Happy Birthday!

Gemma is 1!  My bat-eared temptress is no longer a puppy.  (Still super cute!)

Try a silly walk

We've had a huge melt off here with nearly a week of torrential rain and high gusty winds - a pineapple express straight from Hawaii.  As a perk, that means the edges of the steep streets of my neighborhood are now walkable rather than a storage space for snow.  The melting has apparently created a concentration of smells as we can't go 10 feet in a straight line, and must keep nose to the ground the whole time.  Some spots are so scrumptious Gemma has to rub and roll on it, leaving me standing holding a writhing puppy on a string.  Looks a bit strange, but she loves it, and since it isn't muddy anymore, why not?  Tracks are particularly interesting, today Gemma followed a raven's hopping path, putting her nose right in each footprint!  I never thought of a dry bird foot as having much of a smell. 

Ostrich Gemma

With the high winds rocking the house and making horrible noises, Gemma has started napping with her head buried in the sofa cushions like a furry ostrich.  Here she is just emerging.  

Bagged a Rooster!

I found yet another toy for Gemma while visiting my Grandparents this Christmas, a crowing and squeaking rooster mad of intertwined loops.  While Gemma loved it - it was apparently too realistic as she felt a need to kill and pluck it.  After catching it, she bit it vigorously by the back of the neck, shook the bejeezus out of it to snap its neck, and proceeded to pluck out its "feathers".  Hmmm, little spitty bits of stuffed animal fuzz.  

And then I looked away for a few minutes and there were rooster brains everywhere!  She had entirely unstuffed the head of the rooster - no other part was treated to this behavior.  Floppy head and loose stuffing doesn't work so I removed the toy to consider the problem - head removal? Restuff?  Mom came up with the solution, sewing a tough material in a bag shape over the rooster's head!  Now it is back in business and crowing away but without the head Gemma doesn't need to kill it even though it makes all the same noises.

11 mo old puppy + 21 mo old toddler = BFF

Toddler and puppy had a fabulous play-time tonight.  My friend's daughter and Gemma have the same interests - they took turns picking up Gemma's toys and running away with them with the other giving chase.  Gemma loved that the toddler could pick her toys out of the bucket and off the table top!  And then the toddler discovered Gemma's crate and ex-pen - there was some confusion when they both tried to fit inside at once.

Santa squeaks twice

The Christmas material goods advertising blitz didn't affect Gemma particularly.  After carefully opening the first of her two packages with some help, she was totally focused on her new squeaky mat and wasn't even going to be distracted by the jar of treats (sealed).  Being a corgi, she would have happily eaten the entire jar if it was open!

After subduing the hedgehog squeaker mat by sitting on it and 

gnawing on its head, she discovered that it could be rolled around the room and pounced on to great effect.  Eventually the excitement wore her out, but not to fear, she maintained control of the wiley hedgehog so it couldn't escape.