Vacation

We have waited all year for vacation and every year, although I look forward to the trip, I feel guilty for leaving the gang. I know they will be fine as they will be boarding at our vet, whom we have known and lovcd for over 10 years (and who takes excellent care of them), but it still tugs on my heart to leave them. They know well in advance that something is up when we get the suitcases out. I try to soothe their fears by telling them they get to go to "CAMP" and have a great time. Yet, the whole time I am packing they are in the suitcases nosing around or trying to squeeze into a spot hoping I don't see them before I zip it up. I continue with talk of "CAMP" and telling them how much fun they will have. By the time the day rolls around to go to "CAMP" everyone is worked up into a frenzy...I don't know if it is me or them. Anyway, we manage to take them to board and we go on vacation. When we pick them up they can barely bark (too much visiting with friends at CAMP) and sleep for several days (must have stayed up too late at nite watching movies or playing games). Afterall, a sure sign of a good time at "CAMP" or on vacation is when you come home exhausted. Guess we all had a great time. Now I have a whole year to worry about it again.

I Feel Really Stupid

I have read and re-read the instructions for posting adsense ads on this site. I guess what I don't understand is where to paste the html codes. Does anyone else out there have this problem? I surely can't be the only one. I think I need to go spend some time with Einstein, Gracie and Pink. No matter how dumb I am, they think I am the smartest person in the world and right now, my ego needs a boost.

CLEAN SHEETS

One of the things that I really like and appreciate are nice bed sheets. You know, the ones with the high thread count that don't wrinkle and feel so cool and nice next to your skin. I always said if I won the lottery, I would have fresh clean sheets on my bed everyday. Well, I guess Einstein must appreciate nice sheets also. He sleeps with us at night and if I have not already turned the bed back when he is ready to go nite-nite, he will do it himself. I have watched him do it a thousand times and it never ceases to amaze me. Very methodically, he will grab the edge of the bedspread with his teeth and turn it back. Next, he does the same thing with the blanket. Then, the top sheet. Once he gets the top sheet turned back, he does a little spin around and sort of wads it up a bit and then lays down. You can just see the contentment on his face as he snuggles down for the night. Bet he wishes he could win the lottery too!

IN A DOG SUIT

Let me start out by saying that I am in no way, form or fashion, a prejudiced person. That being said, read on.

Gracie is our Schnauzer mix...we know she is part schnauzer, but apparently her dad was a "traveling salesman, or the milkman". Anyway, Gracie has attitude. We have all seen those cute black girls/women who have that attitude...they are bossy, prissy and they sass a lot and they get what they want, whenever they want it. They never hesitate to "tell it like it is" (at least the way they see it). I swear she will put up her paw and tell me to talk to it. I guess you could say we are a multi-racial family, because we have a cute and sassy little black girl living in a gray dog suit.

Umm. Life is certainly never dull around here.

SEVERAL THINGS

Animal Cruelty is rampant in this country. Every story I read about it breaks my heart and I contribute to many causes to help prevent this atrocity. Everyone who reads my blog can help too...keep your eyes open and report such crimes whenever you see them...do your part to save a helpless, innocent animal.

In the beginning, I was not a Rachael Ray fan, but her love of dogs and her rescue work has won me over. Check out her website---there is a link on my home page. There is a story on her site now about a little dog in Mexico named SPIRIT that was horribly abused a few weeks ago. Thanks to many kind people like the Border Crossing Guards who rescued him and people like Rachael, this little dog has a chance at a better life.

There is also a link to HOME AGAIN. If you have not had your dog microchipped...check them out. It is just another way to protect your dogs/cats if they are lost or stolen. I don't know about anyone else, but if one of my gang was lost or missing, I would go to the end of the earth to find them. Hopefully, I will never be in that position, but if I am, microchipping will make finding them a little easier.

PUPPY LOVE

We have all had them---days when you wonder why you even bother to care about anything. I have had several in a row like that recently and no matter how bad a day it has been, I am reminded how much I am loved and needed every time I look at the three little faces staring up me (on 12 assorted sized legs), watch their tail wags (again, in assorted sizes) when I talk to them and hear their barks in response to something I just said to them, and then to be on the receiving end of a thousand doggie kisses. It ends up not being quite as bad a day afterall and as long as I have these little guys around, I am reminded that everything is going to be just fine. Hope anyone who reads my blog has the same kind of puppy love in their life!

Family

One of my greatest joys in life are my children...they have grown up to be amazing adults and they make me very proud. We also share a great love of animals (especially dogs and cats) and as a result I have 5 grand doggies and 1 grand kitty. They frequently call me with funny things that happen with their 4-legged family members at their own homes.

Recently, my daughter, who has 2 dogs and a cat, has a manmade pond in her backyard with quite a family of frogs living in it. Son-in-law was mowing and weedeating the yard and came running into the house yelling "Come quick, I think I killed one of the frogs...can you save it?" Not knowing what he meant, she quickly rushed outside to see what was wrong. About 4 feet from the weedeater lay a very large frog, on its back, spread-eagle, barely breathing, eyes open and glassy. Son-in-law is very distraught...not seeing it in the tall grass he had accidentally hit it with the weedeater and sent it flying about 4 feet. My daughter is checking the frog out...there is no blood, he is not cut anywhere...just apparently stunned by the jolt he just had. She checks out all of its legs to make sure they are not broken...they are not, but the frog continues to lay there, not moving. She wonders to herself how to give mouth to mouth to a frog. She really does not think it will make it, but tells husband she will cover it with a towel and perhaps it will recover in a minute or two on its own and hop away. Sure enough, she goes back outside in about ten minutes to check on the frog and it is gone. Her husband is quite amazed at her frog saving abilities and now refers to her as "THE FROG WHISPERER"! If you need a "Frog Whisperer" just let me know.

America's Greatest Dog

I have been watching the show on t.v.called "America's Greatest Dog". The show is great and I really have enjoyed seeing all the dogs, but it got me to thinking. Sure, it would be great to have a dog that could do incredible tricks on command...mine can do tricks too, but only when they want to. But doing tricks and stunts is not what makes a great dog. A great dog to me is one that loves you unconditionally, makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world and is there for you when you are happy, sad, bored, lonely, mad at the world or sick and gives you incredible joy by being in your life. My dogs may not win a national title on t.v., but to me I have 3 of the Greatest Dogs in the World. It does not matter to me that the rest of the world does not recognize my dogs as being great...the most important thing is that I know it and I try every day to let them know how special they are and how much they are loved.

Einstein goes for a swim

We took Einstein for a swim in the pool at the new house yesterday. Pink has already had her first swim and we had planned to get Gracie in today as well, but she was too fast for us. Einstein was quite reluctant at first (I think there are probably skid marks on the decking where he tried to resist) but with both my husband and I pushing and pulling, we finally got him in. Much to his surprise and once he got over the initial shock, he loved it. Glad we built a fence around the pool when we moved in, otherwise I think he would go for a swim on his own now.
Funny how when you think you will hate something before you do it and then you do it and you love it and wish you had done it sooner. I think it must be that way for dogs too.

IT IS HOT

Mom wants me to go outside this morning...did she not check the weather forecast today? I am already wearing a FUR COAT (that I can't take off) and it is going to be 105 degrees outside today. Maybe if I hide for a few minutes she will forget about making me go out. I have a big bladder, I can hold it. Umm. The ceiling fan in mom's office is on, the lights are off...looks like a good place to stay cool. Sure hope Mom does not check her office, cause the BIG DOG (Einstein) is going to settle in for a nice long, cool nap!