Five Directional Dogs

Cyndi: It's been boring around here this week, Marcus. We need some excitement.

Marcus:  Perhaps you do, Cyndi, but it's been an overly exciting week for me and Jan. And now we have to look at least five directions when we're walking.

Cyndi: Five directions? I've only heard of four - north, south, east and west.

Marcus: No, left, right, ahead, behind and underfoot.

Cyndi: Underfoot?

Marcus: You mean you haven't heard of our run in with the short dog with the big mouth?

It happened Wednesday when we reached the end of our first lap. A yappy little dog across the street and down a few doors started yelling at us and then he charged. I could have stomped on him but Jan wouldn't let me. She kept trying to turn me around to retrace our route, but every time we started to turn, the dog charged, and he was close. When we turned back toward him, Jan would use the spray bottle she carries. He would run back in the street. Cars would stop. We would start to turn and he would charge again. I begged Jan to let me chase him home, but there we stood with the dog charging and running into traffic until someone blew a horn and scared the dog away.

Cyndi: Wow, that was a bit of excitement. I'm glad I missed it.

Marcus: Oh, that was just the beginning. The next day, Thursday, the great dane mix the neighbors from hell keep tied in their back yard got loose and came over to taunt me. He wouldn't leave, just kept rushing my dog pen barking and then he would stand and watch me race frantically back and forth trying to chase him away. Jan tried to stop me and I ran headfirst into her shin. He finally moved on.

Cyndi: Yes, that was the wrong kind of excitement.

Marcus: There's more. A couple hours later Jan and I started a walk. We didn't get past the porch before Jan saw a black dog walking across a lawn across the street. Guess who owns two black dogs that size? Yep, the neighbors from hell. Was that one of theirs? We'll never know because Jan rushed me back into the house. I didn't get a walk Thursday.

Cyndi: I'm sorry, Marcus. I know how much you need your walks.

Marcus: I'm not done yet. Just before sundown Friday, we set out on a walk. We crossed the street and stopped. Jan gave me my treat for being a good dog. (As in, not stopping to play tug in the middle of the intersection.) She started to unwrap a peppermint for herself. I gave a low rumble of warning to let Jan know there was something behind us. She spun around so quickly she hurt her back.

There was the neighbor's great dane mix. We barked insults at each other. I tugged at the leash. He kept coming. Jan squirted him in the face with the water bottle. He stopped. Jan pulled me back a few steps. He started forward again. We were almost nose to nose yelling at each other. Jan squirted him again in the face and he stopped, then started forward. A car crossed through the intersection, stopped, and the driver leaned on the horn. The dog turned and left.

Jan was shaking so hard I had to lean against her to hold her up. She needed to sit down but she was terrified to come home since that's the direction the other dog had gone. We had to walk away to find somewhere to rest, then we went home on the other side of the street. We didn't get a walk that day either.

Cyndi: I guess the reason Jan was shaking was because she thought she was about to be in the middle of a dog fight?

Marcus: A dog fight? Oh, in the heat of the moment that never occurred to me. I think I need to sit down for a while. My knees are shaking.

Cyndi: Well, this week has to be better. No more scary encounters.

Marcus: Want to bet? We started on a walk Sunday afternoon. We got to the corner and stood there watching a man walking what looked like one of my relatives come into view from around the curve. No, he wasn't walking his dog; he was jogging with his dog. Oops, they weren't jogging; they were running. The guy was chasing the dog,

Jan whipped around and we started walking as fast toward home as she could manage. As soon as we reached our lawn, I stopped to poop. I'm sorry but when nature calls, I need to answer. Jan turned to see how close the dog was. She was just in time to see the guy capture the dog at the corner. That guy is probably still walking bent over since he walked the dog away holding onto the collar, and it was at least several blocks to home.

Cyndi: You must be exhausted after all that in just a few days.

Marcus: I am! I think I'll just stretch out here and rest. Wake me for dinner.

Safe At Last

Buddy:  These two adorable Pomeranians are finally safe at the county animal shelter!  It has been a harrowing two weeks as Jan has waited patiently for due process of law to permit our Animal Control Officer to trap them before they were injured or killed.

Cyndi:  They are bonded, so it was exciting that they were trapped within about 1/2 hour of each other and they were able to go to the shelter together.  If they are not claimed within three days, they will go up for adoption or Miss Peggy will find a rescue to take such a handsome pair.  Hopefully, they will be adopted together. 

Buddy:  It's a complicated abandonment story and probably not one we should tell.  Suffice it to say that Jan slept well last night, knowing they are okay.  Thank you, Miss Kat (ACO) for being so kind and patient with them.  They were having too much fun - and "catered" meals - and did not want to give up their freedom!

Micah:  I guess I get to introduce our Mousebreath interview of this week.  As you can probably guess, his name is Biscuit.  Stop by Mousebreath for The Story of Biscuit.  I think you will enjoy it. 

*** Come on, don’t be shy. All kitties have a story to tell and we’d like to share yours. Leave a comment with contact information or use the comment form in our left sidebar. We would love to feature you! ***

We are joining the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal and Rocco, Basil the Bionic Cat, Barking from the Bayou and Owned by a husky. 

Meet Tess and Jake

Marcus:  Hey, I don't like this one bit.  I'm supposed to be the center of attention.  Why are we featuring strangers today?

Cyndi: This blog is not all about you.  You have to learn to share.

Marcus:  In that case, I'm going to collect my toys and hide them, especially my soccer ball, until after the strangers leave.

Cyndi:  They aren't actually here, Marcus.  You don't have to hide anything. We're just sharing a little blog time with some pups today.

Marcus:  Are we getting paid?

Cyndi:  No, we're just being neighborly.  Put a smile on your face and help me introduce them.

Marcus:  Okay, I'll help, but I want to get paid, so you need to knock down that open bag of treats on top of my crate after we finish.

Cyndi:  If you do it out of the goodness of your heart, you'll feel so good you won't need treats.

Marcus:  All right, I'll try. This adorable little puppy is Tess.

Cyndi:  Wait!  This could be Jake.  I'm not sure.

Marcus:  How could you not know which pup is which?

Cyndi:  Because there were no names with the pictures and every pup needs a name, so I picked two just for this post. 

Marcus:  Oh, great.  So this is Jake ... or Tess. Do you know anything about them?

Cyndi:  Yes.  There are seven puppies looking for a good forever home.  They are a Lab/Weimaraner mix.

Marcus:  A what mix?

Cyndi:  Everyone knows the happy, energetic Labrador retriever.  A Weimaraner is a gray hunting dog.

Marcus:  So we're asking if anyone is looking to adopt a dog that will collect all the tennis balls in its path as it hunts the human's dinner?

Cyndi:  Something like that.  A playful working dog. As I said there are seven pups, in various shades of chocolate.  Two Tesses and five Jakes.  They were six weeks old last Friday.

Marcus:  The pups are in Upson County, Georgia.  If anyone is interested in adopting one, email us your information and we will pass the information on to the puppy's human.  There is a contact form in the left column of this blog.

Cyndi:  Thank you for helping me, Marcus.  Here's the treat bag you asked for.

Marcus:  But it's empty.

Cyndi:  You asked for the treat bag.  You didn't mention wanting something in it. 

Capital Hockeysticks

Cyndi:  Who is this dog?

Merci:  Do you remember when we dogs were attacked on a walk about three weeks ago?  (Rescued)

Cyndi:  Yes.  Was this one of the dogs?

Merci:  At the time Buddy and I were too terrified to remember anything, but the next day Marcus reminded us that this dog was often tied in the front yard when we walked on the other side of the street. And it had gotten to where it was so highly excited when it saw us, it would keep racing to the end of it's tether and leap into the air barking like crazy.  A day or two before, Jan commented that she hoped the dog would never get loose because we seemed to upset it.

Cyndi:  It's a funny looking dog.

Merci:  Yes, it is.  It's been moved to the back side of the yard.  There's a drop there and he can hear us but he can't see us unless he jumps.  So when we get about half a block away, he starts leaping into the air.  He looks so funny appearing and disappearing.  Jan had to take the pictures with the zoom and of course she can't see what she's taking a picture of, so out of three photos, we have 1 3/4 pictures of him.

Cyndi:  You three have too many adventures for me.  I'm happy to stay home.

Merci:  He seems a bit calmer back there.  Perhaps all that leaping exercise tires him out.  He has a family and the kids love him (or her), so we hope he and Marcus never come face to face again.  Jan sure hopes that.  She is old and as she has said, it hurts like "capital hockeysticks" to be yanked around like that.

Cyndi:  I think we would all be in agreement if I say what we're thankful for this week is that we're together, our tummies are full, we have heat, and our phone and internet are working.

Merci:  Unless they're broken again.  What?  I'm just saying.


We are joining the Thankful Thursday blog hop at Brian's Home. 

More Sense Versus More Heat

Micah:  Dogs are weird.

Buddy:  Hey, who are you calling weird?

Micah:  You and Marcus. 

Buddy:  You'd better have a good reason for that!

Micah:  I do.  Merci is old and when animals get old, their bladder sometimes goes wonky. 

Buddy:  My bladder is fine.  Usually.

Micah:  But yesterday morning while you slept under your quilt on the big bed, Jan yelled for Merci to get up and go outside with Marcus.  Merci did.  However, as Jan soon discovered, Jan evidently startled her awake and Merci had an accident in her bed.

Buddy:  That's Jan's fault for yelling at her.

Micah:  But if she doesn't yell, Merci doesn't hear her.  Jan understood Merci didn't do it deliberately so she quietly took the bed outside to wash the urine out of it.  It was so cold, she brought the bed back inside to dry and put it in front of the heater.  It wasn't long before she turned around to see this.

Buddy:  Yes, Marcus assumed the bed was in front of the heater so he could stay warm.

Micah:  But the bed was still damp.

Buddy:  So?  

Micah:  So you got jealous and went to sit beside Jan and stare at her so she would think you needed to go out.  Then when she opened the back door and Marcus ran outside, she turned around and there you were in the bed Marcus had been sleeping in.

Buddy:  Yes, I'm crafty that way. 

Micah:  But the bed was damp!  A cat would never curl up in a damp bed.

Buddy:  Not even in front of the heat?

Micah:  No, we have more sense.

Buddy:  You were huddled near a pilot light on the stove.  I lay warm and toasty in front of the heater.  I might not have more sense but I sure had more heat!

Rescued

The Funny Farmers don't post on weekends any more and they aren't posting today.  I'm stealing their blog and this is strictly my post.  I hope they won't mind, but I have the thumbs to open their canned food, so they better not complain.

While walking the dogs before sundown tonight (Friday), we were rescued by two white knights in a black pickup truck.

It started as a normal walk.  Marcus was so wiggly and excited, I didn't get his harness hooked to the leash, just to his collar, and he was almost out of the harness by the time we got down the front steps.  Otherwise, there was nothing memorable about the walk.  Until we got about a block from where we would turn around.

Two dogs on the other side of the street popped out from behind some furniture and came racing up the street barking.  Marcus is a good-sized dog and he annoys the daylights out of  Merci (and Sam, in his day), but he is not mean.  He will, however, defend himself, especially since he was physically attacked by one dog and threatened by so many other loose dogs on our walks.

When the two got close enough, I squirted them both in the face with my psychedelic water pistol.  That had always sent them running home.  This time they kept retreating a few steps and charging again, within a couple of steps of Marcus, who was leaping about and yanking on the leash.  Buddy and Merci should have been right behind Marcus trying to scare off the intruders; however, they were one on each side trying to hide behind me.  It was all I could do to stay on my feet.

When we first saw the dogs, I caught a glimpse of a black pickup coming toward us and stopping to turn left, the direction the dogs came from.  Then I was too busy screaming and trying not to be dragged face down on the cement into a 3 dog battle.  I was about to lose when I heard the truck whip around and come charging toward us.  It came to a stop between us and the other dogs.  They ran home.

I think they were the young man and woman who have stopped to admire Marcus on a few occasions but I was so terrified I couldn't even tell you what they looked like.  They got out of the truck to be sure we were okay and offered to keep an eye on us in case the dogs came back.  We turned around and started home.  Partway down the hill, I stopped to look back and the truck was still sitting there. Marcus was so hyped up he ground holes into Buddy's new leash.  We finished our walk closer to home.

I wish I had thought to ask that nice couple for their names, at least.  They sure rescued us from a bad situation!

But that isn't the end of the story. I took the dogs home, grabbed pen and paper, and with flames coming out my ears, I marched on shaky legs all the way back.  As I got near the house, a man greeted me. I asked him if those were his dogs that had been loose.  He said yes, they kept finding new ways to get out of their fence, and he didn't know what they had against my dogs. He explained what he would do to reinforce the fence so it shouldn't happen again.  

The couple in the black pickup had made sure we were safe and then had gone to the dogs' home and told the owner what had happened.  Whoever you are, thank you so much for all your help!

This is not the first time someone has intervened for us.  I remember a man "herding" a dog down the road on the far side of his car so the dog wouldn't notice us.  Or perhaps it was so my dogs (Merci, Buddy and Sam) wouldn't notice the other dog.  I don't remember the details.  But this was certainly the most dramatic intervention.

There are two reasons I am posting this.  One is to acknowledge the anonymous couple who rescued us.  And two, to say that if you ever see someone in trouble like we were today, please do something to help.  Even if it's just to stop and blow your horn.  A loose barking dog or two running at a dog on a leash can start a bloody battle, even if it/they are all the "friendliest" dogs in town.

Marcus Has A Plan

Buddy:  Well, here we are in the doghouse again.

Marcus:  Doghouse?  What doghouse?

Merci:  It's a figure of speech, Marcus.  It means we are in trouble again.

Marcus:  What did we do?

Buddy:  Merci and I were excited and rowdy.  You tried to take Jan out!

Marcus:  Out where?

Merci:  Out of commission.  As in down on the sidewalk being dragged.

Marcus:  Not me!  I've been an angel all day.

Buddy:  Are you denying when those two loose dogs came running across the street at us you went wild and started leaping around like a bull moose in a tub of seltzer water?

Marcus:  I certainly do deny it.  And I didn't see you two behaving yourselves either.

Merci:  Aha, so you do admit it!

Marcus:  I admit nothing.  Besides it all worked out in the end, didn't it?

Buddy:  Yes, because Jan used that psychedelic water pistol she carries to squirt them in the face with water and their owner was right behind to catch them and take them back to their house.

Merci:  He apologized that they had gotten loose and Jan said she hopes we never get loose because she can't chase us.

Marcus:  So what's the problem?

Buddy:  The problem is that you get excited and your brain goes on vacation.  You could have injured Jan!

Marcus:  She would have been okay.  We would have picked her up and walked her home.  Percy would have done a cat scan to make sure she hadn't lost any important body parts in the fall, and I would have licked her wounds so she'd heal faster.

Merci:  Oh, well, just so you had a plan.

Marcus:  Of course.

Buddy:  You do know Merci was being sarcastic, don't you?



We're joining Pepi Smart Dog for today's Thankful Thursday blog hop. 

  

Do I Look Wet?

Taylor:  Buddy, what happened?  Get caught in the rain?  You look a bit wet.

Buddy:  Jan tried to drown me.

Taylor:  I find that a bit hard to believe.

Buddy:  Seriously.  She turned the hose on me and tried to drown me.

Micah:  I think he means Jan gave him a bath.

Buddy:  Yes, that's what I said.  Jan tried to drown me.  Don't I look like a drowned dog?

Micah:  Not really.  If you're walking, talking and whining about the water, you are definitely not drowned!

Buddy:  I heard her say you're next, Micah.

Taylor:  Where did he go?  I didn't know Micah could move so fast.

Buddy:  Jan isn't really going to give him a bath.  It was payback for what he said.  You don't think I was whining, do you?

Taylor:  No, not me!  I believed every word.

Buddy:  Good.  As I was saying, Jan tried to drown me, but I survived.  And I paid her back by using the canine towel to dry myself.

Taylor:  You shook water over her?

Buddy:  Yes.  It was such fun.

Family of Five Photo

Cyndi:  Hey, this isn't fair.  There are five of you in this photo.  If you're going to have a family picture, I should have been invited.  Micah and Taylor, too. 

Percy:  We weren't invited either, so don't get upset.  I was just enjoying my Private Lounge and suddenly Jan snapped a picture.

Buddy:  At least you were caught lounging.  Rusty and I were taking a bath.

Cyndi:  Merci is dead to the world in Buddy's bed and Marcus is snoring in his Private Dining Car.  I'll never understand why he likes to sleep in there with the door open.

Percy:  I think he's hopeful if he stays long enough he'll get an extra meal.

Cyndi:  But he eats in the kitchen with the rest of us.

Buddy:  You know Marcus.  He's an optimist.

Percy:  Jan said she's pretty thankful to get five of us in the same photo. 

Cyndi:  Well, next time tell Jan to wait until the rest of us can get here.

Buddy:  Of course.  And by the time you and Taylor get done taking a bath, curling your hair and painting your toes, the photo hour will have passed and none of us will be in a picture.


We are joining Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Amber Crown Collars

Cyndi:  Rusty, those are mine and Buddy's new necklace collars.  Why are you photobombing them?

Rusty:  Photobombing?  I'm just keeping them company while Jan takes a picture.

Cyndi:  The little one in the front is mine.  The darker one doubled over in the back is Buddy's.  His neck is a lot larger than mine.

Rusty:  Marcus, what are you doing down there?  You aren't supposed to be in this post.

Marcus:  But my fans will be unhappy if you don't include me.

Rusty:  Oh, okay, but you owe me big time!

Buddy:  The collar in front with the brown stones is my new authentic raw Baltic Amber Crown pet necklace.  It's supposed to repel fleas and ticks for up to one year without toxic chemicals.  Jan tried to get a shot of the actual stones but it was nap time and I wasn't cooperative.

Cyndi:  I have never worn a collar or necklace before and it took some getting used to.  The stones are small and they disappeared into my fur.  The necklace is supposed to release terpenes to naturally repel ticks and fleas.  Plus, parasites are prevented from clinging by static electricity from the friction against fur.

Buddy:  The first photos of the necklaces were taken on 5/17.  According to Amber Crown, "It usually takes up to three weeks of wearing to reach maximum repellent effectiveness."

Cyndi:  It would need to be replaced at the end of the year or when the stones become polished against the fur.  This and the remaining photos were taken on 6/21.  Sadly, you can see how much Buddy's "industrial strength nylon thread" has stretched.  There were wide gaps between stones.

Buddy:  Jan was very careful with my harness on walks.  The only thing she can figure is this happened from me scratching my neck.  She checked my face and there were fleas crawling all over it, something that was not supposed to happen while wearing this collar, so she didn't bother checking the rest of me.  If there were that many fleas so near the collar ...

Cyndi:  She let her contact know there was a problem and there didn't seem to be any concern.  But it bothered Jan so much she went on Facebook and messaged the company.  Seven days later she had an email address for them.  (Actually, one came with the collars, but a kitty who shall remain anonymous - unless he keeps bugging me - hid the individual boxes under furniture and they were only found last night behind some storage.)

Buddy:  She emailed the company her findings and concerns two weeks ago but has not received a response.  Tonight she noticed a graphic that claimed "up to 4 times larger Baltic amber pieces" on their campaign website, so she took a good look at the two collars.  The stones of each are different colors but they are most certainly not of much different, if any, size.

Cyndi:  I am a petite female kitty.  Buddy is a hound dog, several times my size.

Buddy:  They must have sent me one of the older models, not one of the upgraded "bigger, stronger" collars because it did not do anything for me.

Cyndi: On the other paw, Jan is very pleased with my necklace.  She chose me and Buddy for the review because we were both having a problem and she so wanted to for us to repel fleas and ticks naturally.  My coat has grown back silky and flyaway and all the scabs have healed - except, for some reason, the ones around my neck.  Jan thinks either the collar itches a bit or I prefer to go naked.  I'm not saying.

Buddy:  Jan would have liked for Amber Crown.com to respond to the problems with my collar so she could understand why mine failed and Cyndi's is a success.

Repeat:  Cyndi's cat necklace is a success.  The failure is with Buddy's dog collar.

We were given one cat and one dog collar for this review.  We received no other compensation.  Any opinions expressed are from our personal experience with the product. 

Wild Calling Buffalo

Marcus:  Hey, Jan, this is for us dogs, isn't it?  We don't have to share it with the cats, do we?

Jan:  No, you don't have to share this food with the cats. 

Marcus:  Okay, then I'll keep my eye on it so the cats don't steal it.  That sure looks and smells good!

Buddy:  Aren't you going to tell anyone what it is?

Marcus:  Oh, sure.  This is Wild Calling Grasslands and it's 96% buffalo.  Click the link to check out all the different flavors, including - believe it or not - alligator.

Merci:  The label says it's grain free.  It also says "rotational diet" on the label.  I guess that means Jan should order a case of each flavor so we can enjoy variety.  What, Buddy?  I can dream, can't I?

Marcus:  It's also free of gluten and artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.  That should make Jan happy to feed it to us.
 

Buddy:  Marcus, you are such a photo hog!  Jan was trying to take a picture of the food on the back steps, not you.

Marcus:  Well, I think I'm more photogenic.

Merci:  The house would sure be a lot more photogenic if you didn't keep kicking mud over everything.

Marcus:  Mud adds character!

Merci:  Okay, Marcus, you're being served first in your private dining car.  As soon as Jan tells you it's okay to eat, you can tell us how the food tastes.

Marcus:  Mmmmmfth, mphlant - 

The ingredient list from Chewy.com: Buffalo, water (sufficient for processing), liver, guar gum, calcium sulfate, vitamins {vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, vitamin D2 supplement}, minerals {zinc sulfate, ferric sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, selenium yeast, potassium iodide}.

Buddy:  Never mind, we're checking it out for ourselves.  What do you think, Merci?

Merci:  I think this is our shot and Marcus is photobombing us again.  Can't Jan move his private dining car out of the way?  But the buffalo is good. 

Marcus:  My bowl is empty.  Where did the food go?

Buddy:  Should I really answer that?

Marcus:  I hope Jan doesn't miss this can I swiped while she was trying to take a picture of the buffalo Wild Calling.  I sure could use some help opening it, though.  I wonder if Chewy.com would open any future cans before shipping them? 

Chewy provided the dog food for this review.  We were not paid and Chewy is not responsible for the content. 

This post and Four Paws and Three Claws are part of the monthly Chewy blog hop hosted by Golden Woofs and Oz the Terrier.  

A Gushing Stream

Cyndi:  Marcus, stop yelling and banging your food dish on the bars!

Marcus:  Guard, let me out of here!  This is supposed to be my private dining car.  That means you're supposed to serve me food.  What part of dining don't you understand?

Buddy:  It's going to be a while before you're sprung, Marcus.  Jan isn't here.

Marcus:  She isn't here?  Does anyone know where she keeps the key?

Cyndi:  Yes, she ate it.

Buddy:  She what?

Cyndi:  *whispers*  She didn't really, Buddy.  You know there isn't a key to Marcus's PDC.  In fact, it shouldn't be that hard to open the door from outside the crate.  We could probably spring him if we want to.

Buddy:  You didn't say that.  I didn't hear it.  And don't you ever dare think of it again!  The the only peace we ever get around here is when he's temporarily confined to his crate, or his PDC as he calls it.

Marcus:  What are you two whispering about?  Do you have a plan to spring me?

Buddy:  Sorry.  We were just saying how sad we feel to see you confined to your private dining car instead of running around the house terrorizing ... I mean, snoopervising all of us.

Cyndi:  I know what will take your mind off your circumstances.  Tell me what happened on your walk Saturday afternoon.

Marcus:  Nothing happened.  Oh, wait!  There was a raging stream running down the street.  We had to swim uphill through deep water to finish our walk.

Buddy:  We did not!  We weren't even on that side of the road.

Marcus:  Well, I'm bored, so if I want to remember it as a raging stream, it was a raging stream and we nearly drowned getting past it.

Buddy:  It was a gushing stream.  We could hear it and water was pouring in waves from under a big metal plate the contract company had used to cover a hole we'd watched them dig Friday.

Cyndi:  Oh, that's what Jan meant when she said she'd just seen our flood up the street.

Buddy:  Yes, she meant the flood through our back yard/dog pen when the new coupling blew on our water line.  (In Your Dreams)  She never wanted to see anything like it again.

Marcus:  She ignored us and talked to herself all the way home.

Buddy:  That was so she wouldn't forget to call it in when she got home to drop off Merci and me before your second walk.

Cyndi:  She left a message on the cell phone of the contract company's project coordinator and emailed the mayor so the city could follow up on it.

Gushing water and waves. Click to enlarge. :)

Marcus:  They made good time, arriving back up the hill before we did.  We watched them set up a hose to a generator and start pumping water out of the hole that was filling as fast as it was emptying.

Buddy:  Too bad it was fixed when we walked by there today.  I kind of enjoyed the excitement of watching the flood.

Marcus:  I didn't.  We could have drowned!

Cyndi:  Marcus, don't be melodramatic.  You didn't even get your toenail damp.

Marcus:  I like my version better.  As Merci said, some things are better with A Little Fairy Dust sprinkled on them.

Steam Engine with a Cold

MICAH:  Shhh, don't make any noise.  You'll wake the dogs. 

PERCY:  We kid around a lot in our post.  We hope we haven't given you the idea we don't like each other. 

MICAH:  Yes, we have our moments.

PERCY:  And here is one of them.  Marcus and Merci sleeping butt to butt in Sam's bed. 

MICAH:  Oops, Jan disturbed Merci when she got the camera, but they were both fast asleep before that.

MARCUS:   Zzzzz, snort, snick.

MERCI:  What?  Who snorts and snicks in their sleep?

PERCY:  Obviously Marcus does.

MERCI:  I was here first.  He should go snort and snick somewhere else.

MICAH:  He's sound asleep.  I don't think you're going to wake him easily.  Perhaps you could move?

MERCI:  No way!  I was here first and I'm very comfortable.  I'm not leaving.

MARCUS:  Zzzzz, snick, sneep. 

MERCI:  MARRRRRCUSSSSSS!

MARCUS:  Huh, wah, is there a fire?

PERCY:  Merci was just trying to wake you so she can get some rest without you making so much noise in your sleep.

MARCUS:  Noise, what noise?  I don't make any noise in my sleep.

MERCI:  You sound like a steam engine with a cold.

MARCUS:   I do no such thing.  On the other paw, you squirm and sniff in your sleep.

MICAH:  Guys, hey, guys, we're trying to tell everyone how well we get along.  Can you cool it?

MARCUS:  Yes.  I'll cool it right here.  Merci, you can cool it somewhere else.

MERCI:  If you're not moving, neither am I. 

PERCY:  We do, we really do get along some of the time. 

MICAH:  I guess we should be thankful for that this week.  Getting along some of the time beats none of the time. 

PERCY:  Do you mind moving over, Micah?  You're in my space. 

MICAH:  It's not your space.  I was here first.  


Join Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.

And Ruckus the Eskie for Thoughtless Thursday with co-hosts Love is being owned by a husky and Barking from the Bayou.   

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2016

TAYLOR:  Hey, whose idea was it to bring me one of Sam's old hats to wear?  His head was bigger than I am!

BUDDY:  Don't worry.  It was just a joke.  We asked Jan to include you in our post today since we're using a graphic from 2014. 

TAYLOR:  Sam was sure a character.

BUDDY:  Yes, he was usually wearing the wrong hat for the occasion but we had a lot of fun teasing him about it.

TAYLOR:  Cameron the Tuxie left for the bridge a few months before I arrived, but I've heard he and Sam were well-loved by all of you. 

BUDDY:  You weren't here long enough to get to know Sam's sense of humor.  He was always making us laugh with his silly faces.  Marcus is trying to fill his shoes ... er, paws now but he's a different personality type.

TAYLOR:  Marcus is a different everything. I think his brain is filled with confetti so his personality changes as the different colored confetti shifts position.

BUDDY:  I never thought of it like that, but you might be right.  Let's hope his green confetti has shifted to the front of his brain for the day.

MARCUS:  Hey guys, are you ready for the wearing o' the green today?  I am.

TAYLOR:  Look at him strut out of the room.  I do believe one of these days his brain is going to explode confetti all over the place.

BUDDY:  I hope he doesn't do it in the kitchen while I'm eating.

FUNNY FARMERS:  Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.


Join Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.

And Ruckus the Eskie for Thoughtless Thursday with co-hosts Love is being owned by a husky and Barking from the Bayou.  

Hard Hat at the Cleaners

PERCY:  The weather is warming and I'm getting antsy.  I think next time you dogs take Jan for a walk, I want to go along.

MERCI:  You know you'll have to wear a harness and leash to help keep Jan from wandering off, don't you?

PERCY:  Well, if I have to, but I think she should be old enough to find her own way home by now.  It must be so nice to see different scenery.  Pretty scenery.  Not the same drab view day after day.

MERCI: I don't know about pretty scenery.  This is a recent example of what we see daily on our walking route.

PERCI:  You're joking.  It looks like a ... a ...

MERCI:  A junk pile?  See the crane on the right?  There used to be a building there.  Actually, there used to be buildings all over the Martha Mill property but they are being demolished.

PERCY:  I think I'll pass on walking with you.  My hard hat is at the dry cleaners.

MERCI:  I've never seen you with a hard hat.

PERCY:   (*mumbles* And you won't see me in one now, if I can help it.)  How can you dogs walk Jan by that mess?  What if a building falls on you?  You'd be squashed.

MERCI:  That's why Buddy and I hang back and let Jan lead the way.  Jan is taller than we are. If anything falls on her, she might come through a little shorter but she'll survive.  You know how hard-headed she is.

PERCY:  It sounds like you have a good plan, but I have always heard you should never go near a constructions site  -

MERCI:  In this case, a demolition site.

PERCY:  Okay, you should never go near a demolition site without a hard hat. I think I'll wait for mine to come back from the dry cleaners.

Chase Your Own Chicken

MARCUS:  I'll shut my eyes and count to ten and Micah eating our food will become a mirage, Merci.  Stay behind  my private dining car and don't look until I tell you it's okay. 

MERCI:  Don't get upset, Marcus.  It will ruin your breakfast.

MICAH:  You aren't losing any breakfast, Marcus.  I'm just licking the empty can.  You don't eat empty ... Never mind, I forgot you tried to eat an empty cat food can one day.  This is good.  What is it?

BUDDY:  It's the Tiki Gourmet Carnivore chicken with turkey flavor.  It's supposed to match our natural prey diet.

MICAH:  Is it from one of those chase your own chicken menus?

MARCUS:  No, the chicken is already cooked and shredded.  This is what it looks like in the 12-oz can.  It's made from chicken broth, chicken, turkey and olive oil.

BUDDY:  We're told these are some Key Benefits -

•     Grain and gluten-free recipe

•     55% protein, 35% fat, 0% carb

•     Made with whole meats

•     With added vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients

•     Carbohydrate, starch and flour free

•     Zero glycemic index

•     Great for all life stages

MERCI:  How is the service in your private dining car, Marcus?

MARCUS:  The waitress could use a little training, but the food is delicious.

BUDDY: Yes, the service has been a little slow but Jan did finally manage to put our morning kibble topped with Tiki chicken on the floor so we can join you at breakfast.

MERCI:  Please don't make so much noise when you eat, Marcus, or we'll have to ask Jan to feed us as far away from your private dining car as possible next time.

MARCUS:  Hey, I've finished my breakfast.  Can you guys let me out of here?

MERCI:  Sorry, Marcus.  If we do that, you'll finish our breakfasts and we'll go without.

BUDDY:  I'd say, from the clean bowls, this food is a hit.  I think we should give this Tiki Gourmet Carnivore dog food 3 paws up!


The Tiki dog food was provided by Chewy.com. We were not paid for this review and Chewy is not responsible for the content.

This post and Delectable Delights are part of the monthly Chewy blog hop hosted by Golden Woofs and Ox the Terrier.