Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Tale Five - First Day

I finally slept.  It was just turning light and boy did I have to pee.  Roger opened the crate door. I just stared at him for a few seconds. I didn't slip when I got out, because there was paper on the floor. Roger led me out the back door to do potty. It was freezing outside, so much colder than my home. Oh I love being outdoors and the yard was very big. So much to explore. I didn't have the leash on so I could sniff all I wanted. I'm not sure about these people yet. No smiles from me today. I am going to do what I want to do. 

Once inside I could smell food. I wanted to gobble it all up immediately, but Roger stopped me. He kept on saying to me sit, sit, sit. He wouldn't give me food until I did that. I learned that quickly, because food is my passion. After that I felt tired and dozed on their lovely soft sofa. I had tried that the night before and I loved how it felt.

When I got up, Adrienne took me out on the front porch and all the sounds of the whizzing cars frightened me. My home didn't have all those cars. There was a big, big car (I was told later that it was a garbage truck) made really loud noises that hurt my ears.I wish they wouldn't take the garbage away. It really is lovely stuff.  I had to speak my mind about it, like I still do today.

Next, Adrienne tried to teach me how to go down the stairs from the porch. I didn't want to try that. I might fall.  I tried one step. Wheee!!! That's hard. I am going to have to try a different way to get to the yard.

Inside the house again. I found a soft bed with  many toys on it. I loved shaking the duck and the doggie. I wanted to rip them a part really and eat them. Isn't that what I am supposed to do? I am a busy boy and must explore everything. The doggie is with me still today although much smaller and minus an arm and a leg. I chew at night and Daddy sews it up in the day. I have to have it when I sleep at night and  my ears perk up when Daddy says the magic words before bedtime "Doggie".

This might not be such a bad place after all.

Here is my first tour around the house. I was a very busy boy that day and had to explore the place.


For those of you who cannot play the video. Here is the video link

Here I am playing with my duck. You can see the crate where I sleep. Roger kept throwing the duck at me and I really liked that game.


Here are  photos of me and my favorite duckie and doggie.










Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Tale Four - First Night

I was here at this new place with all the smells that were not quite home. I had realized that I wasn't going back to my mommy at least for tonight. My stomach was gurgling because I only had a small bit of food when I was at my home. That was a long time ago when it was light. Roger put some of my food in a bowl. How could I refuse food. I love, love food so much. Whoof,  I gobbled it all up. Then I did more sniffing because the place had so many new smells.  I was glad we left the car so that I could run and run and run. I did a few slips and slides because the floor was different too.

I was getting tired and soooo sleepy. I was really missing my family so much. Touching them when I was sleeping was so important to me. It made me feel safe. Shhh! Don't tell them that. I don't want to ruin my image. Well, both Adrienne and Roger showed me where I was to sleep. It was a place with slits in between it so I could see in. Next thing I knew they put me into this hard thing and closed the door. Why did they do that? I didn't like this place. I felt so alone. I wanted to be with my family. I was scared and suddenly my body started shaking. Here I was inside this awful place surrounded by shredded paper all around me. There also was another towel with something ticking inside.I couldn't think straight. The ticking sound wasn't bad, but I wanted out of this place. I could hear and smell that Roger was sleeping close by. The more I shook, the more I had to do potty and pee. I lost total control. PLEASE LET ME OUT!!!! I WANT TO GO HOME.

Roger came quickly. I was a total mess. He took me out of the crate as he called it. And all of a sudden, he started washing me all over. The crate was next, he kept on cleaning and washing it. I just laid down and watched him. Glad to be out of that awful thing. I really needed to sleep, but how could I, in this awful place.

Roger put me back into the crate again. Why was he making me suffer? I was so tired I couldn't think. I needed to sleep a little bit no matter where I was.

The first two photos I was trying out my bed.



This video is of me becoming familiar with this new place before bedtime



Here I was testing out the sofa before bedtime. I just wanted to close my eyes for a second, really.















Monday, July 29, 2013

Tale Three - Leaving Home

I was out playing with my sister Gadget and brothers. Something was different about that day. Carole my human mom had just washed me and given me a haircut. Ugh I didn't like it. She used a funny machine that blew into my face. It felt strange, but what the heck I accepted it.  I really wanted to tease my sister and run outside. That is really what I wanted to do. Carole seemed to not want me to get myself dirty.

There were new people suddenly arrived at the house. Carole brought me out and let me be held by one of them. I heard her say Adrienne. She did seem pleasant and I liked meeting new people so I gave her a lick. Adrienne seemed quite excited and pleased to be holding me. I gave her a few more licks. Then the other person Roger held me. There were three other people there. I didn't catch their names but they were holding another strange thing and pointed it at us. I didn't really like that thing very much since I could hear clicking noises and flashes of light. My brothers, sisters and mom Widget were watching me. I really had enough and wanted to get down to business running after them. But this was not to be.

Adrienne continued to hold me and Roger opened up the car door. I had been in a car before so I knew what that was.This seemed exciting.They were going to take me on a trip for the day.Sniff, sniff so different were the smells. Adrienne continued to hold me in the car. I loved looking at all the movement outside. Everything was wising past. I was getting a little dizzy, but it was exciting just the same. It seemed like such a long time. I wanted to see everything, but my eyes were starting to close. Just a little sleep then I will be ready again.

I woke up wanting to pee pee and suddenly found myself with a thing around my neck. We got out of the car, but this thing was holding me back. The nerve of them not allowing me to run. I'll make it difficult for them and go my own way. I had to go so badly.  I found a spot that smelled just right and peed. Boy did I feel better. We got back in the car and we started moving again. It was getting dark, this day trip seemed a very long one and I wanted to get back home.

We finally stopped and I was carried into a house that I didn't know. I felt strange. Where's my brothers and sisters? Where is my mummy?

Here is a photo of my mummy Widget, sisters and brothers. Photo by Carole Beresh

Here is a photo of my mummy, brothers and sisters. I am the one at the end going my own way. Photo by Carole Beresh


My mummy said she fell in love with me looking at this photo. My name was Riggo then. Photo by Carole Beresh


Here is my mummy Adrienne and daddy Roger when we first met at Carole's house. Photo by Mary Saltmarsh


This is a video of me and my mummy when I got out of the car to do a pee.


                                    
                               
  For those of you who cannot click on the video to watch, here is the link on youtube.com






Sunday, July 28, 2013

Tale 2 - In Remembrance of Gorky

Before I was born my mummy and daddy had another poodle. I was told his name was Gorky. I would have loved having him as a brother. He was big like I am now big. My mummy told me she was very sad when he went to the rainbow bridge. I wonder what the rainbow bridge is, but the way mummy talks about it, I don't want to go there. Gorky was not very old when he went away. He was very sick. He had a condition called Adisonsssss disease. Anyway that is how I heard it. Well mummy told me she was so sad that they had to find someone like me. I think  maybe that is another reason why she named me Lichen so I would live a very long life. In our backyard in upstate New York, there is a very pretty little tree planted which I liked to chew. My mummy told me this was planted for Gorky.

Sometimes as I was playing ball in the backyard, I felt Gorky was playing ball with me.

Here are some  photos of Gorky and some photos of me playing around that special tree for Gorky.







Saturday, July 27, 2013

Tale One - My Name


How did I get my name? My mummy tells me I am named after the plant Lichen. When I was little I really liked the taste of it and saw lots of it on the trees in my backyard when we lived in Central New York. My mummy says the name came to her in a dream and because lichen lives a long life she felt that would be a good name for me. I do like the sound of it. Of course my parents call me lots of names as well. Sometimes I don't like the names they call me. It depends on their tone of voice. The native Americans  use lichen for dyeing of their fabric. Actually there is a lichen called Wolf Lichen. I wouldn't dare eat that type of lichen since it is poisonous. I think that is great so no-one would ever mess with me. 

Here are a few photos of me when I was little. When my parents called me "Little Lichen". It appears I liked treats even then.



My eyes were even green like lichen and here are a few photos to prove it.