Two Greyhound Town

A Mama Funny

2012-01-30T08:00:00.002-06:00

We are tired this morning! We went to the park yesterday and I think it was more of a short hike than a walk. We walked through mud, water, tall brush and we climbed over trees. I kept thinking that this must be what the hikes are like for my sister, Bunny. I didn't know that you could go off the trail. I thought you had to stay on it, but we there was a huge tree blocking the road and we had to go around it. It was fun. The trail ended at a cemetery that was started in the 1800's. It's where the founders of the town are buried. Their family gave the land to the state and that's why it is a state park now.

We came home and slept.

Then we watched the sun set.

Then we chewed some bully sticks.

Then we slept some more.

It was a good day!

Okay, so do you want to hear the funny about Mama. Scout said I should tell everyone. I'm not sure why she wants me to do it and not her. Do you think she is trying to get me in trouble? She's actually smarter than she lets on. Anyway, I'll go for it. Mama hurt her back on Thursday. She wasn't having the normal spasms that she has when it acts up, so that was good. However, on Saturday, her legs were really, really hurting. She said her legs had never hurt that much before. It was really hard to walk with a back that hurt and now her legs hurt, too. She thought maybe her legs were hurting because she was walking funny. See, when her back hurts, she can't stand up straight and she kind of tilts to the left. Saturday night, a light bulb went off in her head. She was really embarrassed when she realized why her legs were hurting. Are you ready for it? Her legs were hurting because she had been told to stretch her back out by laying on the floor and lifting her knees to her chest. She did that several times on Friday. Well, Mama is so out of shape that her legs were just sore from exercising. ROFL Her legs were okay on Sunday. Silly Mama! Her back is better. It's still sore, but she can walk pretty normal now. She can almost turn over in bed without too much trouble. I think she will be all better in another day or two. She thinks her back problems stem from a car accident she was in when she was 12. She hit the windshield and broke it. That was before you had to wear a seat belt. That car didn't even have seat belts! Can you imagine? Well, she hurt her neck in the accident. About ten years later, she remembers her back going out and since then, she has had trouble She tries not to lift anything heavy, but sometimes it just goes out.

It's going to be a beautiful day here. I am going to spend the day on the deck.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Has A Funny Mama

It's Fun Day Again!

2012-01-29T09:50:00.001-06:00

Daddy arrived home from California very late on Thursday night. It was almost Friday morning. We were very excited to see him, but disappointed we had to go to bed right after he got home. He had to work on Friday, so we didn't really see him until Friday night. It's nice to have him home again.

Mama's back has been hurting since Thursday. She lifted up a bag of salt and that's all it took for it to act up. Scout says it doesn't take much for her back to get messed up. You should have seen how funny she was walking yesterday. She said it's feeling better today, so we might be able to go to the park. We are just waiting for the final word on that.

Here we are waiting.

I probably should get a power nap in while I wait.

The weather is supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow. I will definitely be camped out on the deck soaking in the sun.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Loves The Weekends

...But I Like The Rain

2012-01-26T12:12:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, we had a rainy day. I don't mind the rain. I wanted to stay out all day. Mama didn't agree.

Mama: "Joey, it's 34 degrees. You can't stand in the rain."

Me: "But Mama, the bunny is out in the rain!"

Me: "Besides, when I come in, you wrap me in a warm towel."

Me: "I'm dry now. Can I go back out? Please?"

Mama said I pushed her buttons yesterday because I wanted to be out in the rain ALL DAY. Honestly, I don't know why I can't just stay outside. It's a lot more fun than being in the house.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Likes A Rainy Day And A Rainy Night

Anniversary Wishes / Leg Update

2012-01-25T10:14:00.004-06:00

Thank you everyone for the six month anniversary wishes. Mama and I read through the blog from the time that I came home until now. We had forgotten all the rough times that we had with the cast, the medication, using a sling, worrying about sores, etc., etc. We are so glad that it is now and not then.

We were asked how my leg is doing. It's not as good as Mama hoped it would be, but we are still hoping it will get better. We are hoping that once the plate and screws come out that I will feel better. I took off running in the house right before Christmas and that hurt. Little red dots showed up along my scar, so we think that was from the screws. I limped for quite a while after that and Mama put me back on full doses of my medication. I'm better now and normally just take a half of a pill a day, but some days I need a full pill. I'm stiff when I first get up, but I think that is just normal for me. My foot doesn't really place correctly when I stand, but that could be from my bones being fused together. I don't always put full weight on my foot. The cold weather bothers my foot because that plate gets cold in my foot. I'm supposed to be able to run in another month, but after my house run in December, Mama doesn't think I will be able to run until the plate comes out because of those screws. I will have to have a surgery to get the plate out, so that's a little scary, but in the long run, it seems like it will be for the best. Don't get me wrong, I really don't feel bad. The pain medication works. Mama just didn't think I would still need it. I hope this doesn't sound like we are down about my leg, because we are not. We are just hoping that it improves after the plate comes out and if it doesn't, well, I may just have to take medication when necessary. It's definitely better than it was six months ago.

This is how I spent my six month anniversary.

In the evening, Scout and I chewed on bully sticks. We also had some boiled chicken. Yum!

Daddy is out of town this week. Mama said we are not driving her too crazy this week. The last time he was out of town, we really pushed her buttons. LOL

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Very Happy But Will Be Happier When His Daddy Is Back Home

I've Been Here 6 Months!

2012-01-23T10:08:00.000-06:00

Today is my 6 month anniversary of living here.(The above photo is me coming home for the first time.) It's really gone pretty fast considering everything that has happened to me. I had my surgery a month after moving here. I stayed in the hospital for ten days. Then, I wore that silly cast for 6 weeks and then I had to wear that even sillier bandage for 3 weeks. Mama and I had battles over me taking medicine, but now I love peanut butter, so it's not an issue anymore.

I don't think we are doing anything to celebrate. Daddy is in Los Angeles this week. I wanted to go, but he said I wouldn't pass for luggage. Mama said we can break open the big dog sampler pack that we got from Best Bully Sticks last week tonight to keep us entertained since we really miss Daddy when he is away.

We did go to the park yesterday. We saw deer and I got really excited over them. They were shaking their white tails at me. They reminded me of bunnies with their white tails. We walked in two different area of the park, so that was really fun. The new area had all sorts of new smells and Scout and I could have stayed there all day. We hope the weather remains good so we can go back next week.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Has Been Home For 6 Months

Sundays Are Fun Days!

2012-01-22T11:32:00.000-06:00

Sundays are usually the best day of the week for me. Saturdays are good, but the folks usually go somewhere without us. Sundays are usually family days. We spend the day together and most of the time we go the park. We are getting ready to go to the park, but we are waiting for the temperature to go up a little. It's 36 degrees and windy. I'm ready to go, but Mama said we need to wait a little longer.

Yesterday, Mama and Daddy brought home a fireplace. It's actually for the motor home, but we are going to use it until we are ready to go camping. Daddy has been talking about getting one for the motor home for a while and Mama didn't pay much attention until they went to the RV show last week. She loved how they looked in the RV's. We have the perfect spot for it in the motor home. We will use it instead of our space heater. It's electric.

Here it is in our house.

The mantle clock was my Grand Dad's. He died 25 years ago this year. Mama has never had a place to put it until now, but this is just temporary since the fireplace will be moved in March. The mantle on their old fireplace wasn't wide enough for it.

Remember the blanket that Mama got for Christmas? It's behind me in these pictures.

Mama received a coupon code the other day and wanted to pass it on.
PhotoWeavers
CODE: LOVE1

Offer good for our Large Woven Photo Blanket (71" x 53")
Discount Expires 2/20/12 12:59 PM EST
Normal price is: $128.00 Price after discount is applied: $76.80

Hope everyone has a nice "Fun Day"!
Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Headed To The Park

Darn Bunnies!

2012-01-20T07:02:00.001-06:00

As you know, we have a lot of trouble with bunnies here. We wouldn't have trouble if Mama would let me off leash. I know I could catch them. I can get within two feet of them and then they move. If I wasn't on a leash...well, they wouldn't be laughing at me. I would show them how fast a greyhound really is.

Last week, there was snow on the ground. Scout was outside in the enclosure and she was barking. Daddy was outside watching her and Mama asked who was barking because we are not allowed to bark. Daddy said it was Scout and Mama was amazed that Daddy was allowing her to bark because he really does not like us to bark. He said she was barking at the rabbit. Daddy then did something really amazing. He took some snow and made a snowball and then he threw it at the bunny and hit it. LOL That bunny didn't know what had happened. The bunny ran into our shed. Mama was amazed because Daddy was on the deck and it is a pretty good distance to the bunny.

The shed that the bunny ran into.

This is the bunny. It's not a good photo because it was taken from the deck and it's pretty far away.

Me watching that darn bunny!

Scout and I being teased by the bunny. Mama threw rocks at him, but she didn't scare him at all. We definitely need another snowball to get him.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Plotting A Way To Get The Bunny

Bully Sticks Are Here!

2012-01-18T12:17:00.001-06:00

They're here! They're here! The bully sticks are here! Mama also ordered us a variety pack for big dogs. We should be occupied for a while now.

Life is good!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Having A Greyt Day!

We Have Lights!

2012-01-16T18:31:00.000-06:00

What are they attached to?

The Greyhound Expressway, of course! Scout is a little scared going out at night, so Mama thought lights might help her. We have a light that comes on when we reach the bottom of the ramp, but we have to get there first. We don't have a good place to put electric lights, so the folks bought us solar rope lights.

Our four day weekend has come to an end. We had fun. We didn't do a whole lot, but we were with both Mama and Daddy and that's always fun, well, almost always. We did go to the park on Sunday. We didn't walk as much as we did the week before because Mama felt I overdid it. We only did one lap around the campground this time. I wanted to do more and even Scout wanted to walk more, but Mama said NO. We drove around and saw all the other dogs that were walking. I whined, of course. I always whine when I see other dogs. Heck, I whine whenever I ride in the car. I drive Mama crazy with my whining. I drive Daddy crazy with my drool. I have a tendency to shake my head and drool flies in the car. He is not amused.

Any tips to help me stop whining?

Joey
The Greyhound Who Likes Four Day Weekends

Snow Day - Part 2

2012-01-13T07:46:00.002-06:00

We didn't have much snow yesterday, but there was ice under it and it caused a lot of problems on the roads. Mama had the police scanner on most of yesterday and there were numerous plow trucks that went off the roads. Our road is still bad. They came by and put chemicals on it, but the temperatures were so cold that they didn't work. It was 17 most of the day with a windchill of 3. That's quite different from Wednesday when it was in the 50's.

I drove Mama nuts with wanting to go outside. She said "Joey, I don't think you are a greyhound. You are not supposed to like the cold weather. You are not supposed to want to play for more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Are you sure you don't have a zipper on you that will expose another breed of dog? Mama says I'm crazy, but I think she is crazy. What dog has a zipper? So, I spent the day whining because I wanted to go outside and sit in the snow. Mama gave in more than not, but she says that is going to change. She was nervous each time I went out, but I was good and just walked around and sat in the snow. Daddy doesn't believe I was a pain because when he came home I went to sleep for the night.

Mama decided that I needed to try on big brother, Jack's pajamas. I felt silly and Mama said that Jack definitely wore them better than me. That's fine with me. I don't need pajamas. Scout was scared that she was going to be next one to have to try on the jammies.

Daddy is off work until Tuesday! That means Mama is off, too! We have a four day weekend! They are going to the RV show later today. Scout says they go every year. Daddy likes to look at the new models and dream and Mama likes to look at the gadgets and maybe attend a cooking show. We will be camping in just a few months!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Likes Snow

Snow Day!

2012-01-12T08:14:00.000-06:00

It's a nasty day here. We don't have much snow, but there is ice under it. Driving is really rough out there. We have our police scanner on and it's just a mess. The police keep reporting that it is a sheet of ice. Daddy hasn't left for work yet because traffic is just stuck so Mama told him he would be better off sitting at home than sitting in traffic. He actually listened to her this morning. I think it helps that he is hearing all the accidents on the scanner.

Mama is very nervous about me going outside. She is so scared that I'm going to get hurt. Are all Mama's nervous like that? I've been good and haven't gotten too crazy with the snow. I've done a couple of dances in it, but no zoomies. I actually sat in the snow for a while. It was cool on my bottom. The cold and snow does bother my foot. Mama says the Greyhound Expressway will be used on a limited basis today. It's very cold here and the wind is going to get strong later in the day.

Our bird feeders are getting quite a work out this morning.

I'm already driving Mama crazy telling her that I need to go outside even though I just want to go out and explore in the snow. She keeps telling me to take a nap. Who can sleep when it's a SNOW DAY?

Well, Daddy just left for work. We hope he does okay. He took our Jeep. Mama would have liked for him to wait a little longer, but he's stubborn.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Would Love To Be Able To Play In The Snow

Bully Sticks Are Coming!

2012-01-11T09:58:00.005-06:00

Mama received a coupon code for Best Bully Sticks today, so she placed us a BIG order. Grandma and Grandpa gave us money for Christmas, so we spent it! We are so excited! We love bully sticks! I think Grandma was shocked when she learned what they were. LOL I guess when you think about what they are, it is kind of gross, but we like them. Mama read an article where Cesar Millan recommends them over other chews. He said they are highly digestible and that's why he recommends them. Mama likes them because they keep us busy in the evening and they help keep our teeth clean. We like them because they taste good.

Here is the coupon code, if you want to place your own order: JANSAVE10. It's for 10% off. It expires on Friday. It's not the best savings, but I think the most they ever offer is a 15% off coupon and that only comes once a year.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Waiting Impatiently For Bully Sticks

Surprise Visitor

2012-01-10T06:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we had a surprise visitor. No, it wasn't a squirrel, rabbit or raccoon. However, there was a rabbit in my enclosure last night, but that's not what I'm talking about. Mama's best friend called and said she was coming to town with her brother and wondered if Mama wanted to go to lunch. They have known each other since second grade. They talk every day, but don't see each other very often because she lives in another state. They saw each other at Mama and Daddy's surprise anniversary party but before that, it had probably been seven years since they visited. So, Mama said "sure, come on over!"

It was fun having her over. I chattered and chattered. She thought it was so funny. I showed her my new ramp and my toys. She laughed when I played with my toys. I put on a good show for her, I think. They went out for lunch and drove around all the areas they visited as kids. They visited their old grade school because it has changed a lot since they met there 40 years ago. Yep, they have known each other for 40 years. That is crazy! Mama had been wanting to do this sort of thing for a long time, but it had never worked out before. Her friend lost her job in August, so now she has more free time and it just worked out that her brother wanted to catch up with an old friend of his. It was a fun day for Mama and us.

I think today will be just a regular day and I hope I can catch up on the sleep that I didn't get to catch up on yesterday as planned.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Knows How To Entertain The Ladies

Nice Weekend

2012-01-09T06:37:00.000-06:00

We had a nice weekend. Saturday, we went to the park and walked and walked. Scout thought we walked too much, but I wanted to keep going. Mama said that I did walk too much though because my leg was sore after we got home. It was worth it to me.

Saturday night, Grandma and Grandpa came over and got to see our Greyhound Expressway. Grandpa had helped build it, but he didn't see the official sign until Saturday night. He thought it was pretty cool.

Yesterday, we just hung out. I was tired.

Last week, we had computer problems. A Trojan attached itself to our computer and didn't want to leave. Mama kept removing it and it kept coming back. It got so bad that she couldn't boot up the computer. Mama decided to re-install Windows. She didn't know if it would fix it, but she had to try. She had read that all of her pictures and documents would be gone, but to her surprise, everything was still there. She installed a new anti-virus and has been running the heck out of it and so far, the computer has been running great. She still needs to back up all of our pictures in case the computer dies. She does it from time to time, but hasn't done in the last few months. Scout said that Mama used to really get upset if the computer had problems, but I thought she was pretty calm about it. I guess she is learning not to sweat the small stuff even though the computer is necessary for work. She has a laptop, but it's harder to use for work.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Going To Relax Today

Joey Isn't Quiet When He Sleeps

2012-01-07T07:20:00.001-06:00

Scout here with a video showing Joey sleeping. Sometimes he makes a noise like a horse, but this is not it. I would be embarrassed if I did this, but not Joey. He's a typical boy. He can do things and not care how he looks. Mama said it's good that he can "dance like no one is watching". I'm not sure what that means, but I'm too dignified for that. It's like when Mama walks in the room and says "who has gas?" Why does she even have to ask that? We all know it's Joey.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Wonders If All Brothers Are Silly

It's Official...Greyhound Expressway Is Open

2012-01-06T05:40:00.002-06:00

Yep, the sign arrived yesterday. Mama said we should have some sort of ceremony but we were not interested. I was just interested in enjoying the day. It was 67 here! It was so nice!

I definitely take after my big brother, Jack. I love being out on the deck just like he did.

I know that he would have loved the Greyhound Expressway, too.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Has His Own Expressway To The Yard

2012-01-04T08:41:00.001-06:00

We survived Jack's birthday. Mama was sad and cried, but she is much better today. She said we need to plan to be away on the anniversary of his death because it will be difficult to be here and remember everything that happened that day. I'm sure that Daddy will be happy to take us camping on that weekend.

I am like Jack in that I love being outside. I love the deck the way he did.

If I had my way, I would be outside a lot more than I am. I was outside yesterday and it was 24 degrees. I just laid in the sun.

Mama said "Joey, it's 24 degrees, get your butt inside." I was like, but Mama, it feels good in the sun!

Do you like my enclosure? It's pretty small. We had it bigger, but it was going down the hill and Scout starting doing zoomies and jumping over the concrete steps and Mama got very, very nervous. We will increase the size in a few months.

This morning, there was a bunny in the enclosure. I swear those bunnies are bold.

Do you know what? Dr. Bone, a doctor from the hospital that fixed my leg, was on TV last night. He was on My First Place on HGTV. They showed the hospital. I thought for sure that I would be shown since I was there so much, but it was taped before I even came to St. Louis. We thought it was pretty neat to see him on TV. He is one of the people that signed my cast!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Loves Being Outside

Thinking Of Jack Today On His Birthday

2012-01-03T05:07:00.003-06:00

Today would have been Jack's 8th birthday. Mama has been thinking a lot about him and thought about doing a year in review here, but just couldn't do it. She had forgotten about Jack's birthday until Sunday night. Grandpa asked how old we all were and that's what made her remember. Jack would have been a senior today.

Mama and I had a talk about Jack and I told her that he was my hero. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. I might still be waiting for a home. I know Mama wishes Jack was still here, but she's glad she has me, too. I think that when I make Mama laugh, Jack is probably smiling because he loved to make her laugh. Heck, yesterday I had her laughing so hard that I thought she was going to throw up. It caused her to have a coughing attack.

So, instead of being sad today, we are trying to smile when we think of Jack, my hero, our blog founder and Mama's heart dog. I'm really hoping I can take over that last spot, but I know that I have some huge paws to fill to do that.

Thinking of you today, big brother. I hope you are happy with the job I'm doing here.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Hoping To Make Mama Laugh Today For Jack

We Have A Ramp!

2012-01-02T09:17:00.000-06:00

Our ramp is complete! It's fun! Here is the view from the top.

Mama is ordering this sign to hang over the "starting gate".

Mama took a video of Scout using the ramp. This is not her first time on it. The first time, she came right down. This time, she is being typical Scout. She is doing it her way.

Here I am coming down the ramp. Daddy thought Mama was taking a still picture of me, so he wouldn't let me go through the "starting gate" right away. I have to wear a leash so that Mama can catch me since I'm not allowed to run through the yard on my own yet.

They are going to the store today to buy the fencing that will keep us in a smaller area of the yard so that we can use our ramp. We are excited!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Likes Being In A Starting Gate Again

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T10:27:00.000-06:00

I have to say that all the stuff about welcoming in the new year seems to be a lot of hype. Nothing special happened here. We went to bed at 9:30 p.m. and got up at 6 a.m. and nothing seemed to have changed overnight. Mama did put up a new calendar today, but that's about it.

Daddy and Grandpa worked on the ramp most of yesterday afternoon. They have the floor of the ramp finished, but we can't use it yet. It needs to have the banisters and railings put up so we can't fall off the sides. It looks like it's going to be easy and fun to use. Daddy has a bad headache today from his cold, so I'm not sure if he will work on it today.

Last night, Mama ordered food from this place called Domino's. They actually delivered pizza right to our door! It's the first time that I have experienced that. I didn't have any though. I was too tired after watching the ramp construction and playing with my football. I really like that football.

The folks are getting better but there is still a lot of sneezing and coughing going on here. Mama said they should be all better in another day or two. I hope so. It's hard to sleep with all the noise they make.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Thinks 2012 Is Going To Be Greyt!

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T13:14:00.000-06:00

Grandpa is over today helping Daddy build our ramp. We found out that at least 12 of the 14 people who were at Christmas are sick. We haven't heard if the other two have come down with it. Mama is better, but has very little energy. She has not been sleeping well. Daddy isn't feeling well, but he wants to build our ramp since the weather is nice here today. It's going to turn cold tomorrow.

Grandma and Grandpa gave us money for our treat fund for Christmas. We are planning on buying bully sticks with it. The ones we like are out of stock right now.

Mama came home with a football from Petco today. She said she couldn't resist because it's very soft and it has a good squeaker. Scout and I both like it. I think it was supposed to come out of our treat fund, but I'm not going to remind her.

We really don't have any plans for tonight. I think if the folks were feeling better, they would probably go out for dinner. I have a feeling it will be a regular night for us and we will be in bed by 9 p.m. LOL

Be safe everyone and we will talk to you in 2012!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Very Happy To Be Ringing In The New Year With His Family

Daddy Is Sick, Too!

2011-12-30T12:21:00.001-06:00

Well, Daddy has a cold now. Mama said it's not her fault because he got sick the day after she did. She said it's Grandpa E's fault. He had a cold at Christmas. Mama really hates being anyone who is sick because she usually ends up getting it even with excessive handwashing. At least they are both sick at the same time and it will be over soon. Even though Daddy is sick, he went trout fishing today. The other Grandpa called last night and said he was going along with the nephews. Daddy told him he had planned on working on a ramp that he is putting on the deck for us. He told Grandpa he has a cold. Grandpa said that if Daddy went with them, he would come over and help on the ramp. I guess none of them care that they are being surrounded with germs with Daddy along. Grandpa is usually like Mama in that he doesn't like being around sick people, but I guess he really wanted Daddy to go with them.

Oh, you are wondering about the ramp that is being put on the deck? Right now, it has a lot of steps. Scout won't do steps and I'm not supposed to because of my leg. Daddy is going to put a ramp on it so that we can just go from the kitchen to the deck to the fenced yard. Mama has to take us out the front door now and then to the fenced yard. Daddy is going to partition off the yard so that we don't have full access to the full yard unless they want us to have it. Daddy is worried that we might encounter a wild animal at night if we are allowed to go behind the shed, so that's why he is putting up a barrier for us.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Just Hanging Out With Mama & Scout Today

Slumber Party!

2011-12-29T08:48:00.001-06:00

Mama has a cold. She told us last night that she was going to sleep in the living room with us because she didn't want to keep Daddy awake. Scout and I thought it would be fun to have a slumber party. We were wrong! Mama kept us up almost all night. She coughed and sneezed, moaned and groaned and blew her nose. Sometimes she even sneezed and coughed at the same time. Scout and I finally had enough and went to the office to sleep.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Does Not Like Slumber Parties

It Snowed.... A Little

2011-12-27T08:04:00.000-06:00

We woke Mama up at 3 a.m. to tell her it was snowing. We then told her we needed to go outside. We thought it was fun, she did not. We had about an inch, but it's already melting.

She just took us out for our after breakfast walk. She told Scout she could walk in the fenced yard without a leash, but to be careful. I still have to stay on a leash which is really sad when there is snow on the ground. Scout made her first turn around the shed and we couldn't see her, but we heard her scream. Mama yelled her name and started running which meant I got to run a little since I'm attached to a leash. Scout appeared and was limping. Mama checked her over and she looked fine. She got us back in the house quickly and by that time Scout was no longer limping. Mama checked her over again and then offered her a Frosty Treat and determined she was okay. I bet Scout has to stay on a leash until the snow is gone.

My leg is sore after I ran in the house on Friday. Mama is upset with me, but sometimes a guy needs to let loose and I did. We think the screws from the plate pressed against my skin because I have two little marks on my foot and they are next to each other. Mama is anxious to get the plate out of my foot, but we have to wait at least another two months.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Would Love To Run In The Snow

Santa Came!

2011-12-25T07:44:00.000-06:00

Santa did find us! He brought us toys.

We got another hedge hog, but this one squawks and squeaks. We got a fox without stuffing. I already tore it, but Mama said she can fix it. Two ducks that squawk and a duck with long legs and arms. Daddy said it's not a realistic duck. In case you are wondering, my eye is not red. It's just the flash. Mama didn't feel like helping me edit the photos.

We played and played until we were exhausted. Here is a short video. It's not very exciting, but Mama said I look cute at the end when I smile at the camera.
Joey's First Christmas

We received bully sticks and other treats last week, so we really received a lot of things for my first Christmas with my forever family. It's been so much fun and Daddy is home for a while, so I'm very happy!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Having A Wonderful Christmas!

From Our House To Yours

2011-12-24T11:42:00.000-06:00

We even have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree now. Santa will surely be able to find us now!

Scout and Joey
The Greyhounds Who Wish You A Very Merry Christmas

Yippie!

2011-12-23T08:38:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited! Today is an exciting day. Daddy is coming home tonight. Guess what? Daddy was telling a guy at work about the blanket that Mama got for Christmas and he wanted to see it. Daddy opened up the blog and he saw the picture of me in that silly hat. He called Mama and told her that he would not walk me if I was wearing it. Mama told him she wanted to try and make some and he asked her why did she want to torture us? So, it looks like I won't have to wear my hat very often. Yes!!!!

In case you missed it, this is the hat that is upsetting me.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is So Glad To Have Daddy On His Side

It's Been A Rough Week

2011-12-21T08:37:00.000-06:00

We've had a rough week here. Daddy is out of town and we really miss him. It rained for two days. Today, it's very windy. This morning we heard gun shots. That is not common for here. Mama said maybe someone is shooting the bunnies. I hope not! She was nervous with the gun shots, so we had to come in from the backyard. We think someone is target shooting. Then, the worst thing is that silly hat that she bought me. Do you know what she said? She said "You know, this looks like it would be pretty easy to make. I think I will see if I can make one." Yikes! I have seen the coats she has made and they are not good. The hat is embarrassing enough without it being made by Mama. She wants to sew, but she is not very good at it. This really could be a very long winter.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Needs His Daddy To Come Home

Seriously, Mother?!

2011-12-19T12:04:00.014-06:00

Yes, I am calling you Mother today. You ruined my day and maybe my winter. I've been happier than ever the past few days and you do this to me?

Cold ears won't kill me. I'm not wearing this thing. No, I am not cute in it. I look goofy! I don't care if it will look good with my coat. I don't like that thing either.

I tried to give it so Scout, but she doesn't want it either.

I bet Daddy will be on my side. He's not going to want to walk me if I'm wearing this. What? Daddy is out of town this week. :::sigh:::

Joseph

The Greyhound Who Is Having A Tantrum Today

T'was The Week Before Christmas

2011-12-18T16:46:00.000-06:00

It's a week a before Christmas, but we got bully sticks on Friday!

Look at the size of this thing! It's 18". I think there were other things in the box, but Mama hid those from us. I think they are for Christmas.

Yesterday, Mama and Daddy went out to dinner and then to Petsmart. Mama said they were having a really good sale on toys. I think I saw some toys in the bags that Mama rushed past us. I'm not sure why she is buying things when Santa is coming. Daddy even fixed the door so that it's easier for Santa to come in the house.

Today, we went to the park. I had not been to this one before. We walked on the road and then a trail and then in a field and then back to the road.

There were not many people out today even though it was 55 degrees. Scout tired out long before I did. It was fun!

Joey,

The Greyhound Who Had A Fun Weekend

Dear Santa - Part 2

2011-12-16T08:59:00.000-06:00

Dear Santa,

It's me, Scout, again. I'm sorry to bother you, but I just thought of some things that you need to know when visiting our house.

1) Our screen door is broke. On Wednesday, Mama didn't have it latched and the wind opened it and banged it against the house. It is now very hard to open and close it. Actually, opening it isn't that hard, but when you come into the house, please be sure to pull it closed. It takes a little muscle. When you leave the house, you may need to use your foot to get it to close. Mama has found that is the best way. Daddy may fix it this weekend and if he does, then you don't have to worry about it. However, if he doesn't fix it this weekend, it won't be fixed before Christmas because he's going to be out of town next week.

2) Joey sleeps in the living room. I don't want you to be scared when you come in and see him laying there. He won't hurt you. It takes him a little while to wake up. If he does wake up, the worst he will do is play with your fur and maybe try and squeak you. He did that to Mama the other day. If you see him looking like this with his tongue hanging out, he's okay. That's his normal look. He's been known to walk around with his tongue sticking out. It's very embarrassing.

We have plenty of parking on our front lawn for the sleigh or if you prefer, you can park in the driveway.

Okay, I think that's all I need to tell you. I hope you find us Santa. It's Joey's first Christmas and he is very excited!

Have a safe flight Santa!

Hugs,
Scout
The Greyhound Who Loves Santa

Christmas Cards

2011-12-15T09:06:00.001-06:00

We participated this year in the Greytalk Christmas card exchange. We had a lot of fun sending out our cards and now we are enjoying receiving some in the mail. Each day, we go to the mailbox and see what we have received. We sniff each card. We really need to find a nice way to display them so that we can see each one.

A card arrived yesterday that we both went nuts over.

We sniffed it and sniffed it and licked it. Mama said we were going to ruin it because we were getting it all wet. It's from a very special person who helped us find our way from Halfway Home to Greyhound Companions of Missouri. We sent her a card but never expected to receive one back. She is extremely busy. We know that she has been very concerned about Joey and his leg. Mama said we should send her a card and show her how happy we both are and thankful that she helped us find our forever home. Her card made our day, as you can see. We hope we have not embarrassed her by showing it on our blog. Mama thought our reaction was too cute not to share.

Joey and Scout
The Greyhounds Who Are Thankful For Their Forever Home

A Plea To Santa

2011-12-14T08:02:00.000-06:00

Dear Santa,

My little brother and I saw you a few weeks ago and told you what we wanted for Christmas. Remember us? We want bully sticks and a few stuffies with super squeakers.

Well, I am writing to you because my Daddy says you will not be able to find our house on Christmas Eve. I think he is pulling my paw, but I want to be sure you can find us. The problem is that we went from this:

To this:

Yep, our tree is gone. It's my little brothers fault. He accidentally bumped into it and it fell over. Mama said it was okay and she set it back up. It wasn't very stable. She said we had two more chances with it and then it would come down. Well, for some reason she decided to take it down even though we didn't do anything to it. She said our living room was too small for it and we needed the room. Joey and I were fine with it being gone, but then Daddy started telling us that now you wouldn't come because you wouldn't be able to find our house. He didn't even care if we had a tree and now he is trying to scare us, Santa. So, I am writing to give you directions to our house. I have enclosed a map. Normally, you could just key in our address into our GPS but it says we don't exist even though the house has been here for 40 years. We are the house with the bunnies running around the yard. Our motor home is in the driveway, if that helps. We live near the house that has Mona Lisa in the window. I'm sure you will find us Santa. If you found us last year when we moved to a hotel the day before Christmas, I'm sure you can find us this year.

Santa, we will keep the light on for you!

Hugs and Kisses,
Scout
The Big-Boned Brindle Greyhound From Missouri

Liebster Award

2011-12-12T07:42:00.000-06:00

My cousin, Declan, from across the pond has given us an award. We are honored!

We need a little more time to decide who to pass it on to, so bare with us. If you haven't had a chance to check out Declan's blog, you should. He is a bright and funny guy. He's a lot like me.

Yesterday, we drove to the state park that we camped at over Halloween weekend. It was completely empty. It was still fun walking around though.

We then drove to another state park, but didn't get out of the car. Mama thought it would be too much for me since I'm still recovering. We then drove past their old house. Last year at this time, they were busy packing to move. A couple that they really liked happened to be outside and stopped them to talk. They did a double take when they saw me because they expected to see Jack. Mama told them that Jack had died and they were sad. (Yesterday was the six month anniversary of Jack's death.) Mama enjoyed talking to them and finding out the lastest gossip. I thought it was pretty boring. I like the car to be moving.

We are so tired after yesterday's adventure. We were gone for about five hours. We are going to catch up on our sleep today.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Very Tired Today

Want To Know What I Learned?

2011-12-09T07:47:00.000-06:00

It is really mind blowing with all the things there is to learn. The other night I learned that this:

is not the same as this:

They do look similiar though, don't you think?

Okay, maybe not, but they both have fur.

Mama put the glove on her hand and I started gently biting it like I do a stuffie. It didn't squeak, but she started laughing. The more I bit it, the more she laughed so it was somewhat like a squeaky toy. She laughed so hard that she bent over and Daddy had to tell me to stop. Mama said she almost wet her pants. YIKES! My stuffies never wet their pants. I would have felt bad if I made her spring a leak.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Constantly Learning New Things

Do You Want To Hear Me Chatter?

2011-12-08T10:22:00.002-06:00

I chatter when I am excited or very happy. The Burpdog Biscuits arrived today and we begged Mama to give us one before she stored the rest away for Christmas. I started chattering so Mama grabbed the camera. Turn up the speakers because I am chattering for all of you.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Likes To Chatter

My Looks Are Changing!

2011-12-07T12:26:00.001-06:00

When I first moved here on July 23rd, my back was white. Look at me now!

I'm white with black and brown specks! Daddy thought Mama was crazy when she said I had more spots on my face at first, but he can't deny that I have specks on my back. Well, at first, he told her I needed a bath. She told him that I was not dirty! She said the new colors are because I'm living the good life here. Actually, she's been told by a few people it's because I'm eating a better grade of food and that's why my fur is bursting with new colors. I just keep getting cuter and cuter. LOL

Joey,

The Greyhound Who Is Living The Good Life And It Shows!

We Were On TV!

2011-12-06T06:44:00.002-06:00

Our photo was on Sammy's Stars this morning. It's a feature that our local TV station shows on weekdays. Mama and Daddy and I gathered around the TV this morning and Grandpa and Grandma texted us and said they were watching. Scout didn't even get up to watch it. She said it was too early and she would watch it later. Then, it happened, our photo appeared on TV.

I've made it to the big time! Just a few months ago, I was living on the farm and now look at me. I'm on TV and it's not for anything bad. Life is good and so much fun!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Now A Sammy's Star!

We Are Ready For Santa!

2011-12-05T08:13:00.005-06:00

Mama said we are ready for Santa to visit! This weekend we finished up all the Christmas cards and the last batch is in the mailbox today. We sent out a lot since it's my first Christmas and our first Christmas in our new home.

We hung up our stockings. We don't have a fireplace, but took an idea from my sister, Bunny, and hung them on a shelf.

Mama hung some stained glass snowflakes on our windows. She has a lot of them because in their old house, they had a lot of windows. We are hoping that they stop the birds from flying into our window. We had three crash into it last week.

I heard Mama tell Daddy that she ordered us something on the Internet. Scout said she thinks it's Burpdog Biscuits. She said they are so good! She and Jack had them when they visited Abilene a few years ago. They call them doggy crack on Greytalk because dogs go crazy over them. I don't think I will be able to wait for Christmas to eat some if they are that good. Did I tell you that I put my front feet on the kitchen counter when our Christmas cards arrived? I thought it had to be a package for me. I got in trouble. I have to be better because Santa is watching and I'm still supposed to be careful with my leg.

Oh, Mama said to say thanks to Mary for telling us about the injured eagle. The report yesterday sounded good, but they are doing more tests on her. You my remember that the Mom to the eagles was killed last year, well, the father has a new mate so hopefully there will be more eaglets this year.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Waiting For Santa

Setting The Record Straight

2011-12-02T08:33:00.001-06:00

I think I need to set the record straight about Scout implying that I am hyper. I am not. I am only really crazy active from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. I sleep most of the day while Mama works or if I am not sleeping, I am being quiet. When Judge Judy comes on, I know that it's time to play! Here's proof that I'm not hyper. These photos are from yesterday.

As far as the bunnies go, yes, they are teasing me! They let me get close to them and then they take off. They know I'm on a leash and can't get them. I can't wait until I'm able to run again. I'll show them.

Last night, we had a big surprise. There was a opossum in our yard. He was way more exciting than the silly rabbits. Daddy told us about the night that Mama took her Cocker Spaniel, Sami, outside and Sami went nuts barking. Mama was in her pajamas. Mama thought Sami had a cat cornered behind a bush and Mama reached in to get the cat. She grabbed the tail and then knew it was not a cat. It turned out to be a opossum. Mama screamed. LOL

Joey
The Greyhound Who Likes Seeing Critters In His Yard

Driving Mama Crazy!

2011-12-01T11:32:00.000-06:00

Joey is driving Mama crazy. She says that I'm not helping either. The problem is bunnies. We have bunnies in our front yard. Bunnies in the side yard. Bunnies in the backyard. Joey feels the need to search for bunnies all the time now. He is obsessed! He wants to go outside constantly. He has to search the entire yard a few times before he is willing to come in and as soon as Mama takes her coat off, he starts whining to go outside again. Mama says she is ready to have some rabbit stew. No, not really, but she wouldn't mind if the bunnies disappeared.

We think that Joey is lying about being four. He acts like he is two. He has a lot of energy. I'm beginning to think he is not even a greyhound. Daddy said that both Joey and I are myth busters. I shed a lot and Joey is full of energy. Grandma even laughed about Joey's energy the last time she was here. He played with a toy for like 5 seconds and then had to find another toy to play with. He kept doing that and Mama told Grandma he is like that all the time. We are glad he is feeling better, but he needs to chill a little. He needs to take lessons from me.

Scout
The Greyhound Whose Brother Is Obsessed With Bunnies

Watching For A Snow Flake

2011-11-29T09:55:00.002-06:00

The weather person said that there may be a snow flake yesterday and if we saw one to call the TV station. Yes, she really said a snow flake and not flakes. Scout and I were on high alert looking for the snow flake.

It finally started snowing, but Mama wouldn't let us call the TV station. She said she was sure there were enough other people calling especially since it was more than just one flake.

The weather person warned us about the snow flake, but not about ice. We were quite shocked at 3 a.m. this morning when nature called us. No, we were not shocked that nature called us, but what happened next. The porch looked wet, but Mama didn't expect ice and it was 3 a.m. and she wasn't really awake. We started slipping and sliding. Mama tried to stop us, but then she started sliding. It happened so fast and soon we were all off the porch. Mama thought for sure that I would be hurt, but we were all fine. It was scary! Mama said that we better make good use of the 3 a.m. potty break and we did not disappoint. The porch was still ice covered at 8 a.m., so we went out through the garage. I don't like those steps, but I'm going to have to get used to them during the winter months. Mama went to the store this morning and bought ice melt for the porch. She didn't think Daddy would want her to use it on the porch, but he said he doesn't expect the paint to last any way.

I think it's going to be a long winter!

Oh, guess what? I am now walking on my foot 95 to 98% in the house. I'm doing so good! I'm so glad that adventure on the porch didn't mess me up.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Went Slipping And Sliding This Morning

A Tree Is In Our House!

2011-11-27T20:34:00.000-06:00

I've been having a really fun weekend with my family. Friday, we went to the park. We saw lots of other dogs. They definitely come in all different sizes, don't they? The weather was wonderful, but then yesterday, it started raining and turned cold. We didn't do much yesterday.

Today, Mama ordered more ram for her computer and then realized that she ordered the wrong size. She thought she had two expansion slots on her computer, but she doesn't. She had to hurry up and call Dell and ask them to cancel it. It took about a half hour to get it canceled. She had to hold, talk to someone, hold, talk to someone, hold, get transferred to someone else, hold and then talk to another person and then it was canceled. She then had to order the correct size.

This evening, Mama decided to put up a tree in our house. She had been debating it. I don't totally understand why there is a tree in our house with lights on it and ornaments, but Scout says it's what we do at this time of the year. Scout said that our tree looks different than other Christmas trees. I guess the house that they lived in before this one was rustic, so that's why we have a rustic tree. Mama said it's a good starter tree for me because there aren't any low branches. Mama put ornaments on it that look like candy, but there aren't any hooks. She is scared that I might swallow a hook. Why would I do that? I haven't really gotten close to it because Daddy keeps making a noise that I know means "NO".

Here's our tree without a flash so you can see the lights better. The Santa at the bottom is a bank that Mama's brother got when he was born. He's almost 52 years old. He didn't want it, so Mama has it. Every year it was under her family's tree and since she and Daddy have been married, it has been under their tree.

Here is how the tree looks with a flash.

Mama has some ornaments that belonged to her grandparents, so those are older than the bank. They are big silver balls and are heavy. She said she can't put them on this tree. We need to get a bigger tree next year so we can really decorate.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Has A Tree In His House

Have You Tried This Thing Called Whipped Cream?

2011-11-25T08:21:00.000-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa brought dessert over last night and while we didn't have any pie, we had this thing called whipped cream. It comes in a can and makes a whoosh noise. Scout was scared of it, but I wasn't.

If you are wondering, we really didn't have much. Daddy was in control of it and he only gave us a little bit each time and Mama took a few pictures with each squirt.

Grandma and Grandpa watched a few of my races that are online. They cheered when I won. They saw the one that ended my career. They were amazed that I finished the race. I came in last, but I finished.

We are headed out to the park today. The rest of the weekend is supposed to be cold and rainy. Today, it will be near 70 and sunny, so we are going to enjoy the weather!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Likes The Long Thanksgiving Weekend

My First Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T16:55:00.000-06:00

This is my first Thanksgiving with my family. It has been a fun day. Mama and Daddy stayed home with us. It seems that the rest of our family spends every other Thanksgiving with their other families, so we can do whatever we want. We had planned to go camping, but changed our plans. We have a lot of things we want to do around the house, so that's what we are doing this weekend. I helped Daddy get the RV ready for the winter. We put the tire covers on it and then he put the big cover on it. I couldn't help with that, but watched him from the window. Then, Mama started our dinner. We had Cornish hens, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and rolls. Scout and I had some of the Cornish hens. Yummy! It taste like chicken to us. LOL

Scout and I are taking a much needed break before Grandma and Grandpa come over. They are bringing dessert. I am not sure what that is, but Scout says it's good!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Really Likes Thanksgiving

A Bed In The Kitchen? Well, Of Course!

2011-11-23T06:12:00.000-06:00

I like laying in the kitchen by the patio door. I have done that since I moved here and finally, Mama decided to move a bed there for me so that I don't have to lie on the hard floor. Thanks, Mama! She said she will put more foam in it so that it's more comfortable. It's an old bed and needs a little more fluff.

Robin commented yesterday that I didn't have my bad foot down in my photo with Santa. Mama said she hadn't even noticed. I had been standing for quite a while before my photo session, so I think I was just tired. I am doing much better than last week. Mama has now upgraded me from a C to a B grade. Last Friday, Mama noticed that I was licking my bad leg and when Daddy came home from work and he walked me, he said I appeared to be in pain. Mama decided to give me some additional pain medication (the doctor said it was okay) and I started walking on my foot without being told to do so. I even started walking on all four feet in the house some. I guess I'm walking on all four feet in the house about 50 to 60% of the time now and that makes Mama very happy. I actually ran in the house the other day, but Mama said I shouldn't be running. It did kind of hurt, so I quit doing that. I'm walking pretty normal outside now. I walk at a normal pace without a limp, so that's really good. I just need to work on walking on all four feet in the house all the time and I will be set. We have a hill in our backyard, so I've been walking up that to strengthen the leg. We are going to try and decrease my medication a little bit today to see how I do. It may be too soon, but we will see. My leg is still pink but that's because I still don't have a lot of hair on my leg. My sores are almost healed. I guess it still might look a little nasty to someone who hasn't seen it before, but it's looking much better than it looked two weeks ago. I am definitely doing much better than a week ago, so we are very happy here!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Doing Much Better

Joey...Santa Is Watching You!

2011-11-21T19:42:00.000-06:00

Scout here reporting to you about my clueless brother, Joey. Wouldn't you think after seeing Santa just a day ago that he would be on his best behavior? I keep telling him that Santa is watching him, but he is not paying any attention to me. He's not doing anything really bad. He's just pushing me around. Mama says he is strong like a bull. Daddy says he is a bully. If Daddy is petting me, Joey runs up and pushes me to the side and then he runs off. He doesn't even want to be petted. How could he not want to be petted? I don't think I would ever get tired of getting a belly rub, but not Joey. He likes them, but he doesn't like to sit still long enough for one. He's one strange boy. Actually, I'm beginning to think that all boy dogs are crazy!

Okay, I just have to say it. Have you seen the size of Joey's tongue? It's huge. Mama should crop it in the photo. It's going to ruin our Christmas cards. Joey said that if his tongue gets cropped, then my tail should be cropped. Yes, I have a long tail, but it's not taking over the entire photo! Boys!

Scout
The Greyhound Who Is On Santa's Nice List Unlike Her Brother

We Saw Santa!

2011-11-20T14:15:00.001-06:00

That's right, I asked the big guy if he could bring Joey a clue because he is totally clueless. Just look at him! I probably would have let it go except this morning he stepped on me. I was laying on the floor and he was busy looking everywhere but where his feet were and he stepped on me. Mom warned him to be careful, but he did it anyway. Mama says that he has ADD. His attention span is about 3 seconds.

Anyway, Santa said he didn't know if he could bring Joey a clue, but he would try.

Scout

The Greyhound Whose Brother Is Really Clueless

Happy Birthday Miss Scout!

2011-11-19T07:37:00.000-06:00

Today is my special day. I am 6! Here are some photos from my past.

Mama asked me if I wanted a toy or treats and I chose treats. I'm getting those after dinner. Mama also gave me some coupons that I can redeem at any time. They are for belly rubs, ear rubs, butt rubs, car rides, walks and treats. Should I use them all in one day or spread them out? It would be a heck of a good day if I used them all in one day.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Is 6 Today!

Mama's Christmas Present Is Here

2011-11-18T13:16:00.004-06:00

Mama saw something last week that she just had to have. Daddy said if she wanted it, she could get it for Christmas, so she did. It arrived a few minutes ago. Do you want to see it? It was hard getting a full picture of it because it's so big!

It's a blanket with our pictures woven into it! It's really big and soft. Mama designed it and chose different fonts for our names to match our personalities. She really likes it!

She found a coupon for Groupon and so she got it for half price. She found another coupon for Groupon that appears to be active today, if anyone is interested: Groupon The company is PhotoWeavers They have a video on the website that shows you how they make the blankets. The ordering was really easy. The hardest part was picking out the pictures she wanted to use. They tell you if the quality is not high enough and there were a few photos that Mama wanted to use of Jack that she couldn't. I had to have a photo session for my photo because I didn't have any that she liked enough for the blanket. She finally got one of me that she loves. I think I look pretty good on a blanket.

Mama is not getting anything for telling everyone about the blanket. She just likes to share when she finds something she likes and thinks others may also like it. :-)

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Woven Into A Blanket

It's Not Saturday?

2011-11-17T06:32:00.001-06:00

I thought today was Saturday. This morning, Daddy was sitting in the recliner using the laptop, so it has to be a Saturday, right? Nope, Mama said it's Thursday. She asked me if I remembered watching Survivor last night. I didn't remember that, but I don't pay much attention to the TV. After she told me it was Thursday, I did my usual horse sound and went to sleep. I was very disappointed. Oh, my horse sound? It's hard to describe, but I blow air through my mouth and I sound kind of like a horse. Scout does it now, too which Mama thinks is really funny. She doesn't know how I taught Scout to do it.

My leg is already returning to his regular size. It had shrunk while it was in a cast and bandage. Mama said she gives me a "C" grade for walking on it. I'm doing better, but I still prefer to three-leg it. We are working on it every day and it is getting stronger.

Mama is getting ready to work three jobs and she had to turn down a fourth one yesterday. Do you believe that? She only has one job that is permanent and the other two are more seasonal although she may be working them every month to stay active with the companies. We just has to wait and see. She discovered yesterday that she shouldn't take on hours after 4 p.m. because Scout and I don't like that. We are ready to play at 4 p.m. She is not allowed to have any background noise and we started whining. She was very happy when her shift ended and so were we. I really hope that she doesn't stress out as much with her training of job number three, like she did with job number two. She was not fun to be around. I really think she should just retire like me. She would be much happier.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Prefers Weekends To Week Days

Being Adopted Is the Best!

2011-11-15T14:48:00.001-06:00

I don't have much to say today, except that I'm so glad that I have a forever home!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is So Happy!

Getting Ready To Meet Santa

2011-11-14T06:34:00.001-06:00

I'm going to meet Santa this coming Sunday and get my picture taken with him. I've never met the guy before. Yesterday, Mama spruced up a collar for me to wear. It was Jack's. She added some sparkling things to it. When I'm out in the sunlight, I really sparkle. I want to make a good impression because I've heard that he brings presents!

She made Scout a brand new collar. She bought the material last year, but didn't have time to use it because they busy moving. Mama was all excited about the collar and said it was cute. Daddy said that Scout doesn't do "cute" and Scout agreed.

Mama did photo sessions with us. I think I look pretty good.

Thank you to everyone for their comments about my leg. Mama and I were encouraged after reading them. I did better walking yesterday. I think it will just take time to build up my muscles. We thought since I was doing so well with the bandage that I would do fine without it, but it's like starting over. I think I'm already showing improvement, so we will just keep doing what we are doing.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Going To Meet Santa Soon!

We Are Not Happy With The Time Change

2011-11-12T19:12:00.001-06:00

Scout and I are not happy with the time change. It gets dark at 5 p.m. We don't get up until 4 p.m. That only gives us an hour to enjoy the daylight. Oh, sure, we are up a little bit during the day, but since Mama needs us to be quiet while she works, we sleep. We don't like being couped up inside so early. It just isn't right. Mama is not happy getting up at 4 a.m. to take me outside. My clock says it's 5 a.m.

I'm not doing as well with my naked leg as Mama would like. Daddy thinks that it's still weak even though I did my physical therapy like I was supposed to do and I was walking well when I had the bandage. He thinks the bandage was giving me support and now it's all me. I'm doing okay, I guess, but it's hard. We are not going to the park tomorrow because my folks think it would be too much for me. I'm just going to walk around the yard and do my physical therapy that way. We may take a ride in the car if there is time, but since it gets dark at 5 p.m., I doubt it.

Daddy winterized the RV, so that means no more camping this year. We planned on camping on Thanksgiving weekend, but our plans changed. I'm disappointed, but Mama says we will have fun at home. I'm hoping I will feel better by then and we can visit some parks.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Like It Getting Dark So Early

I'm NAKED!

2011-11-11T06:31:00.001-06:00

Can you believe it? I'm only wearing my birthday suit today! Bunny, my sweet sister, if you don't want to see me naked, then look away from the computer. Everyone ready? Here I am!

Mama even took my collar off for the photos so that I would be totally naked. LOL

My leg has a few sores on it. It looks pretty pink in some areas and we didn't want to take close ups of that. I need to get my nails trimmed as they have gotten long in the past 11 weeks. My leg is quite a bit smaller than the other three. We expected that. Mama didn't know what to expect it to look like though. She says it's a little nasty looking, but not as bad as she had feared.

As soon as I got in the car after getting my bandage off, I started biting my foot. I didn't know what it was. I haven't seen it in so long. It feels so good to have my leg back. I have to work on walking on my foot in the house. I do okay outside, but I still like to three-leg it in the house.

No more socks. No more boot on my leg. I can go out in the rain without fear of getting my leg wet. I can take a bath. No, wait, I don't want to get carried away on the bath thing. I'm sure the vet would say that I shouldn't be getting in a bathtub for a several months.

It's so nice to only have to put my leash on to go outside instead of a sock and a boot. That was such a pain. Mama and Daddy both got aggravated with me because I didn't want to stand still and I would go around in circles and they would have to catch me and hold on to me.

I'm very tired this morning. The vet gave me some pain meds to take for a few days. He said it will help keep me quiet while I adjust to not having any protection on my leg. Mama said she would like to stock up on those drugs for the days that I'm a little to wild. I don't know what she is talking about. ;-)

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is As Naked As The Day He Was Born

Today Is The Day!

2011-11-10T01:00:00.006-06:00

Today is the day that my bandage is scheduled to come off for good. My appointment is not until 5 p.m. I hope I am not disappointed again.

If it doesn't come off, I'm going to cover my head and hide in bed.

If it does come off, you will see me naked on Friday.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Ready To Be Naked!

Practicing For Our Christmas Photos

2011-11-09T06:01:00.000-06:00

Mama is not sure she will be able to get a good photo of us together for our Christmas photo. She took a few practice shots yesterday and these were the results.

Mama has been debating buying a new Christmas tree. She donated our old one last year when we moved. She found one she likes at the store and has been thinking about buying it. However, she is worried that Joey will mark it. He's been really good, but we haven't had a tree in our house. Someone threw an artificial wreath in the field next to our house and Joey loves to "mark" it. It's really making her wonder if she should chance a tree this year. Mama is really the only one who cares about a tree and decorations. I think they are just clutter and I bet Joey will think everything is a toy.

Scout

The Greyhound Who Hopes She Doesn't Have To Wear Antlers For Her Photo

Don't Put Things Off

2011-11-08T08:26:00.000-06:00

Remember back in August when they cleared the land next to us and put up electric lines? Well, a few weeks ago Mama noticed some sunflowers growing in the field. She loves sunflowers and thought it was really neat to have them growing in the field.

There was one that was really big and had several flowers on it. Mama kept saying she was going to take a picture of it, but she never did. Then something really bad happened to it.

Yep, a tractor ran over it.

The moral of the story is, if you see something you want to take a picture of, don't put it off because a tractor could run over it.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Like The Tractor Being Parked Next To His House

Rainy Days Ahead

2011-11-07T08:46:00.000-06:00

We woke up this morning to a very rainy day. Our gutters must be clogged because we had to go through a waterfall to get off the porch. That really woke me up. It's supposed to rain for the next three days. We may get up to three inches. I'm not fond of rain, but I really hate it with my leg in a cast/bandage. When it rains, Mama not only puts my boot on me, but a sock and a plastic bag. Yep, today I had to wear three things. My boot is supposed to be waterproof, but we noticed after a few days that it wasn't. Mama called the place she bought it from and the lady said "Oh, does he have a hard cast on?" "Well, a hard cast wears off the water proofing." She told Mama to duct tape it and that will help it. It would have been nice if they would have told us that from the beginning. It works fine when it's dry out, of course, but when the grass is wet then I have to wear a sock with it and on days like today, we add a plastic bag to it. The bandage comes off on Thursday, so we just need to get through a few more days, but they will be very wet days. ::::sigh:::: I hope I don't get the Big D again this week. That could be really bad.

We had a fun day yesterday. We went to a state park that I hadn't been to before. Well, no one could remember for sure if I had been there, but Mama said I hadn't. Scout and Daddy thought I had. I couldn't remember. Daddy says I'm clueless most of the time. I'm not sure what he means by that. Anyway, we walked around the campsites and looked at all the lucky people that were camping. We talked to the host and then we came home and slept. We watched a football game that was really good until the end but then the Rams lost in overtime. Mama screamed at the TV and then left the room. We thought we might be on a winning streak, but we were wrong.

There was just a break in the rain, so we rushed outside as fast as we could and did our business. We should be fine until this afternoon That's a relief!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Plans On Sleeping Away A Rainy Day

Murphy's Law Struck Our House

2011-11-06T09:17:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

It's me, Joey, telling you how this thing called Murphy's Law struck our house on Friday. Mama applied for a second job a few weeks ago. She had to take two classes and do a lot of homework and studying. She has been so stressed about it especially since Daddy kept asking her about it. It's not a job that will replace her other job. It's just a second job that is really just a seasonal, part-time job, so why worry right? Well, she didn't want to fail again after taking a second job over the summer and absolutely hating it. She worked really hard to get it and then found that it involved a lot of upselling which she hated doing. She didn't like customers yelling at her because she pushed products on them and she didn't like trying to talk people into buying more things that they probably couldn't afford. She doesn't like when people try to do that to her. She really hates sales.

She scheduled the second and final class for Friday morning. She scheduled a time when she knew that Scout and I would be napping and not making any noise. It's not that we are noisy anyway, but she wanted to be sure because this job requires no background noise AT ALL. If you get caught with background noise of any kind you are suspended. Well, Friday morning I woke Mama up at 4 a.m. because I had the "Big D". Mama thought everything was okay, but took me out at 9 a.m. again to be sure I would be settled down before her class. She should have let me sleep. I couldn't settle down and I kept running through the kitchen. My nails were going click, click, click. I would then come in Mama's office and whine, whine, whine, huff, huff, huff and then run back in the kitchen and click, click, click. I did this through Mama's entire class and verbal test. She thought for sure she would get in trouble. She kept muting her phone. The instructor kept asking her questions, so there were many chances for her to get caught. She almost just hung up the phone a few times, but she didn't. Finally, two and half hours later, she was told she passed and could hang up the phone. She hurried and put my boot on me and we ran outside and I did my business and then I was happy. We came back in and I promptly slept the rest of the day. That's the story of how Murphy's Law struck our house.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Like Murphy's Law

Camping Season Is Officially Over

2011-11-03T12:02:00.001-05:00

The camping season here in Missouri is officially over. It ends on Halloween. People can still camp, but the state parks turn off the water. There are some parks that keep a hose going for people to fill up their tanks, but not all. Most people fill up their campers with water from home if they are going to camp now. It is more expensive doing that because it weighs down your camper and if you pay for your water, well, you have to pay to fill up your camper.

This past weekend, the park was almost full. We stayed until Monday, so we watched everyone leave on Sunday. It's really strange to see a park go from being full to empty. Sunday night, it was just us and a pop-up at the campground. Mama took pictures of the empty park as we were leaving. It was sad saying good-bye to the park.

We really should have taken photos of the park when it was full. The whole place was full of tents and campers.

We followed Daddy home instead of riding in the motor home because Daddy was concerned about the brake that the cars uses when it is towed. We were only about 40 minutes from home, so it wasn't a big deal to ride in the Jeep.

I've really enjoyed my first three camping trips. It's so much fun seeing new things, people and strange looking dogs.

We may go camping for Thanksgiving. We have to wait and see how the weather is before we can say for sure. Next year, I won't have my cast or bandage, so I will have even more fun than this year. I can't imagine having more fun, but Mama says I will. Weeeee!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Likes Camping As Much As His Big Brother Jack did

I'm A Big Boy Now

2011-11-02T05:40:00.000-05:00

Apparently turning four makes me a big boy. Mama said it was time for me to give up my crate. I loved that crate! She said that I no longer need it and we need to have it ready if our group, Greyhound Companions, needs it for another grey that is hurt or sick. She took the extra foam that she had it in the crate and put it in my bed, so I guess that will make my bed more comfortable. It's going to be strange not sleeping in the crate even though I haven't been zipped in it since I learned how to escape from it.

I visited the vet on Halloween. I didn't wear my costume. Daddy thought it would be silly, but some of the staff were dressed up, so I think they would have thought I was cute. The vet said my leg looks great. I didn't have any sores under the bandage, so that's really good. He put a new bandage on me and I will have it taken off on the 10th. If all goes as planned, I will come home with a naked leg on the 10th. We did receive some disappointing news. Mama still hasn't told Scout yet. The vet doesn't want me running, playing or walking without a leash for four months! I won't be able to play in the snow. I'm bummed. Scout has been trying her best to get me to play with her and I want to so much, but I can't. The vet is very cautious and Mama said we need to do what he says. Mama promised to take us to the park and on hikes to make up for the no playing rule.

I had a nice birthday. Mama put a little peanut butter on our frosty treats. I like peanut butter now, so that was a nice surprise.

After we had our treats, I opened up my present.

Oh, it's a skunk without a head.

It squeaks and it has something that sounds like crackling in it. It's pretty cool! I have to remember that my skunk toy is in the house and if I see something like it outside, I can't grab it.

After we played with my new toy, we each had a bully stick. It was a good day!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Enjoyed His First Birthday In His Forever Home

It's My Birthday!

2011-11-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

It's my first birthday in my forever home! I'm so excited. I never celebrated a birthday before. I am officially four years old! I know that I am getting a gift after dinner tonight. I don't have a clue what it is. I hope it's something that squeaks and not food. I'm really not a food hound.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Now 4!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

We just got back home and I wanted wish everyone a Happy Halloween! I think I had the best weekend of my life. It was so much fun!

We were surprised that we had TV reception at the campground, so we were able to watch the Cardinals win the World Series! It was so exciting!

Saturday, we walked around the campground and looked at everyone's decorations. They really go all out with the decorating. Daddy decorated our camper with a few lights. There are pumpkins and ghosts.

He carved us a pumpkin. I had never seen a pumpkin before. I was very curious about it when it was inside the camper. I sniffed it every way I could.

This is it after Daddy carved it for us. Our fire is in the background.

As soon as it started getting dark, the kids starting coming around in their costumes. Scout and I got dressed up too. You can see the boot I wear over my leg. It was my pegleg for my costume.

We loved it! We stood at the end of our driveway and greeted everyone who came by. We did a lot of kissing and got a lot of loving right back. We were disappointed when we ran out of candy and had to go back in the camper. It was the first Halloween that I have celebrated and it was so much fun.

One person said that I looked liked George Washington because I was wearing a coat. The coat wasn't really meant to be part of my outfit, but it was cold out. Mama said pirates get cold too, so I wore it. Mama tried to help me find a good picture of George Washington to compare, but we can't find a good one.

Do you think I look like George Washington?

I have a lot more to say, but I have to get ready for my visit to the vet to get my bandage changed. Tomorrow is another big day here. I'll give you a hint. Today is my last day being three.

Joey

The Greyhound Who Looks Like George Washington?

Wow, Oh Wow!

2011-10-28T08:01:00.000-05:00

Did you see the Cardinals game last night? Wow! Okay, we have to come clean. Mama turned the TV off when it was two outs and the bottom of the ninth. She said she couldn't bare to see the Cardinals loose and be sad. She woke up several times during the night and remembered the Cardinals lost, but kept thinking wouldn't it be something if they won. This morning she got up and told me that the Cardinals lost. She turned on the TV and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw they WON! I know we are bad Cardinal fans. Mama gets very upset during the games and yells and squeals a lot. Daddy told her to calm down last night because she was scaring us. Can you imagine how she would have acted if she had seen them win? LOL

We are going camping tonight, so we will have to listen to the game on the radio. There will probably be people watching the game via satellite and we may be able to watch on their outdoor sets. I bet it's a fun and noisy night at the campground.

Last night something else exciting happened. We all went outside for a quick walk before the game. Mama had Scout and Daddy had me. Mama and Scout saw something on the ground. She just saw two eyes and before it registered what it was, Scout saw it. It was a bunny. The bunny was almost flat to the ground. The bunny took off and Scout took off, but Mama had her on the leash. Scout went so fast that she jerked Mama around fast. Mama held on and Scout didn't escape. Daddy said it was a good thing it wasn't me that did that because I could have gotten hurt. It sure was exciting though.

I will be away from the computer for a few days while we camp. I will update you on my camping adventures when we return.

Go Cards!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is So Excited About Camping

It's A Gloomy Morning

2011-10-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

It's a gloomy morning. I just feel like laying around and napping.

The world series was postponed due to the rain last night. They are playing tonight. Paws are crossed that the Cards win tonight. If there is a game seven, we won't be able to watch it because we are going camping. There is not TV reception there, but we can listen to it on the radio.

Mama has been really busy with work this week and she is stressing. She said next week will be even worse. YIKES! I'm being a good boy though and not giving her any problems.

I wish Mama could retire like me, so that we could snuggle all day.

I'm a good snuggler.

Go Cards!!!!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Resting Up For A Camping Weekend

Coming Out Of My Shell

2011-10-25T08:02:00.001-05:00

Mama says I am coming out of my shell. I didn't know I was in a shell. She said my personality is really coming out now. I've been here three months, but I spent ten days in the hospital and I still think it's my other home because I visit there so often. It's a nice place, but I like living here better.

When Mama gets her keys out, I bark. Apparently, that's a no-no. I also like to nip her in the butt when she has her keys out. That is also a no-no. Jack used to goose her, so I need my own style, but nipping in the butt apparently is not good. I thinks it's funny because she squeaks when I do it.

I no longer whine when I squeak my toys. I just squeak them. It's fun!

Mama was worried about me yesterday because all I wanted to do was sleep. She was concerned that I was sick. I wasn't sick, I was tired. This physical therapy stuff is hard work! I'm doing really well with it though. Yesterday, Mama and I walked in the backyard and I saw a squirrel. She told me to keep my foot on the ground and I did. I walked fast, but I walked with all four feet. She was proud of me. Then, when Daddy took me out, I walked on all four feet without him even telling me to do so. However, I messed up when Mama said "Wow!". I got excited and forgot to keep all four on the ground. I'm not really how Mama and Daddy taught me to do it. They just realized that if I walked really slow, I would walk with all four on the ground and when I would start three-legging it, they would tell me to put my foot down and I did. I guess I'm not only good looking, but I'm smart, too. LOL

Joey
The Greyhound Who Loves His Life

I'm Tired!

2011-10-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

We had a busy weekend. Saturday, we got up early and I went to see my friends at the vet hospital. I stayed for about five hours. I got my cast taken off and my bandage put on. Then we came home and I started my physical therapy. I have to walk on my foot for five minutes, twice a day. I can do it, if I walk slow. I prefer three-legging it. I can walk much faster that way. I bet I could run fast that way, too.

Sunday, we went to the park to do my physical therapy. We drove like 20 minutes each way for me to walk five minutes. Humans are silly, but I did enjoy seeing all the squirrels and meeting the campers at the park. We came home and watched the Rams loose and then the Cardinals also lost. It was a sad day in our sports world.

Walking on my leg is tiring, but Mama says I'm building up my muscles. I can't wait to get out of this bandage. Do you know that they put tape on my fur? I think that's going to hurt when they pull it off. I only have two toe nails poking out of the bandage, nothing else. It's strange looking.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is No Longer The Casted One, He's Now The Bandaged One

I Traded In My Cast....

2011-10-22T14:44:00.000-05:00

for a bandage. Bummer! I have to wear it for probably three weeks. I go in to get it changed on Halloween evening. I think I will wear my pirate hat and see if they will give me some treats.

I'm supposed to walk five minutes a day, twice a day as my physical therapy. My leg is all healed. The doc said that he doesn't take a dog from a hard cast to nothing. He said I need to build my muscles up again. I didn't think I would be allowed to start running, but I hoped I would come home with a naked leg. The good thing is that I'm healed and my sores are healed.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Exchanged His Cast For A Bandage

The View From Our House

2011-10-22T07:45:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,

It's me, Scout. I know it's been a long time since I've been at the keyboard. Joey is busy getting ready for his vet visit, so I thought I would share a few photos with you.

We have beautiful sunsets here. We couldn't see the sunsets at our old house because we had woods all around us. We have a big field across the road from us and a pretty good view for the sunsets. Here are photos from last night.

Joey did a little posing last night. Hopefully these are the last photos of him wearing his cast.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Is Ready To Play With Joey!

Tomorrow Is The Big Day!

2011-10-21T07:58:00.003-05:00

I hope today is the last full day that I have to wear my cast. Mama and I are excited and nervous about tomorrow. The x-ray looked really good last time, so we can't imagine that I will have to have another cast, but you never know.

Scout and I are ready to play, but Mama said I may still have restrictions. She said she will be nervous when I'm finally allowed to run. I don't know why. I'm an excellent runner.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Hopes He Looses His Cast Tomorrow

Go Cards!

2011-10-19T07:15:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! It's me, Joey. I said it right today. LOL The world series starts tonight and the St. Louis Cardinals are playing. That's my team! I didn't even know about baseball until recently. I've been wearing my ID tag with the Cardinal logo on it and I think it's bringing them good luck.

I wasn't really interested in baseball until I saw that squirrel run across home base in that one game. Did you see that? People around here have gone squirrel crazy.

Mama ordered me the Cardinal ID tag because she said when she sees the Cardinal logo, it reminds her of her Dad. I never met him because he died suddenly in 1987. Mama said she has a lot of memories of the Cardinals and her Dad. She said that she remembers when they signed Ozzie Smith and her Dad said that he heard he was a good player. Yep, he was. She also remembers him saying that they sent Kenny Reitz to running school. She never knew if that was really true, but she remembers him saying that and there is not a season that goes by that she doesn't think about it.

Mama said to say that her nose is fine today, but it hurt for a few hours yesterday. She told Daddy about it and he laughed. He's away on business this week.

Mama turned on her Wii Fit last night. I had not seen that thing before and it's wild. Mama was flapping like a bird and Scout and I thought she was wanting to pet us. Mama does some silly things, that is for sure.

Three more days and my cast comes off ..... I hope. I'm ready. I'm able to do steps now without the sling. I'm no longer on any medication. I've been on medication since August, so that's quite a change in our routine. Scout really tried to get me to play yesterday, but I didn't. She was barking at me, but I was a good boy. I need to wait until my cast comes off and I may need to wait even longer after that. I don't know what my restrictions will be, but I will know soon.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Excited About The Cardinals

Ouch!

2011-10-18T15:05:00.004-05:00

It's me, Jooeey! It's not me saying OUCH, even though I look bad in the above picture, it's Mama. I kicked Mama in the nose. Why? I kicked her because she was sniffing my foot. I know, she is nuts! I didn't kick her with my cast, so she lucked out there, but it still hurt her nose. I have a good kick. She said she was sniffing my foot because she thought she smelled something and wanted to be sure it wasn't my cast. Apparently, if my cast smells, that is bad. I'm glad that I only have a few more days of this silly cast because it sure causes a lot of trouble.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is A Good Kicker

Vacations Are FUN!

2011-10-15T09:37:00.007-05:00

Hi Everyone,

It's me Jooeey! I'm back from my first vacation. It was fun! We went trout fishing, but I never saw any trout. Daddy fished and Scout and I stayed behind with Mama. I spent the mornings looking out the windows of the RV and whining every time I saw a dog. Yep, it was fun. Scout and I laid outside for a while, but there were bees and flies. I don't like bees or flies.

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us Monday - Wednesday. Daddy and Grandpa fished. Grandpa caught two rocks, two dead fish and I think one or two live fish. It's a good thing we brought other food along for dinner. LOL Daddy did much better, but he didn't keep any of the fish.

We stayed at this place called Bennett Springs. Scout has been there several times and there were two people who remembered her and Jack from last year.

On Thursday, we took a car trip to Ha Ha Tonka. It's a place that Mama loves. I got to walk on a trail, but not very far because of my leg. Next year, we are going back and I'm going to walk the whole trail because I found that trail walking is FUN! There is a beautiful lake there and we walked along it. We have no pictures because our camera battery went dead. :::sigh:::

Here are some pictures from our trip.

We brought our bully sticks along.

Me, looking cute.
Scout doing what Scout does. She had a fun trip because the weather was cool and we didn't walk a lot.
Scout and I napping.

Me and Daddy talking to two men about greyhounds and racing.Two turkey vultures. They are all over waiting to catch their own trout. Me and Daddy walking.

Thursday night, Mama and Daddy decided to go to the lodge to eat dinner. I didn't want to go in my crate. Mama said I had to go in my crate. Well, you should have seen Mama's face when Scout and I greeted her at the door when she returned. Yep, I escaped from my crate and to even protest more, I took my sock off. Mama and Daddy were both shocked. LOL Guess what? I haven't been zipped in my crate since. I think my crate days are over! Mama says we will see since I still have a cast on my leg, but the past two nights, I have slept in my crate, but I haven't been zipped in. I'm being a good boy.

We were sad to have our vacation come to an end, but we are excited about next week. Do you know why? Next Saturday, I'm getting my cast off! I think Mama is even more excited than I am.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks Vacations Are Fun!

One More Sleep

2011-10-08T16:05:00.006-05:00

Well, it's one more sleep and then I'm on my first vacation! Mama went to Petsmart this morning and bought us some treats and some hats to wear on Halloween. Well, not on Halloween, but on the weekend before since we will be camping and we will decorate our camper and carve a pumpkin and all that stuff that people do. I've never had a Halloween before, so I'm not really sure what goes on. I do know that I have a hat to wear and Scout thinks it's a stuffie and she tried to take it off my head. Do you want to see it? I probably should wait to show you on Halloween, but...okay.

I'm a pirate!

Here's Scout wearing it:

She said "But, I don't want to be a pirate!" LOL It's funny if you watch Seinfeld.

Scout has a pumpkin hat.

It came with the skull bandana which doesn't make sense, but it works good for my outfit. Mama has a pumpkin bandana for Scout to wear, so it all works out. Mama almost bought her a witch hat, but decided that would be mean.

Mama saw our greyhound friends, Blue and Dave at the Petsmart along with their Mom. Dave tried on our hats to make sure they would fit us. We couldn't go since I have a cast on my leg. Mama can't lift me in and out of the Jeep.

This afternoon has been spent packing up the RV for our trip. I don't know why it takes them so long to do it. My frog it packed along with my meds and I'm ready to go.

We won't have Internet service, so I won't be able to tell you about our trip until we get back home.

See ya!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Going On Vacation!

Almost Time For Vacation

2011-10-07T08:24:00.004-05:00

We are getting ready for vacation! I have never been on vacation before. I don't know what to take for sure since this is my first long trip. Mama said I should take my favorite stuffie which is a frog that says "ribbit, ribbit". I cry when I hear him but that's because I'm so excited. I sat on him the other night and he kept ribbiting and I didn't know where he was. Mama pulled him out from under my butt and that solved the problem. I'm also bringing my bully sticks, frosty treats, soft-crate and an extra bed, just in case. Scout is bringing her favorite stuffie which is a green dog. Scout is not thrilled about going camping. She would rather stay home.

I don't know why she doesn't want to see new things, but she doesn't.

Mama is going grocery shopping today for our trip. She has decided to take her E-mealz plan camping with us for three of the meals. She thinks that will be easier than planning the meals which end up being the same thing when we camp. She is still loving this E-mealz plan. She loves not having to plan the meals and the food is different all the time. My food is the same, but apparently, she and Daddy get new things every night.

I think I'm going to like camping food this time. I ate a hot dog the other day and I liked it!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Going On Vacation Soon!

Is Nothing Private?

2011-10-06T07:33:00.009-05:00

Hi Everyone,

It's me, Joey. I cannot believe that Scout told you about my gas problem. It's not my fault. It's that medicine. :::sigh::: Scout even emailed Grandma about it yesterday. Well, I have good news. My problem has improved and it's not nearly as bad as it was previously. Mama even said it's not that bad any more.

I have other good news. My sores are looking much better. Mama is very happy about that. She still thinks I will need to stay quiet next week, but at least my foot is healing.

Yesterday, the big brown truck pulled in our driveway and left us a surprise. It was a box from Best Bully's Sticks. Yummy! Mama ordered us some big bully sticks along with some curly bully sticks. Scout and I chewed and chewed and chewed last night. It's a fun way to spend the evening. We are already chewing again this morning. The bully sticks were big when we started on them. Mama said she might order us elk antlers the next time. That sounds interesting.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Thinks Some Things Should Be Left Private, Scout

Joey Stinks!

2011-10-05T08:05:00.005-05:00

My brother stinks and I mean he literally stinks. The antibiotics are giving him the worse gas ever! He can be three rooms away and we still smell him. I woke Mama up at 3 a.m. to check on him because he was zipped up in his crate and I was scared he couldn't breathe with that smell. I actually thought maybe he had an accident in his crate. Yes, it was that bad. Mama unzipped him and he was fine. Mama turned the fan on and that helped clear the room. Can you imagine being trapped in the RV with him next week? I wonder if I should warn Grandma about it. She is spending a few days with us. She may want to cancel her reservations. LOL

Mama made us some pumpkin frosty treats hoping that would help since they have yogurt in them, but he still stinks. Daddy doesn't seem to smell him and Joey doesn't seem to care. Boys are just different from us girls, I guess.

Good news! Joey's sores are getting better! Mama was quite pleased when she checked them this morning. Thank you for all your suggestions. It appears we are on the right track.

Joey is definitely feeling good. He wanted to play with me this morning and we got a quick zoom in and then Joey made a mistake and zoomed into his crate and ZIP, he got zipped inside. Two and half more weeks and we should be able to play!

Scout
The Greyhound Who Has a Stinky Brother

Blah!

2011-10-04T08:05:00.008-05:00

Well, I am not happy with keeping quiet. I did fine during the day, but once 5 p.m. rolls around, this fun guy is ready to PARTY! I want to run through the house and I want to play with toys. Mama zipped me in my crate last night Can you believe that? You would think Daddy would help me, but no, he is even worse. I really gave Mama the stink eye last night.

Mama is really concerned about my cast sores. She stayed up last night researching them on the Internet and basically found out that they can take a long time to heal. Our vet is off today, but she may call him tomorrow to ask more questions. Has anyone had experience with them? Our vet said to put Neosporin on them. We are doing that three times a day and after we do that, we but a little gauze on them so that my cast does not get damp from the Neosporin. The sores are under the cast, but the vet left a space so that they could be treated. Mama then puts a sock on me so that I don't lick the area. Yesterday afternoon, Mama took the sock off so that my sores could get some air, but overnight, I have to wear the sock. This morning, the sores do look a little better. Mama just doesn't know if they will actually heal while the cast is still on because the cast does seem to rub them a little when I walk even though she tries to keep gauze on the sores. The gauze falls out. So, that's the reason I need to stay quiet, so that my sores can heal. I'm on antibiotics.

Mama is having computer problems. We can't get the pictures on the blog to move around the way we want. :::sigh::: We can no longer use our favorite browser, Firefox. She tried to download other browsers and they will not open. We are not sure what has happened, but something changed on our computer on Friday. Our computer is old. We have a Windows XP. We have to use Internet Explorer now and it is so slow. Mama is a frustrated Mama these days. We have a laptop, but the space bar sticks so typing on it is a real pain. She has tried to fix it, but it still sticks. It's a good thing we are going on vacation soon.

Joey

The Greyhound Who Hates Cast Sores

I'm Back On Restrictions

2011-10-03T08:58:00.002-05:00

Mama and Daddy both said I need to stay quiet. Nothing bad has happened, but Mama figured out why the vet gave her instructions for taking care of my sores. She thought he was talking about the sore she saw on my foot. Well, I have others. She was telling Daddy that the vet didn't have a lot of padding around my foot area and she started looking at my foot by bending it down and looking inside the cast and discovered that I have sores on my foot that are covered by the cast. His instructions now make sense. He told her to use a Q-tip to apply the Neosporin but to be careful to keep the cast dry. She thought she would have to be pretty messy with the Neosporin to get the cast wet on the sore she saw, but she didn't question the vet because Daddy gets tired when she asks question after question. That also explains why I have to take antibiotics again. Mama said my sores are looking a little better today though, so that's good.

I heard Mama tell Daddy that the vet said I can get on the couch, but she doesn't want to encourage me. She is scared I will get hurt. I took matters into my own paws though and climbed on the couch yesterday. It was easy and so nice. I do still like my crate though and that's where I like to stay if I'm not zipped in there. I like to have the option to come and go as a I please.

We are going camping next week, so Daddy says I need to stay quiet this week so that my sores heal up. It doesn't sound like we will do much walking on this trip. I'm going to just hang around the campsite. We are going trout fishing. Grandpa and Grandma are going to join us for a few days. I think it will be fun even though I will just be laying around.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Has To Be Quiet This Week :::sigh:::

Do I Look Different Today?

2011-10-01T18:22:00.004-05:00

I look different today. Do you see it? Yep, I have a new cast on my leg. I was supposed to get a new cast on Monday. Last night, I started limping really bad and Mama noticed that my toe was bleeding. The cast was pressing on my toe when I walked and it caused a sore. OUCH! Mama called the vet and he said to bring me in this morning. Mama was nervous last night, but she felt sure that it was a sore caused by my cast and not a pressure sore. My leg has gotten smaller with the cast on it and the cast came down a little more on my foot over the past three weeks and that caused the sore. It still hurts a lot and now I have to take antibiotics again.

We thought I would only be at the vet for an hour, but I was a "drop-off". I had to stay for four hours. It took the vet 45 minutes just to get my cast off. Then, he took an x-ray and put my new spiffy cast on.

Guess what? The vet said that my leg is almost completely healed! We are so excited. He said he thinks it's the best work he has ever done. Mama and Daddy saw the x-ray and said it looks really good. I have to wear the cast for three more weeks though. Mama said it's probably for the best because we are going on vacation soon and she doesn't want me to hurt my new leg. Daddy said I will probably get a lot of sympathy from the other campers. I think that means a lot of petting. The cast will be good protection for me. The vet said I can get on the couch now. He said I can walk more and this new cast gives me a little more flexibility to work my leg. It's still a hard cast though. I guess it's supposed to move a little more than the other one.

My appointment to get my cast off is three weeks from today! Mama is so happy that I'm doing so well.

While I was at the vet, Mama washed my blankets. She said Scout was nervous that I wasn't coming home. You should have seen how happy Scout was when she saw me. She was jumping around and then she kissed me all over. Blah! She got my ears all wet.

I'm exhausted. It was a long day for me. I don't mind the vet's office though. I know everyone there. Mama says it's like my second home. I was there three times this week alone.

Well, that's it for now. I'm probably going to sleep until morning.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Almost Healed!!!!

My New ID Tag

2011-09-30T08:17:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Mama told me that the Cardinals made it to the playoffs. I don't know who the Cardinals are and I don't know what the playoffs are, but I know that I have a new ID tag. Mama ordered it earlier in the week and it arrived yesterday.

I look good, don't you think?

My Crate Fever is getting better. I stayed in the office all day with Mama on Wednesday and slept. Yesterday, I slept in my crate outside the office, but Mama left my crate door open. I was a good boy and stayed in my crate, but it sure was nice knowing that I could get out if I wanted to.

In the evening, I lay in my bed waiting for Daddy to get home.

Sometimes he doesn't get home until late, but I still wait for him.

Daddy is worth waiting for even though sometimes the wait is a very long time.

Joey
The Greyhound Who May Be Getting Cardinal Fever Now

It's My Gotcha Day....Again

2011-09-29T05:36:00.003-05:00

Scout here reporting on a very important day. It's my 4th Gotcha Day! This past year has been crazy. Last year, we were busy will trying to sell our house and then in November we did sell it after we took it off the market. We packed and moved in two weeks. We lived in a hotel from December 23rd to April 7th. Living in a hotel was quite an adventure. It was small and we had to be walked in all sorts of weather. We learned about city life and some of it was not good. We had a lot of snow last year and I wanted to run and play in it, but I couldn't. We thought we would have a wonderful year in our new home, but then Jack, my big brother and best friend, died just three months after we moved in. I was so lonely, so we decided to find me a new brother and in July, along came Joey. Well, as you know, Joey has been an adventure. He was here a week when we learned that he would need to have surgery. We have never really been able to play together, but I do like him...sometimes. I will be happy when he is able to run and play and doesn't get so much attention.

The Story of How I Came To My Forever Family

Four years ago today, I packed my bags in Tulsa, OK and headed to St. Louis to meet my forever family. My foster Mama, Debbie, told me that my new family saw my picture on the Internet and decided they wanted me. I never knew I was being "advertised" on the Internet. It made me feel a little cheap, but foster Mama told me that my new family had been carefully screened and I would be very happy.

Here I am after I first got out of the car. I'm wearing the blue muzzle. Jack is behind me.

Here I am meeting Daddy for the first time. I'm nervous, so I'm not looking at him.

Okay, the Daddy man might be okay. I'm the one in the front. I know, Jack and I looked alike back then. Jack developed more grey over the years, but so did I.

Here I am ready to start my new life. I don't know why I was scared, but I was.

Jack wasn't happy that I was coming home with him. He was told he was getting a sister, but he thought a sister was a new toy, not another hound.

So, after four years of living with my forever family, I have to say it's working out quite well. Mama and I had a few bumps in the beginning. She wanted to call me Katie. Do I look like a Katie? I'm a huge girl, I'm not petite. I don't like pink. I'm a tomboy. Katie doesn't work for me. My name is Scout and that's just the why it is. Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird was a tomboy, so maybe that's why I was given the name. I don't know, but it's my name and it suits me. Mama does call me Scoutie from time to time and that's okay, but Katie is a big NO for me.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Is Celebrating Four Years With Her Forever Family

Crate Fever

2011-09-28T05:42:00.007-05:00

Hi Everyone,

It's me, Joey. It's been four weeks since my surgery and now Mama says I have Crate Fever. It's like Cabin Fever, but it's Crate Fever because I'm stuck living in a crate. I'M BORED PEOPLE!

Mama has been moving my crate around the house to give me a different view. I like sitting in front of the front door, but even that gets boring when Mama is in her office. I don't like being in the office with Mama anymore. I don't have to be in my crate in her office, but I have to stay quiet and I don't want to do that. Yesterday, after I got bored in front of the door, Mama put me in the hallway so that I could see her in the office. I liked that. I slept there for three hours!

Scout thinks it's fun to lay in my crate. She better be careful or she will get Crate Fever too.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Wants To Run

We Love E-Mealz!!!

2011-09-27T09:54:00.011-05:00

A little change of pace today. This is Mama aka Patty. My husband, Jeff, is really on a saving money kick. I know that is a good thing, but he really wanted me to trim our food budget. :-O I think I do pretty well because I only buy meat that is on sale and I clip coupons, etc. He recently came across E-Mealz and wanted us to try it. I looked at the sample menu and I was not sure at all, but I decided just to try it to shut him up.

Last week was our first week on E-mealz. You pay $1.25 a week for the service and what you receive is a menu for the week, along with the shopping list and the directions to prepare the food. You choose the plan you want and if you want low-fat, low-carb or portion control, there are plans for you, too. We chose the Walmart plan for two. There are other stores to choose from depending on your location or you can just use the any store plan. We receive a menu for five days along with the shopping lists that includes the prices. Their prices have been a little off, but I guess that's because prices change so often. I think you are supposed to spend $40 or less for the week. It only includes dinner though. There are also plans for larger families.

I really was not sure I would like doing this because there are foods that we normally do not eat. However, I have to say that I have loved everything that I have fixed including all the vegetables. I did not think I would like the cajun zucchini, broccoli salad or bacon spinach Caesar wraps, but it has all been so good! I loved the broccoli salad!

I was so excited after our first week and couldn't wait to see this week's menu. I was disappointed when I saw this week's menu because cooked cabbage was on it. Again, I thought for sure I would hate it, but to my surprise, I liked the cooked cabbage. Tonight's menu is beef tips and vegetables with white rice and Texas toast. It sounds good. I am fixing the beef in my crock pot instead of the way they recommend. I know it will be tender in the crock pot.

One of the best things about this plan is that they plan the meals so that you use some of the ingredients in two-three meals, so nothing goes to waste.

I do have to say that there is a chopping of vegetables and that's something I'm not use to doing. The recipes are easy to follow though, but it does take me a little longer than I'm used to due to the prep work. I may figure out short cuts to that after I get more experienced. The portion sizes have been good for us. We may actually loose weight without really trying. I know the foods we are eating on this plan our healthier than what we are used to eating. I am forced to try recipes that I would have never tried before, but I'm really enjoying it. I just thought I would pass this along since we are having a lot of fun with it and if you can't tell, I'm very excited about it. LOL

If you are interested in trying them, I have a link to their site on the right-hand side of the blog and they are also on Facebook under E-mealz. They do have sample menus so you can check those out before ordering. I used a coupon code of DAVE when I signed up. I'm not sure if that is still available, but you can try it.

Patty
Mama to Greyhounds Scout and Joey Who Think Our Kitchen Smells Really Good

Vet Visit, Company and Reunion - BUSY!!!

2011-09-26T06:13:00.013-05:00

Hi Everyone,

It's me Joooey! We had such a busy weekend. We got up early for my vet visit on Saturday. We were disappointed to learn that the x-ray machine was broken, so no x-ray for me. The doctor did look at me and said I looked good. He said I could stay at the greyhound reunion all day on Sunday and I no longer have to use the sling all the time. Mama was very happy about not having to use the sling all the time and so was I. I hate using it when I do my "business" and sometimes I hold "my business" for 16 hours. I have a good bladder according to the vet. Well, now that I don't have to use it, I do my "business" quite often. Mama says walking me now is so easy and if I want to go under low branches that's fine. She used to have to crawl under the low branches with me and they would hit her in the face and leafs would get in her hair. LOL She did it because I like to do my "business" in that area and she said whatever it takes. Yes, Mama does talk about my "business" a lot. If Daddy takes me out and Mama asks if I did my "business", he won't tell her and just tells us it's my "business" and not hers. It drives her crazy not knowing what is going on with my "business".

Saturday afternoon, my other grandparents called and asked if they could come over. I had not met them before. Scout warned me that they were not pet people and never remembered her and Jack's names. My other grandparents, who live nearby, really like us and have brought us treats and money for our treat fund, so it evens out.

Yesterday, was our Greyhound Companions of Missouri reunion. It has been our goal to have me better in time for the reunion. Mama was happy that I was doing well enough to attend. I met all the people who have been doing all they can to give me the best medical care and who sent us the soft-crate and the x-pen and just everything we need. I meant to thank them in person for the soft-crate because it's my favorite, but I forgot.

My cast was signed by lots of people. Mama will have to take a close up photo of my cast later to show you. Scout wore out long before I did. She didn't want to shop or walk around. She just wanted to lay on the blanket. Several people thought she was a boy because she's so big. She doesn't mind because she's not a girly girl as you know. There were lots of raffles to participate in, but we didn't win anything. We received a nice bag when we registered and it had lots of fun things, like treats. Mama bought a calendar and a few sweatshirts. The calendar has a lot of our friends in it that we have met online. Two dogs that we know from our group, Skye and Rocket are the August models. We were thrilled to find them in the calendar.

I met Jack's foster Mom. She didn't know that Jack had died. Mama told her that she thinks all dogs should go through her "boot camp" because Jack was so well trained when he came to them. She didn't think she really trained him, but Mama said he was definitely well behaved and he had to learn it from someone.

There were a lot of bees buzzing around at the reunion and I tried to catch them. Mama caught one in her soda. She took a drink and felt something in her mouth and it was a bee. Yikes! She said it was a strange feeling having a bee in her mouth.

We had a lot of fun and we stayed for the entire four hours. Mama at first thought we would just stay an hour, but the vet said it was fine for me to stay as long as I wanted even if I stood on my leg the whole time. I ended up laying down for a while, so Mama was fine with us staying. We mainly stayed in one area and people visited us when they passed by, so it worked out well for us.

I did move to the blanket after a while. Yikes, I look huge in his photo. I haven't gained any weight since my surgery. It's the camera angle...really it is. Plus, you know that white doesn't hide anything. Scout, at least has stripes.

Mama thought I would sleep on the way home, but there's no way I'm going to miss the scenery passing by the window. I slept good once we got home though.

Yes, of course, Scout slept good. It's her favorite thing to do after eating. She slept through the entire night, which is rare for her.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Had A Very Fun Weekend

It's A Small World

2011-09-23T08:14:00.005-05:00

When Mama adopted Jack, she met his half-brother, Woody. Later, through e-mails and this blog, she was introduced to Jack's half-sister, Wanda. Mama met Scout's sister and brother through Greytalk and Scout even got to see her sister again at a greyhound event in Kansas. Her sister lives on the East Coast, but they made the trip to Kansas. Well, imagine my surprise when we discovered this week that my half-sister is none other than Miss Bunny. Bunny and her Mama are the authors of the blog Tales and Tails and they have commented on our blog many times and we have done their same on theirs. We had no idea that Bunny and I were siblings. We do not look alike. I look like our father.

Be My Bubba (Our Daddy)

Me -UCME Bubbasparks aka Joey

Bunny is a blue fawn and definitely takes after her mother's side of the family.

Mama was looking at Bunny's Dogster's account the other day and that's when she figured out we were siblings. We were both born in November, but Bunny was born the year before me. Our Daddy produced 640 offspring, but Mama thinks it's a small world because Bunny was our friend before we ever knew we were related.

Joey
The Greyhound Whose Half-Sister Is Just A State Away

I'm Stylin' Now!

2011-09-22T16:08:00.003-05:00

My cast protector arrived today. You should see how color coordinated I am with my black sling, my black ID collar and my leg protector. Mama says I look nice.

It definitely beats wearing an IV bag. When it rained, I had to wear a trash bag and the IV bag. It was so embarrassing. I feel much better about myself now.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Could Be Starting A New Fashion Trend

I Know What I Want

2011-09-21T08:13:00.006-05:00

As you may remember, I never lived in a home before now. I lived on a farm and then about a month before I moved here, I lived in a kennel. I don't have a lot of life experience, obviously. I love watching people and things. Mama laughed at me Monday night on the way to the doctor's office because I fell in love with a motorcycle. What could be better than having the freedom of no doors and windows and feeling the wind blow your ears? Mama asked me how I would ride on it. I was so disappointed because I didn't know how I would ride on it. My disappointment didn't last long because we pulled up next to a FedEx truck. Now, that is something I could ride in and there are no doors! I definitely could get a good breeze in one of those. I spent the night dreaming about getting a FedEx truck. Yesterday, while I was outside, a Hostess truck passed by. Okay, now that has to be the ultimate vehicle. It has open doors and food! The smell of Twinkies lingered in the air after he passed. I want a Hostess truck!!!! I told Scout about the Twinkies and she said she would give me her treat fund money to help buy us a truck. Mama helped us search the Internet last night and the blue book value of one truck we found was $12,000. Yikes! That's a lot of treat fund money. It could take me a long time to reach my dream. I'm thinking I may need to go back to racing, but I will probably have to put that off until next year since I'm in a cast right now. I guess for now, Scout and I will just chew some bully sticks and dream about our Hostess truck.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Knows What He Wants!

Joey's Vet Visit

2011-09-20T08:01:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I went to the vet last night to have my cast checked. The vet had said he was going to change it, but after he saw it, he said there was no need to change it this week. I have to go back in two weeks and then I will get a new one. Mama asked him if I could go to our group's greyhound reunion on Sunday and he said "YES!". He wants me to come in on Saturday and he's going to do a quick X-ray to make sure my leg looks okay since I will be standing on it more than normal on Sunday. Mama was hoping he would do that last night, but he wanted to wait until Saturday. Mama is anxious to see/hear that everything is healing correctly.

We were disappointed to hear that I have to wear the cast for 6-8 weeks. What?! What happened to the 4-6 weeks? We have a week long camping trip planned in a few weeks and we were hoping my cast would be off by then, but it won't be. The vet said to take the trip and not worry about the cast. Daddy said it's probably better that I will still be in a cast instead of freshly out of it. My foot will be more protected that way. Mama said I will have to take my soft-sided crate because I can't get on the bed. So, we will have to make adjustments and coming in and out of the RV will be harder with my cast, but the vet said I will be fine.

Mama ordered me a cast protector last night. She found them online last week, but didn't want to order one until she knew I would be in my cast for a while. She hopes it makes it easier taking me outside. Mama told the vet that I have an iron bladder and it drives her crazy at times because she thinks I should have to go and I don't. My record so far is 16 hours. The vet said he wished he had a bladder like mine.

Oh, Scout signed my cast. Do you see it? LOL

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Feeling Better

15 Days Post-Surgery

2011-09-16T08:04:00.005-05:00

Well, it's been 15 days since Joey had his surgery and our life has turned very boring. This is a typical day.

When I'm not resting with Joey, I'm helping Mama. I help her give Joey his medicine. If Daddy is home, then I go out with Joey for potty breaks. He goes faster if I'm with him. I can only go if Daddy is home because Mama can't handle me, Joey and the sling.

Joey has been doing good. He's been a little more active the last few days. We think it's due to the cooler weather. Active is not good, so he has to be crated when he won't just lay down. He doesn't always like that, but Mama says he has to be so he can get better. Mama just zips him in his crate and then we all relax for a while. Every night we mark the day off on the calendar. We are so anxious for him to be all better.

Scout
The Greyhound Whose Brother Goes Clump, Clump, Clump when he walks

Starting To Be Friends?

2011-09-14T08:26:00.003-05:00

It looks as if they are starting to be friends. I think it's been harder for them to establish a relationship because they have not been able to really play together. Scout has been staying in the office with us more and more. She is still somewhat jealous of all the special attention that Joey receives, but that's understandable.

Patty
Mama to Scout and Joey

My Cast

2011-09-13T07:56:00.005-05:00

Here's a close up of my cast. The staff at the hospital wrote on it. Jenna and Katie put their names with hearts. Dr. Bone also signed it, but I don't know who that is. I'm not sure why they used my formal name, Joseph. I've only been called that once by Daddy. Mama said it looks cute. Greyhound Companions of Missouri has their reunion at the end of this month and I bet I get more people to sign my cast there. I haven't had any visitors since I've been home since I'm supposed to be quiet, but I bet Grandma & Grandpa will sign it when I see them. Mama said it would be neat if I get to keep my cast especially after I get if filled up with signatures.

Next Monday night, I go back to the vet and he will take the cast off and look at my leg and then it will get put back on. I'm not sure how long I have to wear it. I was told I wouldn't be able to play for 4-6 weeks. Tomorrow, it will be two weeks since my surgery.

The mail person should have our package from Best Bully Sticks today. Scout and I are excited about that. Tomorrow, Mama said she thinks some "educational toys" should be here. I'm not sure what they are, but they are supposed to keep me busy.

I'm being a really good boy!

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Happy To Be Home

A Cast Is A Pain

2011-09-12T08:03:00.006-05:00

Hi All,

Not much is really new here. I don't get to do much with this cast on my leg. It's a pain going outside. I have to put an IV bag on my cast so that I don't get it wet and when it rains like it did this weekend, Mama triple bags me with plastic bags. I also have to use a sling so that I don't fall. Mama doesn't like the sling because I like to walk under low branches and now she has to walk under them with me. I've seen several leaves in her hair this weekend. LOL

Mama said I learned to be a whiner at the vet's office. I used to not whine, but if Mama leaves the room, I whine. When she puts me in my wired crate, I whine. So, the last two nights I have slept in my soft-sided crate in the living room with Mama on the couch. Yep, I have her wrapped around my paw. I heard her say that she's not going to do that every night, but we will see.

Saturday, I got upset when Daddy went outside to work. Yesterday, Mama came up with a solution. She put my crate next to the door and I was able to watch Daddy paint the porch.

I watch Daddy outside and Mama inside. It was pretty cool!

Later in the afternoon, I was able to lay on my bed and watch Daddy. Mama sat next to me and I had my leash on, so I wasn't able to make a run from the room.

I watched my first Rams' game. It was not good. I think I should have put my Rams' collar on for luck. I will do that next week.

It's back to hanging out in the office today. Mama and I are counting the days to when I can do more than lay in bed.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is On The Mend

I'm Home!

2011-09-08T15:16:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'm home!!!! I've had quite the adventure and I'm so glad I'm back home again. The people were nice there, but there is no place like home. I was really surprised yesterday when they told me I had a visitor. It was Mama! She said she really missed me, but I had to stay a few more days. The doctor came in and Mama asked him when I could go home and he said TODAY! Then Daddy came in and Mama told him I could go home today and he was shocked. The doctor said they would get my things and they brought in my blanket and my toy and my medication.

(Here I am so excited to hear that I'm going home!)

I have to put a bag over my cast when I go outside. If I get my cast wet, we are in big trouble. I also have to use a sling. The sling is just to help me if I start to fall.

I'm not thrilled about having to stay in a crate. However, the vet said that if I'm really quiet, I can lay outside the crate. I have to have supervision though. I normally don't like being in the office with Mama, but it means no crate, so I've been in here all day. I have two beds and a blanket to choose from. Scout has been in a few times to visit us.

(Look at what they did to me! They shaved me. They must like squares.)

Mama thought this photo was funny. I was sleeping and not trying to block a flash or anything.

The doctor put a plate in my foot with eight screws. He said I need to have it taken out in 6-8 months. He said if I don't, it will irritate my skin and the bone could eventually grow over the plate. Mama said we are not going to worry about all of that right now. He said it's not a big deal to have it taken out. I hope not. I don't want to go through all of this again.

I'm home in time to watch the Rams play on Sunday. I've never watched a football game before, but it sounds fun. I'm going to wear Jack's Ram's collar. Mama said she thinks Jack would be happy to see it passed on to me.

Joey
The Greyhound Whose Leg Is Pretty Heavy These Days

Joey Is Home!

2011-09-07T16:31:00.006-05:00

I was told yesterday that Joey was not coming home until next week. I was shocked today when I visited him and the vet said he could come home today. They put a hard cast on him yesterday and I think that is why the change in dates occurred. The vet had not planned on using a hard cast, but changed his mind. I think it's safer for Joey.

This is Joey's cast. The staff signed it "Joseph". Cute!

Joey trying out the X-pen.

Joey in his crate and Scout nearby.

So far so good. He's been home for three and a half hours.

Patty
Mama to Scout and the Casted Joey

Another Package For Joey?

2011-09-03T18:13:00.002-05:00

Yes, Joey received another package today. He received the X-pen, courtesy of Greyhound Companions of Missouri. (Yes, we do have a WONDERFUL group. They are making sure that Joey gets the best medical care, plus everything else that makes taking care of him as easy as possible.) He will use it and then it will be saved for the next greyhound that needs it. Mama thinks he will like it. It's bigger than it looks in the pictures and no, I did not want to test it out. Mama said she will probably put a big, thick quilt in there instead of a bed. She put the bed in to check out the size, since I didn't want to do it.

We can make it into various shapes as you can see. It has a gate that makes it easy to get in and out. Mama told me that if we need it to be bigger, we can use one of our walls as a wall for it and that will make it bigger. Confused? Me, too. I need to see that in action. It's not like we want Joey to have too much room though. He can't be having a party in there.

Mama received a Joey update and it's good. He's eating, drinking and being a good boy. They put a soft cast on his foot today and they may put a harder cast on Tuesday. We will just have to wait and see on that. We were told he would not have a cast, but we think it might be for the best. Mama has been nervous about him getting hurt without a cast. We still don't have a firm date as to when he's coming home. We think it will be Wednesday or Thursday, but it just depends on how well he is doing. He's going to be surprised by all the new things that have arrived for him.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Is Not Sleeping Well Without Her Little Brother

Joey Received A Package Today

2011-09-01T16:49:00.006-05:00

We heard this morning that Joey is doing well. He is eating. Mama was happy to hear that. Mama is so much happier since the surgery is over.

Joey received a big package today. Mama said it's a new soft-sided crate that our group, Greyhound Companions of Missouri, bought for him to use while he heals. Wasn't that nice of them? After he is finished with it, it will be available when another grey needs it.

I told Mama that there is no way he is going to fit in that bag.

Mama took it out of the bag and it turned into this:

It looks cool, but I'm not going near that thing. Mama might zip me up inside of it.

It has tent stakes, so Joey could even camp in it. Hey, I have an idea! Joey could camp in it when we are camping in the RV. That would be perfect! LOL

It looks pretty roomy from what I can see from across the room. It has a bed in it, but Mama is going to add more comfort to it. You should see how much stuff she has in his wire crate. This crate is nice because it can easily be moved from room to room. The metal crate is heavy and has to be taken down to be moved from the room. Also, this one will be softer if Joey bangs his leg. I think he will like it.

He is also getting an X-pen that is coming next week. We think that will take up most of our living room, but that is fine. It will be like we are having a big slumber party.

Mama ordered bully sticks today. I get to help him chew some of those. Yum!

Thanks again to everyone for thinking about Joey.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Hopes Joey Heals Quickly!

Surgery Is Over!

2011-08-31T16:09:00.003-05:00

The vet called and said the surgery is over and Joey is awake and doing fine. It's been a really hard week, but I feel so much better that the surgery part of it is over. We are now ready to move on to step 3. Step 1 was getting him ready for the surgery with medications, limited walking and ice packs. Step 2 was the surgery. Step 3 is the healing process.

He should be home in about a week.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Patty
Mom to Scout and Joey

Today Is Joey's Surgery

2011-08-31T05:17:00.003-05:00

Today is the day we have been dreading. Joey has surgery today. It's going to be a very long day for us. His surgery is not scheduled until 1 p.m.

We have only had him for five weeks, but we are so attached to him. Scout has been looking for him and whining.

We will update you when we hear something, but we were told it would be late in the day before we hear anything. :::sigh:::

Patty,
Mama to Scout and Joey