My Way

The Late Breaking Friday Five

Sleep won the battle last night. So let me say good morning for a change!

I don't think I have seen a week pass as quickly as this one in a long time. It feels like I just typed this post two days ago! Never mind my lousy grasp of time, let's reach out to some new blogging friends again.



Most of you know the scoop, but for the uninitiated here is the deal: zero strings attached. No need to "paw" it forward, answer ten questions about anything, or even acknowledge it. No tag required. Feel free to display it on your blog or not - this is simply our way of pointing out that we have had a great time visiting you!

Our first selection this week is one I have been chuckling relentlessly over. Far from a dog, Jaques Le Feesh is making me want an aquarium in a big way. Pay him a visit and drop me a comment and tell me if that is not one funny fish!

Next up is an old blogger pal, and another needle-nose blog that we just love. Spend a few minutes at Learning About Life With Greys and check out their recent hike - and be inspired by a good deed.

Need a dose of Pug? Tweedles has your prescription. Tell me that hula skirt is not a riot! Tweedles is another old pal, and has the cuteness factor cranked up a bit.

Princess the Pit Bull is our next recipient. After our week-long heat wave, it was fun to visit and land on a recent post with a snow pic from last winter. A great place to chill...

Another great Pit Bull blog rounds out our list this week. I urge you to visit Pooches for Peace and leave a message for one stressed out dog owner. Shadow is having a rough week and could use a few words of encouragement. We can relate to spay remnants and false pregnancies - not fun. But there is much fun in the archives!


How has your week been? Let us know if you have a moment, and have a safe and happy weekend!

This Little Light of Mine

Wordless Wednesday 30

The Kung Fu Pizza Kick

Nigel struggled briefly with one of the ten commandments this weekend. I issued a stern warning to Mrs. Author when I noticed him coveting her pizza as we ate lunch Sunday. His demeanor shifted from typical slacker to intense observer. This is a rarity, and often signals that trouble is to follow.




It did. A few bites in Nigel tired of his spectator role and made the transition to participant with a poorly disguised fake stretch, followed by a perfectly placed left rear paw that sent a bite flying off the fork and straight to the carpet. This story ends in delicious irony: Before Nigel was able to depart the couch and enjoy the fruits of his labor, a certain Labrador Retriever made a cameo appearance from around the corner of the coffee table and absconded with his snack, flying down the hall. She returned shortly to stretch out and sleep off her meal, but not before issuing a solitary belch that rattled dishes in the kitchen cabinets.

And the winner is:




Good, good girl.

Watercooler Talk pt. 2

The Friday Five

Friday again? I'll take it! It's been one of those weeks, which makes a visit to our friends even more enjoyable. Let's see what this week's list has in store.



What's with the award anyway? Zero strings attached. No need to "paw" it forward, answer ten questions about anything, or even acknowledge it. No tag required. Feel free to display it on your blog or not - this is simply our way of pointing out that we truly enjoy what you do!

Who next? So many blogs - I wonder of I could pull off a Friday Fifty. Now that would be ridiculous fun. But I needed to sleep a bit this week, so we'll stick to our usual format.

First up this week: Gardenwife's Plot. Check out the timing of that power outage yesterday. Now that is a bummer! Say hello to Kimberly and the dogs on your way through.

Our next stop is Nuttin But Hound Dogs - another Greyhound blog that we love to catch up with. Lisa is prepping for a road race in October. Offer encouragement - or sign up as a virtual runner and help a great cause.

We sure do love our Labs. So we love Lab blogs in a major way. Find your way to a great one this week and pay a visit to Dog Daze. Sassy knows what she is talking about! And that wordless Wednesday pic stopped me in my tracks. Many great posts to be found here...

Now tell me Moco isn't just the cutest little pooch! Moco Online is where he hangs his hat, and you should grab a spot on the recliner while you still may! Rumor has it that Moco witnessed an interesting crash landing recently. I sure hope there were no probes involved. ;)

Our final stop this week: Emma Rose. We have made our love for Border Collies known, and this gorgeous girl is a gem. Enjoy a recent camping trip with the family, and let them know we sent you...

More blog love. There's much more where that came from!

Flower Power

Wordless Wednesday 29

Swimming, $100

The extended cold rainy spell that threatened to ruin our summer finally moved aside just in time for a bona fide hot spell. Once the temps pass eighty the dogs engage in a game of stare down that quickly drives me insane, so a good portion of the weekend was spent soaking our troubles away.

It seems impossible that we well see leaves changing color soon. With this in mind, and while we still may, we drink in every last bit of summer that remains. The dogs are experts on the subject, always the first to turn up the fun factor. We follow their lead, and find ourselves enjoying a near perfect day.

The Labs waste no time finding deep water. It's too hot to just soak paws, so full immersion is required.



Of course, no visit to the river is complete without Nigel running an equipment check.




I was too busy laughing at Nigel to notice that Truffles had found a stick, and was giving Sola a serious case of stinkeye in order to prevent theft.




Nigel was kind enough to remind me that the best views were to be had a few feet away from the water's edge.




It was simply quixotic. I took in the smells of a truly hot summer day, smells that had almost faded from memory. The forest surrounding us was dank and mossy, and gave off a distinctly earthy smell that quickly fades as the cool nights of September approach. The sun shone right through me. I perched on the bank of this glorious river, surrounded by beauty. I watched my incredible, beautiful, kind-hearted wife and loving, wonderful dogs bask in the light of summer, and I knew complete happiness.




Once the dogs were thoroughly waterlogged we made our way up the banks and headed for the back porch to dry off. Twenty steps from the house I stopped walking and apologized to Mrs. Author. She gave me a puzzled look as I reached in to the pocket of my now drenched shorts. I handed her one fully submerged, non-functioning pink Motorola Razr.

There's a new cell phone in town. It seems to get along with Mrs. Author's headset quite nicely, so I suppose it is here to stay. Like it's predecessor, it is not waterproof. So each time the dogs stare me down and urge me to throw on the bathing suit, I will remember this moment: one utopian summer day when our family was at peace, none of us had a care, and the glass was categorically, unequivocally, and indubitably more than half full.

Monday Morning Quarterback

Saw the interview. I'm not sold.

The Friday Five Special Edition

Welcome back to the end of the week. Amazing how quickly it reappears - but I'll take it! Before we say farewell for the weekend, let's visit a few more great blogs. This week, a slightly thinner version of the Friday Five awaits.

A reminder of the spirit in which this award is offered: I thought it fun to offer up an award with zero strings attached. No need to "paw" it forward, answer ten questions about anything, or even acknowledge it. No tag required. Feel free to display it on your blog or not - this is simply our way of pointing out that we truly enjoy what you do!

So let's dig in to a slightly different list. This week is about our needle-nosed blog friends. We truly love all breeds - heck, Nigel is outnumbered by Labs in our house. But thematic lists are fun, so here it is...


Pay a visit to Tales and Tails, and share a lazy morning with Bunny. I love this sweet girl. You will as well. This blog is well written and a fun read!

Here is a blog that I just stumbled across yesterday. Drop in on Tango and Harley and check out Greyt Blog. Harley is new to the house, but it looks like Tango has it all figured out - he even has his own black bar!

No Greyhound blog tour is complete without a visit to Genji's Corner. Spend some time at this blog and tell me this is not the happiest pack you have seen. Thank goodness for large sofas. :)

Feeling the heat this week? Crash the pool party at My ROO Spot and check out just how cool a Greyhound looks in sunglasses. Priceless! We have followed this Virginia blogger for some time.

Here is a blog with a great name - Treasure What You Have. A good reminder, no? Angela and family are always fun to visit. Check out their Orlando trip and tell them we sent you.

Make sure to head west for a stop at Greyhounds in Seattle and give them a vote for that Orvis catalog cover. Send Tara healing vibes also if you will...

Finally, in order to keep my tradition of very bad math alive, I offer a seventh suggestion for your surfing pleasure. Say happy Friday to the gang at Life's Little Moments and scroll down a bit to see what I consider a fine case of shoe tasting!


Are there other great Greyhound blogs out there? Many. We'll get to them soon, but for now it's time to embrace the weekend and leave our cares behind. As always, enjoy the tour, hug your dogs and be well.

Adventures in Grilling