We Ate a Bugsy's Box

Hey, Merci here.  I am the oldest and I don't much like posing for pictures, so I volunteered to be our spokesdog today instead.

Perhaps I should qualify the title.  We didn't actually eat a b-o-x.  But we were privileged to test a Bugsy's Box of toys and goodies.

Percy wanted to know what was in it for him.  We had to explain this box was only for us woofies.

The white ... um, rhino (???) with blue trim is an Animal Safari toy.  It has a squeaker and is supposed to be one of the "tuffest" soft toys around. (Has it met its match with Sam?)  The Grinning white tailed toy has an empty water bottle inside which makes crinkle noises that entices the dogs to play.

Here are Buddy and Sam checking out the toys.

Percy lost interest when he learned there wasn't anything for him.  But Buddy became very intent on checking out everything in the box.

There was a package of two pieces of Alaskan Salmon jerky stix.  Jan tore one for Merci and Buddy to share. Sam got a whole one.

They disappeared so fast Jan was glad she made us wait for the picture to be taken.

Then she gave Sam and Buddy something called Pegetables, dental chews with no artificial flavors or colors.  I got to taste a Sliders tender stikz, made with chicken, organic flaxseed, cheddar cheese, dried carrots, tomato and spinach, celery powder and sea salt.  (I wasn't as disinterested as I appear.  Jan had just scolded me for grabbing my treat and trying to run off with it.)  

We still have one tender stikz and a bag of Dynamo Dog grain free chicken treats.  They're for daily support of healthy joint function. We tried to convince Jan to open the bag but she said we'd had quite enough goodies for one day. 


What, you haven't heard of a Bugsy's Box?  They are a monthly subscription service.  You sign up your dog according to his / her size and each month they send 5 to 7 hand-picked items - "dog treats, toys, care items, healthy supplements, accessories ..."  They don't send treats made outside the US or Canada.

We are enjoying our Bugsy's Box.  The toys are durable and fun and the edibles are tasty and healthy. 

You can visit Bugsy's Box and learn more about their plans.

*We were sent a sample Bugsy's Box in order to do a review.  We were not paid and any opiinions expressed are our own.*

Sunday Smile with Micah

Hey, it's Micah again.  Things are much more peaceful here for me.  Percy doesn't pick on me all the time any more and sometimes I even get to pick on him.  I have my own bed and spend most of my days on the dryer protecting my bowl of crunchies.  I know the others will claim I'm eating, not protecting, but don't pay any attention.  I was on my way to getting a bit .... um, porky, but that's because I was afraid I'd suddenly be dumped somewhere without food or shelter again.  I finally understand this really is my home, so I don't eat as much as I did for a few months; however, I do watch my food bowl so it doesn't disappear.

I think you'll like this little video I picked out for you today.  For those of you who love to watch babies having fun and for those of you who just need a smile today.  Baby elephants like to play.  Did you know that?  They're so big I thought they were always serious.  .

This is baby Navann at the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand.  We're all a bit jealous because he gets to roll in a mud puddle and doesn't get scolded for getting dirty.  Neat!


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Happy Sunday. 

Barbarian and Slash LaRue

This week we feature the Celestial Kitties, Barbarian and Slash LaRue .... um, we mean Leo and Star.  Leo has a special rescue and adoption story. (He was a Winnie's Wish kitty.)  But Star is aptly named.  She, too, shines.

You can read our interview, The Celestials ... Star and Leo, exclusively on Mousebreath the ezine by cats for cats.

We hope you have a great weekend. 

Not A Rembrandt

Good morning, Cameron here to share something nice with you. This was supposed to publish yesterday but our church changed our Wednesday Bible study to Tuesday this week and we got a bit confused when Jan came home and, thinking it was then Wednesday, we scheduled the post for Thursday.  Are you confused?  You've got nothing on us!  And Jan is always confused so if we had asked her what day it was, she would have told us it was already Thursday. 

Things have been kind of ... well, discouraging around here for some time, so when Jan got an opportunity to design a photo canvas for our wall, she decided to uplift us (translate that as uplift herself) with a special design, one to remind her we are blessed despite the trials.

She chose some light, cheery colors.  We helped her pick out some photos with a positive theme, so of course we Funny Farmers got a place of honor.  We insisted our Georgia "angel" furries - Jenny, Grayce, Crystal and Cotton - be included since we loved having each as part of our family and each is greatly missed.  Jan tried to take a photo of the finished product but none did it justice, so we're just going to post a copy of the original graphic.  (The canvas is 16 x 20".)

All we have to do now is decide where to hang it.  It will probably end up on the wall facing us as we take turns working at the computer.  It isn't a Rembrandt, but hopefully it will be a positive reminder to Miss I-Can't-Remember-Anything of some positives in her life.

We hope all of you have many positives in your life too.  (There is a second part to this post but it won't arrive until next week.)

As long as this is publishing on Thankful Thursday, we'd like to express our gratitude to a couple of very dedicated and generous neighbors who traveled to Atlanta every week for the past nine years to pick up a truckload of bread and rolls and, occasionally, sweets to distribute to local residents.

"The bread truck" was an old panel truck purchased specifically for the purpose.  One had to step waaaay high to get into it, so they built a ramp with a rail so even the old and disabled could climb inside to "shop" for bread. 

One morning a week, folks would gather in a local church parking lot.  Some drove a nice vehicle but were perhaps out of work or with a large family, some from a nearby assisted living home, folks from any walk of life.  Sometimes Jan would see a trash truck stop and the driver get in line.  It didn't matter who you were, if you needed bread, you could help yourself to whatever the limit was that day.  One day all you needed, some days only two loaves of bread and some bagels or English muffins.

When they first started, the bread truck would be crammed chock full of break and goodies, but over time, more groups vied for the same amount of bread and then sometimes the pickings would be mighty, mighty slim.She always came home upbeat when she'd found some rye bread among the loaves and even happier when she could get an extra rye for her brother, Mr. Doug.  They both love it.  Rye is too expensive for our budget, so she's going to miss it. 

There was no charge, but Jan always tried to remember to drop a dollar or two into the jar to help with the price of gas. It's sad to think of those who depended on the bread truck to help stretch their budget, but we were so fortunate to have had the help for all these years.

Lamar and Charles, you provided a needed service, and we know if it were possible, you'd continue to make the long drive each week, then stand in the rain, or the cold, or the heat and humidity for hours to distribute it.  We don't eat bread, except when Jan tosses us an occasional crust, but we'd like to thank these men for helping Jan and so many others.  We hope God has a special blessing for them.

Merci Reviews Pukka's Promise

Hey, Merci here.  We're a bit ... um, a lot late writing this post, so I decided to just jump in and do it.

A couple of months ago we received a copy of a new book, Pukka's Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs, by Ted Kerasote to review.  We didn't realize it would be such a long book (284 reading pages, 452 pages total) or that there would be changes in our lives that would allow little time for reading.  But since the book is available, better late than never.

When Kerasote lost his canine friend Merle, he didn't immediately get another dog.  Instead, he embarked on a five-year quest to learn all he could about DNA, breeds, temperament, training, feeding (Merle itched constantly from corn as 1st ingredient kibble and he couldn't shoot enough wild game to feed Merle a raw diet), vaccinations - anything to help him understand how to give his next dog a long, healthy life because as we are all aware, we dogs just don't live long enough.   

Kerasote includes interesting history of breeders deliberately changing characteristics of breeds, such as pugs whose faces are now flat which makes it harder for them to breathe. (What were they thinking!) And that breeders can use such a small gene pool the pups can have adverse health traits from breeding.

Most humans would not have the time or finances available to do the research Kerasote did.  He traveled long distances to talk with breeders, veterinarians and animal welfare folks on a variety of dog health and welfare-related subjects, including spay / neuter..  

When his heart was ready and he'd found the "perfect" parents (breeder, breed, temperament, genetics, etc.), he adopted a dog from their litter, named him Pukka, and set about training him. You can tell the two are bonded from this short video.  Pukka is active and obviously well-trained and happy.


If the video doesn't play, click here.

This is not a cute book about how much fun it is to adopt a puppy and live happily "ever after."  This book has a wealth of information woven between Merle's loss and Pukka's life.

Pukka's Promise is available at Amazon.com. 

A copy of the book was provided for this review.

Sunday Smile by Cyndi

Good morning, Cyndi here, Sorry for the big yawn but I didn't get enough beauty sleep last night.  I'm up too early to bring you this week's Sunday Smile. 

Jan taught us her brother, Mr. Doug, told her to treat a computer with a gentle touch.  I suspect not all furries have been given the same advice.  Or perhaps this kitty is in boxer training and needs a worthy opponent.  They don't look too evenly matched to me, but I'm only half awake. Which one do you think is the winner? 

Yeah, that's what I thought too. Have a great day.



If the video doesn't play, click here.

Talking Tuxies Angel and Kirby

This week we are pleased to bring you the story of Angel & Kirby, a couple of old friends from A Wizard and An Angel blog.  You can read their interview, Quilting Kitties, Angel and Kirby, on Mousebreath.  

Sam Models his Thundershirt

Hey, I'm back, just as I said I would be, with my personal Thankful Thursday post.  I just hope Jan doesn't come near the computer before I get this finished and scheduled or you'll all get another blank post.

Oh, speaking of publishing a blank post, it seems from the comments that lots (if not all) of you have a human as klutzy as Jan who has done the same or similar.  This is good to know.  It means we won't have to fire her.  This time.

So what am I thankful for?  Well, as you already know, I became terrified of thunderstorms last year.  Jan knows one is coming when she turns around and trips over me.  See, I go sit beside her, as close as I can get without touching her, but I do it so quietly she doesn't realize I'm there.  That's okay if she's sitting down, but if she's standing, she'll turn and trip.

Last Thursday I got a package from Khyra.  She was one of those who won some neat prizes in a drawing.  Whatever she wouldn't need, she offered to the first one to contact her.  Fortunately, Jan was still on the computer, even though it was late, and she snagged 3 items we dogs need - 1 for each of us.  Khyra went ahead and sent me this new outfit since she knows about my fear.

So here I am in my new Thundershirt.  Aren't I a red-eyed hunk of handsomeness!

Merci thinks I look cute.  Aw, golly, I'm blushing.

The question is, though, does the thundershirt help?  The package arrived just a few hours ahead of some bad weather last Thursday.  When I came and sat beside the computer chair, Jan knew it was time to test the shirt.  She also gave me two calming tablets. 

It was chilly so Mercy, Buddy and Percy did a cuddle pile.  I lay between them and Jan's chair.  At bedtime, I whined when Jan tried to put up the gate to the bedroom.  (She knows if she locks me out during a storm, I'll go from one gate to the other and whine so loud she won't get any sleep.)  So she let me in and I climbed up onto my meager sliver of bed.  Last storm the bed  vibrated so hard Jan almost fell out.  This time all was peaceful.

Until the storm got close enough Jan could hear it.  There was a loud boom and the bed started vibrating so violently I had to stand up to keep from rolling off the edge.  It was hard to keep my balance but I persevered until the storm passed over. Then I lay down and went to sleep.

We had another storm nearby after that and Jan put me in my new thundershirt when I sat beside her, acting embarrassed.  I did okay, even went for a walk.  She had to take it off me first so I could pee. 

I heard some dogs have no problem while wearing a thundershirt and others are not helped by it.  Guess I'm half and half.  So far, it seems to help me stay calm as long as the storm is not overhead or too close, which Jan says is a big improvement!.

Khyra, thank you so much for sharing your prize with me.  I feel really dressed up in my new (and only) shirt.  Jan is thankful it goes on with velcro since none of us like to be dressed by putting our feet through holes in material.  I think I look pretty spiffy in it.

We're joining PepiSmartDog's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop as soon as we can grab the code.  What are you thankful for this week?

Not My Fault

It was not my fault!  Honest.  I'm Sam, the Silly but I would never deliberately publish a blank post.

It was Jan who published the blank post in our name today.  (This doesn't really look like Jan cause there are no wrinkles and the hair isn't gray, but she's delusional and so this is her avatar.) 

See, I had a bad case of writer's block when I sat down to write a post for today.  So I thought, I know, I'll go get a drink of water and check the kitchen floor for crumbs.  That should jump start my brain. 

Well, it worked.  But just as I was headed back to the computer to write my post, Jan sat down in my chair and clicked "publish."  Publish?  The page was blank.  Not even a title!

She says it was an accident; she actually intended to hit "Save," and hit the wrong button.  Honestly, why would she think I'd believe that?  Who saves a blank page?  I say she should never have messed with my post! 

After that heart-stopping scare, the idea for my post just flew out the window.  So I apologize for not having a post today.  I hope you won't hold it against me. 

I am beyond embarrassed that some of you have seen a naked post from us in your Reader or in your email subscription.  If you have any ideas of a proper penitence for Jan, let me know. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted and need some zzzzs.  I'll try to recover from this in time for Thankful Thursday cause I have a thankful to report.  Let's just hope Jan isn't home when I write it.

Sunday Smile by Percy

Hey, it's about time I get to do another post.  You've probably all forgotten who I am by now.  I'm Percy, the handsome black and gray tabby mancat here. I have a treat for you today.  (Pun intended.)

Have you ever wondered why your dog is putting on weight for no reason?  No, no, no, no!  There is a reason.  If you want to know what it is, you need to watch the video.  Hint: one busy cat. 

I once did the same thing with the dog food bag, but Jan put a lid on it.  Seriously.  And treats?  She hides them ever since I found all her stashes and ate them all by myself.  There for a while, I was almost a fat cat. Now I'm a frustrated snack cat.

Enjoy the video.  And please don't drool all over it.  They won't return our deposit if there's drool  Or popcorn butter on the video.  Happy Sunday.


If the video doesn't play, click here.

The Poupounette Abyssinians

This week we Funny Farmer Felines interviewed Tama-Chan, Sei-Chan, Bibi-Chan and Genji - The Poupounette - for Mousebreath, the ezine for cats by cats.  You can also catch a quick intro of Tommy the dog and Vidock and Violette the horses.  Stop by Mousebreath for their story, The  Abyssinian Poupounette Gang.

There have been some bad storms moving across the country. We had a tornado watch last night with lots of rain and a t-storm.  More storms coming.  All of you in the storm's path, be safe! 

Inspectors Percy and Sam

Hey, Rusty here.  It's a kind of blah day today and I'm trying to stay awake, but before nap comes news, so here it is. 

Today is Thankful Thursday, so I'd like to post something we're all thankful for here.

A package arrived the other day from Anonymous (to you but not to us).  It had a little something for all of us.

Percy,  Sam & Buddy..  Any foodables included?

Notice who the first ones always are to check out new arrivals.  Just in case there are any edibles.  And to hog a photo op.  Yep, Percy and Sam  Surprisingly, Buddy showed up this time too.

Percy gets really into the inspection.

Each item has to meet with Percy's approval.

All the gifts.

Well, the food and the toy passed Percy's inspection. The hairball gook is okay too. The flea med, the grooming tools - especially the vacuum attachment for pets - didn't pass muster.  But Jan approved them.

We intend to hide everything Percy didn't approve of so Jan can't find them again. Hiding them from her will be easy.  She recently rearranged the kitchen and spent two days looking for something of size that was right in front of her.  Well, wedged among big cans, but the top was staring her right in the eyes.  So how hard can hiding small items be? 

Thanks for the nice gifts.   We do appreciate them and we won't really hide them from Jan. 

PepiSmartDog's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop code isn't up yet.  His human might be out of town.  But we'll post anyway. 

Buddy Runs A Marathon

Hey, Buddy here.  I bet you aren't aware my dream is to become a marathon runner.  I've tried to teach Jan to run but her run is closer to a tortoise crawl than a finish line crossing pace. So I'm a bit jealous that a dog named Dozer ran most of the Maryland Half Marathon and raised more money for the cancer center than any of the two-leggers did. 

Wow!  And he wasn't even entered in the race.

I'm going to watch it with you.  This time I'm going to close my eyes and imagine myself running free, the wind billowing my ears, and -  Hey, who tripped me?



If the video doesn't play, click here.

Merry Micah Monday

Hey, Micah here.  I don't know about you but we can really use something upbeat and fun around here, so although we didn't have a post planned for today, I found these funnies in Jan's email and decided to post them. Even if you've read them before, they might still give you a chuckle. 


Did I read that sign right?  Toilet out of order. Please use floor below.

In a Laundromat: Automatic washing machines. Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.  

In a London department store:  Bargain basement upstairs.  

In an office: Would the person who took the step ladder yesterday please bring it back or further steps will be taken.

In an office:  After tea break, staff should empty the teapot and stand upside down on the draining board.

Outside a secondhand shop:  We exchange anything - bicycles, washing machines, etc.  Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain?  

Spotted in a safari park:  Elephants, please stay in your car.  

Seen during a conference:  For anyone who has children and doesn't know it, there is a day care on the 1st floor.

Notice in a farmer's field:  The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges. .

Message on a leaflet:  If you cannot read, this leaflet will tell you how to get lessons.   

On a repair shop door:  We can repair anything. (Please knock hard on the door - the bell doesn't work.)
  
Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter. Someone caught this in the SGV Tribune and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says.  Really? Ya think?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers.  Now that's taking things a bit far!

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over.  What a guy!

Miners Refuse to Work after Death.   No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant.  See if that works any better than a fair trial!

War Dims Hope for Peace.   I can see where it might have that effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile.  Ya think?!

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures.   Who would have thought!

Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide.   They may be on to something!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges.  You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?

Man Struck By Lightning:Faces Battery Charge.  He probably IS the battery charge!

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group.  Weren't they fat enough?!

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft.  That's what he gets for eating those beans!

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors.   Boy, are they tall!

And the winner is.... Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead.   Did I read that right?

Have a nice Monday.

Oh, and if you need some more smiles, stop by the Tabby Cat Club.  Oui Oui is hosting the Bed Wars today.

Sunday Smile by Cyndi

Cyndi:  Well, since I'm the smallest, I'm the lightest on my feet, so I voted myself in as today's post MC.

Today's Sunday Smile is for our humans, in case they need a good healthy laugh. .

What does a cop do when his breathalyzer doesn't work to test the blood alcohol level for drivers he stops?

Why, that's easy.  He does this -


If the video doesn't play click here.

Smile and have a good day.

Mutton Hollow Interview

We are pleased to introduce the kitties of the Mutton Hollow Critters blog - Ruby, Hootie, Zeek, Moosie, Scuby & Sylvester - as our interview subjects this week.  If you haven't met them yet, stop by Mousebreath to read their story, Cat Critters of Mutton Hollow.. If you've already met them, you might get to know them better. 

Thankful for Jan Day

Merci

Cyndi

Cyndi: Today is Thankful Thursday. I think maybe we should be thankful for Jan.

Merci: Why, did she buy us a present?

Cyndi: No, but she's been working so hard at spring cleaning, I figure we should do something nice for her.

Merci: You mean before she makes us help?

Cyndi:  No. A lot of the stuff she's moving around belongs to us and we are responsible for some of the mess she's cleaning.

Merci:  Hmmmm. You're right. We do tend to make a mess.  Fur everywhere.  Barf anywhere. Beds dragged into the walking area.  Large bags of food and litter to store in a small house.  Toys, brushes ... Yeah, guess we are a little work for her.

Cyndi:  It's a lot harder since she hasn't been able to do it for several years.  At least three.

Merci:  Let's see, in 2010, Jan had the injured toe that got infected and she could barely walk for several months.  In 2011, she again tried  to fly while you, Buddy & Sam were walking her, and she crash landed on the sidewalk.  It's taken two years for her to get back to "normal."  In part, because last March she fell while trimming along the front walk.  I can't remember what happened prior to 2010, but I know she was laid up with something.

Cyndi:  Do you notice a pattern?

Merci:  Yes, Jan's a klutz.  We've mentioned that before. Nothing has changed.  She's just a cleaning klutz now, trying to finish before sauna weather arrives. 

Cyndi:  So today will be Thankful for Jan Day.  Do we have to buy her a present?

Merci:  I don't think so.  I think we just have to make her a plaque to hang on her wall.  Or do something nice for her.

Cyndi:  How about if we do a post for her from all of us Funny Farmers and our present will be that we won't post her picture?  And we won't mention she's a klutz.  Or that she hasn't done any spring cleaning in years.  We'll just say we're glad she's still on her feet this year.

Merci:  Yes, that will work.  Let's go tell the others.

Cyndi:  And when they stop laughing, we'll write Jan a nice post.

PS - The other day our Google Reader went POOF!  Every trace of it disappeared, so we have no idea what is going on around the blogs right now.  It's strange because Google said it wouldn't close until July 1. .

We need to find a new reader and set it up as soon as we can fit it into our schedule.  Not sure where to go to find one that will be as convenient.  Anyone know a good easy to set up reader?

We are joining Pepi Smart Dog's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Percy Fix It or Fry It

Cameron:  Hey, the Mousebreath dancers made an Easter video with Daisy as a special guest.  They are really good. 

Buddy:  We missed this yesterday since we were offline for all but about half an hour.  Jan came home, turned on the computer and ... poof! went the internet.  Again.

Cameron:  Yeah, a couple weeks ago the internet AND the phone died for a couple hours and then did so intermittently for a day or two.  But for months it's been dropping dead in the afternoon for a bit, then returning.  It still hadn't returned by midnight yesterday, although we did have email.  We had to click "Get Mail" and walk away for 5 minutes or so. 

Buddy:   It was really frustrating, especially since the company told Jan our internet was working, we were just having a "latency outage." 

Rusty: Well, we might not have had internet, but we did manage to email Kiril of Nikita & Elvira's blog and also a local customer to ask if they could google the phrase for us.  The local was having on/off/on/off problems but said he could work around it.  We couldn't.  It's hard to "work around" DEAD!

Cameron: Now we know why our internet has been taking  naps on us.  There are innumerable complaints online about Windstream's poor customer and tech service as they blame everything on "latency outages" that don't seem to get fixed.  If Windstream doesn't get its act together soon, we'll have to send Percy over with a screwdriver to do the job for them.  He's real good at techy stuff.

Buddy: You hear that Windstream? Don't make us sic Percy on you.  He can wave a screwdriver around and spew nonsense with the best of non-repairmen!

Percy:  *trying to look modest*  Thank you, guys.  I appreciate the vote of confidence.  Guess I better dig up my screwdriver, in case.

Buddy:  *whisper*  If you're afraid of sparks, better stand clear of Percy and his screwdriver.