Bella's Boxer Shorts

SnowDog

I'm so excited...Mom and Dad are packing up the Subaru right now, which means they're going on a road trip. And I'm invited. I know that because Mom's packed up my bowls, my blankets, my biscuits, my chew toys, my collars and leashes, and--wait, what's that?--my snow jacket and my snow booties! And snowshoes and snow chains!

I guess that means another weekend in the snow. Here's a picture of me with Mom and her bestest friend when they went snowshoeing over Valentine's Day weekend (they ditched the mens and took me along instead. I thought it was appropriate that my jacket was red.)

Anyway, now it looks like we're off to Bend, Oregon, for another weekend of snowy white fun.

"Dear God: It's me, Bella. When will it be springtime?"

xoxo - Bella

No Snow for Me

OK, this picture was taken last winter (notice that I haven't quite grown into my ears yet)---but do I look like I'm having fun? Definitely not.

However, the grinning fools next to me (aka Mom and Dad) love the snow and want to do some skiing and showshoeing. That's why I am heading off to spend the next few days with my dogsitting buddies Doug and Meredith, where I will stay warm and dry while Mom and Dad head off to the Bend Winterfest. Let them freeze their tushies if they want to, but sans moi!

But, they reassure me that they'll be back in time for Valentine's Day. I signed up for Kaiser's Valentine's exchange and I'm sooooooo excited to see what the mailman brings me!!

xoxo - Bella

Day 9: The Countdown Continues

As I count down the days to Christmas, I'm thinking of things I'm grateful for. And, even though I hate the rain, I love to play outside in the crisp, fresh Oregon air. So today, day #9, I'm glad to be a native Oregonian. To be exact, I was born in Dallas, Oregon, at Mi-T Boxers. This year, while my parents were indulging themselves in Greece, I got to go back to Mi-T Boxers which was a ton of fun because there is a huge yard and lots of other boxers to play with. When my parents weren't traipsing around Mexico or the Mediterranean, they took me with them on a bunch of adventures, including a camping trip to the Oregon Coast and a few hikes in the Columbia River Gorge. Here are two of my Mom's favorite pictures:

Pretty nice scenery, huh? Next summer Mom & Dad are planning a trip to Eastern Oregon and I'm trying to convince them to take me with them. I've also been sending emails and filling out surveys, trying to lobby Oregon's Parks & Recreation Department to allow pets into cabins and yurts. No word so far, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Hope all you other dogs with blogs have some fun adventures planned for 2008.

xoxo - Bella

Hey, Nice Christmas Tree!

We had some snowflakes here in Portland on Sunday, so Mom & Dad decided it was a good day to get our Christmas tree and we piled into the Subaru and drove to a family farm out in the country. There were pretty red barns, hay bales and lots & lots of brown mud that squished between my toes. Yuck. Other than that, though, I had a blast. I even met a cute little white boxer puppy with a pretty pink collar, which got me thinking that maybe I'll ask Santa for a brother or sister. Anyway, we started trudging through the mud and Mom was kind of like Goldilocks: "this tree is too big," "this tree is too small," and finally, "ahhhh, this tree is just right!" She then handed Dad a saw and made him chop it down (don't worry, the trees are raised as renewable crops and we mulch them after Christmas!!). No way was she going to get down on her hands and knees in the mud. Here is a picture of me, supervising Dad's handiwork (Mom says we both have very nice butts although I think mine is a lot nicer). Now the tree is standing in our living room, which is a little bit weird. But it smells good and I do like the pretty little colored lights. And, I'm just waiting for the right moment to sink my teeth into one of those shiny little balls hanging on the branches!!

xoxo - Bella

Beach Babe Bella

Hey Everybody, I just got back from the best camping trip ever! Mom and Dad decided we all needed some fresh air and we packed up the Subaru and headed to the Oregon Coast (Cape Lookout State Park, to be exact). Fortunately, my Mom and Dad have a different idea of "fresh air" than Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who in 1983 put the family's Irish Setter, Seamus, into a dog carrier strapped to the roof of the family car for a 12-hour road trip (read the Boston Globe article here). Poor, poor Seamus. Crazy, crazy Mitt (what kind of name is that anyway? Rhymes with dim-wit. Or dumb-f**K. OK, well maybe it doesn't rhyme with that last one but it's fun to say. Plus, Mom can't yell at me because I learned it from her. She's got a salty sailor vocabulary!).

Sorry, I digress. In any case, unlike Seamus I had a real comfortable ride in the back of the station wagon. When we finally got to the beach, Mom & Dad let me run off-leash for HOURS and HOURS! I got sand up my nose and down my throat but it didn't matter. I had a blast. Best of all: I got to sleep in the brand new tent that Mom & Dad bought for the occasion. Viva Camping!

xoxo - Bella

A Day At The Beach

This weekend we drove to the Oregon coast so I could get my first taste of sea & sand. It started with a long car ride, which is always fun although I don't remember much since I fell asleep about 15-minutes into the trip. But when I woke up, we were at the beach. Miles and miles of sand for running, jumping, and eating (it tasted a little gritty but it was a nice change from pinecones). Here is a picture of me on Cannon Beach, in front of Haystack Rock (which is one of the largest basalt sea stacks on America's Pacific Coast at 255 feet above beach level).

After walking on the beach we were hungry. Mom & Dad packed a picnic with sandwiches, chips, and fruit...and kibble-stuffed Kongs for me. Then we went to the local ice-cream shop where there were lots and lots of people. So I parked myself in front and did my best to look cute. My ploy worked, because nearly everbody who walked by came over to say "hi." Mom & Dad say this is good for my social skills, and we all came home from the beach tired but happy.

xoxo - Bella