Day 1 at Grandma's House
Carl hasn't been put in an overnight with Grandma situation for quite some time. I looked back on my calendar and could not find it. I'm thinking at least two years. As scheduled, the son dropped him off at 9 a.m. gave me rudimentary instruction on the bark / training collar, the new puzzle food dish, how much to feed him, and most effective bribes (most of which was review, anyway).
Carl tested the new fence. Grandma put up the wading pool, where Carl used it as a watering hole and both drank and rinsed off his feet. Carl discovered the dog who is staying next door to the North, and of course barked at every dog and human passing by on the sidewalk.
Grandma pulled some weeds, and scooped poop. Everything was calming down nicely as it's warm and humid and that saps Carl as well as Grandma. He was hanging on the couch, being a good boy... when The Prisoner came to the back door to meow, confident of his ownership of the house.
It only took cracking the sliding glass door about an inch for Prisoner to detect the scent of Carl, even though he was not visible. Whoosh... but Prisoner laid on the deck and was visible to Carl... who really wanted to go play with him. So it begins.
Seven sleeps before Daddy comes to get you, Carl.
Mid-afternoon, Grandma discovered Carl pressing his nose against the board she had nailed back up on the deck. Yikes! Dog into house. Hammer in hand. Effect repairs. Mental note: don't let dog out unattended, just in case.
Grandma is discovering all sorts of things she blithely had erased from her memory. Like muddy paws... it rained this morning. Waiting for the mud on the floor to dry, meanwhile wiping off the paws. Carl clearly knows this drill from his home routines, where the backyard also features mud.
Heat, however, does calm this pupper down and wear him out. Black fur coats plus high humidity!
Take care of yourselves, fellow Spark refugees... stay cool if it's hot where you are. Hydrate! And end of day, let go of it all... and rest peacefully. Whatever effort you put in, no matter how small, was worth it, and it was enough for the day. Tomorrow is a fresh new one, and we start all over again!
Life is good. Spark on!
A week of fun! It'll go by in a flash. I get Chewy for vacations and it usually takes him two days to become 'ungrumpy'. Funny how something so small can take up so much room.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Indeed. Although, Carl is not small, exactly! Yes, he takes up almost the whole Queen-sized bed, leaving me a small sliver.
DeleteAnd yes, I'm enjoying, although Prisoner and Rubia have made themselves scarce, as they usually do. Putting food out for them, and of course the water.
That's a lot of fun for Carl. Nothing beats having a weekend visit with Grandma.
ReplyDeleteGrandma spoils him, BUT, Dad is still his favorite person in the whole world.
DeleteAhhh. You are such a nice "grandma".
ReplyDeleteAt age 3, he has learned some manners. I attribute this to my son's fiance. He now lets me prepare food and eat it, waiting his turn like a good boi. It takes human discipline and patience to get a "good dog". I'm glad my son has been committed to this, because a badly behaving 75 pound canine would be too much for this grandma!
DeleteAh, Carl sounds like he’s being a good boy over-all. Yes, that’s the one upside of humidity – it slows the pups down! Miss Lilly is in the same boat! Wow! But he's way bigger than her . . . his 75 lbs. vs. her 9 lbs. LOL He wins!
ReplyDeleteStay well.
barb
1crazydog
We got rain and coolish Thursday morning. Carl is not a fan of rain, but he accepted it for the cool on his walk!
DeleteHow fun…Carl to keep you company…that’ll definitely keep you on your toes! Hopefully, the kitties will get re-accustomed to his presence and reclaim some part of their indoor territory! Our son has a year old lab puppy who is still learning “manners” and is exuberant in greeting you … random bruises appear on arms and legs where she has jumped in her enthusiasm! Spark on!! ❤️ Eissa7
ReplyDeleteI have not seen either cat for about 24 hours now, but the food I put out disappeared, and in the pattern that I am accustomed to seeing when the dish is inside. So I refilled it this morning... and life goes on in "Carl visit mode."
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