Liam bit a Bunny and...

RABBIT KILLER

I thought the title would be milder than the captioned photo above.
We are living with a rabbit killer.

Liam. 

I always wondered what Liam would do if he caught a rabbit. He had not been successful in snaring one.

Until Saturday. 

Background
Early each morning Liam rings his poochie bells. These hang on the doorknob of the side door. see photo

POOCHIE BELLS ON DOORKNOB

Their jingling is his signal for his morning excursion out to the backyard to do his business.
Before he leaves I give him a greenie (dental chew treat) I know. He is controlling me. True. He is. But that issue will be for another blog story.

This story is about murder. See the face of a killer. 

HEY MOM. WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?

Death Knell
The poochie bells are ringing.
It is 4:10 AM Saturday morning. No daylight yet, not a bit. I don't turn on any indoor lights. We have a powerful street lamp which shines up our driveway and illuminates half our backyard. We also keep on a side door light. I can find my way by these artificial lights. I give Liam his daily greenie. We proceed to the side door. I prop it open so he can come back in on his own.

He may be out for 5 minutes or 15. I watch through the rear room window. I can see him moving about...a dark shadow darting among the bushes and trees. He is sniffing and looking and listening. Stopping and going. I go into the bathroom and while in there I hear squeaks and squeals. Why is he back and why is he playing with his toys? He has rubber squeaker toys and the noises sound exactly like ones they make when squeezed.

Not his usual routine. I come out...look out the door. Liam is hovering over what appears to be a large animal. No, not a squirrel. A rabbit? I call his name. He ignores me.The shadows created by the street lamp light give a Halloweenish glow to the scene and I realize oh no, those sounds were from this animal. I don't see a head. Has Liam ripped off its head?! The body is still.

The Rabbit Died
Liam has killed. And he is not coming in right now. He is all over the yard. Following a trail...reliving the event. Paul appears. He heard the noises. I show him our killer and his prey. We are both horrified. Paul takes a close look. A bunny! Liam killed a bunny. Easter is coming. What bad timing. There is no blood. Its head is there. With a shovel and broom we get the body in a hefty bag.
And the bunny is placed in the back. It is over.

What the heck occurred here? We surmise our backyard stalker surprised a sleeping rabbit. And did what his instincts dictated. Pounce. Grab its neck and shake...

Would it have been better if I investigated the noise immediately/
It was only minutes.
Could I have stopped the killing? Should I have?

It is not murder if it is not planned, right?
Manslaughter

But Liam did plan it. Every time he runs after a rabbit he expects to capture it. So there's the plan.

Paul explains this is the better outcome. He says would we rather have looked out and seen a rabbit standing over Liam?

Or a dying rabbit in pain?

Liam did what he had to do.

BUNNY RABBIT DREAMS

Protected his territory.

He is at peace with himself
Or is he?
Liam has not been out for his early morning trip since the killing. Has rung his bells for his greenie. But after scoffing it down, he refuses to go out. 

Remorse? 

Or an item on his bucket list checked off?

Which is it Liam?
Woof, Woof

Not a Snow Dog

WAKE ME WHEN THE BLIZZARD IS OVER

Snow

Many dogs love it. Puppy Liam did. See him at the side gate licking the icy fence and hoping to be free to run. I am a snow lover and was pleased to have an ally in my storm anticipation and accumulation appreciation. Liam was an avid snow fan for several years. Last year not so much. And here we are in 2016.

SNOW PUPPY LIAM

Blizzard 2016
We have our first storm...Saturday, January 23. It achieves blizzard status early in its arrival. Officially tagged Winter Storm Jonas by TWC. Liam is not showing snow dog joy. He requires my presence when going out to do his business. There are whipping winds and surprising drifts...not conducive to play. Liam does not like the snow touching his bottom. He has short legs and any amount above a dusting clings to him. The contortions he performs to twist his body up and away from the wetness resemble a composite of advanced yoga poses. The storm amounts are high, the second highest in history at 26.8.
Inside, he sets himself up on his usual perch and watches.

ADULT LIAM BLIZZARD WATCH

Blizzard Snuggles

How could being outside beat what he has inside? The wine is mine.

A Day Care Day
A few days after the blizzard, we put him in day care. In stormy weather not a lot of his pals are out. And I believe dogs deserve canine companionship.

Liam stays dry and safe. We watch on FB and see. He is in a group. I always like to see him with others. Though it appears they are planning an escape. As long as they are socializing.

Then another snow

A February Friday morning...this one named Winter Storm Lexi. Liam watches from the window perch. This storm is fast and fierce. Heavy and dense. The sort of storm compelling folks to photograph their trees. Gone within hours. From his window seat, Liam watches it go. I got our tree in there.

It leads us into Super Bowl weekend.

Indoor activities take place on Super Bowl weekend.
Perfect for
Not a Snow dog 

Liam finds waiting for the festivities exhausting.

WHEN IS THE PUPPY BOWL?

Not a Snow Dog
Super Bowl Dog?

I'LL REST MY EYES

Puppy Bowl time
See photo below
Latte is licked and disposed of...see right corner.
Puppy Bowl on. Liam on the couch.

Not a snow dog day.

LIAM ENJOYING THE PUPPY BOWL

More Snow

Morning after the Super Bowl, more snow. Something changes. Paul reports Liam leaping and racing through the backyard. And doing the doggie snow nose dive...yes they create snow holes with their snouts and Liam is doing it. Must be sniffing for what lies beneath.
Maybe savory smells sealed in by snow cover. 

I follow him outside and sure enough Liam is a snow dog. This week.

Is it this storm with its wet clumpy qualities?
Or is it the storm accumulations producing an exciting promise of excavation?
A canine archaeological dig?

Liam the snow dog
Once again

SNOW IS FUN!

Woof, woof

Daddy's Home

MY DADDY IS RETIRED, YAY!

Paul retired January 1

Liam's daddy is home
this would be what they label
a major Life Event

Paul hurts his back day 2

Acquires an aggressive cold day 8

Immobilized
Housebound
Weather
Biting Cold

Housebound
Blizzard
Housebound

And Liam?

Blissful

HEY I HAVE THIS, BACK OFF

Hopeful
Mesmerized

Liam positions himself in a yoga crescent pose and waits.

HE'S HOME!

Stares
Sighs
Snuggles

And they hold on to each other.

And look at me when I try to get in on the bromance

LEAVE US ALONE

Okay, I get it...
I'll go into the woman cave.

Woof, woof

Starbucks for Life/Liam Wins

Starbucks for Life
We have been playing Starbucks for Life. A game. You win prizes. They are...
Starbucks for a week
Starbucks for a month
Starbucks for a year
and
Bonus stars.
The phone app looks like this. See screenshot.

We keep getting the same icons. And each new one-gingerbread man, reindeer etc. layers upon its twin predecessor over and over. Getting three across has proven elusive. We are told there have been two Starbucks for Life winners. Here is what our board looks like after every purchase. No change. Virtual excavation would reveal many cats, whales, reindeer, gingerbread men and mice.

OUR BOARD

Latte Macchiato.
But we are winners

During this promotion, a new Starbucks drink was introduced, the Latte Macchiato. It is a winner. 

We are addicted.
Liam and I are so over the grande non-fat latte. Need a new fix for the New Year 2016.
Here it is. top and side views...

Liam went nuts for it the first day I brought it home.

I WANT IT NOW

GETTING READY FOR LATTE LICKING

Our fave Starbucks honored Liam, inscribing his name and paw on our cup. We have a video of Liam loving his latte foam. Longest Dog Licking Latte Foam video on a You Tube. The TV was on and you will hear Carla Hall of The Chew narrating a segment as Liam is licking.  Might go viral.

Take a look...

Promotion Ended January 11, 2016
We did not win Starbucks for life, for a month or for a week.
We did accrue two bonus stars!
Our last card looked like this.

But we did win on the new latte.

Thank You Starbucks

KEEPING THE TONGUE READY FOR LATTE LICKS

Lick, Lick
Woof, Woof

The End of the Year is Here

LIAM SNUGGLING WITH HIS PHOTO PILLOW

Another Year is almost Here
And it means my adoption anniversary day is near.

New Year's Day

Yay

On January 1, 2008 my pet parents Carol and Paul adopted me from North Shore Animal League. I am what is called a rescue and a mutt-i-gree.
I have lived with them for 8 years.

The past week Mom has been receiving donation requests from several of her animal organizations. "Last chance for a donation!" Meaning a tax deductible gift- one may include on your income tax filing for 2015. And save you some money while you are saving the animals. Win, Win...

Here are our organizations

1-I bet you have viewed the ubiquitous ASPCA video. You know it, the one with the shivering chained dogs beseeching us for help while "Silent Night" echoes in the background.

We know when it starts it must be muted. Mom cannot bear it. Daddy Paul reminds us the dogs in the video are actors and are not hungry, cold and abused. If so, they deserve Golden Globes. Mom's opinion is that they are real neglected dogs photographed by animal rights activists to illustrate their situation.
Here is the link
https://www.aspca.org/

2-My rescuers The North Shore Animal League of America. They are NO KILL

http://www.animalleague.org/
I am featured on the Mutt-i-gree Gallery Wall. Mom wrote about me and it is on the site with my photo. Here is her post.
I retired in December 2007 and visited North Shore on January 1, 2008 with the intention of adopting my first dog. We arrived midday and by that time most puppies were in process of being adopted. I was a bit anxious we would leave empty handed but in the last room there was a puppy not yet claimed. I had my first dog. I named him Liam after the actor Liam Neeson. I was told  he had been rescued from Tennessee, was about 5 months old and might be a basset hound/lab mix. Later on DNA testing showed him to be four dogs in one, equal parts beagle, dachshund, dalmatian and Irish setter. Imagine! Liam has enlarged my world and enhanced my life. I had no idea being a pet parent would teach me how to really love. 
Adopt. 
Rescue. 
Save a life. 
Liam saved mine.

3-My friend Wrangler's school, GuidingEyes for the Blind. Wrangler is the Today Show Puppy who joined the crew last January and has been in training to be a guide dog. We follow him on Instagram, FB, Twitter. Or every morning on TV.
http://www.today.com/pets/wrangler
https://www.guidingeyes.org/ 

4-and Best Friends Animal Society, the organization which saved Michael Vick's dogs
we are sponsoring several animals, even a goat!
It is a home, a sanctuary, a functioning farm...

http://bestfriends.org/

LIAM, SAVED AND SAFE

I am safe at home. Wishing others can be safe 

and save others.

Happy New Year

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU KID

Liam
Woof, Woof

Charlie Brown's Tree is Here

CHARLIE BROWN'S TREE AND A ONE QUARTER BEAGLE

I am all set to have that idyllic tree decorating event...wine (my own bottle) candles (battery operated) Christmas music (CNN breaking news) chestnuts (will almonds do?) a fire (where is that Yule log CD?) 

Traditionally we set it all up Thanksgiving weekend. It appears this has become the norm for many. Turkey is still being eaten as Facebook is decorated with Christmas tree photos. Hey! Me too. I want to join in. And we are ready. Last year we discarded our tree. Lights no longer worked and it was worn out. A Bed Bath and Beyond ad features a tree. It is 49.99.
On the Monday of Thanksgiving week we go to BBB and find the advertised trees. They are reduced to $34.00 and with the 20% coupon (one does not go to BBB without a coupon) they are a dream bargain at 27.99. We pick one and buy it. 
We have our tree and expect to be part of the Thanksgiving weekend Christmas decorating event.

Here we go.
Thanksgiving is done. 
We are ready. 

We have a new tree. 
Paul assembles it quickly. Hmm, why so easy and why no complaints? 
He calls me to check it out.

What!!! What is this? Charlie Brown's tree is in our living room.

LIAM IS LONGER THAN THE TREE IS WIDE

Is this a joke? Who would sell such a tree? Is it a commemorative edition for the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas?

Don't know Charlie's Brown's tree?  If you are familiar with this iconic TV movie you may remember Charlie Brown's tree. Tiny unadorned unloved...Charlie selects it and brings it home...to derision. If you don't know of it here is a refresher link

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas

This year is its fifty year anniversary. First shown in 1965.

CHARLIE BROWN, HIS TREE, AND LINUS

Liam is longer than our tree is wide. Liam is a small dog. I know he has big dog looks. But no, he is 37 pounds and 15 inches tall and 24 inches long.

I am revealing his stats in order to give you an idea of the minuteness of our tree.

He sort of dwarfs the tree... and we did pull out the branches bending them up and down into natural positions and here is what we have. No, we cannot work with this tree. Oh and it sheds its needles at first touch.

LIAM AND HIS TREE

Our last tree was purchased at BBB and was fine. Photos follow

MOM, WHERE IS OUR BIG TREE?

What went wrong here? The height is okay. What I did not realize was that no width was displayed on the box. When it is assembled it is only a few inches wide and its girth does not widen sufficiently to hold more than a few ornaments. Liam tries to make himself smaller.

Liam wonders if he is meant to be Snoopy. He is one quarter beagle. Where are the decorations he asks?

Liam-Mom, do I have to do what Charlie Brown did? Take them from Snoopy's house?
Me-Liam, you do not have a house.
Liam-oh, bummer

In Charlie Brown's Christmas story his little tree is accepted. In the end they use Snoopy's dog house decorations to fill in its shortcomings.

We will not do that. Liam does not have a dog house. He lives in our house. 

WAITING FOR THE NEW TREE

We order a 7 foot Spruce online from Lowe's on Cyber Monday. The date is November 30.
Huge discount, free shipping. Email says it is on its way. I expect delivery within a few days. Not too bad. Lowe's is in Garden City and I envision its journey down Old Country Road to our house. Should take about a half hour. I think Thursday December 3 is the latest arrival time. I mean it is only a few miles. Lowe's offers tracking.

A Charlie Brown Christmas airs on Wednesday December 2...and we watch it and commemorate it with our own Charlie Brown tree.

No tree December 3rd or 4th.

On Saturday December 5 I access the shipping info. I am shocked. Our tree is coming from the Southwest! What was I thinking? That the Garden City Store would pluck a tree from their display and drive it over? Yes, I was. My thought process is sometimes too hopeful and naive. No, our tree is on a journey across the United States. Screenshot on Saturday December 5 shows it started in Albuquerque NM and has traveled through 6 states. Currently in Hamburg Pa. This tree could compete in the Amazing Race, though at a slower pace. See its journey so far

I am starting to feel sorry for our Charlie Brown tree.
Liam requests that it have a decoration. Okay one decoration to honor Charlie's first attempt to decorate his tree. Ours did not fall over like his did. 

I don't even think this would be okay for an office.
Well

Maybe...

We are waiting

I am bonding with the tree.

Liam is guarding the tree and channeling Snoopy

LIAM GUARDS HIS TREE

We do not want to return our Charlie Brown tree until our new tree arrives.

Dec 7

New tree is here. It seems heavy enough and long enough to be an acceptable tree.

LIAM INSPECTING THE NEW TREE

We expect to decorate this weekend.
Anyone want a little scrawny never dressed tree?
I don't want to reject it.
That would be inconsistent with the message in A Charlie Brown Christmas

Woof, Woof