Dobby's Day

Un-Happybara

2012-01-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

This is a poor excuse for a swimming pool.

But it is warm on my cold feet. A little warm water to drink.

It's getting dark already.

What does snow taste like, anyway?

This is actually pretty tasty.

Munch munch munch

Snow tastes better when your feet and butt are warm.

I know I asked you to pour warm water over me but

I'm not sure that was a very good idea, actually.

I think I actually froze up there for a minute!

I better go back inside while I still can!

Thank goodness she doesn't let very much of the snow come inside!

Ha ha ha, my butt is wet! Better than frozen, though.

Polarbara

2012-01-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

My front yard grass is gone.

It seems like a regular day when I'm inside eating potatoes,

but every time I go outside I remember that something is very wrong out there.

Still, it gets boring inside.

Once I finish my noon corn on the cob, I'm ready to play!

Then I go out and come back in again when I remember

there isn't going to be any swimming or grass to eat today.

In and out.

Let's go visit the ducks and chickens so

I can play in the straw in the barn!

Ha ha ha I've been out here a while.

You can almost see the kitty in this photo.

Hawk's eyes are glowing just below the plastic shower curtain that

keeps the wind and snow out of his bed.

Okay, I'll come out of there, now.

The chickens went to bed a while ago.

Stacy and I made a lot of footprints today but

all those little ones to the right are

wild Mallard footprints.

The squirrel footprints are tiny.

My feet are cold.

I usually have my bedtime milk outside!

There are a LOT of blankets in here right now!

Can it be true? I'm inside tonight!

SLUMBER PARTY!

Good night!

(I promise to be a good bara!)

My Hiding Place

2011-11-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

Can you see me?

Okay, I'm right in the middle of the photo.

Can you see me now?

I come to this corner to hide when I get scared in the front yard.

I hold very still and stare through the fence at the paradise next door!

Can you see the pond with ducks? There is a waterfall, too!

It used to overflow into a creek in our yard, but it doesn't any more.

It's a crummy little forgotten corner of our yard and I really like it.

I know it's mine because I marked all the branches with my morrillo!

Where Potatoes Come From

2011-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

Come on in, Dobby! I just fixed your potatoes!

There are seven kinds of potatoes, today, because I just went to the market!

I wish I could take you with me, but I could tell you all about the market if you want to hear about it.

Wow! You are really interested, aren't you!

How did you get up there, anyway?

Oh, I see! You have a little stool down there.

Well, this is Ranch 99 Market, our local Asian supermarket.

It is HUGE- in an old K-Mart store.

You can buy catfish heads at Ranch 99 Market.

You can buy squid, too, in two different sizes!

I shop there for the fruits and vegetables. This is durian.

You can ask Melly about this fruit. I'm not buying any for you.

Even the bananas are interesting at the Asian market.

I brought home some little ones for you to try.

They have lots of apples. We still have a few on our tree,

but I brought home some different ones for a change.

The guinea pigs like mandarins, but they like the empty boxes best.

Upside down they are the perfect size for hideouts!

Here are the sweet Japanese yams.

They are dark purple outside and creamy white inside.

They are your second favorite.

Here are your favorite yams: the purple yams.

They don't look interesting on the outside

but they are bright purple on the inside and smell like perfume!

These are pretty much like the regular yams and sweet potatoes

you can find at ordinary, boring grocery stores.

Regular potatoes are much cheaper than the yams and

big eaters like you, Dobby, need a LOT of potatoes!

You like the little red ones and the small yellowish ones best,

but we still buy you the big russets because

it is so fun to watch you pick them out of your bowl and toss them!

Here is your favorite- CORN!

It is getting harder to find now that summer is gone and

I had to ask someone to bring this box out of the back storeroom for you.

He said they might not be getting any more this year.

Is this going to be one of the weeks when you decide to eat broccoli again?

I know some mini-capybaras who will eat it if you don't!

There's the watercress that I put into your swimming pool!

The goldfish like to eat it, too!

Look what I found this time! In the frozen foods section!

I wasn't sure I should buy it, but then I remembered how

you ate my banana tree in the back yard!

When I saw the price, I bought a bag of each.

Are you going to humor me and try to eat it?

So that is where your potatoes come from!

Are you ready to go eat them, now?

Get a little bit pouffy, first!

Toss those potatoes!

National Zoo, Washington DC

2011-09-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

After BlogPaws I stayed with a friend in the area.

He wasn't willing to share his carrot.

One of Mr. Panda's friends, a mongoose.

Here's an agouti.

He's the size of a small bunny.

A rock cavy on a rock!

A naked mole rat in an exhibit designed to draw attention to their tunnel fetish.

Naked mole rats are colonial animals.

Meerkats are cute but someday I'll tell you what a zookeeper told me about them.

I've never had a degu, but I really like them!

I wonder if they ever come into rescue?

This is an interactive blog post, so POUND YOUR CHEST!

Gorilla!

Butt. You knew there would be one.

Chow hound.

Frog and duckweed.

I wonder why they have to cage the water lilies from the turtles!

Prairie dog!

Ring-tailed lemurs. Don't you love their huts?

Tiger.

"At top speed, a cheetah covers about 23 feet in a single stride."

The best animal on the trip was my friend's little dog, Mack.

Say goodbye, Mack!

BlogPaws, the Event

2011-09-09T03:13:00.000-07:00

The actual event involved a lot of posing and a lot of paparazzi.

Here is Melanie telling a Disney movie director

to make a movie featuring capybaras.

A few minutes later Papua Piig is charming him,

sending subliminal messages about movies featuring guinea pigs.

When the paparazzi became unbearable, Papua Piig retired to

The Pumpkin Room, his little bistro in a bathtub.

Papua Piig just brings out the best in everyone!

Don't look now, but there are paparazzi EVERYWHERE!

Don't worry, little Papua Piig! I won't let her take any more photos!

Angela, posing with the (decoy) puppy from the thrilling (not)

Spooky Buddies movie.

Here we have the surly Disney pup trainer attempting to pose

Melanie, Super Gari, and Decoy Pup.

Not this again. Melanie is at the computer.

We need a diversion!

One of the most exciting things that happened wasn't Hurricane Irene,

swirling leaves and garbage up into the hotel lobby.

It was a rescue of two guinea pigs by

Becky Wilson from Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue.

Here's Shake and Quake!

Shake was determined to be blind in one eye and pregnant!

It turned out to be worse than that.

Quake seems to be in fair condition. Guinea Pig Today

The final evening of the event was cause for celebration!

(left to right) Capycoppy, Decoy Piig, Decoy Piig, Flat Dobby, and Flat Peanut

(doesn't Peanut look real in this photo?)

Melanie brought a puzzle!

(left to right) Melanie Capybara Madness,

Dean who became our hero when he showed up with wine,

Becky Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue, and

Celeste I am Average Jane

We couldn't have done it without the wine!

Packing it in for the day! We're already looking forward to the

2012 Blog Paws Conference in Salt Lake City!

BlogPaws (Visiting Papua Piig)

2011-09-03T02:07:00.000-07:00

BlogPaws

The 2011 Conference in Tyson's Corner, Virginia attracts a motley crew.

(left to right) Super Capy, Flat Dobby, Naked Mole Rat, Decoy Piig, Flat Caplin, Capycoppy
(and Angela)

The friends enjoy some sangria!

When we get to Papua Piig's house, Melanie pretends to like Toastcat.

Toastcat pretends to like Capycoppy and Super Capy but nobody is smiling for Melanie's camera.

Decoy Piig shows off his Fish Friends.

Papua Piig thinks he can teach Super Capy and Capycoppy a lesson.

Decoy Piig is laughing at him.

Papua Piig doesn't go anywhere without emergency sustenance.

The home of WHEK.tv!

Here's Papua Piig and co-host Phoenix Phuzzer!

Viewers witnessed a WHEK.tv exclusive when Capycoppy and Super Capy visited!

Don't look now, but Papua Piig is checking out Super Capy's butt!

You can check out Super Capy's butt here.

Remember what I said about Papua and sustenance?

Look out Phoenix! Capycoppy is checking out your butt!

Phoenix is jumping on the bed. Again.

Papua is unhappy about sharing with Capycoppy,

even though he doesn't really eat much.

The fun part of the visit is over when Melanie settles in at a computer.

I would like to point out the incredible wings

hanging off the back of Angela's chair, though.

The Recovery

2011-08-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

When I arrived home from the veterinary clinic I was a little woozy.

But it didn't hurt to sit down or anything.

I wanted to get into bed but I couldn't climb a step that big...

plus I was staggering around a little when I walked.

So I went inside and stared at my potato bowl.

I was even too groggy to eat my corn and apple!

It doesn't get much better than this!

My White Rabbit Rug, my "sleep in the house" bed,

my frog blanket, and a bowl of milk!

On Friday, Stacy put some blankets on the deck

so I could comfortably receive visitors.

This is Celery the hen.

Wiley Wabbit dropped by to say hello, too.

This is the lazy way to drink milk.

I probably spent most of Friday and Saturday right here on the deck.

I got to sleep inside for 3 nights!

On Sunday I started to walk around and check on my projects.

Stacy reduced the dosage on the pain medication so I wasn't as sleepy.

I got pouffy. I "sit" and get pouffy for my medicine, too,

but in this picture I am just pouffy about the sunny day.

Excuse me, I am just going to go inside and check on my White Rabbit Rug.

It is still recovering from the visit to the veterinary clinic, too!

This is my private pasture in the back yard. It is fenced to keep chickens out!

This is what chickens do to a pasture. DIRT.

Monday I had a little picnic with my friends.

That is Pamplemousse the hen, and

two Muscovy drakes we took in, Julian and Romeo.

There must be a problem with the swimming pool

because the steps are fenced off. Oh well!

That's Wiley Wabbit, again, back there in the corner of my pen.

That's the bucket I play with at midnight!

I like to rub my nose on the swing.

In fact, I like to rub my nose, my morillo actually, on everything,

including the apple tree! I'm going to get busy here, but I'm doing just fine!

Garibaldi's Radiographs

2011-08-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

Dr. Vincenzi and Vera took me off the stretcher and set me down on the x-ray machine.

This part of the operation was a special gift to my brother and friend,

Garibaldi Rous.

(I'm still knocked out even though my eyes are open and my tongue is sticking out!)

You see, Gari's hind legs are not right, and we're pretty sure mine are normal.
Gari is a little knock-kneed and I am almost bow-legged!
Stacy thinks I walk with a John Wayne swagger.
It's my own special rumblestrut.

A few weeks ago, Gari had radiographs taken of his hindquarters,
but there are no radiographs of a normal capybara to compare them to.

It's kind of a big deal even to take radiographs.
See, here comes Dr. Nathanson with the oxygen and the IV fluids again.

My vital signs were monitored during all of the procedures.

We had to try to get exactly the same angles as Gari's radiographs.

Here I am practicing holding really still for the x-rays.

Dr. Vincenzi gave me another injection.
There were so many Stacy can't remember what all of them were.
I'm not scared to get shots, though, even when I'm fully awake.

Stacy and I donated my radiographs to the ROUS Foundation.
We hope they will help everyone understand what is wrong with Gari's butt.

We're finished here so Stacy came over to hold me.
The big surprise from my radiographs is that at 2-1/2 years old, I am still growing!

Dick helped Dr. Vincenzi carry me back to the room where it all started.
Dr. Vincenzi said I weighed more after the surgery,
even though it seems like I should have weighed less!

So, one more shot and a long wait for me to stand up!
See how clean everything looks here?
It wasn't very clean by the time we high-tailed it out of there!

The Theft

2011-08-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

I don't remember any of this.

Stacy told me they carried me down the hall.

See that little window on the right?

Stacy took some of the photos through that window.

The veterinarians took my harness off and

decided where to connect their veterinary paraphernalia

before they flipped me onto my back.

They strapped me down and Dr. Nathanson put an oxygen mask on me.

They connected me to intravenous fluids.

We recently discovered that subcutaneous fluids are not a good idea for capybaras.

What is Dr. Vincenzi looking at?

This is what Dr. Vincenzi is looking at.

It took a long time to prepare my nether regions for surgery.

The thief, aka Dr. Vincenzi, cut two holes in me and

stole pieces out of there.

The stuff in those two jars used to be inside of me.

Then he sewed my insides up and

glued the skin back together to hide the holes.

They had to hold my hand the whole time so I wouldn't get scared.

Actually, it helped to keep the fluids flowing into me.

Dr. Vincenzi must have been doing embroidery down there.

This is the after picture. Do you like the bandage?

That pink one with the red hearts is where they drew a blood sample.

I guess they couldn't think of any more stuff to take out of me.

So down the hall I went!

The Anticipation

2011-08-12T23:52:00.000-07:00

I'm going to see the vet today, even though Gari's vet came to visit me on Tuesday.

Maybe Dr. Vincenzi wants to look at my scar.

I've never had my milk in the car before.

I don't usually get it this early, either!

Milk-mouth in the car, coming to get you! Little kiss?

We're right on time and I got right out of the car on my new ramp and came into the clinic, making my best happy noises!

I'm going to take a nap. This is too early for me!

That's the spot- right there under my chin.

All righty then, let's go home!

It's hard to bite a hole in the seat cushion with Stacy's jacket here

but I can deposit some milk on the back of the chair.

Gee, Stacy, thanks for the great new toy. Isn't that for BABIES?

I do like to bite the dragonfly. In the future, stick with the rats.

Something in my eye. Can we hurry it up here?

I know you have been cleaning the floor with this towel but

I'm sweating bullets here and I have to have a blanket!

I'm glad we all brought books to read.

This is Capyboppy and I am reading the part where he gets sick.

Wait! What was that? Dr. Vincenzi just came in here!

Come back, I have some questions!

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

To be continued.

Dr. Sharman Hoppes, My Special Visitor!

2011-08-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

At first I wasn't sure if Dr. Hoppes wanted to be friends.

Dr. Hoppes wouldn't let me jump up on her.

I jump up on Stacy all the time, but lately she is obsessed with my old milk buckets.

Dr. Hoppes was really interested in me, though.

Even more than other visitors are.

When I try to jump up, these buckets are in the way,

but I just love rubbing my nose on them.

When I rub my morillo on the buckets, they dance on my nose.

Maybe I am the one obsessed with the buckets.

It's actually more fun than jumping up. For everyone involved.

Just look at that bucket go!

I have a little wading pool in the front yard, now.

Today I discovered my old pink noodle in it!

What a nice surprise! I love tossing my noodles!

I'm sure that impressed Dr. Hoppes!

I showed her how I go adventuring in the front yard.

This is how WILD CAPYBARAS do it!

We wear our harnesses in the front yard and eat grass! Yeah!

There's no fooling Dr. Hoppes.

She knows I'm not really swimming.

I am just walking around.

Plus she missed my beautiful dive because she was looking at RABBITS!

That'll teach her to pay attention to me!

I still like her, though. Thanks for visiting, Dr. Hoppes!

Dry Run

2011-08-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

My harness AND my leash! Are we going for a car ride? A "Dry Run?" Okay!

Oh! Are those my raisins? Am I going to get raisins?

Wait a minute- SLOW DOWN! I have to mark the leash with my morillo. Again.

Are those horsetails? Can I eat them? They seem to have disappeared from the front yard!

I guessed it! A car ride! Sam is here this time! Cool!

Stacy has suddenly disappeared into the car. With the raisins!

Say, isn't this the new ramp from the back yard?

The one Stacy has been making me stand on to get raisins?

Make up your mind. In the car. Out of the car. Sheesh!

Did somebody mention raisins?

Sure, I'll stick my head out of the car for a raisin!

Really? I just got in. Are you sure you want me to come out?

On the ramp. For a raisin. No deal.

Oh, cool! The back opens up!

Ramp. Raisin. No can do, SUCKA!

The ramp has to be out the SIDE door. Like I said. Ramp, raisin, piece of cake!

I don't get it. Raisin, but no ramp. What's the deal here?

If you don't know how to operate the leash, lady, get yourself a piece of rope.

It's less embarrassing!

Modeling this year's harness and leash, we present Dobby, 104.2 lbs of handsome devil!

Am I a good boy, Mom? Am I, am I, hunh?

I'll just sit here while everyone admires me!

I am the pouffiest one in town!

But what I still want to know is, what is a "Dry Run?"

Cleaning My Swimming Pool

2011-08-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty happy with my swimming pool. The steps are a little shabby and my noodle has seen better days, but the pool is perfect.

Perfectly green.

All of a sudden my pool steps were fenced off and my swimming pool was squished into two tiny buckets.

They are barely big enough to hold my goldfish!

So what are you doing to my swimming pool? Can I help?

Why is my table out here? What are the hoses for? What is happening?

OMG! This is so scary! Isn't it kind of eery to see all the way down there? And WHERE ARE MY FISH?

I'm sure glad nobody cleaned up my mud!

The ducks know how water is supposed to look.

They can turn water green in a New York Minute.

This is their charming little water feature.

They kicked me out. I still have my little tub. It is nice and green.

Aaaaah!

It's still clear. I should hire some ducks to speed up this process.

I give up. But I'm not going to swim. I'm just going to stand here.

This is my Vincent Van Gogh pose. Ha ha just kidding.

My "Garibaldi Rous" imitation. Without the rolling.

My noodle.

Walking like T-Rex.

I can't wait until it is green again.

The next day...

Pump schmump.

If this is a construction zone, where is the orange security fencing?

I'm going in and you can't stop me!

Oh, very cool. It isn't green but it is getting better!

Look! My fish are here now! They got really big!

One month later...

Club Mud

2011-06-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here I am, modeling this season's finest mud.

When you live where there's lots of rain, there is usually lots of mud.

We don't have a lot of clay in our soil, but the high organic matter content allows it to adhere nicely to fur.

Note the effect around the eye.

It is actually pretty deep. Stacy wonders where the lawn went, but I think this is a nice improvement.

Some of our mud is Duck Muck that comes from the duck wading pools. That probably explains the organic content.

Stacy tries to keep the Duck Muck *way back here* which makes a nice place for me to roll around in it.

This is my extra special mud area that I use after I come back from the front yard. See, I walk right through here and on into the aviary, but my entry ritual includes a stop-and-roll in this nice mud.

It's okay to come into the kitchen with mud.

Nobody seems to care any more. I think they have given up completely about the mud business.

This is pretty typical. My daily Mud. This linoleum cleans up real nice.

Sometimes it's a little bit too much mud, even for me. But it shakes right off! I'm pretty good about not doing this too often in the kitchen.

How about a little kiss, sweetheart?

And that's all the mud I have to show you today!

Scarface

2011-05-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Do you see the pot under Stacy's right hand? That is the pot I crashed into on Wednesday.

[Missing video that nobody thought to shoot]

I had a dog visitor who wasn't very polite and scared the heck out of me by barking. Instead of running away, I ran across the bridge (stage left) and when I turned right to head down this path, I skidded into the pot! It was just like the cartoons where the dog legs turn into wheels and everything gets crazy.

Mom, I got a BooBoo nose! It was hard to tell how bad the cut was because of all the blood.

We sent some photos to the vet who thought we should come in to check it out.

This is my favorite photograph! What makes it so good is that I had just eaten an apple, and all that juice adds a really sick effect to the underlying gore.

In the car I got all mixed up in my leash and rode with my ears pulled back the whole way.

[missing photograph this time: picture 5 lab coats in a semicircle, everyone shrugging]

When we got to the vet clinic, I *almost* got out of the car but then a dog started barking in a parked car at the pet shop next door and I backed way up into the car again. So the veterinarian and staff came out to the car to take a look. We all decided that it is going to be a really cool scar, but that if it isn't awesome enough I can have plastic surgery to fix it. I'd like a Frankenstein scar with stitch marks!

I was still mad on the way home. All that way and we just got a little bottle of pills.

This is what it looked like on Thursday afternoon. It's a big gash.

On Friday you can hardly see it. I'm probably going to have to go back to my scar it "enhanced." It doesn't look like it is going to be very impressive, after all.

My New Kitchen Playpen

2011-04-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

I am so careful to wipe my feet before I come in the kitchen that it amazes me that there is so much mud in here at the end of the day.

What is this junk on the floor? Where is my slippery wood floor?

At least my rug and x-pen are still the same! I'll just sit way over here where there is still some wood floor showing.

I have splattered milk all over these books and the x-pen is all milky, too.

Is there something you aren't telling me?

Um, why is the kitchen door blocked?

Wait a minute- is that a wall?

I'm going to sit here until someone opens that door!

There IS a wall here! My x-pen is gone!

I'm surrounded by walls!

I was only outside for about an hour! What happened?

Well, I can still sit in my Waiting For Milk position.

My potato bowl is still here...EMPTY!

Well, the potatoes were the same but I'm going to sit outside here and just think this situation over.

It is still possible to make a huge mess.

I can still come in and out the door all by myself.

I can still wipe my milky nose all over everything.

I can still stand up and get milk on the guppy aquarium.

I can still have visitors. I think they want me to come outside.

Excuse me while I have some more potatoes.

Well what are you waiting for! Come outside and play with me! I brought in your boot!

Happy Birthday Dobby!

2011-02-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

Oh, cool! We're at the veterinary clinic!

I got a little pouffy for that dog back there but he wasn't impressed.

I like to rub my nose on my leash!

Wow! I weigh 101.2 pounds!

I have gained a couple pounds every month since I was weighed last June.

And I am still slender, so I can pack on some more pounds even if I am not really growing any more!

Everybody is looking at me now so I better get pouffy again!

Wait a minute!

Aren't you getting a little personal with that thing?

Okay, I'm ready to go now.

I'll just hide under this table for a while.

They brought me a little blanket and I got a stuffed dog to play with.

What are we waiting for, anyway?

I'll just get comfortable over here.

I'm actually a little sleepy.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

They stuck my nose in a mask, but the Large Dog size is too small for my big fat nose.

Fine, whatever, smash it on there.

They were laughing about how this new gas is "odorless."

So what is funny about that when the mask is not even remotely sealed around my nose?

The next thing I knew they were putting my harness back on. What happened? I'll never know.

So tell me again which planet we live on?

I'm holding so still she can take close-up photos without me putting my shnozzola on the lens!

I can't stand up yet because my paws aren't facing the ground yet.

You can see the underside of my right paw in this photo.

An alert capybara would never be caught in such a compromising position.

Nope. Nobody home.

I'll just rest here for another HOUR until I can scramble out of here.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

I don't know how I got home but this milk sure looks good.

I can't remember what to do with it so I'll just stare at it for a while.

Two hours later I'm still working on the same bowl of milk!

I think I'll sleep inside tonight!

Just me and my White Rabbit Rug (and waterproof mats and an extra layer of blankets), ready for bed! Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Baby Dobby

2010-12-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

That's me on the right. I'm the littlest one!

We are 3 weeks old in this photo.

We ate all the potatoes that were in that bowl!

I was a little sad to leave my family,

even though I got to live in Aunt Robin's bathtub for a day.

This is me in my own great big bathtub.

Not impressed with the accommodations.

Nice swimming pool, though.

Actually, this is my potty. I used it from the very beginning.

Now we're talking.

A cozy waffle box, a bird blanket, and some nice grass!

Yes, this hut will do nicely!

My own Step-Saver kitchen!

I liked the heat lamp. It made naptime and bedtime very cozy.

I spent most of the day out of the bathtub.

My favorite place was by the door with this beautiful white rug!

It was love at first sight: My White Rabbit Rug!

Yes, it is MY White Rabbit Rug, now.

And don't you forget it!

Sweaters are nice, too.

That's how I say I like something- I bite it!

I like this curtain, too.

I'll just chew the corner off when you aren't looking.

Just getting pouffy, sitting by the curtain

and looking at my White Rabbit Rug!

Capybara in the House

2010-10-31T00:57:00.000-07:00

A very special corner of the kitchen is all clean and ready for ME!

Good morning, White Rabbit Rug!

Oh yeah. Hi to you, too.

My milk is made from powdered goat's milk (for kids!) with some plain yoghurt and instant mashed potatoes or organic baby rice cereal to thicken it.

Milk sticks to my nose and whiskers!

I like to wipe my mouth on anything handy, like furniture or pants and shoes.

Sometimes I wipe my nose on my White Rabbit Rug.

I eat timothy hay when I have my milk, so hay gets stuck to everything.

Did you know that white glue is made from milk?

Then I go outside and wait for the next milk time.

I'll chew on some boots or blankets and make sure no chickens get inside the house.

Milk time again! Love that milk!

The rugs aren't as clean as they were a few hours ago.

What happened?

Who got mud on my "White" Rabbit Rug?

Uh oh. You know, that mud might have come off of me.

Rinsing my feet with water before I came into the house wasn't as effective as we had hoped.

I'm waiting but the next milk isn't coming fast enough.

What does it take to get the third milk of the day on time?

Potato Time! Yellow and russet potatoes, orange and yellow sweet potatoes, Japanese and purple yams and an apple. Hey- where's my corn on the cob!

Crunch drop nom nom nom. I hope you are making my number four milk!

Not so clean any more. Rugs and rabbit to the laundry, bowls to wash up and dried milk to scrape off the floor and walls. Isn't it fun to have a capybara in the house?

Prince Dobalob's Throne Room

2010-10-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

This is my old bathroom. A hole in the ground with a lid. There have been several holes like this, but there aren't a lot of places left in the yard where we want to put poop holes.

One day a bathtub, a toilet, and two sinks appeared in the middle of the back yard. They stayed there so long that the rabbits dug a nice hidey-hole under the bathtub.

This is Becky and Kannon. They are laughing at me because I really, really want to see what Kannon is doing, but there is a fence in the way. I thought Kannon was digging a new poop hole, and in a way, I was right.

I was surprised when Kannon closed up the poop holes and put sticks in them.

Last time he built a deck, the greenhouse went on top of it.

Kannon is the strongest man in the world. He moved that cast-iron bathtub all by himself!

Thank goodness there are some privacy screens!

There is even a nice big step for clumsy capybaras!

I still have my fur groomed professionally, even though I now have facilities available so that I can do it myself.

I thought my bathroom was done, but the fence went back up. Kannon installed special flooring and then grass started to grow. Norman, Cubicle, Cleopatra, Boxcar and Boondock are taste-testing the new grass.

The black rubber floor heats up nicely in the Seattle "sun."

Aaaaah! Custom made for a prince!

Trip to the Cabin

2010-09-15T00:32:00.000-07:00

I don't like car rides very much.

I remember this place, now. It used to stink like deer and rabbits, but some of my smell is here, now, from the last trip.

My Dobhouse is still here and my milk and potatoes seem to be here, too.

It isn't as scary as I remember it. Plus, I have a new bed with skulls on it!

Are you going to sit down?

Thanks, I needed a chin rest.

You can comb my whiskers for a while, if you want to.

That's enough, thanks. You are dismissed.

I'm actually kind of busy.

I still don't see why I can't come in. I can sit here all night, though, if it makes you feel guilty.

Wait- aren't those the iris from that corner at home where the chickens are destroying the garden? How did they get here?

Heh heh heh, this is the little wading pool from at home. No fish, though.

It isn't so bad here after all. I think I'll refuse to put my harness on so we can stay a little longer.

Hmmm. This wasn't what I had in mind. Oh, well. I guess we can leave in the morning.

Coral and Carl and the Capybara

2010-08-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

I thought it was going to be another ordinary day.

I'm just in the back yard checking out my new bathtub. Someone put water in, but I am NOT going in there.

Stacy is proud of my new bathroom, anyway. She is showing it to Coral and Carl.

Look at my new brush! It matches Stacy! But Coral is afraid of me. Maybe because she isn't wearing purple.

Stacy demonstrates the use of my brand new purple brush.

Coral finally agrees to try the brush.

Yeah- under the chin! Stacy thinks she needs to tell Coral everything, but Coral seems to know what capybaras like.

Ha ha ha! Look at Stacy- she's sitting on my toilet!


Coral finally realized how much I like her.

Look how pouffy I am!

Coral was much more relaxed by the time we got to the Front Yard.

I was trying to do the guinea pig heads-up thing because I know Coral misses Sambal and Hello Pineapple.

Coral was very interested in my morillo until she realized it made her hand greasy! Ha ha ha, Coral!

My harness got a little sideways, but I got an apple, hours before my real Potato Time! That mostly happens when special visitors come! Thanks for being such good visitors, Carl and Coral!

Little Winky, My Duckling Friend (who wants to eat my eyeball)

2010-06-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

When Winky first came in, I shared my milk with him and I got really pouffy.

I even let Winky share my White Rabbit Rug.

Winky looks so innocent when he is sleeping. But the next day, Winky jumped very high and pecked at my eyeball! I was just standing there minding my own business. I admit that sometimes I can be a bit boorish, but I was being a gentleman when he attacked my eye! Even when he tried to eat my eye I was a good boy.

Winky has moved out to the aviary and lives in the baby hut now. He has this little cage under the apple tree to stay in when he visits the big ducks in the back yard.

This is Winky's Aunt Ding Dong and his Dad, Brad. When he is in this cage, there is almost always a Muscovy nearby watching over him.

Aunt Ding Dong really likes Winky a lot. She kissed him a little bit today, but he darts around like he is racing in a go-kart so he can't be trusted to stay with her.

Aunt Hershey likes him, too. While she was watching Winky, he snuck away and pecked my eyeball again. He is just a baby so I don't run away or get mad, but he is starting to be very annoying.

Winky's Mama is Cocoa. She pecks Winky gently, just enough so that he goes away. Aunt Hershey watches Winky closely when Cocoa is around.

Sometimes the mama ducks take a break, and then the guys, Norman the Flock Manager and Winky's Dad, Brad, take over watching. I think it will eventually work out having Winky outside IF HE STOPS TRYING TO EAT MY EYEBALL!

Dobby Looks Like a Hot Dog in the Morning

2010-05-06T22:33:00.001-07:00

Is it morning yet?

I can't tell if the sun is up yet.

It was really cold last night.

Is it time for my morning milk?

Okay! If it's milk time, I'm getting up!

Just a minute. This is complicated.

Ha ha ha. Just teasing.

I can't see you because my eyes are closed.

Peek-a-boo!

It's just me. You don't have to be scared.

So weren't we talking about my milk?

The Laptop

2010-05-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about my new laptop!

It works a lot better than you might think.

See? I am writing my own blog, now!

Next, maybe my own Facebook page!

It's a little harder than just telling Stacy what to write.

But I always had to go back and edit it, anyway.

Now that I'm stuck in the corner of the kitchen it is a lot harder to get to her computer to do the editing.

I'm going to see if I can find my chicken friend Penguin.

I want her to see my new laptop.

I'll be right back.

Dang. Penguin is too busy sitting on plastic eggs to come in and check it out right now.

Well, do you like the wallpaper I picked out?

That's Caplin- don't we look a lot alike?

I'll bet he doesn't have his own laptop!

Delivery for Dobby

2010-04-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes trucks come to the house, but I have only gotten one real present from a truck. It was from my big brother, Caplin.

Wow- that thing is BIG!

The big thing is coming into the back yard!

That means it is MINE, no matter what it is!

Justin and Horatio are taking a little break.

That thing is heavy and Horatio is doing most of the work.

I wanted them to put it in my bedroom, but they wouldn't listen to me.

I think I know what it is but it couldn't be for me.

I'm just going to look over the edge to see what is inside it.

Besides Stacy. Why is she standing in it?

What is this, anyway? A bathroom sink?

Hey! This looks like a bathtub! I like bathtubs!

I like to have my picture taken when I am in the bathtub!

That looks like a potty, too!

My poop could go in there and go away, like it did when I was a baby living inside!

I think I am going to have a First Quality Guaranteed bathroom in my back yard!

Yippee!

The Poop Game

2010-04-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

When I was a baby, I pooped in water in a black rubber bowl. I didn't have to learn it from anybody, it was just where I liked to poop- and pee too. Stacy would dump it out into the toilet and put new water in it. I never really drank from this bowl because I had another nice water bowl. I like milk better than water, even now.

This is me in my poop bowl when I was a lot bigger. When I got so big I couldn't really fit in this bowl, I started pooping on the ground, even though Stacy got me a much bigger bowl. Most big boys poop on the ground, even though Caplin still poops in a bowl. Caplin's owner still dumps his poop in the toilet, but Stacy refuses to carry it into the house to do that.

This is a picture of the apple tree I tried to eat. Wait a minute- weren't we talking about poop? Oh, there are no more pictures of pooping but I do want to tell you about The Poop Game.

The Poop Hole

The Poop Game is one of the best games I have invented. I like to poop on the deck right outside the kitchen door. Stacy hates this, so she usually comes right out to clean it up. She puts it into the second hole she has dug in the yard (ha ha ha I already pooped enough to fill the first hole she dug 2 months ago!) and comes back around to the deck. I always follow her and watch everything. Here is the fun part- I have made another poop on the deck right after she cleaned up the first one! I know how much she likes my poop, so I am just giving her another present. She makes a funny shape with her mouth and scoops up the second poop, goes out to the yard and puts it into the hole. I hang back a little bit and then I follow her out to the poop hole. Guess what? Ha ha ha, I have saved just enough to make one more little poop! It is not little enough to ignore, though, so she scoops it up and for the third time I follow her out to watch her dump it. That's usually the end of it. Three poops, three trips to the poop hole. Isn't that fun!

Dobby gets a present from Caplin!

2010-03-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

I had my first birthday and Caplin Rous, my big brother (and The World's Most Famous Capybara) sent me a present!

I guess a present is a box. I have one of those already.

This box isn't empty like my other boxes, though.

There was a card inside so I put it on my nose to see if I like it, and I do!

There was a box inside the box so I had to put that on my nose, too!

It is good with the card on my nose and the box on the card.

It's so good I just might stand up a little bit.

Now wait just a minute! Something is sticking to my feet!

What are these things? Are they food, did Caplin send me food? I like the box better.

Yes, the box is very good! Thank you, Caplin! I like it!

Dobby says "Milk"

2010-01-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

I dazzled Stacy with my sense of humor yesterday. We were in the front yard and cars in the street always scare me a little bit. When a red car came into the driveway I started getting nervous so she told me it was "Dick" coming home. Oh! Well I know who Dick is- he is the one who gives me my milk, so I did my word for milk, puckering up my lips and moving them in and out! It is my best word. Well, it is my ONLY word, but I'm not even 1 year old! She said "Dick" again and I said "milk" again. We did this a few times and she just started laughing, and I went to say hello to Dick and to see if he would make me some milk.

Milk is the only word I can say, but I do understand LOTS of words. My favorite is "good boy". My least favorite is "no!" I know who "Dick" is, but also "Sam" and "Becky", and I am learning "India" and "Aki". I know what "chickens" are, and I know what "feed the chickens" means, and also "Don't let the chickens out!" because that is very, very important. I know what my "potatoes" are and after I drink my milk we do "wipe your mouth." I know what it means to go "outside" and I think I am starting to understand what "front yard" means but I don't have to learn that because I have to put on my harness and that's how I really know we're going out there. One of my first words was "swimming" and in the summer I get right in my pool when Stacy starts talking about swimming. It isn't as much fun now, but I still know what she is talking about. One of the first words I learned was "rabbit", and that could be any of my rabbit toys, but especially my favorite big white rabbit rug.

One confusing thing is my name. I know I am "Dobby" but to tease Stacy I will answer to any silly name she uses, like DibDabDobby, Dobalob, Doofus, DibbityDobby, Stinky, Dobbledygook, Big Rat, Sir Poopsalot, and Big-Fat-Ugly-Poopoo-Stinking-Capybara. I think she forgets my real name sometimes.

My Bad

2010-01-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

It seems like for a while, when it was really cold outside, Stacy was hanging around with me a lot but now that the weather is a little better she has started disappearing during the day again. She wears the clothes I like to chew on and roars around and then she leaves out the front door without saying "I'll be right back". I know what that means, and when she doesn't say it she might stay away for hours. I have been getting pretty anxious about this "leaving" business.

Yesterday when she was struggling at the door to get her mud boots off, I saw my chance and pushed past her into the house. I immediately saw that the Dobby-Gate was open so I walked on into the kitchen. I could hear her saying bad words to her boots, now, but I saw that the door to the hall was open, too, so I kept going. I love that feeling of carpet on my toes and started to turn a lazy circle in the doorway but then she started saying "No, Dobby, no!" so I ran up the steps. I kept going to the bedroom, where I used to sleep when I was a baby, and where I used to play all the time. My favorite stuff is up there, like the Forbidden Closet, and my favorite under-the-desk lounging area. But I didn't get that far. I saw a most wondrous thing in my old sleeping corner: a brand new white rabbit rug! Even from far away I could tell it wasn't as nice (smelly) as my old one, but still it was such a beautiful sight that I just stopped right there, frozen in a classic capybara pose. Then, before I knew what was happening she pushed me out of the bedroom back into the hall. I started DOWN the stairs this time but I started to get mad until I saw- ha ha ha!- that my feet were making muddy footprints like a cartoon! So funny! But even though I kept trying to on the way out, she wouldn't let me poop or pee or even mark the rugs, so the excursion was somewhat of a failure from that standpoint. As a reconnaissance run, though, it was quite satisfactory. A little more practice, more confidence and determination, and I'll be rip snorting back up there in no time

Effect of Climate Change on Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

2010-01-10T00:05:00.000-08:00

Effect Of Climate Change On Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Stacy Thomas Winnick

Dobby Capybara Winnick

Abstract

The Ice Age of Seattle, December 2009, caused devastating habitat loss for capybara in the Puget Sound Region of Washington State. Prior to the Ice Age, Dobby had free access to his owner’s bedroom, including the corner home office area, the stairway to the Wine Cellar where his potatoes are stored, and the entire kitchen. He even had supervised access to the living room (with the coveted Eames Chair and its tasty armrest) and occasionally lurked underneath the dining table where he could nibble on knees throughout the meal.

In this study, temperatures are correlated with behavior and the subsequent loss of indoor habitat. The trend toward devilish bad behavior became clear even with the introduction of variables such as the prodigal college student, medical regimens, and the unfortunate and very untimely demise of equipment crucial to maintenance of the study.

Dobby has since returned to his original angelic disposition, but he will have to earn his way back into lost habitat by displaying perfect behavior, as defined by strict maternal standards.

Introduction

Dobby Winnick is a capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, a large herbivorous rodent indigenous to South America, primarily the Amazon River Basin Region. He was born at Star Farm in Nacogdoches, Texas on Valentine’s Day 2009, to Bonnie and Clyde West. He was adopted by Stacy Winnick and moved to the Puget Sound Region of Washington State in early March, 2009, where he currently resides. He arrived in Seattle to sub-freezing temperatures, but by the time he was old enough to spend extended time outdoors, typical dreary Seattle gray skies and constant drizzle had set in. Summer brought record-breaking heat to briefly scorch the soggy, moss covered mud in Dobby’s yard. Autumn was unusually damp, and then December’s Ice Age arrived. As outdoor temperatures dropped below Dobby’s comfort level, his indoor habitat became more and more restricted and degraded and his normally angelic indoor behavior deteriorated in response to the outdoor temperature. This study correlates the temperature changes and subsequent indoor habitat loss and degradation with Dobby’s exhibited behavior.

Methods

Several independent lines of data were collected during the month of December, 2009, when the recent Ice Age occurred. A timeline of activities related to temperature and behavior was recorded. Temperature data was collected from a readily available online source. Habitat loss was tracked and recorded. Finally, Dobby’s behavior was assessed using quantitative and qualitative criteria.

Major Findings

Dobby’s pre-Ice Age indoor habitat consisted of several rooms, with both hardwood and carpeted flooring. As his behavior deteriorated, the areas Dobby considered to be the most desirable (carpeted- his tootsies slide like the devil on slick surfaces due to his exaggerated toenails) were transferred to the Holy Crap, Get the Hell Out of There, What Have You Done! habitat category. All of Dobby’s carpeted indoor habitat was eventually transferred to this category. Once he was confined to inferior habitat (hardwood floors, slick as snot), this area became degraded as area carpets were removed and even the ubiquitous IKEA Rabbit Rug (“Gosingen”) was removed from service when it became too filthy for indoor use, and yet too precious for outdoor use. Dobby eventually adapted to his new indoor habitat once the Rabbit Rug was returned to service.

Key Quantitative Results

Nov 30 Veterinary appt, weight 58.3#, worm samples delivered, first Ivermectin injection: Dobby was taken to the veterinarian in an attempt to diagnose worms that were expelled in his urine. Symptoms include increased frequency of anal marking. WTF?

Dec 1 First night of freezing weather: Dobby’s outdoor pen is protected from inclement weather but only partially protected from the cold. He has an antique iron bed, several vintage blankets and a comforter, a small stuffed gray rabbit toy, and a heat lamp [note: he now has a heated pad designed for dogs]

Dec 6 23 degrees at night: And we discover that Dobby looks a bit funky in the morning. We resolve to let him sleep inside if the cold weather continues, though he has been known to soil his bedding on a nightly basis for the past 5 months.

Dec 7 Temperatures continue to drop: Dobby moves indoors at bedtime and a shower curtain is placed under bedding to protect the carpet where he sleeps near the head of my bed. It’s really slippery. Bedding laundered.

Dec 8 12 degrees at night, not much above freezing days: Dobby stays in much of the day. Anal marking continues, and carpeted east end of master bedroom is put Off Limits. Bedding laundered.

Dec 9 12 degrees at night, not much above freezing days: Dobby stays in much of the day. Anal marking continues, and large blankets are spread in bedroom area in an attempt to deter anal marking (ineffective). Bedding laundered.

Dec 10 Still fricking cold, night and day: Second veterinary appt, weight 60.2#, one more worm sample delivered, second Ivermectin injection. No diagnosis from WA State parasitology lab. Fenbendazole prescribed as a precaution. Dobby still sleeping indoors. Bedding laundered.

Dec 11 Cold weather not yet ready to give in: Veterinarian calls with lab results. Dobby has a urinary tract infection. Baytril (1-3/4) tablets daily, in milk, w/sugar to make the medicine go down. Dobby doesn’t like this. Bedding laundered but the dryer is not working. We go out to an evening soiree, during which Dobby decorates the halls with anal markings, huge puddles of joy, and 11 piping piles of poo, through which one very angry lad has leaped, spreading holiday cheer. No hope for drying bedding and our stock of clean “sacrifice” blankets is diminishing. Wash it anyway and start hanging it around the house.

Dec 12 This weather sucks: Pair of underpants, a shoebox of lint, and half gallon of water(?) is removed from dryer vent, and the dryer is ready for business! Washer dies unexpectedly, and diagnosis is grim. Merde. Bedding NOT laundered.

Dec 13 I cannot believe this weather! Where is our rain? Bought new space-age heavy-duty washer from Sears Scratch and Dent, to be delivered “tomorrow”.

Dec 14 Ditto the weather, washer, dryer, Dobby’s little surprises, which are now like diarrhea, thanks to the antibiotic that is killing his gut bacteria.

Dec 15 Ditto the weather, washer, dryer: Becky home from college- watch your step, Becky!

Dec 16 Ditto the weather, washer, dryer, Dobby’s little surprises: Depth of ice on swimming pool reaches 6”

Dec 17 Predicted night temperatures to stay above freezing: Dobby moves back outside for bedtime!!! But he is still inside a lot of the day. It is not nice outside.

Dec 18 Weather continues to improve while multiplying dirty piles of laundry now decorate the halls. New washer arrives, promptly dies as the delivery van backs out the driveway and heads down the street.

Dec 19 Dobby moves outdoors for daytime: Do you hear that sigh of relief?

Dec 20 Dobby’s (now filthy) rabbit is removed from service

Dec 21 New new washer arrives, and amazes us all with its darling messages, sleek styling, ENORMOUS capacity, and nearly silent operation. Silent and constant.

Dec 22 Dobby’s clean white rabbit rug returned to service

Dec 23 Dobby starts Probiacin, now that the antibiotics have reamed out his system.

Dec 24 Baytril regimen complete but Dobby is now banished from the bedroom, even though we can now clean the blankets, enough is enough.

Dec 25 Dobby is now banished from the carpeted stairway. Temporary kitchen area set aside for Dobby

Dec 26 Dobby adapted to his kitchen area, somewhat. Temporary barriers reinforced after he barges past the hamster cage to decorate a previously untouched oriental carpet in the dining room.

Dec 27 Dobby continues to adapt to the kitchen enclosure

Dec 28 Dobby continues to adapt to the kitchen enclosure

Dec 29 Dobby continues to adapt to the kitchen enclosure

Dec 30 Dobby continues to adapt to the kitchen enclosure and starts Eeeeeping! again. We hadn’t really noticed when the eeps went away, but they are back.

Dec 31 Ice on swimming pool melted. Happy New Year!

Table 1 Temperature Data (Fahrenheit)

Daily minimum and maximum outdoor temperatures are noted. Indoor temperatures ranged from 60.4 to 70.2 degrees and are not noted because this variable remained unchanged for the duration of the study.

NOTE: From NOAA, the following commentary: “THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE YEAR OCCURRED IN EARLY DECEMBER DESPITE THE SUNSHINE AND LACK OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. A NUMBER OF DAILY RECORD LOWS FELL AROUND THE REGION INCLUDING THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 6 ABOVE ZERO AT OLYMPIA ON THE 8TH...9TH AND 10TH.

DEC 4-13 - WESTERN WASHINGTON

A COLD SNAP GRIPPED THE REGION WITH THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE YEAR. A NUMBER OF RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FELL. OLYMPIA DROPPED TO 6 DEGREES ABOVE ON DEC 8...9 AND 10...THE COLDEST THIS DECADE. THOUGH DAMAGE RESULTS FROM THE COLD SPELL WERE NOT AVAILABLE YET...ONE LOCAL INSURANCE COMPANY DESCRIBED THE EVENT AS ONE OF THE TOP 6 SEVERE COLD WEATHER EVENTS IN THE LAST 25 YEARS WITH $4.3 MILLION IN CLAIMS.”

Table 2 Indoor Habitat Loss (in acres/hectares) and Degradation

Table 3 Behavioral Assessment

Dobby’s behavior was rated on a scale from Angel through Devil on a daily basis throughout the Ice Age. His behavior correlates with the Key Quantitative Results, above.

Interpretation of the Data

Poor ickle Dobbykins just didn’t understand what happened to his lovely world. Everything got cold and then he got sick, but then he got to sleep inside again! That was just like when he was a baby, but Big Boys don’t go potty inside. But wait- it was fricking freezing cold outside, and there was no way he was going to go out there, nosiree bob! So Dobby got pissed off and apparently he got pooped off, too. And then he got kicked outside again at night, just when he thought things were going his way, and that pissed him off, too. Then his rabbit disappeared and didn’t come back until the new washer came.

Conclusion

Dobby is currently restricted to a generous play area in the kitchen, and is learning to ring a little bell to go outside when he needs to. Spare white rabbit rugs have been purchased for emergency use.

Bibliography

Baha Men. Who Let the Dogs Out? Edel Records, 1998.

Cuppy, Will. How to Attract the Wombat. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1983.

Captain & Tennille; Muskrat Love. A&M Records, 1976.

Giffen, Craig. “Human Clock: About.” Human Clock. 2001-2009. SE Portland, Oregon. 31 Dec. 2009 <Http://www.humanclock.com>.

Ice Cube. Today Was a Good Day. Priority, 1993

MesoWest Lake Forest Park Towne Center WA US WAAQ, Seattle, Washington (PWS). “Weather History for This Location” 31 Dec. 2009 <Http://www.wunderground.com>.

National Weather Service Forecast Office. Seattle, WA <Http://www.nws.noaa.gov/sew>.

Peet, Bill. Capyboppy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1966.

Sedaris, Amy. I Like You. New York: Warner Books, 2006.

Typaldos, Melanie. Celeste and the Giant Hamster. <www.booksurge.com>: 2009.

Winnick, Stacy. Dobby’s Diary. Lake Forest Park: Unknown Press, 2010.

Winnick, Stacy. “Dobby’s Frozen Pool.” Dobby’s Day. 2010. Stacy’s Funny Farm. 6 Dec. 2009 <Http://www.hippopotatomus.blogspot.com>.

Winnick, Stacy. “Dobby Surprises Becky”, “Dobby and his White Rabbit Rug”, “Two Toy Rabbits”.” Hippopotatomus’s Channel. 29 Dec. 2009. <Http://www.youtube.com/user/hippopotatomus>.

And Now for Something Completely Different

2010-01-02T20:58:00.001-08:00

I know everyone is waiting for Dobby News, but this is all I've got for you today. I present for your viewing pleasure, my Ashtray Collection. I have over 100, now. This isn't even all of them. And no, I don't smoke.

Dobby's frozen pool

2009-12-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

I am so annoyed! My swimming pool froze last night. When it became clear that nobody was going to fix it for me, I did my Doofus Dance on the top step and came down.

3 Brown Ducks

2009-11-25T22:56:00.000-08:00

I got to help clip the duck wings! First I got to help capture them by marking my favorite shrub while Stacy picked up the ducks, one by one. I had to stay outside the barn while she grabbed the last one, though. It really didn't want to be picked up. I watched the ducks, eye to eye, while they were being clipped and made sure they didn't wriggle away! Now they don't fly to the roof any more but they can still get up onto my straw steps to poop. I like the brown ducks because they are friendly, but respectful.

This morning I was very proud. I had been in the aviary for a long time and Stacy came to let me out. She opened the gate and said "Don't let the chickens out!" like she always does. That's because 8 chickens ran over to the gate to come out with me. So this time I carefully and gently pushed all 8 chickens away from the gate with my nose. Then I rushed out the gate and got even my big tuchis outside the gate before I sat down to rub my butt. It feels good to help and I like my job.

Ducks

2009-11-24T00:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I think old Leonardo (Muscovy drake) heard Stacy saying he probably wouldn't make it through the winter because he wasn't looking too good yesterday. He was walking around so slow it seemed it would take all day to cross the yard. And he was even slower at going through the gate than I am. Some obnoxious brown girlie ducks (chocolate Muscovies) showed up at the end of the summer for old Leonardo and his son, Brad, but they never even paid any attention to them. I think that's why Hershey flew away yesterday. Cocoa has been sitting on the railing with Ding Dong, and they even all three flew onto the roof, but no one thought they'd be foolish enough to fly away! Hershey made it through the night, though, and showed up at the corn dish with the wild mallards in the morning. Stacy said she was going to clip their wings and I sure hope I get to help! I'll chase them fall over the aviary to calm them down! That will get them nice and muddy. Then I'll stand too close and try to get her attention by nipping her coat-tails. Yep, it will be a fine day for me to be a Big Help.

Winter Prep

2009-11-22T01:11:00.000-08:00

My owners- Stacy & Dick- both went away in the car today and when they came back it was full of hay! I already have my own bale of timothy hay and the steps to my swimming pool are done so I wasn't sure what it was for. The bale of straw ended up in the aviary by the chicken food. It was so beautiful and clean and new. My pool steps are completely soggy and growing grass, and I think the brown ducks even pooped on them, but this new bale was a wondrous thing. It just wasn't in MY house. The next thing I knew I had my harness on and I was in the front yard eating grass. Now that I have tasted that front-yard grass I don't mind the harness so much, but I still pretend I'm a horse and puff up and hold my breath so my chest is REALLY BIG so Stacy has to grunt and yank on that harness to get it to go around me. Then I scamper off and it gets loose and I get my foot caught up in it, like the big doofus that I am. It's one of my favorite games, the puff-up-like-a-horse game. But I couldn't wait to get back to the aviary to see if that straw was still there. Dick had moved the iguana cage to a new spot (no we don't have one, but the cage was a hand-me-down that used to have one in there, and now Stacy puts baby birds in there in the spring). Then Stacy moved a big packing crate around, and put up a heat lamp, and invited the stupid birds in. It's much nicer in there without them, but they think they own the place and in they marched: the 2 crazy geese, the 8 silly hens, the 3 boring Rouens and Jose who follows them now, the 3 hoodlums, 3 chocolate Muscovies, and the 2 old Muscovy drakes. I kind of felt like it was my barn now, but they came roaring in to check out the new changes. Then Stacy snipped the baling twine and started throwing straw all around! It was heaven! I ate some, I kicked some up by spinning around, I rolled in it, and ate some more! But you know, those stupid birds were jumping on the bale, picking and scratching at the straw, and moving right in on my personal straw-rolling station! Norman, the big goose has always been a pain in the butt, and when HE came near my personal straw-rolling station, I jumped on him! I ran him out of there so fast the other birds just stood there, jaws dropping right and left! Stacy hollered at him, too, and came to help me run him out of the barn! At least that is what I thought until Dick ran over to Norman and was talking to him real nice and asking if he was okay. When I looked back at Stacy, she had this really disgusted look on her face. Well, I go out there with her every morning, feeding those chickens. It's just not fair that I can't have the bird barn and the rabbit palace and their bedroom, too, while we're at it, when I'm Dobby the Big Helper!

Capybara in the Bathtub

2009-11-18T21:40:00.000-08:00

I was so embarrassed to see this photo of me NAKED in the bathtub. All of a sudden one day it was all over the internet! I don't take many indoor baths any more because I have a great big swimming pool now. It has an edible grand staircase outside and some goldfish inside. Plus I have lots toys in there that I like (I only had some ducks and a cottage cheese carton in the bathtub). In the swimming pool I have a hula hoop to scratch my nose on. Some plastic boats to chew on. A couple frisbees and a kickboard. A great big orange ball to push with my nose (died of a fatal bite hole) And a really big innertube stuffed with Noodles (because I bit a hole in it before it even went in to the pool).

The noodles were Caplin's idea. It's great to have a big brother- he has lots of good ideas. I don't like his food, though. Yogurt is yucky. I tried pears, but I only bit the stem off and took some teeny tiny nibbles but it wasn't a potato. So I left it in the bowl.

I think I am finally ready to write about my day

2009-11-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

I have had a VERY exhausting day. I chased the silly hens and had to keep pushing the geese and ducks out of my pen. They know it is my special place and can't seem to stay out. They like my food- there is always my special granola and usually potatoes. I think they like the broccoli best. At least they stay off of my bed! I have had 4 big bowls of milk today, that is my special goat's milk with rice cereal made for babies. I know I'm not a baby any more, but I heard my owner Stacy saying how expensive the organic baby cereal is getting because I go through a box a day. That makes me feel special. Right now I am relaxing before I have my last bowl of the day and go out to my bed. Stacy calls this Potato Time because I like to eat my potatoes at night.

Watch this space!

2009-04-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Back soon!