Rocky and Aunt Julie

While DLG was in Asia Aunt Julie came to visit Rocky.  It was one of the best weeks of his life! He enjoyed having company all day long and was treated to multiple (sometimes 3!) walks a day as well as lots of extra petting and cuddling on the couch and in the guest bed.  He got to go on lots of trips in the car to run errands and site see around town too.  He was so sad to see her go but she promised she'd be back to visit him soon - maybe even at Christmastime!

All week long he enjoyed resting with Aunt Julie on the couch

Downtown Houston - Rocky was trembling he was so afraid of what, it is unclear: the traffic, big city streets, and skyscrapers?  

He was a lot happier when he got to discovery green and enjoyed the live band as he strolled the park.

Let's Go Bucs!

In honor of the Pirates making the playoffs for the first time in Rocky's life (and two decades)  Mabel bought Rocky an extra special treat: his own Pirate toy!   Needless to say he was beside himself when Patti surprised him yesterday morning with a visit and his new toy.  Since then he's carried around the house proudly for two days and played with it for hours in the yard this afternoon while enjoying the beautiful weather brought in by the first cool front of the season.  He's fairly convinced it's a lucky pirate too, helping the buccos to win game three this afternoon!

Happy Birthday, DLG!

With DLG fresh off the plane from Tokyo Rocky was extra excited to help him celebrate his 33rd!  Despite his best efforts he didn't get to sample any of David's chocolate chocolate cake.  Below is their annual birthday photo.   As a gift from Rocky's Grandma DLG received his very own theracane - unfortunately Rocky is afraid of the cane!

Rocky at DLG's birthday party

Blowing out the candles

Trying out one of his gifts - the theracane!

Rocky's trip to Austin

This past weekend Rocky escaped the rain in Houston whilst vacationing in Austin.  He enjoyed the scenic drive along 290 from the comfort of his backseat bed.

As Austin is an incredibly pet-freindly city Rocky had no trouble checking into the Hilton downtown.  He found he could leave his personal bed in the car having been offered his own queen-sized bed.  He was all smiles as he jumped up for an evening of R&R.  Later he was found watching Adult Swim on cartoon network and gazing at the view out the 14th floor window. 

The next morning he enjoyed a personal tour of the UT campus from one of its distinguished graduates. Here he can be seen admiring the Jackson School. 

Upon completion of his tour he enjoyed a leash ceremony in which his 6-year-old threadbare Longhorn leash was appropriately laid to rest on hallowed ground and replaced with a new version.  Below DLG can be seen holding the new leash in preparation for the ceremonial re-leashing.

Rocky was pleasantly surprised to be invited into store after store in downtown Austin and enjoyed sniffing around in baby and menswear shops.  He couldn't have been more pleased to be so welcomed everywhere he went.  Before heading off to the piano appointment (where he was also welcomed inside) he paid homage to Willie Nelson. 

All-in-all he had a fabulous trip and considers Austin to be one of the friendliest places he's yet visited! 

Big Brother

Two weeks ago Anna came to visit.  Rocky was so excited to see her and extra excited that she brought him a present!  He loves his new bandana that she sewed especially for him ... and is (hopefully) equally enthusiastic about the impending family additions.  He wore his new bandana to the park to show Mabel,  where they celebrated his bday with belated birthday with cookies, since he wasn't able to see her on his actual birthday.

Happy 6th Birthday, Rocky!

It is hard to believe Rocky turned 6 on Monday!  He's growing more handsome each day. He celebrated the milestone with delicious peanut butter/carrot/honey cupcakes topped with doggie bones and a long walk with DLG around the neighborhood where he was allowed to sniff and mark at his leisure.  Although he didn't get to celebrate with his friends on his birthday he's saved a cupcake for Badger and for Mabel.

Doggie Derm

Last weekend we made a family trip to take Rocky to visit his new dermatologist.  He was friendly with her assistant who took his detailed skin history (complete with iPhone photos of his rashes I'd captured over the years).  In fact it took her about 30 minutes to complete the entire history and Rocky scratched the entire time!  I told DLG that I had coached him to be sure he showed the Dr. just how itchy he is!  David was laughing.  While he waited for the vet to come in he relaxed on the rug they had in the room.

At his new vet

Once she came in, however, he was terrified and hid under David's chair.  I had to pull him out and flip him over so that she could see the rash.  She was really friendly and said that doggie's are smart and recognize the white coat and are afraid of it.  She suggested that the allergy shots that he is on are really the best course of action to pursue and that he should continue to take them.  She said that he should should take smaller doses more frequently and mixed it with a new prescription she gave him that will teach his body to adjust to the staph infections he's getting rather than to act allergic to the staph.  She also gave him some medicated shampoo to wash with which will help improve his skin barrier and a final prescription of antibiotic to kick his current infection.  She said that he could go back to eating any food that he wanted and recommended one with lots of Omega 3's to help improve his skin quality.  She recommended Science Diet for sensitive skin so he is trying that one out now.  It's been one week and he's still be pretty itchy!  DLG gave him a bath this morning with his special shampoo - hopefully that will help!

After a morning of terror at the vet, Rocky was in for an afternoon of fright as well as one of the largest storms in a while rolled through town.  In fact some parts of H town got more rain than they had since 2010!  It thundered for about 4 hours and Rocky was shaking for at least 4 hours.  At dinner time it was still thundering and Rocky was too scared to stay home alone.  DLG wanted to try Bombay pizza - it's Indian and Italian food fusion and he also wanted to show Rocky his new parking spot downtown!  So Rocky hopped in and I drove so that DLG could hop out at the stops.  Rocky and I waited in his new parking garage while he got the pizza.

Rocky hangs out in DLGs new parking spot

Then on his way home Rocky had a quintessential Houston experience - getting stuck in high water.  Every time it rains here the roads flood because the Bayous can only contain so much and the ground is so flat there isn't really anywhere for the water to go fast enough to clear the roads.  Sadly, many people have gotten stuck and at least once or twice a year you read about people driving into water too deep and losing their lives.  We merged onto the freeway and cars were stopped on the on ramp.  We stopped behind them and sat - there was no where else to go - while cars behind us beeped and beeped.  After about 20 minutes of sitting, Rocky and I worked up the courage to flip open the lid and taste Indian meets Italian food.  Actually the pizza wasn't bad!  Rocky liked the little tiny taste he got!  Finally a car moved out of the way, another one drove through the water and we could see that it only came halfway up the tires (still pretty high though) so I pressed on the gas and got Rocky through the big puddle and back home.  I think he actually liked it in the car a lot better though, the rain hitting the roof masked the thunder sound!

waiting it out at the high water mark

Rocky's activities for the past 6 months

It's been 6 months since Rocky has updated his blog so he figured it was time to share some photos of his activities.

Rocky got a doggie latte at starbucks - unfortunately he dropped it under the seat of DLG's car! 

Curled up for a nap in the winter

Enjoying some time with his Grandpap!

Getting some extra petting from his Grandma

Playing in the park 

Relaxing with his favorite toy - a Christmas gift from Mabel

On a January walk in Memorial Park

Sniffing our dirty clothes after Christmas (smelling his cousins Macaroni and Shadow)

His favorite place - squished in between some of his favorites: Patti and Mabel

sniffing the whiskey scent of DLG's new barrel 

Jumping onto the bed to wake me up

Allergies and Backyard Vermin

Rocky's allergies have been terrible this summer! Each month he gets an awful rash on his belly and all over his body develops patches of infected skin.  He tests positive for yeast and bacteria in the infections and has to be put on antibiotics. After months of infection and a failed attempt at changing his diet he decided to undergo allergy testing to see what the problem was.

The results of Rocky's allergy tests came back indicating that he is allergic to a number of things including:

Golden Rod
Maple trees
Johnson grasses
cockroaches
Red cedar trees
Dandelion
Cockelberry
Burch trees
Bermuda grass
and Penicillin mold

The lab was able to mix him a unique elixir that will help guard against these allergens so that he won't have to keep going on steroids and antibiotics each month.  He received his first dose Friday and remained at the vet all day for observation.  He did great and will go back again tomorrow for further evaluation.  It appears that a rash is beginning to form under his tail this morning so he's anxious to hear what the vet has to say about that.  Hopefully though, this treatment will work and he won't have another miserably itchy year!

In the meantime though, he's been busier than ever hunting down backyard beasts.  While he hasn't seen any of the rats for a few months he's been occupied with a certain possum that pays him nightly visits.  Each night he chases it across the fence and into a tree.  He remains at the base of said tree until he's called in for bed.  Each morning he is eagerly waiting at the back door to be released outside to check for the possum again.  Inevitably on mornings where people are running behind he will encounter the possum and its difficult to get him back inside! Here is a photo of the prey snapped last night just moments before Rocky was unleashed to pursue him (or her!).

Happy 32nd birthday, DLG!

It's hard to believe another year has gone by!  Last Friday Rocky helped David celebrate his birthday and open his gifts and, as has become tradition, posed with him and his chocolate (cup)cake before David hopped aboard an evening flight to the ATL and Rocky went to stay with Badger for the weekend.

Rocky smiles as we patiently waits for DLG to come home and celebrate 

Rocky is always a captive audience when David is opening his gifts

David blowing out his candle

Rocky enjoyed a rainy weekend watching football with Badger's dad!

Happy 5th Birthday, Rocky!!

It's hard to believe Rocky is five today!  That's one whole paw!  He's been having a good time lately, still enjoying long daily walks through the neighborhood and meeting up with Mabel for a romp through the park. 

Last week, May 23 to be exact, whilst playing in the park the pair discovered a turtle on the baseball field.  Rocky wasn't phased by it and was generally disinterested but Mabel piped-up and let that turtle know whose baseball field he was on.  As the discerning reader might perhaps already know, May 23 is World Turtle Day

Mabel talking to the turtle

On Memorial Day Rocky went to Herman Park for a morning walk.  He wore his patriotic bandanna as he toured the Japanese Garden crossed the footbridges,  and eyed the sculptures and reflection pools. He loved the traveling sculpture exhibit, Circle of Animals which will soon head to DC.

close up of the sculpture

DLG and Rocky entering the Japanese Garden

Today Rocky celebrated his birthday with peanut butter flavored ice cream in the park with Mabel.  After playing together Mabel gave Rocky a birthday gift; a turtle!