Tears to Laughter

RUSTY:  Why are we posting this picture again?  The Team Cat competition is long over.

SAM:  We needed a photo in a hurry and this is it.  Don't worry.  It isn't stalking you.

RUSTY:  Oh, okay, if you're sure. So why are we posting today?

SAM:  It's been a rough few weeks and Jan has been very discouraged since Thursday.  Friday we did the Remembering Bridge Angels post and then we were all down and discouraged thinking of those we're missing (just since we began blogging) as well as the ones our friends have lost. 

RUSTY:  Yes, the idea was that everyone would share their bridge losses and we'd all feel better.  But we cried and couldn't read other posts, so we really let our friends down.

SAM:  We decided we don't want to stay depressed and looked for something to make us laugh.  We'd like to share ours with you.  You might need a laugh too. 

RUSTY:  This chihuahua should come visit the next time Jan uses a gate to close you dogs in the bedroom.

MARCUS:  I don't need his help.  I just leap over the gate.

SAM:  *mumble, mumble*  What a braggart!

RUSTY:  I get the sense this chihuahua has been practicing his escape technique.  What do you think?


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Remembering Bridge Angels

RUSTY:  Today is the first annual Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.  It is the brainchild of Deb Barnes of Zee and Zoey.

MERCI:  We have to be honest and mention we do not believe in the rainbow bridge but we have lost four feline siblings since we began blogging. 

CYNDI:  We have so many happy memories of each one, so we do want to join other bloggers in remembering our beloved furry angels. (One of the definitions of "angel" is "a kind, charming, lovable cat".  It actually reads "person" but this is a post about furries, not people, so we take a little literary license.)

MARCUS:  Cameron is the only one I met and he once told me a story.  It had something to do with waking the dead and all four of them were part of it.

SAM:  That was before my time, too, back when there was a Funny Farm Writing Club.  I remember reading the story (Waking the Dead). 



MICAH: Last week we announced we are retiring from the stress of the interviews, but we will finish the few that we had already sent.  This week we are pleased to introduce Josie, Renn, Tucker, Cammie and Noah from I Have Three Cats. 

PERCY:  You will have to read their story, Josie, Renn, Tucker, Cammie and Noah Speak, to find out why there are five names for three cats. The story is published on Mousebreath. 

BUDDY:  We announced yesterday that last Friday we also retired from co-sponsoring the Pet Parade as part of our plan to de-stress and Blog Without Duty, so don't panic if our name has already been removed.  Everything is fine.

UPDATE:  Aw, we didn't know Rascal and Rocco made us the Featured Favorite for the blog hop this week.  We will miss all of the hosts.

Tthe Pet Parade blog hop is hosted by by Rascal and Roscoe.  It is co-hosted by Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Love is being owned by a husky.

Blog Without Duty

MICAH:  We were going to wait until tomorrow to post the other part of our news but tomorrow is going to be a special day so we decided we should post it today.

MERCI:  Yes, it's going to be Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day and we certainly want to remember our own beloved furries.  We have lost four feline siblings since we began blogging in 2005. 

SAM:  Last Friday we posted that we are retiring from the Mousebreath interviews.  (Hanging Butt Naked)  We have done 129 since we began.  That's a big investment of time - and we hope of at least a little talent.

RUSTY:  But don't worry, we still have three (possibly four) more interviews to publish.  They have been returned in a timely manner and we did promise to finish any that are pending. 

BUDDY:    Last Friday we also resigned as a co-host of the Pet Parade blog hop, so please don't get upset when our name is removed.  Everything is fine.  We just have not been pulling our weight for quite some time now and that isn't fair to the others who are.  Last week we were not only unable to visit blogs that entered but we totally forgot to post the code.  We will try to remember to enter.  Jan's memory isn't what it needs to be right now and we depend on her to remind us because we forget too.

PERCY:  Speaking of memory, do you remember Cotton?  She was a toritie (tortoiseshell) and she always had a "don't mess with me" look and attitude. So we decided to use her for our new blogging attitude graphic.  Yes, from now on we want to blog without duty.  We are not a business blog so there is no necessity to blog daily (thought we might on occasion) or on any schedule.  You can sign up to receive emails of our posts or add us to a reader or stop by frequently.  We will be here. 

MARCUS:  Hey, she looks like a drill sergeant!  Kind of scary.  Was she really as mean as she looks?

CYNDI:  No, Marcus, Cotton was a pussycat.  Unless she was telling you what to do.  Which she did quite often.  She was bossy and in your face.  So perhaps she was a drill sergeant.  But she wasn't mean.  And we still miss her.

MARCUS:  Oh, telling you what to do ... bossy and in your face - kind of like Buddy!
 

 Stop by Pepi Smart Dog for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.  (There is always something to be thankful for!)

And stop by Ruckus the Eskie, Love is being owned by a husky, and Barking from the bayou for the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop.

Hanging Butt Naked

PERCY:  Hey, Merci, why are you looking so thoughtful?

MERCI:  Well, it's Friday and you kitties don't have an interview again.

PERCY:  I know.  No matter what we do, too many of our subjects just take their time getting back to us, or they respond so late in the week we can't get it together in time.

MERCI:  Surely not all of them!

PERCY:  No, not all of them!  We've had some who have responded so quickly we were in shock, since it takes others weeks or months, even with reminders.

MERCI:  That seems awfully rude. Cyndi is kind of bummed because you Funny Farmer Felines have been removed from the Blogville Calendar TWICE because there were weeks at a time when you didn't have an interview.

PERCY:  Yes,we haven't bothered asking to be reinstated since the second time.  There were times the computer was having major problems.  There were times Jan was in need of our help because she was sick or injured.   But mainly, we just get slow responses.  Our stress level is high trying to juggle a bunch of files and folders - on hold, questions sent, waiting on photos, etc - and it is frustrating to be left hanging "butt naked" so frequently!    

MERCI: It might be time you take a page from this video.  If something doesn't work, keep trying things until you find your niche.

PERCY:  Evidently trying to make others look good for free - sometimes even without a thank you - isn't our niche!  An interview requires interaction.  We can't do it alone and if our subjects want to earn a Cat Scout badge or get their name in Mousebreath without having to do anything to help or to do it in a timely manner, perhaps it's time to close the interviews.

MERCI:  The same thing happened when we started the Blogville interviews.  Great enthusiasm and responses for a while, then slow or no responses.  So we shut the interviews down.  But we had some fun interviews while they published.

PERCY:  We tried to make our Mousebreath interviews interesting and fun.  If we hear back from the ones in progress, we'll finish them and then retire.  As this short video reminds us, we are not all good at the same things and we need to find what we can do well. 

(The video seems to have disappeared.)

Friday is also time for the Pet Parade blog hop, hosted by by Rascal and Roscoe.  It is co-hosted by Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou, Love is being owned by a husky, and us (Jan's Funny Farm).

There are two parts to the blog hop - your blog url and social media, so be sure to sign up for both.

Don't Talk While Eating

SAM:  We didn't have a chance to write a post for today, but we came across the cutest "talking" kitty video. 

CYNDI:  This kitten is obviously enjoying her meal.  Guess the bigger kitty never explained she shouldn't talk with her mouth full.

SAM:  Jan said she's thankful you cats eat quietly.


If the video doesn't play, click here.

 Stop by Pepi Smart Dog for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.  (There is always something to be thankful for!)

And stop by Ruckus the Eskie, Love is being owned by a husky, and Barking from the bayou for the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop. 

Pop A Top

BUDDY:  Hey, guys, we have a package here from Chewy.  Come help me open it.  There's a lounging scratcher for the cats to post on (A Pawicure and Mattress) and some canned food for us.

MARCUS:  Food in a can?  I can't.  I'm playing Canine Soccer.  I'll catch it when Jan pops a top on one.

SAM:  It's so nice and cool here in the dirt.  I think I'll wait for the open can too.

MERCI:  The food is Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Hearty Beef Stew. This is what the moist, meaty chunks look like from the can. The main ingredients are:  deboned beef, beef broth, beef liver, carrots, peas, dried egg products, sweet potatoes, natural flavor, dried potatoes, blueberries ... vitamins, minerals, etc.

Key Benefits
    Carrageenan & Grain-free recipe.
    Low glycemic.
    No artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.
    No corn, wheat or soy.
    No ingredients from China.
    Made in the USA!

BUDDY:  I thought you weren't interested in the canned food.

MARCUS:  I am now that Jan has popped a top.  I'm first in line for my breakfast.

SAM:  You got too excited over food again and Jan put you in your crate to eat.

MARCUS:  You mean my private dining car?  I love to eat here.  None of you can steal my food.

BUDDY:  I think you mean that you can't steal any of our food.

MERCI:  So how was it, Marcus?

MARCUS:  I cleaned my bowl.  I don't know how Jan managed to miss most of the bowl when she took the picture.  After all, the food is the main reason for this post.  Well, that and my good looks.

SAM:  We have been enjoying it mixed with our kibble and give this Whole Earth Farms food four paws up.

We would like to thank Chewy.com for sending us the cans to sample.  We were not paid nor influenced in what we wrote.  We always try to be honest in our reviews.

Bored Into a Coma

MERCI:  We love to tell tales on Jan, so we thought we would share a Sunday Smile with you today.

RUSTY:  Jan has been a bit intimidated by the "traffic light" timer at Toastmasters.  Depending on the purpose, you have to talk for more than "x"  but less than "y" number of minutes.

SAM:  It isn't that Jan can't talk for x - y minutes.  It's just hard to say something on a particular subject when the brain is blank and in panic mode.


MICAH:  Last Thursday she determined she would not stop talking on the subject until at least after the first light (green) went on.  Her objective was to give a 2 minute minimum evaluation of a 5 minute talk.

PERCY:  She finished her evaluation.  No light.  She kept talking.  Still no light.  She rambled all around whatever tidbits she could remember of the talk.  Still no light.

CYNDI:  The other members were being bored into a coma.. It seemed to her and probably to the others as if she had been talking FOREVER!

BUDDY:  Eventually she totally ran out of anything to say that was even remotely related to the speech. So she stretched out her arm to point to the timing light, leaned over the podium, and exclaimed, "Isn't this EVER going to come to an end!!"  That woke up everyone she'd lulled to sleep!  The laughter "woke" the timer. 

MARCUS:  Next meeting Jan will be the timer. She hopes she doesn't "zone out".  It's easy to do.

PERCY:  Have you ever seen a horse line dance?

MERCI:  Did you ever imagine you would see a horse line dance?

BUDDY:  Watch the footwork as the horse dances in a tight space.




If the video doesn't play, click here.

Nose To Nose Encounter

RUSTY:  Jan thought this recent picture would make good Caturday Art, so she dyed us red.

MICAH:  Rusty and I were checking each other out prior to deciding which of us would get a turn on the new lounge scratcher behind us.  I won, since I have claws.

RUSTY:  No hissing, no growling, no whapping.  Just a peaceful nose to nose encounter.

MICAH:  Now we're into Sepia Saturday art.  Sepia is Marcus's favorite color since it reminds him of dirt.

CYNDI:: A black and white version.

PERCY:  And the original.

BUDDY:  A brief moment in the life of the Funny Farmer Felines.

MERCI:  It kind of makes you teary, doesn't it?

MARCUS:  Well, it would if Micah swiped me in the face with those claws.

SAM:  Don't tempt him, Marcus, don't tempt him.

Sepia Saturday blog hop, hosted by Ruckus the Eskie and Earl's World.

 And Athena's Caturday Art.

Nip Sniffers Trixie and Buster

RUSTY:  It's hard to believe another week has passed already.  It's time for another round of Q&A.

MICAH:  We generally ask the questions, but if you ever have any about us, feel free to ask.  We don't promise to answer, but feel free to ask.

CYNDI:  Today we would like to introduce two Cat Scouts, Trixie and Buster.  Their dad makes nip cat toys so they have one of the best jobs in the cat realm - nip sniffer.

PERCY:  Please don't suggest they join Sniff the Nip Anonymous.  Or is that Nip Sniffers Anonymous?

MICAH:  Who cares what it's called?  They don't intend to join.  I wouldn't if I had a bottomless stash.

PERCY:  You can read their story, Supervisor Trixie and Toy Tester Buster, exclusively at Mousebreath, the ezine for discerning cats.

Friday is also time for the Pet Parade blog hop, hosted by by Rascal and Roscoe. It is co-hosted by Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou, Love is being owned by a husky, and us (Jan's Funny Farm).

Run Like I Have Wings

CYNDI:  I don't think it's fair.  You dogs get to walk Jan so you have some excitement in your lives.

MICAH:  Yeah, we get everything second hand.  Why doesn't Jan get a stroller and take us cats with you?

PERCY:  We long for the day when we can see everything for ourselves instead of just hearing about things afterward.

MARCUS:  Hey, that's a good idea.  I'm brave so I could be your bodyguard. I was attacked by that bird dog last spring and a Basset Hound has been coming after me for weeks trying to pick a fight, so, for sure, I'd have your back.

RUSTY:  Oh, we forgot about things like that.  Perhaps we should be thankful we don't have to leave the house, after all.

BUDDY:  We have seen geese a good bit on our walks, but either Jan forgot her camera or by the time she gets it out, they have marched off and they're so tiny we can't tell they're in the picture.

MERCI:  We saw a whole bunch recently but when Jan got her camera out, most of them had disappeared over the hill and these were all that were left we could see.

SAM:  Jan had to zoom in and crop them in the picture, but here you have photographic proof we dogs almost had a goose snack.

CYNDI:  Sam, you know you are thankful the geese went the other way.  What would you have done if they had come toward you?

SAM: I would have run like I have wings!  Those geese are quite intimidating.

BUDDY:  I haven't quite figured out what they're saying yet, but I think it's something like, "Woofer alert!  All females and adolescents retire quietly while the rest of us honk threats."

MARCUS:  Oh, so that's what they're saying.  I always thought they were inviting me to join them.  I yell, "Wait for me, wait for me", but they just waddle faster.

Stop by Pepi Smart Dog for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.  (There is always something to be thankful for!)

And stop by Ruckus the Eskie, Love is being owned by a husky, and Barking from the bayou for the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop. 

A Pawicure and Mattress

BUDDY:  Okay, everyone, I'll be directing today's post.  Time is money, so let's get moving.

MICAH:  Buddy, you're a dog.  This is a cat post.

BUDDY:  I know.  That's exactly why you need me.  I am an outsider's eye on the proceeding.  Let's start with the product.  Who has the product?

CYNDI:  I guess I do.  Jan just dumped this in front of me and said to keep am eye on it. 

MERCI:  That's dog food, Cyndi.  I don't think that's the right product for today.

BUDDY:  Okay, which one of you has the product we need to photograph?

PERCY:  I think I do.  I can smell catnip through the plastic bag.  This must be the right item.

SAM:  Yes, over here, Buddy.  Percy has the Catit Bench Scratcher. 

RUSTY:  It looks like Percy is having a good time.  I don't have claws but the catnip smells tempting.  I'd like to rub my head on it too.

PERCY:  I have claws but I don't like scratchers.  I much prefer Jan's vinyl chair, no matter what she throws over it to stop me!

MERCI:  Quick, someone shove a glass of water off the desk.  Jan just fainted.  Percy is breaking this in and is actually scratching on the bench instead of using her chair.

MICAH:  Perhaps the corrugated cardboard feels good on his feet? 

CYNDI:  Or perhaps he's trying to dig a hole to the catnip fields of China? 

PERCY:  The bench is 19" long and very stylish for either the living room desk or the kitchen washer or dryer.

CYNDI:  It's about time I get a turn, but I'm not going to test it until all of you leave the kitchen.  A lady has to have some privacy, you know!

RUSTY:  It looks incredibly comfortable.  Do you think I could have a turn?  It looks almost big enough for my XL frame.  

MICAH:  Sure, Rusty.  You can have a turn, just as soon as I take mine.  This is comfortable.  Give me a few, Rusty.  I'll give a holler when it's your turn.

PERCY:  Too bad you weren't a little quicker when Micah called your name, Rusty.  If you don't mind waiting a bit longer, I could use a little nap.

CYNDI:  Oh, poor Rusty.  He has been too polite to insist on a turn, but we three with claws have all been using the scratcher for a pawicure and a mattress.  When we wear it out, we can just flip it over and resume scratching and napping.

RUSTY:  Chewy says the object of having one is to "satisfy your cat's instinct to scratch while stretching his muscles and removing the dead outer layer of his claws".  The Catit Bench Scratcher has been getting a workout around here so I guess it does work.  I wonder if I can regrow my claws so I can join the fun?

BUDDY:  Okay, everyone, that's a wrap.  Let's go eat before we check out the photos.

We would like to thank Chewy.com for providing us with a scratcher to review.  We were not paid nor influenced in what to say.  We always try to be honest in our reviews.

Moses, Stanley and the Pup

PERCY:  Well, we weren't going to post today but the dogs had an adventure this morning and want to share it.

MICAH:  Yeah, if Jan hadn't snapped a couple of fast photos, we would think they imagined the whole thing.

RUSTY:  Buddy, Merci and Sam set off on a late morning walk with Jan.  We were all waiting for them to get home so we could eat.

CYNDI:  We'll let them tell it since we were in the kitchen waiting for our breakfast and missed the entire episode.

MERCI:  From a distance, we recognized Stanley's bike with the cart where Moses rides.  Stanley had an extra dog racing around.  He got off his bike and put a leash on it.

SAM:  As we approached on the other side of the street, we all started barking. They had to yell at each other to be heard but Jan thanked him for restraining the dog.  He said the dog appeared out of nowhere and was following them, so he'd take it downtown with him and call Animal Control. 

Stanley with pup in cart.

BUDDY:  The dog - a pup actually - was trying to get loose to come meet us.  It would be a long, hard trip downtown with the pup, so Jan offered to let Stanley put the pup in our yard and after we walked her, she would call AC for him.  We came back and Jan unlocked the gate.

MERCI: Before he resumed his trip to town, we got to meet Stanley in the flesh.  Moses, a little white dog, is our Humane Society's mascot. 

Stanley with pup and Moses in cart.

SAM:  And then we set off again on our walk.  We got as far as next door and Jan realized there were now four of us.  Yep, the pup was loose.  He was a nice, friendly pup and we tried to chase him off  but he followed us back home.  Jan brought us inside.  The pup wouldn't come in so she could call AC to pick him up.

BUDDY:  She put us in the back yard.  Fortunately, she checked first because the gate was wide open.  The latch must not have caught properly.  She went back to the front door and invited the pup inside.  Not even treats could entice him!  She grabbed a leash from a door and when she reached the porch, the pup was already up the street and disappearing from sight.

MERCI:  We're sorry, Stanley. but we want to let you know not to be surprised if the pup appears out of nowhere again. 

World Cat Day Art

MICAH:  Hey, it's World Cat Day again.

MARCUS:  Again?  You mean there have been others?

CYNDI:  Of course!  It was before your time when we last celebrated it but Ann of Zoolatry sent us the badge and said the day exists.

MERCI:  Of course the day exists.  It's Saturday.  Every week has one.  Oh, you mean World Cat Day exists?

BUDDY:  Yes.  Ann's exact words were, "An annual event to simply recognize the beauty, majesty, humor and fun of cats ~ your own ~ and others!"

SAM:  She thinks you cats are fun?  Well, she can afford to.  She doesn't live with you.

RUSTY:  As long as we're celebrating cats today, we might as well enter Athena's Caturday Art.

Rusty with colors inverted

PERCY:  Hey, wait a minute!  How come you get to be posted today, Rusty?  I don't remember taking a vote.

CYNDI:  We didn't vote, Percy.  But that's okay.  We'll all get a turn if we can get back to Saturday posts again. 

 MICAH:  Look at those weird white eyes and the green nose.  Is he contagious?

RUSTY:  Haha.  This is the original photo.  I think I was trying to learn to whistle.  (Actually I have freckles on my bottom lip.)

PERCY:  And now we're all set for Sepia Saturday too, hosted by Ruckus the Eskie and Earl's World.

Cujo's Minions

MERCI:  We're having storms tonight but we're trying hard to set up a post for tomorrow (Friday), which is supposed to be another stormy day.

SAM:  I am afraid of storms, so I am wearing my Thundershirt and trying to stay calm, but I am not a happy camper!

BUDDY:  Sam, don't fib!  You've never been camping in your life!  And you would get so nervous and shaky with the telling of campfire stories, you would never be invited back anyway.

MARCUS:  Can I go camping?  I don't know what a campfire story is but I know a couple of hot jokes.

CYNDI:  Ignore the woofies.  This is Funny Farmer Felines Friday and we have a really neat interview subject for you today.

RUSTY:  We sure do.  Some of you already know Cujo from The Cujo Cat Chronicles. If you haven't met him  and his minions ... er, siblings yet, you will enjoy his introduction.

PERCY:  You can read Cujo's story, Cujo the Benevolent Dictator, and meet his minions ... er, siblings exclusively at Mousebreath, the ezine for cats and cat lovers.  And of course, it's written by cats.  

MICAH:  This is not interview related but we thought we would show you why Jan loves playing with colors in her graphics.  Cujo's graphic was made from the same colors as Percy and Sam's hat one was the other day, yet they don't look anything alike, do they?

Friday is also time for the Pet Parade blog hop, hosted by by Rascal and Roscoe.  It is co-hosted by Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou, Love is being owned by a husky, and us (Jan's Funny Farm).

Cleanup on Aisle Kitchen

MERCI:  As you already know, dirt is Marcus's favorite color.  He'd coat the whole house in it if Jan would stop vacuuming.

RUSTY:  In yesterday's post (Marcus's Best Friend Returned) we mentioned "the vacuum that spilled dirt all over the place was returned to Walmart for a refund the other day, despite Marcus' protests the dirty vacuum was his new best friend."

MICAH: And our friend Loulou (Living with Loulou) had us rolling on the floor laughing at her emailed comment.  We think she really understands our Marcus. 

LOULOU: 
Marcus, you have to get a life. A vacuum cleaner is your best friend????
Oh, boy....
Wait 'til Jan gets a really cute mop.

CYNDI:  We have a mop but have never considered it cute. Still, we had visions of Marcus becoming best buds with it, or with one similar.

PERCY:  So, in the interest of reporting only the facts, we asked Marcus how he feels about mops in general and our mop, in particular.

MARCUS:  A mop is such fun.  Jan and I both get some good exercise.  She pushes it and I chase it.  A great toy.

SAM:  But would you like to become best friends with one?  Shake its handle or give it an occasional hug?

MARCUS:  What, are you, nuts!  Why would I want to hug a mop?  But I love dirt, so, yeah, if it's dirty, we could definitely become best friends.

BUDDY:  Oh, great.  Merci, get the mop.  Sam, grab the bucket.  Percy, can you manage some projectile vomiting from the top of the fridge?  Jaaaaaaaan,  clean up needed on Aisle Kitchen!

CYNDI:  So this week we're thankful for a little peace while Marcus bonds with our mop.  What are you thankful for?

Stop by Pepi Smart Dog for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.  (There is always something to be thankful for!)

And stop by Ruckus the Eskie, Love is being owned by a husky, and Barking from the bayou for the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop. 

Marcus's Best Friend Returned

SAM:  Hey, Sam here.  I take a lot of teasing about my hats but if you remember, I have been known to sport a non-hat look.

MARCUS:  I'm not sure what kind of look he's aiming for, but I think he must have missed it by a mile.

CYNDI:  Aw, Marcus, that's not nice.  You tried on the sunglasses too. Remember?

MARCUS:  Oh, I forgot.  But I looked way cooler than Sam.  And certainly much handsomer than Buddy.  I mean, who has eyes on top of his head?

BUDDY:  Hey, that wasn't my idea.  My nose wouldn't hold up the glasses so Jan tried to be a bit inventive.  You might remember these photos from last year.  Or not.

PERCY:  We thought we would let you know we found a way out of email hell in July.  It was no fun having the computer freeze every time we tried to download email to Thunderbird v38.

RUSTY:  We were alone in our misery for over a month.  After Jan fixed ours, other reports started turning up of the same problem.  Jan would never have downloaded the new version if Google hadn't blocked us and forced her to. 

MICAH:  We can't blame Jan.  She doesn't speak Google.  Someone at the Google forum and someone at the Thunderbird forum did respond to her question, but no one could help her and she had to figure out the solution by herself. 

MERCI:  And in other good news, the vacuum that spilled dirt all over the place ( A Perfect Failure) was returned to Walmart for a refund the other day, despite Marcus' protests the dirty vacuum was his new best friend.

Hatitude of Gratitude

MICAH:  We were going to just post a Sunday Smile video today but first we would like to observe a Hatitude of Gratitude moment.  

CYNDI:  Today we realized we don't say thank you often enough.  Thank you for reading our blog and leaving comments or popping off an email, even when life is hectic and we aren't able to get around to leave comments as we would like.

MERCI:  Thank you to Ann of Zoolatry for all the graphics and emails to let us know when a furry or human is ill or has gone to the bridge.  That is an investment of time and talent.

RUSTY:  And thanks to those who administrate the Blogville Power of the Paw blog and the memorial blog Our Rainbow Friends that is published on the 15th of each month.  We have shed a lot of tears at both sites.

MARCUS:  We try to visit Our Rainbow Friends each month to leave a comment for all those that passed away the previous month, even if we didn't know them.  A couple of days ago we went by because we couldn't remember visiting in July.

BUDDY:  And we hadn't.  Ann was busy and forgot to send out a notice.  But, even without a reminder, the Tabbies O Trout Towne had visited on the 15th of July and left condolences on each post.  We wanted to say a special thank you to the Tabbies and their mom for being committed to be there for others. We might have a bit of a problem understanding their accent at times, but we always understand their warm heart.

PERCY:  And in honor of this observance, Sam has removed his hat.  Well, he didn't actually remove it.  I accidentally knocked it off his head, but it's the same end result.

SAM:  Yes, I was just sitting here wondering what Micah meant about Hatitude and suddenly I realized I was completely bald.

PERCY:  Sam, you are not bald.  You are hatless.  They are not the same thing.

SAM:  Well, they feel like the same thing.  The air conditioning might not cool the house sufficiently but it sure does make my bald head cold. 

MICAH:  Here is our Sunday Smile video.  This husky pup has a lot to say.  I think he's telling a joke since the lady is laughing so hard.


If the video doesn't play, click here.