Neutron, a Jack Russell Terrier

winter

2012-01-30T13:49:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe January's almost over and then it will be time to look for the groundhog. There was snow when we were in Wisconsin and it was tough getting away from Willow. Mom said I should remove my "made in China" sticker so she would stop thinking I was a squeaky toy. No snow here although not real warm either and sometimes it rains.

at the beach

2011-12-19T10:33:00.002-05:00

There's always good stuff on the beach; if I could tell mom what this was she'd tell you. The water is getting colder; no wading these days. Fortunately my black spots help keep me warm. Ah, the nose is wonderful. It seems we are traveling soon. Things are starting to get put into piles. They won't leave without me; I won't let them!

Ouch!

2011-11-09T22:19:00.003-05:00

You'd think I'd been biking or skateboarding...

Walking Through the Woods

2011-11-05T17:48:00.002-04:00

This is where we come out of the woods on our walk to the beach. Today we met a nice man on the beach who had a chainsaw and had been clearing the beach and the road to the beach.

I'm trying to sleep

2011-10-18T10:02:00.004-04:00

Go Badgers! I heard they won big. This bed has a big W on it. Not to mention a little dog hair.

It's 6 AM, I'm curled up trying to sleep. It's dark and there should be usual sounds of water, grinding noises, the smell of coffee, the door opening and closing, another one of those bags Mom carries to pick up after me. Instead there's this bright light. The first time I ignored it and the second time I just had to give it a look...

Fungus

2011-09-25T10:15:00.003-04:00

There has been a proliferation of fungi in our neighborhood. The lawn down the block had several white mushrooms that looked like rocks from our driveway. This one is next door. A new dog moved in and these things might be related. It's been wet for awhile and the weather has cooled; maybe that's created optimal fungi conditions. There is a type of fungus called dog vomit fungus.

September Beach Walk

2011-09-18T19:57:00.006-04:00

The sand was wet and we were just about to the place where sometimes it's time to get wet. However there's this log that goes across the water. Sometimes it's underwater and then mom carries me over the water while she gets wet...

Here you can see her going across the water on the log. I'm already in the tall grass.

Weather

2011-09-06T15:32:00.003-04:00

It's been quite the weather the last few weeks. There was smoke in the forecast from the Dismal Swamp burning in Virginia, then an earthquake here and a big storm named Irene. I wore this funny yellow thing to get out in the rain. Once I was out for awhile it was better with it off.
Mom built us this cool boat. So far I've only tried it on the deck; I hope to be out on the water soon.

Flying Disc

2011-08-07T13:38:00.002-04:00

This is tricky stuff and lots of fun.

Frogs

2011-07-29T11:12:00.002-04:00

This guy lives on the back deck. Yesterday one came in the house through the front door with me. I tried to catch him/her but somehow he/she wasn't for eating. Mom scooped him/her up and put him/her back outside.
Very hot today.

Independence Day

2011-07-04T11:57:00.005-04:00

Happy Fourth of July! Here I am celebrating my independence. I have been trying to teach Mom to let me go by rolling. I think she gets it and sometimes it works. Sometimes I have to roll more than once. Another way I try to gain independence is to go slow and investigate a lot. Sometimes that works...

Wisconsin

2011-06-07T15:23:00.003-04:00

This is my new favorite spot in the Wisconsin house. It's nice to be up and I'm taller than Willow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had fun in Wisconsin, visiting old haunts and discovering Alewives.

Waiting for something to drop

2011-05-20T12:18:00.003-04:00

Midday, there's always a chance some morsel will hit the floor. One never knows what goodies may fall. I'm waiting under the table just in case.
The back deck looks different today. Our kayak is getting some glue in its end. Something called an end pour.

What could it be?

2011-04-12T12:55:00.002-04:00

This was some good digging; I almost got the bugger! Sometimes they're just too fast. I got something today but Mom didn't see it so can't report. There's some blood on my fur, on the top of my head and on my neck. I've been working really hard trying to keep the squirrels off the bird feeder the last few weeks.

Cherry Blossoms

2011-03-27T09:46:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we went to what Mom calls disc golf and cherry trees. It's part of an old navy housing development called Lexington Manor and has some good hunting. I had been home alone the day before so had a lot of energy. It was good to get out and just run.

Willow

2011-01-23T04:39:00.005-05:00

I'm looking out. Willow might be nearby. She's my archenemy, my nemesis. She lives in MY old house. When I go to to Wisconsin, she's always there, in my old house. And she thinks it's her house... Worse yet she thinks I want to play with her. She's bigger and faster so she's no fun to go out with. Bigger dogs seem to think I'm some kind of toy. I'm not. I've heard she gets the party started when she goes to the dog park. Maybe she should be called Pink.

It turns out I must be more of a hunter than I thought; who would of guessed JRT's would be written up in Field and Stream:
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/small-game/all-small-game/2009/10/tk

New Year's Eve

2011-01-02T18:44:00.002-05:00

This was me, New Year's Eve. Mark was having some chips and occasionally sharing. I had a really good view of him from this seat.

Blue Ribbon

2010-12-16T16:59:00.002-05:00

Early one morning we got in the car and went for a long drive. When we got there, it was a bit chilly. We walked around a bit and then Mom put on that thing that goes over my muzzle and put me in a box. I saw the lure and there were other dogs who wanted to chase it too. I ran out of the box and looked for Mom. She said "Run!" so I ran after the other dogs. We did some on lead things where she kept telling me what to do and it was kind of fun. I spent some time with a nice lady while Mom walked around a bunch of obstacles. When she came back from that we had fun. We ran and jumped and did tunnels! After that we went for a walk around the grounds and spent some time chasing a plastic bag that went fast. I saw some of my friends that I only see once a year and slept all the way home.

Fall

2010-10-25T15:06:00.002-04:00

I have been having long days hunting around the neighborhood. The squirrels really want to play and there are lots of other rodents. The other night I got a vole while going for my night walk, what my mom calls the p--p walk. Nationals are coming up so we are doing more on lead stuff. Some of it's fun...

Rain, again!

2010-10-15T10:20:00.003-04:00

Mom got me this raincoat. It is slightly better than getting all wet. I am headed back to the house where it is DRY!

Rain

2010-09-30T11:34:00.002-04:00

I do not like going out in the rain.
If I go out the door and see this I just want to go back inside.
Pretty soon Mom is going to get her umbrella and carry me down the block.
Today it's raining and windy; I don't even want to look outside...
I am just fine not taking a walk.

Bridges

2010-09-16T11:27:00.002-04:00

This is a bridge near my house. There are little critters that live under it. I don't hunt there much since I found a snake last summer. Hard to believe it's fall. I like the cooler weather and this is the time of year the squirrels start having fun chasing each other, mating, and getting ready for winter. Girl squirrels are pregnant all winter. This morning there were so many in one place I didn't know which one to chase first.

Summer is HOT!

2010-08-08T18:11:00.003-04:00

I didn't know what air conditioning was until I moved to Southern Maryland. This summer has been hot and I've been more happy to go inside than usual. On our walk to the beach, I've been wading. The water still isn't good to drink.

This guy and I have been playing games almost every morning.

Boating

2010-05-24T10:22:00.003-04:00

Next time I think I want my PFD. This was the maiden voyage.

Things

2010-05-21T11:19:00.004-04:00

Mom was surprised I didn't pick this up; it looked like a bloody bit of bone on the beach. Below is the other side. It is some kind of hard shell. Fossil?
Note the peahen walking away from the peacock's display.
We went on a long ride in the bumpy car. I was in my small crate. We saw another dog, possibly a JRT.

My New Sweater

2010-04-01T13:56:00.002-04:00

"Stand" is a very confusing command for me, although you can see I do know what "stay" means. Mom knit me this sweater. It feels warm and is very comfy. The weather here is warming so I think this sweater will have to wait for colder weather.

Big Snow

2010-02-12T10:13:00.002-05:00

We have had snow two weekends in a row. When it's snowing, I usually don't want to go out. It's too miserable. Sometimes Mom picks me up and carries me until I find something interesting. After that it seems okay to be out. When it's done snowing, it's fun to go out although sometimes deep snow is tough going.

Holiday Spirit

2009-12-18T08:11:00.002-05:00

It's getting colder here. Mom made me a nice set of baby blue pajamas so I stay warm at night. Not the kind of thing I'd wear outside the house. I almost got a blue squirrel the other day. Rumours of snow this weekend. I hope I get a good walk today. Yesterday I didn't leave the immediate neighborhood, although I was out for awhile last night. There is a mole in the front garden that I've been trying to get. The soil is good digging and Mom says she's glad coneflowers have long roots. Also the squirrels are attacking the birdfeeder. I know those guys all too well.

FOX

2009-11-13T10:41:00.005-05:00

Yesterday it rained and rained and rained. I did not want to go out. Mom carried me until we got in the woods. We went with Lelu, our next door neighbor. She is bigger and can run through puddles. Mom had to carry me through one place where the water was running deep across the road. When we got near the beach we found a red fox. I went farther into the woods and came out with a little hair loss on the top of my head. So I guess it was fun after all. Still really wet.

Out and About

2009-10-08T09:37:00.005-04:00

Another beautiful summer day and we are off on an adventure. There's always so much to smell and it's a tough choice to stay on the bike when I see a squirrel, rabbit or woodchuck.

I'm better!

2009-07-28T03:32:00.003-04:00

Looking good!
I'm feeling much better. I'm still interested in what's under that bridge but not as much.
Bear and I having fun when we first met. This is my buddy Peter. This might have been a day when he put me on the garage roof. Lots to see and smell but hard to get down.

snake bite

2009-07-06T23:58:00.003-04:00

This is me in the car going to the vet. No, this isn't a funny picture. My nose was very swollen after I tried to kill a snake. It really hurt when it bit me. I don't think it had a neck. Picking it up to shake it didn't work very well. I have two bite marks on the top of my muzzle right behind my nose. The good news is I get turkey rolled up with peanut butter twice a day. (Editor's note: antibiotics)

Birds

2009-06-16T12:25:00.002-04:00

You don't know how much fun these birds can be. They can be chased very easily and make some delicious eggs. Mom taught me to leave them alone and I think that's why I like them so much. Sometimes I get into their cage and find all kinds of goodies. Other times I help Mom round them up!

Warmer Weather

2009-05-17T07:51:00.004-04:00

We've been having some warm weather. I was actually lying on the cool floor rather than in my soft bed. My mom said I've been shedding more. Since living down here, I've learned to cool off in the water too.

There was something in there...

2009-02-24T10:40:00.005-05:00

Photographer's Note: The underground photos were taking by holding the camera in the hole and blindly taking photos. Possibly the flash added to the chaos...

Fun Day with the JRTCA

2008-11-07T05:50:00.003-05:00

Actually it was the National Trial. We got up early and stopped to sleep on the way. I had to race and I don't like being with those other dogs. I'd rather be with my mom. We also got to see my friend Jill. Ted gave me some cheese and I almost went home with him.

The best thing was the challenge lure course. I got to go twice and was in full hunting drive! My face always gets more triangular when I'm that excited about hunting. I get more terrier and less cute.

We did some stuff on lead and that was alright.

By the end of the day I was very tired. I ate in the car and went to bed when I got home. My mom was very excited.

Morning Olympics

2008-08-06T12:10:00.003-04:00

This morning we went out early to get the newspaper. I knew there was a squirrel outside the door and went out expecting to find it. My mom made me wait and said "go potty", but I had that squirrel on my mind. I took a few quick steps and it had taken off down the driveway and across the street to another driveway. I caught up with it and almost had it on a turn when it turned the other way. I am just that much bigger that I lost it on the turn. Oh well, as my mom always says.

We had a nice walk to the beach. Here we are almost there. This road goes through what I think is called the Shannon farm. I like getting to the beach here as there often has been a campfire and there are goodies. Sometimes my mom gets upset.

Fun Hunting

2008-08-02T22:20:00.002-04:00

Today we had a lovely walk to the beach. It was hot in the sun. The beach and the forest were mostly shady. Towards the end of our walk on the beach, I had to get into this pile of posts. There was sandy soil and I dug like mad to get in there. After 20 minutes or so, my mom said "Let's go!" so we leashed up and headed home.

Back in Southern Maryland

2008-07-15T09:22:00.003-04:00

This is me and my mom at the beach. The water is the Chesapeake Bay. It's kind of salty. The photo below is me almost home. I had just chased something into a neighbor's yard where he was cooking out. My mom made me leave it.

Fourth of July holiday

2008-07-15T09:04:00.004-04:00

Over the Fourth, I flew back to Milwaukee. Nothing like a really noisy dark place. It was a bit disorienting. Bear wasn't at the house and after a couple of days Willow arrived. She's one busy dog. I am cautiously observing her so far. The old park is still some great hunting. Some big trees fell and were really fun to explore. I also got to hunt at Grandma's farm and under Patti's deck. We had a couple of nice walks through the Catholic and Jewish dog parks to Bonnie's house. They had a big party and I got lots to eat from lots of people I'd never met before; always fun.

Rest in Peace, Bear

2008-07-01T10:57:00.004-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,
After a very sudden, week-long struggle with the autoimmune disease AIHA*, my most wonderful dog, Bear, died this afternoon. This illness caused his red blood cells to harm his system by sticking to each other. Bear had so many friends and was a member of our whole family. I am very fortunate to have these years of my life–some of which had greatly painful experiences–with such a supportive, joyful, loyal, beautiful SOUL. We're friends forever.

Bear was a rescue. I wasn't sure I wanted him at first, but we bonded in dog training. We both didn't want to be there, albeit for different reasons, but isn't that how many friendships begin? Despite arthritis, near-death from ACL in 2006, innumerable "binging" encounters with candy and other non-dog foods, and the difficulties of being a large dog, Bear, who was very healthy until the end, rejoiced in long walks, where strangers stopped to tell him he was beautiful and/or meet him. Bear had the ability to improve people's lives in a very short time. He loved and was very good with children.

I thank the very talented veterinarians and staff at Animal Emergency for doing everything they could to help Bear and provide him with compassionate ICU attention. I also thank my friends and family, particularly those in WI who helped out with the most understanding words and gestures (and those who were able to email me) during this week from/of hell.

In particular, I thank my brother for doing all this with me, and our grandmother, Clair, for going with us during our last visits, and ultimately for her help responding to some of the toughest issues in life: loss. We, while shocked and devastated, are deeply relieved that this insidious disease is no longer torturing him. A long time ago, I consciously developed a close relationship with Bear. I am glad I did. In Bear's memory, the following are things I believe he would appreciate:
-planting animal-friendly plants
-reading about his illness*
-anything that honors dogs
Bear bears love, even now.
Take care, Lucy
*Bear had AIHA (Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia). While exact causes are, frustratingly, unknown, it can be genetic. AIHA has an extremely fast onset. If you search "AIHA dog," there are some informative websites.

www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson

www.geocities.com/aihadogs

vetmedicine.about.com/od/diseasesandconditions/f/FAQ_AIHA.htm

Bear, R.I.P.

2008-07-01T10:08:00.002-04:00

More Bear photos, R.I.P.

2008-07-01T09:52:00.001-04:00

Bear, Rest in Peace

2008-07-01T09:02:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my buddy Bear died. I overheard several telephone conversations about him and my dad was crying and saying what a good dog he was. In a couple days, I am going back to Wisconsin and then I will know he's not there. At least no one will be upset that I'm hogging his bed. Bear was always very good about keeping me warm. He had a lot of warm hair and he was big enough that he was excellent insulation when it's cold. Whenever we would walk people would always say how beautiful he was. I occasionally get cute...

Skiing

2008-02-17T20:14:00.003-05:00

My mom takes me cross country skiing too. She goes a bit faster than walking and I have fun exploring the woods. I am very good at walking in ski tracks too!

Winter

2008-02-17T19:12:00.008-05:00

Every winter we go to this place called Afterglow in Northern Wisconsin. This is me out snowshoeing with Lucy and my mom. It's nice because they pack down the snow for me to walk on and there are lots of good things to explore in the woods.

Out with my family

2007-10-23T17:10:00.001-04:00

We're just off to do errands. I see some interesting things waiting outside while my mom goes inside wherever she goes.

On our way home, I have a fun run along a gravel road, tall grass and forest. I've had a couple of interesting encounters with groundhogs. It's also fun to race the bike. I almost always win.

When it gets colder, I use my sleeping bag on the bike.

This is my whole family, except Bear. I've gone canoing with Bear; the whole boat moves when he does. I'm wearing my PFD because sometimes I get excited about something I see or smell. One time I jumped out of the boat and headed for a golf course. My mom picked me up by my PFD. I think I can swim.

Capitol Neutron

2007-07-29T09:44:00.001-04:00

Now that I'm in Maryland, my mom sometimes takes me to Washington, D.C.. I really like Roosevelt Island; lots of good exploring and my mom always finds someone to talk to. We've also been to the Mall and Mount Vernon. Some people say that a terrier was the reason the United States won the Revolutionary War.

Moving to Southern Maryland

2007-07-29T08:27:00.000-04:00

In April, I moved from Wisconsin, Lake Michigan and my favorite park to Southern Maryland. I have been exploring the woods behind the house and taking walks with my mom to the beach on the Chesapeake Bay.

The woods are quite interesting and the beach is always fun. There is almost something good to roll in on the beach. I don't like to wade or swim. The water is different and it can be hard to drink when it moves.

Creatures I have smelled at the park and occasionally dispatched

2007-03-28T16:39:00.000-04:00

birds
woodchucks
ducks
geese
voles
mice
rabbits
squirrels
oppossums
raccoons
coyotes
deer
other dogs

I had to ask my mom to make this list.
She can only list the things she has seen.
There are many more I can't tell her about.

Saturday is always fun

2007-03-24T17:06:00.000-04:00

Saturdays are always good.

Agility class is usually on Saturday-I love to run and jump. After class today we went to the lagoon and hunted around. Lots of interesting smells and a few squirrels.
I also got to go to Lake Michigan today. No fish to roll on but good exploring throughout the park. There was a bit of a breeze off the lake.

Another special thing about Saturdays is JRT fun days with the Midwest Jack Russell Terrier Club.
mwjrtc.org

We get to race and jump and chase balls and there's this scary tunnel thing with a rat at the end. I like the rat but not the tunnel. I always sleep all the way home in the car.

This could me

2007-03-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

I don't know who wrote this...

Be patient

Always smile at the one you love

When you sing, do it loudly!

If you really want something, never

let up

Never take life too seriously

Stand up for youself and your friends

Give confidence to a child

Always, always take the time to make new friends

Live honest, humbled unhurried lives

and my favorite,

Go boldly forward, without reservation, toward whatever it is that excites you.

If you look closely at this photo, you can see where the coyote got me. It was early one morning at the park. I met this coyote and I think he wanted breakfast...

My friend Bear

2007-03-10T13:31:00.000-05:00

Bear is bigger than I am. He was at my house when I moved in. Sometimes we get out of the yard and I take him hunting. He's lucky because he can get his nose and paws on the kitchen counters.

Friday night

2007-03-09T22:48:00.000-05:00

It's Friday so what to do.
My mom created this blog for me while I'm sleeping. I think she took a nap. She's more active than she usually is after 8 PM. Tomorrow morning we have agility so I hope she goes to bed soon. I've been in bed for awhile.

We like to be comfortable.

2007-03-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

I'm comfortable yet ready to go; always ready for adventure.

JRTs also like to have fun

2007-03-09T21:24:00.000-05:00

Out for a walk at my favorite park. As I'm writing this my park is full of snow. I'm not really sure it is so I would like to go anyway.
When there is snow we cross country ski.

Here I am in fall at my favorite park.