I hate flies!!!

The cows came back today. Mousse is always the first to let us know. He runs out the door shrieking--then we charge out of the house like a thundering herd, all howling even though we have NO idea what's causing the excitement. I think we need some cattle dogs around here!! There is the TN Valley Cattle Dog Rescue nearby--my mom helps transport them sometimes. Maybe she could just keep one... Or some of our heeler friends could come visit...
It was a mama cow and 2 big babies. The baby is staring at us.

Same scene, my mom tried an ISO whatever setting. She's not very good with a camera so she's experimenting all the time.

Which brings me to my biggest PET PEEVE: FLIES. I think the cows bring them around. See here--there's a fly on the wall already.

It's moving.

It flew around the computer.

It's up there now.

Now it's down there.

Going toward the window.

Almost caught it!

It's gone. Dang!

You wanna what?

What does it mean: "Give me your FOOT?"

Oh, I get it.

You wanna hold my PAW.

Don't I deserve a treat?

A terrible day--Rufus has crossed the Bridge too

I had just started reading his blog and loved his creativity and bassetness. And, suddenly, along comes blastomycosis. It's a virus that hits hard and fast and does terrible damage--mostly it blinds. I have personally seen it. A friend of my mom has a dog that has lost his eyes--they had to be removed which is often the case with this disease. No one knows where it comes from--maybe hides in mulch so beware of mulch around your hounds. My mom and I are crying for him and for Baby Love today. We are howling in sadness. Please visit his blog and comfort his person: Rufus

Baby Love has gone to the Bridge

We're so sad to hear that Baby Love has passed away. People from all over the world helped contribute to her surgery. We fell in love with her quirky antics like jumping around in the grass like a grasshopper. She will be missed. All the angel critters in the slideshow above will be at the Bridge to greet her. She will have lots of fun with them.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Are you going to feed me?

Wait! Itch!!

Coming now.

Kibble!

Yum!!

Belle Update

My mom talked to the vet. They sedated Belle, took some head x-rays (not dental), poked around her mouth, listened to her nose and could not find anything really wrong. The vet said that there was some discoloration and some swelling. The vet said if there were anything UP the nose there would be a mucous discharge. He is going to give her a steroid shot in the nose to lower the inflammation and from there we just watch her to see if there are more changes. My mom might do some research on the web (she is a librarian) which has helped before.

Meanwhile she will pick Belle up after work and bring her back to us. So it's not sad news. For now, Belle is okay and she will have a shot to help with the pain.

My mom says thanks for all the good thoughts and paws and butts crossed--they worked!!

Ma' Belle

This isn't sad news...just worried news about our Belle. My mom took her to the vet last week because Belle has a pain in her nose (not the other end). The vet thought she might have an infected tooth but the anti-biotics and painkillers aren't helping. She is going back tomorrow. The vet (who is a big joker--uh, as in he makes jokes and sings outloud all the time) said when my mom had paid for enough beagle visits he could get a dental x-ray machine (big joke, haha, we've probably paid him bajillions in the past decade--can't you get an x-ray machine for an easy bajillion?)

Belle flinches when you touch her black nose and she sort of gurgles when she breathes like a congested something. My mom knows that we hounds can have sarcomas there but it's best to go with the simplest ideas first. Belle's hiding in the craft room which is a worrisome sign--she usually sleeps with us in the living room. I went in to visit her for a while.

So we're just worried a little, not sad.

Looklooklook!!

I'm famous! I'm a posterboy for Paws for Courage! You can copy the image of me off their website and use it for linking. This is my 'worried' look. My mom is so proud of me!

I have a bone!!

I HAVE A BONE!!

Take your Dog to Work Day

My mom couldn't get it arranged for me to come with her today. Sigh. She says they're having SNAKES instead because it's 'Catch the Reading Bug' month at the public libraries.

So I thought I'd share photos of when she did take one or two of us to work.

This is Pongo Bongo. He visited when the Summer Reading Club theme was BOOKS AHOY! The mascot for the state was a beagle as a swashbuckling pirate. My mom tried really hard to put an eyepatch on Pongo but he refused.

Here he is so bored. My mom is the computer librarian so she has geeky stuff everywhere.

Another year the theme was 'Get spotted at the library' which, of course, had a DALMATIAN as its main character. So Harley went to work, greeting everybody as they came in the door of the library. Five staff members dressed up as dalmatian 'puppies' with stuffed socks for ears and painted black noses and spots. They had a great time. Here she is with my mom in the library parking lot. Isn't she pretty in her red bow? Maybe next year I'll be able to go to work with her at last. Until then I'll keep dragging her robe down the hall to the couch and waiting for her to come back to me.

Grazin' in the Grass--doodoodoo

I kinda like this grass.


Maybe I kinda really like this grass.


Nice to see you. Meet my girlfriend Georgia. (My mom says sorry for the blurry lense. Pay no attention to the dead treadmill which is now a doggie tanning bed)

The Chicken eaten 'round the world

Because everyone from Mexico to Malaysia is eating chicken (sorry Charlie!) my mom thought she'd get some, too. We don't have village chicken we have only Kroger chicken with all the requisite growth hormones and anti-biotics. Well, maybe once in a while is okay. Here is the Kroger Bag o' Chicken.

My mom plated it on her fine and rare chartreuse Fiesta ware.

She pulled off a piece and dangled it over my head. I see the light! I see the chicken light!

Give it to me! Give it to me! I'm a good boy! I want it now! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease

Oh, boy, oh, boy, it's getting closer!

And...it's gone in a flash! I'm not as dainty {or well-trained--mom note} as Lorenza or Amber-mae--I eat my chicken like a real wolf!!

Sigh. Time for an after chicken snooze. Thanks, guys, for the suggestions. Maybe we can have PIZZA next like Thor. Yeah, I think it's...zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Paws for Courage--rescuing animal victims of domestic violence

My mom is a transporter--not quite the Beam me up Scottie! type but someone who helps move dogs from shelters to rescues. One day, years ago (before I was born) she transported some ferrets and then became famous in Ferrets USA magazine. Since then she has kept in touch with the kind ferret rescue lady. Now that lady has started up a new rescue for animal victims of domestic violence. She wants to contact as many shelters, rescues and foster homes as possible to get the word out and set up safe havens (in the US right now). Her new and beautiful website--still under construction is Paws for Courage.

Here is some information about her mission:

Almost 50% of those leaving domestic violence situations delay leaving their abusers. They fear for the lives of the pets they will have to leave behind. Beloved pets often become pawns in abusive relationships. A “thing” to be used to instill fear in their victims, to further control them, to punish them or show them what will happen if they tell about the abuse or get out of line.

It's this fear that keeps victims of abuse frozen with terror. They know that the minute they leave, their abuser will take their anger out on their pets by seriously harming or even killing them. By the time victims are ready to leave their abusers, their self esteem has been battered and they have been alienated from most of their family and friends; they don't think they can leave and more often than not, have no place to go. And the longer a victim waits, the greater danger they put themselves in.

When a victim is finally able to leave, more often than not, the domestic violence safe havens they seek refuge at do not allow pets to be brought in or do not have the appropriate facilities to house animals. There are many domestic violence shelters that have cooperative agreements with local animal shelters for temporary holding of animals while victims are residing at the shelter. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and limited space, animals can only be held for very short periods of time...anywhere from a week to 30 days.

Paws For Courage was created with the purpose of diminishing the high number of those who feel they cannot leave because of their pets. 50% is a VERY high number and a rather disturbing statistic. Time is of the essence in domestic violence situations; any delay could prove to be deadly. Paws For Courage is a network of shelters, foster homes, and transporters dedicated to giving domestic violence 'victims' a greater chance of becoming 'survivors'. Please read our Volunteer page and consider joining or supporting our cause. An animal's (and humans') life may very well depend on it. Just a note, some of our pages are currently under construction, so please remember to keep checking back...we're always updating! If you have any questions about anything on this website (or not on the site), please feel free to contact me at any time nancy@pawsforcourage.org

An award from Kess!

This is my first award! What a nice thing for Kess to do. Thank you! I'd like to award it to my new friends Mango, Eva, and Charlie Daniels.

Summer thought it was in this hole. She is such a big dumb spotted hound.

Then my best friend Scooby had to look. Well, he's not usually so dumb.

The rest of us were howling at the fence. Something had come through our yard overnight! What was it?

Can you see them?

It was a herd of cows! In our woods.

My mom has only seen cows in fields. (she's a former big city girl so cows are exciting to her, too). They knocked down our fence (our mom quick pulled it up before we could escape) and they pooped in our yard! We don't know who they belong to but it was so exciting!! That's what it's like to live in the woods in Georgia!

Something Wicked this way came

Summer smells it this way.

She smells it that way.

Baby smells it.

Davoo smells it. I smell it! What do you think it is?
Bitey, stop sniffing my butt!
to be continued...