Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for January 24, 2011

His next thought will probably have something to do with air holes.

For example, he no longer uses plastic bags.

I wonder if gripping his knees so tightly helps?

convoluted thought, but thought none the less

Is this his way of trying to get the missus to realize he wants to buy a Ford Focus, which has a great pile of gas mileage?

The Focus bag helps Edwin concentrate. But the high level of carbon dioxide tends to put him to sleep.

Puzzle night in Cleveland:

http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwy&uc_full_date=20210123

Six came to me without trying, then I hit a wall. I will check in with Susan’s side by side tomorrow. Night all!

Claude’s real complaint is when Cleo forgets where she hid her bones and has to keep digging up the yard trying to find them.

Ed feels the need to eliminate distractions.

It is indeed Puzzle Night in Cleveland….

or Puzzle Day, to those of you puzzle fans and Cleo followers arriving in your morning or afternoon,

for the January 23rd, 2021 “Cleo and Company”, …on Sherpa.

You’ll probably find, if you don’t already know, that you’d rather do my side by side version than solve it vertically.

If so… you can find it right here:

https://i.postimg.cc/jqJ8t0bF/Cleo-nine-differences-Jan-23rd-21.jpg

In spite of the “nine differences” in my link….

… be aware that this week, as a bonus to all you loyal Puzzle People,

if you find NINE, you get a TENTH one absolutely FREE!

(I have marked the word “ten” to remind you… it’s obviously not one of the differences.)

What do you suppose Cleo intends to do with the weeks, or even years, old “loot” she recovers?

Would the acknowledged queen of the Clifford household be bothered to chew on a dirty old bone, when she can just demand a pizza?

Or failing that, hijack a kibble truck, or commandeer a taco cart?

Nah…. I think she just enjoys shifting it from place to place…

it makes her feel more in touch with her culture, and her doggie ancestors.

They didn’t have excavators, of course…

But if they were related to Cleo, I’m sure they had servants, if not slaves.

This puzzle reminds me if my brother’s dogs… I used to house-sit and take care of them sometimes.

Just a wee bit spoiled, they ate a home made diet of ground turkey, grains and vegetables,

from a huge potful cooked up fresh every three days by whatever human was at hand.

Every Saturday, they each got a large raw beef bone.

They were bought in big batches at an actual butcher shop, wrapped in twos, and stored in the freezer till needed.

The older one chewed hers to a nubbin, working at an unrelenting pace, for an hour or two.

The younger one, not as driven by food, would get bored after 20 minutes or so, and very loosely half-bury hers in one particular spot, under a tree….

we called it the boneyard.

She’d never let her older “sister” near there, no matter what day of the week….

but never was seen digging up a bone.

And she paid no attention as the humans retrieved them, almost as soon as she was finished, and passed them along to the other, more eager, dog…

,thus, one generally ate about half a bone, every Saturday… while the other got one and a half.

Later, the young one would round up the leftover, chewed bits, and bury those too…

Only to be gathered up and tossed every now and then by the same human slaves.

A complicated ritual.

He must be a Saints fan (or aints) from back in the day.

Claude ought to know by now that cleo ain’t other dogs.

Cleo doesn’t want to get her paws dirty. I’m surprised that she didn’t make Claude dig for those bones with his hands.

Time to leave you all the solution…

or what I always hope is the solution…. LOL…

and go finish sleeping in my actual bed.

Remember… no peeking.

Dig up as much of the solution as you can first on your own….

Come on… dig deeper!

There was one I found a bit difficult to see too… but remember, if it’s “a little” different, it’s different.

When you’ve excavated as much as you can…. remember, we’re going for TEN…

Check here:

https://i.postimg.cc/G2mZqMT1/Cleo-solution-Jan-23rd-21.jpg

Think, thank, thunk.

Back later for the puzzle.

haaaaaaapy! where arrrrrrre you?—come on, it’s been 21 minutes!

Good morning, Ballardeers! Q Date: 316.98662.45 and National Pie Day but as far as I’m concerned every day can pie day.

Edwin’s hoping to get a group together for this.

Cleo? Like other dogs? Oh please. I’m surprised the digger isn’t a lot bigger.

Plod’s QOTD: Favorite pie?

Y’all have wedge for me. (((((Hugs and napkins for everybody!)))))

I only got 9……..but I’m still celebrating!!! It isn’t often that I get 9! WooHoo.

And yes, the one I missed was very subtle, if not impossible to see. But I did get the – - – and the – - – which were very well hidden. Hooray!

9

Confound it, Nighthawks! Do you expect us to look at every flippin’ board in the flippin’ fence?

Reset to Sunday. January 24.

https://youtu.be/aVfGItTM7ss

Cleo, you look as warm as Bernie Sanders! Mittens for all four paws.

Sorry, this is the link I meant to post above. But I left that cause it also works here.

http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwy

Miss Cleo putting all those acting lessons to good use as a consummate drama queen.

I think she’s just embarrassed to be wearing that outfit.

Only 8. – And one of those I missed looked like an artifact from my monitor.

http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwy&uc_full_date=20210124

Sunshine here, but icy cold and windy.

Brrrr…. and welcome, friends… my fellow frozen Cleophiles….

to the January 24th, 2021 “Cleo and Company” …on Sherpa.

It makes me feel colder, just to look at poor, freezing Cleo.

Claude may mock, but we in California have your back, poor basset baby.

Last week was warmer… but tonight I’m shivering again, at a harsh 34°F.

It was even colder a few weeks ago…. we had about 7 nights in a row when the mercury never climbed above 30°F …

at least, not for almost 4 whole HOURS a NIGHT… between 3am and 7am.

I think I hear distant violins… do you hear them?

There was a human Admiral Peary, you know, Cleo.

Interesting that your daydream shares his name.

He’s interesting partly because of how much he changed over the years.

He had passed away in 1920…. but the changes came in the latter half of the 20th century.

In the 1960’s, I learned that he was a hero… but by the early 21st century, he seemed to be a different person.

No one disputes his descriptions, so much like yours, of the unbearably icy, cold conditions…

But some of the places and distances of his travels have been refuted….

much like the travails of a pink-clad basset hound in Cleveland.

But don’t worry Cleo.

I get you.

It’s too bad that the evil cat next door wasn’t there on the fence. Cleo would have had a snow ball thrown at her.

Ya know, it makes sense to me that a dog with long floppy ears would prefer a hat with long floppy ears.

Good morning, Ballardeers. Y’all are the best! Q Date: 317.98665.23 And in case you didn’t guess, it’s National Compliment Day.

Ah yes. The indomitable courage and imagination of our favorite intrepid canine, dressed in her Valentine’s coat and booties. How will she get back through the blizzard in her mind? Claude wi be picking her up and carrying her home any minute now.

Y’all stay warm. (((((HUGS!)))))

I AM CLEO!! This is me just looking outside at the snow. We are expecting 1-2 inches tonight and tomorrow ~ not that much, but still really, really cold!

It may be cold, but Cleo should love the ‘barely snowing’ day! What about poor Claude who has to fight off the cold weather, too. And he doesn’t have hearts all over his jacket to keep him warm.

Tomorrow i’m checking this young girl out. To see if she’s too much for this old man. :)

https://adoptapet.com/pet/30413442-Newport-OR?fromShelter=1