Monster in our house!

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We have a Monster that lives in our house...I hear it stirring under the floor.  Then it makes a rumbling sound and after that it blows its hot breath up out of the floor at me and scares me!  Mom says that sounds like a dragon!

   Yep, that is where it lives. Down under that grate in the bathroom. Beware!  You can bet I am!


(I have to add that Ryker has been afraid of that heat vent for over a year and a half now. None of the other ones seem to catch his attention.  Maybe there is something down there?)





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Gingerbread Village Revisisted - The Finished Product

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Remember when I went to see Head Pastry Chef Joe Hickel and licked looked at his Gingerbread Village?  I thought I'd show you what it tastes looks like now.
You can see it live on their website at http://captaincookchristmas.com if you want.  You can even email him at chefjoe@captaincookchristmas.com.

This is the waterwheel house.  Doesn't it look cool?  I even licked cleaned up a little from the edge for him.  Yummy.

Mom says that's the Barker's family fixing up wagon wheels.  I listened but I didn't hear anybody bark.

                                                 Boy, Mr. Specking sure is busy.

                          Oh no, the cops are telling Santa he can't park here.  Grrrrr....  

                                        Looks like Mr. Scrooge is having a party.

                        Lots of little houses all over.  All the little people got to have a place to live!

                                       There's even a mountainside in the back.

       There's little people ice skating here.  The ice tastes like hard candy.  Trust me.  I know.  It's yummy.

This is the Karl Eid and Wally Hickel house.  Karl Eid was Chef Joe's mentor and Wally Hickel was Chef Joe's daddy.  Chef Joe says they're both in heaven now.  I think they live in the house.  I would.

This is Head Pastry Chef Joe Hickel.  He was happy when he got the Gingerbread Village done.  He works for three months getting everything ready and then starts building it in November.  Then it takes him about ten days or more to put it all together.  The whole lobby smells like gingerbread, chocolate and icing.  It's a yummy place to be.  Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!











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Frozen digits at 11pm

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Yup, I think mom was trying to freeze off her fingers and toes.  It was 11pm and she was outside with no shoes or gloves and her camera is blazing away.  She wouldn't let me come out and join in the fun.  Do I look happy?

                        Well, here are the results of her near frostbitten foray at 6 degrees.

                          ( Looks like the rose bush is getting a pruning...it needed it anyhow.)

                             ( A young moose, probably one of last years babies. Curious but shy.)

 

                                                  (Really cute, check out those ears!)

        ( And of course it is blissfully munching away on my Clematis. Could of bet money on that one)

( I really love that we have moose wander in and out of our yard on a regular basis.  Puts me in touch with nature and the bigger picture.  It's not all about us, we share this world with so many amazing creatures! )

( OK, I can no longer feel my fingers or toes.  Time to get back in the warm house and comfort my dog.
He really wanted to be out here to protect me, but it probably would have worked out the other way.)            

                              I hope you all enjoy the pictures of the little Christmas Moose.


                   MERRY CHRISTMOOSE   TO ALL,
                 AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!





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Wordless Wednesday

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Doing good @ University Lake Dog Park

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Thank you all for you care and concern. I am doing really good and am cooperating with mom in taking my pills and eye drops each day.  I am back to playing and here are photos from the University Lake Dog Park that we occasionally visit.  It was a great day to go, plenty of snow, lots of dogs and sunshine!

Can you find me?

                                               I met many new dogs and saw a few old friends.

                        I got everybody chasing me...I'm in doggy heaven!  Darn good thing I'm fast!

                                                   Just call me " Leader of the Pack! "

Mom freaked when she saw this one. She said I got a mouth like a snake! I have no idea what she is talking about.

                     There are several Beaver that live in this lake...but we did not see any today.

It is about 3pm and the sun will be setting soon. See all the long shadows? We have almost 6 hours of daylight now.  Winter Solstice  is Dec. 21st and marks the official first day of Winter for us. Ha ha, somebody better tell them that Winter started in September this year!  Solstice daylight hours will be 10:14 am to 3:41pm.  Mom also told me that we will be having two meteor showers this month, one one Dec. 13th and another Dec. 22nd.  I am not real sure what they are all about but I know I don't like showers or bathes so I am not happy about this!

                    I had a really good time at the park today.  We should come here more often.

On our way to the car we passed this...I'm gonna be sexist and say gal. She had her tail all done up in a ponytail holder.  She is strutting her stuff!  Reminds me of Shiva in her new collar and leash!





* PS  Again, many thanks for all the well wishes.  You made my week!
~Ryker








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Another trip to the Vet

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Friday night I was having a great time chasing my stick through the brush when all of a sudden my left eye began to hurt.  When we got home I kept pawing at it. It hurt but hurt worse when I would paw at it. Finally I left it alone but mom kept checking at and Saturday afternoon she said she could see two small splinters in it.  She called the 24 hour Vet line and they said I had to come in and be seen.

I'm over by the door

Hey, there's a black cat in this bag!

Look just to the right of my brown fleck and you can see the two tiny splinters embedded in my eye.  The Vet said they had to come out and I would have to under go minor surgery.  Mom and I  waited three hours there  till they could do it because an emergency case came in.  I think she was more worried about me that I was. They took me away and when brought me back the splinters were gone.
I did not feel so good till the next day and mom hung out with me all night till I was feeling better.  I feel fine now but I have to have a bunch of eye drops and a pill to take every day for a week. 
Mom says no more playing in that area where all the sticker bushes are. She said she will have to be real careful where she throws my stick cuz I am a wild man when I go after it.




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Gingerbread Friends

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Today Mom took me over to the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage to meet Pastry
Chef Joe Hickel.  She says Chef Hickel builds an entire Gingerbread Village every year about this time.

Wow Mom.  This smells delicious.  All of it is food too.  The snow, the trees, the little houses, everything.
Trust me.  My nose is never wrong.

                  I wonder if anybody would notice if I licked it once or twice or a bunch of times . .

                                        Oh, look over here Mom.  There's little people over here.

 

                  Oh, you gotta be careful here though.  The people smell like plastic.  Can't eat those.

                       Hey Mom, tell Chef Hickel he missed a spot over here.  I didn't eat it, honest.

(Chef Hickel at the Hotel Captain Cook builds a Gingerbread Village every year out of completely
edible materials.  Gingerbread houses, chocolate fences, sugar ponds and everything else is
edible, except, of course, the little people.  You can watch Chef Hickel build his Gingerbread
Village live at http://www.captaincookchristmas.com).






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