Cheers!

This has been the kind of week that has me thinking the second drink on that list has my name written all over it. We're buried in two new feet of heavy, wet snow, and a local meteorologist has just predicted hurricane force winds for Vermont beginning this evening. I'd say that's better than a stick in the eye, but if I venture out tomorrow I may have a chance to test the validity of that statement. Just last evening a twenty foot tree branch dropped in our driveway - tragically far from the neighbor's cat dangerously close to the garage. I jest, of course - but am actually concerned for what tomorrow will bring. A mountain rises from our back yard, and the potential for damage from trees falling has me nervous. So before we batten down the hatches let me get to the point.

It's party time.

If you played along Monday, thanks! I know I made the games utterly annoying, but that's all me. Would you have expected anything less? Or more? Either way, I have to tell you that the e-mail responses I received were a laugh riot. It has been impossible to reply to individual messages, but know that reading them made my week. And for those who asked, the answer is yes - the squirrel really exists. I'm not that cruel. Just ask these ten people. Not only did they find that little bugger, they also answered all questions correctly and had the highest total score (combined height and distance) in the Cat-a-pult. Let's meet our winners! For the sake of simplicity I'm just going to list Cat-a-pult scores for each, since the answers to the pic quizzes were obvious.

1st    Linda M.  from Montreal                   139,330  Yep, you read that right. I'll include a pic below to fend off disbelief. I have never even come close!
2nd   Kristin G   from Virginia                    53,126
3rd   Cynthia G  from Connecticut              41,384
4th    Hannah B from  Oregon                    27,839
5th    Heather C from Georgia                    20,486
6th    Huskee and Hershey from Singapore 14,468
7th    Maryann P from  New Jersey             13,600
8th    Andrea J  from   Ohio                        13,113
9th    Christine W from Maine                     12,141       
10th  Traci L from California                       11,628

Nice going players! I have to tell you that I wish I had enough prizes to send to all who played - you made this more fun than work for me, so thank you! Winners - please drop a comment here to acknowledge that you've found yourself in the list. An e-mail will follow.

Now let's look at two quick pics.

First, that high score. Impressive - despite what the cat may have to say.

And for the haters - that elusive, furry little rodent that had you squinting and cursing me is right...

Thanks to all who made this such a fun exercise. I cannot wait for the summer Olympics when we can do this again. And I'll make this promise in advance - no squirrels!

Have a great weekend and hug your dogs for us.

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 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!

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!

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.

The Friday Five Returns

What can I say, the summer slack is in full swing. We have seen a few rare breaks in the rain and have taken advantage of every spare minute. Now it's time to get back one of our favorites and let you see where we have been sniffing around lately.

But before that, a couple of awards that we are late to acknowledge! Actually, one award from two of our friends.


Doug from Fumbled Returns, and Doctor Dre were both kind enough to pass this along. Actually, I think a few dogs I know would be very happy if I stopped creating! But I'll keep at it until the men in white suits come and lock me up. Thank you!

Now back to the Friday Five. Many of you have given or received blog awards of one type or another. It's fun to recognize others and introduce our friends to bloggers they might not otherwise find. We have been tagged many times, and have not been able to keep up or play along due to an outrageous work schedule and constant distractions.




With that in mind, I thought it might be 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. Just feel the love!

A few fun destinations for the week:

Take a dip with Three Happy Heeler's! These dogs know how to spend a summer. They swim like crazy, and here is the great part - they love to chomp sticks. Our old friends will know why that floats our boat!

One of our oldest friends, Tracing Lucky Skies celebrated a birthday with Jackson recently. Stop by and say hello, and take in the fun with this beautiful, fun loving pack!

I think by now many know that we have lived with, and adore Border Collies. So we love every visit to Holly & Zac, especially since we are landlocked and they have been frolicking in the surf lately. Throw them a bone! :)

Golden Samantha is another dear old friend, and gets our nod for Wordless Wednesday this week - I want to know what happened next! And Nigel appreciates the view. :p

Want to see one of our favorite headers in the dog blog world? I smile every time I arrive at Nibbles Treats - and this week, there is great feeding advice on tap! I think I'm going to give a few of these a try. Thanks for the great post Sandy! :)


Another Friday, another five, another weekend awaits. Enjoy the tour and be well!

The Friday Five

Welcome back to the end of the week, and thanks for stopping by. We'll get to our weekly list shortly, but wanted to share a little fun on the way there.

Susan from City Gal Moves to Oz Land surprised our pack with a little something earlier this week - free food!


A wonderful card was included - we used to have a Dalmatian so Susan and Trixie and the gang tugged at our heart strings with that one. We were so touched that she took the time to whip up a batch of crunchy goodness for the dogs. A custom label for the treats rounded out the package: perhaps Trixie is on the way to her fifteen minutes. There is not a treat left, and I am typing this Tuesday night. That's a good review if I have ever seen one - thanks Susan!

Now on to the Friday Five for the week. And the accompanying cheap trinket we created especially for it - the Gold Hydrant Award (more). This item of little to no value is yours to display, or not. No questions to answer, no need to pass it along, no rules, no strings. Brag to your friends or run away in shame. Either way, we're hurling this at you because we think your blog should be seen. Cut and paste if you'd like, or cut and shred!




I need to mention a site that provides very useful information. I have it bookmarked for reference. Read and learn from Helpful Buckeye at Questions On Dogs and Cats. Always interesting, there is a mix of information and entertainment on tap. Tell them we sent you!

Remember the Dalmatian I mentioned? I bring this next blog to your attention with great pleasure, especially since I know Mrs. Author will go absolutely bonkers when she finds it. I would fly our dogs to Florida to have Kim from House of Spots photograph them. Of personal interest is this post. We saw those kinds of bitey faces often. :)

If there is a dog I want to steal as I review this list, it is Hoover from Battery Powered Dog. Hoover gets the job done with a pacemaker, and that makes him a badass in my book. Scroll down to Meet My Sister...check out Hoover and Kirby crashed on the floor. The name comparison post above it is a riot!

Want a visual feast of dog fun? Head over to visit Minnie Moo this week, and scroll through loads of pictures of Minnie and friends in action. These dogs know how to play, and Minnie is one lucky canine.

Feeling boxed in at the office as you read this? Stop by Gennasus for some amazing open sky pictures, and a beautiful tour of their corner of Scotland. I think I could live there and be quite happy. Their dogs certainly seem to be!



Have a great weekend, and hug your dogs for us...

The Friday Five +

Well this week certainly flew by! I've been on the road a bit, and had to schedule posts to publish in my absence. I have not had a chance to catch up, but I did set aside some time to peruse some blogs from our follower list to see how everyone has been. That can only mean one thing - another Friday Five.

But first, a tag-athon! If you offered up an award that we missed, please let us know.

First up, Mango and family surprised us with this one!


Mango lives in Massachusetts, and we are hoping to arrange for a visit to his area this summer. Look out!

In an interesting twist, we were double tagged with the following this week:


Lindsay from Life With Big Dogs, and Kimberly from Awesome Dogs @ OB Beach found us worthy of this fine award, even though I have no idea how to pronounce it. :) Thanks to you both!


Now on to the Friday Five (or so) for the week. And the accompanying cheap trinket we created especially for it - the Gold Hydrant Award (more). This item of little to no value is yours to display, or not. No questions to answer, no need to pass it along, no rules, no strings. Brag to your friends or run away in shame. Either way, we're hurling this at you because we think your blog should be seen. Cut and paste if you'd like, or cut and shred!




Where to start? How about with Team 3 Dawg Flite? We have been long time admirers, and Sola is ready to take the plunge and give jumping a try. Considering getting your dog in to the pool? All you need to know is here. Jump in!

Next on our list...Amber and Nala from NW Ridgeback. Some of their pics have been our favorites of the week. Dig in to older posts and follow some fun school projects. We almost got a Ridgeback before Truffles came along, so we secretly covet Nala!

Take a moment to congratulate Krista and family from Shades of Blonde on their recent addition to the household. Hello Copper! And be sure to take a stab at the Magic 8 Ball widget. Very clever.

Mrs. Author wants some ducks now that we have room, and this touching, flat out awesome story from The Happy Pit Bull Blog will do little to dissuade her. Once you are done feeling all warm and fuzzy you'll probably think the cute factor was maxed, but be sure to check out Pepper and Little Byrd as well!

Ever had a Pony chew and swallow your cell phone? If you answered yes, then you and Colleen Mulrooney from Furry, Not Fried have something in common. Read on to find out how she retrieved it - and from which end.

I have always been a turtle fan, and stop traffic to get the little fools out of the road whenever I can. Even had one as a pet growing up - which is why this cute and touching story from The 'splorin' Wolfies had me smiling bigtime. Tell Saige thanks for observing catch and release etiquette!

I was late to the party, but was no less happy for it when I saw that Luna celebrated a birthday recently. Nigel thinks Luna is a looker, and who are we to argue? Send belated wishes to Elizabeth and Luna this Friday.


I hope you weren't counting this week - it looks like I lost my abacus. And again, that little plus sign gets us off on a technicality. Truth be known, I'd get everyone in, but the Friday Five Hundred just doesn't sound the same.

Enjoy the blogs of our friends as we do, and tell them we sent you. Be well and enjoy the weekend!




P.S. Our apologies to IE browser users who could not load Unsubscribe yesterday morning. Blogger and IE were getting along like Jon and Kate for a few hours there.

The Friday Five

Welcome to the end of the week, and what is quickly becoming a new favorite for me - the Friday Five. Five blogs that we noticed in our travels this week. We'll recommend that you stop by, but first we have to thank Secret Mom Thoughts for being kind enough to pass the following award to us!




We are ordinary and not so awesome, so this was a huge surprise. Thanks!

Now on to this list of five fun visits for the week. And the accompanying prop - the Gold Hydrant Award. This trinket of little to no value is yours to display, or not. No questions to answer, no need to pass it along, no rules, no strings. Brag to your friends or run away in shame. Either way, we're hurling this at you because we think you rock.




Let's dig in to the list. It was a fun week to tour the blogosphere...

I hate the kitchen. Despise it really. And I like horses, even if I fear that they will trample me. And I like the Wizard of Oz. So what the hell does that add up to? A great, easy recipe from Oz Girl from an older post caught my attention, but did not distract me from some beautiful, big sky pictures posted more recently. Have a look!

Next up, A Dog's Beach. We are landlocked, and love the beach, so this is a great escape. We have been enjoying this blog for some time, so visit Jen and the gang and get some sand in your toes!

Speaking of beaches, check out this post from Martha and Bailey. They hit the beach for some fun, thwarted the advances of a butt sniffing dog from Holland, and shared some scenic pics from a recent walk for your enjoyment.

Our fourth selection, Expressive Papers. If you love flowers, you'll be hooked in no time. But look a little closer - Jan is a Greyhound lover! She even has some very cool hand made cards with Greyhounds on them. Find your way through the archives and say hello to Harley!

Finally, meet our friend Norwood from Norwood Unleashed. He is all fun! Tag along for the Whisker Walk, some frisbee stars and a pile of Pugs I'd bring home if I could. Tell him we sent you.



Here is hoping that your week was splendid - and if it was not, our Friday tour should do the trick. Enjoy!

The Friday Five +

Happy Friday all. Here is hoping that you enjoyed a superb week - now let's dig in to some pre-weekend fun!


Our first order of business: another tag we caught (if a bit late) from Dewdana and Moose at Dogtalk.


While our loveliness is very much open for debate, we are no less thankful for the award. You are lovely to have mentioned us. Thank you! And as always, if we have missed a tag feel free to slap us around and make us aware.

Just in time for summer, CrazyCris from Here and There and Everywhere was kind enough to quench our thirst with this, the always refreshing Lemonade Stand.


I think we are suitably bitter, no? Very sweet of you, thanks from our blog to yours.


Another month has escaped us, and it's time to announce a contest winner. Big congrats to Nika and Parker from Woof Talk. You have been randomly selected to receive a new collar of your choice from The Unruly Hound. Say hello to Holly, have fun shopping, and put in your order. We'll get the tab. Enjoy!

Now on to the Friday Five. If you missed us last week, go >here< for the full explanation. Here are five bloggers who have caught our attention for one reason or another this week, and are the newest recipients of our Gold Hydrant award. Copy and paste away if you'd like!


First up this week: Morgan in Pittsburgh. For starters, Morgan has one of the coolest registered names I have seen in some time: Saranac Lunar Eclipse. On top of that, Morgan and family can add AKC's Canine Good Citizen designation to their accomplishment list. Nice going!

Considering a raw diet for your dog? Take a gander at I Eat Raw Meat. Stanislaw and family share some great information, make it a fun read, and may be able to help you decide if a raw diet is a good fit for your dog.

A blog with a cause comes in at number three this week. Dogs Deserve Freedom gets a nod for always putting animals first, and for offering up interesting information in the process.

Ready to put on your thinking cap? Good, because we lost ours a long time ago. Drop by Your Mother Knows But Won't Tell You. A vast range of topics await you - some controversial, some not - but all will get your wheels spinning!

The gang at Fleas Blog has the cute factor turned up pretty high these days. The header pic alone is enough to make you saw awww, but check out Morning snoozin' and tell me you don't want to squeeze those noses.


There you have it, another Friday Five. Another week gone in a flash, but it has been great to set aside time to make our way around and check in on our blogging friends. We hope you will as well.

The Friday Five +

I'm not sure that we're cool enough, but it's probably not easy to find an Insane Blogger award to present us with. ;) Thanks Sam and Marge!

Now back to the Friday Five. Many of you have given or received blog awards of one type or another. It's fun to recognize others and introduce our friends to bloggers they might not otherwise find. We have been tagged many times, and have not been able to keep up or play along due to an outrageous work schedule and constant distractions with animal emergencies.

With that in mind, I thought it might be 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. Want to print off a copy, set it on fire and give your dog a big drink of water in order to put it out? Go for it, but I'd love to see pics of that one!


Now, for this Friday, the first five. We are happy to offer the Gold Hydrant award to the following this week:

Carolina: for proving that she has a firm pair of...legs! Holy crap look at those bruises, not a broken bone. Someone has been taking their calcium!

Andrea: for taking beautiful pictures, and using a creative, short and sweet concept for presenting the moments she has captured with her camera.

Chester: Truffles would never speak to me again if this did not make it to Chester and family. Love is in the air, and these two choco-labs have taken a serious interest in one another. As funny as he is, I think it may be his groundhog elimination skills that have her seeing hearts :) Watch the count grow this summer!

Lorenza: This little cutie looks like she had her closet designed by Oprah. Look at that pile of dresses!

Ina in Alaska: A kind, generous animal lover living it up in a gorgeous part of our country. Follow Ina as she plans for a June wedding, and keeps things interesting by changing up beautiful or funny header pictures on her blog with frequency. Give her dogs a scratch :)

And finally, AM from It's a Wonderful Life: This family has tackled a puppy rehab project, a very kind deed. Support them from afar as they restore these little furballs to health...


So there you have it, the Friday Five+. I do know how to count, but I could not quite limit myself to five this week. :) That + sign really gets us off the hook!

Feel free to copy and display your award if you'd like. I can e-mail it to you if you prefer: our e-mail address is in our profile. Next week, the Friday Five will include our contest winner for the month, so don't forget to stop by.


Our little way of helping to spread the word and share the love. Happy weekend to all!

Friday Fun

I have been far too slow to make the blog rounds - as always work comes first, and there has been a mountain of it. There have been a number of blog buddy awards and tags that I have missed, or just could not come up with the time to respond to. Please accept my apologies if you have been missed - I will probably happen across your post at some point and send an apologetic e-mail!

A couple of recent nods came from Dughallmor Beagles, a blog with pictures that will make you wish you came back as a dog in the next life, and Baby Rocket Dog and Hootie, a couple of the sweetest Terriers in the blogosphere. I am supposed to choose a select few bloggers to pass these along to, but there are far too many great bloggers out there to narrow down the list. Dip in to our follower list and you'll find hundreds of great dog blogs. If you have tagged us or we have missed a recent award drop us a line - our e-mail is in our profile.


Now on to recent happenings, and another hint at what awaits. Be very afraid.




Any takers? ;)