Cards For A Cause

As some of you may know Mom loves making cards and other crafty things BUT she doesn't have anyone to give all the things she makes too. She use to do a lot of craft and art fairs when she lived in other places but sadly there are no such things in the area where we live now. So when she came across a group earlier this year she was so happy. It is called "Cards For a Cause" It is a group that makes and donates cards for groups who need them. These are the cards she made for the group Forgotton4paws. They just wanted dog related thank you cards to send to people who adopt a furbaby. Other groups they have helped this year are.

April - St Baldricks Foundation (Childhood Cancer Research)
March - Forgotten4paws (Animal welfare, rescue and adoption)
February Cole's Foundation (Childhood Cancer Research)
January - Deployed Soldiers League (Soldiers who are deployed overseas)

If you are part of a group or know of a group that could use some cards - please let Mom know (email her at cowspotdog@mail.com) and she will be happy to suggest it to the Card For A Cause group. They will need your groups name, a brief outline of what they do, a mailing address to send the cards too and a contact person for the group.

Honeysuckle & Heat Wave

81 degrees today - after all the cold of winter it feels like a heatwave!

We went to MY little park today - the one with the walkway in the trees only we went on the back path that goes through the woods. Dog oh dog we were doing some heavy panting !!!!

Now one of the things Mom LOVES about this park is the honeysuckle which is growing wild EVERYWHERE. We are sure the park people hate it because it has just taken over - but Mom says when it flowers in a couple of weeks it will be like walking on a cloud of scent "DUH.....we think the Mom has lost it!" Last year Mom found this gorgeous colored honeysuckle and this year she is going to snip a bit off and see if she can strike a cutting of it.

Here we are having climbed up the hill to where the lookout is. That was a workout in itself especially on such a HOT day :) We headed over the troll bridge (ah - I remember when the Dweeb was to scared to cross over it and Mom had to carry him - he was a wee pup back then and thankfully it doesn't worry him anymore)













The one good thing about going uphill is that it is all DOWNHILL on the other side. Of coarse we didn't have much shade but all the trees do have tiny leaves on them so it won't be long before this is our shady glen again. See all those splashes of green in the undergrowth - that is the honeysuckle - it is growing like crazy already.
 

Puddles Dogville Pub

Aussie pubs are something special - they are a gathering place incorporating beer, drinks, food and a place for the locals to chat about what ever is happening around their community. Most Aussie pubs also have accommodation which is a favorite for backpackers and those traveling on the cheap. There is usually a billiard table, jute box, piano, darts etc available to entertain the locals too. Along the bar there is always some "nibblies" either peanuts or cheetos :) It took us a while to find a building that kind of looked like an Aussie pub but we did and here it is. Then we thought to ourselves who could we name it after....a pub of coarse is known for its beer and usually the character that runs it - only one doggie came to mind.  So here it is - The Puddles Dogville Pub with the madam herself right there in the sign. Talking of madams -  Mom will always remember one of the pubs in her hometown - owned by a 'madam' she was a Hungarian gypsy who always dressed in the most vivid bright bohemian colors. She could swear and cuss like you wouldn't believe, throw drunks out by herself, was the most down to earth person. She spoke her mind and didn't much care who she upset with the truth. She spent many many years as the mayor of our town which she loved with a passion. The doors are open and drinks and nibblies are on the house - everyone welcome !

Musing on Monday #15

"Lets go for a walk" - oh how we LOVE to hear those words BUT then the WAITING begins.

We bounce around all excited, giving off happy woofs, our tails thwapping anything and everything as they wag with anticipation, lots of excited whines and funny hurry up noises - come on then Mom..... lets go we are
ready......but nooooooo.

It goes like this ....first Mom needs to put her socks and shoes on, then she needs to tie back her hair because it is windy outside and of coarse Mom needs to make a 'to go' cup of tea. Come on woman what are we waiting for ????  And yet still the waiting goes on....... Mom needs to find the flashy beast (camera), mom needs to find the car keys. Mom needs to put our harnesses on.......and then 15 minutes later when she is FINALLY ready .......we are just about worn out from all the excited waiting !!!!

Does this happen to other pups too?  Why oh why can't we just go for a walk that very instant they say the magic words - that is what we want to know?

Adventuring we will go.......

We headed off on another adventure today - to a place called Mammoth Springs. It is the 10th largest natural spring in the USA and pumps out a staggering 8 million gallons of water an hour! There is a pawsome park surrounding it and we went on a picnic there.  The overflow area was very loud but we were both brave boys and walked across the top of it - even the Dweeb!













There use to be a railway station here too (well it is still there but it is now a museum) but it made the Mom smile to see this beautiful restored caboose car. There is also 3 parts to the lake which flow down to make the Spring River and guess what we saw - a BEAVER! He was splashing around and having fun. We took some photos but it was way off in the distance and you can't really see it. We had a pawsome day - except for the part where Dweeb threw up on the back seat!

Invisible leashes

We can not tell you what an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day it is today - 70 degrees, bright blue skies - no clouds, just the hint of a breeze PERFECT. It made Mom feel adventurous so off we went to some park  and you know what she did - come closer..........closer........closer....we have to whisper this.  See all the parks we go to have signs saying dogs must be on a leash - well there aren't any signs at this park saying that so Mom decided JUST THIS ONCE - we would use our INVISIBLE leashes!!!!  There was ABSOLUTELY no-one there so we figured just this once it would be okay.   Mom did keep practicing our stop-sit commands just to make sure we were well behaved if we did meet anything or anyone - which we didn't :)

Now just look at all the pretty white flowers - a whole field of them. We are not sure what they are but they were like little stars with pink centers. If this isn't a sign of spring we don't know what is?













Next we stopped to admire the lake and is was so beautiful with the sun glinting off it. Then we headed up into the trees - across what we like to call the the troll bridge....it is the first time we have ever seen water flowing under it.













Over the second troll bridge and again - there was water under it. All the rain we have had lately has really filled up the lake. Mom says she loves all the moss growing in the damp - personally we think the smells on it are much nicer.













We also found these cool steps up the side of hill and thought "oh George the Lad would love these steps" and some more moss! Mom said I looked so happy just standing there - two seconds later I spotted a tree rat and I was off after it. Darn all those trees they can climb up - I would have had it otherwise (Mom - in reality he didn't even get within 20 feet of it :)













After that we found a little path and Mom said "lets follow it boys" - we had never been this way before and we walked and sniffed and walked and sniffed and walked and sniffed. Mom actually had NO IDEA where we were going but we didn't care AT ALL. Eventually - look where we came out though - this cool spot on another part of the lake! We didn't think there was any other places the public could see the lake but here it was. Do you see me looking down into the water - I was watching the biggest ugliest old catfish!!! I would of had it too - if it didn't mean getting my feet wet!













We rested for a bit and just enjoyed the sunshine before we started following the 'path' again. At least Mom hoped it was a path and that it was leading us somewhere. We figured we must be on the right track when we came across yet another bridge with a nice seat on it. Why they had put it there we don't know because there really wasn't anything to look at. It was perfect for another little rest - because you know - the Mom - not US - was getting pretty tired by then. Eventually the path came out about 30 feet from where we had started. Dog oh Dog were we glad to get back to the car. Mom gave a big bowl of clean water and she even remembered to bring some cookies. Mom and us - we all layed down in the soft grass just listening to the birds and soaking up the sun for about half an hour and then we headed home. What a day!!!!

Dogville Gazette

Click on the image to see it bigger or you can download it and open in a graphics program to read it easier (just right click on the picture as choose "save as")

So proud of my little boy

Do you remember last week as I started teaching Denny the "Find It"  - he was sooooo scared of the boxes - even just one box. Well lots of practice and patience and look at my little guy. He is still a little afraid of the boxes - especially if they touch him....but it is a big improvement and I am so proud of him. The first part of the video is Denny bravely finding treats all by himself and check out how cute he is getting inside the box:). Then I let Reilly join in as nothing beats a little competition - but of coarse Reilly is so fast he finds everything before Denny. 

Now for those that don't know - Denny wasn't always so frightened. He was a normal happy outgoing pup until about 6 months of age when the vet suggested we try a new flea & tick treatment on him. BAD BAD mistake - he had a severe neurological reaction to it - for 24 hours he was shaking, trembling, panting heavily, nervous, kept jumping like something was startling him and basically just terrified. We had hoped it was just a temporary reaction but alas it wasn't and today he is as I call him "my weird little dude" He has some quirky behaviors, is now very timid and scared but he also very loving and makes the funniest ever cat sounds when he wants a cuddle.

Beautiful Sunny Day

We had a pawsome day yesterday. It was a nice 70 degrees, no clouds, bright blue sky, light breeze - sigh - what could be more perfect? Well - going to the park of coarse and after our visit 'downtown' we needed it !!! So that is what we did. We had a long slow walk, de-stressed and I unglued the Dweeb from my side (he didn't like downtown and would of crawled inside my fur to hide - if he could of - as it was I could barely walk because he was so close to me the whole time)  At the park though we got in lots of sniffing, we watched the ducks, sat in the sunshine for the ages with the Mom and I even got to chase a very surprised tree rat!













But there was one really terrible thing that occurred at the park. I can barely describe the HORROR of it. See it rained a lot yesterday and well....... my path was all wet and covered with water!!!  What a dilemma - to keep walking meant we had to go through it. I looked every which way for a dry spot to cross and even looked pleadingly at Mom but she REFUSED to pick us up and carry us over the wet stuff  - so there was no other options - we had to get our toes wet!!!! Oh my dog..... I hope we don't start shrinking!

Musing On Monday #14

Some Dweeb doggie who shall remain nameless DWEEB ! chewed up my cute little professor hat - can you believe that!  Personally I think he is extremely jealous of my suave good looks while wearing it and that it won't fit his dweeb little head. Mom is making a new one though so all is okay.

This morning we went somewhere we have never been before - to the "downtown". I must admit it was a place none of liked - not even Mom. WE didn't like it because there really wasn't anything to sniff, it was noisy and there was a lot of traffic. Mom didn't like it because even though the speed limit is only 25 mph - there was A LOT of cars who seemed to think it was their was personal drag strip! Our downtown is also made up of weird one way streets which tends to confuse Mom as they are really not well signed or you are right on top of the sign before you see it. But Mom decided DWEEB needs a bit more exposure to new things so off we went.

Like many downtown areas of small cities - it has seen better days although they are trying to improve ours. There is mainly just restaurants and bars there at the moments which Mom thinks is silly because there is hardly any parking. They definitely need to do something to "green" the streets to - it would help reduce the noise issue and just make it look better. Probably half the stores in the downtown are empty and mom wonders why they don't encourage art galleries or such to open. One weird thing we did see in a window was a stuffed monkey!!!  It was pretty old and gross and the store was empty - just this poor fellow sitting in the window. Mom tried to get a picture but it was too dark. One has to ponder why someone would have a stuffed Monkey in the window - especially as the sign above the door showed it use to be an Italian Restaurant at one point of time!

Printing out your blog

There are quite a lot of blog printing options out there but the books can range from $60.00 to $100's depending on on how many pages or years you have on your blog.  To print our blog - even with a 15% off discount (offered via an email)  it would still of coat over $400.  That was until our ever resourceful Dad found Blogbooker. This site,  originally set up as a resource for teachers lets you convert your ENTIRE blog into a PDF file which you can then save to YOUR computer or onto a USB stick which you can then take to kinko, office max or anywhere that does printing for you and have it printed out at a fraction of what the books off other sites cost. To use this option if free on this site. You might not get the fancy solid book cover but you can have it spiral bound for just a few dollars. It works with Blogger, Wordpress and Live Journal.  We had over 5 years of blogging and this program set it up as a pdf file and sorted it out by year as well.  We are off to Kinko on Monday to have out blog printed out and we will share the results later this week.  If you are thinking about having your blog printed - search around as there are quite a lot of different companies offering this now and remember to take into account the cost of postage in your overall price.



Turn your Blog into a PDF Book/Archive.


BlogBooker


Some of the other options include
Blog Blurb  - www.blurb.com (doesn't do blogger anymore)
Blog to print (they are offering 15% off at the moment -  blog2print.sharedbook.com

Daddy Lubs Me

My dad lubs me soooooo munch - he buyed me a lodda of bully stigs. I ould yell ya bout it but I am buzzy.

Reilly - what the Dweeb is trying to say is that dad was lucky enough to be able get 50 bully sticks at half price! Dweeb loves them - especially the really thin ones. Me - I can take them or leave them depending on my mood.

We also have an update on the Dweeb Jackie - if you want to call on by you can say hi to him you can visit his cousins blog here http://handsomemax.blogspot.com/

Toot Toot Thursday

Not a lot has been happening in Dogville this past week - it is such a warm and cozy place though that all that warm fuzzy heat it gives off caused some shrinkage in the paper mache mountains. So the Mom has repaired that and repainted it and you can't even see the difference now. The other things we have been working on is some signs for the buildings. We now have a proper sign for Pip's Roadkill  Grill & Bar, for Denny's and for Eva's Salon. We have also added a farm house and another house and can you believe it - Dogville had been INVADED by an EVIL CAT - can you see it laying on the porch? What next I ask - will there be tree rats (squirrels) everywhere too?  I suppose we have to have something to chase though. Gawoof gawoof - there is always the postman ...did you see him in the picture too?

Wandering On Wednesday

Car Ride !!!!!!!!!!! - Who wants to go to the park? Bark bark bark - we do!!!!!! Well come one then - into the car - Mommmmmmm tell Weilly to move his butt so I can get up on the seat. Ermmm Mom I think I am stuck - a little help please. We had a nice long walk although nothing exciting happened today on the walkies that is - we did find out some other exciting news though........
















Do you guys know Bunk the Pug - he has a coolest blog and is having Easter Giveaway going on at the moment with some really excellent prizes - and guess what - yesterday we won 2 boxes of glutton & corn free cookies from Pumpkin Paw Bakery !!! Today there is a pet portraite up for grabs.  Call on by and say hello to him - he is the coolest little dude and don't forget to enter his contest too!

The Story of the Wacky Goose

Mom is  her madness thoughtfulness decided to brave the 40 degree temperatures and take us for us a walkies this morning. Trust us - she was rugged up in so many layers she could barely move! Anyway - we went to MY little lake park today mainly because it is more sheltered and we could stay out of the cold wind. Of coarse it didn't both Dweeb and I - AT ALL - nothing like a brisk walk in the fresh air!

But then we came across this Wacky Goose (no ! not the big guy out saving sticks) but a real goose of the feathered kind. It was just laying there with it's head in the water. Mom was concerned it was sick and we watched it for a bit. It would swim for a bit normally and then stick its head back in the water. It wasn't eating as there is isn't anything to munch in this lake at the moment (it has only just refilled)  Mom thought it probably didn't like us and this was a warning but she has never seen a lone goose do this before. We figured we would stop by the park office and let them know because it sure seemed like wacky behavior to us.  When it started hissing at us we decided skedaddle out of there pretty fast.














We wandered along the board walk while Mom pondered over the wacky goose some more. It is  still all dead and grey looking yet but Mom noticed lots of buds on the trees and we noticed lost of smells! We finally made it back to where we started from and there was the Wacky Goose still acting wacky and then Mom saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Up on the roof of the little lookout - do you see it?  There is a Mrs Wacky Goose and she has built herself a nest up there.  No wonder Mr Wacky Goose was behaving Wacky.

We called in the park office to let them know about the Wacky Goose and also to tell them we had seen a skunk near the path. (The peoples that look after MY park puts up signs to alert people if there is a skunk near the walking paths so they hopefully don't have any smelly encounters. Thankfully we didn't either - getting skunked would not be fun with our fur!