The Rip Van Wrinkler, Volume XV, Issue 1, February 2011

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the Tossing Gooder Stuff Around. . .

DELAYED contest winner is:

Cheryl Silver's Hank (now 13 years old)
"
Delayed wins are Hank's favorites "

"Hasn't Hank the Prankster brought us a lot of laughs over the years? Bless you, Hank"…. Erin Fogarty

Hank has a very active imagination---I know that must come as a shock to many of you <g>. 

He can be walking across a room and see some item just sitting there innocently and a whole Indiana Jones action scene must run through his brain.   I typically become aware of these events when I hear a series of thumps behind me or in a neighboring room.  When I check I will typically find the boy pouncing and dancing and rolling around some object on the floor.  Depending upon the item he may pick it up and hurl it across the room or, if it is hard and lumpy (some of his favorites) he will be falling on it then rolling over on it as if to scratch his back.

Yesterday I was occupied in the kitchen when I heard the signature thumping coming from the living room--dining room area.  I glanced in the direction of the doorway from where I was standing just in time to see a rawhide chewstick go sailing across the room about 3 feet off the floor......zoom!   Then, another chewstick repeated the event......whiz!!...I waited a moment to see if a third would fly by, but --no.

I walked over to the doorway to see where Hank was and he was just lying down on an area rug........ He was looking in the direction of the flying rawhide and his curly tail was upright and wagging slowly like a lazy question mark.

My boy keeps me smiling ......such a silly goose.


the Household Helpers. . .

contest winners are:

Mike Reed's Sassy & Scrapper

Here’s Sassy working hard as a throw pillow for Andrew to rest on.


YouTube: Sassy & Scrapper working on the potato pot


Natalie Culver's Kunjo

Kunjo helps with the chores (unpacking bags and rearranging throw rugs) and he is an expert kitchen and bathroom cabinet reorganizer, focusing on opening/emptying cabinets to assist you and then lets you reorganize and put back. Kunjo is very regimented with his chore schedule and feels cabinets should be reorganized daily.

This may take some time, but I'll get it open.

Yvonne ‘T Mannetje’s Moyo

Rainy day. Moyo does some office work


Dan Sailor’s Buddy

Cleaning house today and somebody "sorted" a stack of blankets.


Dawn Donaldson’s Dream

Helping Shel read.


Debbie Thompson Brown’s Allie

My dogs really love my new heated throw. I never have to knit alone.


Debby Mayer’s Lulu

Lulu being helpful. She is carrying my mittens into the office on a workday - probably last winter.


Chris Maxka’s Ginger

SunDiata's Tangawizi Ginger inspecting the kitchen cabinets. Too darling.


Peggy Pick’s Munchkins

HOUSEHOLD HELPERS

In addition to counter surfing, which she is determined to master despite being not quite tall enough, Dasa’s help consists of scratching at the door of whatever room I’m in, making it quite clear I’m neglecting her. I have a baby gate in the doorway to my work room (also known as a room filled with odds and ends that need to be sorted, donated, filed or otherwise dealt with at some unspecified point in the future). Dasa might be asleep on another floor, but should I step over the baby gate and attempt to sprinkle a bit of order among the confusion, she’s at the door, scratching insistently to remind me that I’m on the wrong side of the baby gate. I know they can easily hop over baby gates, but they don’t seem to remember that about this one, so please do not tell them.

Ivan is a wonderful helper with most anything he decides needs his supervision.  Laundry can be very challenging for humans and, therefore, careful supervision is required to make sure we get it right. I learned from Reno that I should sit on the floor when I sort laundry because it’s easier for a little basenji to reach items and race off gleefully with a human always a few steps behind. Ivan benefits from this early training, and takes full advantage. My puppy boy sometimes parks himself on my lap as I attempt to sort laundry. This assistance requires me to sort with one hand and rub behind an ear with the other.  

Ivan also industriously plucks articles of clothing from the dryer and runs off with them, having trained me to chase after him and quickly trade a treat before the article is customized. Despite my efforts, many dinner napkins and aerobics t-shirts bear evidence that I was not quite fast enough. Occasionally, I’ll find socks or underwear whose customization I missed until they’re ready to fold. Then I realize the jaws of Ivan have made it unnecessary to fold these articles, thus saving my time for rubbing ears and tummies. Ivan is often so helpful I get no real housework done, but I do spend time with two small dogs, which is much more important.


Lots of helpers... Susan Marsicano & Karen Christensen kidz

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