Thankful Thursday Thursday

Cyndi:  Okay, Marcus, what was so important you switched my Thursday post to Thankful Thursday Wednesday?

Marcus:  I wanted to tell everyone about my new blue ball.

Buddy:  You already told us about that.  It's old news.

Cyndi:  You've had it over a week. 

Marcus:  But this is about my new new blue ball.

Buddy:  There is no new blue ball, only a used blue ball.

Marcus:  Here, let me show you.  These are my new blue ball and my new new blue ball.  

Buddy:  I don't believe it, Cyndi.  The old new blue ball has a twin!

Marcus:   ♫ My new new blue ball.  My new new blue ball.
                    I luv, luv, lu-u-uv my new new blue ball.

               ♫  I bite it and chew it and nudge it with my nose.
                    I hold it, then shove it, and follow where it goes.
                    I roll it and bounce it.  It travels everywhere -

Cyndi:  Stop singing! Where did you get a new new blue ball?

Marcus:  Amazon sent it.

Buddy:  Amazon just sent you a new new blue ball?  For no reason?

Marcus:  Of course there was a reason.  Astro and his mom read my My New Blue Ball post and thought I am deserving of a new, new, blue ball to play with outside.  So they ordered me one.  And then Jan insisted I take my old new ball outside and keep the new new ball - the one without the slobber - inside.

Cyndi:  It took less than two seconds to cover the ball  in slobber and dirt.  That is one reason Jan won't let you bring your outside toys inside.  Another is that piece of shredded football next to the new ball.

Marcus:  But I like the taste of dirt!  And it's fun to shred my toys.

Buddy:  You won't be shredding this ball any time soon.  Hopefully.

Marcus:  I love you new new blue ball.  I'm sorry Jan won't let me take you back inside so you won't be lonely, but she says you're already on the grocery list.

Buddy:  Gross list.  It's already on the gross list.

Cyndi:  Marcus, you're talking to an inanimate object.  You don't expect it to answer, do you?  

Buddy:  He probably does.  After all, he thinks he communicates with geese.

Marcus:  They're making fun of us, but don't worry, we're going to be the best of friends.  I'll come out to visit and exercise you as often as I can. 

Thank you Astro and mom.  I'm so grateful!

Finding safe toys for me is hard.  In case you, too, need an almost indestructible toy, here is a link to where my two were purchased.  (Purchased - this is NOT a product review!)

Yesterday a comment was left on My New Blue Ball post: This is Paul from Rocco & Roxie, the maker of the ball! If this ball is chewed/chomped on, it will last a long, long time. However, if it gets picked at by small bites, it can be torn into small pieces fairly easily. In the last pic above, it looks like Marcus is picking at it!   

Buddy: You must have lost your toothy touch, Marcus.  Both balls are still in one piece. 


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

My New Blue Ball

Marcus:  ♫ My new blue ball.  My new blue ball.
                    I luv, luv, lu-u-uv my new blue ball.

               ♫  I bite it and chew it and nudge it with my nose.
                    I hold it, then shove it, and follow where it goes.
                    I roll it and bounce it.  It travels everywhere -

Taylor:  Stop with the new blue ball song! I've heard it so many times today you have me singing it. Jan said if she trips over it one more time, she's going to make you eat it.

Marcus:  She can't!  It's for aggressive chewers and is supposed to be almost indestructible.  That's why she bought it.  Guess she'll just have to keep tripping over it.

Taylor:  If it keeps you from deflating another football or soccer ball or chewing up your other toys, I guess it was a good purchase.  But stop singing about it!

Marcus:  Okay.  Can I hum?

Taylor:  No!  Just chew.

Marcus:  ♫  *gnaw, gnaw, gnaw*  ♫

Taylor:  And no gnawing to the tune either!

Marcus:  This ball was a lot more fun when I could sing.  I wonder if I can bounce it to the tune while Taylor naps?


Jan:  This is NOT, NOT, NOT a review!!!  I purchased this ball on Amazon because it is supposed to be tough and contain no BPAs.  Anyone who has been reading this blog knows Marcus needs tough!  He has deflated more balls with his first bite than I can count.  He loves this.  I wish I could afford a second one, so we could play ball in the dirty/muddy dog pen because this ball is the right size for him to play with but not to choke to death on if I threw it and he caught it wrong, but it isn't possible, so he'll have to make do with one in the house.  (It holds his attention and keeps him from constantly annoying the cats.)

He did take it outside once and dropped it when he went out to pee and I had to tell him it is an inside only ball.  I think he's plotting how to get it past me again, but his outside toys are gross and not allowed in the house except in a special receptacle, even though they are washed first.

He really does love his new ball.  It's no wonder he can't stop singing about it.  :)


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

My New White Ball

Taylor: Let's see. You had a new blue ball. A new new blue ball. (Inside Outside Talk) A new new new blue ball (not blogged). A new red ball. (Red Rubber Ball)  All within six months. Where did you get this white one?

Marcus:  I found it.

Taylor:  Outside in the dog pen?

Marcus:  No.  It was in a box, and then it was on the desk, and then, like magic, it was in my crate. 

Taylor:  I think you mean, then, by theft, it was in your mouth.

Marcus:  Exactly!  Wait!  How did you know?

Taylor:  I heard Jan yell, "You little thief!" 

Marcus:  Well, she shouldn't have turned her back for an hour.

Taylor:  Ten seconds.

Marcus:  Okay, for ten seconds. 

Taylor:  You didn't even wait for Jan to remove the tag. 

Marcus:  It was sent to me.  I saw my name on the box.

Taylor:  Your name is Jan?

Marcus:  No, but I know when Canidae sent the dog biscuits and the new white ball for Christmas, they were intended for me.  They just had one of those Jan moments and forgot my name.

Taylor:  So what are you going to do with your new white ball, hide in your crate with it?

Marcus:  Just until we bond.

Taylor:  You're going to bond with a ball?

Marcus:  Yes, bonding is very important to the mental health of a ball. 

Taylor:   Who told you that?

Marcus:  My new white ball.

Taylor:  And you believe it? 

Marcus:  Of course, I do.  It's never lied to me yet!

Taylor:  Today is Thankful Thursday and we're sure thankful the electric company came out Wednesday and cut down that "spider web" of branches twined around our power pole and power line. 


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

Outside Inside Talk

Jan:  Marcus,  you have a new blue ball (Thankful Thursday Thursday) and a new new blue ball (My New Blue Ball).  I thought we agreed that one is to play with inside the house and the other is to play with outside in the muddy dog pen.  You do remember our agreement, don't you?

Marcus:  Oh, yes.  How could I forget.  You interrogate me every time I come in the door.

Jan:  And why would I do that?

Marcus:  That's what I'd like to know.

Jan:  It's because you are constantly racing the ball by me and when I call your name, you drop the ball in another room and return to the door with mud falling off your chin while you try to look innocent.

Marcus:  I would never!

Jan:  You do.  In fact, I'm looking at both balls on the living room carpet.  Would you care to explain how they got there?

Marcus:  No!

Jan:  You didn't bring the outside ball inside?

Marcus:  It must have followed me. 

Jan:  It just followed you inside?

Marcus:  Yes. 

Jan:  Then I think your outside ball needs a time out.  Out as in outside. 


The next day -

Jan:  Marcus, why are both blue balls outside in the dirty dog pen? 

Marcus:  I don't know. 

Jan:  Go bring the least dirty ball inside.

Marcus:  Okay, if you insist.

Jan:  Marcus, I said the least dirty!

Marcus;  Don't worry.  It will be as soon as I wipe it on the furniture.

Trusty Old Blue Ball

Micah:  You look pretty intense there, Marcus.  Is the ball threatening you?

Marcus:  No, it wouldn't dare threaten me.  Can't take my eyes off it for a second, though.

Micah:  Why, would it run away if you do?

Marcus:  I was waiting for Jan to try to kick it. She's sneaky, but I'm faster than she is sneaky.

Micah:  Oh, so you were playing soccer?

Marcus:  No.  She picked it up and threw it so we played chase.

Micah:  You don't play catch?

Marcus:  Rarely.  Jan usually throws it past me so it's hard to catch.  But I am good at catching if she bounces it.

Micah:  I'm all for anything that exercises you and tires you out so you leave the rest of us alone for a few minutes.

Marcus:  Jan might have returned my red ball to Amazon (Sending Red Ball on Vacation) but I still have my trusty old blue ball with the tooth holes in it.  Oh, and by the way, the rope toy Jan accidentally threw into the tree a few months ago finally fell down into the pen.  So if this ball should happen to fall apart for no reason, I'll still have something to chase.

Micah:  So your new blue ball is now your trusty old blue ball.  Interesting.  But you do know, I hope, if this ball should happen to fall apart, it will certainly NOT be for no reason!

Marcus:  You're right.  If this ball falls apart, it will be Jan's fault.  She's awfully hard on my toys!

Percy:  Our interview this week is with Sophie, Dexter and Olive.  You can read Three Chatty Cats Chat on Mousebreath. 


We are joining the Pet Parade blog hop with hosts, Rascal and Rocco, and co-hosts  Bionic Basil, and Barking from the Bayou.

Tale of 3 Collars

Buddy: It's been one of those days. Not for us. Our day was good. But Jan -- **sigh**

Sam: Yeah, Jan noticed our collars are looking frayed and she's paranoid about losing even one of us when we walk her. Cause she can't find her own way home.

Merci: So Jan went right out and bought all 3 of us woofies a new collar. Jan wasn't crazy about the designs but they were the right sizes and the colors were much prettier in paw than in the photo.


Merci: Or they were until Jan clipped all the ties, removed our collars --

Sam: And found she couldn't open a one of them. Hehehe! It was funny. She pulled and pulled and brought out the pliers, but they wouldn't budge!

Buddy: So she mumbled some things we couldn't quite hear but we think they were on our no-no list. And she took the made- by- Wal-mart collars back to Wal-mart for a refund. The greeter didn't quite believe it was possible, but she couldn't open one either. The cashier was a young woman and she did manage to finally pull one open with a pop, but she said, "No way, it shouldn't be this hard!"

Sam: Then Jan tried to take photos of us wearing our new collars. The choices are very limited, but this time she managed to find 3 different colors, and she checked Merci's to be sure it could be opened. They didn't have one with the buckle and eye in her size. We were all very cooperative. We circled and rolled so she had to take 2 sets of photos -- with 2 sets of batteries -- but we look pretty spiffy, don't we? Notice how well mine matches the liver color of my coat! And how my eyes match the red of my old collar.

Merci: Speak for yourself, Sam. Can you tell I'm miffed? I have too much hair for my new collar to show, so Jan draped it on my head It's pink and white to go with my red hair.

Buddy: I think blue is my collar, don't you?

Sam: Well, now we'll have dinner and in a little bit we'll walk Jan and break in our new collars.

Buddy: Speaking of dinner, it's late again. We're going to have to replace her if she doesn't get on the ball and start putting meals on the floor on time. Maybe we should join a union.

Merci: I think we each need a job to join a union, Buddy.

Buddy: Oh, well, maybe we'll keep her then.

(s) Buddy, Merci & Sam

PS - Sorry, we've been heavily spammed, old and new posts, so word verification has been turned on.