Thursday, August 31, 2017

Thankful Thursdays - Enduring Friendships

We're joining our furry friend

for Thankful Thursday.

Today I'm just happy to be coming up on my 4th anniversary of my marriage to my best friend in October, and two happy and healthy years with Abby Lab, our senior rescue (Thank you, Love of Labs Indiana for her timely rescue from the high kill shelter).


Wednesday, August 30, 2017

American Humane - Hope and Help after Harvey

I hope this finds everyone in our Blogville group safe and dry.  In reading about all that is happening in Texas and parts of Louisiana as Harvey finally gets "out of Dodge" not just the human compassion element comes to mind but that for our four legged friends. There are many groups working around the clock to get animals previously in shelters to newer shelters out of the flood zone to make the way for furry flood victims.  One of these, for whom "The Book of Barkley - Love and Life Through the Eyes of a Labrador Retriever"  is proud to donate to, is American Humane.  American Human is a multi faceted relieve organization one that has a hundred year partnership with the U.S. military with a lot of new initiatives in 2017 to help Veterans on both ends of the leash in addition to their animal rescue and support programs.  They also have a rescue program with a fleet of rescue vehicles stationed strategically across the country that is ready to deploy on a moment’s notice to rescue animals during natural disasters and cruelty cases.

For more than a hundred years American Humane has been first in promoting the welfare and safety of animals and strengthening the bond between animals and humans. These are a group that you know can be relied on when animals are in need of rescue, shelter, protection or security. Through their innovative leadership initiatives – from our “No Animals Were Harmed®” program in Hollywood to broad-based farm and conservation animal welfare certifications, to rapid response rescue and care across the country – American Humane is an organization that as an animal advocate and international best selling author, I'm so proud to support. I caught up with American Humane's Developmental Officer Madison Schaffer today and was updated on all they are doing to help the animals affected by Hurrican Harvey.
Currently, the American Humane Rescue team is already in Texas to provide relief efforts for the thousands of animals and pet owners affected by catastrophic Hurricane Harvey. They have deployed two of their 50-foot rescue trucks equipped with rescue boats, pet supplies, sheltering equipment, and 100,000 pounds of pet food to distribute to owners as much of the resources in the region are underwater. Their trucks will be stationed in Orange Grove, near Corpus Christi and the Woodlands, a suburb of Houston. This is a very large scale disaster response, requiring multiple rescue rigs, all rescue staff, their trained first responder volunteers and leadership team members.

In addition, American Humane had third rescue truck awaiting orders to move into position in Louisiana to provide rescue and shelter services as the storm turns eastward. American Humane is anticipating that their role will grow as the flood waters recede as the region will likely need additional help with animal rescue and sheltering.
To accomplish this, American Humane will need as much help as possible to ensure they are able to provide the rescue and shelter services necessary. Some of my blog and book reader's have asked what legitimate groups they can donate to in order to help post Hurricane Harvey.  This is one I'd heartily recommend and I know they will make sure funds are spent in the best way possible for the greatest relief, thanks to so many volunteers within their structure and their many years of experience in doing this.

You can donate by mail, by phone, or by going to their website  I know I plan to donate all of September's Book of Barkley book sale proceeds to them and Compassion-First Pet Hospitals is also matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000 for a limited time so their urgent rescue efforts can go twice as far.  

If you already have the book, please consider donating to American Humane directly.  Bless you!

 www.americanhumane.org/hurricane-harvey

Monday, August 28, 2017

Paws Together for Texas

Thank you Ann at Zoolatry for the graphic.  Several people have asked how they can help the animals affected by Hurricane Harvey.

If you wish to make a donation to help displaced or injured animals after the flood please make donations directly to  Houston SPCA or SPCA of Texas

(click on the organization's name for a direct link to their website.

For donations for the many pet lovers who have been displaced, many losing all of their possessions, you can safely donate directly to:


Abby Lab and her Mom L.B.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Flower Friday

Abby Lab here -Today we are joining Mini Dory in Carmel for


as da boyz travel to Oregon to the mini BAR.

My human Dad had a business trip to Vietnam and sent some photos he and others took to Mom of a guy on a motorbike with LOTS of flowers and other craziness.
He wasn't the only one

 How do you even SEE to steer?

Seriously dude?

Happy Flower Friday everyone!

Thursday, August 24, 2017

On Today's Episode of "Suicidal Squirrel".

There's a car coming, run into the road.

Car slows as you're 95% of the way across.  GO BACK!~

STOP.  

Run back across the road.  SCREEEECH!

Thanks for watching. Our show sponsored by Midas Tires and Brakes.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Poopiter - A Rollicking Fun Read for Canine Lovers

Quit laughing so much Mom, you're making it hard to maintain a sulk.

It WAS pretty hard to quit laughing.

For you see - I was reading POOPITER.

Yes, Poopiter, as in "Poopiter and Mars", by talented artist and illustrator L. Bowman.

One of the other members of Blogville mentioned how much they liked this book about a week or so ago, so I HAD to order it.

The author has two Cairn Terriers, Geordie an older dog, otherwise known as" bitey dog", and the other a pup named Toby, added to the household at which point more fun filled mayhem ensues.

Not familiar with the Cairn Terrier? If you've seen the movie The Wizard of Oz, you've seen one of the most famous Cairn Terriers ever. The dog who played Toto in the film was a female Cairn named Terry. Paid $125 per week for her role as Toto, she was owned by trainer Carl Spitz, and she had appeared in several movies prior to her famous role in Oz. Cairns are a highly intelligent and inquisitive breed, with a great curiosity about a lot of things, which you will soon find out when you read Poopiter.

But I warn you, you will laugh, and you may cry and you may never look at a Peppermint Candy stuffie the same G-Rated way again..

In a collection of heartfelt and often hilarious poems, stories, and colorful drawings the author explores what exactly does goes through the minds of these small souls as they go about their daily life with their human.  The answer is EVERYTHING - from planet Earth to Planet Poopiter and back again.

You can tell the book was crafted by a dog lover who looks deep into those simple yet universal moments we share with our pets and comes up with a warm way of looking at even the messier ones, as even the most mischievous pet brings with it nothing but love.  As Gordie and Toby make it their quest to make sense out of a nonsensical universe you too will truly look at the world in another dimension, one where He who has the golden collar is King and dogs do rule.

Poopiter would be the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates hilarious and subtly brilliant insights into dog and adult human nature.

A Kindle copy will be out soon, but I am so happy I ordered the beautiful glossy paperback version, one I will read again and again.


There's some more fun at the author's blog (and seriously, click on her blogroll on the right sidebar to see her Store "Needful Things of Salem" for some incredibly beautiful handcrafted items for people and pups of all ages).

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Travel-Logs

Dad's finally home.  He got to sit in business class on his flight home with Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, and that's all he could talk about. What about ME Dad, what about Mom and Me chasing Petey the possum out of the yard, and what happened to the last of the Cadbury Bar.

Oh what? - Enough of our stories? We've had our sleep and it's time for foodables.  What's that?  I heard the sound of a bowl.
 I hear it, I smell something.
 Could it be?
Yo, Mom.  Dad has foodables and I don't! It's a bowl of Great Nuts (I hear they're made out of stone-ground squirrels).
 The prosecution objects!
Look - I'm not against bribery.  Will $15 get me a bowl of Great Nuts?
 Fine - distract me with throwing a stuffie.
 He Shoots. She Scores.
Oh boy, that's the ball my boyfriend Frankie Furter's family sent.
 I got it!
Seriously, Mom, you're not on your game, first the cereal and now a Chewy box that's been sitting here for like four YEARS.
I'll just sit here and starve to death, you all go ahead and open the boxes and listen to ZZ Top.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Thankful Thursday - TeaTime

This Thursday we join our friend

for Thankful Thursday. Today, while Abby snoozes in the sunlight, I'm thankful to be feeling better after a really awful head-cold, for treats from the Brits store in Lawrence Kansas to go with my afternoon tea time
and a solar powered bobbing Corgi (also from Brits) - just because it made me smile.

<

Monday, August 14, 2017

Like the House Smelling like Chicken Fat is a BAD thing - An Abby T. Lab Post

Abby the Lab here, doing tonight's dog blog post.

Mom's had a couple of busy weeks and she was sick for a few days so she's' been a bit stressed. Plus dealing with some traffic issues, with a bridge and lane closure on her way home, the commute the last week has not been good. She said it was a ZOO.

She tries to plan ahead. For example, she put some chicken pieces in the crock pot yesterday to cook, so she could put them in containers this morning to have shredded for salads and casseroles. BUTT, she makes them with an olive oil based dressing, then removes the chicken meat and leaves the bones and the skin and the oil in the crock pot.  The chicken is SOOO yummy. BUTT, it makes a REALLY messy crock pot after the chicken is put into Tupperware.

Dad said "don't worry, fill it with water and let it soak and I'll dispose of it before work." since Mom had the morning off for a dog-tor appointment and would be getting up after him.

Except there was an emergency at Dad's work and he had to go to O'Hair at o'dark hundred to catch a flight to Texas.

Leaving the crock pot full of chicken skin bits and bones and fatty water.

NOOO, I didn't get into it, as it was up high and away from the edge of the counter, but when Mom got home from a doctor's appointment and errands it was a smelly mess.

I notice these things.



So I let Mom know the instant she got home in her nice "run errands among the rich soccer moms" outfit that it needed to be taken care of. Mom's smart, she got the crock pot rounded up to pour off the mess for the trash.

Except someone got in the way

And there was a big tidal wave in the crock pot.

And most of the chicken fat water and bones and skin pieces ended up down the front of Mom's new shirt and yoda pants  (I know everyone calls them Yoga pants but Mom is so old I'm pretty sure her's are YODA pants).
Mom and the kitchen smelled SOOOOO good, she's my new bestest friend! Look, my tail has gone hypersonic!

No picture, cuz she got right OUT Of the clothes,

But decided right then and there she needed a SHOT of something.

The Chocolate kind.