Happy Swelter Day, er I mean Happy Monday. Today I, the majestic Floof is bringing you a special public announcement. Call…I can help you get the compensation you so richly deserve. Speaking of what I deserve, I gotta dash to file a writ of habeas corpus on a bag of chicken jerky my own Mum is not dispensing fast enough. The nerve! Harrumph.
Have a super Monday and stay as cool as you can. Our forecast calls for 98ºF (36C) so we were out even earlier than our normal early morning constitutional since it was almost 70F at dawn. Gonna be a scorcher so we’re hunkering down with AC, lots of treats any plenty of cold fresh water. Stay safe and well hydrated.
Well, will you lookie here…once again it’s Friday and that means we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. It’s been hot this week so I’m kinda melting whenever I find a comfy spot. In case you’ve missed us, there’s good reason. Mom has been up to her eyeballs working on the sheepdog rescue picnic event and they had their annual spring fundraiser last weekend (more on that later) and she just couldn’t think about anything else. I’m surprised she had time to feed us.
Wilson: Gosh, that would have been totally tragic, wouldn’t it? Since I moved here nearly six months ago, she’s been on this “the sheepdog has got to lose weight” quest. I’m beginning to think I’m going to whittle away to just a small pile of fur.
Elsa: Ha…that’s not likely. Even though you’re nice and trim now, you’re NEVER gonna be a small pile of anything. But you’re right, you have slimmed down nicely and are probably at the idea weight now. Mom took you in for a groom job and Miss Sydney did a pawsome job showing off your thin profile for a cool summer look. Although I think you may have a case in Canine Court that Mom may have deceived you with that whole “wanna go for a ride” line.
Wilson: I’m a bit reluctant to pursue legal action at this time but will file this away for future reference. Right now, I’m feeling a bit naked, but with it being so hot this week, it is kind of nice to feel the cool tile on my belly for a change. And, getting rid of all that hair has had a bonus effect-I’m even speedier than usual. Watch out squirrels, I’m primed and ready for you.
Elsa: About that…you need to chill out on the whole “death to squirrels” thing. Mom ain’t as flexible and young as she used to be and you wouldn’t want to break her now, would you? I mean…who’d feed us you then? You think you’re slim now, just wait if she’s hurt and can’t hobble around easily. I guarantee we’ll both get slim and that will be very uncool. I mean, Ninjas are lithe and svelte but hunger isn’t part of that equation, got it House Pony?
Wilson: Sorry, I just lose my mind whenever I see them and instinct takes over. I’ll try to do better.
Elsa: Instinct? What’s instinctive about that, bozo? You’re a herding dog, not a hunter.
Wilson: Hmm, good point. Like I said, I kind of lose my mind and forget my DNA.
Elsa: Well you better remember because if I miss any meals because Mom is laid up…there will be some consequences, got it, Dude?
Wilson: I’ll keep that in mind. So let’s see what we parts of Nature we can share this week, shall we?
Elsa: Works for me. With Mom being so focused on the rescue, her picture taking took a bit of a nosedive but I think there are a few pics we can share. I know when she went to pick you up from your grooming appointment, she walked you around before returning home and you guys came across a hawk near the groomer’s shop.
Wilson: That’s right! I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until Mum told me he’d just sat down for a mid-afternoon snack.
Elsa: Egad…you mean…aww, poor bunny. I guess the circle of life is as much a part of Nature as are pretty flowers.
Wilson: True enough. And because it’s been so bloody hot lately, we’re going to take another opportunity to post an important PSA. Again. Yesterday afternoon when Mum needed to mail something at the Post Office shortly after lunch hour, she said she saw around a dozen dogs being walked at mid-day. And, get this…3 of them were black dogs! Goodness gracious. People need to understand our paws can get blistered in those hot temps. Please walk us either early before it heats up or late in the evening when the temps have cooled down. If you can’t walk on the sidewalk in your bare feet, you shouldn’t expect us to…that’s all I’m going to say about that. We’re reposting this graphic and hope people will wake up and stop torturing us.
Elsa: Oh jeez…the stupidity of some uprights is just downright amazing. And not in a good way. I suspect we’ll need to bark this repeatedly because humans just aren’t very smart at times and often don’t think of how they are harming us.
Wilson: Well hope springs eternal, right? Mum did find a couple of pretty flowers this week. Good thing she took a photo of this peony because it’s through blooming now. It sure smelled wonderful. Mum calls peonies the queen of the garden.
Elsa: Yeah, she pretty much goes gah-gah when they bloom and this was a pretty exceptional year for peonies. Everyone who walks past our garden stops and comments on how gorgeous they are.
Wilson: Mum also found a patch of Spiderwort blooming in a secluded garden we walk past every day. Isn’t that purple lovely?
Elsa: It sure is pretty but I was more focused on the fact there had been a bunny in that spot. I picked up it’s scent right away and Mom had a hard time convincing me we needed to continue on.
Wilson: So THAT’s what bunnies smell like, eh? I’ve seen them a few times but never focused on their scent before. I’ll have to keep my nose primed for future encounters. Mum says it’s been a banner year for them and constantly checks on her strawberry plant to make sure they don’t help themselves to it. They managed to snarf one berry a couple of days ago but she harvested the last one and it was big, juicy one at that. But then she got really excited about the potted tomatoes. Both of them are producing fruit and she squealed with delight. This one is a cherry tomato variety she’s planted in the previous years and said it’s a good producer. I can hardly wait to taste it.
Elsa: Blech…trust me, you ain’t gonna like the taste of tomatoes.
Wilson: Why not, I like veggies. Not everything is about slabs of organ meat though I don’t mind that either.
Elsa: Oh, I don’t know…there’s something about the acid that I don’t favor or their tiny little seeds. Mom goes bonkers, popping them like candy. Sorry, I just don’t see the allure.
Wilson: Well I heard that tomatoes contain antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene which can help protect cells and can fight off free radicals.
Elsa: What the heck are free radicals? Sounds like a political thing and you know we’re not supposed to go down that path.
Wilson: Silly sister, free radicals can cause oxidative stress, and may play a role in the development of chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Elsa: Meh…give me some calf liver any day. Not only does it taste amazing, organ meat is a nutritious addition to a dog’s diet rich in nutrients that are essential for a dog’s health because it contains protein for muscle growth, tissue repair, and immune function; vitamins: A, B, D, and E; and minerals like copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc as well as fatty acids which will improve our coats.
Wilson: Well you won’t see me pass meat up but I may see what this tomato thing tastes like once they get a bit bigger.
Elsa: Suit yourself. Anyway, I thought you might want to share a few pics from the sheepdog picnic. The weather in Elizabeth called for thunderstorms and several people didn’t show up but it looked like there was still a decent turnout and everyone including the uprights had a great time. Mom said it ended just before a thunderstorm rolled in and dumped some rain on the dry landscape.
Wilson: Yes, it was a successful event and everyone was very happy to learn the state finally approved our rescue. Woof, woof! We’re legit now and are looking forward to saving good sheepdogs who need new homes like I did. It’s been a long and challenging process but the Rocky Mountain Old English Sheepdog Rescue is now officially approved with the State of Colorado.
Elsa: Nice! Say, isn’t that your Miss Sydney sharing grooming tips in a demonstration on show dog, Conner?
Wilson: Indeed it is. She’s very nice and quite knowledgeable about how to groom us sheepdogs. And look how much fun people and dogs had under some of the tents.
Elsa: I heard there was lots of tasty food for people.
Wilson: Oh quite. Lots of great food and lots of fabulous gift baskets. We’re waiting for the totals but I’d say the final results were good.
Elsa: Outstanding. Guess I don’t mind that Mom has been so busy when I see so many happy sheepdogs living their best lives.
Wilson: Right…when you put it like that, all the hard work really paid off. Well that’s it this week. We hope you have a great weekend and a good Father’s Day celebration.
Happy first Monday of June. The temperatures are rising and it clearly looks like Summer is ramping up. Temps will be in the 90’s in the Mile High and that means it’s even more important to think of the four-legged sect. Before we get to today’s smile, here’s a public service announcement every pet parent and/or animal lover should remember.
Fresh water will do more than just make your petunias happy; it is essential for you and your pet’s good health. So be sure to stay hydrated. And now for this week’s smile.
Welcome to National Check The Chip Day — a day created as a reminder for pet parents to check their pet’s microchips, to make sure they contain the most up to date information with the provider. With last month’s July 4th celebrations where more pets are lost than any day of the year, microchips are especially important for keeping your pets safe. Pets are far more likely to be reunited with their pet parents when they are chipped. Personally I think National Chip Day should be July 5th, but that’s just me. Visit this website to find out how to check your microchip status.
The Ranch Hands say there’s no need to be scared, just make sure your pet is microchipped for their safety and your piece of mind. Have a great week.
Norman here, sharing a COVID PSA I’ve put together. With the number of positive COVID cases on the rise with each day, it seems proper to remind everyone to follow my prescription for staying safe. When we all follow these instructions, we can flatten the curve and get back to living the good life. With apologies for the ‘film crew” cutting off the top of me head and the producer’s somewhat less than Oscar-worthy editing skills. Clearly it’s tough to round up decent help.
Make sure your volume is up. Happy mid-week (and don’t forget to file your taxes today if you haven’t already).
The weekend is over and now we wait for the endless election to be over. Sam here. But first, a smile. I’m thinking this Twitter strategy should be used for all the incessant ads. If you have not yet voted, please do so. While every election is ‘impawtant,’ this one will set the direction our country will take over the next two years. For those who have voted early, humble poodle tail wags.
And now in the it’s-not-too-late-to-think-about-the-howlidays category, we note the following post from our avian pal, Kismetregarding the card exchange. We sent our email in accordance with the instructions because Mom likes to mark things off her to-do list. So right after you vote, email Kismet, ‘kay?
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Please reblog. Not everyone follows me (that’s NOT smart)!
The Blogville list is going live!! To get yourself on the list and receive the entire list by email please use the following template. Blog Name: Blog Url: Email address: Snail mail address: Animals name, type: ************************************** For Example: Blog Name: Kyla Scott Blog Url: kylascott.com Email Address: kyle.a.scott@gmail Snail mail address: 44121 N 16th St New River, Arizona 85087
Animals name and type Kaci (dog) Kali (dog) Kismet (parrot)
These MUST be in by Nov 16th, He will start working in it on the 17th. There were stragglers last year and he wont make an effort to get those in that miss the deadline so DON’T forget NOV 16th!!!
Send them in an email to Blogvillecards@outlook.com
The subject line is very IMPORTANT!! Email Snail mail Either
If you don’t specify then your email will get lost. You must put in the subject line how you want your cards to come to you! So remember Nov 16th is the deadline. If you don’t use the template, then you will get lost.
Yesterday was Earth Day and in my mind, one day a year shouldn’t be when we think when trying to save the environment. Rather we should be treating everyday as Earth Day to make a difference on our planet. Whether or not you believe in ‘climate change’ it seems hard to dispute ‘things are a-changing’ out there. Extreme droughts, increasingly more frequent severe storms, you can probably agree that weather patterns don’t seem normal these days. In order to protect our environment, I believe going organic is one way to help Mother Nature. Whenever possible, I try to eat organic and I certainly garden organically. With my two knuckleheads, I never can be sure what they’ll eat, so I want to make sure if they munch on anything in the garden, there aren’t chemicals that control weeds on it. In the past I have used common table vinegar to keep weeds at bay. While repeated applications are necessary a necessary shortcoming, I don’t have to worry about any canine munching on a weed with a side dish of chemicals on top.
Everyone likes a lush flower garden without weeds but I’m not going to put my dogs at risk. With a bee population in peril, it is even more important to treat Mother Nature kindly.
So when I was at my local health food store recently, I was thrilled to come across this recipe for weed control. I have used agricultural strength vinegar in the past and at around 20% acidity (compared with 3-5% for common table vinegar), know it’s extremely efficient when it comes to killing weeds though the lesser strength will also do the job. You may need to reapply a couple of times, especially if the weeds are well established. I also discovered recently that if you have ants, you can sprinkle some cinnamon and they’ll take off for cheaper housing. Those industrial size bottles from Costco will come in handy beyond the occasional batch of cookies, especially after I found a bunch of squatters in the garage.
“Lady bug love” isn’t exclusively for the environment, in the long run it’s also for your fur-kids, even when you’ve been away on vacation without them. Happy Monday. May your week be particularly environmentally friendly.
My daughter with whom I have been visiting all week recently posted this graphic on Facebook and as a mom and as a caring human being, felt duty bound to share. Do you know whether the products you use are tested on animals? Are you surprised at some of the companies on this list from the folks at the Beagle Freedom Project as I was?
Well folks, we made it to the end of the week which means our friend Friday is here. Can I get a double woof, woof? In addition to Friday and the weekend, another visitor arrives, er rather falls back. Yup, regular time returns. I know, some of you will be moaning over lost daylight and yes, it’s unfortunate. But if you think about it, there’s a silver lining with this darkness. In less than 60 days the days will start getting a bit longer. Personally, I think it’s nature’s way to make winter weather more tolerable, but if you’re in one of those areas where the weather is pretty nice most of the year, good for you. For some of us, it’s the price we’re willing to pay to ‘enjoy’ 4 separate seasons. You know…the “good, the definitely outstanding, the meh and are-you-freakin’ kidding-me?!”
On the plus side, returning to regular time means an extra hour of sleep on Sunday and dinner an hour earlier for the pets. So focus on the bright side and don’t forget to ‘Fall Back’ Saturday night. And for heaven’s sake, please make it a great weekend!
