The Bleu Scale: Life's Stuff Comes In All Sizes

As most of you know, I'm a quiet, unassuming, sweet boy who is high strung on the inside about maintaining my laid back lifestyle.

I learned a lot about Life from my brother, The Luke... some funny stuff, some ever-so-slightly wicked stuff... and a whole bunch about Treasures, because Treasures were his thing!

Like The Luke, I love Life! And when you love it, you must also embrace its Stuff. And lately, I've been given cause to reflect on such matters, and just for fun... I've begun assigning Sizes to The Stuff. There are no calipers, no scale, no higher math... just what I scientifically refer to as The Bleu Scale.


XL


Many of you know that I went to see my The Doctor Mark a few weeks ago, with some very minor swelling in the lymph nodes in my neck. The Mom might also have told you that tests revealed a diagnosis of lymphosarcoma.


I'm not sure what that is, but for me... it sounds like a challenging DWTB [Dancing With The Bleu] dance move. I can meet this challenge... for it is no match for The Bleu! The Mom is far more worried and concerned and far more calculating in her approach, but then... that is what makes her the Mom.


More later on such Stuff, with help from her. Old gal and I are like a loving the mom with her sweet boy and though I view Life as a Dancer...

I sometimes think my the mom views us as a trainer and a prize fighter! It's all very complicated, and I am just happy she is on My Team!!! I pity the poor enemy, that despised and evil c!


L


In spite of all rumors to the contrary... Little Reufus... ::ARE YOU SITTING DOWN???:: ... is set to graduate from 'Beyond Basic' next Thursday night! Picture me, rubbing my eyes and pinching myself... to make sure this is not a dream! Heh heh...

As a review, here is a list of what he has learned:


Obedience/General Training:

• Self Control / Focus / Pass By. Remain keyed into your person and ignore dogs in your space.
• Heel. Varying Speeds. Quick Sits. Reverses.
• Sit / Stay. Lay / Stay. Pretty good in a vacuum. Still hard at distance when distractions are involved. [Reuf grabs the toy on his way to split second recall, every single time]

Agility:

• A Frame. Agility Obstacle. Left and Right approach, and the ever so hard... call away.
• Tunnel. Left and right approach.
• Bridge. Left and right approach.
• Hoop Jump.
• Jumps/Hurdles. Bunny Hop. Left and right approach.
• Tire Jump. Left and right approach.
• Ladder walk. Varying Heights.
• Rocker Bar / Boogie Board / Teeter Totter. Maintain Sit until Release.
• Unstable Disk... i.e. round platform with ball underneath that renders 360 degrees of instability. Maintain Sit until Release.

Tricks:

• Spin. Spin in clockwise direction.
• Twist. Twist in counterclockwise direction.
• Wave. Ain't happening. He is NOT going to wave.
• Roll Over. He's getting close to being really good at this.
• Legs. Figure 8 around the legs. He's not great at it, but he will be... soon.

M


Saturday morning, Reufus laid down by the Mom... not on top of her, not pushing her, but just beside her. He was quiet and still. He didn't bite, scratch or bruise the Mom. He didn't chew on the furniture. He didn't try to chew or swallow any other thing. He just laid there, alert... but calm. He acted for about three minutes... like a normal boy!

Now... I'm not sure about how Life's Stuff is sized... This might be scaled M or... XXXL! Perspective is EVERYthing. Just saying.


S


Though I labelled it XXXL then, I give it an S now... Wednesday night was full of thunder, lightning, wind and TWO drops of rain. We lost power at 745pm and it didn't come back on until 115am.

It was hot (though I had a battery operated fan on me). It was dark. And there was nothing to do. The worst part, by far, was being trapped with the manic the Mom. Just saying.
XS


Then, there are the things that seem so XS individually... but are really XXXXL in importance and enjoyment:


Nose Kisses.
Head Rubs.
Ear Skritches.
Berry Treats.
People Food Bits.
Fresh Waters.
Extra Night Outings.
Getting "Tucked In".
Shmuggles and Shpoonings.
Lunch Rendezvous.
Random Times with The Herd.
Overdrive Prayers.
Serious Conversations.
Sweet Nothings.

I love Life. I know I must fight the bad, while basking in The Good. I'm up for the challenge, and I've signed the best and most trusted agent I could ever hope to have represent my interests... my the Mom. More on the fight later, today I bask in The Abundance of Good Stuff!!!

Before I close, however, my the Mom would like to ask for your prayers, positive energy and healing thoughts. The Love Protocol lives on! Please join Team Bleu!

Reufus Jackson Wright... Pass or Fail???

As many of you know... Little Reufus has been faithfully attending and Basic Obedience classes and also taking up a lot of my the Mom's time working very hard outside of class. Until last week, there was a giant question in our collective minds if he might be repeating Basic...

[The photos that follow are not very good, but they capture a little of last night's Class 6!]

Before class starts, it is important that the Mom captures the Reuf attention. That accomplished, she turned the back of her shoe to show off the part Reufus has eaten.

This was not embarassing for Reufus. Setting the Wimberley sofa aside, he considers this some of his best work.

As The Trainer takes charge of the class, the Mom is to issue the settle command. Here is Reuf doing it very nicely...

They also did some loose leash walking, reverses...

And sits. The Mom says he is particularly good with his sits. I would agree if she acknowledged that there is a consonant missing. Just saying.

Little Reuf's success is largely due to Tracie, The Patient, Dedicated, Inspiring Trainer. And the Mom is always proud when she uses Reuf as an example... good or bad!

Here is a nice settle... though Reuf is borderline doing the A.D.D. thing that The Trainer is keenly aware of!

She calls him back to attention, and he looks to her [adoringly] for direction!

The Tracie taught him how to walk across the board. And he loved it! He did it several more times, quickly and with joy.

A little later, he maneuvered a long obstacle course... And he really loved it!!! It consisted of:


Hoop: Sniff and Sit.


Ladder: Step between rungs.


Upright Board 1: Sit. Stay. The Mom crosses over the board. Stay. The Mom crosses back. Release. Both cross over the board.


Upright Board 2: Sit. Stay. The Mom crosses over the board. Release and Recall.


Boardwalk.


Elevated Pad. Sit. [The Mom is reminded to praise!]

In and Out. Weave.

Spin and Twist.

Then Pose... Course complete!!!

A huge part of the whole experience is learning to look to the Mom for direction and approval. Truly, this is the key to success.

Who knew there would be a written exam... Reuf even took a lesson in how to let the Mom take an exam. [To call it an exam is a slight exaggeration, it was more like a comment card... but for the Mom, trying to do this with the Reuf nearby... it was a test!]

The suspense was about to kill the Mom, so she was quite relieved when Reuf's name was called first, and indeed... He graduated!!!

Reufus Jackson Wright... PASS!!!

You know how proud the Mom is if she is willing to allow me to share this photo!

She balked, but I reminded her that noone would believe the little IMP and also HELLION had actually passed if we didn't offer photographic proof! You will note that it took quite a bit of "convincing" on the part of Tracie, the Miracle Worker / Trainer... for Little Reuf to face the camera!

It was a proud moment for all of us. Yeah, yeah, yeah...


In the meantime, I was having my nails done... trimmed not painted... and having my slippers cleaned up. This has been a true spa week for me, as I have been pampered in some way every single night!

Word on the street is that I'm doing something very special on Friday!!! Stay Tuned!!

P.S. We will, hopefully, have better photos to share soon!

My Sweet Thursday Night, Reuf's Academic Progress and Campo Blanco Part Five

Many of you know that The Wild Child is enrolled in some sort of Juvy Training Class, and he and the Mom leave me here at home every Thursday evening. I could wax poetic over the injustice of it all when the insolent is rewarded with an evening outing with the Mom...

But life is short, and I have decided, instead, to exploit the time alone by embracing my guilty pleasures! And so, Thursday evening, I do confess... I donned my white cotton shirt, boxer shorts and crisp white socks...


And I did dance. I did slide. I did celebrate while sliding across the hardwood floors. And yes... My Business was definitely Risque'!

To be clear, I'm not a huge fan of being alone... but Reuf is a little what his trainer calls... "glommy".
glom - verb
1. to attach oneself to or associate oneself with
2. ( US ) to acquire, esp without paying

His trainer indicates that Mister Fabulous, rather than being grossly overconfident as the Mom and I have diagnosed... is actually insecure and therefore all up in my business and also... the Mom's.

It is understandable why he would want to be like me, but I do get tired of him being right up in my face. And my ears are plenty clean enough, thank you very much.

I can't deny that he's pretty cute... for a younger brother, I mean. And he and the Mom came home with some great news after class...

It seems that hard work [on all our parts] is paying off, because Reuf was highly complimented in class! About 20 minutes of varying speed walks with loose leash, reverses and sits... and Reuf didn't miss a single command. And his varying sit - stays and recalls were perfection!

After class, he and the Mom were called into the office... but this time they were told that the little imp displays all the characteristics they look for in a competitive agility and/or obedience dog.

To which the Mom responded... "Does that mean he's going to graduate next week?"

I've been worried about that, myself... but they are clearly grading on a curve!

That said, a big change was made this week, and it resulted in a big change!

The Mom resisted the change for a great while... three and a half classes, to be exact. She still doesn't feel great about it, but I'm here to tell you... At long last, Little Reufus is starting to connect the dots!

In the trainer's words... "He's figured out who is steering the ship." For me, I think he's finally making the connection that through minding the Mom, all good things shall come...

He's far from perfection, but his behavior IS improving!!!

I'm reluctant to tell you, but I know you're going to ask... The Big Change is the introduction of the pinch collar. You can't even imagine how opposed to it we both were... but having learned how to use it, we will now tell you that Reufus is lightyears better behaved even when not wearing the collar. And when wearing it, it is hardly necessary! 

All of these photos were taken on July 5th, as we explored Campo Blanco. Reuf really loved all the smells!

It was fun, too, to see him stop and take notice of his surroundings as a whole...

And take it all in...!

He also loved the camaraderie! Spending time with his cousins was great fun, and here he is with Cousin Cane!

Uncle T took Reufus and Cousin Cane on a two mile walk each morning, and I loved it. As you may know... I'm not a morning person. And I enjoyed sleeping in!

Uncle T is quick to note that it was a two mile walk for he and Cane, and a four mile walk for Reufus... who did zig and zag.

Life is wonderful in Wimberley with the Mom... and also not so bad when home alone on Thursday nights!

When you're my size... it's hard to be photogenic on a six foot lead! Just saying.

I think you can see and appreciate, however, my gorgeous furs... but oh how I wish you could smell the fresh smells!

Divine.

All of these photos were taken on July 5th, and that made me think of last year...

July 5, 2010

Orange Toy Night

Me with my goldfish...

 The Luke with his whale...

Sweet...

 In some ways, we weren't aware of how good life was... 

 In some ways, we weren't quite aware of how truly good life was...

But in so many ways... We knew!

Life is... after all... All about Love! 

And speaking of Love...
On our minds tonight is
My Special Pal... The Hamish!

Sweet Boy had a growth removed from his tail,
and he and his wonderful family,

Sister Sophie and Mom and Dad,

are anxiously awaiting diagnostic results.

Please to say A Special Prayer for handsome Hamish!
And send well wishes, positive and healing thoughts his way!!!