Chillin' With My Homey

Suka: Dude!! Hey! What up?! Mr. Bull: Hey dude. Just stopped by to see what's hangin'. Suka: Cool. I'm just chillin' in my front yard. Mr. Bull: Kewl. Nice crib. Suka: Dude. Thanks. Mr. Bull: Not much to eat in your yard, though. Suka: Nope, the humans keep it mowed. Sorry dude. Plus, your standing by the driveway. But there's some high grass in the backyard if you wanna go hang out back. Mr. Bull: Thanks dude, but I better get back to my place before they realize I'm missing. Suka: 'k. Thanks for stopping by, dude. Mr. Bull: It's been real. Suka: Yeah. See ya later tonight on my walk to your place. Mr. Bull: Stay cool. Suka: As always. No one is cooler than me. I'm just sayin'...

Happy Paws!

Don't I have pretty legs and paws? April Fools! Those are not my legs and paws! Those are icky Kitty's legs and paws! My legs and paws are much better looking than icky Kitty's, and they make the girl dogs swoon! Icky Kitty's legs and paws just make the dogs salivate...because kitty legs are tasty treats! And better with bar-b-que sauce! I'm just sayin'...

Snow In Spring

It snowed yesterday. Snow in Spring. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, and gusty gusty winds. It was a regular blizzard! I loved it! Especially after spending most of last year in sunny, always sunny, warm California. I just love the snow and the cold crisp air! Today, however, is a different story. It is sunny and warm and there is hardly any snow left. The snow has all pretty much melted away. Sadness! The photo of me above was taken last week, but it pretty much looks like that outside right now. What snow storm yesterday? Geesch! My wonderfully kewl kitty cat friend Huffle Mawson asked me a while ago if I enjoyed being back in the Midwest. Yes, I certainly do! I love the four seasons, the bizarre changes in the weather, and the excitement of both snow and thunder storms! And tornadoes are pretty cool, if no one gets hurt! It has been great being back in the country, hearing and seeing all of the animals and romping in the creek and eating the droppings of the bull's food (they can be messy eaters!). And you can't replace the peacefulness of the country. However, there are downsides. There is no dog park so I don't get to meet or hang out with other dogs, and there is no place to walk. Sure, there is the dirt/gravel road through Farmer B's property, which is where we walk every evening and where I see the bulls. It is a great walk through the corn fields and hay bales, but it is also short, only about a 20 minute walk, and we only walk once a day. So I went from two to three walks a day to just a short one walk a day. Yin and Yang - positive and negative in every situation! Thank you for asking Huffle Mawson! And I am sorry it took me so long to respond. K's computer is not working properly (it is pretty messed up!) and we are also now on dial-up so it has been very difficult for me to blog. It takes forever for a site to get up and for me to do anything on the computer. Hopefully K's computer will be fixed soon and then I can blog more often and visit all of my friends' blogs much more often! I am sure all of my friends are anxious to have me back leaving my wonderfully witty comments on their blog! What is a day without a "Suka Sayin' " comment on your blog? Seriously. I'm just sayin'...

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I am not Irish - I am Alaskan Malamute, which makes me Native American, through and through! Well, I may have some wolf in me. Or some Great Pyrenees in me. A lot of my friends in California thought I should get a DNA test to figure out what I am. I think about it from time to time, but mostly I like deciding what I am on my own. So today, in honor of St. Patrick, I am Alaskan Malamute and Irish Wolfhound! Do you see my Irish Wolfhound eye smiling? Or at least staring straight ahead annoyed that a camera is pointed at me? I should take advantage of being an Irish Wolfhound today and use my Irish Wolfhound senses to find myself a Leprechaun, then he could lead me to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! And a pot of gold would buy me lots of tasty meaty bones...and bunnies! And a nice vacation dog house in Alaska! I'm just sayin'...

Bone Yard

How do you like them bones?! Silvius has collected quite a stash of deer bones (well, I think they are all deer bones!) since I have gotten back home. You can see Silvius in the top photo, in the top left corner. He is watching me closely as I chose which bone I want to munch on next. Most of these bones did not look so clean when Silvius first brought them home. They were meaty and some of the leg bones still had the hoof and fur on them! Yummies! But we cleaned them up pretty good! I am getting a bit tired of deer meat, though. It is great and all, but I have a discerning palate and need variety. Moose would be good. Gazelle would be a delicacy. Bunny is for dessert! I'm just sayin'...

I'm Back!

I'm back...back in the blogging groove! I have been on a bit of an adventure since my last post three months ago. Three months?! I need to have a barking with K about that! I really missed all of my blog-o-sphere furry, feathery, and scaly friends! And I am anxious to sniff my way around the blog-o-sphere to see what I have been missing. Well, where to begin? First of all, the photo above was taken last year, March 2008, in Wyoming when we - K, Porgy, and I - were road-tripping to the house-sitting gig in California. I was hoping K would unleash me so I could run up that mountain, but no such luck. She said I would get lost. As if! Anyway, the house-sitting gig finally ended. I really miss all the amazing dogs I had met during my time there. It is especially sad for me because I did not have a chance to woof good-bye to many of my dog friends. After leaving the house-sitting gig we headed to San Francisco where we crashed for a while at K's sister's place. What fun! Porgy was very happy and I loved it! I had never been in a big city before and it was quite a fun experience. Twice a day K walked me to a park in Pacific Heights. It was on top of a hill so I could see the city on one side and the Marina and boats on the other. I met a lot of nice dogs and pampered pooches. It was during Christmas time when I was in San Francisco and there was an evergreen in the park that was decorated with photos of the pets that frequented the park. What a great idea! K and I had fun looking at all the pictures and recognized a lot of the dogs we had been meeting. I had fun adventures in San Francisco but one not so fun trip was to Ocean Beach. It was a bit scary for me since I am not a water dog and I had never been to the ocean before. It was raining and windy when we were there and the waves were very big and loud. I ran away every time a huge wave rolled in, and K and her sister found that to be funny. Grrrr.... Anyway, the sand was at least interesting and I liked sniffing around in it. I met two dogs who were chasing sticks and jumping into the scary waves and they seemed to like it! Crazy dogs! After our fun in San Francisco we (K, Porgy, and I) road-tripped back to Kansas, going the Southern route through Arizona and New Mexico. It was a fun trip. I just love road trips with K and Porgy! I hope we go on another one soon. It is great being back in Kansas hanging with Silvius. He was sure happy to see me, and I him! We had missed each other. Wow - this past year I have been a country dog, suburban dog, and city dog. I think next I will be an international globe-trotting dog. The World is my dog park! Hear me Howl! I'm just sayin'...

Ball of Confusion

I am just a ball of confusion lately! I don't know which way is up or down! K, my human, has been explaining to Porgy and I that we will probably be moving to Texas fairly soon. OK, I thought, I can handle that. Never been to Texas but they get snow once in a while so I suppose it would not be too bad. But now K is throwing out other possible places to move like Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago - I can't keep up! All I know is I am ready to leave California and I would prefer to move where there is plenty of snow! But Porgy prefers to move where there is plenty of sun. Porgy has seniority but I have my Alpha Dog male-ness so doesn't that trump seniority? K said since she is the Pack leader she will make the final decision. Well, at least I can trust that K will make her decision based on what is best for all of us. Speaking of altruism, this is an incredible video of an heroic dog saving his injured buddy from cars on the highway. It does not surprise me as I have always known that animals often display altruistic and loyal behavior toward one another, and also toward humans, as in this wonderful article on wonderful puppies! I need to do some heroic saving of my own. Does saving myself from kung fu bunnies, Ninja cats, and a mean dog behind the fence count as heroic? I'm just sayin'...

Happy Happy Joy Joy

I would like to give a huge Woof-Out to Muttville! They are an amazing non-profit in San Francisco that helps place abandoned elderly dogs into loving homes. You can read more about them in this article. It makes my tail wag knowing that some wonderful humans are helping elderly dogs find love and dignity in their final years. Woofs to Muttville!

Barking on elderly dogs, I have a super update on the elderly black-lab mix that showed up at my doorstep the other Friday. She is home safe and sound! Turns out she is 14-years-old and was in town visiting her doggy cousins while her human was on a business trip. She somehow escaped out of the backyard and walked over a mile before plopping herself down at my front door! She was returned to her human Aunt's home a couple of hours after she left my house with Animal Control. I love happy endings! I had been so worried about her and am so relieved to know she had not been abandoned.

REQUEST: My human K has informed me that it is time for us to move. I did some zoomies of joy because I thought we would be moving to snow! But then K said she is considering moving to Dallas, Texas. Texas?! Malamutes do not belong in Texas! Grrrr.... Anyway, K has never been to Texas and would like to request that if anyone knows anything about Dallas to please let her know. K does not have a car so she would need to find housing near public transportation. She was thinking of the area of White Rock Lake, so she and I could take our walks near water. Any information on Dallas would be great. Or, if you know of better towns to move too - such as places that have lots of snow! or the tropics, for Porgy! - please let us know! We are ready to move and start a new adventure in our lives! And being a wanderer, which Malamutes naturally are, I am open to roaming anywhere, except the desert. A snow dog in the sand? I don't think so. Plus, cacti scare me. I could just see myself at night having to go potty and mistaking a cactus for a shrub. I shudder to think of where the prickly needles would end up! I'm just sayin'...

Who Can It Be Now?

My human K went to San Francisco for an interview. For lunch K went to her old favorite spot, an area of benches behind the Ferry Building. K used to eat lunch there every day when she worked in an office near the Ferry Building a few years ago. Sometimes she would treat herself to the best ever veggie sushi rolls at a little restaurant in the Ferry Building and then eat them while sitting on the bench watching the water world go by! So, that is what K did after her interview the other day - she got her yummy veggie sushi rolls and went to her bench. While watching the water, boats, and Bay Bridge, a beautiful bird flew over and sat on the railing. K pulled out her camera and took a few photos. As you can see, she used a film camera and scanned the photo, thus the poor quality. Will she ever go digital?! We had a bizarre event occur on Friday. About 11:30 a.m. my human K heard some rumbling at the front door. She went to investigate, i.e., she opened the door, and there was a black lab mix laying down in front of the door. K was very surprised, and walked to the front of the house and looked around for a possible owner. The dog was old, all black with some gray around her muzzle, overweight, some patches of fur missing on her legs, and she had a growth on the top of her head. Her eyes did not look good and her nails were very overgrown. She did not look healthy and she was obviously very thirsty. So after about five minutes of looking around trying to find where the dog came from, K brought the dog to the back yard. That in itself was an issue. The dog could barely stand up. Whether from bad hips, bad hind legs, or arthritis, the dog had a hard time getting her backside up. Once she was up and standing, however, she seemed to walk ok. K led the dog to the back yard and the dog walked directly to the pool, put her head down to take a drink, and fell right into the pool. K panicked. The water is cold right now, about 57 degrees, and the air temperature was in the 60s. Luckily, the dog knew how to swim but headed toward the deep end, so K grabbed the skimmer and used the pole to steer the dog toward the shallow end and managed to get the dog out of the pool. K patted her down with some old towels and then gave her water. The dog drank two full bowls of water, and then some! K also gave her some food, which she ate all up! K was baffled. This dog obviously could not walk very far so either she lived very close by or someone had to have literally pushed her out of their car right in front of the house and abandoned her. Another mystery was that on the door, about two inches above the door knob, was some blood. K did not see any blood on the dog, but there was one drop of blood on the ground where the dog was at the front door and one drop of the blood in the first bowl of water the dog drank. The dog really wanted in the house but K got her settled in front of a sliding glass door so she could see inside the house. K called a few local vets but no one had reported a lost dog, so finally K called Animal Control. K felt awful about doing that but we could not keep an ill and elderly dog. Animal Control arrived about 4:30 p.m. and was very gentle in getting the dog in the truck. They said a vet will look at the dog and they will keep her for eight days and then if no owner claims her she will be put up for adoption. My paws are crossed that she has a happy ending. I know dogs get abandoned a lot in the country, which is how we got my side-kick Silvius. But to abandon a dog in the middle of a neighborhood? And a dog that is old and ill? I really hope that is not what happened but if it is, then there is a special place in a pit I have heard of for humans who would do things like that. And I will add a big pile of my poop to the pit to make it an extra special place! I'm just sayin'...

Take Me To The River...

..and drop me in the water. OK, so this is not a river but it is water. This is the little pond that I walk around every morning for my morning walk. When it is hot outside I like to walk into the pond to cool down my paws. The photo above also illustrates how deep I get into the water. I have never gone deeper than the water hitting my furry tummy. Usually there are ducks and geese around but when they see me coming they fly or paddle away. Today I walked into the pond, in the exact same spot as in this picture actually, and suddenly a young black lab jumped into the water to play with me! He had gotten loose and ran to greet me in the pond. His owner was not too happy about her young pup getting loose and getting wet! Once we were out of the pond and our respective humans had our respective leashes then me and the little guy ran and played...well, as much as two dogs can run and play when on leashes! But at least we both had the extendable leashes so we were able to run in big circles and entangle our humans quite nicely! I think every human who owns a dog needs to be tangled in a leash now and then. They need to know how annoying leashes are, then perhaps they may make them illegal. A dog can only dream. Freedom from the Leash! I'm just sayin'...

Who Let The Dog In?

This is my "I'm an Alpha Male so don't mess with me" pose...sort of...ok, actually I am just looking toward the fence where the Mean Dog Behind the Fence was barking and pacing. He has been hanging out by the fence a lot lately, which understandably makes me somewhat nervous. To make matters worse, he has a new doggy sibling. I have named the new dog Noisy Nosey Dog in My Yard (woof that seven times fast!) because she barks a lot and she sneaks into my yard at night. Seems Noisy Nosey Dog in My Yard has found the hole in the fence where her brother, the Mean Dog Behind the Fence, had broken through when he attacked me. So now Noisy Nosey Dog in My Yard squeezes through that hole at night and comes into my yard where she sniffs around, mostly by the pool, and barks at me! In my yard! Now, I am not looking for any trouble, but I don't take too kindly to strange dogs just breaking and entering into my territory. But what am I to do? If I howl at her she may get mad and bring her brother, Mean Dog Behind the Fence, over, and that is not a dog fight I want to think about! So, I just stay by the house or go inside to protect my human K and parrot Porgy, as is my duty. And no, I am not afraid of a girl-dog! I just prefer to leave the fighting to the kung-fu bunnies and Ninja cats. Anyway, I'm a tail-wagger, not a fighter. I'm just sayin'...

Spooky Vision

"Jeepers Creepers, where'd you get those peepers? Jeepers Creepers, where'd you get those eyes? Gosh all git up, how'd they get so lit up?"

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

Don't mess with me when my peepers are lit up! I'm just sayin'...

Visitor From Another Continent

I had my very first visitor in California! Last week Huffle Mawson, Explorer Cat, came to visit me. She is on a World wide tour visiting all of her furry friends and I was lucky enough to be on her itinerary. You can read about our visit on Huffle Mawson's blog here. We had such a great time! Huffle Mawson loves sunning, as one of her favorite pleasures is to get nice and toasty. So we decided to hang out by the pool and get some sun while we visited. As always, it was the perfect sunny California day to be in the sunshine, so I am pretty sure Huffle Mawson felt sunny toasty warm! Yum...warm kitty..What? Anyway, the cool breeze over the pool water kept me from overheating as Huffle Mawson and I discussed many issues, including various eye techniques to use on humans when wanting more treats. The only down side was Huffle Mawson could only stay one day. Her schedule is packed full with many furry friends to visit all around this big blue marble. It was so great to have a friend visit! Even Porgy was ok with a cat visiting me and graciously did not follow me around so that I could have time to be with my guest. I was a bit mad at my human K, though. Huffle Mawson loves ham but since K is a vegetarian she won't buy meat, especially from pink animals. So no ham for Huffle Mawson! I felt like a horrible host and told K that she lets me have meat in my canned dog food she buys, so she should have been a generous hostess and bought Huffle Mawson her ham. K said she was sorry and that if Huffle Mawson ever visits again, or better yet, if I get to go Down Under to visit Huffle Mawson, then we will provide Huffle Mawson with the best free-range, antibiotic-free, humanely raised and slaughtered, happy pink animal ham there is! Bon Voyage Huffle Mawson and thank you for visiting me! I am so cool for cats now! Huffle Mawson's visit was the cat's meow! And the dog's bark! I'm just sayin'...

No I Didn't...

Us canines are known for our astounding eyesight. That is why there are Seeing Eye dogs but no Seeing Eye cats. Anyway, some of you doggies may have noticed with your incredible eyesight that six of my eight awards are from my very cool and fun doggy friends the Desert Pups. That is over half of my awards from the same Pack! Now some pups and dogs may be questioning this skewing of awards; there may even be some arfing and whispering about it amongst doggies at the dog parks: did Suka lobby the Desert Pups for these awards? I would like this opportunity to set the record straight – there was no lobbying on my part to coerce the Desert Pups into presenting me with so many awards. According to the Desert Pups, I earned the awards all by myself! So please put all your puppy and doggy minds to rest. No illegal lobbying activities took place. The awards are mine, fair and square. Hmmm…I hope those filet mignons of Kobe beef are delivered to the Desert Pups soon...What? I didn’t woof anything. Now on to the good news! I have found a new and peppy friend Sophy. She is so much fun and is full of energy! I am so glad she sniffed her way over to be my friend! I have enjoyed reading about her wild adventures and her powerful chewing jaws! So, I would like to award Sophy with the Gold Paw Award! Woof Sophy! I am awarding it to you rules-free. Humans create rules so I am dismissing them, because dogs have the power to do that! You can do as you like with your award – pass it on to other cool doggies or keep it all to your furry self! You deserve it! Speaking of new awards, I noticed that the Desert Pups recently received another cool award. Maybe if I fill up their Desert Dawg Express plane with a full tank of gas…What? I’m just sayin’…

Shiney New Awards!

My very cool and fun doggie friends the Desert Pups have so graciously honored me with some very cool awards. I have not had time to prepare a speech, even though these awards were bestowed upon me way back in September, but I do have a few words to say. Ah-hem…It is with great pleasure that I accept these pawsome awards. Thank you Desert Pups and many tail wags and play bows to you for so kindly acknowledging my hard work at blogging. My blog may not have all the fun daily photos that many other doggie blogs have (solely the fault of my human K who continues to live in an analog world) and my blog may not be updated very often (also solely the fault of K who currently has too much going on - such as trying to find a job and deciding where we should move - to deal with me. *humphf), but when I do sit down to blog I always try my best to make it witty, funny, interesting, enlightening, educational, and enjoyable. I also try to find a good photo or two for your eyes' viewing pleasure. Obviously I don’t always achieve these goals, but I try my best and it means a lot to me to be acknowledged for my hard work. So again, much thanks Desert Pups for these pawsome awards! I hope to continue to live up to the standards that these awards entail. And now for something completely different…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoGxvB1llbc Now that I have managed to snag all these awards I can start slacking off on my blogging. I'm just sayin'...

Falling Leaves

Happy October! Ok, I know, I am a day late and a bone short. But I have not been able to blog lately because my human K has been busy STILL job hunting. She is getting frantic and is on the computer most of the day looking for work, so I just have to wait until she has the time to help me get my dog thoughts on the blog. My good dog buds the Desert Pups gave me a few awards last week and I haven't even had time to thank them or post the awards. I will do that soon, I promise! I was able to get out and attend a rockin' birthday party for Gucci. The Desert Pups picked me up in their Desert Dawg Express plane. It was great fun but we ended up having some issues, and now one of the Desert Pups, Toby, is in a bit of a jam. That's what happens when you get a Pack of wild party dawgs together! Anyway, I can't believe it is already October. Where does time go? I ponder that! Seriously, us animals do not have the concept of "time" as you humans do. In the wild us animals are attuned with Nature so we don't have clocks. We follow the cycle of Nature and are acutely aware of changes, such as moon phases, weather patterns, etc. That is why you look to animals, and plants, to predict how the seasons are going to be. For example, if you see a lot of furry caterpillars in Summer be prepared for a cold cold winter! Anyway, I sure miss Autumn - the beautiful reds and oranges and yellows and browns of the leaves, the sound of running on the crunchy fallen leaves, and the crisp Autumn breeze! But alas, here in California I don't get that. Ok, maybe just a teeny tiny bit. K went swimming in the pool yesterday, that is how it is here for October. I have been told it will cool down a bit and lots of rain will come, but no snow. K is expanding her job search so we may be moving soon if she can get a job elsewhere, and if she can convince them that she is worth them covering relocation expenses. I say she is worth it, but I guess I am a bit partial. I hope she finds a job where there is lots of snow. She had her Summer swimming so I should get my Winter frolicking in the snow! Did I just say "frolicking"?? Really? An Alpha Male Alaskan Malamute using the term "frolicking." I hope my brethren in the Great White North don't read my blog! If there is a sure way to lose Alpha Male status in a Pack it is using words like "frolicking." I'm just sayin'...

Where Is The Love?

Today was not a good day. As K was getting ready to take me on my morning walk I went and ate some grass and then threw up three times. Ugh. K had a suspicion that something was up with me because earlier when she went to fill my bowl with food it still had the food from yesterday in it. I did fine on my walk, though. Lollygagged as usual. I know it sometimes annoys K but hey, it is my walk and I like stopping and sniffing and taking my time. K needs to learn to chill and just be Zen about it – go with the flow, K. I met a new friend on my morning walk, a very sweet yellow English lab who is deaf. She was very friendly and we hung for a bit as our humans talked. I like meeting new dog friends! The rest of the day consisted of a lot of sleeping. You know how E.T. took on the emotions of his human Elliott? Well, I think a lot of pets tend to take on the emotions of their human owners. K has been really down lately and I think my feeling blue is linked to her. Why blue? Blue is the color of the sky. Does the sky make humans feel down? Anyway, K is distressed about all the negative events going on in America and the World. Although she is aware about Yin and Yang and the Hindu philosophy of the cyclical nature of space and time, she still seems to be easily affected by the negative energy. The World seems to be in a bad cycle right now, and a really bad one at that. K is asking, "where are the heroes?" and “where is the love?” It may seem really bad now, and may even get worse, but in the end, it is comforting to know that good ALWAYS wins. Go good! OK, now from a blue note to a scary note (is there a color to denote being afraid?). When K was away from the computer I decided to jump on and sniff around a bit. I found something that made the hairs on the back of my neck and tail stand up! Be warned, this is very frightening! Now, I have been practicing my Ninja stealth techniques but I have not mastered the art of moving without moving. Despite its creepiness it is obviously an excellent skill to have! But now I am a bit creeped out! First the mean dog behind the fence, then Kung-Fu bunnies, and now cats that can move without moving! I think I will be sleeping with one eye open from now on. I'm just sayin'...

I am loved!

I am once again very humbled and honored to have been given an award. My third award for my first blog! How cool is that? My good buddies, the very fun, clever, rockin', creative Desert Pups, have presented me with the very sweet "I heart your blog" award. Pawsome! Thank you Desert Pups! I really appreciate the award and your very kind words about me on your blog. Woof! Now for my speech: Ah-hem. I am very appreciative to have received this fabulous award. I could not have achieved this highpoint without some fantastic furry, feathery, and scaly animals. Let me start by first thanking my parents, for without them I would not exist, and my siblings, always in my heart! And of course a huge thanks to my Pack - my human K, Porgy, Silvius, and Kitty. We are a rag tag Pack of misfits but we have lots of exciting adventures and fun times and...OK, there is that music again. Grrrrr....Anywoo, this award comes with some rules. First, the winner, that would be moi, can put the logo on his/her blog [arf!]. Second, link to the doggie(s) you received your award from [arf! yeah, Desert Pups!]. Third, nominate seven other blogs [um...]. Fourth, put links of those blogs on yours [uhhh...]. And finally, leave a message on each of the seven nominated blogs informing them of their nomination [hmmm...]. OK, I will need to take a little time to come up with seven nominees. You see, I just don't have the opportunity to sniff around on the internet very much, so my pack of blogging animals is very small. In fact, I still have not yet found five blogs to award the Cool Cat Award too, which I had received from the very kewl cat Huffle Mawson way back in July! Sorry I have not yet done that yet Huffs! I hope that does not disqualify me from the award! Geesch, this is getting embarrassing! I need to expand my horizons and surf the internet to find more blogging animal friends! I will keep my keen eyes focused on finding blogs to award and once I have found them {12 in all!} I will do a special award post. You know, we can't all be popular like Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Benji, and Beethoven. And Morris the Cat. I'm just sayin'...

Party Out Of Bounds

I just returned from a great party in the desert! It was my buddy Toby's (aka "Meatloaf" and no, he is now what's for dinner!) birthday party and it was a wild time! In case you have not met Toby he is one of the four Desert Pups, the other three being Scuba, Keiko, and Norman. They are a great pack of dogs who will give you the collar off their neck. And they know how to throw a great party! Anyway, sniff on over to their blog and check out the birthday photos and some incriminating photos!! I think I overindulged during the party because while running home to Northern California from Southern Arizona I had Animal Control called on me near Lake Tahoe. Seems some people thought I looked a bit tipsy running through the mountains while howling that I was winning the Iditarod. I think the heat of the desert got to me. And I may have nibbled on some peyote. No I didn't. Do I look fat in that picture? I'm just sayin'...

Cycle of Life

One week ago today Ginger crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. The Vet will be bringing her remains over this evening. I know she is in a much better place and having lots of fun running and playing with all of her friends, but we sure do miss her! For only knowing her a little over five months she sure touched all of our hearts and is truly missed. One of the Truths in life is that if you are born, you die. There is no getting around it. The cycle of life - birth and death. It really really sucks to lose someone/something you loved, but then the pain you feel is indicative to how much you had opened your heart to love, and that is a wonderful thing. Porgy has experienced death a lot more than me. K has had Porgy since 1991 (? - K thinks - she does not remember, or keep track of, "Gotcha" days. Gee, thanks K! I guess that means I will never have a birthday or "Gotcha" day celebration. Way to go, K!). Anyway, every animal that Porgy has bonded too since coming into K's life has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, except for me. And one of the members of K's family with whom Porgy was particularly close also passed. Poor Porgy has experienced a lot of loss. Porgy was particularly close to the dog previous to me and when he passed Porgy had a real hard time coping. He is buried in the field behind our house in Kansas and a close farmer friend brought over an old Kansas rock for a tombstone. When we are home in Kansas K will take Porgy to the grave and call "Bozie" (his nick-name) and Porgy will look around. I think Bozie is there in Spirit and Porgy can feel his presence. Ten months after Bozie's passing I came along and although Porgy took his time getting to know me, he finally bonded to me and has become my shadow and Protector. So, for Porgy's sake, and mine!, I hope to be here for a long while. I just need to stay one step ahead of those kung-fu bunnies. I'm just sayin'...