Wordless Wednesday 35

You can do anything...

 ...but lay off of my blue suede chair.

First Light

Strange News

The Friday Five will have to wait while more pressing matters are addressed, but I did want to quickly share a sliver of good news that I've neglected to mention.

Remember this fellow?

After weeks spent in a local shelter, and a few days of downtime to recover from a cold, Strange P has gone home. Not here mind you - we could not accommodate him in the long term. But a couple from Stowe, Vermont met him, heard his story and fell in love. He has been residing with them for a couple of weeks now, and I am confident that this is the last I'll hear of him.

I'm ok with that. My heart is happy. Thanks to all who tried to help spread the word, and to Petfinder for making the connection that led to his adoption.

Next week is wordless. I have recent pics I want to share, and I dare not deface them with cartoon balloons.   :)

Happy weekend to all!

Tea Party Crashers

Wordless Wednesday 34

Our celebration of you begins now.

It's time to mix it up, break out of the routine, and say thank you to our friends - old and new. We've been barking all year, and it's been a great one. So join us as we salute dog lovers, life with dogs, and the remarkable creatures that make it all possible.

When it comes to dogs and the people who love them, our position is the more, the merrier. As more of us congregate, there is simply more to share. Those who become aware of pressing rescue situations will have a broader audience. Important news will be heard by more of us. And the fun factor will skyrocket.

With that in mind, it's time to offer up the first of many goodies to come. Our Tell a Friend contest begins now.

The prize: A $50.00 gift card to PetSmart. :)
The contest: This is easy. Find your dog loving friends. Find out if they are already in our Facebook fan list. If not, invite them.

See, that was cake. The catch: well, someone has to win, right? Of course! So the person who brings the most dog lovers in to our circle of friends by midnight EST this Saturday wins.

The not so fine print: Our current list has been saved, so only those who are new will be counted. Be sure to check before inviting! In order to confirm new fans, please ask your friends to click on the become a fan button at , and send an e-mail to lifewithdogs@ymail.com.
Please ask them to use the following subject for the sake of our sanity as we count:

I am here thanks to: (your name)

Also, please be sure that they use your full name or we may not be able to count them.
E-mail addresses will never be shared, sold or divulged to anyone ever, period.

Thanks to PetSmart for making this gift available, and for another piece of exciting news - they have decided to open up a Q&A session to our readers with Dr, Robyn Jaynes. Dr. Robyn is the director of Veterinary Services and PetSmart’s resident dog and cat expert. She will be happy to entertain questions you may have about a behavioral issue, a quirk you have wondered about, or a training challenge.

If you have ever wanted to understand your pet more fully, this is a great chance to do so without hiring an expensive behaviorist. Please e-mail all questions to lifewithdogs@ymail.com

For more information, and to take some interesting quizzes and browse informative videos, look for "If Your Pet Could Talk" at http://www.pets.com.

In the coming days, we will have much love to share in the form of dog goodies, so stay tuned. Thanks for making this a great year, and for joining us as we continue to celebrate life with dogs.

Pile On

Presidential Matters

Musical Madness

 

Apologies to those who caught the video on Facebook - this was too much fun not to share here as well. Now go grab some pics of your dogs and have a blast with these!

Wordless Wednesday 33

That Time of Year

 

Scary Movie Night, Saturday

It's that time again. Once a year, I give myself permission to drop out for a bit - to leave pressures behind, catch up on neglected responsibilities, and enjoy the simple pleasures. This is that week.

Winter is rushing to replace fall as the days shorten noticeably from one week to the next. The dogs are fired up. Nigel may love his seventy degree days, but the Labs live to surf powder and make snow angels. As we walk, they now pause frequently to catch the scents of fall. Their wheels are spinning, as are mine.

This new blogging season (summer does not count - at least not for us) promises to be extraordinary. There are mountains of projects to tackle, some huge surprises in store, and as always, so much to share. You may notice a few small changes as we prepare for the coming months. One change to note - our giveaways will increase in frequency but will now take place on our Facebook page. It's our way of saying thanks to all - not just those who have signed up for Blogger accounts.

The next week will feature limited posts if any. Our Facebook page will remain active, and has become a great place to share general dog information. Please join us there if you have not yet done so. I'm actually considering a wordless week, but maybe that idea should be saved for the depths of winter - something tells me Sola and Truffles may have a sledding trip planned.  :)

Heartfelt thanks to all who have made this year so enjoyable. While I may call this week a break, behind the scenes there is so much happening that I don't know where to start.

It just keeps getting better.

Send your dogs our love. We'll be barking again in a few days...

The Friday Five

It's time to do more of what we love best. Join us for a visit to some of the great dog blogs that have been patiently awaiting your visit! A few we have happened upon this week...

But before that, a brief explanation of the spirit in which this award is offered. Many of us have been tagged or received awards that require some acknowledgment, a dedicated post, or additional tagging to help spread the word. I wanted to find a way to point out that we love what you do, without requiring anything on your part. No need to say thanks, tell us five things about yourself, or pass it along. Feel free to display, distribute or discard - or let your dog have at it!

And before we send you off on a journey of discovery, here are a few of the bloggers who have been kind enough to send awards our way over the past couple of weeks.


Dennis the Vizsla surprised the heck out of us with this one. I was sure it was going to be the Your Blog is Dumber Than a Box of Rocks award, but apparently we narrowly missed that distinction for this week. Thanks Dennis!

Our Chi pal Cocorue was far too kind, and asked us to pick up a copy of the Most Inspirational Blog award. I know we have inspired a number of people to look elsewhere for any signs of intelligence, so this fits like a glove...

Sistertex from Spacial People passed along the You Cheer Me Up award, which cheered me up in a major way after a couple of unusually busy and stressful weeks. Thanks for laughing with us...or at us!

Mack and Sally Ann shared this lovely Eskie award with us. This one is made from scratch as a thank you to those who have befriended them, and we accept it with gratitude. Thanks pooches. :)

Finally, Kali from Kali and Rumer's Blog shared an award that we can really sink our teeth in to. The Oops I Ate it award exists to recognize the unauthorized acquisition of human food by dogs. Best award ever? Quite possible!

Thanks to all for sending us a slice of cheer!


Now our five recipients of this week's Gold Hydrant award....

Number one on the list this week - Edie and Gus from Alaskan SoundHoundz. We have been following them for some time, taking in the sights as they share their adventures. Explore the possibilities of drool art, or scroll down a bit and find that video of a hound being vacuumed. Priceless!

Another recommendation for this week goes to Bentley from The Bay Window blog. Bentley is another hound with superb drool output! Be sure to send belated birthday wishes on your way through...

This visit had me seriously fired up - and not only because Kris and the pack from Sarcastic Sunshine are dear old blog pals. What really floated my boat was news that a new family member was settling in. Won't you welcome the lucky Ms. Macy to her new home? That is one very lucky dog.

All dogs rule, but Labs are a favorite for obvious reasons. One of the Lab blogs we have visited with regularity is Poppy from Poppy's Its a Dog's Life. More exciting news is your to discover - another beautiful Lab has found a great home recently. Pure joy.

Rounding out the list this week is another hound blog - Marmalade's Houndly Reflections. More drool art? You bet! But Marmalade caught my attention with the best dog nickname of the week. If the shoe fits....eat it! Thanks for the laugh this week Marmalade.


There you have it. Five better places to spend your time. Please do! As always, hug your dogs for us and enjoy a safe, happy weekend.

The Final Frontier

click to enlarge and eliminate the blogger pic hosting fuzzies  :)

 

Wordless Wednesday 32

 

Autumn Joy

Labor Day marks the true departure of summer in Vermont. The days shorten noticeably as August fades, the heat and humidity abruptly departing for cool, dry days that beg you to get out of the house and just live.

We did. A week of notes and ideas scribbled on paper still stares at me from the corner of the office. My to-do list remains just large enough to cost me sleep if I consider it. There are nearly six hundred blogs that I have not visited in the last week, and I must - the Friday Five depends on it. Will I sleep this week? Very little.

I can live with that. The liberation of pushing the computer aside and taking in all that early autumn has to offer is worth a hefty price. And like so many times before, when I stop the noise; step away and drop out a little, clarity and calm take over. It is from this place of quiet contentment that I observed the events of this weekend. Nothing way out of the ordinary happened. A funny story did not present itself. The dogs were on their best behavior. And it was nothing short of beautiful.

There was one very pleasant surprise. Luna's parents were in town for a wedding and we managed to catch up Sunday for a quick lunch and tour of downtown Burlington. As much as I dig that dog, it makes my heart happy to now know that she shares her life with two very cool humans. Luna and family are leaving for the west coast soon, so this may have been our only chance to catch up. I am very grateful that we had the opportunity, and hope that they enjoyed their visit to our little corner of the world. Thanks so much for taking the time.

Speaking of our little corner, here are a few brief glimpses of what a proper holiday weekend feels like in our neck of the woods. Planning a visit? We'd love to meet you!

 Sola considers a heavy subject.

 

An afternoon glow for my love. 

  

Whimsy 

  

Nigel maintains his middle of the road stance.

  

Early defectors. 

  

And of course, much rejoicing.

Have I missed our blogging friends? Most certainly. Would I take back a thing? Not a chance. Good people, great dogs, and fun memories are not to be taken lightly, or for granted. I am blessed to occupy this space; to know kind people, to love a great woman, and to share my life with dogs. 

As I reflect on the summer I recall the questions most often asked of me, ones that I may answer with zero pause when given the chance. 

Why do I do this? What is it that inspires me? 

To that, I say just look up.

 

And of course, do not discount the power of a new football season.  ;)