Wanna go for a walk?

Come walk with me today. See what I see every day.



It is 6:30am and the neighborhood is quiet and still--all except for the wakening song birds, foraging for food. We have baby birds living in the birdhouses on our front porch. I like to stop and sniff their poo. Ok, now off we go...



Let's walk real fast towards Merwood Park, it's the kiddie park behind my house. First we need to go to the corner and then cross over the bridge. Wait--I smell something.



Oh, it's just the water. The creek is still there, same place it was yesterday. Whew. Ok, let's ignore that sign that says, "NO DOGS PERMITTED IN PARK" and saunter right in. Because after all, I'm no dog. I am a puppy princess. Besides, everydoggy does it.



Time to let me sniff the park. Do you smell that track? It's a squirrel. He was here just minutes ago. Do you smell that track? It's my Westie friend, Katie. She was here last night in the rain. Do you smell that? That, my friend, is a big fresh pile of poo.



Oo! Oo! Oo! See that fence over there? That's my backyard! You can't see our house from here but I sure can smell it. My super beagle sense tells me that Daddy is still inside, tucked away in bed. I'll take care of that later with my super beagle kisses. Anyway, we're done in the park. Now it's a sprint around the neighborhood until I see someone I know, like my golden friend Maggy.



Stop! Do you smell that?



We're getting closer...



Oh no... oh dear... oh it is just as I feared...



It is my least favorite thing of all... a creature who won't play, won't bark, won't even move. She just stares at us... silently and still. If there's anything I don't trust, it's a creature who doesn't look happy to see beautiful, loveable little me. Who in their right mind wouldn't walk right up to me and pet me and tell me how gorgeous I am? Or at least bark, doggonit. Let me know you're alive. Do anything except sit there and stare at me!

RRRRROOF! RRRRRROOF! RRRROOOOF! See? Nothing.

Get ready, it's time to sprint again...!

*puppy licks*

It's a Beautiful Day!

Today is my favorite day, ever.

My Mommy is home with me all day, and it is not even a Saturday. It is Friday. She took the day off to spend it all with little me. Aren't I the luckiest pup alive?

Right now I am resting on the couch with my Baby (she looks alot like me when I was 7 weeks old, except she doesn't say much) and Mommy is in the dining room drawing pictures of little girls who are best friends. She asked me to help her make every day like this--her at home, not at work, doing what she loves to do. I will do my best to make that possible for her because I want every day to be like today.

Woah! Two squirrels are jumping branches in the tree outside the dining room window. They look like they're having fun. I can jump really high too... did I tell you? Last night I made my first big leap up onto Mommy and Daddy's bed! All by myself! I got a running start from the hallway and then BAM! I was up. I couldn't stand to watch Mommy folding laundry from the floor. It was just too much to miss. Once I was up there Mommy started laughing hysterically and so I knew I was being a good dog. I was so happy that I couldn't control myself and I relieved myself on the nice, absorbant comforter. Mommy stopped laughing and put me back on the floor. Wow, what an adventure!

Ok, I am going to let Mommy back onto her laptop so she can continue working. I want her to do a really good job. Because if she gets to illustrate this book she's doing sketches for, her next book will star none other than the beautiful Me, Maggie! It's about time I find my place with the stars. I'll take a grande liver latte, no cream please. And get out of my trailer! Oh I can't wait.

The Wee Little Beagle and the Great Big Dane

Gosh, by the time I finish telling you about my weekend it will be the weekend again! Oh well. I can't stop now because this is the best part.

So on Sunday my Mommy and Daddy took me on another long car ride, this time to a place called Haddonfield. First we visited Daddy's brother and his fiancée at their apartment. And guess what? There was a CAT there. Two cats, actually, but one was so scared of me that he never came out from under the bed. But there was another cat who wasn't afraid of me at all. This made me suspicious. I barked at him, he did nothing. I sniffed under his tail, he did nothing. I went for his food, he did nothing. Too bad I don't have a picture because it was really unbelievable. Even at my fiercest, this cat did NOTHING. I guess after a while I kind of liked him. He was pretty nice as far as cats go. Especially since he let me eat his food when my Mommy wasn't looking.

After a bit a whole bunch of Mommy and Daddy's friends joined us on a walk through Haddonfield. There was a festival going on, an Arts and Crafts Festival. In case you don't know what a festival is, it's something like this: Everyone walks around in the street and stops and says hello to you and tells you how adorable you are. They pet you and giggle with you and say, "Aaaaaawwwwww, look at the puppy!" It was a little confusing at first because there were SO many people, but after a while I got the hang of it. Walk, stop, be cute, wag. Walk, stop, be cute, wag. Daddy got tired of stopping so he picked me up and walked for me. The compliments never stopped. Who can blame them?

When our pack got hungry and tired we stopped at a café to have lunch. I sat under the table to keep out of the sun while I enjoyed some treats. Just as I was settling in, I saw her:



The prettiest puppy dog I've ever seen. She was so tall and tan and had the loooongest legs! Oh, boy, did I want to be her friend!



"Have we met before?"



"I don't know, let's play!"

We sniffed and kissed and we were oh so happy! Now this was my kind of festival. Such a refreshing break from all those... those boring people. This girl knew how to have fun. If only we weren't on our leashes, we'd be playing a game of chase for hours!



Yeah, that's me, completely covered with her drool. One lap of that tongue and I was drenched. Aaaaah, heaven.



After ten minutes or so our Mommies and Daddies decided to seperate us so that they could order their food and eat. We would have been fine just left to ourselves. Really. When will they start to treat me like a big girl? I mean, my gawd, I am three and a half months old! Next month I'll start getting my adult teeth! It's not like I was whelped yesterday.

After a few more hours of walking the festival we went back to the apartment, said goodbye, and then drove home. I got to sit in the front seat with Mommy. Well, until I was ready for a nap. But I stayed awake as long as I could–close to a whole four minutes. It was such a great day!

*puppy licks*

What a Good Dog

"Maggie, sit. Good girl!" Yeah, I've got that one down.

My Weekend (continued)...

As I said yesterday, Saturday morning Mommy and I had big plans. We had a private lesson with a trainer from What A Good Dog, a dog school in our area. Mommy and I had a nice drive to the grounds which were located on a huuuuuuuuge estate in Radnor. Now, when I say huge, I mean gigantuan. Humongous. Super-colossal estate. There were all kinds of paths to take and I don't know if Mommy knew where she was going, but eventually we came to the top of a hill with a big old building and a stone courtyard kind of thing where we pulled up the car to meet a nice lady with lots of treats. I think her name was Line. Or Lian. Or Lion. That is what it sounded like.


Don't be amazed that I can also jump up onto a picnic bench with the grace and ease of a squirrel (those little buggers).

Anyway, before I knew she had treats I just wanted to break loose and sniff my way through every acre of that place. I just knew it had to be full of creature scents and trails and bugs to eat. But that Lion lady--she kept breaking my concentration with the sweet smells of liver treats and funny sounds like, "a boo boo boo boo boo boo bee bee bee! Yes! Mmmmmaggie! Yes! Yes!" and then she'd give me a teeny tiny crumb just for looking at her. How could I not look at her? She sounded like a monkey! Actually, not very much unlike my Chunka Monkey. There must have been a squeaker stuck in her nose. If only I was tall enough to grab it...


I have a very strict policy: Leave no crumb behind.

Next thing I know she's giving Mommy crumbs of liver to feed me, and then Mommy asked me to sit. Piece of cake. I mastered that one a long, long time ago. Wasn't that Lion lady impressed when I could also give my paw! But then it got complicated. Suddenly things got harder. Sit beside? Lay down? Heel? I've never heard those before. But don't forget, I am a gifted puppy. And before long I was sitting beside Mommy for a treat. Laying down for a treat. Walking nice on the leash for a treat.


I'm assuming you want me to jump up onto the table to fetch the rest of your delectable treats. Say no more.

Eventually I just couldn't take any more of this, I had to move on. In a moment of desperation I ate a bee.

YELP!

Ok, that seemed strangely familiar. Have I done that before? Lion lady tried to get me to walk nice on the leash again. Wait, what's that? Another flying buzzing bug. I'm on it...

YELP!

Listen, I can only take so much in one day, let alone one hour. I'd do anything to just be left to roam and explore without further performances. I am only 3 and a half months old.

After my lesson we went home and I took a long, long nap. When I woke up Mommy was there with all kinds of new treats for me. We practiced my new tricks again and I swear I saw a tear in Mommy's eye when she said, "Maggie, lay down," and I did it.


"Paw, Maggie, paw." More like: Treat, Mommy, treat! She's putty in my hands. Err... paws.

The weekend continues tomorrow.
*puppy licks*
Photos taken July 6, 2004

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

I had a BIG weekend. Let's start at the beginning, one story at a time.

On Saturday morning my Mommy and Daddy were what they call, "hungover." I think that means they want to hang over the bed all day. But me and Mommy had big plans so they couldn't possibly do that. I let them sleep until 7:30 am instead of 6:30, but by then I really had to go "chop chop." When Daddy came down to rescue me and take me out of my cave I was happy to see him... but I don't think he was as happy to see me. In fact, he seemed annoyed. To be honest, I believe my intentions were completely misunderstood.

You see, the night before, Mommy and Daddy had been drinking wine--I think there were two empty bottles--which made them smelly and tired. Daddy went to bed early and Mommy stayed on the couch with me and we snoozed there together for a long time. I loved it.

Then I felt it--I had to go chop chop. Chop chop number two. But Mommy looked so peaceful sleeping there and I didn't want to wake her. So I gently hopped down from the top of the couch without disturbing her and went into the dining room to go chop chop. I certainly didn't want to do it in the same room, Mommy wouldn't like that. When I was done I tried to clean it up. I nibbled on it and then I walked around in it until it was nice and flat. Once I was satisfied I returned to the living room where Mommy lay fast asleep.

On my trip back to the couch I found Mommy's eye glasses on the coffee table. This was definitely a job for me. I distinctly remember Mommy and Daddy having a conversation about her glasses that morning. Mommy said she needed new ones but they were too expensive, so why was Daddy allowed to go play golf when she couldn't see? Then Daddy said it was ok to buy some new ones. So these glasses obviously weren't important anymore. She must have put them on the coffee table just for me to dispose of. They only put special things up there that they want me to have like eye glasses, keys, pizza, mail, Chinese take-out, hairclips and flipflops. It's a great game and every day it gets easier. So when I saw her eyeglasses sitting up there I grabbed them and quietly resumed my spot on the sofa cushion and chewed, chewed chewed without making a sound. I tried my best to get rid of them for Mommy.

Next morning Daddy seemed happy to see me until he saw that I didn't clean up all of the chop chop in the dining room. But he did not yell, he was very nice about it. I was proud of him. He must have realized that I really meant well. Who else would nibble on their own poo just so it wouldn't offend everyone? I mean, I can't possibly use those pooper baggies. They're not made for Beagles.

Daddy finished cleaning up the mess and left to play golf. Soon after, Mommy came downstairs to play and watch TV. I guess I didn't do a great job of eliminating her glasses because she seemed disappointed when she found them behind the pillow and put them on. I'll try harder next time.

I'll be back later to tell you about my first training session, my encounter with a cat, a crowded festival, my lunch with a baby giant puppy and lots of other dog spotting. I may even have some pictures.

*puppy licks*
Maggie on July 6, 2004.

Me, the Beagle of the United States

Last weekend we celebrated Independence Day here in Havertown. It was a three day event. My Daddy decorated the house for the occasion, sticking lots of red, white, and blue toys in the ground for me to chew on and play with.


There were flags on the wall out back by the creek.


There were flags right out front you could see from the street.


Even flags on my neck, ready to eat.


Then the so-called parade came marching down the street.


And very noisy trucks... my biggest pet peeves.


T'wasn't long before I tired of all this celebration.


So I went back inside without hesitation,


Climbed up on the couch and played some PlayStation.

Aaaah... relaxation.

*puppy licks*

Get a whiff of this...

Guess what? I'm the Sniff of the Week! Says who? Says Laurie Kramer, keeper of Beagles-On-The-Web and keeper of Clayton, Spenser and Scooter. I highly recommend you pay these boys a visit, especially if you like pictures of adorable Beagles such as myself.

I had a great long weekend full of adventures for the 4th of July, including:
- My first encounter with fire trucks
- My first encounter with a cat
- A patriotic ribbon that I couldn't get off my neck
- Long hours with Mommy and Daddy, playing, eating and sleeping
- My first car ride without my crate
- My first trip to Petsmart

My Mommy went "treat crazy" at Petsmart and Daddy tried to hold her back but luckily she snuck a few extras in her shopping basket when he took me outside. And by the way, he had to take me outside because I was totally mobbed by adoring fans--every man, woman and child in that store just wanted a piece of me! My kissy tongue could barely keep up. And then I discovered that I wasn't the only dog there--there were some really huge ones that didn't respect my space and I let them know it. There's nothing worse than two gigantic dogs slobbering all over you at the same time! But once again, Mommy picked me up and saved the day.

Today Mommy took me to work with her. I was able to convince her to bring me along with my cries of woe as she got ready to leave this morning. I gave her my best, "How can you leave me here for hours when we've shared so many good times together this weekend?!" bark, which sounded something like: Whimper whimper whimper bark bark bark bark whimper BARK BARK BARK! BARK! How could she resist? But when I got there I remembered how strange that place is and how weird the people are and I forgot everything I've learned about peeing and pooing outside. Come on now people, I am just a puppy. Take me to a new place and I am bound to be a little confused. I'd like to see a three month old human figure it out! Anyway, while I was at work I overheard Mommy talking to someone on the phone about "Puppy Kindergarten." Obedience training. House training. Lots of training. Do I like the sound of this? There's gotta be treats involved...

I know that if I don't learn all this stuff quick enough I may totally miss out on a lot of fun. At least that's what my Daddy's Daddy said to my Daddy when he wanted to take me to the shore.

But I still had fun at home for the weekend. Pictures of my Independence Day will be here later this week. I guarantee they'll be cute as buttons. So come back here soon.

*puppy licks*

July Favorites

Name: Maggie May Hamilton
Birthdate: March 26, 2004
Breed: Tricolor Beagle
Color: Hot Pink
Flower: Begonia
Listening to: Madonna: Music
Watching: Winged Migration
Eating: Locusts, spiders and bees
Learning: "Lay Down," "Sit Beside," "Outside"
Playing: You can't get it, it's mine!
Reading: Tag The Dog and Beagles On The Web
Current Playmate: Ducky, who looks quite different after being in the dryer, and Puppy Kong
Pet Peeves: Long dark shadows in the yard at night
How to Charm Me: Give me one of Daddy's flipflops--the dirty ones.
How to Annoy Me: Be a cat and stare at me, ignoring my ferocious bark.
Who's my Mommy?: Kate

I'm a morning person. Err, puppy.

There's nothing quite like my backyard at 6:30 in the morning.


The ground is cool and dewey, the air is fresh and quiet.


And boy does it all smell good.

One day my Mommy will learn to appreciate this and stop whining about getting up so early. She is *not* a morning puppy. Errr, person.

*puppy licks*
Maggie on 06/29/04, very early in the morning.