Friday, November 24, 2006

Extra Bark Park...

I was surprised this morning. We went to the bark park. My mom only did 2 round trips of the park cause she was kinda tired from yesterday. Since my Gma's health isn't really great, she did the cooking at home and carted it over to Gma's house. My uncle Dave (dad's baby bro) was there too. Mom cooked Turkey, cornbread stuffing with extra corn, cranberry sauce, Yukon potatoes baked in olive oil with rosemary, sugar snap peas w/garlic & almonds, gravy, pickles, olives, rolls, pumpkin pie and French Vanilla CoolWhip. Whew! The smells from the oven were yummy. Me and the kitty sibs had some cut up turkey breast with our regular food.

Dad must have been a little tired this morning cause he got dressed, got his camera, walked me to the back door and let me out. As he was locking the back door, mom pointed out to him that if we were going to the bark park, we really should have a DOG with us? (snort, snort). Well- we finally got everything ready and off we went. It was a little cold this morning but we soon warmed up. I saw the huskies with their esky sib again and paid the proper respect. I met a weimy named Dakota. Her dad had just gotten out of the Air Force and she was less than a year old. She was very well mannered if a little shy. I saw Cookie again today. She looks like a less spotted bigger boned lady but an awful lot like Tin Tin. Cookie has a sister German Shephard cross named Sammy who has such a beautiful soul (that's what mom said). She was just soo sweet. I also met a border collie cross named Max who was in a big lets get down and dirty playing mood. Barking and jumping on everyone. I jumped and barked back. I also saw two little Westies with matching sweaters. Very cute. I am really enjoying having mom and dad home for a long weekend. Mom said we will probably go to the bark park again Sunday. She said that she felt a little guilty yesterday not going too. She is really getting into this walking thing. Maybe she will start dragging me around the neighborhood (she said). Have to go and take a nap now. I'm exhausted from all this running around. Usually my days are spent guarding and resting! Taking care of parents at home is hard work!

Before I forget.... I got a rather forceful hint that I should be switching over to Beta Blogger. Does anyone have any opinions/tips/gripes on the process of switching over? Let me know. Thanks.


C-K-C

Monday, November 20, 2006

And the winner is.....

First Xmas card of the season: Comet and Blu

Dad said he wasn't sure what the world was coming to when I got mail and he didn't, hee hee.
We hope to get our cards out by this weekend.

On a proud note: my mom went to see her doctor last week and she has lost 16 lbs since September. All due to taking me to the bark park! She and dad trundled 4 laps this past Sunday (each lap is 1.5 American football fields long). Of course I did more than that cause I kept circling around and around them. I met 4 huskies and their eskimo sib. I didn't get their names but I was impressed by their fluffiness. I made sure that I was respectful. I didn't want Meeshka hearing about any disrespect.

There's not much more to tell. If I gon't get to blog again before Thursday, everydog and their families have a Happy Thanksgiving (mom said she was going to make me some more of Sunshade's Turkey Parme Biscotti).

C-K-C

Monday, November 13, 2006

Froggy dead

Froggy is dead! I killed my froggy (not on purpose!). Mom gave him a funeral but wouldn't let me attend. She said she wasn't going to get me any more froggies or monkies- just dollies. Anything else is dead the minute I get my mouth on it.

This is Froggy lying dead.



I had a good day at the bark park on Sunday. I met a dog named Cookie that looks a lot like Tin Tin but not so many spots. My usual pals Sassy and Mikey also showed up. My mom and dad did something different this time. We arrived nice and early and dad played Mr. Ring with me. We had several good runs with that. When the other dogs started arriving, mom put Mr. Ring away and just let me run with my pals. That seemed to make for less tension as I don't like to share my toys.

This is me running for all I'm worth. The bark park is about the same length as a football (American football) field. Mom and dad did 3 round trips of the field.















I want to ask all my readers and blogging paw pals to cross your paws for Dusty Doodles Da Dad. He is having a quadruple by-pass (info from Doodles mom) soon. It is a serious operation so he will need all our prayers, wishes, hugs, licks and warm thoughts. Doodles Da Momma needs the warm thoughts also. Doodles Da Sister and Sadie Mae are going to be with Doodles to help out. I think we can make this a prayer ring heard round the world. If we do this together, we can provide our strength to Doodles and his family to help them get through this.

I have a general question- Are other moms and dads going beserk over this Xmas card thing? I thought my approach of a Xmas postcard (simple picture on one side, and on the reverse side a simple Happy Holidays note and the person/dog's name and address. Well- my dad has been ambushing me, the kitty sibs, my mom, himself and taking yet more pics. Mom gave him a deadline so lets hope he sticks to it. Frankly I am feeling so blessed that I have short hair and don't have to get all duded up for this holiday picture! We tried to get Worf fluffed up but he just kept doing his Klingon growl.

Well- there's not much more going on here.

C-K-C

Monday, November 06, 2006

questions answered

Copper asked me if I was a rescue dog. Isabella asked if I came from a kill-shelter. The answer to both those questions is yes.

A little background:

Shortly before I was rescued, mom and dad had their house broken into. Actually mom was the one home- dad was off in North Carolina. She came home from work and the sliding glass door was cracked, the special lock bent. The thieves (school age kids?) got in thru the bedroom window by lifting the window itself out. They made off with the TV and VCR (but left the clickers) and left an expensive computer in the office where the door was closed. Dad left North Carolina and returned home. Mom told him that we had to get a guard dog. Mom had contacted a weimy breeder in Northern New Mexico. They had a male, about a year old. Mom and dad took him on speculation. Dad and the weimy didn't get on well and so the weimy was returned. Mom then suggested that they try the "pound" (the local city animal shelter- two in ABQ, one on east side, one on west side). They went up on a Saturday to look at the dogs available. The went up and down all of the rows, occasionally stopping and checking out a dog more seriously. I was sitting in the back of the cage the first time. By the time dad came thru a second time I had moved to the front of the cage. He knelt down and pressed the back of his hand on the cage and I washed it. Dad then had the shelter people let me out of the pen so they could look me over better. Dad decided that yep- she is the one! I didn't have a name, not even a shelter name.

Each cage had a large 5 x 8 inch card with the dog's information (how he was picked up). Some cards had a red sticker (they are being held for police actions. Some cards had a blue sticker (that's what I had). Mom and dad filled out the paperwork and were told that they could have me late Monday (after my Spay) or Tuesday. Mom said we will pick her up on Monday. Mom then asked what the blue dot on my card meant. The clerk said that if someone hadn't picked me on the Saturday, I would be going with the other blue dotters for the long sleep (Rainbow bridge). I was that close to not making it! Mom and dad picked me up Monday night and I wasn't feeling that great so they took me home. I had water and a little food. Later that night I barfed and pooped in my crate. I was so embarrased. Mom gave me a bath (I didn't like it) and cleaned out my crate. Within a few days I was doing OK and meeting my kitty sibs.

Albuquerque shelters are kill shelters due to the large amounts of animals collected. It used to be you could be there only 7 days. Now it is 10. It is getting better- they have recently instituted a law that says your animal must be registered, must have its appropriate shots and must be microchipped. If you want to leave your dog "intact", it will cost you a $135.00 + $100/litter (Max of 4 litters per year). I suspect those people who bitch about the law are people raising dogs for puppy mills or worse- as bait for fighting dogs. Rooster fighting is still legal here in NM and right along with it is dog fighting (even though it is illegal).

This next bit is about Worf, the orange and white long haired Persion male (fixed). See picture in previous post. He was in our yard for just a few minutes when Mom thought he should come in for the night. She went out all thru the neighborhood but couldn't find him. She expected him to come back in the morning after a hard night of partying. Such was not the case. A couple of weeks later, mom's favorite kitty, George, went out to the yard and he disappeared. His collar was found on the porch. We found out that both cats as well as numerous small dogs in the neighborhood were being stolen and taken to Northern New Mexico as bait for training dogs to fight. George Kitty had heart problems so mom doesn't think he lasted very long. Worf was Klingon tough. He apparently waited for a chance to get free and managed to do the great escape. He was making his way back to Albuquerque. He was befriended by a man in Santa Fe who worked as a volunteer for a wild animal center about 100 miles north of Albuquerque. That wonderful man took Worf to the vet there. Worf was covered with knots so bad he could hardly move. After choping a lot of hair off, they found his Albuquerque tags and called the vets here in town who gave them our telephone number. This call came in 8 months after Worf had been stolen. Mom and dad had given him up for dead. The next day they went and got Worf and brought him home again. He is a little ground growly and he has arthritis in his back end but he is still hanging in there and picking fights with cats who dare cross his territory.

Part of my duties as official guard dog is to guard my three kitty siblings from anyone who tries to take them. I am also tasked with letting no one in the yard unless my mom or dad is with them. I have scared away many fine runners (hehehe).

Now you know the story and know why I am so very greatful to have my family (even kitty sibs) around me.

C-K-C

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Mom doing her happy dance!!

Mom got her checkbook cover from Snitchy Bug Designs today. It is so beautiful and matches my bandana. She got it because her regular plastic checkbook that the bank issues is too dark and would become lost in the infinite pockets of her purse that could substitute for a container boat. Mom says her life is in that bag. Phone, PDA, mini computer drives, medications, diabetes testing equipment, wallet, etc. Now all she has to do is glance into the purse and the checkbook shouts at her. The first picture is the checkbook open (back). The second one is with the checkbook inside , still in its plastic cover but now the doggy cover hides the ugly plastic one. And best of all, if it gets dirty, it can be washed.


Butchy and Snickers mom is going to be making more checkbook covers with the same colors as the bandanas so if everydog wants his mom to match them, they need to order them. Linda can be contacted by the e-mail address on Butchy & Snickers profile on their blog. Linda also says she has fleece booties that she uses on Butchy and Snickers when it snows so that they don't get iceballs between their toes.

Well- it's been a long day. Today was my dad's birthday. I helped mom make a spice bundt cake for him. Mom grilled steaks and I got the bones. Yummmm.

C-K-C