Percy Runs With Idea

Percy:  All right, you guys, listen up!  You've all had turns posting lately.  It's my turn today!

Merci:  What are you going to post about?

Percy:  Whatever I want!  Uh ... do you have any ideas?

Merci:  Mmmm, let me think a moment.  I know!  We can post on why Jan abandoned us last Thursday.

Percy:  Oh, right.  But remind me again, why did she abandon us?

Merci:  It was one of those rare times Jan was invited anywhere besides Walmart, church, Walmart, Toastmasters, Walmart ... and did I mention Walmart?  She often longs to get out of town for different scenery.

Percy:  That's right.  She has said that a few thousand times or more.

Merci:  Well, her friend Teresa took her to lunch at Brian's Buffet in Griffin.

Percy:  So she abandoned us to stuff her face?

Merci:  Yep!  And as Jan has said a number of times, you never know who you will meet when you get out of the house.

Percy:  Who are these people in the photo?

Merci: Elsie (left) and Darlene (background) work for Brian's Buffet.  And Teresa is on the right.  As soon as she saw the camera, Teresa started scooting out of photo range, but Jan has a fast trigger finger.

Percy:  These ladies look familiar.

Merci:  Elsie and Darlene were in the other picture.  They were so sweet and helpful and even told Jan they wouldn't mind if we post their pictures on our blog.

Percy:  If they like to be helpful, they could come to our town and serve us furries our meals.  I'm sure they wouldn't just slap the dishes down in front of us.  Unlike Jan, they'd sprinkle in a little catnip or something tasty, I'm sure.

Merci:  Elsie has written two books for children, Thank God for My Stepfather and Are You Man? According to her bio on Amazon - "Elsie was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti ...  was inspired to write this fable by her great-grandmother, who couldn't read or write but shared her stories in the hopes that one day they would be passed on. Elsie speaks and writes English, French, and Creole..."

Percy:  She sounds very talented. Has Jan read her books?

Merci:  No, she just learned of them the other day and we don't have any children in this house to read them to.

Percy:  Doesn't Marcus qualify as a bratty kid Jan could read to?

Merci:  Can you picture Marcus sitting still long enough for Jan to read him a story?  He couldn't even stop talking that long.

Percy:  Thanks for the idea, Merci.  My post is finished.  All I needed was an idea and I ran with it.

Merci:  I think you ran with more than an idea.  I think you conned me into writing a post for you.



(Hey, Elsie & Darlene, if/when you see this, there is a contact form in our left sidebar.  Send us a message with an email address and we'll send you a copy of the pictures.)

Dr. Seuss Day 2017

Percy, Sam, Buddy, Cotton.

Percy:  And embarrassed I am.  This is an old Dr. Seuss graphic. 

Buddy:  I know it is, but Jan is sick and the internet was out for most of two days, and then we have severe storms coming as we write this tonight so we have to do this in time to shut down safely.

Percy:  I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said I'm embarrassed.  This is from a fun time when Sam and Cotton were still with us.

Buddy:  We had fun with all the Farmers we've lost over the years and occasions like Dr. Seuss Day bring back happy memories, don't they!

Percy:  They sure do and I've reconsidered.  I'm proud to be re-using a graphic reminding us of two great memories.

Buddy:  Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Percy:  I don't think he can hear you.  He died in 1991 at age 87.

Buddy:  That's okay.  He left a great legacy of books for children of all ages.  Once a year even Jan is a kid at heart.

Percy:  If she cooks green eggs and ham for our breakfast, will you eat them?

Buddy:  Hey, if she cooks us purple ham with orange polka dots for breakfast, I'll be so thankful, and I'll sure eat my share.


Percy:  Hmmm, I wonder why Dr. Seuss never wrote about purple ham with orange polka dots?

Buddy:  I don't know.  Maybe he didn't have much imagination.


We always have much to be thankful for, so we are joining the Thankful Thursday blog hop at Brian's Home.

Mum Kangaroo Dundee

Rusty:  Hey, Jan, I've decided what I want to be when I grow up.

Jan:  What's that?

Rusty:  I want to live in Kangaroo Dundee's sanctuary in the outback of Australia. 

Jan:  What?

Rusty:  Seriously.  I want to watch Roger the kangaroo chase Chris "Brolga" Barns (Kangaroo Dundee) around the trees.  That sounds like such fun.

Jan:  Only if you're Roger the kangaroo because a kick from a roo that size could disembowel a man.

Rusty:  But it's so important Roger keep in kick boxing shape so he can protect his family.  And he's got a lot of roo women and joeys to protect.

Jan:  Perhaps I shouldn't have let you read the book Fozziemum brought us from Australia.

Rusty:  But it was such fun to read.  Brolga is a real life hero mom.

Jan:  I think you mean a real life hero dad.

Rusty:  No, I mean mom.  He rescues baby kangaroos from the mom's pouch when she's been killed by hunters or a vehicle and raises them in a pouch, just like the joey's real mom would.  Well, except the real mom wouldn't raise the baby joey in a pillowcase.  Then they are released into the wild.  Except some can't be because they are too tame or have a disability.  He started a sanctuary for them and now he's raising orphaned camels and other animals.  He's also building an animal hospital in the heart of the outback.  How cool is that?

Merci: Sorry, to interrupt.  I couldn't help but overhear so I'd like to add my two paws worth.  This is not a book review!  But if you like to read animal rescue stories, or stories of someone building something from nothing that educates and aids animals, this is a book for you.

Rusty:  Fozziemum is posting on her visit to the U.S.  Last week she wrote about her visit to the Funny Farm.  Stop by to read Meeting the Funnyfarmers. We love the photos of us she posted.  Some of us ran away and hid but those that didn't met Bev and her camera. 

Merci:  And in case you missed Bacon's post Travels in the South.  Or our post Our Mystery Guest.  We have great memories from that day.

Rusty:  We don't want to load you up with links to visit, but just in case you are interested in learning more about Brolga, the BBC has ( or had?) a TV series on his roo rescue and he can be found on YouTube.   A search for "Kangaroo Dundee" will bring up the BBC shows as well as other videos.

Merci:  He also has a website:  The Kangaroo Sanctuary Alice Springs.   We hope you have fun learning about kangaroo rescue.  We did.

Missing Windup Keys

Rusty:  Hey, look at Merci go.  She could really flip that toy around and Jan had better watch out!

Merci:  Yes, those were the days.  I was young,  lovely and bursting with energy.  Yesterday Buddy and I didn't even want to go for a walk when Jan took down the leashes, so we stayed home.

Buddy:  Getting old isn't much fun, is it?  I hate to miss a walk but nowadays when the rain threatens, so do my aches and pains.

Merci:  I can't believe that picture was taken in 2003.

Rusty:  None of us were born yet.

Merci:  That's it.  Make me feel really old!

Rusty:  What I meant was I enjoy seeing these old photos of you.

Merci:  Just because I'm older than you doesn't mean I'm OLD!

Buddy:  Way to go, Rusty.  Tick her off and see that little Merci spirit explode.

Merci:  Little?  Did you just call me little?

Rusty:  Looks like I have company in the doghouse, Buddy. 

Buddy:  I didn't mean little little.  I just meant smaller than we male dogs.

Rusty:  What Buddy meant is that you are a smaller keg of dynamite than we guys.

Buddy:  Yes, you're still full of spirit. It just takes longer to wind it up.

Merci:  You're right.  I think I'll go grab a nap.  Maybe then I can remember where I left my windup key.

Buddy:  Mine is missing too.  I guess when we reach a certain age, we have to expect to start losing things.  The first to go must be the windup key.

Rusty:  No, the first to go is the memory.

Merci:  Oh, yes.  I forgot.

Cover picture used with permission

Percy:   We posted our first Mousebreath interview in quite a while today.  It's with Jaimi Ilama from Open Door Publishing (a nonprofit) who wrote "The Upstairs Cat".

Cyndi: We hope you will go by Mousebreath to read Jaimi Ilama and The Upstairs Cat.

We are joining the Pet Parade blog hop with hosts Rascal and Rocco,  Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Owned by a Husky. 

He Said She Said What?

PERCY:  Hey, Merci, I realize you're a bit old and forgetful now, but do you remember the Rascal and Catzee blogs?

MERCI:  I sure do.  I'm old but not doddering.  We always enjoyed reading them.  After their mom lost each of them, she closed their blogs, but she has a personal blog called 5 Acres and a Dream.

PERCY:  She has a new book called Critter Tales. Both Rascal and Catzee are in it. And she is having a "finally got it done" celebration giveaway!

MERCI:  We are entering, aren't we?

PERCY:  We're entering right down to the wire, but we would sure love to win a copy of that book our old friend Leigh wrote.

MERCI:  So you think all females are old?

PERCY:  No, I didn't mean it that way.  I just meant we've known Leigh for a number of years now.  That makes her an old ... I mean, a long-time friend.

MERCI:  You do know you and Jan are a lot alike in speech.

PERCY:  In what way?

MERCI:  Jan has a strange way of stating things too.

PERCY:  I am not strange!

MERCI:  But you just implied that all females are old.  The other day Jan said to Mr. Doug, "Do you remember Tommy who used to live next door to Mother?

               Mr. Doug asked, "Used to?  Did he move?

              "No," Jan replied, "she did."

              Mr. Doug laughed.  "So the next time I need to say someone died I should just say she moved?"

PERCY:  You're right in one regard.  Jan does have a strange way of stating things.

It's time for the weekly Friday Pet Parade blog hop hosted by Rascal and Roscoe.  It is co-hosted by Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Love is being owned by a husky.
 

Pirate Frankie Friend or Foe

We are so pleased to join a host of others to write a chapter in the book, Life of Frankie Furter Pirate King of Blogville.  He looks pretty good in his pirate patch, but thankfully he is only wearing it for today.  Last month his mom had a scare.  She thought Frankie would be losing his eye, but fortunately he will not be.

Dachies with Moxie came up with the idea and you can find the list of participants on their blog.  Each chapter is written by a different blog. 

In his honor, this is our pirate experience with Frankie Furter.  It's a very scary tale, so pull up a cushion and have a cutlass handly.

Buddy:  We heard the news that Frankie Furter, Pirate King of Blogville, is in our area and might drop by to check us out.  We are on high alert, not sure whether he is friend or foe.

Cyndi:  We hope he will be our friend, but if not, we have a cutlass aboard to defend ourselves.

Cameron:  Will one of you please explain to me how we are all supposed to protect ourselves when we only have one cutlass?

Merci:  That's easy.  We share it.  Surely he'd be fair and give us time to pass the cutlass around?

Micah:  Girls must have different rules of war than guys.  We don't stop fighting to change defenders.  We fight to the death!

Percy:  Not with a cooking knife we don't!  What kind of pirate calls a galley knife a cutlass? 

Sam:  Well, hopefully he'll be a friend and we won't need to worry about our lack of cutlery... er, weaponry.

Rusty:  *crash*  Shhh.  Did you hear that?   *crash*  There it is again.  Do you suppose Frankie is already aboard?

Buddy:  *bang, crash*  That can't be him.  A pirate king wouldn't be crashing about.  He'd want to sneak up on us and attack without warning.

Cyndi:  Who's got the cutlery knife?

Micah:  Uh-oh, I left it in the galley.

Merci:  You mean we're defenseless?

Sam:  Afraid so.  Perhaps if we crowd together, we'll have a better chance of survival.

Cameron:  You're joking, right?  If we crowd together, he could decapitate all of us with one swing.

Rusty:  *moves away from crew*  Right.  Spread out now and find something to brandish for a weapon.  Merci and Cyndi, find somewhere to hide.

*CRASH, BANG, CRASH*

Percy:  He's coming closer.  If I haven't told you guys before, I should tell you now, it's been fun knowing you and I'm sorry I found Jan's hiding place and stole most of the treat bags for myself.  

Marcus:  Hey, guys, where are you?  I can hear whispering but I can't see anything.  How did you all manage to find your way up to the deck without breaking a leg or something? 

Buddy:  Marcus, I told you to go put on an eye patch to make Frankie feel at home here.  One, just one eye patch.  What goofus puts on two .... Never mind.  You gave us quite a scare with all that racket.

Marcus:  Is Frankie here yet?  Did I miss him?

Sam:  No, but we have a score to settle with Percy.  Now, what was this about stealing our treats?

Percy:  Is that what you think I said?  Fear must have clouded your hearing.  I would never!

*voice from abaft*  Ahoy, there mateys, it's Frankie Furter, Pirate King of Blogville.  I come in peace with a flagon o' rum.

*collective sigh of relief from entire crew*


You can read the next chapter at Two French Bulldogs.

On a different subject, there is a special post and commentathon to benefit Austin Pets Alive in memory of Angel Abby, who would be 15 today.  Please stop by Manx Mnews.

Tongue Loose Dr. Seuss

Hey, Percy here.  I was just walking along minding my own business and almost tripped over Buddy's step stool.

Who left it here?  It belongs in the bedroom so Buddy can climb in and out of bed, not out where one of us could trip over it. 

And look what is on it, a copy of Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss.  We celebrated Sam and Dr. Seuss Day a couple of weeks ago.  Where did this come from?  No footprints.  No paw prints.  

Buddy:  Psst.  Marty was going to send it, remember?

Oh, that's right.  We've never actually read a Dr. Seuss book, so our friend Marty offered to send us a copy of his favorite.  I guess it has arrived. 

 

Marty said we should read it out loud.  Is he serious?

And here's a new trick, Mr. Knox.
Socks on chicks and chicks on fox.
Fox on clocks and bricks and blocks.
Bricks and blocks on Knox on box.

You need a loose tongue to read Dr. Seuss. I'm glad I don't have a speech impediment.  Still, it takes concentration and making faces as I enunciate each word so I don't make a fool of myself, in case anyone overhears me.  I wonder what Mr. Fox is up to besides confusing Mr. Knox?

Ben's band.  Bim's band.
Big bands. Pig bands.

Okay, now he's confusing me.

I have to think about this for a minute.  What does it all mean?. It can't be the answer to the mystery of life.  It must be a code.  But what could the code be for?

I've got it!  It's a new weapon of mass instruction.  I've deciphered the warning inside the front cover: Take it slowly. This Book is DANGEROUS!

I figured it out.  I broke the code.  I have to tell someone.  Anyone.  But where is everyone?  Any other time I'd be thrilled to have some time to myself.  But I'm going to burst if I can't share this intelligence with someone now!  Come on, come on, come on, someone come by.

Cyndi:  ** shakes Percy's shoulder**  Percy, you better wake up and come into the kitchen before all the treats are gone.

Wake up?  You mean I was dreaming?  But everything seemed so real.

Cyndi:  Oh, by the way, where did you find the Dr. Seuss book on the stepstool?  Jan says her friend Marty sent it to her and it disappeared before she could read it.

Well, I hope she doesn't read it out loud!  I think I've had enough Dr. Seuss to last me until next year. Unless the book really does contain a code. Perhaps I should actually read it - and stay awake this time.

**shakes head**  No, it was just a dream, a figment of my imagination. But I'm thankful there are some real treats waiting for me in the kitchen.

(This is obviously not a book review.  It's a just for fun post to thank Marty for the fun book.  In case any of you have a loose tongue and would like a copy of Fox in Socks, a Dr. Seuss book of tongue entanglements,  it's available on Amazon.com.)

We are joining Pepi Smart Dog for Thankful Thursday. 
 

 And Thoughtless Thursday, co-hosted by Ruckus the Eskie and Love is being owned by a huskie.  

Funny Farmers Read Chaser

Buddy:  Hey, it's the Funny Farmers mind-your-manners educational team here. Don't you dare call us "baby sitters!"  Who are we baby sitting ... um, we mean educating?  Why, Red aka Little Puppy No Name, of course!

Sam: Have you ever wondered how much your puppy could learn if you had hours every day to teach him? Well, first we'd like Red to learn not to steal our beds.

Buddy:  I can spend two whole minutes stomping my bed into just the right shape and before I can lay down on it, I'm bed-less and Red is snoring.

Sam: And he needs to learn not to try to steal our food just because he's wolfed down his own.

Merci:  And not to bite our ears.  Or leap on us when we're sleeping.  Or sing soprano when Jan puts him in the borrowed crate because she has to leave for a bit.  That hurts our ears too, which is why we sing along - to drown him out.

Why are we going on about educating Red?  Because we just finished reading a book titled Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words by John W. Pilley with Hilary Hinzmann.   It has taken us a while to get through it since we have to squeeze reading time into our schedule.  Usually, we take turns reading to each other in the pee/poop room.  (That's the dog pen, in case you don't have a canine to human dictionary.)

A couple of years after he retired this guy, Pilley, was given a Border Collie by his wife.  He spent hours each day training the dog, which he named Chaser, to learn words.  First the basic commands.  And some herding commands.  Yes, Chaser can herd sheep, as well as "herd" his mountain of toys, each with a distinct name.

Unlike the treat method of training many humans employ, Pilley used play-based methods to teach Chaser words, names and more.  Pilley is an intelligent professor/scientist and Chaser a willing student, but first and foremost throughout the training, Chaser has been a beloved pet and member of the family.

We really enjoyed this book. Pilley comes across as a man who loves animals and believes they - well, we're dogs, so we mean he believes WE are more intelligent than most men consider us to be.  What a relief to know someone finally understands us. 

Here's a short video preview of Chaser's story. 


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Buddy:  Believe it or not, the Funny Farmer Felines want to stage a protest because they believe they're every bit as intelligent as we canines and they want their own book and professional website.

  Oh, Chaser, what have you started?  We'll never hear the end of this.

Kjelle, Leigh and Ms Klutz

Percy:  We know Jan would rather we not tell this story, but it's too good to keep to ourselves.  We've told you a number of times how klutzy Jan is.  She just keeps getting better and better at it.

Cyndi:  We have all been playing musical beds quite a bit since it got cold and Jan was taking pictures of us yet again when ....

Rusty:  ... she tripped over a surge protector strip and ...

Micah:  ... you don't want to know.

Cameron:  What do you mean they don't want to know?  Of course they do!

Buddy:  If they don't, we'll tell them anyway.  Jan tripped ...

Merci:  ... and her arm flew out and the camera flew across the room and ...

Sam:  ... it hit the wood over the fireplace and fell onto the concrete with a ...

*C-R-A-S-H!*

Cameron: What was that?  I nearly jumped out of my fur.

Rusty:  Oh, that was just Sam's tail knocking the decorative tin off the table again.

Percy:  But that's what happened.  The camera crashed to the floor and ...

Cyndi: ... scared the crap out of us, is what it did!

Micah:  Jan just stood there staring at the fireplace, then walked over and picked up the camera ...

Merci: ... aimed it at Buddy, stared at the strange colors floating around the viewfinder, and clicked the shutter.

Buddy:  Surprisingly it still takes pictures, sort of.  Not bad for a camera that flew 4 feet across the room and crashed 3 1/2 feet to the hard floor.

Sam:  Yes, Jan measured the distances.  She still can't believe the camera is even in one piece, let alone trying to continue on nonchalantly..

Percy:  Jan says she hopes it will take half-decent photos until we figure out how to steal ... um, I mean get a new camera. 

Micah:  We wish we could share a picture of Jan's face when she realized what had happened, but you'll have to use your imagination.  Or you could try tripping your human while she's carrying a cup of hot coffee.

Our friend Kjelle Bus A.K.A. Charlie Rascals is entered in a photo contest and can use your help.  There's no need to sign up, give your email or name, or do anything except to go to this link -
 http://royalcanin.se/kattensdag/fototavling/?orderby=votes

Look for this photo of the handsome Kjelle.  All you have to do is to click on ROSTA.  That's it.  You've voted.  Wasn't that easy!

It will seem like nothing happened but the number on the bottom left will have changed and if you click twice, it will tell you you've already voted.  Of course, you won't know what it's telling you unless you speak Swedish, but the first time we thought it  didn't work and we clicked twice, then ran the popup text through Google Translate.  It said we'd already voted.  Oh, well good thing we don't speak the language or that would have been embarrassing.  :)

We hope you will save the link and vote daily.  The contest ends December 31st.  We vote daily. 

And we got some exciting news from an ex-cat blogger.  Many of you will remember the blogs Rascal and Little Cat Zee.  Leigh has been blogging for quite a while on 5 Acres & A Dream.  She has just published her first book, titled 5 Acres & A Dream The Book: The Challenges of Establishing A Self-Sufficient Homestead.

You can read more about the book on the blog  5 Acres & A Dream.  Leigh is giving away a copy of her book and it's easy to enter.  The link to entry information is in her post.  Good luck on winning.

We are joining the Thankful Thursday blog hop hosted by Pepi Smart Dog.

Also This 'N That Thursday hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs.

And co-hosted by Ruckus the Eskie.

Call Out and Smile

Merci, Sam, Buddy

Sam:  Hey, the ever-obedient and good-looking trio is back.  Um, that's us, in case you think we're referring to some other furries. 

Merci:  Sam, they know that.  Tell them what we have planned for today.

Buddy:  No, let me tell everyone.  We have a video of dogs doing what we're told dogs do best; however, we're not sure what that is in these scenes but in real life dogs do eating best.

Sam:  Yes, eating.  And sleeping.  And eating.  Oh, I already said that.  But that's okay.  I can make room for seconds. 

Merci:  Anyway, enjoy our Sunday Smile video.  And then we have some exciting news for those of you who like to write.  And since you're bloggers, we figure you do.


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Sam:  That first scene used a stunt double, didn't it?  We can' imagine "walking" down the pavement on our back but this pooch doesn't seem to mind.  Doesn't even protest.

Buddy:  We're going to turn you over to Miss Kathy now and she's going to tell you about a special story call out.


Seeking stories for: Not Your Mother’s Book . . . On Pets

As you can see, most anything goes. The story must be true, humorous, wacky or downright amazing! Please, no death or dying stories…

From chirps to quacks to cock-a-doodle-doo
Potbellied pigs and bunny rabbits, too
Goats or monkeys and cows that moo
Rats and lizards— even snakes will do!

About On Pets

Pet lovers unite! This book will celebrate the pets in our lives, from the big to the small, the furry to the scaly, the feathery to the slimy. No pet is too unusual for this title, so send in your stories!


Tentative Chapter Titles:

Paws & Claws (Beloved dogs with paws, and cats with claws!)
Wild Thing—I Think I Love You! (Rehabbed wild animals that have become pets.)
Animal House (Do you have a wacky house filled with numerous species? And, just how’s that working out?)
Monkeys & Frogs & Ferrets, Oh My! 
Rooming With Rodents (Rat, mice, gerbils, prairie dogs, squirrels, hamsters…)
Poop Scootin' Boogie (They all do it! We may have enough stories to make it a chapter.)
Fowl Play (Birds, birds and more birds, stories about all of our feathered friends!)
Leaping Lizards & Slithering Snakes (Does your pet sport scales!)
Hoofing It (Got hooves? We want to hear about your pigs, horses, cows, goats, lambs, donkeys and more…)
Strange Bedfellows (You sleep with WHAT in your bed? Do tell!)
True Tales of Tails! (From cotton-tailed bunnies to ring-tailed raccoons... and more.)
What The Flock (Birds, sheep, geese…animals that gather in a flock.)
Neigh, Neigh I Say (Horses, ponies, draft horses & miniature horses—need I say more? Neigh!)
Oinkers Go Boinkers (Pigs of any sort…from farm pigs to our popular pot bellied pets.)
Surprise, Surprise! (That “would have thunk it” kind of pet. We love surprises. The more shocking the better.)

Deadline: November 1, 2013
Thank you and good luck!
Submission made at:
http://www.publishingsyndicate.com/publishing_syndicate/submissions/nymb_submit_guidelines.html

When you visit Publishing Syndicate, please take note of all titles to come. Submissions are still open on Dogs...as there will be a sequel in the future. The first NYMB . . . On Dogs book is available now at Amazon.com and in most book stores. You'll like it...and it has a 5 star rating on Amazon!


Buddy:  Okay, you've had a smile and a challenge.  We hope you will submit a story and share this with your friends, so they might submit one too.

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.

Memorial, Mickey and Mark

Hey, it's me, Micah.  Jan teases me that this is what I do 75% of the time - sit in front of an emptied food bowl waiting for a refill. I say she exaggerates!  It's only 65% of the time.

But I can't help it. I was hungry for so long and hiding under the bed from Percy takes a lot of energy.  Yep, Percy still hates me.  He doesn't attack me as often but he still hunts me.  Jan sometimes brings me out near the computer during the day, where I huddle or sleep till she takes me back to my room or Percy sneaks up and sends me back into hiding.  I'm not sure if he picks on me and Cyndi because Rusty picks on him, but Percy hasn't been very popular around here these last 2 or 3 months.  He definitely should get coal in his Christmas stocking!

We added this candle graphic to our sidebar Friday but would like to put it in a permanent post as a memorial to those who died in this horrific and evil mass shooting in Newtown, CT on December 14..  We can not begin to imagine the pain the living are going through today. So many young and innocent lives lost, plus the adults who tried to protect them from the shooter.  Our prayers are with them.

Here is a Reuters news story on How to help Newtown school shooting families.

We were sad to lose the handsome Mickey Mantle, beloved brother of Jeter Harris, over the weekend.  R.I.P., Mickey. 

We recently posted We Love Happy Stories  about Not Your Mother's Book ... On Dogs, co-created by Kathy Baker because our friend, Mark has a couple of stories in the book.  Mark sent us a copy for a Christmas present, and first thing, we read his stories. 

We can't wait to read the other 58 stories, but we know you will love the personal stories of "Big Red" and "Hunter,"  both written by our friend and Texas animal rescuer, Mark Crider. We cried happy tears!

Amazon.com  or  Barnes & Noble .

Nope, this isn't a review.  Nor an ad.  We just think this book would make a great Christmas present for animal lovers of all ages. And be sure to read Mark's stories first.  :)

We Love Happy Stories

Hey, what's better than one dog hosting a post?  Well, three dogs hosting a post, silly.  Yep, we're sharing the duty today because this post is about dogs.  (Sorry, Funny Farmer Felines.)

We've spoken of our friend Mark a number of times over the years.  He's a grouchy old six-shooting Texan (his words) who has such a soft spot for animals, we wouldn't advise standing in his way if there's an animal in need or being abused.  Yep, he's a good friend to have if you're a furry. (Jan says he's not a bad one to have if you're a human either.)

He emailed us about a new book on dogs.  It's co-created by a friend of his and includes a couple of special Mark tales.

Here's a little about the book.

Hey dog lovers and rescuers .... a brand new book on dogs will be released nationally on Dec. 11th. However, it is already available on Amazon.com. Bookstores should have it within a few weeks.

It was Co-Created by a friend of mine, Kathleene (Kathy) Baker, who has been a friend for many years and participates in promoting dog rescue . . . along with me. I’m also very proud to say I have two stories in this book.and is the 3rd book to be published in a brand new anthology series by Publishing Syndicate.

The creators of this series were with Chicken Soup for over a decade. Becoming tired of serious and sad stories, they launched the Not Your Mother’s Book anthology series.

I'm pleased to say I have two stories in the book! It's not your typical "cry your eyes" out book. The only tears found within the pages are tears of laughter and joy. No death/dying stories! And, the majority of the stories are about rescue dogs...Kathy was thrilled as she read hundreds of stories to see that people are finally doing the right thing.

The perfect Christmas gift for the dog lovers on my mailing list! ENJOY...
Mark

You can check it out and even look inside it on Amazon.com.  Barnes & Noble also has it listed.  More book stores will have it soon.  Personally, we can't wait to read it.

Oh, to satisfy the federal blogging rules, we do need to mention that we were not paid to write this, it is not an ad, and a copy of the book was not provided for this post.  It really is just us telling you about our friend Mark's stories stories in his friend Kathy's new book.

Micah Announces Book Winner

Hey, Micah here again. You won't believe what happened yesterday. Jan lost me. In the house, no less. She brought that big noisy machine into my bedroom again and I got so scared I forgot all about Percy and ran to hide. And then she couldn't find me. She moved furniture, crawled the floor, hollered for me. But I wasn't anywhere. She finally gave up and figured I'd turn up when I was hungry. 

And I did turn up 2 1/2 hours later.  She went into the kitchen to feed her face ... um, to feed the dogs and then fix herself some dinner, and there I was.  Tucked in a corner with Rusty and Percy watching me. She picked me up and put me on a warm blankie on a tall table near the computer.  I was worn out and went to sleep with Rusty and Percy standing guard to make sure I didn't fall off the table.  (Ha! As if they cared!).

Yep, there I am in front of the bookcase in the living room and for once I am not getting beaten up by Percy.  Later, Jan carried me back to my bedroom and I spent Sunday recuperating from that big adventure underneath the short table I like to hide ... er, nap under.  This place is exhausting!  No peace, no privacy.  And Percy is everywhere.  Jan is calling him Houdini.

And now for our news.  We would like to thank all of you that entered our book giveaway. Yesterday we made a numbered list of all the entries and Random.org picked #2 as the winner.

We are pleased to announce that Brian was #2 on the list and he will receive a hardbound copy of Paws to Reflect by Devon O'Day. Congratulations, Brian! 

We saw a lot of peace globes yesterday.  So much talent and so many innovative ideas among the pet bloggers.  We came across one last night we'd like to share with you.  It will only take a moment to pop over and see it at Ask Fisher. 

Giveaway, Halloween and Suka

It's been a while since we've had a giveaway but we have one for our readers now. The book Paws to Reflect by Devon O'Day.  It contains 365 spiritual devotions for animal lovers.

Over the years, Jan has often said that God has used us or TWCB (Those Who Came Before) to teach and encourage her.  She used to write her own spiritual-related stories and we were often embarrassed by Miss Tattle Tail ... er Tale.  So Jan was pleased to receive a copy of this book a few weeks ago and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to give another copy away.  If you love animals and enjoy a daily devotional, you will enjoy this book.  If it doesn't interest you, perhaps you know someone it would.  And it would make a great Christmas or other occasion gift.

You can get a look into the book and read some sample devotions on Amacon com.   At Amazon, above the book on the left, click on "Click to Look Inside."

We HATE those "giveaways" where the blogger makes readers jump through hoops to enter, using raptocopter or whatever it is, so you have to leave a comment, like their facebook page, follow them on twitter and tweet about them, do a blog post, bake a souffle, buy a horse trailer, subscribe to their blog posts,  visit the shop and write an essay on which product you like best - you get the idea.  We don't have that kind of time.  Occasionally we might leave a comment, but that's it.

We think a giveaway should be just that, a giveaway.  So we are going to do one.  Of course, if you'd like to subscribe to our blog posts, follow us on twitter, do a blog post telling everyone how wonderful but humble we are, and bake us a tuna souffle or a salmon nip cake with real whipped cream icing, we will kiss your paws with joy.  But those are not requirements. 

If you would like to participate. just leave us a comment saying you'd like to win the book.  Be sure to leave some way we can contact you, such as a link to your own web blog or an email address, should you win.  Because of postal rates, since we will be mailing the book to the winner, we will need to restrict entries to the US only. 

You do not need to be a pet blogger to enter. This is open to anyone who would like a copy of Paws to Reflect devotions. 

Entries will be accepted through Saturday, November 3 at 11:59 PM EST.  The winner will be announced on Monday, November 5.


Don't forget to vote for your favorite Halloween Real and Photoshopped contest entry (one vote for each).  Voting ends at midnight tonight.  So go by the Tabby Cat Club and cast your vote. (A reminder, if you voted Friday, please go back and re-vote.  The polls went berserk and kept dropping the votes, so voting had to be changed to comments and was extended this extra day.

Just yesterday, Suka's post was on his failing heart and already today he is gone.  Purrs and pawhugs to his grieving family, including his friend / sibling Porgy the parrot.  K will do a post tonight or tomorrow.  They are not in the storm's path but Khyra mentioned on Facebook K lost power right after letting her know about Suka.  You can leave a comment on Suka's Just Sayin' blog.

We think we covered everything.  Jan is exasperated.  She cut tree limbs over the weekend and we had winds last night that blew them every which way.  She had to fetch and carry, then beat them down with a rake to make them behave.  A while ago she found them all over the place again.  Some even blew across the yard and into our pen.  

So if you'll excuse us, Jan needs to get cracking on hanging a blanket over the window with the ac unit before those branches blow inside.  Okay, the leaks aren't quite that big but the wind blowing in is sure cold. And you know how klutzy she is, so we're going to have to go snoopervise.

The cold and wind are an annoyance to us, but we are concerned and praying for those northeast of us who are / will be getting hard hit by Hurricane Sandy.  Be safe!

Cyndi Admires Gracie

Hey, it's my turn to post. I'm Cyndi.

I want to introduce you to a wonderful dog today. Her human is a writer and she tells an inspiring story about her dog Gracie. In fact, her human Saralee has written a book about Gracie, The Dog Who Walked Me.

In Saralee's own words: "The story is about my dog who became my caregiver after my spinal cord injury, the initial devastating effects on my marriage, and my cat who kept me sane throughout."

We haven't read the book, so this is not a review.  (Actually, we're not even sure it's published or for sale yet.) We just all liked Gracie's story and her role in helping Saralee's determined efforts to learn to walk again, so we want to share it with you. This is an excerpt from Gracie's story posted on Christopher Reeve's Foundation site.

Amazing Gracie's Devotion
By Saralee Perel

This month, I began writing one column after another for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, but nothing clicked. I finally realized my mind's been on a subject that I've been postponing putting into words. But now it is time.

My dog, Gracie, is coming to the end of her life. From the very moment she saw me in my Miami J neck brace after my spinal cord surgery, she was no longer just my dog; she was my lifeguard. This is my tribute to my beautiful friend's life.

She was a year old when she was found abandoned on the streets of Fall River, Massachusetts. When my husband, Bob, and I brought her home, she was terrified of us.

One day, a few years before my SCI, she was next to me while I was making soup. As I often do when I cook, I was singing. When I belted out "Oklahoma," I raised my large spoon toward the ceiling for emphasis. She hit the ground on all fours and, petrified, scooted away as if I was going to hit her with the spoon. Clearly she had been abused. She wouldn't even let us hug her. You can read the rest of the story here.

Saralee has a website and a Facebook page.


And we'd like to remind you that Dogs in Brazil is in danger of losing their home and the 16 abandoned, old and/or special needs dogs they have rescued. They have fed many street dogs out of their meager earnings from their bakery that was closed when the flood and mudslides hit Brazil in January. They hauled pet food through the devastation to help dogs in harder-hit areas.

They are in a poor area of Brazil and have been trying to find funding to help. They would really like to not only save the 16 they have now but others. Dogs and cats are not valued in their area and there is no help available there. If you wonder why they only mention saving dogs, it's because they don't have the room or finances to feed and house cats too.

If I remember correctly (and remember, we furries have somehow acquired Jan's bad memory), they are wanting to open a no kill shelter to help even more animals.

Visit Dogs in Brazil blog and check it out. And if you feel inspired to donate a few dollars to help, they would appreciate it. If you would like to donate but can't, you could help by passing the information along on Facebook or Twitter or ...

Yeah!  We are celebrating having consistent DSL internet again.

A Running Slide

We couldn't resist posting this video today.  Don't you just feel sorry for this poor guy (or gal)?  But he sure is determined. 


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Au and Target's human has written a romance called Blackmail Bride which is out now and available in Kindle, B&N and Sony ebook format as well as PDF. You can read more about it at Katz and Other Tales. And if you click here, you can read the first chapter free. So if your human enjoys romance novels, check it out. 10% of the earnings will go to Furry Friends Farm, a no-kill animal sanctuary.  It would make a nice present for someone who likes to read romance books.

For those who are looking for something special for your pet for Christmas, check out our pet shirts at our jansfunnyfarm store at Zazzle. (We also have Christmas cards.) Click on any design you like and if you don't see a pet shirt with that design, just ask and we'll fix one for you.  We even have a TATA (Auntie Deb's Tough A** Tortie Association) pet shirt and matching t-shirt for your human.  Only Jan forgot the ** when she were making the design. Oops. That's what happens when you get old and forgetful.

The Zoolatry Human has done a beautiful job putting it together.In case you haven't seen the sneak preview yet, you can view it here.  Our Crystal is in the bridge section and a few of us are scattered throughout the months.

And if you still can't figure out what to buy your pet, you might check out The Daily Kibble's 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. "Daily Kibble is a daily e-mail newsletter and web site featuring 'the latest, greatest, hottest, and coolest everything for pets: things to do, things to buy, and services for our furry four-legged best friends. 'Anyone can subscribe to Daily Kibble to receive the fun and free daily email - including special discounts and offers on many of the 22 products featured in this year’s Holiday Gift Guide. Daily Kibble has picked out the best gifts for your pet, specifically items that are perfect for the ‘howlidays’ and an absolute must have for every dog lover!"  We don't have any money to spend but we've been subscribed to their daily newsletter for some time.

We not getting paid to include any of the above information..We're just mentioning it. However, we will get our pittance should you buy from our Zazzle store.

Animal Control Abuse

We have been a little distracted the past 3 weeks, after reading a news story about something that happened to a pet owner whose life has been devastated by what appears to be Animal Control abuse. We are not going to tell you who or where, just that it happened in Georgia.

A woman returned from work one day and all her animals were gone. According to one newspaper report, a census worker called animal control because "grass was high around the house" and there were animals outside. So this census worker walked around the house peering in windows. (She was seen by a neighbor doing this.) No one ever contacted the homeowner about there being any questions or "problem." There was no emergency and no reason to suspect a dead body -- human or animal -- in the house. No reason to enter the house or search it.

But a few days later, animal control went to the house, called the sheriff's office for backup, and went through the house with the deputy, at least one other person from animal control, the county manager, and 2 (TWO) newspaper reporters, each with a camera. We can't help but wonder why animal control called in so many outsiders and took an entourage inside with him. Well, there is the publicity factor. And could there possibly be a self-protection factor because he was overstepping his authority?

Nothing has been mentioned of a search warrant. They searched the house, took photos inside the house, seized all the animals for reasons unclear but supposedly because the house smelled bad and was messy. Now, a messy house is not the same as a filthy, overcrowded one ankle-deep in feces. They took 9 or 10 dogs and 3 (?) cats. They quickly put down an outdoor dog that needed an insulin shot twice a day and a cat with a minor age-related problem that the vet said was still healthy.

All animals were up to date on their shots and well-fed. There was no abuse, no hoarding or running an unlicensed rescue, as AC claimed in the article. The owner was single, working double shifts, exhausted and her home/yard had gotten a bit messy. She was threatened with losing her job and was "bullied" into signing over her animals. (Sign them over now or I'll file charges and take you to court.) We can only imagine how embarrassed and frightened she was.

As far as we know, two of her dogs were adopted out, but knowing the reputation of that shelter, we imagine the rest of the animals have already been put down. We don't know all the facts because we haven't spoken to the party personally, but Jan has spoken to someone who knows the woman involved. The thought of a bunch of strangers ever invading our home and carting us off to prison to be executed like animal criminals is frightening. And for Jan, the thought of ever coming home to find us gone and to learn a bunch of strangers were traipsing through taking photographs is terrifying.

Don't think it can't happen to you or someone you know. Humans are not like us. They don't just want to be the alpha of the household, they want to be alpha of the office, city, county, state .... A little authority can easily short-circuit the common sense part of the human brain.

We are glad humans are passing laws to help protect us. But what kind of protection is it when those in authority go after the responsible pet owners (the animals were vetted, well-fed and the one dog was receiving twice daily injections for diabetes) instead of the abusive ones? Were those cats and dogs really being protected when they were snatched from their home and executed for no reason except the grass was tall and the house was messy? Every human gets a bit overwhelmed at one time or another.

So today we're going to honor and mourn all woofies and kitties that have been executed after being snatched away from their homes by overzealous, lacking common sense, power-hungry animal control officers, who need a heavy dose of their own abuse.

For those of you who missed our earlier post on Animal Owner Abuse, we are re-posting the 2 videos.

John Stossel's ABC News Documentary 20/20.

"Cruelty to Owners," Part 1


"Cruelty to Owners," Part 2

Purry Logic Winners

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you on the book drawing, but .... Well, you really don't want to know. Let's just say Jan claims she never wants to ride a roller coaster again! We can't figure out when she had time to ride one lately -- or where -- but Jan says strange things every once in a while. So, if she thinks she has been having fun on carnival rides in the rain in December, who are we to contradict her? (She shops for our food, remember.)

It's such a dreary day we all napped while she wrote down the names of those who left comments on the Purry Logic book post and then cut them out for us. It's so nice having a servant to do the hard part.

And then Crystal insisted he get to choose the first one since he's the oldest. So we let him.

And then before we could decide who would draw the next name, Sam grabbed a strip of paper and threatened to eat it if we didn't let him choose the second name, since he is the youngest.

So -- no, Percy, we don't need a drumroll. Stop beating on the -- Never mind!

Sassy and Island Cats, if you'll each email us your snail mail address, we'll send you a copy of the book Purry Logic. jansfunnyfarm AT gmail DOT com.

UPDATE: The Island Cats emailed that they have already won a copy of the book and we can draw another winner. We did and Khyra won. We emailed her and in her usual humorous way, she accepted. So congratulations, Khyra and Sassy! And thank you, Wally, Ernie & Zoey.

Also a big thank you to Susan for the two copies to share with other bloggers!

We are still computerless, but we were -- um, Jan was loaned an old laptop for a few days, so even though it is slower than Jan, we are really glad to be able to finally post the winning names.

Now, if you will excuse us, it's nap time again. We don't want to waste a perfectly good rain day.

Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

PS - We are very sad to lose Skeeter and Cloud Chaser today. Each had to be helped to the bridge. We hope you will take a moment to leave a message for their families.