And then the puppy threw up...

Well, this was my second Christmas with the Head family and Rome’s first. My family sat in front of the computer tracking Santa on NORAD (whatever that is) all day, excited when he flew through Italy and checking in again on him when he was over Iceland. I was confused because I thought that is where the jolly red fat man came from in the first place, but whatever. Oddly, after the kids were asleep, my parents were still checking out NORAD’s Santa Tracker and watched as Santa brought Christmas to Hawaii. FUN FACT: Did you know Hawaii is the last place on the planet to get Christmas? They save the best for last. Anyway, when we woke up and came down the stairs the next morning, there were gifts galore! The 5’ giraffe standing in our living room effectively lit my sister’s face with joy and scared Rome into the backyard for some personal hygiene issues. My brothers thought Santa was really funny, putting candy in with their new packages of boxer shorts. My mom said it was to make getting boxers for Christmas

seem sweeter- that Santa’s is a pretty funny guy! Rome and I were very excited that Santa brought us toys too. A ball, a rope and squeaky toy were all I could have ever hoped for. Rome destroyed his ball in less than 5 minutes then nearly ingested my sister’s bunny rabbit finger-puppet before my mom yelled, “DROP IT!” We got through the rest of the event without incident until my dad caught sight of the squeaky toy or should I say what was left of it. My family quickly sprang into action, picking up all the pieces, crisis averted... and then the puppy threw up!

Out to the grandparent’s house we went. Rome went nuts, running and chasing all the other dogs. Of course he is not discriminating when it comes to food so he ate everything, even the stuff in the dirt. He stole shoes and got up on the table. He was terrified of all the singing and dancing people. Maybe it was this fear that prompted it but regardless because, as we were getting ready to go, the puppy threw up!

Sunday was a restful day at our house. My brothers were getting ready to go to Colorado to see Uncle Dan and I was excited that the sun was out and the grass was dry. I watched my family packing and repacking my brothers’ suitcases, cleaning house, making beds but overall, having a very relaxed day. We said our goodbyes to my brothers as my family headed to the airport....... when my family got home, they were in a lather. They were talking about the ticketing agent being a bit much and how grateful they were for the nice folks at TSA. They were chatting about some nice folks they met from Canada, and then we all went to bed.

BEEEEEEPPPPPP BEEEEEEEEPPPP What is going on with my sister clock? It’s beeping ... up goes my dad, it’s off and then back to bed he comes. Then, just as suddenly, what is that noise? On goes the light. Dad is grabbing Rome and trying to get him down the stairs and then.... the puppy threw up... more pieces of my Christmas toy all over the floor! My mom was getting the carpet cleaner when it happened my sister’s alarm went off again. “Are you kidding,” says Mom as Dad raced up the stairs to shut it off. Just as he came down the stairs, my mom said, “well, I am up” and I was thinking, “I’m not, lets go back to bed.” Then, as if something woke my family up on purpose, the phone rang. Mom and Dad’s hearts both leapt. Mom grabbed the phone and I could tell by the look on her face she was concerned. “Hello,” she said, “Are you OK? What happened? Is your brother OK?” Oh no! I thought, this sounds serious. For the next several minutes, my mom was talking to random strangers trying to figure out what to do. You see, the airplane had a cooling issue and was turned around and sent back to Hawaii, only instead of coming back to Kona, my brothers were now on Oahu at one in the morning! Several people were offering to help my brothers. Remember that nice Canadian family? Well they having met my family and chatted a bit, offered to take care of my brothers. They got them to a hotel for the night. After several calls, my mom got their flight changed from the 2:30 PM flight the airline offered, to the 7:50 AM flight and the nice family was able to get on it too, just in case. As we all settled back into bed at 2:45 AM, we were certain we all were going to need naps and coffee in excess come the dawn. I heard my mom and dad talking about how it was sure lucky that they had met that family while they waited in the boarding area for my brother’s flight to leave. That chatted about how odd it was that so many things had happened to ensure they were awake when they got the call. They were thankful my brothers were safe and for all the nice people that stepped up to help them. I could tell when my brother called to tell Mom he was boarded on the morning flight that she was relieved. I also saw her put her cell phone in her pocket of her scrubs, just in case.

As for that squeaky toy, welI, I am happy to report the puppy produced the rest of it that morning. Although, I think my dad would have rather had the puppy throw up. RUFF!

A Christmas story.

Growing up in Great Falls Montana, I was one of those lucky children who got to be part of the best Christmas tradition ever. Our family was a good, Catholic family all living within a few city blocks from each other and always ready to come together for the holidays. Now even though not every one got along during the rest of the year, Christmas was special. My great-grandmother was the matriarch of our family and what she said was the law. This meant everyone was to attend, no excuses, and everyone was to be dressed for the occasion. This meant beautiful dresses for the ladies, ties and dinner jackets for the men and holiday cheer only. Any bad attitudes in attendance would hear about it from my Great-Grandmother and well, let’s just say no one wanted that. Her house was very small; 2 bedrooms, a kitchen filled with delft plates and cups, a living room, dining room and a basement with a small kitchen and a bathroom that always smelled like rose water. She raised 5 children in that house and for some reason despite the size on a normal day, the house seem to expand on Christmas. Now, for the reader I need you to soften your focus like in the movies from the fifties when the glow from the lights filled the room, where handsomely dressed people are drinking hot toddies and spirits and children are playing in every corner waiting for Santa’s arrival. There was more food then anyone could ever eat and the decorations were all glitter and grace, silver angels adorned the tree and the tinsel hung like ribbons of gold from the fresh cut bows. My grandmother and great-grandmother, even on in years, had the most amazing dresses. My grandmother had the smallest waist and I remember thinking even as a very young girl that she was so beautiful. Her and her sisters were like something out of Hollywood. My great uncle was always walking around, filming movies and making sure to capture everyone in techni-color. There would be laughter and the building of anticipation for the guest of honor. First came the bells, faint at first so you had to listen, then louder and a thump on the roof, then Santa would ring the door bell. He would come in with such a presence that every child, young and old, were captivated by him and more importantly, what treasure awaited for you from within the velvet bag he carried. We all would line up and take turns to tell him what was our heart’s desire and then magically it would be the very gift he had for you in the bag. He would depart making sure to say, “now go to sleep, no peeking, HO HO HO!!!” and off he would go, jingling all the way.

While the children were all happily playing with new toys and treasures, the adults would be laughing and chatting, swaying to Old-Blue Eyes rendition of “White Christmas” and all was right in the world. The men would eventually make their way down to the basement and smoke cigars and the ladies would begin to gossip and tidy-up the kitchen. The children would start to rub weary eyes and the magic of the holidays would wind down. We would all wish our many blessings to each other and head home to nestle children into beds. It was after such a night that I had the most magical moment ever. In fact, in my 36 years, I can not recall a more magical Christmas night.

This most magical Christmas was the Christmas night when my mother and I did my brother’s paper route still dressed in our holiday finest. It was 1:00 in the morning and here we were in our dresses and big snow boots, hats and gloves. There were no cars on the roads, only blankets of perfect snow, glistening in the light from the street lamps. Our dog Sophie, a cock-a-poo, trailing behind us collecting ice in her whiskers, transforming her from a black lap-dog to a some mythical creature in an instant, as we delivered the Christmas paper to all of our neighbors. I remember my mom and I laughing at the quiet of that night when the snow seemed to whisper under our feet, while the flakes of snow fell gently from the sky. We ran and danced in the snow and sang Christmas songs softly into the night. The decorations on the houses in our neighborhood seemed to sparkle like gemstones, emeralds and rubies and sapphires abounding. I felt like I was on the set of some movie and time had stood still as we walked through the snow. I remember how my mother looked in the lamp light with her dark, chestnut hair and and her long, velvet car-coat. She was the same age then as I am now and she was a stunner. I remember growing up and hearing stories about her when she was young, told to me by her dad, my granddad- how she rode motorcycles and raced powder-puff race cars, how she was a crack shot with a rifle and how men fought over her, my dad included. I remember thinking how could this graceful women do all those things and still seem like such a lady, but on that night I could see anything was possible. Time had stood still and the grace of the night had shone its light and love on my little piece of the world.

Being in Hawaii, away from all my family for the holidays seems strange to me. Stranger still is the sunny and 80-degrees, no snow in- sight, my mind has yet to wrap around the idea that yes, it is really December. I called my mom the other day to say how strange it is to have no snow this time of the year. Although it is many years later and we are gearing up for the holidays thousands of miles apart, my mom and I still recall this night with one of us saying, “remember that night” and it will transport us back to a time, long ago, to a Christmas like no other. We will laugh as we talk about the icicles on the dog and how silly it was to be out in our dresses, how beautiful everyone looked at Grandmother’s and how many years it has been since she left us. As happens, many of the players of that holiday have passed on and, with it, the loss of an era, yet the memories of this tradition is etched so deeply on our hearts that the mere thought brings tears to my eyes, softening the focus once again on the memories from so long ago. Those yester-year thoughts of Christmas, of families together, where sleigh bells ring, where the snow glistens, where we are happy, as we go walking in a winter wonderland..... I can not recall what gifts I received that year, but I can recall every sound, smell, taste and feeling of that magical night and that is the greatest gift of all.

T'was a month before Christmas....

I was so excited by the lack of craziness around the Hospital and the house that I had nearly forgotten I had that four-legged brother of mine. Alas, I got a firm reminder and almost an electric one this weekend as my family set up the holiday decor around the Hospital. As usual, I was up front, minding my own business, chewing on the HUGE Kong Mom slipped me when my brother wasn’t looking. Mom and Dad were busy hanging lights and setting up the tree. My sister was helping my mom hang the ornaments and the puppy was in the back enjoying the sun. Mom had just put the finishing touches on the lobby and hung all of the stockings with our staff’s names on them when my human sister let the puppy in.

I heard him come through the door about the same time the whirlwind of a dog hit the tree. Now, this tree swivels making it easy to decorate and well, apparently, also to do the hula when hit by a MACK Rome. As the tree spun around, the ornaments went flying in all directions. It was like a scene from one of those Hollywood ninja movies where suddenly the air is filled with throwing stars, only in the movies, they are thrown with purpose and you know where they are going. This was more of a duck and take cover operation. The silver balls all bouncing and crashing across the floor, the gold snowflakes spinning wildly in every direction and in the middle of it all, the catalyst for this calamity getting tangled in the tree skirt. He dashed around to where I arose from the clatter of objects being hurled in my direction. He crouched down under me as if I were going to be his canine shield and protect him. Not gonna happen pup, I thought, and under the desk I went. I barely realized my mom and sister were there until they came skating around the corner on a snowflake and a prayer. The wake of destruction was wide-reaching. My sister said, “Rome is a crazy dog, Mom.” Mom, looking at the lobby and the veritable waste land that Rome had created, was merely silent. What took all morning to create had taken my brother less then 15 seconds to destroy.

My dad rushed in, hearing the commotion and seeing the devastation, turned and walked away quickly from the scene taking my sister with him. My mom was left standing there holding the tree and trying to figure out which end of this adventure was up. Dad returned and took “Senior Destruction” to the back and put him in his kennel. Mom started to clean up the carnage and right the world of holiday happiness once again. I crawled out from under the desk and came out to survey the damage. The whole bottom of the tree was empty and all the snowflakes were off the tree and strewn around the lobby. The silver and glittery balls were everywhere but near the tree and the tree-topper was now a hat for the soda cooler nearby. The tree skirt blanketed the scale a good 10-feet from the tree and the red flowers that had been dislodged from the tree were beautifying the lobby in what one can only describe as an expressionist masterpiece without a master to weld them.

I walked up to my mom as she began to reassemble the tree and nudged her hand. She looked down at me at me and said, “Pike, your brother is a wreaking ball.” I pushed a silver ball with my nose as if to say “good thing everything on the tree is plastic, right Mom?” Mom seemed to get my drift. She turned to me and said, “well Pike, plastic makes it possible.” She shrugged her shoulders, then the lights on the tree flickered and then crackled and then the lights went out, as if to punctuate the trees final curtain call.

I am happy to report the lobby has been restored and looks beautiful. Rome has figured out how to give the tree a wide berth and I have decided what I am getting my brother for the holidays.... a short leash! -RUFF!!!!

iDOG

iDOG, iCAT What are they talking about? Am I being replaced? With the holidays just around the corner, the buzz at my house is what Santa is bringing everyone. I personally want a bone the size of Rome but Mom says I am not allowed to chew on him (ROME). My thought was he is free- no shopping required. I was saving the planet, reduce, reuse, re-cycle. Seriously though, what is an iDOG and why do they want one? There are 2 dogs and 2 cats in our family. Do we really need another mouth to feed? My human brother is excited because it dances, plays his music and it lights up. I can do that... let’s see, where did I see those twinkle lights? Now I just need my sister’s little music thing, and turn, and chase the tail, and look- I am an iDOG. Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!! My family thinks my attempt is funny but it only seems to fuel the need for them to have an iPET of some kind. I decided it was best to do some research on the subject and I am horrified that this iANIMAL thing is not limited to just the dogs and cats. They make an iTurtle for Pete’s Sake! It is a good thing Noah is not around to see this or his whole ark thing would just end up in the odd news on Yahoo. Who needs animals in pairs with the iPET revolution. Remember the days when you were excited about the puppy under the tree with the big red bow? Now, those days are long gone. A couple of double AA batteries and your family members are all set for this new pet phase. I read people used to have pet rocks. Every generation has some pet replacement it seems. One point for the iPET at least is that it is interactive. A rock people? Man, times

must have been really tough back then....a rock, WOW!!!!

I have a few questions for the iPET generation. Let’s see, where to start?

Can it lower your blood pressure? Does it comfort you when you are sad? Does it keep your seat warm? Does it fetch and make you laugh? Does it keep you in shape by chasing after it? I think not! I wonder if my dad will need to go to a class on how to fix the iPET? Will that count towards his Continuing Education credits? For $39.95, you can have your very own, plastic, light up, throw away pet, or you could invest in a real pet that will give you a good 10 years or more. Heck, if you get a turtle, you may have to put him in your will for your grandkids to care for. iDOG, iCAT, really? Well, if Santa decided we need an iPET at our house this holiday season, I may have to give my family an iPIKE reminder... and no one wants that. Step away from the iPET- keep it real people. -RUFF!!!!

Rome 101.2

ROMEITIS: NOUN. An acute case of Rome the puppy taking over your life. Eating your food and generally speaking consuming the world in which you live. A swelling of your neck, legs, face, tail, and anything else that Rome can get his mouth around and chew on. A smell that causes your nostrils to become swollen and inflamed; it smells like wet dog, dirt, smelly socks and rotten eggs and it comes in a 40 pound bottle called Rome dele pue and can be purchased at your local shelter for around 80 dollars.

It goes with out saying if I could understand the syllabus, and try and see what I am really being asked to do it may not be that hard. I am trying to understand the “subject matter” but honestly I can’t make heads or tails. I am wondering if my family meant to sign up for the honors class or the AP version that we have landed in. All I can say is, I hope I get a college credit for this!

I over heard my dad saying after a very long session “Remember when we thought Pike 101 was a lot of work?” (first thought: me, are you joking?). Then mom said, “Rome

101.2 is like a scene from Nightmare on Elm Street and a Brittany Spears song on puree: 1,2, Rome is coming for you, 3,4 run for the door, 5,6,7,8. . . 9, 10 oops he did it again.”

Just tonight as we sat together watching a movie about how to tame your dragon, I was wondering how this applied to ROME. Then he took out dads knee, laid waste to my sister as she came down the stairs and it all became clear. He met dad at his kennel for office hours and the whole family went out for recess.

The crazy thing is, I don’t think it needs to be this hard. He is a clever chap and a fast teacher so he definitely has more then 2 squirrels running around in the space between his ears. He is a presence when he wants to be and when he showers after gym class he is not too bad to have around. Then he en-rolls in something gross and I come back to reality and remember who my lab partner really is! Secretly, I keep hoping for the Cliff Notes so I can just take the final and don’t have to come to class everyday and sit through the agony. Mom can you pass the Rimadyl? My whole body aches!

I wish I could speak dog but honestly it is a lost language to me since I have spell check and an editor. I think someone should tell him his class is too much for beginners and only after taking all of the pre-recs should anyone attempt to take Rome 101.2. I would tell Rome; go slowly some of us have a hard time keeping up! There should be a lesson on how to smell Poodles and that cute Mastiff that was sitting on the counter the other day. We need more time spent learning about weave poles, agility classes and lessons on the teeter-totter than on how to take out your entire family in one flight of stairs! This is an advanced class and we clearly are beginners.

the Collies, the

I did figure out what to do for extra credit to bring up my grade. I am going to order him a shirt that says if you are close enough to read this, run for your life I will spontaneously combust in 1,2 RUFF!!!

I hope to make it through his first year. If it is this hard I can’t imagine what the second year will be like! I may need a tutor, and some really strong water to get through it. I have my family and we can study the subject together. At the very least one of us can always be ready to yell.... INCOMING! Class dismissed. ~Ruff!

KONG Envy

Well, it has come to my attention that I may be getting muscled-out by my younger and, according to my family, smarter brother. Now I know that my mom really loves me best, I am, after all, the great protector of our family, however Rome seems to get all kinds of lavish toys everyday.

I remember when I would get a new rope or chew toy about every 2 months which, in dog years, is an eternity, just for the record. That stupid puppy gets new toys all the time. I think it is because he is so cute and sweet, but I overheard Mom saying she should have named him Houdini and that she has never seen a dog so smart. Now, of course she wasn't actually comparing him to me. After all, how many dogs do you know that type their own column for the paper each week? Clearly when it comes to brains and braun, if we are really taking stock, I am all that and a bag of kibble. Back to the toys however, to keep Mr. Rome out of trouble when he is bored my Mom continues to feed his gluttony with more toys. Squeaky balls-he has 3 now. I think Mom forgot she already bought him the other 2. She bought him a new raccoon because apparently the one I chewed in half and tore the legs off wasn't good enough for him. What ever happened to hand me downs? I mean really, there were several parts that had only been slightly chewed. She bought him a new rope because she was worried about linear foreign bodies from all the strands I unraveled as I drug him across the living room last night on his back. If he is so smart, why didn't he let go? That's the question she should be asking not, "Pike, why did you destroy this rope?" Um... well let's see, 40-pounds of dog back and forth across the rug, the tile, the doorsill 10 times will do that to a rope. I know she is smarter then this, but still she asks.

Which brings me to a question for her, "Mom, why is it that he has the bigger treat kong?" I know you know what I am talking about and I have to say I am very disappointed in you. He has the a huge Kong and I just have the original standard-issue one. Now I understand sometime you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit, but I WANT THE BIG KONG!!!! I am the oldest and I was here first and I..i....Never mind, I'll just wait until he is busy being smart and moving the soda fridge out of the the way so he can escape and run free around the lobby and then, then I will take it. Yep, that is exactly what I will do. Now who's the smart one. Rome may be younger and sweeter but, at the end of the day, its called Pike's Corner, not Rome's.

WHO LET THE PUPPY OUT!!!

Now there are some things you should never do to your people: poop on them, pee on them, chew up their stuff, bite them (that was an accident), and run away. I have done all these things, actually, and my family (thankfully) still loves me, despite of myself. 

As dogs, we know the very worst thing you can do to your people is wander off. As whippet mixes, my brother and I have a tendency to do this at what some could consider terminal velocity. I however A) know where I live and  B) usually have a family member in sight even if it is from several hundred yards away. My brother, now that is another story. He does not know where he lives and, since he is a puppy, he does things with wild abandon, like running away from home. 

It all started last Friday night when my family was getting ready to go to a movie. Mom said, "let the dogs out, kennel up the puppy and lets go". What happened was let the dogs out,  (cue skateboarder) freak out the puppy and spend the next 10 hours searching for him. You see, my brothers and sister really didn't see where he went. Mom was inside getting stuff together and I, well, I was watching in horror as my canine brother vanished without a trace. My mom got in the car in hot pursuit of air and my brothers were in hot pursuit of dust. Everyone was going in different directions and no sign of ROAM I mean Rome. Remember when I said I would teach him to play in traffic? I didn't really mean like this. I was at the house in case he came back. 

Mom tried to call Dad. No luck! I tried to help, by racing around franticly-not helpful. Mom was in tears, the boys were yelling at each other about who's fault it was and my sister sat down and said "Rome is bad dog right, Mom". Mom left and then came back because the car was out of gas. On foot, she went sending all of the kids back to the house to wait for my dad. Mom came down the hill when Dad arrived and told him what happened. Dad grabbed me and out we went to search the whole neighborhood.  Now I like long walks as much as the next dog but this was insane. Rome had been gone 2.5 hours. We went back to the house, heads hung low. It was dark and a full moon. What could we do? We set out again and our neighbors got involved. I saw my friend Angel and her mom joined the search. My friend Rocco and his parent came out to help. I ran into my friend Ginny and then my friend Olive but no one had seen him. We drove up to the Hospital searching the highway in fear he may be there. We listened to the messages, no Rome. By 10:00 PM, I was over the walk thing and Mom was so sad. She sent out a ROME alert on Facebook and people were reposting it like wildfire-everyone keeping an eye out for my little brother. 

We went out one last time and ran into Olive again. Her dad said he thought he heard him in the field by the house. We went hiking in the dark by the light of the moon. I know he is there, I thought, but Mom called for him and still no Rome. My family was resigned to wait until morning. We went to bed at midnight. At 4:00 in the morning, I woke up and listened- I thought I heard his tags....No guess not. At 4:30, I definitely heard them. MOM, MOM wake up, listen! I jingled my own collar so she would wake up. I race to the top of the stairs.... wait, where is my mom? Come on woman! I jingled some more and went into my sister's room- Mom will come now for sure. She's up, "Is the baby ok, PIke?" "Yes," I thought, "but we need to go right now!" I raced down the stairs and Mom followed. I turned around like I do when I really need to pee. Mom said, "ok, Pike geez". "COME ON LADY! OPEN THE DOOR!" She opened the door and I bolted. I ran around the side of the house and, Mom in pajamas, started after me. Poor Mom, now she had 2 dogs on the lamb. She called to me quietly, I couldn't answer.  "Pike, please come here," Mom whispered. I had one shot at this and I knew it. I ran around with Rome hot on my heels and ran right in the house. Mom seemed to know he was freaked out and that she had to shut the door quick, but the puppy wouldn't come in. Out and in I went, over and over, until he relented and came in. Mom slid the door closed and we all relaxed. The house was still asleep so I went upstairs and back to bed. The puppy came up and Mom woke up Dad. They checked him over. He was dirty and scraped up but he would be fine. I was exhausted. These late night puppy shenanigans have to stop. I am glad to have my new brother. However, soon we are going to have to revisit the rules of conduct. 

When morning came, Rome greeted surprised and happy kids. Mom had the forces stand down in Kona as the search had ended and Rome was home. Mom said "good dog Pike" and gave me hugs and I knew deep down that they couldn't have done it with out me.  I have to admit, for once, it was not all about me, but about my family and I am ok with that. RUFF!!!

A CONCERT IN THE DARK

THE PET CHRONICLES

BY JOLENE HEAD

A CONCERT IN THE DARK

WOOBBBOOO, WOOOBBBOOO! I am sitting awake listening to the sound of something I can’t quite place. What is it? WOOOBBOOO! There it is again. This time Pike hears it and gets up. He walks to the top of the stairs, sighs a heavy sigh and comes back to bed. WOOBBOOO! Oh come on, it is 2:30 in the morning! What could possibly be making that noise? It sounds like a horn, only deeper and more breathy. I get out of bed and pad through the house in search of this odd noise. Pike clearly doesn’t care or maybe he already realized that the noise is coming from downstairs- more precisely from the kennel the puppy sleeps in. When I approach the kennel, I am quiet as to not get him all wound up. Then I hear it again. WOOOBBOOO-it echoes off the plastic crate and reverberates through the still and quiet house. I peer in and see too big

chocolate eyes peering back at me from the other side of a big red Kong filled with peanut butter. From this angle I can only laugh at what looks to be a dog playing the latest wind instrument to join the ranks. The french horn has nothing on this highly crafted, piece of red, industrial-strength rubber, chew-toy filled with peanut butter. The noise it makes is a mixture of Jabber Jaws Woobooboo cartoon days and a muffler. Rome’s concert for the masses will however, have to wait until the daylight hours. Pike has come down to check and see why I am not back to bed yet and peers in at the puppy as if to say, “are you kidding me right now, do you not realize some of us have to actually work tomorrow?”

I reach in to take the Kong from the puppy and put it aside for later in the day. I turn to head upstairs when I hear him Squeak, Squeak,Squeak,Squeak,Squeak. UGGGG!!!!!! What now? An encore? Are you serious? Back down the stairs I come to peer through to see the puppy chewing on his raccoon with such wild abandon I almost feel bad at what I am about to do. I reach in, pat his head and remove the raccoon from the kennel and search for anything else that could possibly make noise of any kind. I let him out to go potty and kennel him back up . I lay in bed waiting for something else and just as I drift to sleep, I hear the unmistakeable noise of Elaina screaming, “MOMMY MOMMY!!!!” I race into her room where she turns to me with her deep chocolate brown eyes and says, “mommy, I need some more water”. Of course you do , while we are up, lets go potty. 10 minutes later I am back in bed. Just as I began to drift to sleep, I feel a presence in the room and open my eyes to two eyes the color of the bluest ocean peering at me. Conner is there saying he needs a cough drop. Up I go to the medicine cabinet to retrieve the cough drops and then back to bed. I drift off to sleep when the emergency phone rings and I hear the sound of Jacob saying, “this is Dr. Head”. I lay there and listen to him talk to a worried client and wonder if we are going in... nope, sounds like it can wait until we are open. I rest my head back and Bradly, our oldest, comes in and asks if we need to go in. “No,” I say, “go back to bed.”

I roll over and look at the clock and see the numbers staring back at me with their neon green glow and see that it is 5:49 am and it is time to start the day. As if on-cue, I hear Pike race down the stairs, the puppy is crashing around in his kennel, the water for the shower has the pipes humming and we start another day. I shift in bed and stare at my husband’s still closed-eyes and wonder what the back of my own eyelids might look like. I prepare to start my day. I feed the kids, I feed the dogs and as I drive into Starbucks for my morning coffee fix- I am half-tempted to ask if I can get it by the liter. I do my Wal-mart run where I make the smartest purchase of my entire life.... EAR PLUGS. Here is hoping for some sleep and quite. Sleep well my friends, sleep well.

My new brother...

Well, it seems the cat is out of the bag..or should I say the puppy is out of the clink. I got to experience my first day at work with my co-worker and family member “Rome”. Rome is a very nice puppy and while I enjoy playing with him very much, having him in my space is another matter. I lay down on my bed....he tries to lay down with me. GRRR! Stacia gives me a C.E.T. Chew, he needs one too. GRRR! I decide to lay down under the desk, he decides to join me. Baring my teeth and GRRRR!

“Pike no”!


Clients come in and I knowing how to do this, stand up on the desk and smile and greet them. They are looking down at Rome! WHAT is going on here? What unusual markings he has! Oh isn’t he so sweet. Yes you are, yes you are. He is just adorable! He is so lucky, yes you are, yes you are!

You are too Pike, (after thought)!


Ok, now listen here, he is gross! He has mange and he stinks! He is like Bambi on ice when he runs and he and is out of control. So what if he learned to sit, shake, and lay down in a week? As if to add insult to injury, that song comes on about every dog having his day, like 5 times today. I think that the cosmos is laughing at me! First the cat hijacks my column and now I have to share the front-end duties with some youngster, who has no idea what he is doing except, that he looks cute doing it. Well I, for one am not ok with this new found family member. Look after the puppy Pike, take care of the puppy, show the puppy the ropes. GRRRR! Well, I am not sure why we needed a new puppy- it is not like I am old. My mom said she thought it would be nice for me to have a friend to play with. I told her friends go home after school. They don’t sleep on your bed and eat your snacks. They don’t take over your life and hope you are ok with it. She said “you’re right Pike, they don’t, but Rome is not your friend he is your family”. Well, we will see about that. Maybe I will teach Rome how to play in traffic. Ruff!

Pet walk in October

We are excited to be part of this years Pet Walk, October 31st 2010. All the proceeds go to the HIHS follow the link below to register or donate to PIKE"S BAD DOG CREW. Dogs are welcome to attend the event with their humans in tow so get moving Kona and sign up. Follow the link today http://www.firstgiving.com/keauhouvet 

Publish Post

A day in the life of Pike.

I arrived at work this morning late because my mom was running behind. She does not realize the clients expect to see me. Then I found out my sister Rune the CAT, hijacked my column in todays edition of the West Hawaii Today. To top it all off, I learned that my new brother Rome got a bath today and extra treats for not peeing on my mom. Ok, so sometimes I get nervous, this is not my fault I had a rough start before I arrived in my new family, cut me some slack, or at least some paper towels.
It is very hard being me, and lets face it they really have no idea. I rise at the crack of dawn, this is when my bladder says it is full. I shake and stretch as quietly as possible, it is not my fault I have like five different tags on my collar that sound like Santa at Christmas.
Then my sister cries and I go check on her. At this point mom or dad or both get up and see if she is ok, would it kill them to go downstairs and feed me and let me out at this point, sure it is barely light out but honestly I have to pee. Nope... they go back to bed. Then my brother gets up and uses the bathroom still no go for me, I lay back in my bed and cross my legs.
By the time my family gets up to finally let me out they have all used the facilities and I...have not. So out I race into the morning air to mine and my bladders relief only to have whom ever let me out say "come on Pike hurry up and go potty". I am sorry ..what did you just say. Hurry up! Oh no this, this I am going to enjoy. Then they mention breakfast which I hate to admit can stop me mid-stream. I race inside performing all my greatest tricks, only to have them tell me to calm down. Now wait just a minute here I usually have to perform the equivalent of an act of congress only to be told to settle down so I can eat. I don't think so, I do the whole sit, lay down , shake, left and right, wait, chase the tail, and speak, with the fluidity of a prima ballerina on ice skates in under 20 seconds, this my friends deserves some serious positive reinforcement. Please, stop talking to me and fill up my bowl.
Then outside I go again and after the little wait and feed me game they can wait on me.  I run down the block knowing full well they will not use the power whistle at 6:30 in the morning, so I run a bit more, then come back out of breath to a seriously mad family member telling me "GET  IN THE HOUSE", like I have any where else to go.
Then I wait while the entire family gets ready to start the day. I get loaded into the back of my moms car while she drives my sister to school, I get car sick, and there is nothing like the windy road up to preschool to settle a tummy. By the time I get to work after a Starbucks run, a bank run and lord only knows what else. I am more shaken then stirred. I get there and I am so excited to get inside that I wait by the door making as much noise as possible with my Collar and Tag one dog band. When the girls that work for me finally let me in they proceed to put my please behave collar on, retiring the jingle bells for the end of the day. I spend the rest of the day saying hi to all of our clients and their pets, with only a treat or two from my good buddies from Fed EX and UPS. I get let out several times a day, but only on leash. I wander a bit, can you blame me for needing a little space, my job is exhausting. I just lay down, and someone comes in needing to be greeted. I lay down and again I need to make appearances. Those cats think they do all the work, yeah it is super hard sleeping all day. I only nap for 8 hours a day and they sleep the whole day through.
By the time we are ready to close I have greeted more people then I have toes and I am exhausted. It is at  this point that I am given back my jingle bells and I am let out... free at last, nope. Pike "get your puppy" now I get to show the puppy the ropes. He gets to run around like a complete fool and I am supposed to keep him in line, how about on a line.  I say thank you to the staff, put the puppy in his kennel and get loaded into the truck for another stirring ride home. When I finally get set free to run I have more energy then the bullet train in Japan. I eat dinner, rip around the yard and count my toys,2 balls, a raccoon, 1 rope, and my wubba ( best squeaky toy on the planet) and I shift into 6th gear ( in cars this is the fun gear), and I let her rip. I race around in circles cutting so close to my family members I actually cause their clothes to ruffle, I feel like a rally car driver, oh the speed. When I come in at dusk I am spent. I walk around squeaking my raccoon and hoping someone decides we should have popcorn for a snack, I will munch until my sister stops dropping pieces for my, doggie delight and then I will pass out under the sofa and wait for these humans I live with to go to bed. I get let out and then it is up stairs to bed where I curl up with my mouse and my blanket and dream...until the dawn breaks again. RUFF Life I know. What can I say it is all in a days work.

New photo for the blog it is coming along.

Pikes new blog

About Pike


Pike writes an article in the West Hawaii today each week,  now you can follow him here as well.

Pike's Peak as he is formally known was adopted from the Hawaii Island Humane Society in March of 2009.

Jolene was dropping off donations to the HIHS and had her daughter Elaina who was just 2 at the time with her. She decided to walk through the adoption area and show Elaina the animals. All of the dogs were barking and pawing at the kennel doors for attention. When Elaina approached Pikes' cage he stopped and got down very low as if to say I would never hurt you. Jolene asked about him and found out he had been is shelters island wide and had just made his way to the Kona shelter.She asked if she could take him outside to the Bark Park. When she let him loose in the park he flew. Being a whippet cross this dog was born to run. He raced around like lighting in a summer storm. When he ran toward Elaina however, he slowed down on his approach until he had come to stop right by her side allowing her to pet him on the head, kissing her fingers, before he tore off again. She giggled with delight.

Jolene told the staff of the HIHS she needed to speak to her husband Dr. Head about getting a dog. When she returned to work she told him and the staff about this crazy dog she had met. It was a Friday afternoon and work was crazy. She told herself if he was there Monday she would bring him down to the hospital to meet Jacob and the staff.  You see Pike was damaged.  At some point in his life, his right eye needed to be removed and the wound on his side had to be repaired, he was also still running around with his landing gear (testicles) and needed to be neutered. The HIHS agreed to let her take him, only if she agreed to foster him.  She said she would. Jolene figured at the very least they would operate on him and get him ready for adoption. Well as you can imagine the kids were so excited about him. They gave him the name Pikes Peak after the Peak in Colorado. The next day Pike underwent surgery to repair his wound and take out his eye. While he was under they decided to neuter him. He woke up from his tip to tail adventure sore and afraid, but gave them kisses anyway. He now officially had a family.

It took some time for him to settle in, he coward and peed when you approached him, he was very unsure about men in general and was ever so cautious of everything. Eventually the Heads' started to bring him to work and keep him up front to socialize him. He began to blossom. He learned to shake, sit, wait, lay down and kennel up. He began to be affectionate and need to be touch rather than recoil from it.  

Pike was introduced to the community in the paper and they seemed to embrace him from the first moment . Many people stop by just to tell him hello. He is here to comfort people when they are stressed or sad. He seems to know when he is needed and always offers a nudge or kiss to those who could use one. 

If you ask him if he is famous he will tell you. RUFF RUFF!!  Stop and meet Pike and we think you will agree we are the lucky ones.