Friends in High Places

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday 48

The Twelve Dog Days of Christmas: a Holiday Musical

*NEW! You asked for it, and now you can download a free copy of the MP3 here!


Does Christmas get any more merry than this?!?

My apologies if I have been out of touch lately, but this project has been all-consuming this week. I hope you have a wondrous holiday, and that you enjoy this - the first of many musical performances to come. If you do enjoy it, please share wherever you deem appropriate - there is a share button in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen and one for Facebook at the top of this post - either are a snap to use. I can also provide downloadable versions in Powerpoint - simply e-mail me at lifewithdogs@ymail.com and you can save them to your PC.

When the music stops playing my vacation begins. We'll be back some time late in the next week - unless I am seriously inspired and have to run back to the computer to post.  ;)   It's been a remarkable year, so let's celebrate it in song!

*Technical notes. You'll need Flash to view this. It was a challenge to make - and is still not perfect. It's an SWF file, and converting to FLV or finding a decent SWF hotlinking host is not easy. At least not yet - I'm still learning. If you know of a fix for either please let me know! The timing is off a bit - but hey, Nigel made it.  ;)  You may see a blank box below where a video should be. It's loading, trust me. Pop open another browser window and kill a minute or two and come back, and there it is!  If you're like me and completely lack patience, you can get a faster fix by downloading directly from here: View The 12 Dog Days of Christmas 

You can save the downloadable version to your computer for later enjoyment.  



Cheers!

*The twelve items:

Twelve whippet ladies,
Eleven morons marching,
Ten pairs of cutoffs,
Nine stripper poles,
Eight jets a-flying,
Seven cats a-swimming,
Six yummy Snuggies,
Five Blackberries,
Four big balloons,
Three bird suits,
Two black bars
And a Bugweiser can cozy

The Birthday Girl

Sola turns six today, much to my consternation. I want her to be two forever - instead, I see signs of myself in the white hairs that displace a little more yellow each year, the relaxed approach she takes to many things that used to incite her to insanity. She sleeps in a little later, jumps a little less high than she used to. She's all grown up.

Many blog readers would guess that Nigel runs the show here, but it's Sola who lays down the law, frets over the household and makes sure everyone comes in from walks. She's a worrier, another quality we share. Interestingly, she is also the most likely to incite fun. Her enthusiasm for life is unmatched, and she beams with joy at the simplest pleasures. She's infectious that way, and we are all better for having her in our lives.

                         Don't panic - this is pre Mr. Stick era media.

Tonight, we'll celebrate properly with peanut butter and fluff sandwiches, toys and an inordinate amount of fussing. I'll reread her coming home story and thank my stars that she found us. I never knew how much I needed her. I'm thankful she took the time to show me. As a little extra something special, I've invested quite a bit of time in a special Christmas presentation that I hope you'll enjoy.

Happy birthday sweet Sola. We adore you. ♥

Wordless Wednesday 47

* Join us on Christmas if you have the time or the inclination. Fun project on the way.  :)

Snowballs

Let it Snow!

Friday Mixer

This month has been insane, so forgive the jumbled post. We'll wrap this up with a chance for three of today's readers to take home some great dog treats, so hang in there - it's Friday so I'll be brief.. But first some good news and bad news. Let's get the bad news out of the way first.

I just caught this sad story tonight and thought those with ties to sled dogs may want to look in to a way to assist: One hundred starving sled dogs seized in Colorado.

Looks like a great time to consider adopting.

Another story of interest to dog lovers - from our back yard. I'll be very interested to hear the ruling in this case. 

On the good news front, this hero is expected to make a full recovery, and is a shining example of dog bravery.

Aslan the Boxer recovers from gunshot wounds after intervening in home invasion.

Impressive. They give us so much that it's impossible to repay, but we can certainly try! And one way to show a little love is with yummies, so here is your shot at taking home a gift pack of treats for your dog. Bev from Blue Collar Dog Treats was kind enough to offer these to our readers, and who am I to say no? This will be easy enough, and you'll make your dog's week if you win! Simply visit their site and find a post about Halloween costumes. The last picture from the post is mentioned, and is way over the top. What is it?

Please do not leave your answer in the comments. Instead, please e-mail it to lifewithdogs@ymail.com
Three entrants will be selected using randomizer.org. Good luck!

I'm off to do all of my Christmas shopping - last minute. I'll hope your weekend is a little more relaxed than mine!

RIF

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday 46

♪ Making a List ♫

Mysterious Miscegnation

 

Join us tomorrow for a sneak peak at Nigel's Christmas shopping list.

Dog Joy

Today is the last of our giveaway days for the week. I hope you have enjoyed playing along, and that the winners enjoy the schwag we've been hurling at them. This has been so much fun that I think we'll do it again in January to help break up those post holiday blues. Now let's look at today's offering.
It's a great little book called Dog Joy: The Happiest Dogs in the Universe. This is a compilation of entries from the annual smile picture contest that The Bark puts on. Rodale submitted a copy for review, and now it's your turn to discover this little gem of a book. It's exactly what one would expect at a glance - one hundred and ninety two pages of pure dog joy. I'm sure the lucky winner will find something to smile about each time they return to it.

So how does one of our readers get to take this home? I'll make this an easy, one answer contest. As always, I'll use randomizer.org to pick a winner from the entries. Please send your answer to lifewithdogs@ymail.com - but please remember not to post your answer in the comments!

The question: In November, the dogs discussed a hazard located just downriver from us, and hinted at sending the cat rafting toward the same. What was it?

Good luck! I'm off to enjoy SNL with three tired dogs snoozing in a pile on the sofa next to me. Is it any wonder that we live for the weekends?

Hidden Treasure

 

 

 

 

 

Later that day...

The dreaded poo foot. I have had more run-ins than I care to admit. You? Cleanup is never pleasant. But today, I'm here to offer one of our readers a chance to win some great cleaning products...just in case! Clean + Green is offering a pair of products for one of our readers to try. These are safe and eco-friendly, so when things get messy you may use them freely and without concern. They are also biodegradable. The winner will receive a can of auto cleaner, and a can of wood and tile cleaner. I don't know about you, but with three large dogs I could use a case of them.

All you have to do to enter is e-mail answers to the following two questions to:  lifewithdogs@ymail.com
Please do not leave answers in the comments field! 

Visit Clean + Green and let me know what two retailers carry Clean + Green in the state of Vermont.

Return here and visit this post. What device was eventually employed in order to protect...well, you'll see.

Good luck!

*If you happened to stop by yesterday you might have noticed that we were missing in action thanks to an extended power outage. Not to worry, I have a special weekend post for tomorrow to get to our remaining freebie giveaway for the week...

Wordless Wednesday 45

Addictions

Let's be honest, we all have our vices. One of mine is blogging. As much as some folks out there would like me to, I just can't seem to quit!

Speaking of addictions, by now it should be apparent that Nigel is addicted to trouble. Here's a perfect example.

I'll do my best to get help for the boy, but in the meantime, let me help you to get your dogs addicted to something other than trouble. How does free food sound?

Addiction Foods sent us a great sampler pack a few weeks ago. A quick visit to their website turned up the following:  Addiction Holistic Food is unlike any other. Free from harmful additives and made in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and USA exclusively from Premium Proteins and Game Meats known for their nutritional and hypoallergenic properties, Addiction has amassed a cult following among discerning pet owners seeking the ultimate in Holistic Nutrition.

Sounds good. So how does it taste? We tried their LaPorchetta dry food and a couple of their canned selections. While there was not enough food to do a long term report, the dogs are happy to give two paws up as far as taste is concerned. They simply loved it. And lucky for me, for some reason they did not suffer from a case of the strange food vapors. Bonus.

Our prize for today's giveaway? A two pack of their raw dehydrated foods: Herbed Lamb and Potatoes, and New Zealand Forest Delicacies. These convenient four ounce packages actually make twelve ounces of food when water is added, and the ingredient list is superb - no grains, GMOs, byproducts or fillers. In other words, it's all good. So let's give your dog a chance to try them!

As always, please do not post answers in the comments field. Instead, please e-mail them to: lifewithdogs@ymail.com   After e-mailing your answers please drop a comment here letting me know you have done so. Randomizer.org will be used to pick one lucky winner from the entries received.

Ok, let's get started! Pop by the Addiction Foods website and answer the following question. Where are they located?

Easy enough. Now find your way to older adventures from Life With Dogs on the right hand side of your page. In September of this year, Nigel dropped by the white house to play politics and ended up stepping way out of line in a scene that felt oddly familiar. What did he say to Bo Obama that raised so many hackles?

I hope your dogs love these yummies as much as ours did, and that your travels bring you back Thursday  for another chance to bring home some dog goodies on us. Good luck!

Happy Endings

I'm no fan of Mondays. Trading family time for another week of business world chaos just doesn't melt my butter. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, and know how fortunate I am to feel that way. Even so, by the time Sunday night rolls around I'm usually pouting like a student on the last day of summer break.

Not so this Monday. While the title of this post probably saw half of you arriving here with one eye closed (and fully expecting to see Nigel stumbling out of a dog massage parlor) I'm feeling better this Monday than I have in quite some time. So what gives?

Mia is on her way home. Adoption is pending but it looks like a done deal at this point. Mind you, I am very much aware - painfully so - that this was a small battle in a never-ending war. But the score must be counted one victory at a time, and I am happy beyond words that Mia now has a chance to add another mark to the win column. Good luck sweet girl: you touched so many of us, and reminded me that the very least I can do is try to spread the word when I meet the next dog in need of a voice.

This calls for a little celebration, so let's kick off our week of freebie fun with something that will give your dogs something to savor. If you happened to catch our wordless Wednesday post last week, you may have noticed Sola's enthusiasm for the treat she was about to devour. That's because she was about to consume her second free treat from get lick'd organic dog treats. We received a sampler pack, and the dogs decimated it in a matter of minutes. While I can't claim to have the most finicky canines on my hands, the way they inhaled these treats was enough to convince me that someone else out there would have fun dispensing a dozen of these to their own dogs(s). Considering that these tasty nom noms are produced by hand in small batches, with human-grade ingredients, I'd be comfortable recommending them to anyone.

So here is your shot at having a dozen of these tasty morsels shipped to you in time to add a little holiday cheer to your December. All you have to do is answer two questions. Please, for the sake of others, do not post your answers in the comments field! Instead, e-mail them to: lifewithdogs@ymail.com  Once you have sent your answers via e-mail, just drop a comment here letting me know you have done so. I'll use randomizer.org to select a winner from the entries. I'll have Brianne from get lick'd contact the winner directly to work out shipping arrangements.

All you have to to is answer two questions. You'll have to visit get lick'd and let me know the following:

What is the name and breed of Brianne's dog?

Now run back here and get ready to do a little hunting. Find older adventures from Life With Dogs on the right hand side of your screen and step back in time to July of 2005. The last post on that page points out just what a knucklehead I am, and goes on to describe an event that led to the loss of one of my body parts. So...to this day, what am I still missing?  :)

Good luck, and have a great week! We'll be back tomorrow to offer up another great freebie and share some random fun.