, aren’t you!” laughed Belinda as she rummaged through the cupboard for my snacks.  Finally she pulled out a bag of beef jerky, some funny little hot dogs, and a bag of bacon strips, a bag of doggy popcorn, and a bag of carob chip cookies.  Yum, yum, yum!  This was going to be a trip to remember!

Belinda and John did their packing while I sat with my pile of luggage on the couch in the living room.  Bag after bag came out to the living room and I was beginning to wonder if there would be any room for me in the car!  Once they were ready we took it all out and packed it into the car.  To my surprise, John’s parents brought over their van for us to take so we could be more comfortable on our trip!  That was great news; maybe I could get out of my carrier and run around in the back sometimes!  We piled our bags into the van, locked up the house, and headed out for our adventure!

The Grand Vacation Part 2

It felt like forever that I had been in the car and I began to whimper and yip.  “Buster, I hope you are not going to be this impatient the whole time.  We haven’t even left the city yet!” said Belinda with a cranky look on her face.  “Maybe you should let him out, honey.  He wants to look out the windows,” said John.  Yes, that was exactly what I wanted; that and a bacon treat!  Belinda agreed and opened my travel crate.  I jumped out enthusiastically and put my front paws up on the side window of the van.  What a day, what a day!

I loved the van.  The seats were really, really big and comfy and everything was zooming around me outside of the huge windows.  Our entire luggage fit neatly into the roof compartment so I had the whole van to run around in.  The side seats folded down into a bed and there was even a table, a microwave, and a mini fridge!  As I looked out the window, I could see my whole world whizzing past me.  Big station wagon cars with freckled faces waving at me chugged along beside the van.  Trucks with big dogs hanging out of the windows flew by and gobs of drool clung to the outsides of the windows.  Sports cars with women on cell phones and old cars with old men eating bagels speckled the highways.  It seemed like another world when I saw all of these new faces.  In my little town, everything is always the same and I know everyone who lives there.  I felt very, very tiny in a big, big world.

Belinda said she was getting hungry and she tossed me a carob chip cookie.  I jumped to the floor and started munching on the crunch goodness.  Little crumbs clung to my whiskers and I moaned and rolled on the floor, wiping my face the whole time.  We found a funky little lobster shack on the side of the road and decided to stop for a bite.

“Welcome to Maine!” yelled the chubby little woman behind the stand.  She had a white chef hat on and an apron with a big red lobster on the front.  “What can I do for you?”  “We’ll take two lobsters and an order of salt potatoes,” said John.  Belinda and I sat down near the water to see the sunset.  “Look at Maine, Buster.  Isn’t it just beautiful?” said Belinda with a wondrous smile on her face.  It sure was.  We were seated on a picnic bench high on a cliff.  Below us, lobster traps were peeking through the water and a bunch of fishing boats were bobbing lazily on the waves.  The orange and pink sunset was breathtaking across the ocean and the temperature was warm and dry.  The best thing about this place was the smell.  The smell of buttery lobster tails and lots and lots of fish!  Fresh fish, rotten fish, live fish, and dead fish; fish, fish, fish is what comes out of the ocean and that is pretty much all I could think about! 

Chihuahua's love fish! I ran around as Belinda and John were eating and I was lucky enough to find a fish on the ground!  I knew for sure that Belinda would kill me if I rolled in it so I just licked it, instead.  It was delicious!  Salty and smooth, the fish made my tummy rumble.  I ran over to John and he gave me a couple of his potatoes and a bite of his dinner.  It tasted every bit as good as it smelled!  This was our first stop and I was already having the best vacation ever!

Buster and the Squirrel

Belinda and I decided to take advantage of the sunny fall day by going for a walk to the park!  When we woke up, the warm sun was gleaming through the window next to the bed and warming our cold noses.  I jumped up from under my cover and licked Belinda on the cheek.  “What should we do today?” asked Belinda.  I sat up like a pretty boy and cried a little bit with excitement before I ran to grab my leash and bring it in to Belinda.  “Oh, ok Buster.  That’s what I thought you’d say!  Let me get ready and then we will go to the park.”

Belinda went to my trunk of 

Chihuahua clothes and chose an orange sweatshirt and a brown collar with a little jingle bell on it.  “This is a perfect outfit for a fall walk, don’t you think so Buster?”  I jumped and wiggled the whole time I was getting dressed.  I absolutely loved going to the park!  I never knew who I would meet there and I have made lots of friends along the way! 

Walking to the park was just as fun as being there.  It had rained the night before so all of the leaves that were on the sidewalk were wet, sticky, and sweet smelling!  The feeling of the squishy leaves underneath my feet felt funny and the sloppy sound of Belinda’s shoes reminded me of a duck in the mud.  It was still sprinkling a little bit and little bits of rain beaded up on my long eyelashes.  I blinked them away and licked at the drops falling from my nose.

Once we got to the park, Belinda unleashed me and I went tearing off toward the big oak tree that was right in the middle.  Running around with the other dogs at the dog park was so much fun, but just as I was chasing after a tennis ball, something caught my eye.  Over near the big oak, a tiny little squirrel was struggling with a big acorn that was stuck under a rock.  He would push and pull but nothing he did seemed to get the acorn loose.  I walked over curiously and the little squirrel looked up at me with a pleading look on his face.  He was just so cute that I knew I had to help him out.

As I was nudging the rock with my nose, the little squirrel was trying to pull on the acorn with his front teeth.  He had all four feet planted in the ground and was pulling with all of his might.  Finally the acorn broke loose and the little creature went flying backward, slipping across the wet leaves, and spinning out.  I barked excitedly because it was funny and I really wanted to play with the squirrel.  He began running toward his tree house and I chased after him.  He would turn around to scamper in the other direction and I would chase him.  Then he would jump and do a flip in the air, losing his acorn, and I followed along; barking all the time!  When he started slowing down, I nudged him with my wet nose and we’d start all over again.

Finally the little squirrel reached his home and scampered up the side of the tree.  I began to whine and cry while pawing at the mossy bark.  I knew this was the end of the fun since he had to go take care of his family.  Once he got to his hole, he looked down at me as if to bid me farewell.  I barked and wagged my tail.  When I ran back to Belinda, she was reading her book on the bench.  She asked me if I was ready to go and I brought her my leash.  That was a great day at the dog park!  I hope that next time we go there, I see my little squirrel friend! Who would have thought, a Chihuahua and a squirrel?