Happy Independence Day!!

Let Freedom Ring!! I want to wish all Americans a Happy 4th of July Independence Day! Enjoy good food, good fun, good music, and great fireworks! And don't forget that a lot of us animals do not like the loud booms and bangs of fireworks. So if you are shooting off fireworks and/or attending a fireworks show, please be sensitive to your pet and the other animals around you. Take care to put your pets in a safe and secure place where they will be comfortable and where the noise of the fireworks will be at a minimum. Today is also a good day to reflect that freedom is for ALL living creatures of Earth, not just human beings. We should all work together to guarantee that all animals and all humans are able to live freely, peacefully, and respectfully in this world. You can do your part by not supporting products that are tested on animals and not supporting companies that conduct research on animals. Buy cruelty-free products and if you eat meat, buy meat that has been humanely raised and slaughtered. Or hunt the meat yourself. Nothing says "I am a part of Nature" than hunting and gathering your own food. Unless you are hunting me, then I say head to the supermarket. I am a predator, which means I go after prey when I am hungry. Usually I need go only a few steps to the back deck where my food bowl is kept. But sometimes my food bowl is empty and my tummy is growling, and then my predator instincts really take off. Those kung fu bunnies better be careful when I am hungry! I'm just sayin'...

Pay Dirt!

One of the many amazing, incredible, wonderful things about us Malamutes is that we are very smart, like elephants. And also like elephants - we never forget. Case in point: when K gives Silvius and I bones I have noticed that Silvius likes to take his away and bury it, saving it for a rainy day, so to speak. I, myself, prefer to eat mine right away. Patience is not one of my enduring qualities. I watch Silvius and make a mental note of where he buries his goods. Usually Silvius is smart right back and will bury his stash further out into the yard where my chain won't reach. Touché, Silvius! Well, a few weeks ago I noticed that Silvius had buried a bone near an old tree at the far end of where my chain will reach. I played it cool for a while, being patient, waiting for the right moment when I could really use a good bone to munch on. Then the day came. As Silvius and I were wondering around the yard I nonchalantly meandered on down to the old tree and began to rummage around and voilà! Pay dirt! Silvius was not happy, as you can see in the above picture. I am not one to advocate stealing, and I certainly don't like making my friends, especially Silvius, unhappy. But a yummy bone is a yummy bone. Finders keepers, right? I'm just sayin'...

(Almost) Famous

I'm famous!! Well, almost. The Animal Humane Society in Minnesota, the wonderful place that saved me when I was found wandering the roads, and where my human K adopted me, has created a new feature in their newsletter called Success Stories in which they profile their successes. I am a success! So, I was profiled! You can read about me here. I am so excited! This is the start of my show-biz career, I just know it! So, to prepare for all the agents that will start calling I had K take a few modeling shots. The top photo is a standard full-body profile shot. The middle photo is me pretending to growl, in case I am needed for an acting gig. However, I don't think I look like I am growling, so I think I need to work on my acting skills. The bottom photo is me chillin' with the barn cats up the road. I included this photo since I thought it would be good to show that I am easy to get along with and non-confrontational. Just think, once I hit the big time all of you can say you knew me when! And I will gladly send you my paw-tograph for free! K says I am getting pretty big headed right now - "egotistical" she said. Well, I don't think so because I certainly don't feel like my head has grown! Anyway, please visit the Animal Humane Society website and read all of their heart-warming success stories! Now, where is my Personal Assistant? I need a fresh bowl of Evian water. I'm just sayin'...

Happy June!

The lazy days of June are upon us. Heat, sun, heat, sun...and a few fun thunderstorms here and there. And ticks. Ick! That's Silvius and I just chilin' on the deck (my human K said to ignore the ugly old patio furniture). Kitty and Porgy sometimes join us too. Porgy doesn't like the camera so he was a bit fluffed up when the photo was taken. Actually, "doesn't like" is an understatement. Porgy hates the camera and always tries to attack it when it is out taking photos. But, alas, Porgy has not yet succeeded in a full camera assault, which I think is good since I need photos to post! I have a new friend! She (he??) is a beautiful cardinal. I have not named her (him?) yet, but she has been hanging out on our deck for the past two weeks. Usually she just flies into the glass door for hours on end - yes, silly, I know! - and when K, my human, comes outside she flies up to the tree. She sings pretty songs when she is sitting in the tree, which is nice to listen too as the hot sun is beating its yellow rays down upon me! Oh snow, how I miss thy white fluffy chill! Did I just say "thy"? The heat is affecting my brain. Fare-thee-well! I'm just sayin'...

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'...

Sweet Ginger

Beautiful, sweet Ginger was put to sleep on Thursday, 4 September. She was 17-years-old. Out of respect for Ginger I will not go into detail of what happened, but suffice it to say that her body decided it was time to go. The Vet came to the house with his Vet Tech and they so gently and compassionately put Ginger to sleep with K by her side, stroking her and loving her to the end. Ginger was one of the sweetest and kindest dogs we had ever met. Ginger was extremely spunky and had an incredibly strong Will. She was a fighter until the end. Despite her age and her condition, which recently had been gradually declining, Ginger was determined to partake in life and not be left out. K takes me for walks twice a day, every morning and evening. Ginger always waited by the gate every morning and evening for K and me to return from our walks so that she could have her walks too. And she got them, right after me (and sometimes before!), every morning and every evening. The night before her passing she had her normal evening walk at 7 p.m. She did just fine. At 10:15 p.m. she had her nightly dose of medicines, and again she was fine. At 2 a.m. everything started to happen and by 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, 4 September, Ginger had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Ginger's passing has left a huge void in the house and in our lives. K was waterworks yesterday, and even today (the 5th) she is still very sad with some waterworks. It will be a difficult adjustment for all of us, K, Mr. Thicket, Porgy, and myself, to live our daily lives with no Ginger. The owners of Ginger, the family we are house/animal sitting for, are deeply saddened over Ginger's loss, which has been made much harder for them since they are overseas and were therefore not able to be with their beloved pet during her passing. It is a very heartbreaking time for all who knew and loved Ginger. Ginger: 1991 - 2008. Godspeed Ginger! I'm just sadly sayin'...

Silvius

I have been thinking about my good buddy and side-kick Silvius, who is still living at home, in the country, in Kansas. I thought you might like to see some photos of him. I will explain all of the photos as I tell his story. The first photo is Silvius after my human K woke him up from his comfy sleep in his dog house. Why must us animals always suffer at the hands of humans with cameras? The second photo is Silvius chewing on a deer leg he found and me pretending that I don't care that he is chewing on a deer leg while I have nothing. I am a good actor, aren't I? I don't know why no one will hire me. I could be famous, I tell you! A bit of Silvius' back story before I explain the next two photos. Silvius showed up at our house, in Kansas, in October 2006. He just appeared in the side yard one Sunday morning but would run into the trees when a human came outside. That went on for a few days until he was brave enough to at least stay in the yard when a human appeared. Slowly, after many months of patience by the humans and many months of trepidation by Silvius, he finally acclimated himself into our family. He was obviously abandoned out in the country and left to fend for himself, but we also think he was abused because of his great fear of humans and how it took him almost seven months before he would come into the house and let a human pet him. He stayed by my side constantly and would follow my lead. I liked being his mentor! K's brother named him "Silvius" which is Latin for "of the forest" ("silva" means forest) since he came from the trees. Since joining our family Silvius has had a few accidents and we have all been amazed by how he keeps on going despite all of his hardships. One accident occurred a few months after he entered our lives, so it was Winter time. Somehow a patch of skin got peeled off his back foot so his tissue was exposed. By using me and treats K was able to get Silvius to come close enough to her so she could hold him and get his foot bandaged. Well, Silvius would have none of that. As soon as K would bandage it up Silvius would just chew it off. That happened about four times. Finally, again using me and treats as bribes, K got Silvius in the car and to the Vet. The third photo shows the result of the Vet visit - a nicely bandaged back foot. That lasted about two hours. After that, K decided to just leave Silvius alone and let Nature take its course. Silvius' foot healed just fine on its own! Then about five months later, at the beginning of Summer, Silvius had a horrendous accident. Somehow the skin on his entire side was peeled away so his tissue was exposed. It was so graphic and disturbing that even I stayed away from Silvius for many days. We all thought he would die. He went into hiding about an hour after the event occurred and K found him the next day, in the early afternoon. K and her brother rushed him to the Vet and they tried to stitch him up with what skin they could save, but it did not last. The skin was too dead and it had to be cut away, leaving the entire side of his body with no skin, so all his tissue was exposed. I won't go into anymore detail. In the fourth and last photo is Silvius wearing a tee shirt which he had to wear to protect his open wound when we went for walks (yes, that is blood on the bottom of the shirt; he got a clean tee shirt for every walk but it did not stay clean for long). It has been over a year since that horrible event and the wound still has not healed, but it is down to the size of a quarter now. We don't know what mix of breed Silvius is, and the Vet did not venture a guess. We do know that Silvius is an amazingly resilient dog. We marvel at all the harsh experiences this strong dog has endured, and how he continually pulls through and remains extremely sweet, loving, loyal, and just an all-around great dog, but still very cautious toward humans. I am so glad he found my house when those hideous humans just left him in the country. I can't wait to see Silvius again and K promised me that when we leave this house/animal sitting gig we will get Silvius to come live with us. However, I don't think I will be using my acting skills the next time Silvius shows up with a deer leg for him and nothing for me. I mean, I would bring him one! Deer have four legs, so there is enough to go around! I'm just sayin'...

Mr. Thicket

I saw the orange cat again tonight on my walk. He was sitting under the little tree, watching his owners, father and son, play catch. This time orange cat noticed me, and crouched down like he was ready to attack me. Ha! I showed him, though - I walked right past him all nonchalant, paying him no attention. I wanted to chase him but I am waiting for a sneak attack. I am going to use my newly acquired stealth technique and surprise orange cat with a chase. That day will come. Anyway, thinking about orange cat made me think about Mr. Thicket. That is Mr. Thicket above in the photo. He is one of the animals we are watching during our house/animal sitting gig. He is about nine years old and was found in a thicket (hence, the name) down in Southeast Texas, near the Louisiana border. They think he had been caught in a trap because his back legs are permanently disabled and he hops like a bunny. Mmmmmm....bunny....Oh, sorry. Anyway, if you see him walking away you might think it is a bunny because he looks just like a bunny hopping away. Mmmmm....bunny....Oh, sorry again. So anyway, Mr. Thicket is still afraid of me. Why, I don't know. I have never tried to hurt him or growl at him. In fact, I pretty much ignore him. I have only chased him a few times and only because he instigated it. You see, sometimes when he sees me in the house he will get into his defensive posture and start to hiss. Well, to me that says, "time to play!" So I get excited and do a play bow. That makes Mr. Thicket even more defensive which gets me even more excited and wanting to play chase. I then start to make funny happy noises and that is when Mr. Thicket will take off running, or hopping, and the fun begins! I have never caught Mr. Thicket, though, because K always intervenes. Dumb K, she ruins all the fun! K tells me to leave Mr. Thicket alone. I have tried to express to K that it is Mr. Thicket who always instigates the play chases and I am just obliging him. I mean, if a cat is going to get in defensive posture and hiss at me, I am more than happy to honor his request for a chase. I'm just sayin'...

Orange Cat

It was my usual nightly walk with nothing too exciting going on - a few joggers here, bikers there, pieces of food scattered for me to find and eat and annoy my human K. We came upon a father and son who were playing catch on a little hill next to the path we were on and as we walked past them I immediately made a leap toward a little tree. At first K could not figure out what I was doing, but then she saw what I had noticed - an orange cat! And this orange cat was just sitting nonchalantly under the little tree watching the father and son play catch and paying me absolutely no attention. Imagine that! I tried with all my might to get to that orange cat but K would not let me. Can you believe that? What is up with that?! Don't I, as a dog, have an inalienable right to chase cats? Especially cats sitting unleashed in a public park? Well, K was having none of that and we got into quite a tug-of-war with my leash. I tried to wriggle out of my collar and even refused to move, but K eventually won by dragging me up the path away from orange cat. Grrrrr...! I don't like being dragged! The father saw K and I struggling and then looked at orange cat and said, "why don't you run up a tree or something?" K got a bit perturbed at that point because that is when she realized the father and son owned the cat and she could not believe he was making no effort to move his cat so that she could move me! Well, the next night, which was last night, we were nearing the same spot when K noticed the father and son walking toward the little tree. And following right behind them was orange cat. Well, K, being so smart {Disclaimer: she made me put that in}, walked me over to a grassy hill further away from where the father and son and orange cat were heading, hoping that I would not notice orange cat. K kept talking to me, walking fast, and guiding me to different areas on the hill to keep me preoccupied. It worked. We made it past the little tree just minutes before the father, son, and orange cat got there and I never did notice orange cat. K later told me about her trick and I gave her kudos for outsmarting me, but I was also a bit mad since I think I had every right to go and chase orange cat. But now I know K's modus operandi so she won't be able to trick me again. I have a few tricks of my own up my paw so next time I see orange cat I think there might be some excitement in the park. Orange cat, be prepared to run. I'm just sayin'...

Sad

I am very sad tonight. I just heard that the baby whale was euthanized. Poor little guy. They had named him "Colin." I was really hoping Colin would be rescued. I did send out a lot of positive thoughts, as did my human K, but I guess that was not enough. I should have had K call Australia and tell them that I would take him in. I have room in the pool since I don't swim in it. I would have shown him how to eat and drink and I would have been his friend. I really don't have any friends here so it would have been nice to have Colin here with me. I am so sad he had to be put down. There are some amazing humans in this world, though. There were many humans who were working on ways to save Colin, including some humans who designed machines to feed him. An Aboriginal "whale whisperer" named Bunna Lawrie, of the Mirning tribe from the Great Australian Bight, came in to comfort the little guy by singing humming, tongue-rolling ancient songs. During the singing Colin came to the side of the boat and lifted its head and allowed Bunna Lawrie to pat and stroke him. After Colin swam off to nuzzle a nearby yacht Bunna Lawrie said that Colin "felt really lonely and wanted to be with his mother and family" and that Colin is "missing the big fellas." That part of the story makes my human cry. I was really hoping for a happy ending, especially since I keep hearing a lot of bad things going on in the world right now. But at least Colin had Bunna Lawrie to communicate with and I am sure that brought some comfort to the little guy. Swim free and strong Colin! I wonder if there is a "Suka whisperer" out there somewhere. I think K needs help sometimes in understanding me. I'm just sayin'...

Save the Baby Whale!

This makes me so sad. A baby Humpback whale, who has not even been weened yet, has lost its mom and is trying to suckle from a yacht. I ask that all you doggies and other furry, feathery, and scaly friends out there send positive thoughts that this baby can find his mom or a surrogate mom who will feed him and love him. If he does not get food in the next few days he will die. Please send positive loving thoughts his way, especially those of you who live by the ocean. Tell those female whales to go and help that little baby! Unlike us dogs and cats, who go to shelters and are fed and cared for while we wait for our new homes, this little guy has no one to help him. I don't understand why the humans can't bring him to a captive whale somewhere who would be able to feed him. Also, I don't like that they assume the mom abandoned him. Perhaps she was killed by whalers, or a passing ship, or by the Navy's sonar. It is not nice to assume the worst of this little guy's mom. I know in Nature that female animals have been known to abandon their babies for various reasons, but I also know that whales face many dangers from humans so there is just as likely a chance that she was killed as there is that she abandoned her little one. Animal telepathy is powerful so use it for good and help save this little guy, or I will animal telepathy some grrrs your way. I'm just sayin'...

Fluffy Furballs

Photos from: http://english.pravda.ru/photo/report/angora_rabbit-1384/0/

Ummm...Perhaps my days of tormenting bunnies are over. I thought Kung Fu bunnies were a handful, but these Angora bunnies look like a mouthful! I don't think a ball of fluffy bunny fur would taste very good, and these guys don't look like they would react too kindly to an Alpha Male Malamute mix chasing them down! Squirrels don't really interest me, snakes just make me jump and bark, and the moo cows and bulls just stand around looking at me. I think raccoons are next on my list. We'll see how that goes. But if I find out that raccoons have a secret order of martial art warriors then I am going vegetarian. At least veggies can't hurt me, can they? OK, my human K is nodding her head yes. Oh great! K said I would have to be on the lookout for the attack of the killer tomatoes. OK, then. If those raccoons don't work out then a liquid diet it is! At least that would clear my doggy body of all toxins. I'm just sayin'...

Escape From Alcatraz!

Alright, so maybe I did not escape from the Alcatraz but where I am living right now it sure seems like a prison. I mean, look at that recent photo of me above. Doesn't it look like a prison yard? Anyway, the father and college-aged daughter of the home we are house-animal sitting have recently come home and will be here for a bit. K had made it very clear that I am an escape artist (tee hee) so they would need to be aware of my presence. Well, yesterday morning the father left the front door open and I saw my chance for freedom. I nonchalantly wondered out to the front yard la de dah. When the father noticed me in the yard he called my name and I turned and looked at him. He was within reaching distance of my collar but right before he had me I turned and bolted down the street. Freedom! The father ran in the house to let K know I had escaped and then he got on the bike and K got in the car and they both took off to find me. Well, the father finally found me in the park near the house and he brought me home. K did not know how to scold me, as if I needed scolding! She was happy I was home and safe and had not gotten into any trouble, but she had to discipline me somehow - according to her, so I got a stern "Suka, that is a no!" Humphf! Since when is a dog running free a "no"?? So later that morning we went on our normal morning walk. On our way back we ran into one of my new friends, whom I shall call "Noel." She is a small Norwegian Elkhound (hence, the "no" and "el" - clever, if I do say so myself!). Small because she was the runt of the litter and is about 10-15 pounds smaller than she should be. She is a bundle of happy energy and when she saw me she went crazy happy! So Noel and I ran back and forth and in circles playing and chasing each other. Even though I am much bigger than her she is a fun friend to play with. She was on a leash, but her owner dropped the leash so Noel could run more freely. K held on to my leash, but it is a leash that extends so I could go out pretty far and back rather easily. Anyway, Noel flopped to the ground at one point and started to roll-over in place, just one after the other. Well, she was doing it so fast and so much that she soon had her leash, and then mine, wrapped around her. Since my leash had been extended out it was really long and she just kept getting more and more wrapped up in it. Finally K noticed what was going on at about the same time that Noel's owner saw it and they both stopped Noel from turning and then had to spend quite a few minutes untangling her from the two leashes. Hmmmm...maybe I could get myself tangled up in my leash and make it so complicated that K has to cut it off me and then as soon as it is off me I can run free again! I'm just sayin'...

Chaos Abounds

My human K would like to apologize for insulting the intelligence of my animal readers/friends. In my previous blog entry {30 July 2008} I was working on positing an original piece I had written. However, all I managed to post was a small portion of it, "8ik7iuopui67yh5u6," before K walked in a put the kibosh on it. K would not let me post the rest because, she said, "it was too complicated and deep and no one would be interested." Grrrr! That made me mad, so I had a woofing discussion with K. I informed her that animals are very intelligent and would completely understand what I had written. And, hopefully, they would find it amusing. But K said that my paws were too big and I was accidentally hitting the number keys with the letters. I informed K that letters and numbers form animal's thoughts and my animal readers would know exactly what I was saying. K seemed doubtful but her skepticism was put to rest the very next day, and I was vindicated, when reading the Comments section. My cool friend Kodak had responded to my short piece with this witty reply, "2390mav90mewi!!" Very clever Kodak! Thank you! And for K, well, she humbly apologizes.

So, what is going on in the World? Chaos seems to be the ruler right now because lots of scary things have been brought to my attention lately and it is making me nervous! First I have the Kung Fu bunnies menace. I mean, if they do that to each other, what are they going to do to me if they catch me trying to eat one of them?! Then I have the mean dog behind the fence to contend with. Luckily, he was gone during most of the summer but now he is back and barks and growls every once in a while just to remind me of his scary presence. Then I recently found out about kitty cat Martial Artists. Yipes! Who knew? I think my "Stray Cat Strut" comments the other day {25 July 2008} made them upset, me being a dog and all, so their existence was made known to me. I better be careful what kitty cats I chose to mess with, I mean play with. And now I have been informed of this very scary Montauk Monster [warning: graphic photos] that washed up on the other side of the continent. What is it? Was it nice or mean? Would it hurt doggies or be our friend? Oh Ninja Dog Sifu, please come and teach me your Ninja ways! I think I am going to sleep in K's room tonight. What? Hey! No, I am not afraid, I am an Alpha Male dog! I just meant that, um, I just need to protect my Pack! Yeah, that's it. It is my job to protect my Pack, so I will sleep in K's room to make sure she and Porgy are safe and none of these scary animal creatures get them. Yeah, that's it, protector of the Pack...that's the ticket. I'm just sayin'...