Dingo Tales – Page 8 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Lupe’s 6th birthday was a rather cold day, as December birthdays are apt to be. However, it wasn’t cold enough to prevent the day from starting with a little flying disc action in the backyard.

Lupe’s birthday got off to a good start with some flying disc action in the backyard.

Lupe had received the flying disc as part of a PupJoy gift box at Thanksgiving. She used to play with Frisbees when she was less than two years old, but she wasn’t used to the flying disc now. SPHP wasn’t the best at throwing it, either.

Still, Lupe had some success at catching the flying disc in mid-flight when SPHP managed to get in a decent toss. Short practice sessions were held throughout the morning and early afternoon, with increasing success as the day wore on.

Around mid-afternoon, it was time to brave the Christmas crowds at Wal-Mart. Lupe went along for the ride in the G6. SPHP bought a Dingo’s food chocolate cake mix and marshmallow vanilla frosting.

At home, SPHP baked the cake. It was supposed to cool for a while before being frosted. SPHP was in a bit of a hurry, so the cake got put outside in 10°F weather for 20 minutes. It was plenty cool to frost then! SPHP added sprinkles on top of the frosting. Then it was time to go.

Every year, Lupe has her birthday party at Grandma’s house, and this year was no exception. Lupe raced in to surprise Grandma wearing her party hat. Although this happens every year, Grandma still manages to be surprised and glad to see the birthday Dingo.

Lupe arrives at Grandma’s house wearing her party hat, ready to surprise Grandma!

Grandma was glad to see the birthday Dingo, and Lupe was glad to see Grandma!

Lupe’s birthday party was poorly attended this year. Only Grandma, SPHP and Lupe were there. Even Butterfly, Grandma’s 3-legged cat, didn’t bother to come out to wish Lupe a happy birthday.

Lupe wasn’t worried about the attendance, though. What worried her was a new addition to her birthday cake. SPHP had added candles! Whether she was afraid of the flaming cake, or how many Dingo years gone by those candles represented wasn’t entirely clear, but after a few minutes, Lupe got used to them.

Lupe seemed a bit scared of her flaming birthday cake at first. She’d never had a cake with candles on it before! Whether she was worried about being so close to the flames, or about the number of Dingo years gone by those candles represented wasn’t entirely clear.

Grandma and SPHP sang Happy Birthday to Lupe. She liked being the star of the party! When Grandma and SPHP told her the candles meant she could make a wish before they were blown out, Lupe liked that idea a lot!

Lupe thought and thought about what she should wish for. The candles burned so low on the cake, they were about to light the frosting on fire. Finally, when Lupe had had enough time to settle on what her wish would be, SPHP blew out the candles for her.

SPHP succeeded in blowing out all 6 candles in one breath. Lupe was very happy! That meant her wish was going to come true! She was careful not to let anyone know what she’d wished for, so her wish didn’t get jinxed.

Lupe was very happy that her secret birthday wish is going to come true!

Next it was time for Lupe’s birthday presents. She got 4 presents, because she is loved so much! Lupe received a package of Nudges brand jerky cuts chicken treats, a new Kong squeaker ball, an Ol’ Roy long-lasting chew stick, and a bottle of Alaska Naturals wild Alaskan salmon oil.

Lupe with all her birthday loot and her birthday cake.

After Lupe got to see all her new presents, it was time for cake and ice cream. Lupe normally loves cake and ice cream, but she went for the new Ol’ Roy long-lasting chew stick instead.

Lupe chomps away on her new long-lasting Ol’ Roy chew stick.

Long-lasting turned out to mean about 3 minutes. By then, Lupe had devoured the whole chew stick! At least it must have been satisfying and filling. Lupe decided not to eat any cake or ice cream. SPHP put her cake and ice cream in the freezer to save it for later on.

Full of Ol’ Roy 3 minute long-lasting chew stick, Lupe decided to pass on the cake and ice cream. SPHP saved it for her in the freezer for later on.

When SPHP and Grandma had finished their cake and ice cream, SPHP asked Lupe if she wanted to go to the cul-de-sac. Lupe loves to go to the cul-de-sac! Even though it was pretty cold out, Lupe wanted to go.

Lupe was excited about the prospect of going to the cul-de-sac! It’s one of her most favorite things to do at Grandma’s house. She was anxious to go on a moment’s notice.

This time of year, there is a house near the cul-de-sac that always has the most beautiful Christmas tree. Lupe stopped by to see it on the way back from the cul-de-sac.

Lupe dropped by to see the most beautiful Christmas tree on her way back to Grandma’s house from the cul-de-sac. It was pretty chilly outside, but Lupe was glad she came. The brightly decorated tree really was a wonderful sight under a frosty full moon.

When Lupe got back to Grandma’s house, her big 6th birthday bash was over. SPHP gathered up her 3 remaining undevoured presents to take home. Lupe didn’t see any deer or cows to bark at on the way home, but she did get to bark at the gas pipeline. That gas pipeline never lets her down!

Lupe hopes not to let you down, either. Being 5 is going to be tough to beat, but the 6 year old Carolina Dog promises more new Dingo adventures on the way!

May your birthday dreams and wishes come true, Lupe!

Related Links:

Lupe’s 5th Birthday (12-14-15)

Lupe’s 7th Birthday (12-14-17)

Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s Dingo Tales Index or Master Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe Adventures.

Lupe was born on December 14th, 2010 in the little town of Vale, SD (population 136 in the 2010 census). Vale is less than a mile S of the Belle Fourche River, and about 10 miles N of Bear Butte, which is a few miles NE of the much better known town of Sturgis, SD, home of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in early August every year.

SPHP knows next to nothing about Lupe’s family, except that Lupe did have some brothers and sisters in the same litter. As a tiny puppy, Lupe and her mother and siblings all lived outside in the cold South Dakota winter. SPHP has no idea if they had a dog house, or some other kind of shelter provided for them. They did have some outside cats as companions, and perhaps because of this, Lupe has always been friendly to all cats.

Lupe’s 5th birthday started out crisp and clear. There wasn’t any snow, but the grass in the back yard was all frosty. Lupe still had stitches where her left rear leg and abdomen meet, but she felt pretty good. During the day, Lupe and SPHP periodically played some squeaker ball in the back yard.

Lupe gets an early start playing some squeaker ball on the frosty grass in her back yard.

In the afternoon, SPHP went to the grocery store to buy some things for Lupe’s birthday party. The store was absolutely packed with people. School was cancelled for the next day due to a snow storm in the forecast, even though not a flake had fallen yet, and wouldn’t until afternoon the next day. SPHP finally got home, and baked Lupe a birthday cake.

The lines at Safeway had been so long, there wasn’t even time for SPHP to frost Lupe’s birthday cake before it was time to head out to Lupe’s Grandma’s house. Every birthday since she has been born, Lupe’s birthday party has been at Grandma’s. SPHP frosted Lupe’s birthday cake there, and the party was ready to begin!

Grandma had made chili and cornbread for dinner. Lupe, Lanis, SPHP and Grandma all had chili. Lupe likes to let her chili cool some before she eats it, but she had at least a couple of helpings. After dinner, Lanis, SPHP and Grandma sang “Happy Birthday” to Lupe, being sure to include the part about “and many more!”

Grandma's 3-legged cat, Butterfly, and Lanis were on hand for Lupe's party! — Grandma’s 3-legged cat, Butterfly, and Lanis were on hand for Lupe’s party!

After hearing “Happy Birthday” sung to her, Lupe was ready to go outside. Lupe and SPHP took their traditional walk up to the cul-de-sac at the end of the road. Near the cul-de-sac is the Most Beautiful Christmas tree in the neighborhood. Lupe and SPHP paused to admire it, before returning to Grandma’s house.

Lupe and SPHP took their usual walk up to the cul-de-sac at the end of the road to see the most beautiful Christmas tree. Lupe is at the base of the tree.

When Lupe and SPHP got back to Grandma’s house, it was time for birthday cake and ice cream! Dingoes love birthday cake and ice cream! SPHP and Grandma even drank a whole bottle of wine, too. Lupe had plenty of cake and ice cream, but she didn’t get any wine. Lupe’s favorite presents this year were a new blue squeaker ball from Grandma, and a rawhide chew stick from SPHP.

Lupe with her birthday cake (with sprinkles!) and her two favorite new presents, the blue squeaker ball from Grandma and rawhide chew stick from SPHP. Lupe’s cake didn’t have any candles, because Carolina Dogs don’t do candles.

That's one beautiful Birthday Dingo! Happy 5th Birthday, Lupe and ever so many more! — That’s one beautiful Birthday Dingo! Happy 5th Birthday, Lupe and ever so many more!

Since The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe blog didn’t get started until February, 2015, its time to share some photos from Lupe’s previous birthdays, too!

LUPE’S 4th BIRTHDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2014: