It is getting to be a lot like Christmas!!!!

…….. walkin’ in a winter wonderland. There is snow galore throughout the lower mainland, cold winds sometimes blustering into a gale and thoroughly frozen lakes, rivers and ponds are now in place to accommodate the antics of children of all ages and dogs that figure frozen water is at least as much fun as the liquid type!!! The snow hitting the lower mainland crimps everyone and everybody as most of us have all season radials on our cars, not winter tires. So with the desperate and the insane now out there, driving their cars in bumper car fashion, the rest of us attach huge tires to the sides of our cars (LOL) or go into hibernation awaiting the return of the depressing rains in order to re- establish the proper level of safe driving for us all.


We have a new house guest of the four legged variety, a Lhasa Apso named Oakley who has come to us via Alana’s impetuous benevolence, saying she would house and puppy sit for extended family while they are away in Hawaii. All well and good until funerals happen which Alana was involved in planning, friends arrive from all over, it snows a foot and a half and the usual bedlam ensues, making it almost impossible for Alana to get to and fro for her house sitting duties.


Maggie, of course, is delighted with her new toy and can’t begin to understand why Oakley will have no part of her???!!! Every movement that Oakley makes, usually away from Maggie constitutes the game to begin with Maggie bounding (perhaps even bouncing) after, over, around, on top of, from the left, from the right accompanied by yearning vocalizations that clearly are imploring Oakley to join in the chase game. Oakley’s response is to stand his ground and stare fixedly at Maggie while wondering what he has done wrong to deserve this--- first his family disappears, then he’s left for hours on end and a stranger comes and stays with him, then the stranger comes and takes him away from his house, drives through the snow at night and there he is landing at a house he’s never been to with all sorts of people who he has never met but seem to like him and a total wranger of a dog that clearly has no concept of his place in society!!!! This dog’s intrusiveness knows no bounds :) and goes further to full on barking that sends shivers through Oakley!!! And of course there’s the issue of Maggie eating anything in the house that resembles food. So as the bowl of food is placed in front of Oakley, her nibs is coming on like a freight train attempting to aspirate bowl and all on her way to her dish to see what treats have been used to distract her from our visitor!!!

Peace on earth and good will to all; now Maggie show some respect would you???

So this is Christmas!!!

One of Maggie's interesting albeit demanding traits is her vocalizing, "I want out; I want in; You're not paying attention to me; Let's play; I think that's you coming up the driveway but I'll assume you're a stranger and play the guard dog; Something is totally out of order here and needs attention immediately!!!" Now this last item is ongoing and rears itself whenever there is something new in or around the house. You have to appreciate she's now eight months old and has assimilated the day to day routine of this Pace family in good stride. And yet she feels somehow compelled to alert all within a three square block radius the impending doom that is about to befall us!!! This of course can vary as the perceived threat comes in many disguises!!!

This past weekend had such a happening, it being our replacing a washer and dryer after seventeen years of extensive abuse which included baby blankets and soiled clothing on through to muddied running shoes and paint ball smeared camouflage and everything else a family can produce over the years as fads and seasons pass and today's "gotta haves" become charitable "giveaways".

So, with Maggie securely in the backyard and the truck arriving in the front, the migration of old and new commenced!!! Ten minutes later, all was in order and with Sheila and I wishing each other, "Merry Christmas" and still shuddering at the cost, we had our new appliances!!!

Shortly thereafter, her highness uttered her command to return to her domicile and with patio door opened and the affront of paws being wiped and mostly cleaned, she proceeded to check out the remnants of scent that were not of our own making. As she rounded the hall corner to the laundry room, all hell broke loose as the latest attack on the Paces was being dutifully attended by our laughably vicious guard dog!!! Hackles at the ready, agitated movements to and fro, assessing the invaders intent, barking to the peak of her abilities complete with cracking pitch, a tentative lunge or two for good measure (would they chase her or would they stand their ground, protecting their acquired space???), fertive looks at us to see whether we would join the battle or at least defend her should the going get tough and only after repeated "Oh Maggie's" combined with the stillness of the washer and dryer, her nibs declared the house safe once more but was determined to keep a close eye on them should they get out of hand!!!!

Without delay, the washer was put to the test as Maggie's blankets and toys became the test subjects of the "sanitize" cycle and came through "dazzling"!!!!! :)