Sometimes, I Can Be Difficult

Like Yesterday.

Sometimes, after I have my morning constitutional, The Woman gives me a biscuit to eat. However, I will usually wait until she comes home from work before I consume it, preferring to spend my entire day, sleeping in my crate, guarding my treasure. Yesterday, That Guy worked at home, and I would not eat my treat until The Woman returned.

Like Last Night.

The Woman had class last night so it was That Guy and Me hangin' in our crib. When dinner time came, The Woman was still not home. I swear that the food That Guy put in my bowl was not the same food that The Woman puts in my bowl so I refused to eat until she returned home. Then, after she offered me a kibble or two, I decided it was safe to eat my meal.

This Morning.

I ate my breakfast, which was served to me in a timely manner and yet, The Woman made herself some eggs *after* she had given me my kibble. I was rather shocked that she did not share these eggs with me; after all, I enjoy scrambled eggs as much as any other Shiba. However, this time I decided That Guy was a worthy server and ate the eggs that he placed in my bowl. I then allowed him to pet me eventhough I had not yet had my morning constitutional.

And today it is raining so that means that I reserve the right to refuse to enter my backyard until conditions are satisfactorially to my standards. I opted for wet paws.


I Am Shiba. Always Leave Them Wondering.

Panic at the Disco

My front road is like a dance hall. Squirrels cavort back and forth between yards, running between trees, and enjoying the freedom of the roadway that only the truly Born to Be Wild understand.

Recently, however, a new being moved into the neighborhood. A neighbor that I had great interest in. A nice small brown furry little striped fellow who went by the name of Mr. Chipmunk.

He had two homes. One was across the street in the neighbor's garden.

The other was in our wood pile.

This amused me as I can identify the shrill of a chipmunk call from over a mile away, but I can most certainly smell one that is living on the same property in which I mark my domain.

So I am very excited by the latest addition of wildlife to our party atmosphere. Squirrels, Foxes, Skunks, Opossum- but most certainly, my favorite little quarry of a Chipmunk is always welcome.

Imagine my disappointment when the very next day, I went outside for my morning constitutional, and found him dead. In the middle of the road. The newest resident of our neighborhood, a victim of a hit and run accident.

I was aghast.

It is depressing enough when I see dead squirrels or rodents lying in the middle of the streets, but This Chipmunk was special. He was here for me as he moved into my wood pile and was in my yard.

And a reckless driver took away all opportunity for me to enjoy his company.

Like all Shibas, I mourn in silence but let this be a remember to everyone:

Chipmunks are stupid enough to get run over in the middle of the night so please, drive safely and brake for small furry creatures.


I Am Shiba. Some Are Not Born to be Wild.

The Woman Speaks

Cortez, Jean-Luc, Anne-Marie (Jean-Luc's Mom), and myself just finished a wonderful 5 day vacation that started in Connecticut and ended in Connecticut. While we had numerous adventures, took over 200+ pictures, and ate seafood non-stop, not everything could be published or addressed in this blog. After all, this is Cortez's blog, and I must only write what he tells me to write.

If you want the story in chronological order, scroll down to Day 1 and then scroll up as you read. As much as I tried, the days were published backwards rather than forward. I wanted you see our last day first and our first day last. If someone knows how I can change this, I am open to input, however, in the meantime, I apologize for its order.

Acadia is a Shiba paradise. Perfect for car drives, leftover seafood, nice hikes with cool temperatures, and plenty of people to stop and adore him, ask what is he, and point out that he looks like a fox. While I may tire of this, The Shiba never does. So if you are seeking a place to have fun, relax, and enjoy the Northeast, Acadia has the stamp of approval from The Shiba.


I am The Woman. I Interpret The Shiba's Blog.

Home Sweet Home

I have returned to my castle. All is as it should be.


I Am Shiba. Zzzzzz.

Day 5: We Visit Frontier

So we drive through the mountains, see lots of leaves, smell a few chipmunk holes, and eventually wandered down to My Kennel Beginnings.

This is Mom Woman who brought me into this World.


While All The People go inside to talk, I am given the freedom of playing in the dog pen. As I am now King Complete of the North East, I make sure that everyone knows that I was here:


While Mom Woman is very involved with Rottweilers, she (like most everyone else) succombed to all that which is Shiba. However, Rottweilers remain her passion:



I Am Shiba. Shiba > Rottweilers.

Day 4: New Hampshire: The Chipmunk State

The Woman and I finish our last morning sunrise beach walk. This time, no dogs challenged my right to claim the beach as part of My Reign. I am now the King Complete of the Northeast. There were no waves today, proving my theory that eating the sea foam solved the problem of The Angry Water. The Woman was thrilled because she saw several new birds for her life list, and together we watched the seagulls hunt crabs and shells. It was a good morning for watching birds, and relishing in my triumph of conquering nature and loose dogs.

So today we venture west to see the Mountains of New Hampshire. We stop along the road so I can continue to check out water, rocks, and look for more chipmunks.


It's really not as bad as I think it looks.

And rest stops were frequent.


So we arrive at our new hotel. I am exhausted (although I will not admit it). And while I normally do not sleep on the bed, this time, exceptions were made. I desired a comfortable sleep and so we guys rested in luxury while The Woman quietly read into the night.


I Am Shiba. Tonight, I Sleep.

Day 3: By Land And By Sea

Today is a sunny day but windy. The chill was a good one that made me fluff out my coat and look very Shiba.

My day started with another attack by the three loose dogs as The Woman and I headed toward the Beach for our early morning walk. Again, these dogs seem to think that they can take down The Shiba in his perfect fitness and attitude, and again, I am spitting out fur as they scamper to the safety of their yard. The ocean was once again beautiful with its sunrise. I continue to explore and play within the waves. It was another good walk, followed by a good hearty kibble breakfast.

Our goal of today is to conquer several parts of the Acadia. We need to venture to the top of Mt. Cadillac, visit Sand Beach, and climb around Otter Cliff.

First we start on Mt. Cadillac and as you can see, these are perfect conditions for a Shiba Walk. Mt. Cadillac is so dog friendly that I go into the gift shop and help The People make decisions regarding what souvenirs to purchase.




Then we venture to Sand Beach. This was utopia for me to conclude my experiment of the Angry Water. The waves were crashing onto the sand and I had to investigate. What I noticed is that with every wave, came Foam so obviously there was a relationship between Angry Water and the Foam. So, the obvious answer to this mystery of stopping the Angry Water is to eat the Foam.



However, it is also fun to Chase The Waves.


Then, we all need a nice rest.


So then we head off to Otter Cliff where we hike the path which gives The People the perfect view of the Atlantic Ocean. I, on the other hand, find something much more interesting:


Chipmunks!


I Am Shiba. My Adventures Continue.

Day 2: Lead, Follow, or Get Out of My Way.

This morning, The Woman and I did the first of what would become three 6 AM walks in low tide on the beach. Despite our walk starting with a dogfight because three loose dogs thought they could take a Shiba (I was spitting out fur after we finished), The Woman and I continued our walk on the beach, watching the seagulls, looking for crabs and shells, and just enjoyed the peace of a beautiful morning sunrise.

After a lovely breakfast, we head to Acadia Park and begin a walk around Jordan Pond. It was a windy but a sunny day, perfect conditions for a nice jaunt. It is about a four miles, a rather comfortable hike where we get to observe a variety of scenery and walk on everything from trails, to boardwalks, to crossing boulders. I, of course, excelled at all.

However, I noticed something intriguing about this Pond verses the Pond of My Nature Center or the Reservoir where I often walk.



In this particular park, the water made funny noises against the rocks. This was most interesting as no matter where I went, there were these strange noises and the water was moving. It was like the water itself was alive and attempting to cover the rocks with wetness.

I am intrigued.

However, as we get about half-way around the park, we reach a small beach area that has sand, and the water is pushing itself up and over the rocks. Obviously, I need to chase down the water and determine what was causing this wild movement and insanity.

This was not the falling water of a stream, but rather placid lake water that had a mind of its own.

So, I leap in to investigate.


Other than discovering This Water is as Wet as The Water at home, I made no conclusions into its fury.

After a tour of Bar Harbor, dinner, and the eventual nightly constitutional, I finally return to the hotel for a night of sleep.

The Shiba 10:47 pm.


The Shiba 10:49 pm.



I Am Shiba. Life Is Good.

Day 1: The Adventure Begins

So, after Grand-Maman settles in for a day, we rent a very nice SUV and head off into the wilderness of Acadia, Maine. With That Guy driving and Grand-Maman navigating, it is The Woman and I who get to stretch out in the back, and enjoy the 5 hour ride to Acadia.


It is a very comfortable ride.

The Hotel was very nice. We stayed at the Belfast Harbor Inn ( http://belfastharborinn.com/ ) which is both pet friendly and comfortable. I also had my own lodgings.


So while we had a few walks along the way, it was an uneventful ride into what will become the wonders of Acadia and Bar Harbor, Maine.


I Am Shiba. I Am Prepared to Discovered New Lands.