DON'T STRESS IN TEXAS Y'ALL!

 I PUT THE BALL DOWN ON THE GRASS BY THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS,

 AND WENT OUT TO CONGRATULATE MERLIN ON A TRICK WELL PLAYED!

 I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS, HOW HE TRICKED ME INTO RUNNING 4 MILES ACROSS THE YARD OUT TO THE FENCE, TO CATCH SOMETHING, AND BRING IT BACK FOR HIM, ONLY TO FIND OUT...THAT AFTER I GOT ALL THE WAY OUT THERE...
 THE ONLY THING I WAS GONNA BE CATCHING....WAS MY BREATH!

YEAH...THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS...HILARIOUS!

  

 I DIDN'T WANT MERLIN TO THINK I WAS MAD AT HIM FOR PLAYING A TRICK ON ME,

 BECAUSE I REALLY WASN'T. 

IF ANYONE CAN APPRECIATE THE FUN OF A GOOD TRICK AROUND HERE...IT'S ME!

 I REMINDED HIM, THAT HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE HOUND IN THE POUND, AND ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO TAKE A 'B.F.F. PICTURE' WITH ME,
FOR TODAY'S BLOG!

                             

HE SAID HE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE FUN,
BUT...JUST AS THE CAMERA GUY TOOK THE SHOT,
GUESS WHO GOT DISTRACTED BY A GARDEN SNAIL, THAT JUST SPENT 4 MONTHS GETTING FROM ONE END OF THE STAIR TO THE OTHER? 

WHAT GAVE IT AWAY FOLKS?

I TOLD MERLIN, HE COULD GET BACK TO HIS MID-DAY ESCARGOT BRUNCH,
 AS SOON AS I GOT A HAPPY FACE PICTURE FOR MY BLOG.

HE QUICKLY OBLIGED ME...

AND THEN WENT RIGHT BACK TO MAKING SURE THAT OLD GARDEN SNAIL DIDN'T SUDDENLY DECIDE TO DASH OFF AND MAKE A BREAK FOR IT!

AND THAT WAS MY CUE, TO GO BACK IN THE HOUSE Y'ALL!

I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE ANOTHER TENNIS BALL TO THE LAWN GUYS TENNIS BALL SHREDDER...(OR MERLIN'S  POTTY ACCURACY)...SO I RAN OVER REAL QUICK,

 
AND SCOOPED IT UP!

AND THEN...
 I WENT BACK INTO THE HOUSE TO CRY...

I'M JUST KIDDING YOU!  WHO CRIES OVER A BALL? NO REALLY!
IT'S AN OLD PICTURE I COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO DELETE!
 LOOK HOW CUTE I AM! RIGHT?

ACTUALLY, WHAT I REALLY DID WAS,
CAME OUT HERE TO THE OFFICE FOR A LITTLE LAP TIME WITH DEE!

SEE! DOWN HERE!

BUT THEN I GOT REALLY BORED....

LIKE THIS KIND OF BORED!

 I LOOKED DOWN AT TIKA...WHO WAS SO BORED...
SHE WAS LAYING BETWEEN TWO BEDS, TRYING TO SEE IF SHE COULD GUESS WHICH ONE SHE WOULD END UP TAKING A NAP IN!

A DILEMMA...NONE-THE-LESS...

DEE LOOKED AT ME AND TIKA AND SAID....
"DO YOU GUYS WANNA SNEAK OUT AND GO FOR A RIDE?"

WELL...YOU SURE DIDN'T HAVE TO ASK US TWICE...
 BECAUSE 30 SECONDS LATER...

TIKA WAS IN THE BACK SEAT GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR,

AND I WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL TRYING TO GRASP THE PHYSICAL MECHANICS INVOLVED IN DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH A MANUAL SHIFT TRANSMISSION!

 IF WHAT I REMEMBER LOOKING UP ON GOOGLE IMAGES WAS CORRECT...
THAT WOULD BE THE SHIFT LEVER DOWN THERE...

EXCUSE ME...I JUST WANNA GET A CLOSER LOOK...

YUP, THAT'S THE SHIFTER ALRIGHT! 

APPARENTLY,
BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER FROM ONE POSITION TO THE OTHER...
YOU HAVE TO PUSH IN THAT PEDAL DOWN THERE ON THE FLOOR FIRST...

 AND THEN YOU CAN SHIFT GEARS....

ARE YOU GETTING ANY OF THIS MADNESS?

LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH WHILE YOU'RE TAKING YOUR FAVORITE PUPPY, AND ONE OF THE OTHER DOGS, FOR A LOVELY AND RELAXING COUNTRY DRIVE...WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR

 FIND THE STICK SHIFT...

STEP ON THE PEDAL!

GIVE IT SOME GAS!
NO! THAT'S TOO MUCH!
PUSH THE CLUTCH! 
GIVE IT SOME GAS AGAIN! 

WATCH THE ROAD!
 

FIND THE SHIFTER AGAIN!

PEDAL ON THE FLOOR! PEDAL ON THE FLOOR!

WATCH THE ROAD!

SHIFT GEARS AGAIN!

NOW DO YOU SEE WHY I TAKE THE TRUCK? 

 

ACCORDING TO GOOGLE EARTH...
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINY Y'ALL...
 (WHEREVER THAT WAS?)

SUDDENLY.... AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ALL...