6 MONTHS OLD

TODAY I AM SIX MONTHS OLD!!!  
I am very excited because I am now old enough to be a GG!  Not just a junior GG anymore, but a real grown up one.  I am sad that my mom is not with me on my half-year birthday but the GG's are being extra nice to me today.  My mom is at Guiding Eyes making more puppies - I don't understand why she needs more puppies when she has ME, the best Raisin ever.

It's almost Christmas and we had lots of fun last week.  Everywhere we went there were decorations and lights and Christmas trees.  I like Christmas.  I never did get to see Santa Paws but I think we'll get some presents anyway.  And I don't have to wait for Christmas to get a new bed because I got one for my birthday!

We went to the holiday performance at the school on Thursday.
There were SO MANY people there that we had to park illegally.  Lots of people had to do that actually.

  I didn't get to see very much of the kids performing because we sat on the floor way in the back of the gym.  Lots of kids stopped to say hello to me and give me belly rubs.   I LOVE belly rubs.

Yesterday and today it rained really hard and it was warm out.  That is a very bad thing when you live at a ski area because the snow melts.  On Saturday there was so much snow in my yard and today it is all mud.  Mud is fun also, though, just not very good for skiing on.  Because it was a yuk day today I went with my mom to make beds at camp.  At the end of the week there are kids coming to stay there.  I bet they all like puppies and I will get lots of belly rubs, especially from Ilan - he knew my mom when she was little like me.

It was my job to keep the blankets warm while my mom made the beds.

All in all a pretty good birthday.  We have to finish making beds tonight and then I think I'll just hang out with the rest of the GG's.

25 WEEKS OLD

YESTERDAY I WAS 25 WEEKS OLD.  HARD TO BELIEVE.
I HAD A VERY BUSY WEEK BECAUSE THE SKI AREA, MY HOME FOR THE WINTER, OPENED ON SAT AND THAT WAS VERY EXCITING.


MORE ABOUT THIS PHOTO LATER - NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM NOT HAPPY TO BE WEARING THE DREADED ELF SUIT AGAIN.

 I've been watching the guys make snow
for a couple of weeks now but this week I got to go to the top of the hill to check out the progress.   Wow, there's a lot of snow out there.  Their hard work is paying off.

It's not all fun and games, however.  Dee and Billy were busy cleaning and Dee gave me a duster thingy so I could help.  I much prefer just lying in front of the wood stove.

  

Then my friend Sandy asked me to go help him check to make sure that the lifts were ready for the weekend.  That sounded like much more fun than dusting so I dashed off with him for a romp in the snow.

Back to the elf story.  My aunt Mary heard about a little girl with cancer who wants to see pictures of an elf on the shelf in lots of different places.  So Peppermint came to visit the ski area.  She rode the chairlift and went to the rental shop for equipment.  And best of all, she got her picture taken with yours truly, Raisin Elf. I hope the little girl enjoys the pictures.  I HATE wearing the elf suit but this was for a good reason so that's OK.  

Being a puppy at the ski area is very hard work.  All day long kids (and adults also) stopped to say hello to us.  Lots of the people knew the GG's from last year and were happy to see a new face (that would be me).  They all asked about Harvey.  The big rule is that nobody can pet us if we jump on the gate.  That's a hard rule because the GG's are bigger than I am so unless I jump, nobody can reach me to pet.  So I figured out that if I lie down right in front of the gate, the kids can reach thru the gate and pet me - and I'm not breaking any rules.  And the kids are the best visitors because their hands usually taste really good.  By Sunday afternoon I was totally beat from being a greeter so Doris and I curled up on our bed and snoozed.  It's going to be a long winter!

24 WEEKS OLD AND CHRISTMAS IN STOCKBRIDGE

Today I am 24 weeks old.  Because I am growing so much, my old collar was getting small.  So yesterday while we were at the vet hospital for my aunt Georgie, I got a new collar!!  
Am I not beautiful?

It was a very busy weekend for me.  Yesterday in the morning all the lift operators at the ski area were having their training and it was my job to greet everyone. Then we were supposed to go to a Reindog parade (lots of dogs get dressed up for this) but because we had to take Georgie to the vet in the morning, we did not have time.  That actually was a good thing because I would have had to wear the dreaded elf suit. Instead we went to Great Barrington last night for a holiday walk and I only had to wear my angel wings.  And my fleece jacket because it was very, very cold.  

We didn't stay very long because it was a little bit too scary for me with so many people and dogs in the dark.

Today we went to Stockbridge.  Just as we got there Santa Paws was being driven off in a fire truck to visit all the children there for Christmas in Stockbridge.  Darn - once again I missed out on giving him our Christmas lists.  There were lots and lots of people there - and dogs who were dressed up so finally I wasn't the only one being embarrassed! - but it was day time so I wasn't scared.  Just cold.

This is Roger the Jester.  He likes puppies so when he saw me he smiled - and I got to be part of his act!!  I stepped thru a hoop (except my leash got all tangled up!) and at the end of his act he had everybody clap for me!  I was such a star. 

 These horses were really large

It was a very tiring day - you can't even imagine how hard it is to be a cute puppy - so I was happy to go home and relax with the GG's for the evening.

 

YANKEE CANDLE

You might remember that before Harvey left we went to Yankee Candle because it was on his bucket list.  I did not go inside because I was too little.  But now I am a big girl so this week we met Chris and Sue there and I got to go inside.


This was my favorite place in the store.  There were lots of trees (not real), it was snowing (not real) and a train (not real - a model) ran around up by the ceiling.  

A lady stopped to visit while I lay by this truck and took lots and lots of pictures of me because I am so cute - and so well-behaved. 

 I got tired so had to stop to take a nap.  I thought I was off the hook for wearing a Christmas costume today - no elf suit - but wouldn't you know that there were angel wings for sale and as you can see, I got a set.  Better than the elf suit anyway.

 This is the room where Harvey thought there were real fish.  But I know they are not real.

We don't have a Christmas tree at my house so of course I had to pose by this one.







There was this huge elephant there - I thought it was real at first but then I realized that a real elephant would not be allowed in the store unless maybe it's a guide elephant.  



This is Santa's workshop.  I really wanted to see Santa Paws to give him my wish list - and also the GG's lists - but he wasn't there.  I hope he gets our letter!  I need a new bed and we all would LOVE some new squeaky toys.  I think Santa will be at the post office in Otis soon so I maybe can see him there.

Yankee Candle was fun but I was very, very tired and happy to take a nap in my crate for a while before we went home.  

23 WEEKS

Today I am 23 weeks old.  I am very tired still after my work at Barnes and Noble yesterday so I am going to just hang out by the heater at work.  And maybe do some more painting later.